Crazy! What me?

When I woke up this morning, got out of bed, then opened the curtains I spotted a grasshopper on the bedroom carpet, grabbed my camera, as you do, laid down on the floor and took a couple of pics. Picked up the grasshopper and  popped it out the window. Made coffee, jumped back in bed, checked the pics and noticed minute eggs in the tufts of carpet. I then had to remove them .. 11 in total. YUK!! As I was tipping them out the window I spotted a female blackbird with the grasshopper in it's beak. Now I'm feeling bad .. It's nature :)
Jumped back in bed . checked today's Mono Monday blip challenge. Double exposure .. blimmin' eck! That'll be a challenge. Looked to my left and there on the wall was a print of two young naked girls playing amongst the rocks at the beach. Well if push comes to shove that will have to be my interpretation :)
Leaving the door open all night paid off once again ..
Made breakfast & Googled double exposure images & techniques .. YIKS! swiftly moving on ... Rain forecast for later so did a quick laundry load, got that on the line, then prepared the courgettes for the chutney I plan to make later, sliced and salted they then had to sit for a couple of hours to remove the excess moisture. Got half an hour to spare so thought I would try to clean around Ella's eyes. They get a bit mucky, but she is so feisty that I did'nt think I'd have much success, she was still half asleep in her bed. I got down beside her and managed to clean one eye but that was as much as she would tolerate. I'll have to wait until she is laying the other, & half asleep .. Life on the edge!! I don't know how they cope with her at the dog grooming parlour. She goes regularly so I reckon they must muzzle her, that or sedate her. I must try and remember to ask Nicky when she gets back.
Carolyn came over for a coffee, the sun was really warm so we sat outside, she nearly left without the fabric I promised her. I nipped down to the supermarket, Asda was closest which was fine, apart from it taking longer trying to find the correct aisles in the unfamiliar layout. I only went for yogurt & walnuts but managed to spend a bit more, BUT, did'nt buy any plants, although I was tempted. The herbaceous plants were great value.
Back again. Ella & I went for a bimble around the block, before lunch which was when I spotted this crushed sticky backed mirror on the roadside. It's so nice to sit outside and eat .. we've been so lucky with the weather this year. Next job .. do I harvest the lavender or make the chutney??. Rain forecast for later, the chutney can wait. Quite a few bees feeding on the flowers, mainly white bummed bees, so I was very careful. I cut half the block growing up teh side of the drive before it started spotting with rain, came indoors, 5 minutes later I looked out, those few spits were it. Tidied up outside, then it was 4pm. Tipping Point, then The Chase. I quite enjoy both programmes so I could prepare the rest of the veggies etc for the chutney while listening to the telly. Got the chutney on bubbling away. Time for a cider and make dinner. A Nigel Slater recipe for grilled sausages with herbed chickpea mash came up in my FB feed yesterday and thought it sounded tasty. Well I did'nt have sausages or chickpeas but I did have pork meatballs made for the Thai soup from Saturday in the fridge,  a can of cannellini beans plus plenty of herbs in the garden. A little improvisation,  I made a fresh tomato & garden pea sauce to go with it. Delicious! I love experimenting, trying different recipes. Hubby is'nt very adventurous when it comes to food so when I'm dog/housesitting is a perfect time for me to mess about in the kitchen. Will definitely make the mash again ... far superior to mashed spud :)
Dinner eaten, the chutney has bubbled away and reduced down to a rich consistency. Smelled delish :) Started filling the jam jars then realised I had'nt added the chopped walnuts. Back in the pan it went, nuts added, back in the jars. Lids on, job done. Courgette, orange & walnut chutney. A recipe I first used about 35 years ago when I had a glut of courgettes. It was in a Sainsbury's 99pence recipe book range. Jams & Preserves. Fast forward approximately 28 years and someone was asking for courgette recipe suggestions. Courgette, orange & walnut  chutney I said .. Oh I'd love the recipe. Well, I was living in Thailand at that time. How difficult can it be to find the recipe. I Googled it ... nope! Could'nt find it, so I e.mailed Sainsbury's, they looked back through their archives & came up trumps, so I was able to pass it on. Fast forward again to a couple of months back when I was clearing the last few boxes of our possessions out of Mum's loft & there was my 99pence Jams & Preserves recipe book. My penciled jottings on the side of the page .. 6lb courgettes .. Not quite so many today, in fact exactly the amount required for the printed recipe.
Double exposure .. I took a selfie, not something I'm fond of doing I have to admit, with an ornate mirror behind me. Lightened & cropped it. Took an image of the cracked mirror, then layered the two, tweaking it so that my hair was where the piece of mirror was missing.
Thanks to carolina for the challenge .. it was fun :)