Photo diary: Project 365, week 27

It's been a long week, as my husband was away for seven days (Thursday to Wedneday). Sasha misses him and tends to be more anxious, taking it on me. It didn't help that it was so hot as well, and in Sasha's eyes, it's all my fault, I'm responsible for the weather. 

I did a quick drawing of a Japanese boy with a floating carp balloon in my watercolour notebook. 

Filling in my notebook with some reading challenge stats. In the first half year of 2025 I read 52 books, including 7 non-fiction. Pretty pleased with that, as it's the most I've read of non-fiction books in years. Hoping to add to this number.

I also started a new reading challenge, run by our local Waterstones. You need to read nine books in nine weeks, following the prompts (Read a work of translated fiction, Read a book with a BIPOC protagonist, Read a locally-set book, etc). 

By reading 52 books, I completed my Reading Challenge on GoodReads. 

 My top favourites are:

A Life's Music by Andrei Makine;

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins;

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré;

A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre.

The last one is non-fiction, and is very well-written. I have been reading it about 15-20 pages at a time, as there is a lot of information to absorb. Philby was the right bastard, and the secret service is a dirty business anywhere. Whatever side you belong to.

With all the hot weather I've been watering my potted plants every evening. Spotted this little butterfly on the blackberry bush, and checked out online if it's the blasted moth who nearly destroyed our boxwood hedges. It doesn't appear to be the horrible moth.

I love the scent of phloxes. It's one of my Mum's favourite flowers. 

Another butterfly in the garden.

My blood test results are back, thankfully, no action required, but the health issue is still there, so need more tests.

On Friday Eddie went to London with his school to see Noughts and Crosses at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. He studies Drama as one of his GCSEs, and this play is one of the subjects they study. He came back from his trip after midnight, rather tired but happy. 

Though it was an evening performance, Eddie managed to get sunburnt, and woke up with very puffy eyes. He did have a hat, but seeing a photo that the school posted on Facebook, looks like none of the silly sods were wearing hats.

A splash of colour in town. 

We had a relaxing day, not doing much: took Sasha out, did a bit of shopping and watched The Rain season 1 on Netflix. It's a bit slow going, and not as good as El Eternauta, though it is quite similar in genre (post-apocalyptic society, survival in the aftermath of the virus which wipes out the majority of population). There are 3 seasons. Not sure if we keep watching beyond the first one.

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Degustabox June Box

 Degustabox is a monthly food and drink subscription box. It's an excellent way of discovering new products which have only just appeared in the shops, or those which have been around for a while, but you haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Thanks to Degustabox, I have found new favourites to add to our shopping list, including some products which I otherwise wouldn't have tried.

Each time a monthly box arrives, its contents are a total surprise. You get a good selection of foods and drinks.

If you haven't tried Degustabox subscription box yet, and would like to have a go, I have a £3off discount from your first box (and you can unsubscribe any time), just use code DKRLN when placing an order. 

What did we get in June Box Degustabox?

Tilda Mushroom Basmati Rice or Egg Fried Long Grain Rice (£1.54) is Product of the Month.

Tilda steamed rice range includes over 25 flavours. I always have a couple of pouches in my pantry for quick and easy meals. My personal favourites: Jasmine, Coconut and Sticky rice, but I'm happy with any flavour. 

These pouches are super handy. I use them as a side dish to tofu meals, grilled fish, stir fried chicken, etc. 

Tilda rice is a great ingredient for stuffed sweet peppers and tomatoes, and that's exactly what I did with both Mushroom Basmati and Egg Fried Long Grain rice. I mixed the rice with grated carrots and topped with sour cream, stuffed the peppers and roasted them in the oven. 

Rice is ready in 2 minutes in the microwave or 3 minutes on the hob.

Nutritional information: 150kcal and 0.5g of sugar per 125g serving (Mushroom); 170kcal and 0.9g of sugar per 125g serving (Egg-fried); gluten free, free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

Available in the major supermarket chains. You should receive 1 item in your box.

Cheez-It Double Cheese/Cheese & Chilli (£1 each) is a thin and crispy snack baked with 100% real cheese, with no artificial colours or flavours. 

Crunchy and well-seasoned, Cheez-It makes a great snack, whether you are feeling peckish or having a movie night. 

Nutritional information: 500kcal/501kcal and 1.5g of salt per 100g, or 200kcal and 0.6g of salt per 40g pouch. No artificial colours or flavours. Suitable for vegetarians.

Both flavours are a big hit with my guys. 

Available in the major supermarket chains.

You should receive two items in your box.

More cheese-flavoured snacks - Proper All the Cheese Lentil Chips (£2), a new lentil based snack made with four cheese seasoning.

An "homage to the fromage" that blends Cheddar, Emmental, Mozzarella and Gouda into a crispy savoury snack.

Made with real cheese, gluten free, under 95kcal per serve. Lentils are protein rich, and are a source of iron and fibre.

Lovely on their own, or with a selection of dips.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Kellogg's Oaties Original Crunch (£3.50) is a new cereal from Kellogg's.

Lightly sweet, oaty bite cereal with a lasting crunch is made with wholegrain oats and is high in fibre.

 This tasty cereal will provide breakfast for the whole family. Enjoy it on its own with a milk of your choice, or personalise with adding seeds and berries.

Nutritional values: 114kcal and 6g of sugar per 30g serving.

Available in Tesco, JS, ASDA and Morrisons.

Just Live a Little Maple & Pecan Toasted Pecan Granola (£1.50) is a tasty breakfast. Made with wholegrain oats, finest nuts, fruits and a generous dollop of nut butter.

This is a gluten free granola, high in fibre and without refined sugar. Ingredients include wholegrain oat, date juice concentrate, raisins, rapeseed oil, pecan nuts, maple syrup, almond butter, toasted coconut etc.

Nutritional values: 183kcal and 7.3g of sugar per 45g.

Available in full-sized 360g pack at £4 in selected Sainsbury's, Amazon, justlivealittle.com and selected independents.

Mission Carb Balance Wraps (£1.90) are a healthier choice for any mealtime. These soft tortilla wraps offer a fine balance of high fibre with lower carbs.

Enjoy them with a sweet or savoury filling/topping - make a burrito, tacos, fajitas or a dessert with a chocolate spread or nut spread and banana.

Nutritional information: 9g carbs, 125kcal and 0.55g of salt per wrap.

Available in Sainsbury's.

Nescafe Iced Caramel Flavour Latte Multiserve (£3) is a godsend for this hot weather. Enjoy with lots of ice cubes straight from the fridge for a long refreshing drink.

Made with carefully selected and responsibly sourced coffee and milk for an indulgent creamy coffee drink. 

Nutritional values: 92kcal and 10.6g of sugar per 250ml serve; high protein, source of calcium.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Nestle Carnation Drizzles come in three flavours: Condensed Milk, Caramel or Chocolate Fudge Flavour (£3.19). 

Great for drizzling over pancakes, waffles, ice cream, berries and other kinds of desserts.

Established in 1899, Carnation has a great heritage.

You will receive one 1 item of 3. We got Carnation Drizzle Chocolate Fudge Flavour (a sweetened condensed milk with chocolate fudge flavour).

Nutritional values: 45kcal and 8.3g of sugar per 15g serving.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

Sauce Shop Original Smoky BBQ Sauce (£2.80) is the ultimate summer condiment. This is a classic sweet and smoky BBQ sauce, Kansas City style, made with tomatoes, hickory-wood smoked water, white grape vinegar and rich molasses.

Serve it with grilled meat, hot dogs, or pizza. 

Nutritional information: 140kcal and 31.9g of sugar per 100g (one bottle is 340g).

Available in Tesco, Sainsbury's and www.sauceshop.co.uk.

Skittles Citrus (£1.10 each) is a zingtastic new mix of citrus flavours - orange, lemon, lime, mandarin and blood orange.

Zesty and sweet, these candies make an enjoyable treat, whether you're lounging on the beach, or having a picnic on the lawn. Very bright and summery.

Available in the major supermarket chains.

You should receive 2 items in your box.

And finally, another sweet treat - Divine Milk & White Chocolate Cappuccino bar (£1.29). An indulgent blend of creamy milk chocolate, smooth white chocolate and a hint of rich cappuccino, it's a perfect balance of flavours. Perfect for those of us who love coffee-flavoured chocolate.

Each bar is produced using Fairtrade-certified cocoa.

Available direct from Divine at www.divinechocolate.com.

If you're a PLUS member, you will receive an extra product of Doughlicious soft baked gourmet grab & go cookies NY style choc chip (£1.99).

Another smashing box from Degustabox, with lots of treats.

Photo diary: Project 365, week 26

 Wide awake until 5am, started nodding off around 6am, and then it was time to get up. You know the feeling, when you stare at the clock through the night, willing the morning to come sooner, so that you could at least get up and start the day, as you can't sleep anyway.

It's going to be a very long day, and I have too many things to do. Sigh.

Looking back at our week, there wasn't anything special happening. Since it's so hot, I water potted plants every evening.

Lavender provides a meeting point for butterflies and bees.

On Monday I tried one of the recipes from a vegetarian cook book, which I bought in the charity shop several years ago. I have picked a few recipes to try from the book - named 330 Vegetarian Recipes for Health - and asparagus ricotta flan was one of them. I used Jus-Rol shortcrust pastry. The filling is a mix of ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, yogurt and spices. It was quite nice, though I should "sink" the asparagus deeper in the filling, as the very tips got slightly dry.

On the lookout for some second hand books, I checked out a couple of charity shops. Didn't find what I was looking for, but saw these two beautiful Indian costumes. If I were younger and slimmer, I would totally buy this pale turquoise outfit, with its elegant silhouette and light shimmer.

I'm very slowly going through season 3 of Yellowstone, only watching a little bit at a time.

I had a bag of sweet cherries taking space in the freezer, and decided it was time to cook something with them. I made a sweet cherry- red currant filling, and my own sweet shortcrust pastry too (which I don't often choose to do). It was delicious, and my guys loved it. 

On Thursday I had my blood tests done (waited for almost a month), and asked Eddie to meet me at the clinic after school, as I was a bit wobbly on my feet. He accompanied me home, and on the way back we saw the lovely Mischief. He's forever lounging on the mini-bridge, and I feel like I should be paying a toll to cross the bridge.

Friday, and the much anticipated Squid Game season 3. Eddie and I watched two episodes almost as soon as he came home after school. 

We finished watching it yesterday. I wasn't happy with the ending. It's not the first time Netflix botches up the ending of the popular show, just look what they did with The Umbrella Academy (still haven't forgiven them for that). 

However, reading reviews online, many people loved it, and thought it was brilliant. Go figure.

One of the ink drawings I made last week. The Penandinkchallenge prompt was a turtle on wheels, so I decided to draw a Steampunk-style turtle. I was looking at the steam engines' photo on my phone from our visit to Arts& Metiers Museum in Paris.

Our local Waterstones is a dangerous place. I'm very easily persuaded to buy new books, especially when recommended by one of our lovely booksellers.

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Photo diary: Project 365, week 25

 Last week was all about surviving the hot weather. 

Our old house is not built for the high temperatures, and the only marginally cooler space is the ground floor. Bedrooms are basically like trying to sleep in a tepid soup. And I move around like a zombie.

It was Father's day on Sunday, and I did remind my younger one in advance so that he could sort out the present for the occasion. I was tempted not to say anything, as they all forgot about Mother's day, but decided it was too petty. Eddie got a present and a card for his Dad, and I bought a Neapolitan cake on behalf of Sasha. 

It was time to pick white currants. They are not as tangy as the red variety, but still lovely.

A tricky day, as Sasha hasn't slept a wink all night, walking up and down, moving in his room, vocalising, and only went to bed at 7am. I was totally shattered. 

On Wednesday we had a school email on the results of mock exams. Overall, Eddie did well, but could have done better. I believe he needs to re-think his priorities, and work harder next year for the actual exams.

The only photo I snapped was of Abel and Cole extra Med veg bundle.

While Sasha was out with his PAs, my husband and I checked out a new cafe in town. I had an iced chai. The menu is not bad, but won't really work for Sasha, as there is not much of what he would want to drink or eat there. That means, we can cross it out, and not suggest to PAs as a possible place to take Sasha to.

I wasn't deliberately making a silly face, I just had a gulp of a very icy drink, when my dear husband took a photo of me.

Pretty poppies in town.

I'm currently reading The Man Who Was George Smiley: The Life of John Bingham by Michael Yago. I've read someone describing it as a book for George Smiley die-hard fans, and I rather agree.

There is a lot of information, however, the style is slightly stilted. I only manage about a chapter at a time. The only chapter I truly enjoyed is The Genesis of George Smiley, about the times when David Cornwell (John le Carré) joined MI5, his relationship with Bingham, and the eventual fall-out. 

While reading this book, I realised that both Bingham's wife and daughter were writers. There is going to be a re-issue of Peers and Plebs by Madeleine Bingham later in summer, and you can pre-order it at £52.99 for a Kindle edition. Thanks, but no thanks, I'm not that invested in the family.

Curious, I checked out the publisher of the Rutlegde revivals series, and found out that some of the books in their series cost a hundred per Kindle book. That's not exactly Revivals, it's more of Let's Bury this classic series. Who is going to spend a hundred pounds for an e-copy? What am I missing?

Another book I was reading last week (and just finished yesterday) is The Emerald Shawl by Louise Douglas (out later this summer). It's a dark Gothic historical novel, set in Bristol in 1864.

The main protagonist, Nelly Brooks, is one of the first female journalists. Nelly has a tragic past, having spent ten years in an asylum, where her parents put her as a teenager. 

Nelly writes articles on fashion, interior, frilly things, suitable for the genteel reader, but secretly she wants to do investigative journalism and make a difference. 

One day a woman approaches her, saying she has an information that the wife of an aristocat who supposedly died in childbirth, was actually murdered. The next day Nelly finds out that her informant ends up dead herself. If Nelly is going to pursue the story, she is risking her own life.

And how was your week?

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Photo Diary: Project 365, week 24

 A typical English weather this week - it cannot seem to make up its mind, whether to be sunny or rain in buckets, so we often had both most days. Whenever there was a sunny break, I popped into the garden to do the weeding, and trimmed the Virginia creeper at the house front. While working, I spotted this moth.

It is likely an Eight-spotted forester, but don't take my word for it.

We were taking Sasha out, and my husband asked if we could go anywhere else but Cafe Nero, as he's a bit fed up with it. Sasha is happy with Coffee 1, as they have his favourite Coke and nice cakes and pastries. 

The pistachio craze continues, and there is a new Pistachio cream bun available in Coffee 1, which Sasha has chosen. It does look pretty good, though that's some serious amount of cream.

And if you visit Costa, they have a new pistachio chocolate cookie. I had a reward on my Costa card for a free can of iced coffee, and bought a cookie to take with me. Eddie and I shared it. Not too bad, quite chocolatey, though the pistachio flavour tastes rather artificial.

I'm happy with all the pistachio offerings, as it's one of my favourite nuts (that, and hazelnut). 

A clematis in town...

I was looking forward to the Strawberry Moon on Wednesday, but alas, the Moon was hiding from us in the clouds, and we couldn't see anything special. I ventured into the garden several times through the evening and early night, and it was dark dark dark. Did you manage to  get a glimpse of the rare Moon?

This week I've been trying to figure out what to do with the boxwood hedges in the garden. All of a sudden, some parts of it have been attacked by nasty pests. I bought some special boxwood spray to kill off the pests, but not sure what exactly the disease it. It's not the boxwood blight, or miner. I cannot see any worms or bugs, or any insects at all, but a lot of damage. In fact, one hedge looks pretty destroyed.

Any word of advice? Should I remove all the affected bushes and burn them? Or will they be able to recover after treatment?

On Thursday my friend and I arranged to meet for an hour, while Sasha was out with his PAs. We haven't seen each other for over a month, and it was lovely to catch up on the latest news. 

On the way to her house, I ran through the flood fields area. I love it there, it's just so peaceful, with birds singing, and tall grasses waving in the breeze. You can often spot a local cat there, named Mischief. I've known this cat for at least seven years, but he must be older than that. He is a mouser, and spends most of the day outdoors. He is the most chillaxed cat you can encounter, often lying in the middle of the path or bridge, without a care that someone might step on him.

Mischief is a local mini-celebrity, as people often menion seeing him on the local Facebook group.

The weather was funny again on Friday, with a mild rain, and a bit of sunshine. I picked up some of the red currants for lunch. 

I could see some of the apples too, though this year there are going to be less of them. Last year's harvest was abundunt, so this year the apple trees are having a bit of a break.

A few days ago I got a message on Insta from author Shannon Morgan, saying that I won three of her books (all horror). They arrived yesterday, with a lovely postcard. I follow the author on social media, but haven't read any of her books yet. I do enjoy horror.

What else have we been doing? Eddie and I finally started watching The Last of Us (season 1). I was waiting and waiting for it to get less pricey, but it is not happening. Only watched two episodes. 

If you haven't watched it, my unsolicited advice: don't do it before bedtime, or you might have trouble to sleep. It's pretty disturbing.

I keep reading Icelandid Noir, and just finished reading The Clues in the Fjord by Satu Rämö (currently free on Amazon Prime).

And how was your week?

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Photo diary: Project 365, week 23

 An overall uneventful week... After last Friday's trip to the bowling place, I managed to lose my voice, and have been croaking for days, which wasn't the most pleasant experience.

My husband was away from Sunday until Friday evening, visiting Colombia. He likes doing a disappearing act, not telling me exactly where he travels. I knew he was somewhere unsafe, as it's his usual trick just to message me with short sentences, and only told me where he was once he came back, supposedly as not to worry me. Yep, that works. 

 Last week's Penandinkchallenge prompts were all Succulents-related, and I painted fairies of all kinds, including this Ice Plant Fairy.

What a striking shape and colour of a poppy, growing in the street, just next to the stone wall.

Eddie's after-school meal of choice, noodles with a poached egg. He likes Soba the best, but says Batchelors is not too shabby either.

On Wednesday morning we were supposed to have a chat on Teams with Sasha's new social worker. He left me a reminder message on my phone, and the transcription made me laugh. Selena Scary is my new name.

On Thursday my art prize from Manuscript has finally arrived. I won it a month ago, and the package got "lost", aka stolen in transit. I don't know what people who took it expected to find, it's a very niche product. Unless you are into calligraphy and painting with inks, it's pretty useless.

I was delighted with my stash. The shimmer inks are so beautiful, and the glass dip pen is good quality too.

I wanted to try the new inks at once. The Queen of the Night is painted on Clairefontaine Mixed Media Denim paper.

It was such a wet week, raining almost every day. I haven't had a chance to do much in the garden, and the weeds are growing, well, like weeds.

Roses look beautiful in any weather.

One of my pet peeves - when supermarkets do a sneaky ploy to make you buy things which look like an offer, but are not on offer. Passing by the stand in Waitrose, saw the Dettol wipes on offer for £2.50, grab a yellow pack only to realise once I paid that I picked the wrong pack for £6. Why are those packs in the aisle corner of offers? It's clearly a strategy, not a mistake. Super annoying.

Operation De-clutter Children's Books continues. 

I enjoyed At the Sign of The Sugared Plum and Petals in the Ashes by Mary Hooper, and will take them today to the charity shop, hoping that someone else will like them as much. They are probably more suitable for tweens/teens rather than younger children as they deal with such harrowing themes as the Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666 in London. 

Both books are a mix of historical fiction and coming of age stories. If you're interested in the history of medicine, the first book gives a fascinating account of what it was like to live through the Plague and what remedies people thought would work to keep you safe (from powdered dried toads to Abracadabra amulets). 

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