Dry but blustrous here today; maybe the blowing-about that brings a change in temperature, as the forecast is for up to 24° next week.
We had a fairly useful choir practice this morning (even though the accompaniment was just me bashing away the melody line on the appliance organ). It's a very long time since I've had a serious relationship with a keyboard that doesn't start with "qwerty"!
I'm contemplating an Expotition out to M&S if I can muster up the energy; I haven't been there for ages, and there are a few things that you just can't get anywhere else.
Dry, Sun-Shiny (mostly) and Warm in Arkland the Deserted - unusually for a Saturday, there aren't many people about, and little work appears to be under way on neighbouring Arks.
I, however, filled with Virtue and a desire to Improve The Shining Hour, have been busy putting some nice black bitumen Paint on parts of the deck which need it. More will be undertaken after Lunch, which is SHEPHERD'S PIE, just about ready to be taken out of the Remoska, and devoured.
Warm here at 25 degrees (over 30 expected next week). I have had a long walk and done some tidying and laundry. I should continue the tidying of bedroom cupboards soon.
Lunch was sausages, eggs and toast.
Mr Nen and I had a lovely morning and lunch out together and then visited Nenlet1, son-in-law and the GrandNenling who was on wonderful form and delighted to see us. The feeling was mutual. .
How lovely.
It was. I hope you have a wonderful time with your little family too.
Warm and sunny here. I've been out for coffee with friends and am looking forward to stir fry this evening - because Saturday.
Just back from a walk with Husband Beaky. We have a fairly large new housing development near us and part of their planning permission required them to improve the environment so a wetland was developed. Lovely walk around it, saw lots of dragonflies and Reed Warblers. 😍
A busy day exploring Newcastle and its surrounds, including buying a bargain lampshade in John Lewis. I took us on a longish walk to find what looked like a promising vegan cafe, it wasn’t and we had to repair to another cafe shortly after to fill upon cake.
Welcome to the Mediterranean After a pleasingly uneventful journey, we are now settled in by the sea. It's going to be hot, but not as hot as foie gras land, so that's nice.
And you'll always have the sea to cool down in - have fun!
I was forcefully reminded today of why I don't go to Marks & Sparks very often. The bus going out was at least 10 minutes late; there are road works along the High Street, and the traffic was crawling. Coming back, of course I just missed a bus, and despite them allegedly running every 30 minutes, I waited at least 45, by which time my back was aching (the bus shelter didn't have one of those little ledge thingies you can lean against) and I was feeling decidedly pissed off.
It's a bonny, if still somewhat breezy, evening though, and I've got some nice food in the fridge and larder.
Church has been served at, brunch eaten, and laundry is tumbling. It's another warm, partly sunny and slightly breezy day, but I don't really have any inclination to go out and enjoy it; my back was still a bit achy this morning, though somewhat improved now.
Crossword and snoozage, I think, possibly interspersed with a cup of tea.
Arkland the Quiet seems to be enjoying similar weather to that in Pigletland, albeit with not much of a breeze to speak of. Neighbours are conspicuous by their absence again today - it is quite Hot, however, with a Neat Waive forecast for this week, so maybe Arkwork is being saved for a cooler time...
Lunch is LAMB CHOPS, with Potato Salad. There is Czech BEER in the glass to accompany the repast.
Currently 25 degrees here. I haven’t done much other than a walk, a little tidying and the laundry. Lunch was salad, bread, charcuterie and cheese.
Church this evening and we need to go in early as Mr Heavenly is on set up so I will be taking a book with me.
I discovered that a car bulb has gone. Walked up to Asda - they no longer sell them. Went on to B&Q - ditto. Came home by bus. Slightly annoying but good exercise!
We're expecting some jolly hot weather next week too: low to mid 20s, and not going below mid-teens overnight, which makes things stickily uncomfortable.
I'm not looking forward to more hot weather, we've had enough of it for this year in my opinion. We need things to be cooler, though still mild, with soft refreshing rain all night every night for about the next three months.
We went to church this morning and had a cheeky extra little visit to Nenlet1's this afternoon, to drop something off for their car, so we had some extra time with them and it's always a particular joy to see the GrandNenling.
Once things were a bit cooler this evening Mr Nen and I had a date on our patio with drinks and snacks.
Songs of Praise service at church this morning. Such choir as were there sat in the congregation and we were told our voices were appreciated more than if we’d sat in the choir stalls. I stayed for coffee- tea actually and chatted with people I don’t often have time to see.
Cold chicken for lunch with cooked veg. BBC Songs of Praise had a backdrop of Launde Abbey which is a beautiful place. Must go again soon.
A friend came round for tea and cake at 4pm, so another good catch up.
A “ free” day tomorrow but too hot to go out. Some more sorting might get done.
Another hot day (80F) in Arkland the Torrid, with 85F forecast for tomorrow. Paint Ing has once again been postponed, at least until this evening.
A relatively early Expotition to Tess Coe (because Monday) has topped up the fridge for a few days. I seem to be eating less Meat, and much more Fish/Seafood, than previously, although Lunch today is LASAGNE with Watercress on the side. And Italian BEER, of course.
No wildfires near Arkland (yet), but some really dramatic shots on the Noos of the fire in Edinburgh...
30 degrees in Cambridge, I had to put the air conditioning on in my office this morning as Mochi was finding it too warm. Not much work to do so I have been reading history books on 18th century madness, and tidying the main bedroom.
Tea will be pan fried gnocchi with fresh pesto, courgette and goats’ cheese.
Just back from our northern road trip and its 32 degrees here a bit north of @Heavenlyannie. Road trip was excellent in that we've done most of the things we wanted to do, though mucked up the time the mill at Saltaire is open, so need to go back and do that another time. However when we set off I was feeling rather pleased that I'd lost a bit of weight. I think that has all gone back on.
I now need to sort out the mess that has been made of my hearing aid settings.
You can keep your 30+°, ladies; according to the weather app on my computer at work, it's going to be 26° here in the next few days, which is Far Too Hot. Having said that, I'd been looking out for hot weather today, and duly applied fake tan to my legs and put on crop trousers, to find that my office actually felt quite cold.
Happy medium, anyone?
Supper was salmon-and-broccoli quiche (because use-by date) and salads (because warmth).
33° in Valras, which is quite hot but much less hot than the truly hideous 41° which we have escaped in foie gras land. After napping through the hottest part of the afternoon, we are now back from splashing about in the Mediterranean. Victuals were procured at the local market this morning. Stuffed calamars for dinner.
One of my friends has just moved to France where it was 42 degrees yesterday. I guess we won't get many Facebook pictures of him enjoying his new life in the sunshine for a while.
It's supposed to be 30+ here today which isn't great for me, though my husband will enjoy it. I need to walk to the hospital to get some more hearing aid batteries and make an appointment to get these aids re-tweaked. I also made an appointment yesterday with a private clinic I went to for ear wax removal. I trust him to give me an honest opinion as to the best way forward, though I suspect it'll mean shelling out money for more sophisticated non-NHS ones.
Mid 20s here. I should have liked to be in the garden, but it's a waiting-in morning. First for plumber to give an estimate on replacing 6 elderly radiators. Currently, for a grocery delivery.
Two craft projects on the go - a cotton/linen mix jumper ( just the sleeves to do) and a stash-busting granny square waistcoat - 39 squares joined up, 25 to go. But it's not the weather for either knitting or crochet.
84F with a pleasant easterly breeze in Arkland the Spared - no wildfires here, thanks be to gods, unlike various other parts of Europe which are ablaze ...
My sister's part of France has, so far, not been affected, though they saw the smoke and ash from the huge fire in the Corbieres region. AIUI that fire was at last brought under control yesterday.
A smidgeon of Paint Ing has been done on the shady side of the wheelhouse, and a little more may be done this afternoon after Lunch (CHICKEN KYIVS), if I can summon up the Energy required.
Currently we are very close to where the fire was in Corbières. I think it's been under control since the weekend and it's now pretty much out. I did spot some black specks floating about in the sea yesterday which I thought might be ash.
We had a fabulous night away at our favourite hotel in the Forest of Dean. The food, always good, was absolutely outstanding. We were only away for about 20 hours but it feels as if we've had a proper little break. We visited Tintern Abbey on the way, and I had quite a challenging walk before dinner (very bumpy path).
Not actually suitable for garden either - too hot - and everything needs either weeding or watering. Plus next door are out with their Silesian Yaphound.
Checking out a recipe for sweet'n'sour pork and see it will take about 3 hours, so need to start that about 5.
Currently 32 degrees here.
I went for my morning walk and put the weekly delivery away. I then spent the morning in my office with the air conditioning on, skim reading books about 17th and 18th century mad doctors, and early brain anatomy. This afternoon was my annual appraisal and I had a great chat with my lovely manager. Now I am back to reading the books on madness again, currently looking at 18th century asylums and care in the community. This summer of background reading has been very useful as I have clarified my proposed dissertation topic and the key theories I want to challenge; I want to write about the professionalisation of mad doctors in the eighteenth century.
Tea will be (looks in newly filled fridge) pork escalopes in some kind of sticky sauce, with a spicy rainbow carrot and chick pea salad.
Lol. The concept of whether the whole world is mad does come up in the literature, especially in the 17th century, and some patients did accuse their doctors of being mad. Having read a lot about the period, the lines can certainly be somewhat blurred.
Writing for clarity I could use the hyphenated mad-doctors. This is a correct term in the period; there is no such thing as psychiatry in the 18th century and the specialisation is new. I will obviously have a paragraph on archaic language.
Checking out a recipe for sweet'n'sour pork and see it will take about 3 hours, so need to start that about 5.
You eat around 8pm? I'm thinking about bed by then.
I had lunch with friends and had a very hot walk to meet them. On the way back it was so hot I was contemplating phoning Mr Nen to come and fetch me, but then he drew up in the car on the way back home from his morning of doing things, so that was fortuitous.
The garden needs watering but I'll do that later when things are a bit cooler. We're out for the day tomorrow so I'm hoping it will have cooled down a bit by then. We had all our windows open early this morning and then left the house closed up, so it's several degrees cooler than outside, thank goodness.
We had some unexpected rain at lunchtime, not a lot so the clothes on the line still dried. I gave up on the idea of walking to the hospital, too far and too hot, but did go out for coffee and a chat with a couple of friends. One of them had entered the latest competition from my writing group, so that spurred me on to come home and actually put some ideas on paper. It's a 300 word flash fiction piece, and I've nearly finished the first draft, though as yet I've not thought what the denouement will be.
It apparently reached 28° when I was coming home from work, and it certainly felt like it; it's Very Hot Indeed, and was decidedly cooler indoors!
I've had a mixed day of Things Not Working (when I tried to replace the ribbon on the typewriter, it was having none of it, and it took the collective brains of nearly everyone in the office to finally get it to go where it was supposed to) and pampering (I got my hair cut at lunchtime, and my nails repainted after work (a rather nice bright red; I have a very lightweight red top which will be deployed tomorrow).
More salads, followed by CHEESE and crackers for supper, and now I'm going to have some watermelon cubes, because heat.
My son came to do some gardening at 9am. Glad he didn’t leave it until any later in the day as by 12 it was really hot, 31 degrees, at the back ( it’s south facing).
Tomorrow is Scrabble group, which involves a ten minute walk at 2.45pm and back at 5pm, ie the hottest part of the day, which I am not looking forward to.
I need to pack in the morning as I will be out at a choir committee meeting in the evening.
Singing weekend coming up. Rehearsals start Friday at 9.30 which means travelling Thursday. ( Compline on Saturday, Eucharist and Evensong on Sunday). Too late to get home on Sunday, so a fourth night away. I’m also meeting up with a former colleague on Saturday afternoon.
You replaced the ribbon on the typewriter? You could offer that as a challenge: Who was the last shipmate who can claim to have done that without watching a Youtube video on how to do it?
The last typewriter ribbon I changed was on a small portable typewriter circa 1995. I had bought the typewriter from a charity shop but I seldom used it as my next nursing job was a teaching one which gave me access to a computer.
Checking out a recipe for sweet'n'sour pork and see it will take about 3 hours, so need to start that about 5.
You eat around 8pm? I'm thinking about bed by then.
When I lived in Dublin a French colleague invited me and another colleague over for dinner. Come at 6 he said. Enjoyed some snacks. Sometime shortly after 8 he announced he was putting dinner on.
(I grew up eating at 6)
You replaced the ribbon on the typewriter? You could offer that as a challenge: Who was the last shipmate who can claim to have done that without watching a Youtube video on how to do it?
I'm amazed there's apparently an office containing such a thing as a typewriter, unless it's the curator's office at a museum.
Do you not have the option of using a computer @Piglet ?
In France any meetings are usually held in the early evening, so members can go home for dinner by 8.30. Evening “events” may start at 9pm, to give people time to eat first.
Or that’s how it used to be. LVER will correct me if times have changed.
@Piglet works for a Scottish law firm: lucky she doesn't have to write it out in long hand. With a quill.
Since my parents were from the country, dinner was a cooked meal in the middle of the day and Tea would be about 6. But having risen from my humble origins into the world of Mr F, I now lunch at 1 and dine at 8. (So conditioned am I than when a doctor told me I should take a pill 'at teatime' I thought why 4 pm?)
My parents were working class Lancastrians (my grandparents worked in the cotton mills). My childhood featured dinner in the middle of the day and tea around 5pm. I now use both tea and dinner to describe the evening meal but would never call lunch dinner. We usually eat around 7pm as Mr Heavenly loses track of time at work, and 8pm would be quite acceptable here.
My study module for next year appears to have gone live and I am very excited and somewhat distracted by it. I might give up on the idea of housework this afternoon 😉
@Piglet You're not alone - I still have a small portable typewriter which I use for envelopes, labels, etc.
I've just topped-up the boys' paddling pool (from a rainwater butt) so they can enjoy their new favourite activity of filling and re-filling small buckets. Now I have greengages to bottle.
Comments
Dry but blustrous here today; maybe the blowing-about that brings a change in temperature, as the forecast is for up to 24° next week.
We had a fairly useful choir practice this morning (even though the accompaniment was just me bashing away the melody line on the appliance organ). It's a very long time since I've had a serious relationship with a keyboard that doesn't start with "qwerty"!
I'm contemplating an Expotition out to M&S if I can muster up the energy; I haven't been there for ages, and there are a few things that you just can't get anywhere else.
I, however, filled with Virtue and a desire to Improve The Shining Hour, have been busy putting some nice black bitumen Paint on parts of the deck which need it. More will be undertaken after Lunch, which is SHEPHERD'S PIE, just about ready to be taken out of the Remoska, and devoured.
Lunch was sausages, eggs and toast.
Warm and sunny here. I've been out for coffee with friends and am looking forward to stir fry this evening - because Saturday.
I was forcefully reminded today of why I don't go to Marks & Sparks very often. The bus going out was at least 10 minutes late; there are road works along the High Street, and the traffic was crawling. Coming back, of course I just missed a bus, and despite them allegedly running every 30 minutes, I waited at least 45, by which time my back was aching (the bus shelter didn't have one of those little ledge thingies you can lean against) and I was feeling decidedly pissed off.
It's a bonny, if still somewhat breezy, evening though, and I've got some nice food in the fridge and larder.
Crossword and snoozage, I think, possibly interspersed with a cup of tea.
Lunch is LAMB CHOPS, with Potato Salad. There is Czech BEER in the glass to accompany the repast.
Church this evening and we need to go in early as Mr Heavenly is on set up so I will be taking a book with me.
We went to church this morning and had a cheeky extra little visit to Nenlet1's this afternoon, to drop something off for their car, so we had some extra time with them and it's always a particular joy to see the GrandNenling.
Once things were a bit cooler this evening Mr Nen and I had a date on our patio with drinks and snacks.
Hope for cooler weather and rain for you all.
Cold chicken for lunch with cooked veg. BBC Songs of Praise had a backdrop of Launde Abbey which is a beautiful place. Must go again soon.
A friend came round for tea and cake at 4pm, so another good catch up.
A “ free” day tomorrow but too hot to go out. Some more sorting might get done.
A relatively early Expotition to Tess Coe (because Monday) has topped up the fridge for a few days. I seem to be eating less Meat, and much more Fish/Seafood, than previously, although Lunch today is LASAGNE with Watercress on the side. And Italian BEER, of course.
No wildfires near Arkland (yet), but some really dramatic shots on the Noos of the fire in Edinburgh...
Tea will be pan fried gnocchi with fresh pesto, courgette and goats’ cheese.
I now need to sort out the mess that has been made of my hearing aid settings.
Happy medium, anyone?
Supper was salmon-and-broccoli quiche (because use-by date) and salads (because warmth).
Not missing that one little bit! 😳
It's supposed to be 30+ here today which isn't great for me, though my husband will enjoy it. I need to walk to the hospital to get some more hearing aid batteries and make an appointment to get these aids re-tweaked. I also made an appointment yesterday with a private clinic I went to for ear wax removal. I trust him to give me an honest opinion as to the best way forward, though I suspect it'll mean shelling out money for more sophisticated non-NHS ones.
Nonetheless I'm very happy to be here visiting the little family in their huge new flat. 🙂
It is a flat, yet it has a cellar, a loft and a garden!
Two craft projects on the go - a cotton/linen mix jumper ( just the sleeves to do) and a stash-busting granny square waistcoat - 39 squares joined up, 25 to go. But it's not the weather for either knitting or crochet.
My sister's part of France has, so far, not been affected, though they saw the smoke and ash from the huge fire in the Corbieres region. AIUI that fire was at last brought under control yesterday.
A smidgeon of Paint Ing has been done on the shady side of the wheelhouse, and a little more may be done this afternoon after Lunch (CHICKEN KYIVS), if I can summon up the Energy required.
Checking out a recipe for sweet'n'sour pork and see it will take about 3 hours, so need to start that about 5.
I went for my morning walk and put the weekly delivery away. I then spent the morning in my office with the air conditioning on, skim reading books about 17th and 18th century mad doctors, and early brain anatomy. This afternoon was my annual appraisal and I had a great chat with my lovely manager. Now I am back to reading the books on madness again, currently looking at 18th century asylums and care in the community. This summer of background reading has been very useful as I have clarified my proposed dissertation topic and the key theories I want to challenge; I want to write about the professionalisation of mad doctors in the eighteenth century.
Tea will be (looks in newly filled fridge) pork escalopes in some kind of sticky sauce, with a spicy rainbow carrot and chick pea salad.
Writing for clarity I could use the hyphenated mad-doctors. This is a correct term in the period; there is no such thing as psychiatry in the 18th century and the specialisation is new. I will obviously have a paragraph on archaic language.
I had lunch with friends and had a very hot walk to meet them. On the way back it was so hot I was contemplating phoning Mr Nen to come and fetch me, but then he drew up in the car on the way back home from his morning of doing things, so that was fortuitous.
The garden needs watering but I'll do that later when things are a bit cooler. We're out for the day tomorrow so I'm hoping it will have cooled down a bit by then. We had all our windows open early this morning and then left the house closed up, so it's several degrees cooler than outside, thank goodness.
Had I mentioned that It's Very Hot?
I've had a mixed day of Things Not Working (when I tried to replace the ribbon on the typewriter, it was having none of it, and it took the collective brains of nearly everyone in the office to finally get it to go where it was supposed to) and pampering (I got my hair cut at lunchtime, and my nails repainted after work (a rather nice bright red; I have a very lightweight red top which will be deployed tomorrow).
More salads, followed by CHEESE and crackers for supper, and now I'm going to have some watermelon cubes, because heat.
Tomorrow is Scrabble group, which involves a ten minute walk at 2.45pm and back at 5pm, ie the hottest part of the day, which I am not looking forward to.
I need to pack in the morning as I will be out at a choir committee meeting in the evening.
Singing weekend coming up. Rehearsals start Friday at 9.30 which means travelling Thursday. ( Compline on Saturday, Eucharist and Evensong on Sunday). Too late to get home on Sunday, so a fourth night away. I’m also meeting up with a former colleague on Saturday afternoon.
(I grew up eating at 6)
Hoping for some cooler weather for you all.
In the summer at least, I think it's a consequence of our hotter climate. The Spanish also eat late.
I'm amazed there's apparently an office containing such a thing as a typewriter, unless it's the curator's office at a museum.
In France any meetings are usually held in the early evening, so members can go home for dinner by 8.30. Evening “events” may start at 9pm, to give people time to eat first.
Or that’s how it used to be. LVER will correct me if times have changed.
Since my parents were from the country, dinner was a cooked meal in the middle of the day and Tea would be about 6. But having risen from my humble origins into the world of Mr F, I now lunch at 1 and dine at 8. (So conditioned am I than when a doctor told me I should take a pill 'at teatime' I thought why 4 pm?)
My study module for next year appears to have gone live and I am very excited and somewhat distracted by it. I might give up on the idea of housework this afternoon 😉
I've just topped-up the boys' paddling pool (from a rainwater butt) so they can enjoy their new favourite activity of filling and re-filling small buckets. Now I have greengages to bottle.
Precisely. But I knew from the rest of the conversation she meant 'with your evening meal'.