Enjoy yourself in the beautiful minster @puzzler.
As well as having neighbours round we're off to a local village where a lot of the properties are holding an open garden event. I'll try not to come home with too many plants.
Uncomfortably hot again today. Mr Nen went for an early morning run and since then we've been indoors with the windows and curtains closed. There's meant to be a change in the weather tomorrow to cooler with some rain. Can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned.
Tea will be Very Lazy Curry because that's minimal cooking and heat in the kitchen; probably preceded by drinks and snacks on the patio as it's the last evening Mr Nen and I will have together for a while.
Today is our last in foie gras land. As usual it has been taken up with tidying, laundry, packing and such. Very hot and muggy, which helped with getting everything dry. I don't think the storm's arriving until after we leave.
It was Very Hot here today: 25° when I ambled (carefully*) down to the optician's, and afterwards hence to Tessie's (which is right across the square) to find that (sadly) Villa Maria and Wairau Cove are no longer on special offer, but Casillero del Diabolo is, and it's the next best thing.
I was quite zonked by the time I got home, so I had a snoozette, and then had Tessie's fish cakes with some veggies for supper.
* I'd been told by the optician that they wanted to look at my eyes when I hadn't had my lenses in for 24 hours, so I dutifully removed them yesterday afternoon and ambled along the street today, feeling rather vulnerable; it must be nearly 30 years since I've gone anywhere without them (and then I had David to hold my hand ).
They've ordered new contact lenses for me - more £££
Very enjoyable singing day. Our MD told us that people said he was mad to attempt it
( Bach’s Magnificat) on just one rehearsal, and maybe they were right, as there were a couple of places where we hung on by the skin of our teeth, but it was good fun and mostly surprisingly good.
The soloists and orchestra were all young professionals at the start of their careers. They were all very accomplished.
When I got home I sat in the garden in the shade and finished my book- something I almost never do normally.
The morning in the village at the garden open day was very enjoyable. I didn't buy any plants, but did buy a bag of mixed tomatoes. The gardens were very beautiful, and gave us some ideas, mainly stick loads more plants in and hope for the best.
This afternoon the neighbours came over and we had a very nice time in the garden drinking prosecco and eating snacks. Then this evening we went out to catch the finale of our town's August Bank Holiday festival which was a brass band and a laser show. Very nice atmosphere. The best bit was a baby who was totally entranced with the not very spectacular light show. I enjoyed it far more when I saw how much he was enjoying himself.
Heading to bed to try and finish the book I'm reading. Glad your concert went well @puzzler.
An early start at the Nen Chateau, the alarm went off at 4am for Mr Nen to start on his trip. It was clear I wasn't going to get any more sleep so I've been pottering about and having had breakfast so early it will soon be feeling like coffee time. Then I'm out for lunch with friends.
In other news, it's cooler and we've had a bit of rain.
An early start here too. I have dropped the NE Man off at the airport.
I have Big Plans for the next few days. We have had visitors or been away ourselves almost constantly for weeks. My method of keeping the house tidy when we have visitors is to dump the clutter in my study / bedroom. Alas, my room is currently full of boxes / teetering piles / general clutter. I can't sit in my computer chair until I've moved the stuff on it onto my bed, and I can't get into bed till I've dumped the stuff on it onto the chair.
So redding out my room is this week's project and I am raring to go!
I'm also visiting my cousin this afternoon, and then meeting up with an old friend I haven't seen for over a year.
The Heavenly home also got moving early as a taxi arrived for Mr Heavenly at 4am to take him to Stansted for a short trip to the US. We only got back from Greenbelt yesterday afternoon and he will be back on Friday because he needs to return Master Heavenly the Younger and his luggage to York on Saturday. Exhausting schedule!
Greenbelt was wonderful as usual and the highlight for me was hearing Liz Carr discuss assisted dying as I am a follower of her work as a fellow disability rights activist. She has previously done some work with the OU on modules I teach, including on assisted dying, and this documentary https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001z8wc/better-off-dead
Paul Kerensa discussing the history of religious broadcasting was interesting and great fun (Greenbelt needs more history talks!), and there were some fantastic acrobatic shows and a beautiful dance show (the latter by a dance company owned by friends from our church). No really big bands playing but a lot of chilled acoustic, folk pop, world music, and some very good post-punk on Saturday night on the little stage in the woods.
Just me and Master Heavenly at home today and I have no plans at all, beyond doing more laundry.
It's a pleasant 21⁰ and showery here - perfect weather for me.
I'll be gardening then tidying ready for my brother's visit on Thursday. Him and his partner are staying for the weekend. They are hoping to do the Gorge walk - fingers 🤞 for the weather!
It's not quite lunchtime, but it already feels like a full day. Bad night - up with cramp about 3 am, awake again at 6. Out by 10 to take two buses to another part of town, call in at a good butcher there and buy 5 dinners' worth and a bunch of French garlic. Then to dentist - teeth in as fair nick as maybe at My Age. Then another bus to M&S food, score another bagful of shopping, bus 4 to top of our road (gotta love the free travel). 10+ minute walk, but all downhill.
Lunch in a little, then take up knitting- I'm on the home straight of the second sleeve. Nap highly likely at some point. Sunday's chicken to be recycled into Thai curry later. Then Sewing Bee and bed.
This morning I went into town to do a bit of shopping and to call in at the Town Hall to drop something off. You have to phone ahead as the offices aren't open to the public on a Tuesday. When I got in the lift the postman had obviously given up trying to contact them and left a parcel in the lift instead. After that I went and did a bit of shopping, and was slightly annoyed that it wasn't till I got to the eco refill shop that I remembered I hadn't brought the empty soap dispensers with me. I'l; have to call in on Friday instead.
I've just done a couple of hours of looking at planning applications, and now intend to do nothing much until tea-time.
I thought the Liz Carr documentary was excellent when I saw it a while back @Heavenlyannie. Assisted dying has been discussed at my philosophy group a couple of times and I've missed both of them. I think my views are probably at odds with most of the group so it would have been a good discussion.
I've managed Pilates (not too bad today, but, as my right arm is a bit iffy, I have some homework exercises to do), followed by a visit to Tess Coe. Rain began to fall as I left the shop, but ceased when I got back to the Ark. Whether this was due to good timing on my part, or on that of the Weather Gods, I know not. Paint Ing, this afternoon, is cancelled, because Arkland the Wet is not conducive thereto.
I recently asked Dr Google for advice re foods to eat to improve my energy levels. Among his suggestions were Salmon, Watercress, Oranges, Chicken, Bananas, Brown Bread, and Dark CHOCOLATE (!). I have all of these comestibles in stock, except for the CHOCOLATE, which in the past has tended to give me a headache . I think I might buy a small bar, and conduct a controlled experiment.
Do any of you have any further suggestions as to what I might look at? I don't eat a great deal of Red Meat these days, apart from some LAMB CHOPS once a week, preferring Fish and Sea Food (and the occasional PIE).
I eat quite a varied diet but the thing that has most improved my health in recent years, including my mental health in winter, has been taking a vitamin D supplement (I also take an effervescent tablet of iron and vitamins B6, B12 and C as I am prone to various types of anaemia). So oily fish like salmon and sardines, and eggs, are good for that.
I take vitamin D tablets daily even in summer as I tend to avoid the sun. I take various other meds and can swallow them all easily, but paracetamol, which I currently need, keeps getting stuck.
I don't know that it's anything to do with energy levels, but someone suggested that I take a cod-liver-oil capsule each morning to alleviate Achy Muscles and Joints, and I have to say, I think they were right; I don't seem to be nearly as achy as I used to be. They're not a total panacea, but they do seem to bring an improvement.
Back to work after the Ban Collie Day, and a fairly quiet day. I hadn't taken anything out of the freezer to cobble into supper, so I ambled along to Tessie's at lunchtime and got a bag of stir-fry veggies and a pack of prawns, to which I added a few sliced mushrooms, some ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sherry, and it was rather nice. I have half the bag of veggies left; maybe tomorrow I ought to buy a steak and some black-bean sauce and repeat the exercise?
Glad you enjoyed GB, Heavenlyannie!
Karl - right with you about 27° being Far Too Hot; it was a more bearable 21° at its warmest here, and it very obligingly didn't rain until I got home from work. I suspect my colleague K wasn't so lucky - she was going for a walk round the loch after work, and probably got drenched!
Taking magnesium tablets has raised my energy levels. When I took a break from them as a test, I definitely felt more fatigued.
Looked after youngest grandson E today. He’s finished the library’s summer reading challenge by reading 6 books all by himself. He’s very pleased with his certificate and wooden medal.
Master Heavenly decided at 4pm that he wanted a sewing lesson to make a skirt for his girlfriend. He wanted to make a pleated skirt with a zip as that is the style she wears in autumn but I advised a more straightforward pattern for his first attempt at making clothing. We are making a long tiered skirt (no pattern needed) from a pretty cotton lawn with roses on. He has sewn the 3 tiers today and tomorrow he will hem it and sew the elasticated waistband. I taught him on a standard sewing machine as I thought that would be a more useful to know, so he did straight stitch with zig zag edges. It would have been so much quicker on my overlocker! It looks lovely so far, we might make a matching fabric necklace.
The neighbour who was over yesterday has offered to give me sewing lessons. After she left I remembered I'm going to need a Regency style dress for an event next summer. Maybe I'll pop over and talk to her about trying to make one. My son used to do a lot of sewing but not for a while. I think he might take it up again if he ever has somewhere to live with a bit more room.
Comments
There are many in Wales who'd like to see St David's Day as a holiday.
As well as having neighbours round we're off to a local village where a lot of the properties are holding an open garden event. I'll try not to come home with too many plants.
Tea will be Very Lazy Curry because that's minimal cooking and heat in the kitchen; probably preceded by drinks and snacks on the patio as it's the last evening Mr Nen and I will have together for a while.
I was quite zonked by the time I got home, so I had a snoozette, and then had Tessie's fish cakes with some veggies for supper.
* I'd been told by the optician that they wanted to look at my eyes when I hadn't had my lenses in for 24 hours, so I dutifully removed them yesterday afternoon and ambled along the street today, feeling rather vulnerable; it must be nearly 30 years since I've gone anywhere without them (and then I had David to hold my hand
They've ordered new contact lenses for me - more £££
( Bach’s Magnificat) on just one rehearsal, and maybe they were right, as there were a couple of places where we hung on by the skin of our teeth, but it was good fun and mostly surprisingly good.
The soloists and orchestra were all young professionals at the start of their careers. They were all very accomplished.
When I got home I sat in the garden in the shade and finished my book- something I almost never do normally.
This afternoon the neighbours came over and we had a very nice time in the garden drinking prosecco and eating snacks. Then this evening we went out to catch the finale of our town's August Bank Holiday festival which was a brass band and a laser show. Very nice atmosphere. The best bit was a baby who was totally entranced with the not very spectacular light show. I enjoyed it far more when I saw how much he was enjoying himself.
Heading to bed to try and finish the book I'm reading. Glad your concert went well @puzzler.
In other news, it's cooler and we've had a bit of rain.
I have Big Plans for the next few days. We have had visitors or been away ourselves almost constantly for weeks. My method of keeping the house tidy when we have visitors is to dump the clutter in my study / bedroom. Alas, my room is currently full of boxes / teetering piles / general clutter. I can't sit in my computer chair until I've moved the stuff on it onto my bed, and I can't get into bed till I've dumped the stuff on it onto the chair.
So redding out my room is this week's project and I am raring to go!
I'm also visiting my cousin this afternoon, and then meeting up with an old friend I haven't seen for over a year.
Greenbelt was wonderful as usual and the highlight for me was hearing Liz Carr discuss assisted dying as I am a follower of her work as a fellow disability rights activist. She has previously done some work with the OU on modules I teach, including on assisted dying, and this documentary https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001z8wc/better-off-dead
Paul Kerensa discussing the history of religious broadcasting was interesting and great fun (Greenbelt needs more history talks!), and there were some fantastic acrobatic shows and a beautiful dance show (the latter by a dance company owned by friends from our church). No really big bands playing but a lot of chilled acoustic, folk pop, world music, and some very good post-punk on Saturday night on the little stage in the woods.
Just me and Master Heavenly at home today and I have no plans at all, beyond doing more laundry.
I'll be gardening then tidying ready for my brother's visit on Thursday. Him and his partner are staying for the weekend. They are hoping to do the Gorge walk - fingers 🤞 for the weather!
Lunch in a little, then take up knitting- I'm on the home straight of the second sleeve. Nap highly likely at some point. Sunday's chicken to be recycled into Thai curry later. Then Sewing Bee and bed.
I've just done a couple of hours of looking at planning applications, and now intend to do nothing much until tea-time.
I thought the Liz Carr documentary was excellent when I saw it a while back @Heavenlyannie. Assisted dying has been discussed at my philosophy group a couple of times and I've missed both of them. I think my views are probably at odds with most of the group so it would have been a good discussion.
I've managed Pilates (not too bad today, but, as my right arm is a bit iffy, I have some homework exercises to do), followed by a visit to Tess Coe. Rain began to fall as I left the shop, but ceased when I got back to the Ark. Whether this was due to good timing on my part, or on that of the Weather Gods, I know not. Paint Ing, this afternoon, is cancelled, because Arkland the Wet is not conducive thereto.
I recently asked Dr Google for advice re foods to eat to improve my energy levels. Among his suggestions were Salmon, Watercress, Oranges, Chicken, Bananas, Brown Bread, and Dark CHOCOLATE (!). I have all of these comestibles in stock, except for the CHOCOLATE, which in the past has tended to give me a headache
Do any of you have any further suggestions as to what I might look at? I don't eat a great deal of Red Meat these days, apart from some LAMB CHOPS once a week, preferring Fish and Sea Food (and the occasional PIE).
Maybe it's just my age...
Back to work after the Ban Collie Day, and a fairly quiet day. I hadn't taken anything out of the freezer to cobble into supper, so I ambled along to Tessie's at lunchtime and got a bag of stir-fry veggies and a pack of prawns, to which I added a few sliced mushrooms, some ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sherry, and it was rather nice. I have half the bag of veggies left; maybe tomorrow I ought to buy a steak and some black-bean sauce and repeat the exercise?
Glad you enjoyed GB, Heavenlyannie!
Karl - right with you about 27° being Far Too Hot; it was a more bearable 21° at its warmest here, and it very obligingly didn't rain until I got home from work. I suspect my colleague K wasn't so lucky - she was going for a walk round the loch after work, and probably got drenched!
Looked after youngest grandson E today. He’s finished the library’s summer reading challenge by reading 6 books all by himself. He’s very pleased with his certificate and wooden medal.