Admittedly, if you can imagine Sheldon Cooper saying "Fascinating" it was closer to that than the magazine articles on "How to Fascinate a Man" of my impressionable youth, but hey. We've been married for 36 years. I'll take it.
I have to say that I can relate to this. I am often fascinated (and usually bemused) by the strange and complex ways a simple task can be extended by a female mind.
A workshop this morning and study related stuff this afternoon. Light rain did not appear until this evening.
Tea was leftover moussaka turned into tortilla and accompanied by a courgette, butter bean and mozzarella salad. Mr Heavenly made a currant galette for pudding using home grown blackcurrants, redcurrants and white currants, and served with cream.
Nothing quite went to plan today, not that it mattered. A walk to catch the 9 am post was very pleasant, given the cooler temperature.
The rest of the morning was wet, so I didn’t get the front lawn done. There wasn’t enough rain to prevent a water shortage being announced for my area.
The plan was for my grandson to come for tea after school, but he is full of cold, at the coughing and sneezing stage, so I uninvited him. Therefore instead of fish, which he loves, I cleared up the rest of yesterday’s chicken stirfry.
Tomorrow at u3a our speaker will be a retired priest. We are promised much laughter and entertainment.
... helped along by listening to the ‘Thirteen Minutes’ podcast on BBC Sounds about the US space shuttle (having previously enjoyed the two previous series on the moon landings and on Apollo 13).
I enjoyed those. I'll look that one up, thanks.
There is an Air Force base near here and there are sometimes deafening roars as they do their practices. It is amazing how fast they are: I look up where I hear the sound and they are well across the sky. The regional airport shares the same land so depending on wind I guess we get the occasional commercial plane overhead too.
There is a small airport (no commercial flights) nigh unto Arkland, so all we get is the sight and sound of the little two-seaters, or whatever, that the Rich have as playthings. Not that I'm envious, you understand.
Another nice warm day in Arkland the Glad, with spells of Sun Shine, and a pleasant nor'-nor'-west Breeze. Happily, yesterday's Pilates session was productive, and I'm a lot more mobile today than I was on Monday.
Tess Coe has therefore been visited (I was short of Bread, and one or two other things, such as Watercress, and Salmon Fillets), and some Paint Ing has been done on deck - specifically, the Scuppers, down which rainwater runs before going over the side. The colour is a sombre, but workmanlike, Black Bitumen, which soon dulls down to an overall matt finish.
After Lunch (SHEPHERD'S PIE), I intend to use up my remaining strength to paint the hatch (my Front Door), leading into the main saloon/galley area. The colour will be a vibrant and exciting Red Oxide, as I have just about enough left in the tin to finish the Job. More of the same will be needed for the main decks, so a visit to Mr eBay's wonderful magic Emporium is called for.
It was throwing it down when I got up this morning - unfortunately about 6 am - but it's now back to sot and hunny.
I've been to U3a meeting about setting up an Art group - held on a church aisle turned cafe, hard surfaces, comings and goings, someone noodling on the piano in the background - so quite what we decided I'm not sure. Then walked up to cheesemonger and bought rare cheeses, then M&S and loaded up on dinners for the next few days, bus to the top of the road, and another longish walk home.
Our u3a speaker, was, as promised, very entertaining. He told many jokes against himself and a few against the CofE. Eg when growing up, his reply to his Dad’s frequent question about what he wanted to do when he grew up was “ Nowt”. After he was ordained, his Dad said “ you’re doing what you wanted then”.
Over the years he has raised £130,000 for various charities as he donates all his fees from speaking.
Incidentally it was good to see a number of people there who used to or still do go to the parish church. Some are beginning to return during the vacancy.
I’m not sure what to eat tonight as I have taken nothing out of the freezer and my fridge is almost empty. A bacon omelette I think.
The rouge family has commenced its summer peregrination. First stop is the hotel parents. Journey here was fairly uneventful, although we sat in Bletchley for quite a while going nowhere because of trespassers on the railway line.
It's another glorious day here: 21° according to the Met Office, and with just the merest hint of a breeze.
I braved Tessie's at lunchtime to stock up on salads, some of which will be consumed for supper (sorry Nen, but if you think I'm slaving over a hot stove in a hot kitchen to make chickie frickie, you've got another think coming!).
One of the things I bought was a pack of BUTTERIES, which I was beginning to think had gone the same way as BF's pilchards, but no - there they were.
A very nice ramble with the Ramblers this morning. Its the first time in about three months I've managed to go walking two weeks on the trot. This afternoon I knitted while watching the Tour de France and then this evening it was off to a council meeting. For once we got through the business in double quick time, though I did have to send a couple of emails about business when I got home.
The weather is much more to my liking, warm but not hot with a bit of sun but not too much.
A beautiful day here. Warm and sunny without being too hot. I had my hair cut this morning, had coffee with a friend and then visited a couple in their 90s to deliver a church newsletter.
Dinner was another British Heart Foundation recipe - a healthy version of tuna / pasta / mayo. I've been swithering about trying it out, thinking it might just taste of disappointment but it was surprisingly good, and a substantial meal.
Decent night's sleep for once. Watching The Open - less for the golf than the panning shots of the north-west coast of Ulster. Portrush and Portstewart, Benone and Magilligan were the seasides of my early childhood, and remain my ideal of a shoreline to this day.
Little planned for today, bar checking on poor drought-frazzled garden.
I’ve a busy day. Off to the unveiling of some panels by local artist Robert Kiddey that once adorned a local power station, then my book shop shift. Later I have an early evening garden party to go to, followed by my writers group.
I'm on the boat! I thought with two au pairs in residence the twins would be well provided with entertainment so the lodger and I are having a short break just pootling around for a few days. There's not a lot of wind but enough to give the boat a shake-down sail.
We've just had a bacon and egg sandwich and coffee for breakfast and lunch should be mackerel, if they're biting - bliss.
I answered our landline to what I presume was a wrong number:
Me:Hello
Irate Caller: What do you think you're playing at? Do you think I don't know what's going on? Do you think I was born yesterday? F*** You! F*** You!
I hung up at that point, but now I wish I'd told the caller they had a wrong number and that I wasn't whoever they thought I was. So many questions. What is going on?
My mum once answered the phone to a caller who insisted that my mum should collect her (the caller’s) laundry from the launderette. This woman’s daughter had the same Christian name as my mum, and the woman wouldn’t believe she’d called the wrong number insisting that my mum was pretending to be posh, and demanding that she fetch the washing for her. In the end my mum hung up on her. We never found out what happened to the washing!
Maybe the Poodle Lady didn't know what books are ?
Another overcast and rather muggy day in Arkland the Sunless, with Thunderystrums forecast for the weekend.
An Expotition in search of a special Red Oxide Paint (for the deck of the Ark) was unsuccessful, as the local stockist no longer has it, though their parent company still manufactures it.
As an experiment, I've ordered (via Mr E Bay) a similar Paint, made by a different firm, and costing about half the price .
It's often true that if you buy cheap, you buy twice, but the areas to be painted don't really warrant a high-spec finish, and, if I finish the job this summer, it should be OK for the next couple of years...by which time I may not need to worry about Paint (or anything else ).
I was minding a Christian bookshop, next door to a poodle parlour. A woman put her head in the door and commenced making an appointment for her pooch.
My reiterated 'You want next door' and the fact that I was surrounding by floor to ceiling books made no impression whatsoever.
This reminds me of the time I was shopping in Lush and a young woman brought her gran in, clearly keen to introduce her gran to this nice shop. Her gran, a rather formidable woman, marched straight the counter and said loudly, 'I'll have two coconut macaroons please!'
The attempts by both staff and her granddaughter to politely explain that it wasn't a cake shop were met with disbelief and then disdain, and when she finally left the shop with her granddaughter, everyone dissolved into laughter!
I think there's more excuse for confusing Lush confections with cake, than clippers and a grooming bench with serried tiers of Reformed theology.
Another instance was told me by the proprietor of a whisky shop on The Mile - a small premises lined with bottles, with a couple of cut-down casks for seating. Chap came in and sat for a while.
'Canna make an appointment?'
'Er - an appointment to buy whisky?'
'Whisky! Ah thought this was the f***ing tattooist!'
It's pissing with rain here at the moment (it was so un-bright when I got home some of the street-lights had come on!), but I'm glad to report that it didn't start until well after I got home from work; that sort of good fortune can't last ...
Fairly quiet day at work, and with luck so will tomorrow be; B is off on holiday, and L isn't back yet. Perhaps I shouldn't tempt fate.
Salads for supper again, because heat (it apparently got up to 24° earlier today).
I managed to get to everything on my to do list, though I left my writers group early. The unveiling of the plaques went well even though we got (lightly) rained on. The garden party was fun. I've been to a party there before but never in the garden, which is large and somewhat wild in an artistic way.
Off to bed soon I think.
We are back from our week away up north celebrating Nenlet2's wedding, which was a wonderful occasion. A lovely day was had by all. There was the legal ceremony in the morning, which was unexpectedly personal and lovely (I've never been to one before) and then the afternoon was a joyful festival of ceremony, singing, bubbles, an amazing meal in a marquee and a cabaret in the evening. The happy couple weren't going away on honeymoon immediately so we stayed on for a few days, helped with the clear-up and had a day out with them which was an unexpected bonus. The weather was amazing - very hot, but rather cooler up north than it was here in the Scorched South.
I'm feeling greatly satisfied after the whole thing and very glad (and relieved) that all went to plan and Nenlet2 and his husband had the day they had planned, wanted, and worked so hard to achieve.
The GrandNenling also had a great time.
Mr Nen and I went out for a drink this evening and found the Nenmobile to have A Problem, so we are very grateful that didn't happen while we were away .
Confusing day. I was convinced a local heritage exhibition started today so planned to go this morning. I rechecked the info and saw it starts tomorrow. Got on with other things, then my daughter messaged to suggest a walk at 4.15 or pop in at 1 pm before a hair appointment. I reminded her that her son was due to come here after school, so 1pm please. She didn’t turn up, but her tracker told me she’d done a run ( as she does) and wouldn’t have time. No message. In my confusion I forgot I needed a few things from the shop. 4.30 Grandson didn’t turn up. Messaged me that he had forgotten, but had just remembered, so came over. So easy now he can drive. We had an hour together before I had to go to choir practice. Tomorrow is another day,
Alas! All too often, Cars are black holes in the road, into which £££ have to be poured, but I, too, hope that the Nenmobile is soon well again...
The wedding sounds fun - why, it's just about a year ago that I and my sister (along with our niece, and our sister-in-law) were at Cousin C's wedding party in Sussex, and that was a party to be remembered...
Another hot day in Arkland the Scorched, with the promised Thunderystrums still to come. Three Tasks have been completed - and it's only 2pm! - to wit, a visit to the Arkland Office to collect a large tin of Paint, then carrying that and another large tin of Paint from the car onto the Ark (handling 5litre tins of Paint whilst using two crutches involves some slight effort), and then finishing off the Paint Ing of the Scuppers.
Lunch is a-baking in the Remoska - battered fillets of Alaskan Pollock (a sort of Cod substitute?) and CHIPS.
I've been the funeral of one of the stalwarts of our local U3A this morning. He ran the philosophy group I'm in, and the French and Latin groups. It was a Requiem Mass led by the priest who met T while in hospital for the last time. They seem to have struck up quite a friendship in four days and his homily was excellent. The priest, though young, is obviously a bit of a traditionalist. I haven't spotted a maniple and biretta in years.
Another hot, dry day, but we have been promised torrential rain tomorrow. Our water butt ran dry two days ago, and filling the watering can at the sink is a faff. The rain can't come soon enough.
Ah, so you were the one doing the rain dance, NEQ - just in time for the weekend ...
It's Very Warm here (23° today), and having had scampi and chips with some rather peppery coleslaw, I'm now absolutely perspiring.
I'd really rather it wouldn't piss with rain at the weekend, as I'm probably meeting up with some of the family on Sunday, which will involve Standing at a Bus Stop and Getting Wet.
This morning I had to go and collect the document my daughter failed to bring me yesterday, but I did that early, so had plenty of time to visit the local heritage exhibition which was interesting. I also met several friends and had conversations, in particular with people from the parish church, the church I and others left. They are now in vacancy again.
Tonight I made kedgeree, with an extra portion for the freezer.
Butt is the medieval name for a cask for storing liquids such as wine or beer. It is also an old measurement of such. But it is now commonly used in the UK for vessels that store rain water.
Continuing the water butt tangent, we have approx 1300 litres of rainwater storage, collecting from house, shed, and greenhouse roofs. It was totally emptied by end of June/start of July - including @Sandemaniac using a bucket to get the last dregs out and into the pond. It's been a tad dry here...
What A Night. Yesterday morning Captain Pyjamas awoke with a swollen blackened toe. Hematoma says I. By the afternoon it had swollen some more so we go the pharmacy. The pharmacist says she agrees that it looks like a hematoma, and not an infected one, but there's always a risk of it becoming infected so we should see a doctor to get antibiotics. Obviously by that time on a Friday afternoon there are no GP appointments available, so we call 111 and they send us to a walk-in centre. They decide it might be infected after all and send us to A&E. After three hours and an x-ray it turns out not to be infected and they send us home with preventive antibiotics (which the walk-in clinic could have given us in the first place, sigh).
We then wasted about an hour getting home. Only one exit of the hospital was still open, which meant that many of the way out signs weren't actually pointing at ways out anymore, and then in the carpark not a single machine was working, and we couldn't get out before we'd paid. Finally after much wandering and fulminating we found a security man and were free of the carpark. I thought poor old Captain P was going to cry he was so tired. He did at least think it was quite fun to be wheelchaired about and x-rayed.
Overnight rain
No idea when it started, but it was raining steadily (and had clearly been doing so for some time) when I opened my curtains at 05:30, and it continued for another three hours. Now raining again, but with much less enthusiasm.
Best of all, the driving SW wind that generally accompanies heavy rain hereabouts was absent, so the rain actually fell on the garden, rather than carrying it horizontally across from one side to the other.
Luckily yesterday, although warm & humid, was mostly lacking in direct sunlight, so I got round to planting out most of a tray of leeks that should have been done last month.
Still have a few to go in, but hoping that the garden will be less sodden later so I can finish them.
We're due rather a lot of rain today, so I don't intend to do much having had a bit of a busy week. I do need to go into town and poke my head round the door of a new bookshop that has opened. Given the amount of shops closing here I'm delighted to see a new one arriving. I do wish someone would open a good knitting wool shop and a kitchenware shop, but I don't think either is likely.
We are lucky to have two excellent Indian restaurants, a South Indian one and a Nepalese/North Indian one. We went to the later last night and very good it was too. I can't decide which of the two I prefer, they have such different menus.
Sorry to hear about Captain Pyjamas @la vie en rouge ; hope his toe is well on the way to recovery.
I am still catching up after our time away, another load of washing processed this morning, and seeing a friend shortly. I also replenished my little car's supply of petrol, it now being our main vehicle for a while as the Nenmobile is out of action (still so grateful that didn't happen until after we got back).
It's raining lightly here and it would be good for the gardens and ground and water supplies generally if it kept up like this for the next couple of months. Not so great for those who are looking at the school summer holidays, though.
I had a bit of a Moment this morning when they were talking on the radio about How To Keep One's Children Occupied During The Long Summer. I always looked forward to holidays and having the Nenlets at home with me; I enjoyed their company and we were never short of things to do. Now they are both grown up and married...
Finally some rain overnight. This has, of course, coincided with the arrival of a skip needed to remove some of the remains of our home and garden renovations.
Comments
Rood!
Tea was leftover moussaka turned into tortilla and accompanied by a courgette, butter bean and mozzarella salad. Mr Heavenly made a currant galette for pudding using home grown blackcurrants, redcurrants and white currants, and served with cream.
The rest of the morning was wet, so I didn’t get the front lawn done. There wasn’t enough rain to prevent a water shortage being announced for my area.
The plan was for my grandson to come for tea after school, but he is full of cold, at the coughing and sneezing stage, so I uninvited him. Therefore instead of fish, which he loves, I cleared up the rest of yesterday’s chicken stirfry.
Tomorrow at u3a our speaker will be a retired priest. We are promised much laughter and entertainment.
There is an Air Force base near here and there are sometimes deafening roars as they do their practices. It is amazing how fast they are: I look up where I hear the sound and they are well across the sky. The regional airport shares the same land so depending on wind I guess we get the occasional commercial plane overhead too.
Another nice warm day in Arkland the Glad, with spells of Sun Shine, and a pleasant nor'-nor'-west Breeze. Happily, yesterday's Pilates session was productive, and I'm a lot more mobile today than I was on Monday.
Tess Coe has therefore been visited (I was short of Bread, and one or two other things, such as Watercress, and Salmon Fillets), and some Paint Ing has been done on deck - specifically, the Scuppers, down which rainwater runs before going over the side. The colour is a sombre, but workmanlike, Black Bitumen, which soon dulls down to an overall matt finish.
After Lunch (SHEPHERD'S PIE), I intend to use up my remaining strength to paint the hatch (my Front Door), leading into the main saloon/galley area. The colour will be a vibrant and exciting Red Oxide, as I have just about enough left in the tin to finish the Job. More of the same will be needed for the main decks, so a visit to Mr eBay's wonderful magic Emporium is called for.
I've been to U3a meeting about setting up an Art group - held on a church aisle turned cafe, hard surfaces, comings and goings, someone noodling on the piano in the background - so quite what we decided I'm not sure. Then walked up to cheesemonger and bought rare cheeses, then M&S and loaded up on dinners for the next few days, bus to the top of the road, and another longish walk home.
I should be nicely stiff and tired tomorrow.
Over the years he has raised £130,000 for various charities as he donates all his fees from speaking.
Incidentally it was good to see a number of people there who used to or still do go to the parish church. Some are beginning to return during the vacancy.
I’m not sure what to eat tonight as I have taken nothing out of the freezer and my fridge is almost empty. A bacon omelette I think.
I braved Tessie's at lunchtime to stock up on salads, some of which will be consumed for supper (sorry Nen, but if you think I'm slaving over a hot stove in a hot kitchen to make chickie frickie, you've got another think coming!).
One of the things I bought was a pack of BUTTERIES, which I was beginning to think had gone the same way as BF's pilchards, but no - there they were.
The weather is much more to my liking, warm but not hot with a bit of sun but not too much.
Dinner was another British Heart Foundation recipe - a healthy version of tuna / pasta / mayo. I've been swithering about trying it out, thinking it might just taste of disappointment but it was surprisingly good, and a substantial meal.
Little planned for today, bar checking on poor drought-frazzled garden.
We've just had a bacon and egg sandwich and coffee for breakfast and lunch should be mackerel, if they're biting - bliss.
I answered our landline to what I presume was a wrong number:
Me:Hello
Irate Caller: What do you think you're playing at? Do you think I don't know what's going on? Do you think I was born yesterday? F*** You! F*** You!
I hung up at that point, but now I wish I'd told the caller they had a wrong number and that I wasn't whoever they thought I was. So many questions. What is going on?
My reiterated 'You want next door' and the fact that I was surrounding by floor to ceiling books made no impression whatsoever.
Maybe the Poodle Lady didn't know what books are ?
Another overcast and rather muggy day in Arkland the Sunless, with Thunderystrums forecast for the weekend.
An Expotition in search of a special Red Oxide Paint (for the deck of the Ark) was unsuccessful, as the local stockist no longer has it, though their parent company still manufactures it.
As an experiment, I've ordered (via Mr E Bay) a similar Paint, made by a different firm, and costing about half the price
It's often true that if you buy cheap, you buy twice, but the areas to be painted don't really warrant a high-spec finish, and, if I finish the job this summer, it should be OK for the next couple of years...by which time I may not need to worry about Paint (or anything else
This reminds me of the time I was shopping in Lush and a young woman brought her gran in, clearly keen to introduce her gran to this nice shop. Her gran, a rather formidable woman, marched straight the counter and said loudly, 'I'll have two coconut macaroons please!'
The attempts by both staff and her granddaughter to politely explain that it wasn't a cake shop were met with disbelief and then disdain, and when she finally left the shop with her granddaughter, everyone dissolved into laughter!
Another instance was told me by the proprietor of a whisky shop on The Mile - a small premises lined with bottles, with a couple of cut-down casks for seating. Chap came in and sat for a while.
'Canna make an appointment?'
'Er - an appointment to buy whisky?'
'Whisky! Ah thought this was the f***ing tattooist!'
Perhaps he needed tattoos of barred doors on his head. They'd have passed as brain cells.
Fairly quiet day at work, and with luck so will tomorrow be; B is off on holiday, and L isn't back yet. Perhaps I shouldn't tempt fate.
Salads for supper again, because heat (it apparently got up to 24° earlier today).
Dinner was meant to be Chicken Normandy but morphed into chicken and bacon in an orange sauce.
Off to bed soon I think.
I'm feeling greatly satisfied after the whole thing and very glad (and relieved) that all went to plan and Nenlet2 and his husband had the day they had planned, wanted, and worked so hard to achieve.
The GrandNenling also had a great time.
Mr Nen and I went out for a drink this evening and found the Nenmobile to have A Problem, so we are very grateful that didn't happen while we were away
Back to usual routines and a mountain of washing.
All the best for tomorrow, Puzzler.
Hope the car doesn't involve you parting with too many £££!
Yes and yes!
The wedding sounds fun - why, it's just about a year ago that I and my sister (along with our niece, and our sister-in-law) were at Cousin C's wedding party in Sussex, and that was a party to be remembered...
Another hot day in Arkland the Scorched, with the promised Thunderystrums still to come. Three Tasks have been completed - and it's only 2pm!
Lunch is a-baking in the Remoska - battered fillets of Alaskan Pollock (a sort of Cod substitute?) and CHIPS.
It's Very Warm here (23° today), and having had scampi and chips with some rather peppery coleslaw, I'm now absolutely perspiring.
I'd really rather it wouldn't piss with rain at the weekend, as I'm probably meeting up with some of the family on Sunday, which will involve Standing at a Bus Stop and Getting Wet.
Tonight I made kedgeree, with an extra portion for the freezer.
Excuse my ignorance, what is this? A tank?
Hope the rain cools down things and the rain helps.
It's either a water collecting barrel (hence butt) or, if you are me, yet another excuse for double entendre.
https://www.waterbuttsdirect.co.uk/
Lots of butts to view!
I live under a rock but I don't recall ever seeing anything like that here. The world really is wonderful in its variety! We tend to have tanks.
Ooooh, matron!
You need an excuse?
I resemble that!
We then wasted about an hour getting home. Only one exit of the hospital was still open, which meant that many of the way out signs weren't actually pointing at ways out anymore, and then in the carpark not a single machine was working, and we couldn't get out before we'd paid. Finally after much wandering and fulminating we found a security man and were free of the carpark. I thought poor old Captain P was going to cry he was so tired. He did at least think it was quite fun to be wheelchaired about and x-rayed.
Quiet day today, methinks.
No idea when it started, but it was raining steadily (and had clearly been doing so for some time) when I opened my curtains at 05:30, and it continued for another three hours. Now raining again, but with much less enthusiasm.
Best of all, the driving SW wind that generally accompanies heavy rain hereabouts was absent, so the rain actually fell on the garden, rather than carrying it horizontally across from one side to the other.
Luckily yesterday, although warm & humid, was mostly lacking in direct sunlight, so I got round to planting out most of a tray of leeks that should have been done last month.
Still have a few to go in, but hoping that the garden will be less sodden later so I can finish them.
We are lucky to have two excellent Indian restaurants, a South Indian one and a Nepalese/North Indian one. We went to the later last night and very good it was too. I can't decide which of the two I prefer, they have such different menus.
I am still catching up after our time away, another load of washing processed this morning, and seeing a friend shortly. I also replenished my little car's supply of petrol, it now being our main vehicle for a while as the Nenmobile is out of action (still so grateful that didn't happen until after we got back).
It's raining lightly here and it would be good for the gardens and ground and water supplies generally if it kept up like this for the next couple of months. Not so great for those who are looking at the school summer holidays, though.
I had a bit of a Moment this morning when they were talking on the radio about How To Keep One's Children Occupied During The Long Summer. I always looked forward to holidays and having the Nenlets at home with me; I enjoyed their company and we were never short of things to do. Now they are both grown up and married...
Finally some rain overnight. This has, of course, coincided with the arrival of a skip needed to remove some of the remains of our home and garden renovations.