Usual morning of emails and I’ve finally got some teaching timetables completed for next year.
This afternoon I repaired a favourite dress. It is a fair trade tea dress made from cotton lawn and I wear it regularly (I seldom keep nice things for special occasions!) so the cotton is beginning to get a bit thin. At the weekend a pocket caught on something and there was a big rip. Luckily the skirt is very full and the pattern bright and busy so mends can be hidden. I have sewn some very basic seams on the sewing machine to bring it back together.
What a lovely present @boogie. It'll be lovely seeing it flourish in your garden.
I headed off to Pilates this morning. It's the first time in ages that I've managed to go for a few weeks in a row. I've also booked for Friday and next Monday, so hopefully it'll do me some good.
The rest of the day has been taken up with sewing together a knitting project and sending emails back and forth about a contentious council project. Hopefully opposite sides will be able to sit down and discuss the facts, when all the rumours that have been circulating have been dismissed.
We had to head into Fairly Nearby Town this morning for some Necessary Errands but after these were achieved we went to the very nice garden centre, had lunch there and spent the garden vouchers that some people had kindly given us as moving/housewarming presents. I'll be getting up early tomorrow to do some jobs in the garden while it's cool. A lot of things are now looking tired and overgrown and needing some attention.
I've also finally found a Zumba class at the leisure centre in Nearby Town at a time that suits me. However, I can't book it yet as non-members can only book two days in advance :rolleyes: and as there are only seven places left I am not holding out a great deal of hope.
I hope the issue with the council gets sorted @Sarasa .
You must be a clever seamstress @Heavenlyannie ; it's great to be able to repair favourite garments.
Easy pasta for tea because (1) that's all there is in the cupboard and (2) I can't be bothered with anything else.
When my children were young I had a side business making custom children’s clothing so I am a confident seamstress. I can also make my own clothing and used to make re-enactment clothing, including various corsets and crinolines. I don’t have much time to sew these days and I’m hoping a gradual slide into retirement will change that.
Tea was halloumi and chick pea salad, with a plum and cinnamon smoothie.
TIL that aardvarks and anteaters are not closely related but share characteristics due to covergent evolution. Did you know that swifts are not related to swallows and martins, but are relatives of hummingbirds?? It blew my mind when I found that out. And toucans are effectively specialised tropical woodpeckers.
Aardvarks are in fact a member of a group of entirely African shrew/hedgehog-like creatures (not closely related to shrews); the closest relations to the group are hyraxes, sea cows, and elephants. Placental mammals split into four groups: elephants and aardvarks, etc; anteaters, sloths and armadillos; rodents and primates; and everything else. The rodents and primates are most closely related to the everything else; how the African group and the anteaters fit in we don't know.
The closest relatives of whales and dolphins are hippos. Whales are more closely related to cows than pigs and camels are.
Hummingbirds and swifts are highly adapted nightjars.
Toucans aren't exactly woodpeckers but are barbets, which are closely related to woodpeckers.
I don't have great hopes on the council issue @nenya, but I'm leaving it till tomorrow morning to send a couple more emails and hopefully the people involved can carry on disagreeing or not at their leisure. There is a meeting on said issue on Thursday, which I don't think will be a lot of fun.
On the other hand we went for a nice walk this evening. When we lived in London we had what we called the Surbiton loop a walk from our house through Surbiton and back via the river. Since moving here we haven't found anything similar, but we have recently discovered a loop which is an interesting mix of streets and country and this evening we did it for the second time. It'll be useless in winter as a bit of it would be very dark, but nice at this time of year.
I have not really worked out some of the nice walks around here; it is too hot to go in the daytime, for a start. When some friends of mine visited a few weeks back we found a walk I'd never been on before and I intend to revisit it in the fullness of time. Mr Nen has done a lot more local exploration, walking and running and on his bike, but he walks much more quickly than I do and Frustration Ensues :rolleyes: .
I made some very pleasing progress in the garden this morning. When Mr Nen waved at me from the window in the hope of Breakfast (not that he doesn't get his own, but it's nice to eat together) I realised how time had sped by and also, suddenly, how hot I was.
We have a spot where we sit for morning coffee, looking out on the front garden, and it was very satisfying to observe how much tidier it looks and what space I now have for introducing some summer colour.
In anticipation of getting my little study redecorated I went and ordered a new carpet this morning. Good job I did, as the shop, a small family firm, is closing next week for three weeks, so my timing was just right to book a date in mid August.
On the way home I stopped off at a small park which has beautiful trees of many species and is very well kept, with shady areas and plenty of seats. Sad memories though, as it was a place where Mr Puzzler was able to take short walks in his last few weeks of life, so I don’t go there very often now.
I have a jigsaw puzzle I need to finish and much tidying up to do as it is my turn to host my French conversation group on Friday. I’ve been preparing a variety of “ end of term” games linguistic activities.
We have arrived on the Côte d'Azur to stay with our chic friends for a week. We had underestimated just how chic they are - their apartment is a duplex right opposite the sea with a mountain view on the other side It’s hot here (29°) but not as hot as foie gras land where it is still 36°.
We went for a dip in the Mediterranean this morning, and then for a walk around the old town. Nappage is now due, and after that we shall go in the swimming pool (in our friends' building - did I mention they are very chic?)
Speaking seriously, we just returned from a lovely holiday in Brittany (two hotels, very different to each other but both excellent). A swimming pool would have been nice as it was 39 degrees; I didn't fancy swimming in the sea.
All of which reminds me of that delightful Jacques Tati film Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot (Monsieur Hulot's holiday)...
Cloudy but mild in Arkland the Grey, though They say we might get some Sun-Shine later. Pilates, because Tuesday, followed by a nice Brunch (cooked breakfast, with a large glass of red WINE) at our local cafe. It's run by some Sicilian ladies, so I bought some tasty lemon Cannoli for later...
Having also visited the Farmer Sea (to pick up the next two months' worth of legal drugs), and the Co-Op (to replenish the stock of Cider), I'm now intending to do nothing at all. Having spent most of yesterday doing nothing at all, I realise that I haven't quite finished yet...
@la vie en rouge We had a dirt cheap holiday on the Côte d’Azur about 45 years ago! Two days coach travel including a day in Paris on the way back, 13 nights in a tent half a mile from a beach. £180 for travel and “accommodation”, £250 spending money and we brought £20 home. Ah, those were the days.
Having spent most of yesterday doing nothing at all, I realise that I haven't quite finished yet...
Do you need any help? 😃
Sadly I don't have the luxury of Doing Nothing, so typing had to be done. Decently busy day, interspersed with an amble to Tessie's and followed by another nice amble home, by which time it was Very Warm, but not unpleasantly so.
My bag of groceries felt very heavy by the time I got home though.
Salads for supper again: I should be getting bored with them, but I don't really mind. It would be nice if Tessie's kept as good a selection of salads as M&S, but sadly they don't.
Eldest Beaky daughter and children are here from New Zealand.
Great fun is being had by all the cousins. On Friday we shall go to Dorset to spend a week, all of us together in a beautiful accessible venue for grandson Huxley's needs where more fun will, I'm sure, be had.
My heart is full.
That sounds lovely @MrsBeaky, I hope you all have a splendid time.
I've had a nice, fairly lazy day. I had my usual Tuesday admin meeting and a meeting with a guy who is filming a video about the 400 years of our town having a mayor. Looking forward to seeing what he makes of the footage.
A quiet and rather cloudy day in Arkland the Arid. After Pilates yesterday, I finished doing the latest batch of nothing, so today I've made a brief and not very exciting Expotition to the village Co-Op, which is either waiting for a delayed delivery, or has been stripped by Locusts...
At least there were a few cans of BEER available.
This afternoon's Job is to tidy up the loose flakes of old paint on the deck over the galley/saloon, which will enable me to (at last) lay on a nice new coat of fresh Paint tomorrow. That will then be two Jobs completed and finished.
Doing nothing at all will be resumed on Friday, hopefully.
Eldest Beaky daughter and children are here from New Zealand.
Great fun is being had by all the cousins. On Friday we shall go to Dorset to spend a week, all of us together in a beautiful accessible venue for grandson Huxley's needs where more fun will, I'm sure, be had.
My heart is full.
That sounds lovely @MrsBeaky . I have a friend who's planning to move to Bridport in Dorset and is looking forward to that. Is all this to celebrate some big family occasion? How is the proposed house move coming along?
Here in the Wilds of Wiltshire it has been a busy morning, with an early visitation from Mr Sainz Breeze, a catch up with a friend on the phone and a visit to the mobile library which comes to the village every fortnight. Such excitement . Walking back from the village hall (where the library van parks) it was Very Hot with no air movement at all so I've been holing up indoors ever since.
No early gardening this morning on account of Mr Sainz Breeze but I plan some more tomorrow. I do enjoy being out there, it's just too hot during the day at present.
Mr Nen is out this evening so I'm planning some sort of Very Easy Tea and some time with the TV remote.
Admin as usual this morning, and a nice informal Teams chat with a colleague. I updated my skills profile in the vain hope of getting some history teaching!
This afternoon was mainly housework, cleaning the dustier parts of the lounge where the Mochi resides. She was unimpressed by my endeavours and mostly complained about the lack of convenient lap to sit on during the process.
I think tea is gnocchi with fresh pesto and cream, accompanied by a green smoothie.
Eldest Beaky daughter and children are here from New Zealand.
Great fun is being had by all the cousins. On Friday we shall go to Dorset to spend a week, all of us together in a beautiful accessible venue for grandson Huxley's needs where more fun will, I'm sure, be had.
My heart is full.
That sounds lovely @MrsBeaky . I have a friend who's planning to move to Bridport in Dorset and is looking forward to that. Is all this to celebrate some big family occasion? How is the proposed house move coming along?
It is indeed to celebrate a milestone- 50 years of marriage (yikes!)
The house move is not really advancing. We've had a few viewings but no offers.
Whilst we're in Dorset there will be another viewing- it would be wonderful if it resulted in an offer!
I like Bridport, my mother-in-law and I spent a fun evening there while on holiday back in the Eighties at a talk about how to become a writer for Mills and Boon. We both went away full of enthusiasm, but neither of us actually wrote anything.
I was at a school prize-giving this afternoon and I'm off to a council meeting shortly so the morning was spent reading the papers for tonight. I wasn't at last month's meeting of this particular committee but apparently it ended rather acrimoniously. I hope everyone is on their best behaviour tonight.
It is warm and rather over-cast here. I'm hoping I'm back in time to water the garden, but if not it'll have to wait till tomorrow.
Congratulations on your big anniversary, Mrs Beaky (and Mr Beaky, obviously!) - hope you all have a wonderful time!
Another bonny day here; it seemed very warm when I left the house, but when I went out at lunchtime it was just about right, and stayed that way until I was coming home.
My right hearing aid had been misbehaving for a few weeks: it gave the impression of being charged up, but after a very short time would be quite dead. I took it to Specsavers and the nice audiologist took one look at it and said the wire was buggered*, replaced it and hey presto, it was unbuggered.
* not his exact words, but you get the idea
Supper was what food magazines seem to call "picky bits" - cheese, olives, hummus, crackers, toast and some cold meats and a bit of quiche - and rather nice.
I normally get the slow train into London in the morning. That way I get a seat. Was a bit behind in my work so needed an earlier start. Got on the fast train. Standing room only (before 7am) and there's no air con on a train that is as packed as would be dubious for cattle.
If that makes sense. Very hot and uncomfortable. Just what you need to start the day with.
Hello! How lovely to find a 'Brit corner' - I don't think it existed when I last ventured onto the Ship (many years ago now and, sadly, a very unpleasant experience!). Permission to come aboard?
Hello! How lovely to find a 'Brit corner' - I don't think it existed when I last ventured onto the Ship (many years ago now and, sadly, a very unpleasant experience!). Permission to come aboard?
Hello! How lovely to find a 'Brit corner' - I don't think it existed when I last ventured onto the Ship (many years ago now and, sadly, a very unpleasant experience!). Permission to come aboard?
Hello! How lovely to find a 'Brit corner' - I don't think it existed when I last ventured onto the Ship (many years ago now and, sadly, a very unpleasant experience!). Permission to come aboard?
Welcome aboard. If you so wish, there's a dedicated thread where you can (re)introduce yourself and find your sea legs.
It is indeed to celebrate a milestone- 50 years of marriage (yikes!)
Congratulations! And - well done! As I observed to our children when we were celebrating our 40th anniversary earlier this year - you get less for murder!
I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and that there is good news on the house move very soon.
Overcast and relatively cool here first thing this morning so I got a couple of hours' gardening in before the sun started to break through. Off to the weekly village coffee morning in a bit.
Welcome @BlaiseinLondon ; sings "Consider yourself at home..." .
Welcome @BlaiseinLondon, I'm a Londoner happily relocated to the East Midlands, so as they say round here 'ey up mi duck'.
I had trouble getting to sleep so didn't wake up till 8.30 which is about two hours later than usual, which has thrown my routine slightly out of kilter.
I'm off to meet lipreading friends for a coffee in a minute and then buy some things for lunch. A lazy afternoon in which I hope to finish the jumper I've been knitting for a colleague's expected baby and then another council meeting this evening. Last night's was very cordial and we got through the business in 30 minutes which I think is a record, I hope today's is similar.
Here in Watercress Land it's due to finally rain early on Sunday morning - hopefully it doesn't get blown off course because we keep missing any predicted rain or thunderstorms. All the grass in the city is so sad and brown, and the stream by my building is so low!
It is indeed to celebrate a milestone- 50 years of marriage (yikes!)
Congratulations! And - well done! As I observed to our children when we were celebrating our 40th anniversary earlier this year - you get less for murder!
I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and that there is good news on the house move very soon.
Overcast and relatively cool here first thing this morning so I got a couple of hours' gardening in before the sun started to break through. Off to the weekly village coffee morning in a bit.
Welcome @BlaiseinLondon ; sings "Consider yourself at home..." .
Welcome @BlaiseinLondon, I'm a Londoner happily relocated to the East Midlands, so as they say round here 'ey up mi duck'.
I had trouble getting to sleep so didn't wake up till 8.30 which is about two hours later than usual, which has thrown my routine slightly out of kilter.
I'm off to meet lipreading friends for a coffee in a minute and then buy some things for lunch. A lazy afternoon in which I hope to finish the jumper I've been knitting for a colleague's expected baby and then another council meeting this evening. Last night's was very cordial and we got through the business in 30 minutes which I think is a record, I hope today's is similar.
Thank you. Whereabouts in the East Midlands? I love the Melton Mowbray area.
Here in Watercress Land it's due to finally rain early on Sunday morning - hopefully it doesn't get blown off course because we keep missing any predicted rain or thunderstorms. All the grass in the city is so sad and brown, and the stream by my building is so low!
Another hot and dry day in Arkland the Cloudy, with not much sign of Sun-Shine.
I visited Tess Coe this lunch-time, taking with me Neighbour S, who no longer drives, and who needed to top up his cupboards and freezer with more Stuff than he could (a) buy at the village Co-Op, and (b) carry on his mobility scooter! Both of us found all we needed, though S failed to find the Beefburgers - Chickenburgers were to be had in abundance.
Lunch was LAMB CHOPS with Potato Salad.
Feeling energetic, and with the Sky being cloudy rather than brazen, I started Paint Ing that part of the Deck recently cleared of old flaky stuff. About two-thirds was done, when (a) I began to feel tired, and (b) reached the bottom of the can of Paint - a misjudgement on my part, as I thought there would be just enough. Never mind - what's complete looks OK, and the rest can be done tomorrow, as I have a new can of Paint in stock...
Doing Nothing At All™ will have to wait until tomorrow afternoon, or Saturday.
This morning we went for another splosh about in the sea. A man came up to Captain Pyjamas and asked if he wanted to see the fish. He promptly produced a jar with bits of baguette in and threw one in the water, and lo and behold a load of fish came up and devoured it. No idea what kind of fish they were - silvery ones about 10 cm long with a black band around the tail.
This afternoon we walked to a botanic garden which was apparently designed by an English person.
I’ve been giving the house a bit of a clean and tidy ready for my French group tomorrow. But I am too lazy to do a proper job. Just hope nobody looks too closely.
Part of the day was spent on the phone to my new broadband provider, whose rep was most helpful. It seems my new router doesn’t like laptops, so he talked me through getting connected. This involved putting in the router’s obscure password numerous times but in the end I was successful. I also reconnected my Ring doorbell and remote chimes. I think that’s everything now.
And I thought technology was supposed to make our lives easier?
I spent the morning updating some tutorials on academic referencing. Not the most exciting job but it pays dividends in developing student study skills.
I passed my MA in History this week so I can go ahead with my Classical Studies course in September. I am reducing my work hours slightly so hopefully I will have a bit more time to spend on my studies (and a bit less marking).
Lunch was a goats’ cheese omelette. Since then I’ve done a bit of laundry and tidying in the kitchen but really need to do a good thorough clean in there this afternoon.
Hi @BlaiseinLondon, I'm a bit further north and east than Melton Mowbray on the Nottinghamshire/Lincolnshire borders.
Last night's meeting went well, and I think we were pleased with the outcome, not that it hasn't stopped the usual Facebook moaning. Today I headed off for my Pilates class so am feeling very virtuous that I've managed two classes a week for two weeks in a row. I came home through town where I've picked up an orange for negronis tonight and a lime for hugos tomorrow. We've decided that this weekend is cocktail weekend.
Yes, well done @Heavenlyannie ! A splendid achievement.
Another hot and intermittently cloudy day in Arkland the Dry, though They say there is a faint possibility of Rain on Sunday ...
I therefore girded up my loins this morning, and finished Paint Ing that part of the deck which I started yesterday. Job completed, but the new Paint is a slightly different shade of Red Oxide to that which I usually employ, my favoured brand being hard to come by these days.
Not to worry - the Rusty Bits are now nicely covered up, and the two shades of Paint will soon weather to a more-or-less uniform matt finish. If they don't, I'll not lose any sleep over it.
Lunch is LAMB HOT-POT with lots of Mint Sauce added, and washed down by Italian BEER. Doing Nothing At All™ is the programme for the rest of the day, apart from eating CHEESE later...
We had huge fun at my French group today. I had prepared ten potential language activities/ games but we only got through a couple. For the first one, each of us had to bring a small object, wrapped or hidden in our bag. We gave a one-word clue eg useful, nostalgic, fun, decorative etc. The others had to ask questions in French, the owner replying Oui or Non. Two hadn’t received the email but managed to produce something anyway. One guy had misunderstood and brought two items from India, impossible to guess, identify, or name in French! We are all fluent speakers of French but it was surprising how impoverished our vocabulary was for everyday objects, nor were we great at forming questions!
I prepared various nibbles. My lunch was to sample them, and I have just polished off those leftovers that won’t keep. I’m meant to be going to hear our church MD give a piano recital in the city, so I think I might need to eat something a bit more substantial at some point.
Tomorrow I am booked on a steam train trip ( a Christmas present) but it will be diesel because of the risk of fire. I have been offered a free ride behind a steam locomotive later in the year to compensate.
Tomorrow’s trip includes a cream tea. So that’s another day of disrupted meal times.
It has been a warm day but with a pleasant breeze.
Comments
Usual morning of emails and I’ve finally got some teaching timetables completed for next year.
This afternoon I repaired a favourite dress. It is a fair trade tea dress made from cotton lawn and I wear it regularly (I seldom keep nice things for special occasions!) so the cotton is beginning to get a bit thin. At the weekend a pocket caught on something and there was a big rip. Luckily the skirt is very full and the pattern bright and busy so mends can be hidden. I have sewn some very basic seams on the sewing machine to bring it back together.
I headed off to Pilates this morning. It's the first time in ages that I've managed to go for a few weeks in a row. I've also booked for Friday and next Monday, so hopefully it'll do me some good.
The rest of the day has been taken up with sewing together a knitting project and sending emails back and forth about a contentious council project. Hopefully opposite sides will be able to sit down and discuss the facts, when all the rumours that have been circulating have been dismissed.
We had to head into Fairly Nearby Town this morning for some Necessary Errands but after these were achieved we went to the very nice garden centre, had lunch there and spent the garden vouchers that some people had kindly given us as moving/housewarming presents. I'll be getting up early tomorrow to do some jobs in the garden while it's cool. A lot of things are now looking tired and overgrown and needing some attention.
I've also finally found a Zumba class at the leisure centre in Nearby Town at a time that suits me. However, I can't book it yet as non-members can only book two days in advance :rolleyes: and as there are only seven places left I am not holding out a great deal of hope.
I hope the issue with the council gets sorted @Sarasa .
You must be a clever seamstress @Heavenlyannie ; it's great to be able to repair favourite garments.
Easy pasta for tea because (1) that's all there is in the cupboard and (2) I can't be bothered with anything else.
Very warm in West Lothian today: it was apparently 24° as I was coming home after a very quiet day.
Salads for supper because heat.
Tea was halloumi and chick pea salad, with a plum and cinnamon smoothie.
The closest relatives of whales and dolphins are hippos. Whales are more closely related to cows than pigs and camels are.
Hummingbirds and swifts are highly adapted nightjars.
Toucans aren't exactly woodpeckers but are barbets, which are closely related to woodpeckers.
On the other hand we went for a nice walk this evening. When we lived in London we had what we called the Surbiton loop a walk from our house through Surbiton and back via the river. Since moving here we haven't found anything similar, but we have recently discovered a loop which is an interesting mix of streets and country and this evening we did it for the second time. It'll be useless in winter as a bit of it would be very dark, but nice at this time of year.
I have not really worked out some of the nice walks around here; it is too hot to go in the daytime, for a start. When some friends of mine visited a few weeks back we found a walk I'd never been on before and I intend to revisit it in the fullness of time. Mr Nen has done a lot more local exploration, walking and running and on his bike, but he walks much more quickly than I do and Frustration Ensues :rolleyes: .
I made some very pleasing progress in the garden this morning. When Mr Nen waved at me from the window in the hope of Breakfast (not that he doesn't get his own, but it's nice to eat together) I realised how time had sped by and also, suddenly, how hot I was.
We have a spot where we sit for morning coffee, looking out on the front garden, and it was very satisfying to observe how much tidier it looks and what space I now have for introducing some summer colour.
On the way home I stopped off at a small park which has beautiful trees of many species and is very well kept, with shady areas and plenty of seats. Sad memories though, as it was a place where Mr Puzzler was able to take short walks in his last few weeks of life, so I don’t go there very often now.
I have a jigsaw puzzle I need to finish and much tidying up to do as it is my turn to host my French conversation group on Friday. I’ve been preparing a variety of “ end of term” games linguistic activities.
We went for a dip in the Mediterranean this morning, and then for a walk around the old town. Nappage is now due, and after that we shall go in the swimming pool (in our friends' building - did I mention they are very chic?)
Speaking seriously, we just returned from a lovely holiday in Brittany (two hotels, very different to each other but both excellent). A swimming pool would have been nice as it was 39 degrees; I didn't fancy swimming in the sea.
Cloudy but mild in Arkland the Grey, though They say we might get some Sun-Shine later. Pilates, because Tuesday, followed by a nice Brunch (cooked breakfast, with a large glass of red WINE) at our local cafe. It's run by some Sicilian ladies, so I bought some tasty lemon Cannoli for later...
Having also visited the Farmer Sea (to pick up the next two months' worth of legal drugs), and the Co-Op (to replenish the stock of Cider), I'm now intending to do nothing at all. Having spent most of yesterday doing nothing at all, I realise that I haven't quite finished yet...
Sadly I don't have the luxury of Doing Nothing, so typing had to be done. Decently busy day, interspersed with an amble to Tessie's and followed by another nice amble home, by which time it was Very Warm, but not unpleasantly so.
My bag of groceries felt very heavy by the time I got home though.
Salads for supper again: I should be getting bored with them, but I don't really mind. It would be nice if Tessie's kept as good a selection of salads as M&S, but sadly they don't.
Great fun is being had by all the cousins. On Friday we shall go to Dorset to spend a week, all of us together in a beautiful accessible venue for grandson Huxley's needs where more fun will, I'm sure, be had.
My heart is full.
I've had a nice, fairly lazy day. I had my usual Tuesday admin meeting and a meeting with a guy who is filming a video about the 400 years of our town having a mayor. Looking forward to seeing what he makes of the footage.
At least there were a few cans of BEER available.
This afternoon's Job is to tidy up the loose flakes of old paint on the deck over the galley/saloon, which will enable me to (at last) lay on a nice new coat of fresh Paint tomorrow. That will then be two Jobs completed and finished.
Doing nothing at all will be resumed on Friday, hopefully.
That sounds lovely @MrsBeaky
Here in the Wilds of Wiltshire it has been a busy morning, with an early visitation from Mr Sainz Breeze, a catch up with a friend on the phone and a visit to the mobile library which comes to the village every fortnight. Such excitement
No early gardening this morning on account of Mr Sainz Breeze but I plan some more tomorrow. I do enjoy being out there, it's just too hot during the day at present.
Mr Nen is out this evening so I'm planning some sort of Very Easy Tea and some time with the TV remote.
Glad you are remaining On Task
Admin as usual this morning, and a nice informal Teams chat with a colleague. I updated my skills profile in the vain hope of getting some history teaching!
This afternoon was mainly housework, cleaning the dustier parts of the lounge where the Mochi resides. She was unimpressed by my endeavours and mostly complained about the lack of convenient lap to sit on during the process.
I think tea is gnocchi with fresh pesto and cream, accompanied by a green smoothie.
Very warm here but cloudier today, which does at least help the sun from being less oppressive.
It is indeed to celebrate a milestone- 50 years of marriage (yikes!)
The house move is not really advancing. We've had a few viewings but no offers.
Whilst we're in Dorset there will be another viewing- it would be wonderful if it resulted in an offer!
I was at a school prize-giving this afternoon and I'm off to a council meeting shortly so the morning was spent reading the papers for tonight. I wasn't at last month's meeting of this particular committee but apparently it ended rather acrimoniously. I hope everyone is on their best behaviour tonight.
It is warm and rather over-cast here. I'm hoping I'm back in time to water the garden, but if not it'll have to wait till tomorrow.
Another bonny day here; it seemed very warm when I left the house, but when I went out at lunchtime it was just about right, and stayed that way until I was coming home.
My right hearing aid had been misbehaving for a few weeks: it gave the impression of being charged up, but after a very short time would be quite dead. I took it to Specsavers and the nice audiologist took one look at it and said the wire was buggered*, replaced it and hey presto, it was unbuggered.
* not his exact words, but you get the idea
Supper was what food magazines seem to call "picky bits" - cheese, olives, hummus, crackers, toast and some cold meats and a bit of quiche - and rather nice.
If that makes sense. Very hot and uncomfortable. Just what you need to start the day with.
Welcome to you 🙂
Welcome aboard. If you so wish, there's a dedicated thread where you can (re)introduce yourself and find your sea legs.
I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and that there is good news on the house move very soon.
Overcast and relatively cool here first thing this morning so I got a couple of hours' gardening in before the sun started to break through. Off to the weekly village coffee morning in a bit.
Welcome @BlaiseinLondon ; sings "Consider yourself at home..." .
I had trouble getting to sleep so didn't wake up till 8.30 which is about two hours later than usual, which has thrown my routine slightly out of kilter.
I'm off to meet lipreading friends for a coffee in a minute and then buy some things for lunch. A lazy afternoon in which I hope to finish the jumper I've been knitting for a colleague's expected baby and then another council meeting this evening. Last night's was very cordial and we got through the business in 30 minutes which I think is a record, I hope today's is similar.
Here in Watercress Land it's due to finally rain early on Sunday morning - hopefully it doesn't get blown off course because we keep missing any predicted rain or thunderstorms. All the grass in the city is so sad and brown, and the stream by my building is so low!
Thank you!
Always happy to sing!
Thank you. Whereabouts in the East Midlands? I love the Melton Mowbray area.
Thank you.
I visited Tess Coe this lunch-time, taking with me Neighbour S, who no longer drives, and who needed to top up his cupboards and freezer with more Stuff than he could (a) buy at the village Co-Op, and (b) carry on his mobility scooter! Both of us found all we needed, though S failed to find the Beefburgers - Chickenburgers were to be had in abundance.
Lunch was LAMB CHOPS with Potato Salad.
Feeling energetic, and with the Sky being cloudy rather than brazen, I started Paint Ing that part of the Deck recently cleared of old flaky stuff. About two-thirds was done, when (a) I began to feel tired, and (b) reached the bottom of the can of Paint - a misjudgement on my part, as I thought there would be just enough. Never mind - what's complete looks OK, and the rest can be done tomorrow, as I have a new can of Paint in stock...
Doing Nothing At All™ will have to wait until tomorrow afternoon, or Saturday.
This afternoon we walked to a botanic garden which was apparently designed by an English person.
Another glorious day in West Lothian, with enough of a breeze to set the trees waving a bit, and make the temperature just about right.
Supper was quiche and salads again.
Part of the day was spent on the phone to my new broadband provider, whose rep was most helpful. It seems my new router doesn’t like laptops, so he talked me through getting connected. This involved putting in the router’s obscure password numerous times but in the end I was successful. I also reconnected my Ring doorbell and remote chimes. I think that’s everything now.
And I thought technology was supposed to make our lives easier?
I passed my MA in History this week so I can go ahead with my Classical Studies course in September. I am reducing my work hours slightly so hopefully I will have a bit more time to spend on my studies (and a bit less marking).
Lunch was a goats’ cheese omelette. Since then I’ve done a bit of laundry and tidying in the kitchen but really need to do a good thorough clean in there this afternoon.
Last night's meeting went well, and I think we were pleased with the outcome, not that it hasn't stopped the usual Facebook moaning. Today I headed off for my Pilates class so am feeling very virtuous that I've managed two classes a week for two weeks in a row. I came home through town where I've picked up an orange for negronis tonight and a lime for hugos tomorrow. We've decided that this weekend is cocktail weekend.
Another hot and intermittently cloudy day in Arkland the Dry, though They say there is a faint possibility of Rain on Sunday
I therefore girded up my loins this morning, and finished Paint Ing that part of the deck which I started yesterday. Job completed, but the new Paint is a slightly different shade of Red Oxide to that which I usually employ, my favoured brand being hard to come by these days.
Not to worry - the Rusty Bits are now nicely covered up, and the two shades of Paint will soon weather to a more-or-less uniform matt finish. If they don't, I'll not lose any sleep over it.
Lunch is LAMB HOT-POT with lots of Mint Sauce added, and washed down by Italian BEER. Doing Nothing At All™ is the programme for the rest of the day, apart from eating CHEESE later...
We had huge fun at my French group today. I had prepared ten potential language activities/ games but we only got through a couple. For the first one, each of us had to bring a small object, wrapped or hidden in our bag. We gave a one-word clue eg useful, nostalgic, fun, decorative etc. The others had to ask questions in French, the owner replying Oui or Non. Two hadn’t received the email but managed to produce something anyway. One guy had misunderstood and brought two items from India, impossible to guess, identify, or name in French! We are all fluent speakers of French but it was surprising how impoverished our vocabulary was for everyday objects, nor were we great at forming questions!
I prepared various nibbles. My lunch was to sample them, and I have just polished off those leftovers that won’t keep. I’m meant to be going to hear our church MD give a piano recital in the city, so I think I might need to eat something a bit more substantial at some point.
Tomorrow I am booked on a steam train trip ( a Christmas present) but it will be diesel because of the risk of fire. I have been offered a free ride behind a steam locomotive later in the year to compensate.
Tomorrow’s trip includes a cream tea. So that’s another day of disrupted meal times.
It has been a warm day but with a pleasant breeze.