I've had a moderately productive day today: a friend picked me up in the morning and we collected some post that had been delivered to the Cathedral, did some grocery shopping and banking and went for coffee. It was the first time I'd been in our local Timmy's since D. died, and I was a bit worried about my tear-ducts, but they were fine.
When they stopped being fine was when I got home, and on opening the bill from the undertakers, found that an anonymous well-wisher had paid the entire thing (about $3,500).
Oh @piglet what a kind and thoughtful act. May you continue to be surrounded by love by all your real-life and on-line friends.
It is sunny here, which always makes me feel better.
I've had a nice (if not hugely productive) day today: a couple from the choir were going to Costco, and offered me a lift, so I got some Jarlsberg cheese (much cheaper there than at the market, and better than the supermarket stuff, which is mostly rind), and they invited me to their house for lunch (v. good curry - he's an excellent cook).
Then in the afternoon a neighbour came to the door and said she was going to the supermarket, so I went along and got a couple of bits and pieces.
I'd been looking for one of those little plastic thingies for cooking eggs in the microwave*, and after quite a bit of searching, we found one in a hardware shop. I can't tell you how happy this makes me.
I really ought to go and set some bread going - I've got some friends coming for supper tomorrow evening.
* Ramekin dishes with assorted plates on top are all very well, but no matter how often I pierce the yolks, explosions followed by a lot of swearing tend to be the result ...
We never had much success with the plastic ones, either. My husband’s best mate gave him some a couple of years ago as a birthday present, and they always exploded their lids off during cooking. We discreetly got rid of them during the house move and no doubt they are now merrily exploding in someone else’s microwave.
Years ago we were given a dreadful plastic and metal herb mill. It used to clog up with uncut matter and/or just decide to come apart. We gave it to the local venture scouts for their jumble sale.
I've now used the egg thingy, and apart from taking rather longer than it said in the instructions (I was using extra-large* eggs) it worked just fine.
* Strangely, eggs are one of the few things that are smaller over here than they are at home: what they call "extra large" I would just call normal.
In other news, has one Arrived when one's husband gets his obituary in the Torygraph?
Asking for a friend ...
Not that I could see all of it - behind a chuffing paywall, and I really don't feel disposed to give them any of my money.
One has, most definitely, arrived. I’ve PMed you the article.
A friend of the family was the first female chaplain to the Queen, she made front page news on her appointment and her obituary was in several broadsheets. She was politically, very red, so this was of particular wry amusement... I miss her.
This week has been Quite A Week here. I have a bonus day off tomorrow with all three children in childcare/school so I’m going to be Sorting Out The Toys. There will be chucking out and charity bagging involved. I’m also going to have to make cake to get through it. Chocolate? Lemon? Ginger? All suggestions welcome.
Ferijen - I think for Sorting of Toys, CHOCOLATE CAKE would be essential.
Having read the text of the obit, there's one fairly glaring mistake: the gentleman who they said was D's predecessor at St. Magnus was actually there during the Second World War! They did know each other - Harry C-J retired to Orkney after he left the BBC - but the cathedral had several organists in between.
As I said on the prayer thread, I'm more worried that my m-i-l might have seen it, as I don't know if D's sister has had a chance to tell her yet. She and her husband have been abroad and may not have had the chance (m-i-l is in an assessment care home at the moment and I don't know if she's still reading the papers).
That was a lovely obituary in the Telegraph @Piglet. I hope your mother-in-law hasn't read it, or if she did didn't take in it was an obituary. Your M-I-L might not take in the news when told either. It's probably not worth keep on upsetting her if she doesn't remember. We've not told my mum that my brother is ill and that's why he isn't visiting. She seems to have forgotten him most of the time, which is good in one way, but so sad in another.
I don't know if she's at the stage of not taking it in; I haven't seen her since we were in the UK for my dad's funeral, which was nearly two years ago. She seemed rather easily confused then, but that may have been because our travel arrangements were a bit complicated. She was certainly still reading the paper then, although I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to how much of it she took in.
After an absolutely filthy day of rain yesterday, the sun's out today and it's really rather nice. Just as well, as the friends who have bought D's little chamber organ came to collect it this morning and it would have been miserable trying to manoeuvre it out in wind and rain.
Not only in getting it moved, but the rain would not have been good for it .
My friend with Alzheimers and dementia still has Herald delivered every day. However once he turns the page, he has no idea what he has just read about. Still, it is a form of normality to him to collect paper from front yard and he has done that so long that he still remembers.
When there were both state and federal elections last year, he flatly denied any knowledge of them, having just read first few pages which were full of election news. He did vote but went for cake stall held at polling station. He eats far too much sweet stuff but he won’t change now and it is one thing he still enjoys. As to his vote, who knows?
I spoke to D's b-i-l earlier today, and my m-i-l had a fall yesterday, so was probably unlikely to have seen the obit; he also reckons that even if she had, she might not have twigged that it was an obit for him.
When I asked her 18 months ago if she remembered voting in the Brexit referendum, she seemed very bewildered, so perhaps what's in the papers is going over her head.
I've had a nice (if not hugely productive) day today: a couple from the choir were going to Costco, and offered me a lift, so I got some Jarlsberg cheese (much cheaper there than at the market, and better than the supermarket stuff, which is mostly rind), and they invited me to their house for lunch (v. good curry - he's an excellent cook).
Then in the afternoon a neighbour came to the door and said she was going to the supermarket, so I went along and got a couple of bits and pieces.
I'd been looking for one of those little plastic thingies for cooking eggs in the microwave*, and after quite a bit of searching, we found one in a hardware shop. I can't tell you how happy this makes me.
May I ask if you can tell me more about the thingy, please? It sounds like something I would find very useful.
(I haven't followed this topic for ages, so am catching up on last page.)
It's dead easy to use: I'd rub the hollows with a little oil to stop the eggs sticking, although the instructions don't say so. I found the suggested time - 45-60 seconds - wasn't quite enough; a minute and a half was more like it, but my microwave is of indeterminate age, and may be a bit feeble. You'll work out how long you need by trial and error.
I've had quite a useful morning: I'd had a long chat about financial things yesterday with a friend who's a retired bank manager, and who had gone through all the myriad bits of paper that D. left in his office, and I had to contact pension providers and whatnot in the UK. Most of that was fairly positive, except for a life assurance policy that he'd allowed to expire*. It may be almost made up for by his pension plan though, which might entitle me to a lump sum plus some kind of annuity.
I've also contacted a junk-removalist, so if I can clear all the books into boxes to go to a charity shop, he'll come and take away the empty shelves.
* I don't entirely blame him - we were totally boracic last summer, and it may have been just an attempt at keeping the Finance Monster at bay.
The Dog(s) didn't look too impressed, either with the weather, or with the new waterfall!
I assume that the latter is, at least, allowing excessive quantities of the Aqueous Element to drain from higher ground, but is it likely to be a permanent feature of the landscape?
Meanwhile, Windy, and Very Mild (19 C) here, with more Aqueous Element forecast for later today.
A welcome visitor to the environs of the Ark this lunchtime was a Little Egret, a sort of small heron, a species which has only been known to breed/live in Ukland for about 20 years.
Numbers are increasing (along with the Great White Egret, though I've not seen one of them yet), and there are now about 700 breeding pairs in this country.
Whilst not a twitcher, I do like seeing/watching birds, so I hope we may encounter more of these rather attractive creatures in the future, though the local Fishes might not agree...
O, and the Kingfishers are back - I saw one the other day! The Bluest Blue in creation, IMHO...
We have a little egret in the nearby brook, it has quite confidently flown within a few feet of me in a local field.
Drizzling here and I should really go for a walk. But I’m playing with my spinning wheel instead.
Comments
When they stopped being fine was when I got home, and on opening the bill from the undertakers, found that an anonymous well-wisher had paid the entire thing (about $3,500).
Crikey.
Just. Wow.
(mild duct malfunction)
It is sunny here, which always makes me feel better.
Bless them for it.
<votive> for Piglet and benefactor(s)
I've had a nice (if not hugely productive) day today: a couple from the choir were going to Costco, and offered me a lift, so I got some Jarlsberg cheese (much cheaper there than at the market, and better than the supermarket stuff, which is mostly rind), and they invited me to their house for lunch (v. good curry - he's an excellent cook).
Then in the afternoon a neighbour came to the door and said she was going to the supermarket, so I went along and got a couple of bits and pieces.
I'd been looking for one of those little plastic thingies for cooking eggs in the microwave*, and after quite a bit of searching, we found one in a hardware shop. I can't tell you how happy this makes me.
I really ought to go and set some bread going - I've got some friends coming for supper tomorrow evening.
* Ramekin dishes with assorted plates on top are all very well, but no matter how often I pierce the yolks, explosions followed by a lot of swearing tend to be the result ...
* Strangely, eggs are one of the few things that are smaller over here than they are at home: what they call "extra large" I would just call normal.
In other news, has one Arrived when one's husband gets his obituary in the Torygraph?
Asking for a friend ...
Not that I could see all of it - behind a chuffing paywall, and I really don't feel disposed to give them any of my money.
A friend of the family was the first female chaplain to the Queen, she made front page news on her appointment and her obituary was in several broadsheets. She was politically, very red, so this was of particular wry amusement... I miss her.
This week has been Quite A Week here. I have a bonus day off tomorrow with all three children in childcare/school so I’m going to be Sorting Out The Toys. There will be chucking out and charity bagging involved. I’m also going to have to make cake to get through it. Chocolate? Lemon? Ginger? All suggestions welcome.
Having read the text of the obit, there's one fairly glaring mistake: the gentleman who they said was D's predecessor at St. Magnus was actually there during the Second World War! They did know each other - Harry C-J retired to Orkney after he left the BBC - but the cathedral had several organists in between.
I wonder where they got their information?
I have people in the choir who take the Torygraph so I can get you a hard copy if you'd like.
As I said on the prayer thread, I'm more worried that my m-i-l might have seen it, as I don't know if D's sister has had a chance to tell her yet. She and her husband have been abroad and may not have had the chance (m-i-l is in an assessment care home at the moment and I don't know if she's still reading the papers).
After an absolutely filthy day of rain yesterday, the sun's out today and it's really rather nice. Just as well, as the friends who have bought D's little chamber organ came to collect it this morning and it would have been miserable trying to manoeuvre it out in wind and rain.
My friend with Alzheimers and dementia still has Herald delivered every day. However once he turns the page, he has no idea what he has just read about. Still, it is a form of normality to him to collect paper from front yard and he has done that so long that he still remembers.
When there were both state and federal elections last year, he flatly denied any knowledge of them, having just read first few pages which were full of election news. He did vote but went for cake stall held at polling station. He eats far too much sweet stuff but he won’t change now and it is one thing he still enjoys. As to his vote, who knows?
When I asked her 18 months ago if she remembered voting in the Brexit referendum, she seemed very bewildered, so perhaps what's in the papers is going over her head.
(I haven't followed this topic for ages, so am catching up on last page.)
It's dead easy to use: I'd rub the hollows with a little oil to stop the eggs sticking, although the instructions don't say so. I found the suggested time - 45-60 seconds - wasn't quite enough; a minute and a half was more like it, but my microwave is of indeterminate age, and may be a bit feeble. You'll work out how long you need by trial and error.
I've had quite a useful morning: I'd had a long chat about financial things yesterday with a friend who's a retired bank manager, and who had gone through all the myriad bits of paper that D. left in his office, and I had to contact pension providers and whatnot in the UK. Most of that was fairly positive, except for a life assurance policy that he'd allowed to expire*. It may be almost made up for by his pension plan though, which might entitle me to a lump sum plus some kind of annuity.
I've also contacted a junk-removalist, so if I can clear all the books into boxes to go to a charity shop, he'll come and take away the empty shelves.
* I don't entirely blame him - we were totally boracic last summer, and it may have been just an attempt at keeping the Finance Monster at bay.
There were two trees which have been washed down the river and a brand new waterfall!
I assume that the latter is, at least, allowing excessive quantities of the Aqueous Element to drain from higher ground, but is it likely to be a permanent feature of the landscape?
Meanwhile, Windy, and Very Mild (19 C) here, with more Aqueous Element forecast for later today.
A welcome visitor to the environs of the Ark this lunchtime was a Little Egret, a sort of small heron, a species which has only been known to breed/live in Ukland for about 20 years.
Numbers are increasing (along with the Great White Egret, though I've not seen one of them yet), and there are now about 700 breeding pairs in this country.
Whilst not a twitcher, I do like seeing/watching birds, so I hope we may encounter more of these rather attractive creatures in the future, though the local Fishes might not agree...
O, and the Kingfishers are back - I saw one the other day! The Bluest Blue in creation, IMHO...
Drizzling here and I should really go for a walk. But I’m playing with my spinning wheel instead.