No change for our ward, still Lib Dem, and the Lib Dem friend whose wedding I went to last weekend kept her seat in a neighbouring ward.
Mr Heavenly took the day off today so I did my work this morning and eschewed the marking this afternoon. Instead we had a late lunch in the beer garden of the village gastro pub. We shared a baked Camembert with spiced honey and focaccia, then I had cod and chorizo fish cakes, lemon sauce and fries, followed by cookie and ice cream. All washed down with a pint of IPA.
I probably won’t need to eat anything this evening.
Today is not a great day. My ward and county council have gone from Bad to Worse - Tory to Reform.
I feel your pain @KarlLB. I never thought I'd stand at a count and think 'Oh good the Conservative looks like they're winning.' We had some brilliant candidates with lots of experience, instead we now have a load of inexperienced people who have no clue about what County Councils actually do and who are waiting for Farage to tell them what their policies are.
They'll have a long wait, as Farage appears to have no policies...
Our Town is a unitary authority, which returned a Labour majority last time round (I think there are now a couple of Reform members, elected when previous members became Labour MPs!).
Kent County Council, OTOH, is now firmly in Reform's hands, but those who voted for *change* may well live to find the *changes* not to their liking...
Indeed it is, but all is not lost. At least the LibDems made some gains, and, despite the difference in the number of MPs, can make some claim to being the real opposition to the Tories at Westminster.
Apologies for the rather Purgatorial post, but I don't engage with any threads on that board nowadays.
My condolences to those of you whose councils have been Fartaged - what on earth makes people vote for that loathsome oaf and his party?
I hope to God they never get a hold north of the border!
It's been another bonny day here; although it was a bit fraught at work (more for my colleagues than for me, to be fair, although I was decently busy) I got everything done before 5, and left a clear desk before the bank holiday.
I have had a helpful grammar lesson from the NE Man.
He told someone, airily, that "we" don't know much about the Reformation. I pointed out that "he" might not know much, but "I" have a decent historical grounding.
He said that his statement was grammatically correct. It would not be correct to say that "we" know about the Reformation, if only one half of the "we" knows about it. He does not know much, therefore "we" do not know much.
I was deeply impressed by this explanation and can see that it will be very useful in the future. Possibly in the very near future.
Honestly, we've been married for 36 years. He must know me well enough by now to know that it's only a matter of time before I tell someone, airily, that "we" don't know much about Pure Mathematics, or algorithms, or nature-inspired computing or that "we" don't speak Spanish, or that "we" have never read Lord of the Rings or something.
And this piece of grammar is so much more useful to me than it is to him, because the list of things that "we" don't know, because "I" don't know is far, far longer than the list of things that "we" don't know because "he" doesn't know.
#2 son and his wife are with us for the weekend. This will be the first time they have seen the baby twins since Christmas so the reaction of the little chaps to seeing two daddys will be interesting.
We have been to a splendid orchesral concert which included the premiere of a new concerto by Sir James Macmillan. The Stravinsky pieces were, we thought, outstanding.
Very sorry for those waiting for the Farage-ists to ruin local government. It really comes to something when you find yourself hoping for a tory win!
I'm very relieved that we didn't have elections this time.
Spending the morning at the late mother in laws doing some clearing and much of the weekend hanging out with various friends.
I have had a helpful grammar lesson from the NE Man.
He told someone, airily, that "we" don't know much about the Reformation. I pointed out that "he" might not know much, but "I" have a decent historical grounding.
He said that his statement was grammatically correct. It would not be correct to say that "we" know about the Reformation, if only one half of the "we" knows about it. He does not know much, therefore "we" do not know much.
I was deeply impressed by this explanation and can see that it will be very useful in the future. Possibly in the very near future.
Honestly, we've been married for 36 years. He must know me well enough by now to know that it's only a matter of time before I tell someone, airily, that "we" don't know much about Pure Mathematics, or algorithms, or nature-inspired computing or that "we" don't speak Spanish, or that "we" have never read Lord of the Rings or something.
And this piece of grammar is so much more useful to me than it is to him, because the list of things that "we" don't know, because "I" don't know is far, far longer than the list of things that "we" don't know because "he" doesn't know.
I headed out with the hiking group today for a very pleasant walk through the forest west of Paris. A couple of kilometres from what was supposed to be the end, the sky was looking distinctly threatening, and we were close to a station, so we decided to stop there and not push our luck.
On arrival back in Paris, I met with an absolutely apocalyptic scene, with six inches of water on the road, and hailstones the size of large marbles lying all over the place . I was not reassured to get home and find husband en rouge and Captain Pyjamas not there. Fortunately they were in the metro when it all came down, but I think poor Captain P was quite scared by the noise it made (this was the line 6, which is not underground, and I guess the hammering on the roof of the train must have been quite impressive).
Poor night and up at 6 am. After breakfast I trundled a suitcase of books to the local library as a donation to next Saturday's fair. Besides books, the next most popular item seemed to be pushchairs. Having the suitcase I took to opportunity to shop for heavier items - juice, gin that sort of thing.
Sunny when I got back, so spent an hour or so tidying up some hellebore and general weeding. Found the aquatic plants looking depressed, on account of their tub having little or no actual aqua.
Inevitably zonked out completely after lunch. Dinner will be uncomplicated - steak'n'chips.
... the reaction of the little chaps to seeing two daddys will be interesting.
My sister and I, although not twins (she's six years older than me), are quite alike, and when we were visiting her eldest grandson when he was about two, he looked from one of us to the other, and said, "Ooh - two Grannies!".
I now, courtesy of my awesome brother and s-i-l, have an empty bedroom awaiting the arrival of my new bed. The old one was even more broken than I'd realised; no wonder my back and hips have been aching! An email and a few ££ have been sent to West Lothian Council, which I hope will result in them taking it away some time next week. I'm lucky that there's an entry just along from my flat where it can be left without damage from any inclemency in the weather.
After we'd got it out of the way, I treated them to lunch in the rather good cafe across the road, and then we had a little amble round the Artisans' Market, which was just about finishing, but still had a few stalls open. One of them was a woodworker, from whom I bought a new wooden spatula to replace David's much-missed one which broke a few months back.
As lunch was rather generously proportioned (I had focaccia with Brie, avocado and smoked salmon, which was delicious, but HUGE), I shall probably just graze for supper; I've got cold meat, salads, quiche, olives ...
A long day here as we continued the clear out of the spare room, which we have almost finished - just the cupboard to tackle. This also meant a continuing of sorting in my office as that is where most of the contents have gone.
Lunch was tagliatelle with mushroom pesto and ricotta. Mr Heavenly has just made a healthy tea of a lemony spring veg soup with borlotti beans and gnocchi. I am about to finish off with a less healthy glass of wine.
We went out into town today on various errands including picking up a present for me from our favourite art shop ahead of my birthday next weekend. I like pottery pigs and its a rather lovely one crafted by the wife of the owner of the shop.
This afternoon has been devoted to getting things put back in our new kitchen. We don't have a hob, oven, sink or work surface at the moment but we do have a usable utility area in the garage which is rather better than it has been for the last week.
The evening was given over to wine and a film.
Line 6 was a great favourite during my brief Parisian sojourn, @la vie en rouge I was just trying to remember where I used to pick it up - I think Notre Dame des Champs is on that line isn't it? Going over the Seine was just amazing. Being there for an academic year was on the borderline between resident and tourist.
Hankies at the ready! The little twins saw their father and his twin together for the first time to realise, maybe, what they're seeing. Cue silence for a full five minutes as they looked from one to the other, then turned to look at each other, then both said Dada and held out his arms to the one nearest to him. 😊
So far so good, but when their mother and aunt then appeared there was instant confusion and both started to cry. Much discussion by all adults - we think maybe they can't process there being two fathers but only one mother?
They have settled down now so we'll see how things go tomorrow.
A mixture of mostly Clouds and a little Sun-Shine in Arkland the Chilly, as that bloody east wind has returned. I blame Trump, or the fact that it's a Bank Holiday.
Our Place was poorly attended this morning for that new religious festival *VE Sunday*, even though FatherInCharge tried to brighten things up by using the Union Jack as a frontal on the nave altar - the one at which the Eucharist is celebrated...
A packed church today as a lot of our children were celebrating their first holy communion.
The weather here is chilly and slightly damp. We were going out in search of bits and pieces for our new kitchen but decided neither of us had the energy. We're going to need it later as we're off to a ceilidh this evening in a nearby village. I think its part of their May Day celebrations.
I'd be less than amused by the Union Flag at Mass too.
Our Place was poorly attended this morning (although we had 35, which was more than I expected) due to the Bank Holiday, illness and (mainly) our YP and leaders having a weekend away.
Our local Parish Church will be celebrating (if that be the right word) VE Day next Sunday. Their Poppy Cascade went up yesterday: https://tinyurl.com/34jasras
After church I went to W++tr+s+ and, just before I reached the tills, there was a power cut and the lights went off! Emergency power was soon restored but the tills took ages to reboot.
As @Piglet says, not the warmest. But I needed to repot my chilli plant. A few weeks ago it was a sprig about 3 inches high, now it's going on a foot and a half and bushing up nicely. However, the only suitable pot was already being used to bring on a dry root perennial. So, in the way of gardening, that meant planting that out, which meant clearing a spot, and once you start weeding...
Cloudy with a hint of sun and a bracing 12 degrees here. Still, the verandah is toasty.
The little chaps have received a belated Easter present from #son and his wife, His 'n' His trolleys with building blocks, so the little chaps are busy trying to lever the bricks out. Other than that, both have gained a new word, No, delivered with great emphasis.
Our Place was poorly attended this morning (although we had 35, which was more than I expected) due to the Bank Holiday, illness and (mainly) our YP and leaders having a weekend away.
Our local Parish Church will be celebrating (if that be the right word) VE Day next Sunday. Their Poppy Cascade went up yesterday: https://tinyurl.com/34jasras
<snip>
AIUI, some of Our Place's regulars were Away, because Bank Holiday.
Not sure about Other Places' VE 80 services - even our Cathedral is keeping 8th May as a commemoration of Julian of Norwich at the Eucharist, but VE 80 will be the theme of Choral Evensong.
As @Piglet says, not the warmest. But I needed to repot my chilli plant. A few weeks ago it was a sprig about 3 inches high, now it's going on a foot and a half and bushing up nicely. However, the only suitable pot was already being used to bring on a dry root perennial. So, in the way of gardening, that meant planting that out, which meant clearing a spot, and once you start weeding...
Having been away from my organ bench last Sunday, I was not at all sure if I was going to be returning to a hastily arranged VE 80 Sunday for either this or next Sunday, but I was relieved to discover (from a logistics and music point of view) that it's being observed on Thursday with something in church instead. Which will not involve me as I will be at my main paid workplace.
I'm more likely to come in next Sunday to find the altar adorned with Christian Aid bunting... but I'm hoping not.
I decided not to set my alarm and slept right through the night for once. I could have made church if I had leapt out of bed but I decided to take my time, partly, I must admit, because I was not keen on the very frail priest who was taking the service now that our lovely vicar has gone. We have not even had the hymn list for May. One of the choir has now sent us a photo of the list on the organist’s phone. I foresee some months of chaos ahead.
At 11am I joined my daughter who had a stall at a brocante and vintage fair. The weather was cool, sometimes sunny, but the rain held off. She made some good sales in the first couple of hours before I joined her but hardly any more until it ended at 2pm. £20 profit for about 11 hours work, including loading and unloading, is not worth it, but at least we caught up with our news. This is a side hustle: as well as running marathons, she also runs two holiday lets, one of which is a 3 hour drive away, does exam invigilation and a bit of cleaning- having given up being a solicitor a few years ago.
Our parish church is closed for renovations so not sure what they did/will do for VE Day. The Town Council is having a concert and beacon lighting on Thursday, complete with fish and chip stalls as their contribution to VE Day. I didn't know F&C wasn't rationed during the war so I found out something new this week.
After the apocalyptic conditions yesterday, we have had a much cooler and calmer day today. We went to church this morning, then repasted on husband en rouge's very tasty lamb navarin.
This afternoon we went to assess the damage in the garden, which is fortunately much less bad than it might have been. The ping-pong ball sized hail was heavy enough to smash car windscreens apparently.
Admissions appeals for our local CinW High School tomorrow and Wednesday, so I'm working my way through the paperwork today. There are about 30 appeals - we have had far more in the past. In other news, an early swim was lovely as there was little traffic and the pool wasn't busy. It's a breezy, sunny and cool day: one lot of washing is out and another is in the machine. My wife has gone to her regular Monday Welsh coffee-'n'-chat group at the local pub but has no class tonight. I think I shall have to cut the lawn later (something I intensely dislike doing) as the feed I gave it a couple of weeks ago means that it is growing muchly!
A chilly 11° here with an unpleasant wind making it feel even cooler. The young people are off for a walk this afternoon - I have volunteered to babysit (!) which will mean twin-proofing the verandah so they can muck about with bricks and things while loving grandparent reclines on steamer chair with a weak winter Pimms.
It being a Ban Collie Day (what have they got against collies?), I am Lazing About and may contemplate an amble later. It looks like a nice day, if not exactly warm: Accu Weather says it's going up to 14° later.
Chilly here. I'm not doing much today other than catching up with the Internet. I'm off to an opticians appointment in a bit but other than that the day will be devoted to laziness.
We did go to a very nice ceilidh last night. The dances were timed with gaps in between them so we managed to do them all. A couple of friends we didn't expect to see there turned up so it was good to catch up with them. The organisers had laid on a pizza wagon and a cake stall so that was supper sorted, and the bar prices were very reasonable.
Yesterday we cleared out the huge fitted cupboard in the new spare room and tidied up, and today I cleared out the remaining books. My garden office now has several shelves on early modern history and health/madness/death. There is some stuff being stored that will returned to the spare room later but for now the project is decorating it. Mr Heavenly has cleaned the walls and ceiling and we need to get a plasterer in. Then it will be painting and a new carpet.
The plan is that we decorate this room and then move the bed from the old spare room into it and clear out and decorate that room. Then move our bed into that room…
Mr Heavenly is currently making the rhubarb and custard dessert recommended previously.
I've just had a lovely little amble by the loch; although it was coolish in the shade, it was glorious in the sunshine, as I passed the time of day with the ducks, swans and a couple of gorgeous dogs (and their humans). 🐾
My days are falling into this undesirable pattern of waking and needing to get up between 5 and 6, and consequently falling asleep for an hour or more after lunch. The more so if I do anything active in the morning. Today it was Buy More Plants. Tomorrow it will be put them - and others coming on in pots - in the ground.
I have however been able to salvage something of the post-nap afternoon by doing a watercolour.
I sympathise. I'm usually awake between 5am and 6am, having had the customary night of snatches of dozing, interspersed with periods of meditation...
At about 5am, I take my morning Pills, and return to my berth for some 4 or 5 hours of reasonable sleep. I no longer Do Mornings.
A miserably chilly day in Arkland the Windy, though there were a few gleams of Sun Shine this afternoon. The cold gale blowing from Mordor gave me no incentive whatever to even go on deck for a while, but I shall have to be up and doing tomorrow, because Pilates and Tess Coe.
After morning chores my granddaughter arrived and stayed a couple of hours, which I wasn’t expecting. I got her to put up my new painting, which lends some bright colours to the garden room extension. It shows a glorious sunset over one of the bays we visited last week on Bute.
Tonight we rehearsed for a concert in two weeks’ time. We need about four weeks!
I have a week with no daytime meetings or appointments- just three evening choir practices, so I need to get on with my non-urgent sorting and clearing, before it becomes urgent.
@North East Quine - that's so funny. I look forward to hearing about the occasion in the near future when the North East Man reacts to your statement about something "we" don't know .
We had an absolutely lovely weekend retreat in Cornwall, lovely people, lovely place, lovely food, lovely weather. Now home and catching up on domestics etc; out for lunch with girlfriends today and seeing some other girlfriends this afternoon.
In other news, my summer allergies have kicked in.
Another lazy day though I have done the ironing, something I actually quite like doing. I'm meeting friends for a coffee this afternoon, before which I'm having a mooch round town to pick up some bits and pieces.
I had a phone call earlier to say I've won a prize in the raffle I entered at the ceilidh on Sunday. Just need to arrange to pick it up, its a hamper of some sort and a gift voucher.
If you like Iron Ing, do you want to come round and do mine? I have a massive pile (which will grow even more menacing once this morning's load is dry) but it's going to have to wait. Some work has come in (correcting the English in a fairly lengthy document) so I am going to earn money and my family will have to live without their clothes ironed. I have at least done the grocery Shopp Ing because having food and toilet paper in the house struck me as more urgent.
Whatever is this Iron Ing of which you speak? It is indeed perfectly possible to live without it - my Family calls it *the shabby chic look*...
The apocalyptic hailstorm in Paris mentioned earlier by @la vie en rouge was experienced by my Niece, her Paramour, and their Dog, currently on their way back from a camping trip in France. The Family WhatsApp group was treated to a short video of Paramour trying to cook spaghetti - the look on his face is absolutely priceless, and the sound of the hailstones falling around them is drowned out by my Niece's laughter...
ION, Pilates has been undergone (with my very grumpy hip flexors now feeling somewhat less annoyed), and Shopp Ing at Tess Coe has also been accomplished. Lunch is being cooked - SALMON FILLETS n'CHIPS - and it's a sobering thought to realise that it's taken me since 9am today to get this far. I am becoming a geriatric Slug.
Another chilly, grey, windy morning in Arkland the Suburb-of-Mordor has turned into a slightly less chilly afternoon, with some gleams of Sun Shine. A cheerful denizen informed me, as I got out of the car, that more warmth is forecast for the coming weekend, which is, of course, not a Ban Caulie Day.
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Mr Heavenly took the day off today so I did my work this morning and eschewed the marking this afternoon. Instead we had a late lunch in the beer garden of the village gastro pub. We shared a baked Camembert with spiced honey and focaccia, then I had cod and chorizo fish cakes, lemon sauce and fries, followed by cookie and ice cream. All washed down with a pint of IPA.
I probably won’t need to eat anything this evening.
They'll have a long wait, as Farage appears to have no policies...
Yes, so am I.
It's so depressing 😞
Kent County Council, OTOH, is now firmly in Reform's hands, but those who voted for *change* may well live to find the *changes* not to their liking...
Indeed it is, but all is not lost. At least the LibDems made some gains, and, despite the difference in the number of MPs, can make some claim to being the real opposition to the Tories at Westminster.
Apologies for the rather Purgatorial post, but I don't engage with any threads on that board nowadays.
I hope to God they never get a hold north of the border!
It's been another bonny day here; although it was a bit fraught at work (more for my colleagues than for me, to be fair, although I was decently busy) I got everything done before 5, and left a clear desk before the bank holiday.
He told someone, airily, that "we" don't know much about the Reformation. I pointed out that "he" might not know much, but "I" have a decent historical grounding.
He said that his statement was grammatically correct. It would not be correct to say that "we" know about the Reformation, if only one half of the "we" knows about it. He does not know much, therefore "we" do not know much.
I was deeply impressed by this explanation and can see that it will be very useful in the future. Possibly in the very near future.
Honestly, we've been married for 36 years. He must know me well enough by now to know that it's only a matter of time before I tell someone, airily, that "we" don't know much about Pure Mathematics, or algorithms, or nature-inspired computing or that "we" don't speak Spanish, or that "we" have never read Lord of the Rings or something.
And this piece of grammar is so much more useful to me than it is to him, because the list of things that "we" don't know, because "I" don't know is far, far longer than the list of things that "we" don't know because "he" doesn't know.
I am home after a lovely holiday, most pleasant weather, beautiful scenery and congenial company.
I'll have to get on sounds for a strav fix
I'm very relieved that we didn't have elections this time.
Spending the morning at the late mother in laws doing some clearing and much of the weekend hanging out with various friends.
That's semantics rather than grammar.
You are right, @KarlLB . It appears that "we" didn't know that, either!
On arrival back in Paris, I met with an absolutely apocalyptic scene, with six inches of water on the road, and hailstones the size of large marbles lying all over the place
Sunny when I got back, so spent an hour or so tidying up some hellebore and general weeding. Found the aquatic plants looking depressed, on account of their tub having little or no actual aqua.
Inevitably zonked out completely after lunch. Dinner will be uncomplicated - steak'n'chips.
My sister and I, although not twins (she's six years older than me), are quite alike, and when we were visiting her eldest grandson when he was about two, he looked from one of us to the other, and said, "Ooh - two Grannies!".
I now, courtesy of my awesome brother and s-i-l, have an empty bedroom awaiting the arrival of my new bed. The old one was even more broken than I'd realised; no wonder my back and hips have been aching! An email and a few ££ have been sent to West Lothian Council, which I hope will result in them taking it away some time next week. I'm lucky that there's an entry just along from my flat where it can be left without damage from any inclemency in the weather.
After we'd got it out of the way, I treated them to lunch in the rather good cafe across the road, and then we had a little amble round the Artisans' Market, which was just about finishing, but still had a few stalls open. One of them was a woodworker, from whom I bought a new wooden spatula to replace David's much-missed one which broke a few months back.
As lunch was rather generously proportioned (I had focaccia with Brie, avocado and smoked salmon, which was delicious, but HUGE), I shall probably just graze for supper; I've got cold meat, salads, quiche, olives ...
Lunch was tagliatelle with mushroom pesto and ricotta. Mr Heavenly has just made a healthy tea of a lemony spring veg soup with borlotti beans and gnocchi. I am about to finish off with a less healthy glass of wine.
This afternoon has been devoted to getting things put back in our new kitchen. We don't have a hob, oven, sink or work surface at the moment but we do have a usable utility area in the garage which is rather better than it has been for the last week.
The evening was given over to wine and a film.
So far so good, but when their mother and aunt then appeared there was instant confusion and both started to cry. Much discussion by all adults - we think maybe they can't process there being two fathers but only one mother?
They have settled down now so we'll see how things go tomorrow.
A bit cooler in West Lothian today; when I woke up Accu Weather was claiming it was only 1°, but I'd say it's gone up a bit from that.
Church has been served at, laundry is laundering and brunch will ensue forthwith.
Our Place was poorly attended this morning for that new religious festival *VE Sunday*, even though FatherInCharge tried to brighten things up by using the Union Jack
My Spy was Not Amused.
The weather here is chilly and slightly damp. We were going out in search of bits and pieces for our new kitchen but decided neither of us had the energy. We're going to need it later as we're off to a ceilidh this evening in a nearby village. I think its part of their May Day celebrations.
I'd be less than amused by the Union Flag at Mass too.
Our local Parish Church will be celebrating (if that be the right word) VE Day next Sunday. Their Poppy Cascade went up yesterday: https://tinyurl.com/34jasras
After church I went to W++tr+s+ and, just before I reached the tills, there was a power cut and the lights went off! Emergency power was soon restored but the tills took ages to reboot.
The little chaps have received a belated Easter present from #son and his wife, His 'n' His trolleys with building blocks, so the little chaps are busy trying to lever the bricks out. Other than that, both have gained a new word, No, delivered with great emphasis.
AIUI, some of Our Place's regulars were Away, because Bank Holiday.
Not sure about Other Places' VE 80 services - even our Cathedral is keeping 8th May as a commemoration of Julian of Norwich at the Eucharist, but VE 80 will be the theme of Choral Evensong.
Ah - a garden! The gift that keeps on taking...
I'm more likely to come in next Sunday to find the altar adorned with Christian Aid bunting... but I'm hoping not.
At 11am I joined my daughter who had a stall at a brocante and vintage fair. The weather was cool, sometimes sunny, but the rain held off. She made some good sales in the first couple of hours before I joined her but hardly any more until it ended at 2pm. £20 profit for about 11 hours work, including loading and unloading, is not worth it, but at least we caught up with our news. This is a side hustle: as well as running marathons, she also runs two holiday lets, one of which is a 3 hour drive away, does exam invigilation and a bit of cleaning- having given up being a solicitor a few years ago.
This afternoon we went to assess the damage in the garden, which is fortunately much less bad than it might have been. The ping-pong ball sized hail was heavy enough to smash car windscreens apparently.
Now waiting for Mr Boogs to finish his shower and we're off to the pub for an hour. Followed by a roast dinner.
(Too Good To Go) 🙂
Mind you, that applies to all other canines, too!
We did go to a very nice ceilidh last night. The dances were timed with gaps in between them so we managed to do them all. A couple of friends we didn't expect to see there turned up so it was good to catch up with them. The organisers had laid on a pizza wagon and a cake stall so that was supper sorted, and the bar prices were very reasonable.
The plan is that we decorate this room and then move the bed from the old spare room into it and clear out and decorate that room. Then move our bed into that room…
Mr Heavenly is currently making the rhubarb and custard dessert recommended previously.
It took me a few reads to realise that you weren't putting more glue on the lamb.
I have however been able to salvage something of the post-nap afternoon by doing a watercolour.
At about 5am, I take my morning Pills, and return to my berth for some 4 or 5 hours of reasonable sleep. I no longer Do Mornings.
A miserably chilly day in Arkland the Windy, though there were a few gleams of Sun Shine this afternoon. The cold gale blowing from Mordor gave me no incentive whatever to even go on deck for a while, but I shall have to be up and doing tomorrow, because Pilates and Tess Coe.
Tonight we rehearsed for a concert in two weeks’ time. We need about four weeks!
I have a week with no daytime meetings or appointments- just three evening choir practices, so I need to get on with my non-urgent sorting and clearing, before it becomes urgent.
We had an absolutely lovely weekend retreat in Cornwall, lovely people, lovely place, lovely food, lovely weather. Now home and catching up on domestics etc; out for lunch with girlfriends today and seeing some other girlfriends this afternoon.
In other news, my summer allergies have kicked in.
I had a phone call earlier to say I've won a prize in the raffle I entered at the ceilidh on Sunday. Just need to arrange to pick it up, its a hamper of some sort and a gift voucher.
The apocalyptic hailstorm in Paris mentioned earlier by @la vie en rouge was experienced by my Niece, her Paramour, and their Dog, currently on their way back from a camping trip in France. The Family WhatsApp group was treated to a short video of Paramour trying to cook spaghetti - the look on his face is absolutely priceless, and the sound of the hailstones falling around them is drowned out by my Niece's laughter...
ION, Pilates has been undergone (with my very grumpy hip flexors now feeling somewhat less annoyed), and Shopp Ing at Tess Coe has also been accomplished. Lunch is being cooked - SALMON FILLETS n'CHIPS - and it's a sobering thought to realise that it's taken me since 9am today to get this far. I am becoming a geriatric Slug.
Another chilly, grey, windy morning in Arkland the Suburb-of-Mordor has turned into a slightly less chilly afternoon, with some gleams of Sun Shine. A cheerful denizen informed me, as I got out of the car, that more warmth is forecast for the coming weekend, which is, of course, not a Ban Caulie Day.