Pottering around in Robotland

Guess what? I'm ill again. I don't think it's anything I picked up in Cardiff – Pete and Lisa were both okay; then again I've no idea where I got it as I hadn't been anywhere else between Cardiff and getting ill. Anyway, I felt appalling and have had awful abdominal cramps, so have been working from home. It's going now, though. And I'll say one thing for ilness, it forces me to take a break, read through blogs and stop trying to do all the things, all the time. 

Anyway, I thought I should update you on things I've been up to. Isn't the book at the top of this post splendid? I got it recently from a seller on Instagram. I've built up a small collection of books with notes on homes and interior design over the years, and it's fascinating to see what fittings and fixtures are seen as essential at different times, which rooms were prioritised and so on. Needless to say the price of houses is always astonishing. One thing that surprised me was the suggestion of heat pumps for heating; I thought that was an ultra-modern thing, but it looks like the idea's been around for at least 70 years.

Cocktail of the week is continuing. We gave the tiki mugs Mr Robot got me for my birthday their first outing – I made Hurricanes. They're fruity and very rummy, and I don't recommend more than two! We've also had the barbecue out, making the most of the unseasonably warm temperatures. These are the jerk prawns, potato salad and melon, cucumber and tomato salad from Levi Roots' book Grill With Levi. 

Vintage-wise, we're very much enjoying The Ipcress File - I know Vix has been watching that too - and we've also been watching Maigret as Talking Pictures TV has been broadcasting the 1960s series. I've got a stackload of old horror films recorded from that channel too.

I've got the sewing pattern for my waistcoat the way I want it, finally, and will begin work on the proper thing at some point. I might start it tomorrow, depending on how I'm feeling. I've also started knitting a cardigan out of scrappy ends of sock yarn. It's the embodiment of Vix's theory that if you put stuff you really like together, it will all work, because these are all ball-ends that are too big (and nice) to throw out but too small to do anything with individually.

And I need to get my sewjo back because we've finally booked our trip to Spain! Yes, the trip we couldn't take for our 20th wedding anniversary this year is ON for this autumn. I'm so looking forward to it. My style's shifted a bit on lockdown, and not only because I gained a lot of weight, so I want to make a few things for the trip. Maybe an extra kimono top or two, maybe more wide-legged trousers, and I want to take my usual Boden skirts but I've always struggled to find things that work with them (the high street doesn't really design/cut for large-cup boobs, and I find buying summer tops especially problematic), so this time I'm going to make things that work with them.

Anyway, that's World Of Mim. Ticking along, if not in an especially interesting way!