Birthday drinks and sneaky peeks

Well, it will be one to remember, that’s for sure. This week’s birthday on Sunday involved me having lots of online celebrations, from catching up with my grandchildren, including little Phoebe who is all the way over in Wales, to an online quiz with my siblings where everybody posted five questions, but I still came last. Blooming menopause brain! And I had a nice gin and tonic without the gin! Instead, it had turmeric and ginger 🙂

Plus, I had some lovely presents, cards and flowers too. We all promised ourselves that we will do it properly and celebrate with a get-together, when the time is right.

Meanwhile, here is one of the quiz questions – see if you get it: what is furthest west, Bristol or Edinburgh? See the answer below!

Snippets

DDVE Day!

Debbie Does VE Day, with a tea party, 40s vintage sing-a-long and nostalgia galore. I loved the day – did you? I created a tea party for two, which I ‘shared’ with my sing-a-longers on Facebook Live who were on their own, including scones and jam, cucumber sandwiches, and a wartime-type trifle (non-dairy of course!) Offering it towards the camera wasn’t quite the same as sharing in person, but they got the picture! Then I did a 1940s song session including Doris Day’s Sentimental Journey from 1945 itself. 75 years ago, blimey! We all felt incredible gratitude to all the heroes from way back when- the parallels to today’s weird times and heroes are uncanny. Puts today’s hardships into perspective, doesn’t it.
Go here to watch/listen to the sing-a-long on my Facebook page, and remember we do it every night! This week we reached #day50 and had a celebration of The Carpenters songs. I said I will continue it while I can through lock down for sure. This week’s themes included 70s and 80s hits – such fun!! Enjoy.

Bean-cubation

Incubating beans this week, they didn’t really pick up until I covered them in clingfilm! Then they took off. Determined to grow some of my own runner beans this year, because I’ve run out of slug pellets and slugs keep eating the young plants I bought!

Fish dish

I had the most lovely fish dish this week, again made from scratch with all the ingredients supplied in the recipe box. It is beginning to feel a bit samey at the moment, but I will continue it for one more week and see how I get on, certainly getting some good ideas about things going forward.

Daisy’s new friend

This week Daisy met Beau, an adorable little poodle/cavalier/bichon mix, the latest addition to my brother Derek’s household. Apparently, Beau has adopted Daisy as her new mummy and loves her to bits! Daisy’s waggly tail, on the video I watched, shows that she is equally as happy to have a new companion. Can’t wait to meet her when the time is right.

Podcast – Richard Jackson
Will Gowing turns his attention to our gardening guy Richard, and dishes the dirt (he he)… Make sure you listen to it here.

Watch – Life on Mars… again
Netflix is throwing up a lot of wonderful things to watch at the moment and I’m loving getting back into the re-runs of Life on Mars. Set in 2006, it involves a time-travelling copper who is accidentally sent back to 1973…but why? Again, it’s about time travel but I don’t care – I love stuff like this. Hope they carry on and play the sequel, Ashes to Ashes, as well. Gene Hunt, played by Philip Glenister (one of the stars of the recent Belgravia series) is absolutely outstanding and hilarious as the hard-nosed, un-PC sarge with a heart. Fab. People are also raving about ‘Ozark’, and ‘Dead to Me’. Must check them out at some stage.

Book of the week
The Poor Relation by Susanna Bavin. Set in 1908, this is a kind of Duchess of Duke Street, but with a woman determined to strike out on her own and earn a living in days when well-to-do families just did not do that. Looks good!

The next seven days on QVC
Friday – Gok Wan brings us a sleeveless maxi dress in different lengths from WULI:LUU, at a great price too. Go here to see and buy it.
Saturday – a massive 128GB storage expansion device from Datalogixx for your phone, tablet or PC. Handy!
Sunday – available now on this link, go here to see and buy Sunday’s Today’s Special Value from Margaret Dabbs – the supersize three-piece Hands and Feet collection. Perfect timing for all those crinkly fingers and hands!

Big Deals old and new
This week, ending Sunday at midnight
James Reed three-piece Sleep & Glow Gradual Tan collection
Thompson & Morgan indoor Anthurium in 14cm Sierglass vase
Molton Brown four-piece Fragrance Layering collection
Go here to see and shop them all
And from Sunday at midnight…
L’Occitane Liquid Soap duo with matching Eco Refill
Prices Candles 54-piece Odour Eliminating set
Lulu Guinness Fiona holdall with shoulder and grab handles

Monday – next week’s TSVs continue on Monday with the wonderful Lola Rose set of two semi-precious bracelets, which we have all been wearing. One is called Nikki and one is called Anna, grab them while you can!  
Tuesday – Radley return with the Grove Gardens medium flap-over cross-body bag. I’m actually launching it at 9pm on Monday night!
Wednesday – Earth Spirit are here with a Jasmine sandal.
Thursday – SBC are back, this time with a three-piece Acid Skincare collection featuring different ingredients like hyaluronic acid so you can customise your own skincare routine.

And on Thursday night at 11pm I’m looking forward to a whole hour of Lip Lift with Gale Hayman and John Gustafson. Let’s hope he’s changed the background for his dial-in video this time! After that I’m here at midnight with the…
Friday – Shark Duo-Clean upright vacuum with anti-hair wrap technology. I do love a vacuum cleaner, me. So much so, that I’m back with it on Friday at 7pm as well. Also I have the 8pm Friday night beauty show.

And at 9pm we get to see James Murden with the new Nokia smart phone (TSV for Saturday.)

Next week – come back for videos of Daisy with her new little friend, the cavapoochon, Beau!!

Best wishes,
Debbie
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PPS – Believe it or not, Edinburgh is very slightly further west than Bristol! Because Britain is tilted, not straight, when you look at it against lines of longitude on the globe!