Thrilling concert this evening which earned a standing ovation. Probably one of the best Messiahs I have ever sung in - and there have bern more than a few. I’ve lost count. Maybe 50?
The city is a crazy place. Far too many people risking death by crossing the road in front of oncoming trams, electric scooters on the pavements and pedestrian areas, groups of people who have had rather too much to drink, as well as the crowds enjoying the Christmas market and fair and the many pubs and restaurants. A long wait for the tram then a 25 minute drive home, so I’m not sure if I’ll wake up in time for church or if I’ll have any voice tomorrow. We’ll see.
We went to a wonderful choral concert put on jointly by the Welsh National Opera chorus and the Royal Welsh Academy of Music and Drama. Lots of short pieces, with some poetry interspersed. Some here will be pleased to know that it included four items from Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" in its original version (no male voices, harp accompaniment played by two ladies called - incredibly - Rose and Mistletoe. Concert preceded by an excellent Italian meal in a rammed-full and noisy restaurant next door. Main courses only - the portions are large! And (unlike Sarasa) we only had to wait a few minutes for the bus home.
We went to a wonderful choral concert put on jointly by the Welsh National Opera chorus and the Royal Welsh Academy of Music and Drama. Lots of short pieces, with some poetry interspersed. Some here will be pleased to know that it included four items from Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" in its original version (no male voices, harp accompaniment played by two ladies called - incredibly - Rose and Mistletoe. Concert preceded by an excellent Italian meal in a rammed-full and noisy restaurant next door. Main courses only - the portions are large! And (unlike Sarasa) we only had to wait a few minutes for the bus home.
I thought Ceremony of Carols was originally written for male (albeit boy's) voices?
Wow, I’m so glad to hear that the concert was a success @Puzzler . That city was pretty mad on a Saturday evening when I lived there nearly fifty odd years ago and there weren’t trams and scooters to contend with.
Apart from church this morning I have nothing planned today though I may go and look at the Steampunk parade this afternoon in the Market Square.
Very good. I've driven to M/C more times than I've had hot pasties. We used to drive to Barnsley, and then over t'tops, through villages like Hoylandswaine. But this was to Oldham, jewel of the North.
... I like the bus, cheap and comfortable. I bought both seats for comfort and paid £30 return all told ...
You have to pay for a bus??? You want to move to Scotland - it's free when you turn 60!
@Puzzler - glad to hear your Messiah went so well.
Usual Sunday here: church, chat over coffee, brunch, laundry. Must contemplate suitable hymns for the Sunday after Christmas, as for reasons best known to herself, Rev'd Rosie has picked a chorus that absolutely nobody (apparently including her) knows, so one of the organists asked me to try and find an alternative.
This'll be fun ...
Evensong later, because first Sunday of the month, so supper will probably be either f&c or Chinese, depending on my mood.
You should move to Wales - you can use (Welsh) passes on the long distance Trawscymru routes - which are, I have to say, buses not coaches! Passes not valid on Flixbus etc.
I slept for six and a half hours solid, so was ready for church.
The visiting priest is chaotic, keeps getting muddled up. He insisted we say the Gloria today even though we had sung the Kyries, it being Advent. He messed up various prayers, and said the ones we all join in so fast, nobody could keep up. As for the 20 minute sermon, there were some good kernels of wisdom but so many random anecdotes.
The organist changed a couple of hymn tunes without telling us which upset the altos.
Afterwards I nipped over to a nearby town for an antique fair but didn’t buy anything. I’m staying in for the rest of the day.
Yet another Dismal Desmond of a day in Arkland the Drenched, where Wind, Rain, and a (predicted) high tide have compounded with flood water which They have let down from inland to inundate our car park, walkways etc., causing much Upset to my Arrangements.
I had planned on going to the Co-Op this afternoon, being short on Essentials, but the road leading to the Ark will be flooded for at least another hour - by which time Bat-Black Night will have fallen, and I don't go out at night (lest I turn into a Pumpkin).
Fortunately, I'd parked the car on a spot which is normally safe, and the encroaching waters just missed it.
Lunch is Italian - SPAGHETTI CARBONARA and BIRRA MORETTI.
It was a full day for us. It was the children's Christmas thing at church this morning, featuring Captain Pyjamas as 17th angel. Very cute he looked too, with his wings on. After that we went out for lunch to an establishment purporting to be an English pub. We shared a Scotch egg, then I had Welsh rarebit (about 60% CHEESE) and husband en rouge had pie. The children's menu was fish and chips but the Captain can't have chips for another week for fear of injuring his tonsils, so he had to have mashed potatoes instead. All very tasty.
We finished the afternoon by going to look at the Christmas window displays in Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
Don't know if I'll bother with any supper. The lunch was copious.
I've been on flixbus in Italy and very good it was too. I hope you've now safely arrived in Manchester @Boogie.
I've had a very lazy day, but the cushion for my sister in law is now finished.
It's been raining on and off here, but not too heavily so I'm hoping the local river will stay well within its banks. At least it isn't tidal here.
... The organist changed a couple of hymn tunes without telling us which upset the altos ...
Is outrage! (An Alto Has Spoken).
By the time I went out for Evensong, it had obviously been tipping rain for some considerable time; the walkway from my flat to the high street was well flooded (there are drains, but they would appear to be blocked). Even getting across the road without seriously dampening the trotters was quite a challenge.
There were only half a dozen of us (including priest and organist), but it was a nice service all the same, with decent hymns (see Eccles).
Mr Heavenly has almost finished the big sort out and we can now put our sons and girlfriend up over Christmas. We’ve got a busy week ahead of us, as Mr Heavenly has work and some evening commitments, I have teaching and marking to do, and we also need to bake on Friday for a party on Saturday evening, as Saturday we need to drive to York and back to pick the boys and girlfriend up. More shopping and tidying to do too but the pressure will be off once everyone is home.
Today I need to do the usual admin and comms and this evening I am lecturing on young people and community.
Mild and rather damp in Arkland the Clammy, but there is a nice sou'-west breeze, and some occasional bursts of Sun-Shine.
I was up betimes (well, 9am), and off to Tess Coe, hoping to miss traffic and Xmas crowds. I succeeded, and was in-and-out of the shop in 20 minutes, with everything I wanted.
Sittage and Quaffage in the Wheelhouse is now being undertaken.
Lunch today is Dutch - Biefstuk en Uien met gebakken Aardappelen, to wit, Steak & Onions with Roast Potatoes. There is Belgian BEER to go with it.
Sunny and a bit chilly here.
I was very confused when I woke up as my watch said 7.05 but the heating wasn't on. Turned out the thermostat in the hall's batteries had gone flat. Of course we didn't have any AA batteries in stock so husband headed off to get some. He had only been back a few minutes when we realised he should have picked up some extra (vegan) sausages for tea tonight and some mince pies. So it was my turn to head out to get them. At least Waitrose is only five minutes walk away.
The mince pies were to eat once we'd put up the Christmas tree that arrived promptly at 10.00 as promised. Tree is now up and decorated in the lounge bit of our through kitchen/diner/lounge and the mantlepiece is decorated in the separate living room. We also got a load of compost and some fuel for our log-burning stove in the same order, so while I was finishing off the Christmas decorating husband sorted out filling up our new raised bed with a mixture of the bought compost and our own.
I don't intend to doo much the rest of the afternoon though I have a zoom meeting tonight, and the rest of the week is shaping up to be rather busy too.
I've just hung out some Wash Ing (being rather short of Sox, T-shirts, and Undergarments), only to learn that Storm Bram is about to strike...although it seems that the west of the UK is likely to bear the brunt.
Arkland's worst weather tends to come more from the east - the Breath of Sauron, or these days the Breath of Putin, a far more Evil character.
O well. If the aforementioned Sox etc. get rained on, it will at least rinse them nicely.
So I phoned the dentist this morning, several times - no reply, just an impossibly short time to record a message. I had a lunchtime meeting, but phoned again afterwards with the same result. The dentist's is only a short walk away, so I went round there at 2.40pm. The receptionist was puzzled as other calls had got through but mine obviously hadn't. But ... she said there had been a cancellation and could I come back at 3.15?!!!!
Of course I did and the filling was rapidly sorted - hurrah!
Well done re: the filling, BT - hope it stays where it should!
It was absolutely pishing down when I headed off to work this morning (despite promises from Accu Weather that the rain would cease & desist by half past eight. The walkway was still flooded, so I had to turn in the opposite direction of the office and come out of the block at the other end (no great distance, just a slight embuggerance), and by the time I got to the office I was soaked, raincoat notwithstanding.
No matter: by lunchtime it had eased off, so I sallied forth to Tessie's to continue my replenishment of the WINE stocks - I'm getting as many as I can comfortably carry whenever I'm in the vicinity. As Villa Maria was still on special offer, I got another two bottles; it'll be nice to have a decent supply in by the time the festive season kicks in.
I did some online Christmas shopping for the littlies at the weekend, and the first parcel arrived at the office today from Mr Bezos (sorry about that). I'll take the Trusty Trolley to work tomorrow for the purposes of transporting it back; it's not particularly heavy, but it's bulky. With any luck one of the others will arrive tomorrow so I can kill two birds with one stone.
The pinger on the stove has just announced that the fish cakes are cooked, so I'm off to do some eating.
It's absurdly mild here - 15° in December. Is outrage!
This morning I did my usual Monday Clean Ing (kitchen, bathroom and floors). I made FOUP for dinner, and then spent the rest of the afternoon practising the cello ahead of next week's concerts (Mendelssohn's Melusine overture, the Brahms violin concerto, and Schubert's 3rd symphony).
This evening there was quite a nice event at Captain P's school where they read Christmas stories by (electric) candlelight. Husband en rouge is currently at a parent-teacher meeting and will be returning home later to eat the aforementioned foup.
Our son always called pumpkins pumpmins and the name has stuck.
Dull and wet here but I think we'll miss the worst of Bram. I'm just about to head out the door to a charity concert at the Town Hall. I've changed what I was going to wear, wide-legged wool trouser for a dress on the grounds that the trousers would probably soak up the water from the un-avoidable puddles on the way. We also have to cross the river by a bridge with a narrow pavement. The road has loads of potholes, cars don't slow down much, so pedestrians are liable to get somewhat splashed in this sort of weather,
Awake for much of the night listening to Bram's howling winds and battering rain. Still going. I'm hoping to walk into town to hear some scheduled carol singing but am not much in favour of getting drenched.
We had a very nice lunch indeed yesterday and met a couple who live quite near to where we are planning to move; they spoke very positively about the area. Then we spent the afternoon with Nenlet1 and the GrandNenling who was on Excellent Form and always cheers the heart of her Grandma .
Computer weirdness. I tried to order something to be sent to my daughter, from a company I've bought from before, but when I typed in her address, the postcode box autocorrected to my postcode. I changed it and it autocorrected again. Third time was the charm.
Got a message from EVRI saying the parcel was out for delivery. Then the next day I got a message from EVRI saying it was being returned to the company because the postcode didn't match the address - it had my postcode!
Got a nice e-mail from customer services saying they would redeliver, followed 15 mins later by an e-mail from customer services saying that their computer kept autocorrecting my daughter's postcode to my postcode, and they were at a loss.
I'm getting a refund.
I'm a bit baffled, because EVRI said they had received the parcel and it was "out for delivery" and should be delivered later that day. They didn't specify where it was when it was "out for delivery". If it had got as far as a van in the city my daughter lives in, why couldn't they just, you know, deliver it to the postal address?
I taught students last night until 9pm then got up this morning to lecture to colleagues on bipolar disorder at 9.30. Consequently I am currently feeling knackered! I should go for a walk but it is currently raining so I am having cup of tea instead.
Mr Heavenly has promised me a trip to buy a Christmas tree today but I don’t know whether it will actually happen. If I find some energy I might do some writing of my dissertation this afternoon.
Lovely time at my brother's, now in an orderly queue (just me!) at Whalley bus station, headed for Accrington bus station then to my friend's in Whitworth.
My son came here this morning and once the rain stopped he did a bit more garden clearing to fill the green bin. After this week’s collection there is not another until 22 January.
He actually came to fit the ring doorbell his sons bought me for my birthday for which he had bought a sticky backed fixing rather than attempt to put screws into pvc, but he had left it at home by the front door.
I was rather hoping he might have time to help with a computer issue but he was en route for a business meeting, with potential for future work. He left his work boots here. I thought I was supposed to start having memory loss at my age, not him.
Computer weirdness. I tried to order something to be sent to my daughter, from a company I've bought from before, but when I typed in her address, the postcode box autocorrected to my postcode. I changed it and it autocorrected again. Third time was the charm.
Got a message from EVRI saying the parcel was out for delivery. Then the next day I got a message from EVRI saying it was being returned to the company because the postcode didn't match the address - it had my postcode!
Got a nice e-mail from customer services saying they would redeliver, followed 15 mins later by an e-mail from customer services saying that their computer kept autocorrecting my daughter's postcode to my postcode, and they were at a loss.
I'm getting a refund.
I'm a bit baffled, because EVRI said they had received the parcel and it was "out for delivery" and should be delivered later that day. They didn't specify where it was when it was "out for delivery". If it had got as far as a van in the city my daughter lives in, why couldn't they just, you know, deliver it to the postal address?
Yes, I've had problems with Evri 'attempting' to deliver items ordered via eBay. They seem unable to comprehend the simple instruction to deliver all packages to the Arkland Office. I now only order items listed as being posted via Royal Mail, as our friendly local postie knows the drill...
Another Wet and Windy night in Arkland the Battered, but a bit calmer and drier now. Yesterday's Wash Ing was duly rinsed by Storm Bram, and is now drying and airing (it smells pleasantly fresh!) in the vicinity of the Dragon.
A busy morning - first, to the Farmer See for the next two months' worth of Drugs (where do the weeks go?), followed by Pilates (because Tuesday). Then to the Co-Op for a bag of CHIPS plus one or two other items (Cornish Pasty, and slices of Leerdammer CHEESE), and back to the Ark for lunch. This is presently cooking in the Dragon - CHICKEN KIEVS and some of the CHIPS purchased earlier.
I noticed that Neighbour F has put some Crimbo decorations on the bows of his Ark. They take the form of 2-feet high letters H and O, reading HO-HO-HO, which, his daughter informs me, light up at night. The Hs are red, and the Os are white...
The concert was very good and enjoyable, a nice mix of well known and not so well known carols and a couple of Christmas songs. I knew an awful lot of the people in the choir from various places not all of whom I could immediately place. A person that you normally see doing downward facing dogs in a Pilates class looks very different in a smart white blouse in a choir.
Tonight we have an amateur production of Its a wonderful Life to go to.
I guess that at least one benefit of attending a carol concert, rather than the average carol service in church, is that you get to hear (and perhaps in some cases sing) less well-known items.
If I never hear Once in royal David's city or Away in a manger, and other dross, ever again, I shan't mind...
A bit breezy here, but nothing as cold as yesterday nor as wet as Sunday. Diabetic eye check at a venue I could actually get to on a direct bus and on the same street as favourite art materials shop. Treated myself to another watercolour pad and a better set of Lino-cutting tools.
Bought the last two Christmas presents yesterday - what a relief! Now the parcel wrapping to look forward to
All Christmas cards written and envelopes addressed today. The stamps will go on tomorrow, I've been sitting at the table, writing, for long enough. My back doesn't like it.
I lost love for most of the every-year-the-same carols a long time ago. I think it's my age, I have turned into a grumpy old woman since we moved here.
Not that I was the life & soul of the party before then.
At this time of year I miss a particular pre-Christmas entertainment organised at the parish church of our previous address by our neighbour, which consisted of some Christmas themed singing by local groups plus my favourite; Christmas poems, well known & less well known (and a few, of varying quality, authored by locals) plus other, often unfamiliar, Christmas-related literary passages. All followed by seasonal refreshments.
I'm afraid I now give Carol Services and Concerts a miss.
Bah Humbug!
My son duly returned to collect his boots.
This afternoon I put up the Christmas decorations., much sooner than usual.
Tonight I just had a cheese sandwich. Son was here over lunchtime. In the fridge was mince which needed cooking, intended to provide 3 portions of Bolognese sauce for the freezer, so only one has been frozen, the rest eaten.
Unseasonably mild in West Lothian, but I got soaked for the third time in as many days going to work. I utilised both raincoat and brolly, as the wind hadn't got up yet at that point.
It has now; although it was mostly dry as I came home, it was blowing a hoolie, and still is.
A few of my colleagues seem to be succumbing to colds, and I felt last night as though I was too; I took a lem-sip before going to bed and slept quite well, but I've been coughing rather more than I'd like, especially as I've got a Scottish Voices gig on Saturday that I absolutely don't want to miss - an Advent service in Perth Cathedral.
Taking the advice David would have offered, I'm making a curry for supper; it's a not-quite veggie one (I fancied some prawns in it). It should be ready in a few minutes. Sadly I have no BEER; I didn't think about it until it was too late, and as it was coming down in stair-rods at lunchtime I decided an Expotition to Tessie's would just have been silly.
I managed to stay pretty dry today but was extremely windswept. I saw the carol singing, had an impromptu coffee with a couple of people I know and then betook me to my favourite watering hole to partake of a toasted teacake for lunch. Then met a couple of other friends for a catch up and then an early tea as Mr Nen was going out.
I am a bit in denial about it but am feeling a tad sore-throaty and under the weather this evening. I suspect There's A Lot Of It About. I'd rather have it now than next week; I have plans for this week and next but next week includes birthday celebrations and I want to be feeling well for them. I'm sure an early night is in order.
Just back from seeing Its a Wonderful Life. Although it was an amateur production, they have a very nice theatre, the staging was good and acting not at all bad though the American accents would probably have our American shipmates cringing. Again there were a lot of people we know, so a very good, fun evening.
Massively proud of my husband. He went for a haircut today, and bought a Big Issue from an Eastern European lady on his way there. While chatting to the Turkish barber he mentioned that he was retired and got a £3 "senior citizen" discount. It was a win-win - the barber hadn't assumed he was "senior" from his appearance, and he got £3 off.
In a good mood and with the unexpected £3 windfall burning a hole in his pocket he decided to buy a coffee and a pastry for the Big Issue seller. When he got to her she was being racially harangued by two men. So he told them to F*** Off! and gave her the coffee and pastry. She said she was okay, that they'd had a go at her before, and she just tried to ignore them.
He's now home and the realisation that he'd confronted two potentially aggressive men is only now sinking in.
This feels new, though. We've had Eastern European Big Issue sellers for many years and I've never seen anyone haranguing them before.
Wow - yes! But what horrible people. I'm afraid that having a pop at migrants/Muslims/people of colour etc has become almost normalised by the words of certain public figures.
Comments
The city is a crazy place. Far too many people risking death by crossing the road in front of oncoming trams, electric scooters on the pavements and pedestrian areas, groups of people who have had rather too much to drink, as well as the crowds enjoying the Christmas market and fair and the many pubs and restaurants. A long wait for the tram then a 25 minute drive home, so I’m not sure if I’ll wake up in time for church or if I’ll have any voice tomorrow. We’ll see.
We went to a wonderful choral concert put on jointly by the Welsh National Opera chorus and the Royal Welsh Academy of Music and Drama. Lots of short pieces, with some poetry interspersed. Some here will be pleased to know that it included four items from Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" in its original version (no male voices, harp accompaniment played by two ladies called - incredibly - Rose and Mistletoe. Concert preceded by an excellent Italian meal in a rammed-full and noisy restaurant next door. Main courses only - the portions are large! And (unlike Sarasa) we only had to wait a few minutes for the bus home.
I thought Ceremony of Carols was originally written for male (albeit boy's) voices?
Apart from church this morning I have nothing planned today though I may go and look at the Steampunk parade this afternoon in the Market Square.
I like the bus, cheap and comfortable. I bought both seats for comfort and paid £30 return all told. 4 hour journey - same as by car.
I bought a pasty at the bus station (they are delicious, I've had one before and look forward to it on my travels)
Now I'm debating when to eat it. 🙂
@Puzzler - glad to hear your Messiah went so well.
Usual Sunday here: church, chat over coffee, brunch, laundry. Must contemplate suitable hymns for the Sunday after Christmas, as for reasons best known to herself, Rev'd Rosie has picked a chorus that absolutely nobody (apparently including her) knows, so one of the organists asked me to try and find an alternative.
This'll be fun ...
Evensong later, because first Sunday of the month, so supper will probably be either f&c or Chinese, depending on my mood.
I have a bus pass but it doesn't apply to flixbus, megabus or national express.
🙂
The visiting priest is chaotic, keeps getting muddled up. He insisted we say the Gloria today even though we had sung the Kyries, it being Advent. He messed up various prayers, and said the ones we all join in so fast, nobody could keep up. As for the 20 minute sermon, there were some good kernels of wisdom but so many random anecdotes.
The organist changed a couple of hymn tunes without telling us which upset the altos.
Afterwards I nipped over to a nearby town for an antique fair but didn’t buy anything. I’m staying in for the rest of the day.
I had planned on going to the Co-Op this afternoon, being short on Essentials, but the road leading to the Ark will be flooded for at least another hour - by which time Bat-Black Night will have fallen, and I don't go out at night (lest I turn into a Pumpkin).
Fortunately, I'd parked the car on a spot which is normally safe, and the encroaching waters just missed it.
Lunch is Italian - SPAGHETTI CARBONARA and BIRRA MORETTI.
It's supposed to be dry tomorrow, so an Expotition to a Shop (probably Tess Coe) will be attempted...well before the tide arrives!
We finished the afternoon by going to look at the Christmas window displays in Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
Don't know if I'll bother with any supper. The lunch was copious.
I've had a very lazy day, but the cushion for my sister in law is now finished.
It's been raining on and off here, but not too heavily so I'm hoping the local river will stay well within its banks. At least it isn't tidal here.
By the time I went out for Evensong, it had obviously been tipping rain for some considerable time; the walkway from my flat to the high street was well flooded (there are drains, but they would appear to be blocked). Even getting across the road without seriously dampening the trotters was quite a challenge.
There were only half a dozen of us (including priest and organist), but it was a nice service all the same, with decent hymns (see Eccles).
The f&c was quite splendid.
We are out to lunch today, requiring a mid-morning start to get there, and afterwards we'll be calling in to see Nenlet1 and the GrandNenling
Much Sorting going on at Casa Nen. Stuff Everywhere.
Today I need to do the usual admin and comms and this evening I am lecturing on young people and community.
I was up betimes (well, 9am), and off to Tess Coe, hoping to miss traffic and Xmas crowds. I succeeded, and was in-and-out of the shop in 20 minutes, with everything I wanted.
Sittage and Quaffage in the Wheelhouse is now being undertaken.
Lunch today is Dutch - Biefstuk en Uien met gebakken Aardappelen, to wit, Steak & Onions with Roast Potatoes. There is Belgian BEER to go with it.
I was very confused when I woke up as my watch said 7.05 but the heating wasn't on. Turned out the thermostat in the hall's batteries had gone flat. Of course we didn't have any AA batteries in stock so husband headed off to get some. He had only been back a few minutes when we realised he should have picked up some extra (vegan) sausages for tea tonight and some mince pies. So it was my turn to head out to get them. At least Waitrose is only five minutes walk away.
The mince pies were to eat once we'd put up the Christmas tree that arrived promptly at 10.00 as promised. Tree is now up and decorated in the lounge bit of our through kitchen/diner/lounge and the mantlepiece is decorated in the separate living room. We also got a load of compost and some fuel for our log-burning stove in the same order, so while I was finishing off the Christmas decorating husband sorted out filling up our new raised bed with a mixture of the bought compost and our own.
I don't intend to doo much the rest of the afternoon though I have a zoom meeting tonight, and the rest of the week is shaping up to be rather busy too.
Arkland's worst weather tends to come more from the east - the Breath of Sauron, or these days the Breath of Putin, a far more Evil character.
O well. If the aforementioned Sox etc. get rained on, it will at least rinse them nicely.
Huh.
So I phoned the dentist this morning, several times - no reply, just an impossibly short time to record a message. I had a lunchtime meeting, but phoned again afterwards with the same result. The dentist's is only a short walk away, so I went round there at 2.40pm. The receptionist was puzzled as other calls had got through but mine obviously hadn't. But ... she said there had been a cancellation and could I come back at 3.15?!!!!
Of course I did and the filling was rapidly sorted - hurrah!
It was absolutely pishing down when I headed off to work this morning (despite promises from Accu Weather that the rain would cease & desist by half past eight. The walkway was still flooded, so I had to turn in the opposite direction of the office and come out of the block at the other end (no great distance, just a slight embuggerance), and by the time I got to the office I was soaked, raincoat notwithstanding.
No matter: by lunchtime it had eased off, so I sallied forth to Tessie's to continue my replenishment of the WINE stocks - I'm getting as many as I can comfortably carry whenever I'm in the vicinity. As Villa Maria was still on special offer, I got another two bottles; it'll be nice to have a decent supply in by the time the festive season kicks in.
I did some online Christmas shopping for the littlies at the weekend, and the first parcel arrived at the office today from Mr Bezos (sorry about that). I'll take the Trusty Trolley to work tomorrow for the purposes of transporting it back; it's not particularly heavy, but it's bulky. With any luck one of the others will arrive tomorrow so I can kill two birds with one stone.
The pinger on the stove has just announced that the fish cakes are cooked, so I'm off to do some eating.
This morning I did my usual Monday Clean Ing (kitchen, bathroom and floors). I made FOUP for dinner, and then spent the rest of the afternoon practising the cello ahead of next week's concerts (Mendelssohn's Melusine overture, the Brahms violin concerto, and Schubert's 3rd symphony).
This evening there was quite a nice event at Captain P's school where they read Christmas stories by (electric) candlelight. Husband en rouge is currently at a parent-teacher meeting and will be returning home later to eat the aforementioned foup.
Dull and wet here but I think we'll miss the worst of Bram. I'm just about to head out the door to a charity concert at the Town Hall. I've changed what I was going to wear, wide-legged wool trouser for a dress on the grounds that the trousers would probably soak up the water from the un-avoidable puddles on the way. We also have to cross the river by a bridge with a narrow pavement. The road has loads of potholes, cars don't slow down much, so pedestrians are liable to get somewhat splashed in this sort of weather,
We had a very nice lunch indeed yesterday and met a couple who live quite near to where we are planning to move; they spoke very positively about the area. Then we spent the afternoon with Nenlet1 and the GrandNenling who was on Excellent Form and always cheers the heart of her Grandma
Got a message from EVRI saying the parcel was out for delivery. Then the next day I got a message from EVRI saying it was being returned to the company because the postcode didn't match the address - it had my postcode!
Got a nice e-mail from customer services saying they would redeliver, followed 15 mins later by an e-mail from customer services saying that their computer kept autocorrecting my daughter's postcode to my postcode, and they were at a loss.
I'm getting a refund.
I'm a bit baffled, because EVRI said they had received the parcel and it was "out for delivery" and should be delivered later that day. They didn't specify where it was when it was "out for delivery". If it had got as far as a van in the city my daughter lives in, why couldn't they just, you know, deliver it to the postal address?
Mr Heavenly has promised me a trip to buy a Christmas tree today but I don’t know whether it will actually happen. If I find some energy I might do some writing of my dissertation this afternoon.
Pouring down but in a cosy bus shelter. 😊
He actually came to fit the ring doorbell his sons bought me for my birthday for which he had bought a sticky backed fixing rather than attempt to put screws into pvc, but he had left it at home by the front door.
I was rather hoping he might have time to help with a computer issue but he was en route for a business meeting, with potential for future work. He left his work boots here. I thought I was supposed to start having memory loss at my age, not him.
Hopefully.
Yes, I've had problems with Evri 'attempting' to deliver items ordered via eBay. They seem unable to comprehend the simple instruction to deliver all packages to the Arkland Office. I now only order items listed as being posted via Royal Mail, as our friendly local postie knows the drill...
Another Wet and Windy night in Arkland the Battered, but a bit calmer and drier now. Yesterday's Wash Ing was duly rinsed by Storm Bram, and is now drying and airing (it smells pleasantly fresh!) in the vicinity of the Dragon.
A busy morning - first, to the Farmer See for the next two months' worth of Drugs (where do the weeks go?), followed by Pilates (because Tuesday). Then to the Co-Op for a bag of CHIPS plus one or two other items (Cornish Pasty, and slices of Leerdammer CHEESE), and back to the Ark for lunch. This is presently cooking in the Dragon - CHICKEN KIEVS and some of the CHIPS purchased earlier.
I noticed that Neighbour F has put some Crimbo decorations on the bows of his Ark. They take the form of 2-feet high letters H and O, reading HO-HO-HO, which, his daughter informs me, light up at night. The Hs are red, and the Os are white...
Tonight we have an amateur production of Its a wonderful Life to go to.
If I never hear Once in royal David's city or Away in a manger, and other dross, ever again, I shan't mind...
Liver'n'bacon and maybe a chip or two for dinner.
All Christmas cards written and envelopes addressed today. The stamps will go on tomorrow, I've been sitting at the table, writing, for long enough. My back doesn't like it.
I lost love for most of the every-year-the-same carols a long time ago. I think it's my age, I have turned into a grumpy old woman since we moved here.
Not that I was the life & soul of the party before then.
At this time of year I miss a particular pre-Christmas entertainment organised at the parish church of our previous address by our neighbour, which consisted of some Christmas themed singing by local groups plus my favourite; Christmas poems, well known & less well known (and a few, of varying quality, authored by locals) plus other, often unfamiliar, Christmas-related literary passages. All followed by seasonal refreshments.
I'm afraid I now give Carol Services and Concerts a miss.
Bah Humbug!
This afternoon I put up the Christmas decorations., much sooner than usual.
Tonight I just had a cheese sandwich. Son was here over lunchtime. In the fridge was mince which needed cooking, intended to provide 3 portions of Bolognese sauce for the freezer, so only one has been frozen, the rest eaten.
It has now; although it was mostly dry as I came home, it was blowing a hoolie, and still is.
A few of my colleagues seem to be succumbing to colds, and I felt last night as though I was too; I took a lem-sip before going to bed and slept quite well, but I've been coughing rather more than I'd like, especially as I've got a Scottish Voices gig on Saturday that I absolutely don't want to miss - an Advent service in Perth Cathedral.
Taking the advice David would have offered, I'm making a curry for supper; it's a not-quite veggie one (I fancied some prawns in it). It should be ready in a few minutes. Sadly I have no BEER; I didn't think about it until it was too late, and as it was coming down in stair-rods at lunchtime I decided an Expotition to Tessie's would just have been silly.
No matter; a glass of WINE will have to suffice.
I am a bit in denial about it but am feeling a tad sore-throaty and under the weather this evening. I suspect There's A Lot Of It About. I'd rather have it now than next week; I have plans for this week and next but next week includes birthday celebrations and I want to be feeling well for them. I'm sure an early night is in order.
In a good mood and with the unexpected £3 windfall burning a hole in his pocket he decided to buy a coffee and a pastry for the Big Issue seller. When he got to her she was being racially harangued by two men. So he told them to F*** Off! and gave her the coffee and pastry. She said she was okay, that they'd had a go at her before, and she just tried to ignore them.
He's now home and the realisation that he'd confronted two potentially aggressive men is only now sinking in.
This feels new, though. We've had Eastern European Big Issue sellers for many years and I've never seen anyone haranguing them before.