Still very hot in gai Paris. 32° forecast this afternoon.
I have got a load of stuff out of the way this morning while it was still cool enough to do it - watered the garden, done the Iron Ing, changed my bed and put the washer on, and surface cleaned the house. I am now hunkered down inside with all the windows and blinds closed and fans whirring. I would like to stay this way, but unfortunately it's not to be. I have to go and pick Captain Pyjamas up this afternoon, and then this evening I'm playing Beethoven with the orchestra. It's going to be hot work.
Rather hazy and overcast from time-to-time in Arkland the Sticky, with a high of just 79F later this afternoon - but rising to 88-90F tomorrow!
I was up early (for me) today, to get some Errands run before too much Heat occurred, and succeeded in obtaining a couple of own-label tins of Sardines In Tomato Sauce at our village Co-Op.
O frabjous day! Calloo! Callay! That nutritious and tasty Fish is not yet extinct, though there weren't more than a dozen or so tins on the shelf. Maybe I should have bought the lot...
My word - it must be 15 years since I last went to a barber...and no, I am not become a Nazarite, but the owner of an Electrical Engine by means of which I can give my Head a close shave...
No Rain or Thunder forecast here AFAIK, but fresher Breezes accompanying the Sun Shine next week will be welcome, even if the temperature drops to a chilly 75F...
Mr Boogs is away so I've been looking for a friend to go and see the film '28 Years Later' by Danny Boyle set in Cheddar Gorge - we saw lots of the filming. No one is interested so I'm thinking of going alone. It's at 13:45 on Thursday.
I've never been to the cinema alone before. What do y'all think?
Blisteringly hot this morning so I went into laundry overdrive and did four loads back to back, including four fleeces and a coat. No sooner had I got the whirlie jam-packed with wet washing than the sun disappeared.
Mr Boogs is away so I've been looking for a friend to go and see the film '28 Years Later' by Danny Boyle set in Cheddar Gorge - we saw lots of the filming. No one is interested so I'm thinking of going alone. It's at 13:45 on Thursday.
I've never been to the cinema alone before. What do y'all think?
I often go to the cinema by myself; I’ve come to prefer it. Mr Bee and I like completely different films.
Enjoy!
After a somewhat broken sleep (I didn't go to bed until much later than I usually do on a work night, and woke at 3:45, 4:30 and about 5:30), it's another Very Hot Day here (26° in the afternoon). I'm very glad my office faces north! I had the wit to open the sitting room windows before I went to work, so it actually felt reasonably cool when I came in.
Supper was scampi & chips, along with some pasta salad that was approaching its die-by date (but was actually rather nice).
Heat but not a lot of actual sunshine today. I carried on with paperwork all morning in a reasonable temperature. At lunchtime I had a phone call from a carpenter( he does a lot of work for my son-in-law) who promptly came and fitted bolts to a door which connects to my extension. This gives me more peace of mind regarding security. A very neat job too for a mere £30. I’m still waiting for the roofers though.
Today should have been the day the last bits of our kitchen were finished. The bricklayer did an excellent job of bricking up the window that is now covered by units and our kitchen fitter came and mended the hole in a cupboard where an over-enthusiastic electrician thought there was going to be a power socket. Unfortunately the door to replace the one that was wrong was exactly the same as the one that is already there. The right one is on order (again) but it'll be another three weeks till it arrives.
Other than that I had a morning philosophising, and afternoon watching tennis on the TV and an evening drinking wine in the garden.
Thunderstorms are threatened for tomorrow.
The promised 31C has been reached in Arkland the Desiccated, but there is now a slight Breeze. It is from the south, and warm, but nevertheless welcome.
Lunch is CHICKEN KYIVS n'CHIPS, because use-by dates. A bit hot for such a warm day, but needs must.
Here we've risen to 23C and the sun is out. It's very sticky. My wife has been to her monthly Welsh chat group at a church in town, and witnessed some of the Pride celebrations.
30 degrees here. We are off to a barbecue with our bible study group so we have been to Waitrose to buy drinks, food and sauces. I have been making a watermelon, Greek hard cheese and cucumber salad, and veggie skewers, and Mr Heavenly is currently wrapping bananas and chocolate to grill.
The Pride event in our town was meant to be happening today, postponed from a fortnight ago (because weather) so I walked up to it with a friend and lo, It Was Not. Postponed again (because unable to get high street closure permit) but there were rainbow umbrellas (because showers) and Pride t-shirts in evidence, so we weren't the only ones who missed the (non-existent) memo to say it wasn't happening .
Said friend and I had a coffee and a Good Chat at one of the local coffee places and then I had a good mooch round the shops.
Sunny and very hot now, so we are holed up in Casa Nen with all windows, doors and curtains closed. Out this evening to friends we haven't seen for ages; been looking forward to it for weeks.
Having expected it to be Just As Hot as yesterday, I was relieved to find it Wasn't. After choir practice, a few of us hung around to watch the Children's Gala parade - a few bands, horses and several groups of Small Persons from the local primary schools in, variously, pretty dresses, chimney-sweep outfits, Linlithgow Rose Football Club kits and other assorted finery. It was colourful, joyous and fun, and although the weather was cloudy, I imagine that the participants (and their accompanying grown-ups) were relieved it wasn't as hot as yesterday, as they'd have been flaking out.
Afterwards went for coffee and a scone with a couple of the choir, and put the world* to rights.
I should be Doing Things like tidying up the flat before my brother and s-i-l come out tomorrow to assemble the bed, but I've been snoozing.
* well, just St Pete's really, but you get the idea ...
Fortunately yesterday's concert turned out to be air conditioned. Today is even hotter and la fête de la musique, a traditional annual event for midsummer, where there are lots of music events of every description. We played a short half-hour concert this afternoon. Captain Pyjamas came to his first ever classical concert and seemed to enjoy it, heat notwithstanding. After that we went to eat ICE CREAM.
Another day with temperatures of over 30 degrees c. I went on a tour of our Town Hall this morning. It was a bit coals to Newcastle as I'm there rather a lot, but this was with my lip reading class. The idea was to try out a hearing-aid friendly amplification system for tour guides. Afterwards we went to a local cafe, where instead of my usual soya milk caffe latte I had a cranberry smoothie and very nice it was too.
Husband is creating a rather odd Japanese influenced salad for tea, so I guess I ought to go and eat it. We had a few very light rain showers this afternoon but its sunny now, so it'll be tea in the garden washed down with a bottle of gruner Vertliner.
Disappointing day for me as I have achieved very little and spoken to nobody. I blame the heat for my lethargy.
I mentioned earlier that there were three possible concerts I might have attended, one this afternoon in the city, one at 6pm locally, or one in the city suburbs this evening. I put the afternoon one on my calendar some months ago, pleased that it was in the afternoon, as it is in a lovely church but in an area I do not feel safe to go to on my own in the evening. I ruled it out a couple of
weeks ago as the buses are so chaotic with long delays because of long term road works, and would be really unpleasant in this heat. I might have felt able to get to the suburban one in another church, but when I spotted the local one, that seemed the best idea. However I did not fancy either the eight minute walk at 30 degrees, or the modern building which is beautifully warm in winter but far too hot in summer, with no air conditioning. I rarely get to concerts these days unless I am singing in them.
Meanwhile I’ve just received the scores for an August weekend of church music, as well as the July summer school of Early Music, so I need to prepare those.
We've just returned from a rather good dance performance by a variously-abled group. Some of the choreography was extremely complex. It was baking in the theatre - and a cool gusty wind when we emerged!
We had a most enjoyable evening with our friends, sitting in the garden eating good food and drinking wine and having some great conversations. Came home to a very muggy house (it having been closed up all day against the heat) so currently have all windows open to get the breeze through.
It's still hot - 74F - in Arkland the Breathless. I had a couple of hours sleep this afternoon, which probably means that the night will be a sleepless one...
Supplies are running low so I might make an early Expotition to Tess Coe (they open at 10am) before it gets hot again in the afternoon (81F and quite windy).
Still, they should have a fine morning for the Corpus Christi Mass at Our Place - they have a short Procession Of The Blessed Sacrament outside in the street, not that the neighbours take much notice...
A nice 21ⁿ is predicted here - much better. I did housey admin yesterday in the coolest spot in the house, then late evening gardening. My body clock doesn't like the change in routine so I'm awake rather early.
Looking forward to Church today - I feel like I'm settling in to the New Place at last.
Glad you are settling into the new place @Boogie . I won't get to my church for another couple of weeks. Today is Mayor's Sunday and I'm needed for that. Our current mayor has gone for a humanist celebration rather than the usual church service, so I'm interested as to how that pans out. Next week there is another civic event, but I'm not sure of the details of that yet.
Slightly cooler than yesterday, which is just as well as I don't cope well with standing around in heat. Hopefully I'll have enough energy to go to an open garden this afternoon. There are two near us that sound nice.
Fresher today but still very warm. We didn’t robe for church this morning. All a bit chaotic with another visiting priest who didn’t seem to know what he was doing. Very long sermon too, mostly full of anecdotes.
My brief foray to Tess Coe turned out to be slightly more of an ordeal than I was anticipating, as since I last went (some time ago) there have been Innovations. Four of the eight tills have been made Self Service (as well as the self service area which has been there for a long time) and two of them weren't working properly, cue some very harassed staff and frustrated customers. People like me who weren't up for attempting the self service tills were in long queues at the remaining ones (one of which was closed).
There was also part of one aisle enigmatically signposted as "Sharing Sweets" . What is this sharing of which you speak?
Inevitably I ended up with a few more things than I intended but most of the things I wanted were on offer to Clubcard Holders, one of which I am .
On my return, Mr Nen and I had coffee in the garden, it being just about cool enough so to do.
As I understand it sharing sweets is what happens when I give away the ones I don't like...
My brief foray to Tess Coe turned out to be slightly more of an ordeal than I was anticipating, as since I last went (some time ago) there have been Innovations. Four of the eight tills have been made Self Service (as well as the self service area which has been there for a long time) and two of them weren't working properly, cue some very harassed staff and frustrated customers. People like me who weren't up for attempting the self service tills were in long queues at the remaining ones (one of which was closed).
There was also part of one aisle enigmatically signposted as "Sharing Sweets" . What is this sharing of which you speak?
Inevitably I ended up with a few more things than I intended but most of the things I wanted were on offer to Clubcard Holders, one of which I am .
On my return, Mr Nen and I had coffee in the garden, it being just about cool enough so to do.
As I understand it sharing sweets is what happens when I give away the ones I don't like...
Ah - this makes sense to me. Thank you.
Cooler and breezy here today. If my Dear Old Mum were still alive she would be reminding us that now we've passed the longest day there's an Autumnal Nip in the air.
Also, of course, The Nights Are Drawing In.
I've been to church and had coffee and chat afterwards with a friend. The half leg of lamb is in the slow cooker for our Sunday Evening Roast. We seldom have lamb but I really wanted a change from chicken.
@Puzzler- you're absolutely allowed to be lethargic in the sort of heat you folks have been having! I'm well jealous of your Early Music summer school though - what are you singing?
@Nenya - lamb in the slow cooker ... I'll be right over!
It's been intermittently Wet and Not Wet here, and a tad Breezy, but still managing to be rather close and muggy (not quite sure how it achieves that). Church has been attended (by a rather smaller than usual congregation - not quite sure why); laundry has been laundered; and ...
<drum roll>
I HAVE A BED!!!
My brother and s-i-l came over just after noon, and between us we managed to negotiate the rather unintelligible instructions and put everything together. We had quite a few bits left over*, but hey ...
We then went to the cafe over the road, which is called Brunch, for a spot of, er, brunch.
* due to them keeping on sending me the wrong things.
Yippee for the new bed @Piglet. So glad that saga has come to an end.
The civic ceremony this morning was fun. We then headed to the local river where there was a duck race to cheer on the Mayor's duck which came second despite not managing to stay upright.
This afternoon we managed to get to the open garden where it didn't rain despite the weather looking iffy. It was a very nice garden, but rather minimal so we didn't stay long, specially as we didn't want tea or cake having had both at the mayor's event. We did buy two very small courgettes though. Hopefully they'll grow and be more successful than the ones I had the year before last. They didn't do much, so I didn't bother with any last year.
I'm no gardener, but I understand that the trick with courgettes is to catch them before they turn into marrows.
They're not something I use often, but I've been known to put them in a sort-of ratatouille (I really don't like aubergines, so I left them out), and it turned out rather well. They're also nice as a component of roasted veggies, with balsamic dressing.
Supper chez Piglet isn't going to be as elaborate as that: Tessie's quiche Lorraine with salad.
I've also been to our village Open Gardens event today - most gardens are open for two consecutive Sundays, so I saw some last week as well. I went alone as my husband has terrible hayfever at the moment but brought some photos back for him. The plan was to cycle around the remaining gardens, but the bike is in the shop being repaired and will be collected tomorrow.
Agree with the bemusement at the weather being simultaneously windy, showery and muggy! Certainly is here in East Yorkshire.
I usually grill them, as that introduces a soupçon of flavour. Or stir fry with (just a little) sugar and rice vinegar.
Tonight, by way of a change, we're having huevos rancheros. I've decided that after 3 evenings on the trot, so to speak, of stomach upsets, that the increased dosage of metformin is not agreeing with me. I will leave off for a bit, eat soothing foods, and resume at the lower dose,
I went to church today, for an ordinary service, for the first time in some years. It was, objectively, a chaotic service. The audio did not work, so we had to sing without music. And the words were on a screen not much bigger than my TV. (Good job I was brave enough to sit at the front!)
But the people were lovely and welcoming, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I shall be back.
Comments
I have got a load of stuff out of the way this morning while it was still cool enough to do it - watered the garden, done the Iron Ing, changed my bed and put the washer on, and surface cleaned the house. I am now hunkered down inside with all the windows and blinds closed and fans whirring. I would like to stay this way, but unfortunately it's not to be. I have to go and pick Captain Pyjamas up this afternoon, and then this evening I'm playing Beethoven with the orchestra. It's going to be hot work.
I was up early (for me) today, to get some Errands run before too much Heat occurred, and succeeded in obtaining a couple of own-label tins of Sardines In Tomato Sauce at our village Co-Op.
O frabjous day! Calloo! Callay! That nutritious and tasty Fish is not yet extinct, though there weren't more than a dozen or so tins on the shelf. Maybe I should have bought the lot...
Why on earth would it refer to my hair?
I've never been to the cinema alone before. What do y'all think?
Still weird though, since read in its (brief) entirety it is obviously meteorological.
I often go to the cinema by myself; I’ve come to prefer it. Mr Bee and I like completely different films.
Enjoy!
Supper was scampi & chips, along with some pasta salad that was approaching its die-by date (but was actually rather nice).
Other than that I had a morning philosophising, and afternoon watching tennis on the TV and an evening drinking wine in the garden.
Thunderstorms are threatened for tomorrow.
Happy Solstice everyone.
Here it's a cool and damp 22 degrees and I'm regretting putting on my thin summer shirt.
Lunch is CHICKEN KYIVS n'CHIPS, because use-by dates. A bit hot for such a warm day, but needs must.
Said friend and I had a coffee and a Good Chat at one of the local coffee places and then I had a good mooch round the shops.
Sunny and very hot now, so we are holed up in Casa Nen with all windows, doors and curtains closed. Out this evening to friends we haven't seen for ages; been looking forward to it for weeks.
Afterwards went for coffee and a scone with a couple of the choir, and put the world* to rights.
I should be Doing Things like tidying up the flat before my brother and s-i-l come out tomorrow to assemble the bed, but I've been snoozing.
* well, just St Pete's really, but you get the idea ...
I've been reading a murder mystery - and fighting drowsiness.
Husband is creating a rather odd Japanese influenced salad for tea, so I guess I ought to go and eat it. We had a few very light rain showers this afternoon but its sunny now, so it'll be tea in the garden washed down with a bottle of gruner Vertliner.
I mentioned earlier that there were three possible concerts I might have attended, one this afternoon in the city, one at 6pm locally, or one in the city suburbs this evening. I put the afternoon one on my calendar some months ago, pleased that it was in the afternoon, as it is in a lovely church but in an area I do not feel safe to go to on my own in the evening. I ruled it out a couple of
weeks ago as the buses are so chaotic with long delays because of long term road works, and would be really unpleasant in this heat. I might have felt able to get to the suburban one in another church, but when I spotted the local one, that seemed the best idea. However I did not fancy either the eight minute walk at 30 degrees, or the modern building which is beautifully warm in winter but far too hot in summer, with no air conditioning. I rarely get to concerts these days unless I am singing in them.
Meanwhile I’ve just received the scores for an August weekend of church music, as well as the July summer school of Early Music, so I need to prepare those.
Supplies are running low
Still, they should have a fine morning for the Corpus Christi Mass at Our Place - they have a short Procession Of The Blessed Sacrament outside in the street, not that the neighbours take much notice...
Looking forward to Church today - I feel like I'm settling in to the New Place at last.
Slightly cooler than yesterday, which is just as well as I don't cope well with standing around in heat. Hopefully I'll have enough energy to go to an open garden this afternoon. There are two near us that sound nice.
The Breeze is in exactly the right direction (for once) to create a pleasant through draught in the saloon of the Ark.
Some CHIPS are cooking in the Remoska, as a sort of midday snack (because use-by date), but there is something with CHICKEN for later.
As I understand it sharing sweets is what happens when I give away the ones I don't like...
Ah - this makes sense to me. Thank you.
Cooler and breezy here today. If my Dear Old Mum were still alive she would be reminding us that now we've passed the longest day there's an Autumnal Nip in the air.
Also, of course, The Nights Are Drawing In.
I've been to church and had coffee and chat afterwards with a friend. The half leg of lamb is in the slow cooker for our Sunday Evening Roast. We seldom have lamb but I really wanted a change from chicken.
@Nenya - lamb in the slow cooker ... I'll be right over!
It's been intermittently Wet and Not Wet here, and a tad Breezy, but still managing to be rather close and muggy (not quite sure how it achieves that). Church has been attended (by a rather smaller than usual congregation - not quite sure why); laundry has been laundered; and ...
<drum roll>
I HAVE A BED!!!
My brother and s-i-l came over just after noon, and between us we managed to negotiate the rather unintelligible instructions and put everything together. We had quite a few bits left over*, but hey ...
We then went to the cafe over the road, which is called Brunch, for a spot of, er, brunch.
* due to them keeping on sending me the wrong things.
Very pleased to hear about your bed - hope you sleep well in it.
The civic ceremony this morning was fun. We then headed to the local river where there was a duck race to cheer on the Mayor's duck which came second despite not managing to stay upright.
This afternoon we managed to get to the open garden where it didn't rain despite the weather looking iffy. It was a very nice garden, but rather minimal so we didn't stay long, specially as we didn't want tea or cake having had both at the mayor's event. We did buy two very small courgettes though. Hopefully they'll grow and be more successful than the ones I had the year before last. They didn't do much, so I didn't bother with any last year.
They're not something I use often, but I've been known to put them in a sort-of ratatouille (I really don't like aubergines, so I left them out), and it turned out rather well. They're also nice as a component of roasted veggies, with balsamic dressing.
Supper chez Piglet isn't going to be as elaborate as that: Tessie's quiche Lorraine with salad.
Agree with the bemusement at the weather being simultaneously windy, showery and muggy! Certainly is here in East Yorkshire.
Tonight, by way of a change, we're having huevos rancheros. I've decided that after 3 evenings on the trot, so to speak, of stomach upsets, that the increased dosage of metformin is not agreeing with me. I will leave off for a bit, eat soothing foods, and resume at the lower dose,
But the people were lovely and welcoming, I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I shall be back.