The nice sunny weather didn't last; it's now back to being dreich again and there were a few spitters of ra*n, so laundry has been rescued from the clothes-line. I did, however, amble before it started.
No. 1 Nephew and his partner had us round for (utterly delicious) supper last night - Chinese dumplings with assorted dippy things, and a seriously good prawn Pad Thai, accompanied by far too much WINE and followed by a game of Yahtzee, which was rather fun. It's only the second time I've played it, but they're experts, and kept me right.
As S. and I are doing our own culinary thing, I can get away with making myself a risotto for supper (she's not a fan). I think it'll have mushrooms, peppers, spring onions and possibly a splat of crème fraîche in it - I haven't quite decided yet. There's also some pancetta in the fridge ...
I spent the day at an online module briefing. Husband cooked hunters chicken, roast veg and rice for lunch but appears to be too distracted by some software programming to start cooking tea.
Feeling very organised and ahead of myself. Tonight I prepared four meals (portions ) using minced beef. Cottage pie for husband, spaghetti Bol for me this evening, and two more cottage pies which usually I would have put in the freezer. Tomorrow we are having baked pork steaks rather than a roast ( my teenage grandchildren mock me if I say a joint), so no leftovers. We shall eat the other two cottage pies on Monday, which suits me well as I have a Zoom choir and can have mine early.
Husband finally remembered to cook dinner and went for a Japanese theme; salmon with teriyaki glaze, Japanese rolled omelette, sticky rice and mushrooms.
That aside, you know what I miss? I know it's really no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I miss my lipstick. No point wearing it under a face mask - no one can see it and it just messes the mask up.
... I have just been into the garden to pick the sage leaves to go with tonight's veal chops.
You should have said - we've got an absolute plethora* of sage!
After a pleasant afternoon with my brother, s-i-l, No. 2 Niece and her partner going to an open-house viewing of another flat (this time in West Calder), I came home and made the potato curry I've been meaning to make for ages, and it really wasn't bad. (S. was doing Granny duty with Rosie, her three-day-old grand-daughter, so I didn't feel bad about hogging the kitchen).
The flat was very nice - a little bigger than the one in Linlithgow, but West Calder didn't really quite float my boat the same way Linlithgow did. I'm going to see another two flats there on Tuesday (assuming that I've lost the one in the High Street), so more trotter-crossing ...
* i.e. considerably more than a splat ... BTW, if I didn't already have a set of measuring spoons, I'd definitely get the ones in Ann's link (even if they haven't got one for a splat).
Hope a flat that is exactly what you want where you want it comes up soon @piglet.
I've made a list of places that are possible where we want to move to and booked two estate agents in to do valuations on our house this week, so things are moving over here too.
Having a relatively lazy Monday morning today - work starts late, and I felt like de-hectic-ifying myself. Have done some marking, laundry, tidying, writing some e-mails and letters, and now having a rather pleasant luncheon: tomato soup, pasta (elicoidali) with pesto alla calabrese (con peperoni), chicken breast, and a mixed salad - of course there will be loads of leftovers!
... Piglet, I hope your lovely flat is reserved for you.
Sadly, it seems not. I had an e-mail from my solicitor this morning, and apparently someone made a verbal offer on Friday afternoon and the owner told his agent to accept it. The selling agent has said that if the sale falls through, they'll let us know, but I'm not holding my breath.
I made a sort of verbal offer - I said that I'd be prepared to offer £xxxxx if they'd take it off the market, but I suppose the other person must have (a) offered more; (b) been more formal about it; or (c) had a funny handshake.
The up-side is that the two places I'm viewing tomorrow are both ground-floor flats, which considering that I'm not getting any younger, may be not such a daft idea. They're not quite as appealing as the first one (it had Character), but I think they may be a little bigger.
Swings and roundabouts, eh?
It's not the bright, sunny day we were promised yesterday, although it's quite warm (supposed to go up to 20° today) - I think some amblage would be a good idea, so I may take a stroll down to the supermarket in the village and see if anything takes my fancy for supper.
The house is in a state of mega-guddle. It is day one of the Works, encompassing scullery, kitchen/diner, hall and stair. Basically corralled in the front room as everything beyond is plastic sheeting, demolished units and Polish joiners.
That aside, you know what I miss? I know it's really no big deal in the grand scheme of things, but I miss my lipstick. No point wearing it under a face mask - no one can see it and it just messes the mask up.
Hmmm. Maybe I should look into something like that, although I have a doubt about the amount of space between the mask and my face. I have shaped masks because the pleated ones end up in my eyes all the time, and I'm not sure there would be much room for an extra element.
I did see a delightful spangly mask on the market the other day - literally sequins all over. I rather regret not buying it now. I'll see if it's still there tomorrow.
The house is in a state of mega-guddle. It is day one of the Works, encompassing scullery, kitchen/diner, hall and stair. Basically corralled in the front room as everything beyond is plastic sheeting, demolished units and Polish joiners.
Reminds me of a wedding at Our Place some years ago - the groom was a Lithuanian builder, and his four companions were all Lithuanian builders, too. The bride was Jamaican, 45 minutes late, and brought virtually her entire family with her...the Lithuanians were on their own.
(Before anyone asks, it was all perfectly Legal and Correct. We checked very carefully indeed).
@Piglet - continuing thoughts & prayers (as the Polly Titians say) for success with The Flat™.
Good luck on the continued flat hunt @piglet. You are in a good position to move, so if the person who got in first on the one you want isn't you are still in with a chance. Mind you if there were a lot of stairs a ground floor one might be sensible.
I've had a morning of housework and exercise. This afternoon will be devoted to being lazy.
Re flats (and other Abodes) - sometimes, Character needs to give way to Convenience.
People sometimes ask me 'Why don't you move off the Ark? It must be so difficult...'.
Not so - once on board (after one step down onto the gangplank, a sort of little wooden bridge), I have just seven easily-negotiable steps into the living accommodation, all of which is on the level. My mobility is improving slowly, thanks to Pilates, so I don't have to hold on to pieces of furniture when walking to and fro, though they're there if I need to!
The thought of lugging bags of shopping up four flights of stairs (two for each floor) is indeed daunting, and as for 10-kilo bags of flour for bread production - well, just no.
We'll see how things go tomorrow with the viewings, and take it from there.
My mobility is improving slowly, thanks to Pilates, so I don't have to hold on to pieces of furniture when walking to and fro, though they're there if I need to!
Good thing you're not moored on the Severn, which not only has an extreme tidal range (40 feet at Avonmouth - you'd need a lift or a crane rather than a gangplank) but also suffers from occasional Bores which might make things Somewhat Wobbly for a while ... (They also had a Tsunami in 1607 - aren't you glad that you are on the [allegedly] safer side of Britain?)
The thought of lugging bags of shopping up four flights of stairs (two for each floor) is indeed daunting, and as for 10-kilo bags of flour for bread production - well, just no.
We'll see how things go tomorrow with the viewings, and take it from there.
Before we bought this place - 1 flight of 14 steps - we lived on the top floor of a stair, 90 steps. I doubt I could make that these days, even minus shopping.
My mobility is improving slowly, thanks to Pilates, so I don't have to hold on to pieces of furniture when walking to and fro, though they're there if I need to!
Good thing you're not moored on the Severn, which not only has an extreme tidal range (40 feet at Avonmouth - you'd need a lift or a crane rather than a gangplank) but also suffers from occasional Bores which might make things Somewhat Wobbly for a while ... (They also had a Tsunami in 1607 - aren't you glad that you are on the [allegedly] safer side of Britain?)
Absolutely - though even we are getting some massively high tides now and then (a really big one about a year ago took out about 40 cars - including mine - in this yard, by flooding the electrics). It rose by a least a metre higher than predicted.
We know when monthly high tides (known as 'springs') are due by looking at our tide-tables, but nowadays it seems prudent to regard forecast heights as below what might actually occur, especially if the wind is coming off the North Sea. Last year's biggy was entirely unexpected, and happened (of course) in the small hours of the morning... when everyone was more-or-less marooned on their vessels!
My wife and I had an interesting debate about What To Watch On TV tonight. She knew of a programme she wished to see, but I said that it would clash with "University Challenge". "But", saith she, "'University Chalenge' isn't on tonight". I asked her to pass me the newspaper (the "i") to double-check and - lo and behold! - she was right.
Then I noticed that in fact they have given us tomorrow's schedule instead of today's. Whoops!
Bishop's Finger, you might find the Severn Bore predictions useful - they take into account variations in the lunar orbit beyond Full and New. (The tide tables do this anyway, though.) This weekend and mid October look particularly likely for biggies. And from the notes on the page, low barometer and strong NE wind might bring a biggie for you. https://severntales.co.uk/boretimetable2020.html
Yes, our highest tides usually occur in October (last year's big one was a bit early), so we shall indeed be keeping a careful eye on wind and weather...this coming weekend's tides are much as usual, but if necessary I shall park the chariot in a Safe Place!
I blame the Belgians, sending us all their water. See what happens when we cast off the EU?
I blame the Belgians, sending us all their water. See what happens when we cast off the EU?
Please feel free to send any extra water to Arizona, California, Oregon, etc. We could use it here. (Louisiana and Texas just wouldn't share when they had a hurricane recently.)
By all means. If necessary, I shall enact a Great Enchauntment come October, to achieve what you desire. I shall now go and dust off my Grimoire in readiness...
The trouble is that most of what arrives for Bishop's Finger is, I suspect, sea water which won't be much good for them hot dry places. Appropriately applied it might kill blazes, but in the longer term it would kill the trees and other plants as well.
My father was a accountant for farmers with lands in between Thanet and the rest of Kent, which were flooded with sea water in the great flood of 1953. They told him the lands recovered more quickly than expected.
My Great Uncle, in the very early 20th century, was a Waterman on the Graveney Marshes, in Kent, responsible for the dykes, sluices, etc. He kept the land in proper state for grazing. I don't think they'd heard of droughts then!
It seems to me that even in the mid 20th century, droughts were things that happened to other countries (usually African ones?).
Then The Summer of 1976 happened, and all of a sudden you couldn't water your spider-plants, even if it was pouring with rain and blowing a hoolie ...
As it doesn't appear to be pouring with rain or blowing a hoolie here, I think I'll have a little amble once I've had lunch (avocado on TOAST with a few tomatoes - proof that God loves us).
Then off to Linlithgow to see a couple more flats. I really hope one of them is feasible, as there aren't any more left there that I could afford.
I was fortunate enough to spend a good deal of the Great Drought of 1976 in The Netherlands, a remarkable country with water! and green grass!
Mind you, in Kent I don't think there was any rain to speak of until half-past September that year. We had scorched earth, and grass was the stuff of myth or fable...
Mind you, in Kent I don't think there was any rain to speak of until half-past September that year. We had scorched earth, and grass was the stuff of myth or fable...
I took my "O" levels that summer in Kent. The weather broke the weekend of the August Bank Holiday but you're right, the grass didn't start growing for a couple of weeks. The ground was dustbowl dry, with deep cracks in it.
I think I must have been in Parts Foreign over that Bank Holiday...but yes, the earth was certainly gaping and gasping...
O! how I now wish I could have stayed in Parts Foreign, though! Many years later (1990-ish) I did indeed have the chance to live in The Netherlands, but, alas, a lack of £££ at that time meant that it wasn't feasible.
BTW, the temperature here today has been around 28-29C, which must be quite uncommon for mid-September...and at 7am it was quite foggy, with the nearby motorway/railway bridges invisible (but not inaudible)!
I'm not complaining - and the next few days are likely to be a little cooler, but still pleasantly sunny - but the British Mint plant I've just added to my little herb garden on deck is looking a bit wilted already...
My Pilates torturer is moving house soon, and is looking forward to NOT having to sweep up the autumn leaves which usually descend onto her garden from that of her ever-generous neighbour. I like Autumn, too, with its wonderful colours, but yes, the leaf tonnage can be a bit of a nuisance...
What. A. Day. This morning I took Captain Pyjamas to play in the park. Everything was going fine when he suddenly started howling inconsolably. For a minute or two I couldn't work out what was wrong with him until I finally figured out that he'd been stung by a wasp. Behind the ear . I took him straight to the pharmacy and the lady was extraordinarily nice, but most products for stings are for age three and up so there wasn't all that much that could be done.
He spent the rest of the day being as cheerful and even tempered as you'd expect of a person who'd been stung behind the ear by a wasp.
You can add into today's joys that it was 35°. With a face mask it was horrible. I don't know how people cope if they have asthma.
Comments
The nice sunny weather didn't last; it's now back to being dreich again and there were a few spitters of ra*n, so laundry has been rescued from the clothes-line. I did, however, amble before it started.
No. 1 Nephew and his partner had us round for (utterly delicious) supper last night - Chinese dumplings with assorted dippy things, and a seriously good prawn Pad Thai, accompanied by far too much WINE and followed by a game of Yahtzee, which was rather fun. It's only the second time I've played it, but they're experts, and kept me right.
As S. and I are doing our own culinary thing, I can get away with making myself a risotto for supper (she's not a fan). I think it'll have mushrooms, peppers, spring onions and possibly a splat of crème fraîche in it - I haven't quite decided yet. There's also some pancetta in the fridge ...
Whether there is a difference in size or volume, I couldn't say, not being a chef...
I have just been into the garden to pick the sage leaves to go with tonight's veal chops.
And definitely louder.
How about this under-mask lipstick guard?
Silicone thingie.
After a pleasant afternoon with my brother, s-i-l, No. 2 Niece and her partner going to an open-house viewing of another flat (this time in West Calder), I came home and made the potato curry I've been meaning to make for ages, and it really wasn't bad. (S. was doing Granny duty with Rosie, her three-day-old grand-daughter, so I didn't feel bad about hogging the kitchen).
The flat was very nice - a little bigger than the one in Linlithgow, but West Calder didn't really quite float my boat the same way Linlithgow did. I'm going to see another two flats there on Tuesday (assuming that I've lost the one in the High Street), so more trotter-crossing ...
* i.e. considerably more than a splat ... BTW, if I didn't already have a set of measuring spoons, I'd definitely get the ones in Ann's link (even if they haven't got one for a splat).
I've made a list of places that are possible where we want to move to and booked two estate agents in to do valuations on our house this week, so things are moving over here too.
Piglet, I hope your lovely flat is reserved for you.
That's the way I like it!
A good start of the week, meseems. Wishing the same to everyone.
<votive> for Piglet's flat hunt and all others on the move
I made a sort of verbal offer - I said that I'd be prepared to offer £xxxxx if they'd take it off the market, but I suppose the other person must have (a) offered more; (b) been more formal about it; or (c) had a funny handshake.
The up-side is that the two places I'm viewing tomorrow are both ground-floor flats, which considering that I'm not getting any younger, may be not such a daft idea. They're not quite as appealing as the first one (it had Character), but I think they may be a little bigger.
Swings and roundabouts, eh?
It's not the bright, sunny day we were promised yesterday, although it's quite warm (supposed to go up to 20° today) - I think some amblage would be a good idea, so I may take a stroll down to the supermarket in the village and see if anything takes my fancy for supper.
Hmmm. Maybe I should look into something like that, although I have a doubt about the amount of space between the mask and my face. I have shaped masks because the pleated ones end up in my eyes all the time, and I'm not sure there would be much room for an extra element.
I did see a delightful spangly mask on the market the other day - literally sequins all over. I rather regret not buying it now. I'll see if it's still there tomorrow.
Reminds me of a wedding at Our Place some years ago - the groom was a Lithuanian builder, and his four companions were all Lithuanian builders, too. The bride was Jamaican, 45 minutes late, and brought virtually her entire family with her...the Lithuanians were on their own.
(Before anyone asks, it was all perfectly Legal and Correct. We checked very carefully indeed).
@Piglet - continuing thoughts & prayers (as the Polly Titians say) for success with The Flat™.
I've had a morning of housework and exercise. This afternoon will be devoted to being lazy.
People sometimes ask me 'Why don't you move off the Ark? It must be so difficult...'.
Not so - once on board (after one step down onto the gangplank, a sort of little wooden bridge), I have just seven easily-negotiable steps into the living accommodation, all of which is on the level. My mobility is improving slowly, thanks to Pilates, so I don't have to hold on to pieces of furniture when walking to and fro, though they're there if I need to!
We'll see how things go tomorrow with the viewings, and take it from there.
Before we bought this place - 1 flight of 14 steps - we lived on the top floor of a stair, 90 steps. I doubt I could make that these days, even minus shopping.
Absolutely - though even we are getting some massively high tides now and then (a really big one about a year ago took out about 40 cars - including mine
We know when monthly high tides (known as 'springs') are due by looking at our tide-tables, but nowadays it seems prudent to regard forecast heights as below what might actually occur, especially if the wind is coming off the North Sea. Last year's biggy was entirely unexpected, and happened (of course) in the small hours of the morning...
Then I noticed that in fact they have given us tomorrow's schedule instead of today's. Whoops!
https://severntales.co.uk/boretimetable2020.html
Yes, our highest tides usually occur in October (last year's big one was a bit early), so we shall indeed be keeping a careful eye on wind and weather...this coming weekend's tides are much as usual, but if necessary I shall park the chariot in a Safe Place!
I blame the Belgians, sending us all their water. See what happens when we cast off the EU?
Please feel free to send any extra water to Arizona, California, Oregon, etc. We could use it here. (Louisiana and Texas just wouldn't share when they had a hurricane recently.)
I might have to modify the Great Enchauntment.
Got it, no use in drought.
Then The Summer of 1976 happened, and all of a sudden you couldn't water your spider-plants, even if it was pouring with rain and blowing a hoolie ...
As it doesn't appear to be pouring with rain or blowing a hoolie here, I think I'll have a little amble once I've had lunch (avocado on TOAST with a few tomatoes - proof that God loves us).
Then off to Linlithgow to see a couple more flats. I really hope one of them is feasible, as there aren't any more left there that I could afford.
Mind you, in Kent I don't think there was any rain to speak of until half-past September that year. We had scorched earth, and grass was the stuff of myth or fable...
I took my "O" levels that summer in Kent. The weather broke the weekend of the August Bank Holiday but you're right, the grass didn't start growing for a couple of weeks. The ground was dustbowl dry, with deep cracks in it.
O! how I now wish I could have stayed in Parts Foreign, though! Many years later (1990-ish) I did indeed have the chance to live in The Netherlands, but, alas, a lack of £££ at that time meant that it wasn't feasible.
I'm not complaining - and the next few days are likely to be a little cooler, but still pleasantly sunny - but the British Mint plant I've just added to my little herb garden on deck is looking a bit wilted already...
My Pilates torturer is moving house soon, and is looking forward to NOT having to sweep up the autumn leaves which usually descend onto her garden from that of her ever-generous neighbour. I like Autumn, too, with its wonderful colours, but yes, the leaf tonnage can be a bit of a nuisance...
He spent the rest of the day being as cheerful and even tempered as you'd expect of a person who'd been stung behind the ear by a wasp.
You can add into today's joys that it was 35°. With a face mask it was horrible. I don't know how people cope if they have asthma.