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,
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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 £££!