AS: Tea and biscuits and GIN, the British thread

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  • I don't.

    Pelting with rain here. Our church has been hosting a 24-hour Event for Christian Aid (yes, went right through the night with cooking and crafty activities although I went home at 11 and returned for 6.30 Communion), we culminate in an ecumenical celebration service at 11. The organisers have put a huge effort into this. See: https://tinyurl.com/yant6z23
  • Good, BT! :)

    Not a single drop of heavenly wettitude for Continental WesShire for at least another week, according to the latest weather report. Daytime up to 21C, nights down to 5 or 6C. (At least that.) I happened upon an article from French daily 'Le Monde', confirming what LVER is saying: Unprecedented high temperatures for France, of in parts up to 28C. Which seems to be 10C more than seasonal average.

    As an experiment, I've been listening, half-jokingly, half in earnest, to a couple of YouTube videos with pouring rain. Will that help my annoyed state of mind? We'll see. - There are lots of rainy and stormy, long-playing videos out there, apparently soothing to some people!

    ... on the other hand, and sadly for real, parts of Wales being flooded by recent storm Callum. Gah! - I hope everyone's all right!

    Tea, anyone?
  • MMMMMM Shipmate
    Last night, walking through Guildford at around 10 o'clock, it was warm and dry, people sitting outside in pub gardens, bars and restaurants, all very buzzy and delightful. This morning, going to church, probably at least 10 degrees colder, pouring with rain and dark. We've gone from July to October overnight!

    MMM
  • finelinefineline Kerygmania Host, 8th Day Host
    We had rain and wind Friday, yesterday just wind, and today seems both calm and dry, with some quite spectacular skies.
  • I've had two virtually sleepless nights on account of the abnormally Hot W**ther, but it's now a lot cooler and cloudier, with a bit of drizzle now and then. Maybe tonight I'll get some zzzzzzzzzzz......

    Perhaps The End is not yet upon us?
    :confused:
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Circus Host, 8th Day Host
    Meh. The cooling down didn't happen. Still 26° here today. I'd quite like some autumn now.

    It does make me wonder what kind of a world Captain Pyjamas (aka baby en rouge) is going to inherit :fearful:
  • The weather has changed overnight here too, drizzle all day and dark skies. I’ll be pleased to have a cooler night.
  • 18 degrees at 11pm, 11 degrees all day today, feels colder! At least it dried up at midday.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    edited October 2018
    It's a gloriously sunny autumn day here. Not exactly what you'd call warm (6°), but glorious for all that. A good many of the trees are still in their autumn clothes (some of them are even still in green); while I was getting dressed this morning, I suddenly noticed the sunlit trees on the other side of the river reflected in the mirror and thought to myself, "wow - aren't I lucky to live somewhere this pretty?".

    We were a bit of a skeleton staff this morning - all but one of the sopranos and one of the altos were at a choral festival in Moncton, so I was the other soprano. It went very nicely though - we did the Sumsion 3-part mass setting, which has the altos and sopranos on one line, and it worked really well.
    ... Our church has been hosting a 24-hour Event for Christian Aid ...
    Wow - well done to you and your parishioners! :smiley:

    If it's any comfort, I don't do pre-church runs* either.

    * or any other sort for that matter ... :mrgreen:



  • Captain Pyjamas (aka baby en rouge)

    :lol:

  • Piglet wrote: »
    It's a gloriously sunny autumn day here. Not exactly what you'd call warm (6°), but glorious for all that. A good many of the trees are still in their autumn clothes (some of them are even still in green); while I was getting dressed this morning, I suddenly noticed the sunlit trees on the other side of the river reflected in the mirror and thought to myself, "wow - aren't I lucky to live somewhere this pretty?".

    That's how I feel, very often, @Piglet - and if we finally get into Wales for our somewhat delayed holiday week, I'll feel even more blessed!

    Mrs. S, lucky indeed
  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    edited October 2018
    Wet wet wet wet and a cooler 14 degrees here.

    We’ve been looking after Guide Dog Chaz for the weekend. His owner is 15 years old, he lost his sight aged 5 and lovely Chaz enables him to walk to school and walk round school independently. He’s in London for the weekend and his activities are not suitable for Chaz, so we’ve got the pleasure of caring for a professional. He came to Church with me this morning and was a star. He stood for all the hymns. 🌟

    Spencer thinks he’s the bees knees.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    Aaahhh! New best friend! :heart:
  • Boogie wrote: »
    He stood for all the hymns.
    Clearly not raised in the Wee Frees, then.

  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    Boogie wrote: »
    He stood for all the hymns.
    Clearly not raised in the Wee Frees, then.

    He’s never been to Church before but I think he’s converted :smiley:

  • MMMMMM Shipmate
    Ah, beautiful!

    MMM
  • The only peeps who slept through an entire sermon preached by Me (AFAIK) were two Guide Dogs. Their Humans, IIRC, stayed awake....
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    That probably says something about the gentle, soothing quality of your voice, BF! :smiley:
  • I’m not used to packing for 2 weeks in Northern Climes....minimalist, it isn’t. Stressful, it is.
    I’m not sure that a holiday is actually worth all this stress.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    St Everild wrote: »
    I’m not sure that a holiday is actually worth all this stress.

    My sympathies. I always end up feeling like that before we go away.
  • In that case, don't forget Tim Vine's famous joke: ""'ve just returned from the 'holiday of a lifetime' ... Never again!"
  • It’s when the weather is changeable that I appreciate the benefits of cardies - perfect for indecisiveness.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    It's a bright sunny day (after tipping it down last night), but it's blowing a hoolie - the birdie bistro's flapping about, the sunflowers have pretty much had it :cry: and I actually felt the house shake just before I got up. :flushed:

    I might amble a bit later if the wind dies down a bit, but for the moment any expenditure of calories will be achieved by wrestling with the bed-linen, which is currently in the wash.
  • I’m having a chaotic day. I’m teaching online tonight but everything keeps going wrong in the run up, from the pc dying 2 weeks ago to my headphones deciding not to work this afternoon and a whole multitude of issues in between. I’ll be glad when it is over and I can have a gin.
  • Another Very Warm day here, after fog, mist, drizzle etc. yesterday, but I still haven't had a decent night's sleep....

    Please send Drugs.

    Thank you.

  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I find a nice cup of hot CHOCOLATE (with CREAM, obviously) before going to bed helps.

    A bowl of cereal before bed can be quite good too.

    I don't think it matters what sort - apparently the combination of cereal and milk is soporific. Makes you wonder why we're conditioned to eat it for breakfast ... :confused:
  • BoogieBoogie Shipmate
    Another Very Warm day here, after fog, mist, drizzle etc. yesterday, but I still haven't had a decent night's sleep....

    Please send Drugs.

    Thank you.

    There’s one thing that is sure to stop you sleeping - and that is worrying about sleeping.

    Go to bed at the same time every night, have a set ‘bed time’ routine. No screens for half an hour before bed. Get up at the same time every day. Don’t nap longer than 20 minutes during the day (set an alarm if you need to)

    Listen to something as you go to sleep to stop your thoughts. Make sure it is something uninteresting. Not music, you can’t stop thoughts with music as you are much more likely to tune in and out.

    Do this routine for at least a week - don’t say it doesn’t work if it doesn’t work the first night, it takes our body time to realise this is the new normal. But it will.

    I coach people with ADHD and sleep is a major thing - and the thing we deal with before all else. The bed time routine is the key.

  • Thanks, Piglet and Boogie. I do appreciate that Drugs Are Not The Answer (not even CHOCOLATE....with or without CREAM).
    :wink:

    I don't keep regular hours now, so a stricter regime might well be in order. I do restrict my afternoon nap, and I set the alarm, as suggested, but I find it a bit easier to sleep during the night if I've got physically tired by being active during the day.

    Alas, that's not so easy to achieve at the moment, owing to my walking/mobility problems - too much exercise, and my legs hurt even worse than before...
    :angry:

  • You might find cheerleading suits you - mostly upper body exercises and you can do it sitting down if you like. And you get fabulous pom-poms. The Live At Home scheme runs classes around here, maybe there is something near you.
  • The other thing to ask about are Tai Chi classes, as some will adapt the exercises to be done sitting down.

    Or how about taking up archery?
  • finelinefineline Kerygmania Host, 8th Day Host
    BF, this might be a daft suggestion, but I was wondering if swimming might suit you, as it's gentle, and maybe there could be a way of doing it without leg movement, or minimal leg movements? You could do backstroke without kicking your legs, maybe. I always find swimming relaxes me and helps me sleep well.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I was just thinking exactly that, Fineline - it might be a bit less "high-impact" (is that the right word?) than walking, and might even help to relax the muscles.

    I'm not sure if ambling's going to be an option today: it's damp, verging on wet, and really not very nice. If the rain would just hold off for 10-15 minutes ...
  • I agree, some sitting down versions of more routine exercise might help or even sitting down housework.

    I’m an insomniac due to my hypomania. I have a regular bedtime routine of a cup of tea and a warm bath before an hour of reading. If I wake in the night and can’t go back to sleep I tend to get up and have another cup of tea in the kitchen with a book, the distraction is often enough to help me go back to sleep again. Alas, red wine sometimes keeps me awake.

    I like walking in the rain, I’ve just bought a new transparent brolly to enjoy it more (I do 10, 000 steps a day so walk 3-4 miles most days). I had a health scare last year and decided I seriously needed to lose weight. I lost a couple of stone (20% of my body weight) on a low carb diet and 10, 000 steps and want to keep it off. A genetic form of osteoarthritis means I can’t do any impact exercises so I do yoga as well.
    Just finished an online meeting and looking forward to having a bit of a break from work tomorrow.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Circus Host, 8th Day Host
    Returning to an earlier discussion here, I feel the need to tell you that WILD BOAR CASSEROLE was served chez rouge yesterday evening alongside an excellent red burgundy. Yummy.
  • Baptist TrainfanBaptist Trainfan Shipmate
    edited October 2018
    Indeed they are - can you send some Virtual Leftovers of both? Mind you, you've probably snaffled the lot!
  • Bishops FingerBishops Finger Shipmate
    edited October 2018
    WILD BOAR CASSEROLE will, I am certain, be on the menu in Heaven. Meanwhile, please enlighten us as to what other ingredients were used.

    (I trust Captain Pyjamas had a share, even if only of the aroma....)
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Circus Host, 8th Day Host
    Other ingredients: red wine (also a burgundy but an inferior one to what was in the glass), carrots, bacon and mushrooms along with a berry sauce.

    Captain Pyjamas would quite like some casserole I think. He's rather difficult to feed in truth and I wonder if he just doesn't like milk. When we eat dinner he sits next to us and looks distinctly jealous.
  • Can't say I blame him. You live in France, and you want to feed him MILK ?

    The carrots, bacon, and mushrooms sound just about right. Also the Burgundy, of course.
    :grin:
  • LVER - Did you dredge the boar in flour first, or leave it 'naked'? No onions and or garlic? Herbal components like thyme or rosemary? Enquiring stomachs need to know.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Circus Host, 8th Day Host
    I didn't do anything. Husband en rouge is the chef in this house :wink:

    Onions were involved I think, but not garlic (it disagrees with me). I spotted a bayleaf also.
  • Just so - the maquis surrounding my sister's residence is full of thyme, rosemary, and WILD BOAR, so they are all obviously complementary.
  • Away for a few nights in the tin tent, in the Mendips - lovely clear views of wonderful scenery including Glastonbury Tor. Today a neighbouring 10 year old taught me a version of poker that he picked up from Only Fools and Horses (apparently) - it’s only right that he should win hands down, given the invented-on-the-hoof rules we played by.
  • I've just eaten a sizeable, for me, breakfast -- and now I'm hungry again. :smile:
  • LVER, neither I nor Miss S liked milk (I still can't stand the stuff). Once she could be weaned on to Real Food*, she was a different child. The Intrepid Grandson also, but not to such an extent.

    * a friend of mine gave her a shortbread finger biscuit! That stopped the colic :lol: Funny thing is that she was terribly careful about weaning TIG :lol:

    Mrs. S, reminiscing
  • Wild boar casserole sounds delicious!
    No breakfast for me, just a latte as I eat few carbs. I was almost tempted by some muesli, fruit and yoghurt but decided against as we usually have bread and cheese for Sunday lunch which is enough carbs for my whole week!
    We went to Warwick uni yesterday for a student open day with my eldest son, Zadok. It was very interesting for me as I never went to a bricks and mortar uni (I left school after my o’levels to go on a yts scheme like all the Luton council estate kids, my degrees are OU ones I did as a mature adult). We walked 5 miles according to my watch.
    Annie
  • It’s nearly 10 o’clock and I’m the only person up in the house. As we leave for church just after half past 10, we appear to be either having a day off or there’s going to be one heck of a fight for the shower between the other 3 people in the house.
  • Perhaps there is an evening service? Or you could just go unshowered (shock, horror!)
  • HeavenlyannieHeavenlyannie Shipmate
    edited October 2018
    No evening service, I go to a church with 2 identical morning services and this is the second service. It’s a New Frontiers church and we celebrated our 25th anniversary last week. When the church grew too big for one service we didn’t want two entirely separate congregations so we replicated the original service. There are now about 400 of us over the two services, about a quarter of which are under 18. We lease a small warehouse and attached office building where we meet.
  • PigletPiglet All Saints Host, Circus Host
    I've just realised that I wrote the following yesterday, but didn't actually post it - there's something about the New Ship™ that makes it easy to type a draft and then forget about it (or is it just Old Age setting in?). Anyway, this is what I was going to say ...
    ... but not garlic (it disagrees with me) ...
    Oh my dear - you live in la belle France and you can't eat garlic???

    My heart genuinely goes out to you! :cry:

    Lunch chez Piglet was a sort of Moroccan style spiced chicken thing with couscous. I found a recipe on the interweb for couscous with tinned chickpeas, but as I didn't have any (and couldn't find any in the supermarket) I thought, would cooked chicken serve a similar purpose? I'm glad to report that it did, and with a few tweaks to the spice proportions I think we'll have it again.

    Then after chasing around to find a post office* to post off application forms for early release of my pension (EEK!!!), I had a nice little amble (it was 16° and lovely going over the river).

    * Post offices here used to be located inside certain chemists' shops, but they seem to have moved from one chain of shops to another, and of course the first one we went to was the wrong one.

    * * * * *

    Today (as in Sunday) is a busy one. Usual services this morning - I had to sing soprano again as we're still short-handed; D's playing in an organ recital at the parish church along the road at 2 o'clock, so we might just manage to grab some lunch; then dash back to the Cathedral for rehearsal at 3:15 and Evensong (with installation of an archdeacon) at 4. As I'll probably have to sing soprano again (!) I'll be like a limp rag by the end of it, and in need of some serious Quality Bear Time™.

    And possibly GIN.
  • NenyaNenya Shipmate
    I also may need GIN later. Our evening church meeting is going to be about a Dead Horse subject and I will be of a very different opinion to the majority of people in the room. Could be uncomfortable, but important to be there, I feel.
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