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Fashion for the over 50s with books and beauty

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Monday 30 March 2020

Style Not Age: Denim Directions

Is This Mutton over-50s blog interprets the challenge Denim Directions with a knee length denim dress and tartan tights
Here we are again, the Style Not Age collective, and this month it's my challenge, Denim Directions. The reason I chose denim as the subject is that there's so much of it around in many guises. There  are dresses, jumpsuits, boiler suits, jackets of many hues.  And jeans come in every cut imaginable - straight, boyfriend, boot leg, flared, cropped and there are no firm rules about which style is "in." So we can all look great in the style of jeans that suits us best.
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Friday 27 March 2020

Friday Favourites: Books, Viewing, Podcasts

Online workouts for kids are great for the over-50s too
G'day all. Nearly at the end of week 1, "gentle" lock down. The highlight was undoubtedly last night's "Clap for Carers." Putting on my anorak and opening the front door at 8pm, I was expecting to be the only one. But in fact nearly all my neighbours came out, clapping and cheering, with the distant sound of fireworks. Very moving.

I've started doing the live Joe Wicks "The Body Coach" workouts. It's 30 minutes and quite strenuous. Gets the heart rate up.

I planted some cerise parrot tulips and wallflowers in two containers outside the front door, and the first tulip is out. They're very early as they weren't supposed to be out until April-May. They're attracting bees, which is lovely.
The dramatic tulip Cerise Parrot alongside wallflowers yet to bloom, London, March 2020
Now for my Friday Favourites, recommendations for books, viewing and podcasts. I've chosen five of my all-time favourite books. Some of them are out-of-print but still available on Amazon as secondhand paperbacks or hard backs.

Memorable Reads - You Won't Forget these Heroines

Burial Rites, Hannah Kent

This is the story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir, a servant in northern Iceland who was condemned to death after the murder of two men, one of whom was her employer. She became the last woman put to death in Iceland. It's a haunting book, pulling you into an unfamiliar world and the mind of a condemned woman. It was shortlisted for several literary awards

Human Remains,  Elizabeth Haynes  

A large number of people have been dying from natural causes in their own homes.  Police analyst Annabel spots the spike in figures but can't get her colleagues to investigate. Is there something sinister at play? Also available in Audible.

The Skin Chairs, Barbara Comyns

This was the first book I read by Barbara Comyns, a much under-estimated British writer whose books were mostly published in the 50s and 60s. The Skin Chairs is written from the perspective of a ten year old girl, Frances. When her father dies, Frances, her mother and siblings are taken under the wing of their horsey relations, led by the formidable Aunt Lawrence. Living in patronised poverty isn't fun, but Frances makes friends with Mrs Alexander, who has a collection of monkeys and a yellow motorcar.  This one is quirky and somewhat eccentric, but laugh out loud funny.Middle aged woman reading a paperback novel from Virago, The Skin Chairs by Barbara Comyns

Never No More, Maura Laverty

"You were the purple blog and ripe wheat-field and a crab tree in May. You were good food, and songs in the firelight and the rosary at night. You were a welcome for my coming and a prayer for my going out. You were Gran."

If you want escapism, in the form of the homespun charm of a cottage in Ireland and a gran who was forever cooking, this is it. Delia goes to live with her grandmother in County Kildare, in the 1920s, Ireland and we find a close knit community, not inmune from social problems, and there are surprising acts of kindness. As Delia grows up, she decides to go to Spain. Maura Laverty also spent time in Spain, firstly as a governess and later as secretary to Princess Bibesco and eventually becoming a foreign correspondent based within Madrid.  It is such a charming, beautiful book. I have read it countless times.

A Five Year Sentence, Bernice Rubens

Rubens was the most superb writer. Some of her books became films - for example, Madam Souzatska with Shirley Maclaine.  One of my favourites is the story of quiet, mousy Miss Hawkins, who is planning to end her life after her last day at work. But her colleagues give her a five-year diary, and as someone who has always followed rules and instructions, Miss Hawkins feels duty bound to fulfill the expectations of the diary and its timeline, even though the diary starts giving her instructions to do things she has never done before in her life.

Podcast Pleasures


Now that I'm not driving 90 miles a day to work, I'm not listening to so many podcasts, although I'm going to use them on my daily walks when I'm walking alone. I'm gripped by The Dating Game Killer. It's the true story of a serial killer who was so charming, well educated and plausible that hardly any of his employers ran background checks, and he would quickly skip state and adopt a new identity to avoid capture. He actually was on a TV dating show and was chosen as the date of the female contestant.  Find out what happened.


Viewing Delights

The joys of Netflix have quickly worn off and we're not watching much on there at the moment, having enjoyed Cheer and a surprisingly engaging documentary series going behind-the-scenes in Formula 1.

My current favourites:
Hidden:  extremely atmospheric and beautifully filmed thriller from BBC Wales  (BBC iPlayer). It's a bit long and drawn out, but kept our attention.
Race Across the World:  the contestants are more varied, interesting and likeable than those in the first series.  Racing as couples, the contestants are not allowed to use planes and have just the price of an air ticket to get to the final destination.  BBC 2 and iPlayer.
The Nest - (below) - episode one of the new drama from BBC Scotland looked promising.  A woman desperate for a baby befriends a young girl with a troubled past who wants to become her surrogate.  But her husband (Martin Compston from Line of Duty) is less convinced.
Glasgow looks very aspirational and the riverside home of the glamorous couple is to die for. BBC1 and iPlayer. Three cast members of The Nest by the river
Belgravia:  the lavish new drama from Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey).  The first episode was very strong, the second less so. ITV 1 and ITV Hub. It's very Downton-esque, even down to the theme music.

I'll be back on Monday with the monthly fashion challenge, Style Not Age.

Sharing this post with Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge. #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, #ShareAllLinkUp with Not Dressed as Lamb,  Anna at Mutton Style

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Wednesday 25 March 2020

Polka Dots Twice - and Link Up

Monochrome with polka dots and a splash of green from over-50s style blogger Gail Hanlon
Hello everyone - hope you are all safe and well.  I was reading today that many online fashion retailers are not planning to restock for spring/summer because the sentiment is that by the time we've got through COVID-19, it may be too late for summer clothes. Let's hope not!

As I mentioned last week, I've made a few purchases, mostly timeless pieces that will serve me well for the years to come. Take this polka dot pair for example: both from Marks and Spencer.
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Wednesday 18 March 2020

Green Co-Ords and Link Up

Matching co-ordinates - tops with bottoms - are still very fashionable. Over 50s blogger Gail Hanlon shows a green leopard top with tie waist and matching culottes by Kettlewell.
This is an unashamed outfit post. The COVID-19 story plays out all day on the news so I don't need to cover it here.

I haven't done many "outfit posts" this year and the main reason is, I've got a bit bored with my winter wardrobe and there can only be so many variations on it to show you. I didn't buy anything new in Jan/Feb.  My intention was to radically change my shopping habits.  I learnt from another blogger, who's got years of experience in the retail sector, that when we order online a lot of the returns go directly to land fill.  This horrified me. For many mass market retailers, there's too much work involved in steaming and redistributing clothes to go back into the purchase chain. Plus there's the issue that young people often wear something and send it back the next day.

My plan to actually go into some stores and try on clothes has of course been scuppered. So I ordered some clothes instead, trying to choose retailers who I'm sure would not send returns to landfill.
Over 50s style blog Is This Mutton? on the figure flattering benefits of co-ordinates
Co-ords, matching skirts/trousers and tops, have been around for the last couple of seasons.  I initially liked this pair of culottes and matching top from Kettlewell.  Both co-ords can be worn individually,  and in fact it works better, because the culottes and the top both have a tie waist, which looks odd worn together. I tucked the waist tie of the culottes inside.

The co-ords come in four colourways.  I added white/cream accessories and jacket after trying pink, which didn't look right.

This is a great outfit for the pear shaped, because the long top skims the waist and hips and the wide culottes provide balance for your smaller shoulders, creating an hourglass figure.

But it's not a top choice for my shape.  After I'd taken and reviewed the pictures, I wasn't convinced I really loved the outfit.  I resolved at the start of the year I would only buy things if I really love them.
The main reason I don't love the outfit is that the top is a long one, and although it has a tie waist, this is not a length I normally wear.  I prefer to wear things tucked in because otherwise I look larger than I am, particularly if I wear a top like this with trousers because my hips and thighs then look proportionately bigger.
Cream accessories with a green leopard print pair of co-ordinates and worn by over-50s style blogger Gail Hanlon from Is This Mutton?
The culottes have an elasticated waist which generally is not good news for me in the summer when I like to tuck things in.  A fitted waistband looks more streamlined;  elasticated can add bulk. As we get older we understand better which lines and styles are the most flattering on us - whether we are short legged, long waisted, whatever.
Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday, the weekly link up where you can find new blogs to read, and bloggers can find new readers. Please leave a few comments on the blogs you visit, it really makes a blogger's day to see their posts are being read  (and not just by other bloggers).

Last week's readers' favourite (most clicked) was Singapore blogger Anna from the Glam Adventure and her YouTube video recreating a casual look worn by Jennifer Aniston.
Jennifer Aniston's casual chic outfit of jeans, jacket and tan bag is successfully copied by blogger Anna from GlamAdventure
My favourite post was by Laurie from Vanity and Me, Baukjen Brand event Spring Summer 20 event. I love posts that preview fashion collections, it's like having a seat on the front row. I always like the look of Baukjen but I've never bought anything from them yet. As Laurie shows, the tailoring looks wonderful.

Sharing this post with Claire Justine, #iwillwearwhatIlike at Not Dressed as Lamb, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, Anna at Muttonstyle, #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile at Stylesplash, Anna at the GlamAdventure, Style Six at Coast to Coast

Nothing was gifted for this post.
Stylish over-50s blogger Laurie Bronze from Vanity and Me in tailored jacket from Baukjen
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Monday 16 March 2020

10 Tips for Working From Home

Casually dressed woman in home office
My company sent everyone home last week and as we're a tech firm, we're all fairly used to it and have the right equipment and infrastructure. 

In my previous job I worked from home most of the time. It gives you a much better work-life balance, if, like me, you have a fairly long commute and are spending nearly two and a half hours a day travelling. I can cook from scratch, so we have healthier meals, and I can slot in a gym session when it's quieter. Here are my top tips for being effective (and happy) at home.
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Wednesday 11 March 2020

Latest Favourites - and Link Up

Ageing gracefully over 50 - blonde hair and bright pink lipstick
In my monthly round-up of favourites, I'm focusing this time on beauty and podcasts.  I'm starting with beauty and a foundation that many bloggers have been raving about:  IT Cosmetics CC Cream.

I couldn't resist buying a tube, even though I've been fiercely loyal to Darphin's Melaperfect foundation for several years. You can get a 12ml travel size which is ideal as a trial size  (and cost around £14 from Cult Beauty. It's also available on Amazon).

My verdict?  Below,  I have used just the CC Cream and no other make-up. I used the shade Fair, and it's a good match for winter giving a golden creamy colour.  The coverage of pigmentation and redness around the nose is excellent. It lasts well and looks fresh all day.  There isn't much to choose between this product and my usual foundation - both can look a bit cakey if you apply too much.  Both give a natural appearance, like your own skin but refreshed. The Darphin foundation is a little more beige so will be better as I acquire a slight tan.
Woman in her 50s having applied a CC cream and no other make up
My second beauty choice is a set of the most beautiful make-up brushes I have ever seen. I first saw them in one of Trinny Woodall's beauty adverts for Trinny London.  Inevitably, people ask every time where she got the brushes, and the reply is always "Amazon."  Well let me tell you, the Artis brushes are not sold on Amazon!  They are quite pricey, but just look at the quality. I bought them online direct from Artis and they shipped from the US.  A lovely gift for any woman who loves make-up.
Artis rose gold make-up brushes, photographed by Is This Mutton

Podcast Pleasures 

When I first started listening to podcasts, probably about 15 years ago, I had a long commute of 112 miles each way. As with my commute now, public transport wasn't really feasible. Podcasts were my saviour on that long drive, which involved two motorways so sometimes long delays. At that time, they were mostly radio programmes from the mainstream channels, downloaded from the iTunes Store.

I always listened to Radio 4's Drama of the Week, Woman's Hour,  Gardeners' Question Time, Desert Island Discs (and still do). Plus Simon Mayo's Confessions. Now, the podcast genre is just massive. Every week I find, via recommendations and Twitter, many more pods to try. A new magazine has just been launched, Podcast Magazine, which is very impressive although rather US-centric at the moment.  Each month it includes the top 50 pods as voted by the readers.

I've become quite demanding about my podcast listening.   I expect the highest production values, so I don't listen to any pods where the music / speech are at different levels, or the voices sound weedy through use of a cheap microphone. I can't bear beds of music swelling in the background behind audio. Cheesy idents are an instant turn-off.

I'm going to  save you some time by giving you the fruits of my listening labors.

True Crime Podcasts

My first passion was true crime and this is a rich seam, but I find I only like those where a narrator with a good voice regales us with the crime in question. I can't bear those where two people have banter and then "chat" about a crime, or those where one presenter is trying to be a personality and spends 10 mins waffling on about subscribing and what he/she did at Christmas.

My top choices for true crime are therefore: Casefile True Crime, Men's Rea (Irish crimes predominantly - features a wonderful musical intro) and Canadian True Crime.

Drama Podcasts

My latest drama fix is This Thing of Darkness from the BBC,  a compelling 7 part drama exploring the impact of murder through one family’s experience and via group therapy for murderers.  Dr Alex Bridges is an expert forensic psychiatrist, assessing and treating perpetrators of the most unthinkable crimes.
Cover artwork for BBC Radio's drama podcast This Thing of Darkness

Documentary as Drama Podcasts

Increasingly there's a genre of podcast where a true life story is presented as partial documentary / drama.  In real life, there's a new con artist around who is high on charisma and vision and can persuade thousands of people (if not millions) to fund their endeavor.  It all comes crashing down of course when they are finally exposed. The story of Theranos and its young founder Elizabeth Holmes, who modelled herself on Steve Jobs, is thrillingly told in The Drop Out.  I liked less The Missing Crypto Queen, about a woman who conned millions of pounds globally from gullible bitcoin investors, although a colleague loved it.  For me, the pre-publicity had been too intense and I already knew the outcome.  The latest pod in this genre is WeCrashed, about the rise and fall of WeWork.

Blogger Know-How Podcasts

If you're a blogger and keen to do more with Pinterest, a recent episode of Blogger Genius is just what you need. Pinterest has been changing its algorithms but they do it in a kinder way than Facebook and Instagram, who are only it for money.

The podcast is run by Jillian Tohber Leslie, founder of MiloTree.com and CatchMyParty.com.

I learnt a lot about using pins:  for example, don't make your blog's own board the first destination for your best pin.  Choose a high ranking alternative board, to guide Pinterest as to where your pin best fits.

Aimed at Millennials versus our own age group 

I am nothing if not experimental, so I have listened to a lot of podcasts aimed at millennials and hoped I'd find some good ones.  Gaslight was an intriguing drama podcast which I enjoyed, about a young woman brainwashed by the charismatic leader of a cult. There are quite a few chat/interview format shows, presented by people like Fearne Cotton and Dawn O'Porter, but I found that most of the interviewers were too keen to talk about themselves and didn't give their guests the chance to shine. 

Moving then to podcasts for women of a certain age.....

Woman's Hour is still a top choice, although I do despair at how PC it can be. In a tribute to the NHS, Jane Garvey seemed very annoyed that no women had been significant in its development, but going back fifty years, that is to be expected. The great thing about Woman's Hour is how it confronts taboo subjects in a completely fearless way. Kudos to Garvey and the inimitable Dame Jenni Murray for the no-nonsense way they handle these topics.

The new podcast Postcards from Midlife, from The Times, is worth catching although it does break one of my rules:  the incidental music is terrible and always louder than the speech, as are the ads. I covered the first episode here. Recently the podcast has talked to menopause campaigner Meg Mathews and Kate Garraway for her views on why older women are sexy.

A new podcast which is floating my boat is Susannah Constantine's My Wardrobe Malfunction. She chats to some very high-calibre guests about the clothes they have worn over the years and their sartorial disasters. Her chat with Elizabeth Hurley was controversial in that they both dismissed skirts as matronly - well, that made me splutter, so read read my views on this.

And finally - a standout pod in this genre is "Fortunately with Fi and Jane".  Two seasoned presenters, interesting guests and laugh out loud banter about stuff like "cutlery chuff" which you always find in the cutlery drawer.

Comedy Podcasts

I haven't found many podcasts that raise a smile, if I'm honest.  I used to like BBC Radio 4's "Friday  Night Comedy" but it became too woke. I  love "Dear Joan and Jerica" - you can catch the first two series at your usual podcast provider.  These two doughty ladies deal with sexual woes sent in by their "listeners" in a hilarious and jaw dropping way. Not for the easily shocked. Peter Crouch's podcast is about football but (oxymoron?) it's also very amusing. 

Documentaries

My favourite is Radio 4's Seriously.  The topics are often surprising or mundane, like talking about the lift (or elevator), and the phrase "OK Boomer" - but Seriously's take is always a bit sideways.It feeds my curiosity. Both Radio 4 and the BBC World Service are a great source of documentaries.

Hard to categorize - but one of my favourites

Dying for Sex from Wondery has the potential to be heartbreaking, yet it is irreverent, funny and touching. Molly has stage 4 breast cancer, and has been dealing with it by having random sex encounters to make her feel invigorated and alive. The podcast is a chat between Molly and her best friend (who sometimes doesn't approve of what Molly has been up to).   

Sharing this post with Claire Justine, #ShareAllLinkUp at Not Dressed as Lamb, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, Chic & Stylish at Mummabstylish, Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge, Anna at Muttonstyle,  #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Turning Heads Tuesday at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish,  Style with a Smile at Stylesplash

Nothing was gifted for this post.

Now it's time for #WowOnWednesday

Last week's link up had a record number of entries which was great to see. Non-bloggers, I'd urge you to visit a few of the blogs and leave some comments. You may find a new favourite. You'll certainly make a blogger's day.

Last week's most clicked was by Alison from Midlife and Beyond with her post "Age, Sustainability and Shopping my Wardrobe." This is a topic which continues to grow in appeal as we all try to make more sustainable choices.

My choice was by Nancy from Nancy's Fashion Style. I find myself increasingly drawn to posts about travel, and it's great to read about places which are not written about by the glossies, or off the beaten track.  Nancy wrote about a weekend in Emmen, in her own country the Netherlands. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter


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Tuesday 10 March 2020

10 on the 10th: Getting Ready for Spring

An English spring garden, border with tulips, daffodils. London. Copyright: Is This Mutton
I get very excited about spring, and Easter: such promise-filled, joyous, colorful times of the year. So I was delighted to join Leslie from Once Upon A Time and Happily Ever After.  to compare UK and US spring and Easter celebrations in a seasonal "10 questions on the 10th" post today.
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Sunday 8 March 2020

The Power of Three: Improving Awareness of Menopause

Clare Shepherd, Liz Carr-Ellis and Karen Kenning talk about the menopause and their campaign #Pausivity with Is This Mutton?
On International Women's Day, we meet three women in the UK who have created a genuine grassroots campaign, with no funding or celebrity backers, to increase awareness of the many and varied symptoms of perimenopause.

Their intention is to get a poster describing all the symptoms  into every GP's surgery in the UK - and it's already been achieved in Wales. As a result, the three women hope that doctors will become more knowledgeable and better able to advise women.
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Wednesday 4 March 2020

Step Away From That "Matronly" Skirt

Over-50s blogger Gail Hanlon in several skirts trying to disprove the view from Susannah Constantine that skirts are matronly

Dear friends. Shocking news - some of our over-50s role models have criticized skirts as "matronly," except when worn in a floaty summer way by young people!
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Tuesday 3 March 2020

Sentence a Day: February 2020 - Coronavirus hits my plans

A  flower bed containing shrub roses and spring bulbs after being weeded, winter 2020
February is usually an exciting month for me, the culmination of five months of planning for a major annual tech  event in Nuremberg. Sadly this year it was not to be.

Sat 1 Feb
Lovely day. Went for a walk with J, nearly 5 miles. Weeded, hoovered. Finally got to see the Downton Abbey film. Pleasant, uncomplicated viewing.

Sun 2 Feb
Walked to gym, 4 miles. Weeded the rose bed. I should have taken a 'before' as the weeds were so profuse and overwhelming. Still a bit left to do.

Mon 3 Feb
Office. Stress city as it is nearing the critical time for a major event that I manage at the end of Feb. J finished off the weeding of the rose bed - top pic.  I pruned the roses quite drastically this winter but I'm sure they'll be back as beautiful as ever.

Tues 4 Feb
Home. Too busy for gym. Went to London in the evening, met fellow blogger Nikki Garnett from Midlife Chic and 15 of her readers. Sadly no photos (except London at night). The Royal Festival Hall is where we met up.
View of London  at night from the Golden Jubilee bridges
Weds 5 Feb
Office. Still stress city. No time to stop for lunch. Very tired today.

Thurs 6 Feb 
Eureka moment today: wasn't tired, and reckon it's because I had a lot of carbs yesterday.  Tues hardly any. Long day but not too arduous

Fri 7 Feb 
Shelbee from Shelbee on the Edge did a lovely piece giving me a feature as she did a "steal her style" on my jeans and Bowie t-shirt outfit. Gym and supermarket,  spent vouchers.  Yes, little things cheer me up, like the fact Waitrose send vouchers for what I actually buy!

Sat 8 Feb
Beautiful day, calm before the storm which is due tomorrow. Did the shopping, a blog shoot and editing.

Sun 9 Feb
Storm Ciara.  V windy.  J went running in the forest with 20 club runners. They are a determined bunch. Our granddaughter came for lunch. She enjoyed peas for the first time. Very happy baby.

Mon 10 Feb 
Office. Still windy. The motorway I use to drive to work, the M11, was closed from my junction and beyond, long tailbacks

Tues 11 Feb 
Hurrah, blue sky. Gym.

Weds 12 Feb 
Office. Discussions about the coronavirus and whether or not we should attend the event I'm managing, in Nuremberg.

Thurs 13 Feb 
Decision made to exit the event,  Five months of work down the drain! Very sad.  Got home and found had left PC at work.

Fri 14 Feb
Had to go into office to get PC. Hardly anyone in on Fridays. Lovely sunrise. Light by 7am. Boiler broken again, 3rd time this winter. Grrr. Valentine's Day, but we don't mark it.

Saturday 15 Feb
No hot water or heating. Fortunately 11 degrees., not too cold outside.  Did shopping and  a shoot in morning before rain arrived. Fortunately the gas engineer was able to come a day early!

Sun 16 Feb
Raining.  Went to gym. Roast lamb. Storm Dennis lashed the house and drain pipe came off  the side.

Mon 17 Feb 
We now have a ritual of two Lindor chocs every evening and I spotted a box of my favourite flavour, the strawberry ones. Discovered a new podcast that's right up my street, Mortem. My breakfast was porridge from the cafeteria and some berries.
Tues 18 Feb 
Still blowy. Gym. Tried a new sausage and chorizo casserole. Delivery of my favourite Eau Dynamisante shower products.

Weds 19 Feb 
For dinner, Caesar and falafel salads.  Discovered a good drama podcast, Passenger List, about a plane that came down.

Thurs 20 Feb 
Long tiring day. V cold after bright start. Went for farewell lunch for a colleague  but no tables available so had to go back to the office for meetings with no lunch, boo!

Fri 21 Feb
At home. Realised I felt terrible yday because I didn't drink enough. I'd gone from meeting to meeting without the chance to grab any water. Foolish I know.

Sat 22 Feb 
Blustery. Gym then shopping. Wrote blog post on grey hair. Read it here. Daffodils and hyacinths now blooming well in the rose bed and front border. This is the same bed as shown in the top picture, but a couple of weeks later.
A profusion of blue hyacinths, long established, London February 2020

Mixed daffodils blooming, London Feb 2020
Sun 23 Feb
John's daughter and husband came for lunch. Roast chicken.  Had a very special delivery of a Mulberry handbag. Have never had a designer handbag before but figured that after working all my life since age 18, I deserved one, and would treasure it for the years to come.

Mon 24 Feb
Grey. Robins checking out our new nesting box. Bit sad because today I should have gone to Nuremberg. Still getting reminders to check in because you can't cancel flights on Ryanair. Made a pizza using a ready made cauliflower crust.  Was perfectly good - didn't taste of cauliflower and the crust was crisp.
Cauliflower base pizza with mozzarella, anchovies and tomatoes
Tues 25 Feb 
Having awful time at work. Another event I'm campaign managing has not got enough registrations.  Felt down all day, frantically trying to sort out issue with more emails, more advertising.

Weds 26 Feb 
Light by 6.50 and sunny. Pleasant drive. Spent morning in interesting planning meeting. Hearing Kate Garraway on a pod talking about taking more risks (we get too comfortable) made me think about trying new things. Going to start a list.

Thurs Feb 27
All the weather today. Heavy rain, then sleet, finally sunshine.  Went to a building near the Shard for a meeting.  The Shard is one of the tallest buildings in Europe at 306 metres high. The sky was very grey although the sun came out later.
Staring up at The Shard on an overcast day in London
Fri Feb 28
Terrible weather.  Gym, shopping.  Sold a top on Ebay and 2 PC monitors via our staff exchange/sell shop. Date night - we went out for dinner, local eaterie.

Sat Feb 29
The third weekend where we have had ferocious storms: Storms Ciara, Dennis, and this weekend, Jorge, a guest from Spain.  We went to visit J's son, wife and baby who's approaching one year old.

Sharing this post with: ShareAllLinkUp at Not Dressed as Lamb, Weekend Blog Hop at Claire Justine, Linkup on the Edge at Shelbee on the Edge and #BloggerClubUK or #AnythingGoes at My Random Musings


FOR MORE MUTTON


Stay in the loop: follow Is This Mutton? on Bloglovin or Feedspot.  We have good conversations at the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. Check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus beauty, jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks. Is This Mutton? is also on Twitter.


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