Sorry to hear about the fall yesterday @Bishops Finger and hope another night's sleep will restore you.
I've been awake since 3.45am with an upset stomach and have in consequence also been taking things Very Quietly. I went to our local short morning service, crawled back (it is not far but I was grateful for the offer of a lift for part of the way) and have been sitting about for the rest of the day, watching easy stuff on the TV; I don't have the concentration to read much. It's a shame as we had some nice things planned with friends today which Mr Nen went to on his own - the advantage being that he got lunch out, saving me having to think about Food. Which I wouldn't have anyway - I'm steering well clear of the "What Did You Eat Today?" thread.
Crawling off to bed now and hoping for a better night's sleep and to feel better in the morning.
I too am off to bed, today has totally wiped me out. I have nothing planned for tomorrow other than knitting and reading agendas for two meetings I have this week.
Imagine being able to learn anything you put your mind to. My son has decided to learn Georgian - and he's storming though it.
We are jealous of his easy memory. He's always been the same. He found exams very easy as a youngster - but he had to be motivated, which was the hard bit, schooling-wise.
Drizzly here too.
Mr Heavenly set off for Heathrow airport at 6am this morning so it’s just me and the cat for the next week. It’s also a busy week at work as term starts in a couple of weeks for my students and the preparatory meetings have started this week.
I had a meeting at 10am today and am now having a break before writing an introductory tutorial for one of the modules I am teaching this year; I am teaching public health, mental health, death studies and youth studies. I have reduced my hours slightly by dropping a duplicate module and next year I will probably drop the youth studies as I plan for a gradual slide towards retirement.
Later this afternoon I have an introductory tutorial to attend as a student on the MA Classical Studies programme so that will be a welcome diversion.
My choir rehearsal tonight has been moved to another venue at fairly short notice, involving an awkward journey.
I was considering not going, when almost simultaneously my son said he could come over at 5.30 which is the time I would need to set off. Then I received not one but two offers of a lift. What a quandary. I decided to stay at home to see my son as I haven’t seen him for over three weeks.
The rehearsal will involve a run through of a work I know very well, and a second go at bits of a brand new piece, a commissioned work, which we started last week, so I don’t feel too bad about missing. It is a bit of a protest vote really.
I decided to stay at home to see my son as I haven’t seen him for over three weeks.
Quite right too. In my book family always comes first.
Thanks for the various good wishes. I slept better but am feeling washed out and as though I've been kicked in the stomach. I hope you are ok today @Bishops Finger and that you're able to rest and restore today @Sarasa . Just hearing about all you're doing makes me feel tired.
A noisy morning here as we have a Fencing Person sorting out our fence. The original posts weren't installed properly and are splitting and rotting, so we're having more put in between what's there for extra support. Also the sun has come out so the battery is merrily charging. Mr Nen wants to be able to say that for three months after the installation of the new equipment we have not pulled power from the national grid at all; this has involved a few "Can we leave running the dishwasher and washing machine until tomorrow?"-type conversations. The three month marker is up in the middle of this week and when I commented about this he then said, "Well, I'd really like to go to the end of September." At which point I told him he couldn't keep moving the goalposts :rolleyes: .
Much better today, thanks @Nenya - sorry to hear you're still feeling washed-out, though.
Mostly Sun-Shiny this afternoon in Arkland the Muggy (humidity is still high - maybe causing the washed-outness some of us are experiencing?). but the warmth is welcome. Rain is forecast for later in the week, but we seem to be set for some reasonably mild days, or so They say.
STEAK n'CHIPS for lunch, and, following the Monday Expotition to Tess Coe, there is some nice Crusty Bread on hand to go with CHEESE later. I normally subsist on seedy Brown Bread, but now and then a change is called for...
Restage and Snoozage for the rest of the day, and Pilates tomorrow, because Tuesday.
Mr Nen wants to be able to say that for three months after the installation of the new equipment we have not pulled power from the national grid at all; this has involved a few "Can we leave running the dishwasher and washing machine until tomorrow?"-type conversations. The three month marker is up in the middle of this week and when I commented about this he then said, "Well, I'd really like to go to the end of September." At which point I told him he couldn't keep moving the goalposts :rolleyes: .
Our system didn't go live until August 18th so we missed a lot of the good sunny weather. Still I managed to get to September 6th without taking power from the grid, but have had to do so (or used gas to heat the hot water) on a few occasions since. I can only use 3.7kW before I have to draw on the mains, and the battery is a nominal 10.6kWh rating - yours may be larger. Our roof can only take 7 panels but does face due south. At the moment we're not really getting any usable charge until after 8am, even on sunny mornings.
Meanwhile I now have a date for my in-person pre-trial screening for the medical trial I'm hopefully going to be able to do - the people doing the trial can provide a taxi for my transport which is a huge help, and will pay for any refreshments I need during the screening (since it takes a few hours). It's not far away as the crow flies but it would involve taking two buses otherwise, which is always a pain. It's a paid trial which I didn't think was a thing in the UK, but it's all very legit and done in NHS clinics.
Another washed out person here; I hope those suffering are better today. I had a migraine aura on Saturday evening, not having had one for over 10 years. It only lasted half an hour but I’m still feeling rather wibbly. I’ve been taking it easy and catching up on my reading.
Glad to hear you're feeling better, BF, and hope Nenya does likewise!
I had a lovely time with nearly the whole family yesterday, and a very good Chinese takeaway: Bamboo South Queensferry would knock spots off the Bamboo Inn over the road (I don't think they're connected). I had a few mini spring rolls followed by prawns with veggies, which were very flavoursome indeed.
Work was nice and steady until my new printer decided it didn't want to do watermarks properly, so a call to the geeks will ensue tomorrow.
Got very slightly rained on coming home, but it didn't come to anything.
Mr Nen wants to be able to say that for three months after the installation of the new equipment we have not pulled power from the national grid at all; this has involved a few "Can we leave running the dishwasher and washing machine until tomorrow?"-type conversations. The three month marker is up in the middle of this week and when I commented about this he then said, "Well, I'd really like to go to the end of September." At which point I told him he couldn't keep moving the goalposts :rolleyes: .
Our system didn't go live until August 18th so we missed a lot of the good sunny weather. Still I managed to get to September 6th without taking power from the grid, but have had to do so (or used gas to heat the hot water) on a few occasions since. I can only use 3.7kW before I have to draw on the mains, and the battery is a nominal 10.6kWh rating - yours may be larger. Our roof can only take 7 panels but does face due south. At the moment we're not really getting any usable charge until after 8am, even on sunny mornings.
*consults Mr Nen*
We have an 18kW battery and 20 panels. When we moved in there were panels only on the north and south facing roofs but we've since added them to the east and west facing roofs and Mr Nen reckons that's improved our solar output by up to 40% .
We also have an air-sourced heat pump for hot water. There's no gas in the village. Most people are on oil.
I've had three small meals today, which is an improvement on yesterday, and it would be really nice to wake up tomorrow not feeling as though I've been kicked in the stomach.
I hope you get on the trial @Pomona and hope you feel less wibbly soon @Tree Bee .
I too hope you get on the trial @pomona and that both @Tree Bee and @nenya feel much better tomorrow.
I've only been as far as the garden today as I'm hoping trying to rest up with improve my hip. It doesn't seem to have worked so far, but I live in hope. I have done a bit of gentle gardening and started to sew up the front panel of a cushion I'm knitting. Tomorrow should also be fairly quiet though I have a a real life and a zoom meeting tomorrow.
Bit knackered by yesterday's gardening and didn't really want to get up in time to bus to U3a Art Group - but did anyway. Dental hygienist post group and a lot of waiting for buses to get home.
Have taken my Zonk Out pill for the evening - the theory is it will knock me out sufficiently for the joint pain not to wake me. So far, up to a point Lotd Copper.
I decided to stay at home to see my son as I haven’t seen him for over three weeks.
Quite right too. In my book family always comes first.
Hmm. Today it was the right decision, but not always. Don’t you ever have commitments which need prioritising over family?
In this choir 75% attendance is expected, without which you cannot sing in a concert. So I can’t afford to miss any more, in case I am ill one week. My son also knows I run a u3a group and would not expect me to prioritise seeing him over that, nor would I expect him to come and help me when he has work commitments.
I decided to stay at home to see my son as I haven’t seen him for over three weeks.
Quite right too. In my book family always comes first.
Hmm. Today it was the right decision, but not always. Don’t you ever have commitments which need prioritising over family?
In this choir 75% attendance is expected, without which you cannot sing in a concert. So I can’t afford to miss any more, in case I am ill one week. My son also knows I run a u3a group and would not expect me to prioritise seeing him over that, nor would I expect him to come and help me when he has work commitments.
You're quite right, of course. Having in the past been messed around myself in similar ways I just felt annoyed on your behalf.
Overcast but still warm here in the Wilds of Wiltshire and the Helpful Post Fixing Person has returned to finish Helpfully Fixing the Garden Posts.
A lot better today - just a bit tender in the stomach area rather than feeling I've been kicked.
We are having a lazy day here in Ziegelhausen - lots of cups of coffee while our Enkelin plays. She has a great imagination, I can't wait until she starts writing stories!
Glad you are feeling better, Nenya. Hoping everyone’s aches and pains are improving.
Have a lovely time with your family, Boogie.
In theory I take Tuesday off but not today. I have had training this morning on the new marking app and will have a module meeting later today. I have just finished lunch of leftover sausages with omelette and will do some studying for a couple of hours. I am currently looking at how the classical world was understood geographically and mapped, with a case study of Africa.
No Pilates today, because Illness (not me, but the Torturer...). Mind you, I would have found it hard to actually get to the session today, after a very restless and almost sleepless night. Isn't it actually against the Law to be awake at 2am, 3am, 4am, and 5am?? Tonight will be better, maybe.
Yet another Cloudy and Humid day in Arkland the Dull. The weekend is forecast to be mostly fine, so hopefully some Paint Ing can be achieved. Meanwhile, another tin of Paint has been delivered, and I await the arrival of a new wooden Stool/Step thingy, which will be safer to use on deck, and less likely to collapse under me. Well, it's a Plan, even though I sometimes tend to think that it's better to put off until tomorrow whatever one has to do today...
FISH PIE for Lunch - I can't really compete with the delicious menus on the What Did You Eat Today? thread...
Glad you are feeling better, Nenya. Hoping everyone’s aches and pains are improving.
Have a lovely time with your family, Boogie.
In theory I take Tuesday off but not today. I have had training this morning on the new marking app and will have a module meeting later today. I have just finished lunch of leftover sausages with omelette and will do some studying for a couple of hours. I am currently looking at how the classical world was understood geographically and mapped, with a case study of Africa.
The cartographical exercise sounds absolutely fascinating. I love old maps, and the ways in which they portray wherever-it-is.
Boo. A mere 10 days into the new school year and Captain Pyjamas has already hoovered up a cold, and now I've got it too. I'm not desperately ill, but Lord am I tired.
I did manage to summon up the energy to go to Lidl and the market this morning. It being the season for greengages, this afternoon I produced half a dozen jars of JAM. 'Tis very yummy.
My son did a great job in the garden yesterday until it got dark.
I met up with a choir friend this afternoon and I am not sorry I missed the rehearsal last night ( traffic, stifling heat etc.). I have been lazy today, but the rest of the week will be busy.
My head is much improved today, thank you.
Weatherwise, it’s such a lovely day (after a little morning rain) so I weeded the front garden. As Mr Bee mowed the lawn first thing before the rain, it’s looking the best it’s done for a few months.
Glad to hear of assorted health improvements, but sorry about La Vie and Captain PJs - hope you both feel better soon. Tiredness was the prevailing feature of the cold I had, and I'm inclined to think the best thing is to go with it, and get as much sleep as you can.
Work was very quiet today: I felt quite superfluous most of the day.
Supper was pasta with prawns, green beans and broccoli.
Another lazyish day today though annoyingly it doesn't seem to be helping my hip much. I think I need to chase up the doctors as I'm due on a walking holiday in less than a fortnight!
FISH PIE for Lunch - I can't really compete with the delicious menus on the What Did You Eat Today? thread...
I've rather gone off cooking this last years or so, and a lot our meals are leftovers from previous meals, or fast foods with lots of additives, so my contributions to "What Did You Eat Today' are not particularly competitive.
A fish pie would be a real treat here at the moment, but I am still avoiding using the oven, and tired as I am getting of salads there are still tomatoes & cucumbers growing outside the back door that need eating.
FISH PIE for Lunch - I can't really compete with the delicious menus on the What Did You Eat Today? thread...
I've rather gone off cooking this last years or so, and a lot our meals are leftovers from previous meals, or fast foods with lots of additives, so my contributions to "What Did You Eat Today' are not particularly competitive.
A fish pie would be a real treat here at the moment, but I am still avoiding using the oven, and tired as I am getting of salads there are still tomatoes & cucumbers growing outside the back door that need eating.
Do you have an air fryer you could use instead of an oven? You could probably even use a slow cooker to make a fish pie, and then use the grill to brown the top.
I'm sorry to read about the various health stuff people are facing and hope you all swiftly regain your equilibrium.
My current challenges are interesting as I'm solo for the next two weeks with Husband Beaky in Kenya. I definitely find it easier being the one who goes away rather than the one that remains- a salutary thought for what the future might hold methinks.
I appear to be brewing another dental issue- my teeth are damaged due to poor dentistry in the 60s and I'm also a very anxious patient. I have an appointment for next week.
In addition my mobile phone battery appears to have died without due warning. I feel somewhat concerned now about travelling anywhere until I have it sorted and so will have to rearrange my plans- this is all very discombobulating, I have without doubt lost resilience as I've got older!
I have a very small air fryer. I can just get 2 moderately sized cornish pasties in it, balanced on their folded edge. No way could I get a 2 person fish pie in there.
I have adapted several recipes to be assembled from hot components and then put under the grill, but a fish pie done that way would be too much faffing around, especially as I have gone off cooking!
It's been a while since I have actually made my own fish pie, but had found a Supermarket one we enjoy. I suspect that over the summer there will have been several modifications made to the recipe to reduce the manufacturing price, and it will not taste the same!
....................
Anyone else read about the sneaky introduction by supermarkets of canned Jack Mackerel instead of the real thing? Cheaper, for them, but not so nutritious for the consumer - less Omega3.
First the Pilchards disappear from the supermarket shelves, canned sardines are hard to find and now this substituted 'mackerel'!
At least Prince's label their Jack Mackerel properly.
Anyone else read about the sneaky introduction by supermarkets of canned Jack Mackerel instead of the real thing?
Yes, I saw that - but we've never bought it, anyway!
We went last night to an excellent performance of "Operation Mincemeat". Very cleverly done with five cast members playing dozens of roles, lightning-fast costume changes, superb script beautifully delivered ... the packed audience rose as one and cheered at the end. This was preceded by an excellent meal at a gastropub we'd not tried before - we'll be back!
Today, this baby goes back to the farm where it was given as a 21st birthday present to the Land Girl in the photo. I'm quite excited because it's been a fun little project taking photos of Land Girl reenactors, and the last ones on the roll will be of the farm, and I'll also take a little video of that and the church she married her handsome farmhand in. But I'm also nervous because what if I didn't get the camera back together right (shutter full of carp), and I'm meeting the farm's owner who I've literally known about since I was in short pants - he turns up briefly in the book that sparked my interest in local history.
Anyone else read about the sneaky introduction by supermarkets of canned Jack Mackerel instead of the real thing?
Yes, I saw that - but we've never bought it, anyway!
We went last night to an excellent performance of "Operation Mincemeat". Very cleverly done with five cast members playing dozens of roles, lightning-fast costume changes, superb script beautifully delivered ... the packed audience rose as one and cheered at the end. This was preceded by an excellent meal at a gastropub we'd not tried before - we'll be back!
I saw Operation Mincemeat three years ago in London and it is one of the very best shows I have ever seen- standing ovation throughout the theatre.
How lovely, Sandemaniac. My own war re-enactment tended to be as a WW1 Red Cross nursing sister but we used to have Land Girls around at some of our events.
A quieter day today, I just have some tutorial slides to write (a mental health one focusing on preparing for exams) and a Teams presentation which I may or may not attend. I might study this afternoon.
What a great project @Sandemaniac. Re-enactors round here are usually Civil War soldiers. I know a teenager who is very adept at pike drill. He was about thirteen when I first met him and I found it rather sad to think that during the Civil War he'd be doing it for real.
Another lazyish day though I have to chair a meeting tonight. Not looking forward to it as I can see there will be some disagreements over the best way forward on several items and being deaf I don't always catch up on the sub-text of what's happening. I'm going to experiment with using my phone or iPad to translate speech to text for me. @MrsBeaky , I quite enjoy being home alone when my husband goes away, but I know he doesn't enjoy it when I do the same. I hope you get your phone sorted. I find it rather scary how much we rely on them nowadays.
I work from home and Mr Heavenly is currently in the US on business. Him going away used to make me anxious but these days I am more used to being alone in the evening as running a business means he often works late (though that is sometimes because he is at a work social). It does mean I am limited in my activities though as I cannot drive; our weekly bible study group is 8 miles away in another village.
My lawns need mowing. My neighbour usually mows the front one when he does his own, but he hasn’t done either for a long time. We keep getting sudden showers and as the grass is quite long now, it means mowing keeps getting put off.
I received details of the choral cruise I mentioned a while back. I am hoping to share cabins with a friend to save on costs but it isn’t something either of us would normally do, so I await her reply. There might be more information at choir tonight- which reminds me I ought to look at the new pieces.
No cooking needed tonight as my son brought me some cottage pie to reheat.
Less mowing is much better for wildlife It's better to mow a lawn later into autumn after it has been able to seed itself and also feed wildlife with said seed.
I had noticed Princes selling jack mackerel instead of normal mackerel - not good at all as jack mackerel is much less sustainable and the population is in danger of collapse due to overfishing. The "Fisheries" section of the Wikipedia article on Chilean jack mackerel (which is the variety being sold here) is illuminating.
In an interview with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the French marine biologist Daniel Pauly compared jack mackerels to American bison, whose populations also collapsed in the 19th century from overhunting: "This is the last of the buffaloes. When they're gone, everything will be gone ... This is the closing of the frontier."
... my contributions to "What Did You Eat Today' are not particularly competitive ...
I wasn't aware it was a competition; I certainly couldn't compete with Firenze and Heavenlyannie!
Mostly very quiet at work, although the bloke from Workflow (the professional geeks who do Geeky Things when our computers misbehave) came and sorted out my watermark issues.
Roast duck breast with potatoes and greens for supper.
We're coming up to a period when Mr Nen will be mostly away for the best part of 10 days (coming back briefly in between various trips). I am a poor traveller and unlike @MrsBeaky always prefer to be the one that stays put: he is the adventurous one. In our previous house I absolutely relished time on my own; here, not so much. It's not that I'm nervous, I just don't (yet) feel settled enough to relax properly.
Domestic Goddess Nen got the slow cooker on this morning, then I headed down to the village as it's Mobile Library Day. This afternoon I was in the garden tidying and trimming and cutting back and it was ideal weather, plenty of shade now that the sun's lower in the sky, and a nice cool breeze. Mr Nen mowed the lawn for the first time in months and helped me move a few tubs around. There's plenty of weeding to be done on the paving and shingle areas and I caught myself feeling a bit stressed about that. Then I reminded myself there are no deadlines - plenty of time to get it done and enjoy the doing.
It is three months today since all the new solar and battery technology was installed and Mr Nen is pleased that we haven't drawn power from the grid in all that time. As the sun was shining I was even allowed to run the washing machine .
Tomorrow we are on coffee duty at the village hall for the first time, a scary responsibility .
In the midst of a busy day I have managed to book the choral cruise! Single cabin but next door to my friend. Next May, from Liverpool, Remote Scottish Isles.
I shall have to renew my passport as it ran out during Covid and Mr P wasn’t up to travelling abroad after that so I didn’t renew it, but it means I can consider other holidays abroad eg railway journeys.
Must return to my baking. Tea loaf and pear cake in preparation.
Comments
Sorry to hear about the fall yesterday @Bishops Finger and hope another night's sleep will restore you.
I've been awake since 3.45am with an upset stomach and have in consequence also been taking things Very Quietly. I went to our local short morning service, crawled back (it is not far but I was grateful for the offer of a lift for part of the way) and have been sitting about for the rest of the day, watching easy stuff on the TV; I don't have the concentration to read much. It's a shame as we had some nice things planned with friends today which Mr Nen went to on his own - the advantage being that he got lunch out, saving me having to think about Food. Which I wouldn't have anyway - I'm steering well clear of the "What Did You Eat Today?" thread.
Crawling off to bed now and hoping for a better night's sleep and to feel better in the morning.
Glad Mr Beaky has arrived safely @MrsBeaky.
I too am off to bed, today has totally wiped me out. I have nothing planned for tomorrow other than knitting and reading agendas for two meetings I have this week.
Imagine being able to learn anything you put your mind to. My son has decided to learn Georgian - and he's storming though it.
We are jealous of his easy memory. He's always been the same. He found exams very easy as a youngster - but he had to be motivated, which was the hard bit, schooling-wise.
Mr Heavenly set off for Heathrow airport at 6am this morning so it’s just me and the cat for the next week. It’s also a busy week at work as term starts in a couple of weeks for my students and the preparatory meetings have started this week.
I had a meeting at 10am today and am now having a break before writing an introductory tutorial for one of the modules I am teaching this year; I am teaching public health, mental health, death studies and youth studies. I have reduced my hours slightly by dropping a duplicate module and next year I will probably drop the youth studies as I plan for a gradual slide towards retirement.
Later this afternoon I have an introductory tutorial to attend as a student on the MA Classical Studies programme so that will be a welcome diversion.
I was considering not going, when almost simultaneously my son said he could come over at 5.30 which is the time I would need to set off. Then I received not one but two offers of a lift. What a quandary. I decided to stay at home to see my son as I haven’t seen him for over three weeks.
The rehearsal will involve a run through of a work I know very well, and a second go at bits of a brand new piece, a commissioned work, which we started last week, so I don’t feel too bad about missing. It is a bit of a protest vote really.
Thanks for the various good wishes. I slept better but am feeling washed out and as though I've been kicked in the stomach. I hope you are ok today @Bishops Finger and that you're able to rest and restore today @Sarasa . Just hearing about all you're doing makes me feel tired.
A noisy morning here as we have a Fencing Person sorting out our fence. The original posts weren't installed properly and are splitting and rotting, so we're having more put in between what's there for extra support. Also the sun has come out so the battery is merrily charging. Mr Nen wants to be able to say that for three months after the installation of the new equipment we have not pulled power from the national grid at all; this has involved a few "Can we leave running the dishwasher and washing machine until tomorrow?"-type conversations. The three month marker is up in the middle of this week and when I commented about this he then said, "Well, I'd really like to go to the end of September." At which point I told him he couldn't keep moving the goalposts :rolleyes: .
Mostly Sun-Shiny this afternoon in Arkland the Muggy (humidity is still high - maybe causing the washed-outness some of us are experiencing?). but the warmth is welcome. Rain is forecast for later in the week, but we seem to be set for some reasonably mild days, or so They say.
STEAK n'CHIPS for lunch, and, following the Monday Expotition to Tess Coe, there is some nice Crusty Bread on hand to go with CHEESE later. I normally subsist on seedy Brown Bread, but now and then a change is called for...
Restage and Snoozage for the rest of the day, and Pilates tomorrow, because Tuesday.
I had a lovely time with nearly the whole family yesterday, and a very good Chinese takeaway: Bamboo South Queensferry would knock spots off the Bamboo Inn over the road (I don't think they're connected). I had a few mini spring rolls followed by prawns with veggies, which were very flavoursome indeed.
Work was nice and steady until my new printer decided it didn't want to do watermarks properly, so a call to the geeks will ensue tomorrow.
Got very slightly rained on coming home, but it didn't come to anything.
Fish cakes and veggies for supper.
*consults Mr Nen*
We have an 18kW battery and 20 panels. When we moved in there were panels only on the north and south facing roofs but we've since added them to the east and west facing roofs and Mr Nen reckons that's improved our solar output by up to 40% .
We also have an air-sourced heat pump for hot water. There's no gas in the village. Most people are on oil.
I've had three small meals today, which is an improvement on yesterday, and it would be really nice to wake up tomorrow not feeling as though I've been kicked in the stomach.
I hope you get on the trial @Pomona and hope you feel less wibbly soon @Tree Bee .
I've only been as far as the garden today as I'm hoping trying to rest up with improve my hip. It doesn't seem to have worked so far, but I live in hope. I have done a bit of gentle gardening and started to sew up the front panel of a cushion I'm knitting. Tomorrow should also be fairly quiet though I have a a real life and a zoom meeting tomorrow.
Have taken my Zonk Out pill for the evening - the theory is it will knock me out sufficiently for the joint pain not to wake me. So far, up to a point Lotd Copper.
Hmm. Today it was the right decision, but not always. Don’t you ever have commitments which need prioritising over family?
In this choir 75% attendance is expected, without which you cannot sing in a concert. So I can’t afford to miss any more, in case I am ill one week. My son also knows I run a u3a group and would not expect me to prioritise seeing him over that, nor would I expect him to come and help me when he has work commitments.
Fixed coding - Nenya, All Saints Host
You're quite right, of course. Having in the past been messed around myself in similar ways I just felt annoyed on your behalf.
Overcast but still warm here in the Wilds of Wiltshire and the Helpful Post Fixing Person has returned to finish Helpfully Fixing the Garden Posts.
A lot better today - just a bit tender in the stomach area rather than feeling I've been kicked.
We are having a lazy day here in Ziegelhausen - lots of cups of coffee while our Enkelin plays. She has a great imagination, I can't wait until she starts writing stories!
Have a lovely time with your family, Boogie.
In theory I take Tuesday off but not today. I have had training this morning on the new marking app and will have a module meeting later today. I have just finished lunch of leftover sausages with omelette and will do some studying for a couple of hours. I am currently looking at how the classical world was understood geographically and mapped, with a case study of Africa.
Yet another Cloudy and Humid day in Arkland the Dull. The weekend is forecast to be mostly fine, so hopefully some Paint Ing can be achieved. Meanwhile, another tin of Paint has been delivered, and I await the arrival of a new wooden Stool/Step thingy, which will be safer to use on deck, and less likely to collapse under me. Well, it's a Plan, even though I sometimes tend to think that it's better to put off until tomorrow whatever one has to do today...
FISH PIE for Lunch - I can't really compete with the delicious menus on the What Did You Eat Today? thread...
The cartographical exercise sounds absolutely fascinating. I love old maps, and the ways in which they portray wherever-it-is.
Here be Dragons!!
I did manage to summon up the energy to go to Lidl and the market this morning. It being the season for greengages, this afternoon I produced half a dozen jars of JAM. 'Tis very yummy.
I met up with a choir friend this afternoon and I am not sorry I missed the rehearsal last night ( traffic, stifling heat etc.). I have been lazy today, but the rest of the week will be busy.
Weatherwise, it’s such a lovely day (after a little morning rain) so I weeded the front garden. As Mr Bee mowed the lawn first thing before the rain, it’s looking the best it’s done for a few months.
Work was very quiet today: I felt quite superfluous most of the day.
Supper was pasta with prawns, green beans and broccoli.
I've rather gone off cooking this last years or so, and a lot our meals are leftovers from previous meals, or fast foods with lots of additives, so my contributions to "What Did You Eat Today' are not particularly competitive.
A fish pie would be a real treat here at the moment, but I am still avoiding using the oven, and tired as I am getting of salads there are still tomatoes & cucumbers growing outside the back door that need eating.
Do you have an air fryer you could use instead of an oven? You could probably even use a slow cooker to make a fish pie, and then use the grill to brown the top.
My current challenges are interesting as I'm solo for the next two weeks with Husband Beaky in Kenya. I definitely find it easier being the one who goes away rather than the one that remains- a salutary thought for what the future might hold methinks.
I appear to be brewing another dental issue- my teeth are damaged due to poor dentistry in the 60s and I'm also a very anxious patient. I have an appointment for next week.
In addition my mobile phone battery appears to have died without due warning. I feel somewhat concerned now about travelling anywhere until I have it sorted and so will have to rearrange my plans- this is all very discombobulating, I have without doubt lost resilience as I've got older!
I think we all lose resilience as we get older.
It was hot here in Heidelberg yesterday 28⁰. Thankfully today is forecast much cooler.
We had a lovely meal last night with good friends. It was an Italian so I had a salmon pasta dish - delicious!
Our Enkelin it's getting very excited about starting school on Monday. Tomorrow we're going to go to a lovely park near Manheim to distract her.
I have adapted several recipes to be assembled from hot components and then put under the grill, but a fish pie done that way would be too much faffing around, especially as I have gone off cooking!
It's been a while since I have actually made my own fish pie, but had found a Supermarket one we enjoy. I suspect that over the summer there will have been several modifications made to the recipe to reduce the manufacturing price, and it will not taste the same!
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Anyone else read about the sneaky introduction by supermarkets of canned Jack Mackerel instead of the real thing? Cheaper, for them, but not so nutritious for the consumer - less Omega3.
First the Pilchards disappear from the supermarket shelves, canned sardines are hard to find and now this substituted 'mackerel'!
At least Prince's label their Jack Mackerel properly.
We went last night to an excellent performance of "Operation Mincemeat". Very cleverly done with five cast members playing dozens of roles, lightning-fast costume changes, superb script beautifully delivered ... the packed audience rose as one and cheered at the end. This was preceded by an excellent meal at a gastropub we'd not tried before - we'll be back!
https://flic.kr/p/2scwvsV
I saw Operation Mincemeat three years ago in London and it is one of the very best shows I have ever seen- standing ovation throughout the theatre.
A quieter day today, I just have some tutorial slides to write (a mental health one focusing on preparing for exams) and a Teams presentation which I may or may not attend. I might study this afternoon.
Another lazyish day though I have to chair a meeting tonight. Not looking forward to it as I can see there will be some disagreements over the best way forward on several items and being deaf I don't always catch up on the sub-text of what's happening. I'm going to experiment with using my phone or iPad to translate speech to text for me.
@MrsBeaky , I quite enjoy being home alone when my husband goes away, but I know he doesn't enjoy it when I do the same. I hope you get your phone sorted. I find it rather scary how much we rely on them nowadays.
I received details of the choral cruise I mentioned a while back. I am hoping to share cabins with a friend to save on costs but it isn’t something either of us would normally do, so I await her reply. There might be more information at choir tonight- which reminds me I ought to look at the new pieces.
No cooking needed tonight as my son brought me some cottage pie to reheat.
I had noticed Princes selling jack mackerel instead of normal mackerel - not good at all as jack mackerel is much less sustainable and the population is in danger of collapse due to overfishing. The "Fisheries" section of the Wikipedia article on Chilean jack mackerel (which is the variety being sold here) is illuminating.
I wasn't aware it was a competition; I certainly couldn't compete with Firenze and Heavenlyannie!
Mostly very quiet at work, although the bloke from Workflow (the professional geeks who do Geeky Things when our computers misbehave) came and sorted out my watermark issues.
Roast duck breast with potatoes and greens for supper.
I took a break this afternoon and just did some reading, as I need to go to some meetings tomorrow on my day off.
Domestic Goddess Nen got the slow cooker on this morning, then I headed down to the village as it's Mobile Library Day. This afternoon I was in the garden tidying and trimming and cutting back and it was ideal weather, plenty of shade now that the sun's lower in the sky, and a nice cool breeze. Mr Nen mowed the lawn for the first time in months and helped me move a few tubs around. There's plenty of weeding to be done on the paving and shingle areas and I caught myself feeling a bit stressed about that. Then I reminded myself there are no deadlines - plenty of time to get it done and enjoy the doing.
It is three months today since all the new solar and battery technology was installed and Mr Nen is pleased that we haven't drawn power from the grid in all that time. As the sun was shining I was even allowed to run the washing machine
Tomorrow we are on coffee duty at the village hall for the first time, a scary responsibility
I shall have to renew my passport as it ran out during Covid and Mr P wasn’t up to travelling abroad after that so I didn’t renew it, but it means I can consider other holidays abroad eg railway journeys.
Must return to my baking. Tea loaf and pear cake in preparation.