Another busy day with no lunch, as I had lots of emails to answer, then a meeting, followed by an afternoon of phone calls with students and forum communications. But I’ve managed to finally escape and consume some cheddar, and I am now sat on the sofa where I am being harassed by Mochi the Cat who sees me as her personal entertainment system.
I think lunch is chicken legs with some form of citrusy salad. Mr Heavenly might be out, he was unsure earlier. If so I will do some studying.
I haven't made Parkin for a long time, so I'm hoping I haven't lost my touch. We'll know soon enough, a piece each will be consumed with our after-tea coffee. It is easy pasta for tea because there's a lot happening today and I need something quick and, um, easy.
We ended up doing coffee and lunch out in Nearby Town, around the appointments we had for our flu jabs, as well as various errands, and this afternoon I've had a zoom meeting with another scheduled for this evening. I'm currently feeling A Tad Peculiar and needing to drink Lots of Water; don't know if it's a reaction to the jab or to what I ate for lunch.
Me and Mrs LB have been walking between railway stations on the Hope Valley line from Dore and Totley probably finishing at Hazel Grove. Not directly (be bloody dangerous if you kept to the exact route) given some of them are only a couple of miles apart but more circuitously. Mostly half day saunters although Edale to Chinley is going to be a bit of a hike as that's where the railway line runs through a tunnel for a very, very good geographical reason.
Today was Bamford to Hope via Bamford Mill and Win Hill, followed by a very acceptable Hophead (pint thereof) and brie and bacon ciabatta lunch in Hope. 1000' was climbed and around six miles covered.
Me and Mrs LB have been walking between railway stations on the Hope Valley line from Dore and Totley probably finishing at Hazel Grove.
Hazel Grove is not on the Hope Valley line. You would need to change stations at New Mills to get there from Hope. (I used to work in New Mills, and was for a time commuting by train from Levenshulme.)
And in fairness, there is one train a day direct from Sheffield to Hazel Grove (via Disley Tunnel I presume) via the Hope Valley Line, albeit an express with limited stops.
@KarlLB When I see “One train a day” I’m reminded of the old “Parliamentary Trains” that were a requirement of many railways in the mid-nineteenth century!
@KarlLB When I see “One train a day” I’m reminded of the old “Parliamentary Trains” that were a requirement of many railways in the mid-nineteenth century!
Stockport to Stalybridge operated on that basis for some years (1992 - 2018) - one train a week (on a Friday) in one direction only. Changed to Saturday with service in both direction in 2018, It now (since 2022) has apparently two trains per week in both directions, both running on Saturdays.
I spent the morning in small town the west leafleting for our candidate in the upcoming council by-election. She'll be a great asset to the County Council if she's elected but it isn't really fertile territory for our party. The people she spoke to seemed quite friendly which is good. Home for a quick lunch and then off to a pottery workshop in the afternoon. I thought I wouldn't get there as I live on the other side of a level crossing from town and some idiot had driven into the gate breaking it. The police wouldn't let pedestrians cross in case a train turned up. Fortunately after about five minutes someone from Network Rail appeared and we allowed through. The class was excellent and I will have a pottery robin in time for Christmas, the tutor having taken it away to fire and paint for us. The gates were still broken when I came back and the police were stopping cars from crossing but pedestrians were allowed through. It'll be interesting to see if its working when I go into town tomorrow.
I saw an "interesting" video recently from Chris Spargo who told us that to close a rail route is very complicated and if you subsequently decide to open it again it is even more tricky. Therefore they reduce the service to the minimum once a week. He was making this video on a bus because one once a week service had moved to the road as they were using a section of the particular line it went on for some experimental stuff.
I couldn't eat all my tea yesterday evening - though I'm pleased to report that the Parkin was Satisfactory - and after my last meeting of the day I headed straight to bed. Once I'd had breakfast this morning all Peculiar Feelings seemed to disappear, which I'm thankful about. We've been to Coffee at the Village Hall this morning.
Domestics and catching up on the phone with a friend this afternoon (who has finally exchanged contracts on her house sale and purchase after weeks of waiting - phew!), salmon and roast vegetables for tea and the Celebrity Traitors for our TV viewing pleasure later.
I saw an "interesting" video recently from Chris Spargo who told us that to close a rail route is very complicated and if you subsequently decide to open it again it is even more tricky. Therefore they reduce the service to the minimum once a week. He was making this video on a bus because one once a week service had moved to the road as they were using a section of the particular line it went on for some experimental stuff.
The Transport Act of 1981 introduced the "Speller Amendment", which allowed a line to be opened on an "experimental" basis and, if unsuccessful, closed without going through the usual procedures. After five years though any closure proposal must be treated in the normal way. There have been stations (eg Newhaven Marine, now "properly" closed) which have been served by trains ... which didn't actually carry any passengers because the platform was deemed to dangerous to use!
But we digress ..... I went shopping early, then did some church work and had a swim. I am now contemplating some washing-up while my wife listens to "The Archers".
A busy day in Arkland the Autumnal, where many of the Trees, with which the great, grey, greasy Arklando River is all set about, are displaying some splendid colours. There's a row of roadside trees near the Pilates studio which, in Spring, are of a dazzling green which looks as though God had only just invented it. In Autumn, they turn to a bright yellow which also looks as though God had only just invented it...IYSWIM...
Today's programme was (a) flu jab* at the village GP, (b) Shopp Ing at Tess Coe, (c) visit to Arkland HQ to collect box of acrylic paints for Railway Muddling porpoises, and (d) back to the Mechanical Man for MOT retest and repair of tyre pressure monitoring system - all successfully done. Lunch will probably be a BAKED SPUD and a STEAK PIE with MUSHY PEAS.
The Mechanical Man had previously warned me that a scan costing £50 might be needed to sort out the tyre pressure issue, but it wasn't, and the bill came to just £15.60 (on top of the £35 MOT fee paid on Tuesday - retest is free). This is why I go to this garage - they have never (in 20 years) charged me for anything they haven't done, and their prices in any case are quite reasonable by today's standards.
*No ill-effects at all - so far! - and I was also able to book my Covid booster for early November, to be done at the local surgery. This saves me having to search online for a place where disabled parking might be available - I know that I can always park at the village GP, as they have quietly given me leave to use the staff car park if necessary.
BTW, yesterday's outing with the Ladies who Lunch went well. The place we patronised offers some 'Chef's Specials' (though I guess many places also do now), so I had Pan-Fried Calf's Liver on a Potato Cake (filled with various Vegetables), with Bacon, Parsnip toasts, and a Cherry & Chive Sauce...
Lemon Meringue to follow, and two large glasses of a Portuguese red wine (Dao).
Good news about your car @Bishops Finger ; in fact, it sounds like a successful day all round and glad you've had no post-flu-jab ill-effects. I feel fine today but I do have an achey arm. Also glad to hear you enjoyed your outing with the Ladies Who Lunch. Having been a Lady Who Lunches in our previous place of inhabitance, I hope to become one again in the fullness of time as I get to know Local Ladies better.
Here in the Wilds of Wiltshire autumn is behaving oddly, no doubt due to the extra-hot summer. A large tree just down the road has shed a lot of brown leaves but the leaves that remain on it are still green. Although it's nice to see the autumn sunshine, and good for those of us who are as solar-powered as possible, I'm very concerned about how dry everything is. We need rain, and lots of it - gentle and steady, overnight every night for several months.
This morning I went to quite a fun activity, when the kids from Captain P's (Catholic) school did a guided tour of their local church. It was really interesting, and I also learned that I had somehow managed never to notice a gigantic Tintoretto painting on the wall (to be fair, it's in a side chapel).
After that I came home to Clean Ing, and then Beethoven. Rehearsal is tonight, preceded by the AGM, which, unusually for French people, the committee attempt to expedite as quickly as they can possibly get away with.
Tomorrow is a teacher training day, so the school holidays have effectively started this evening.
Yesterday was a bit busy, with Scrabble group and choral society. A chunk of the rehearsal was taken up with photos, as those on our website are way out of date, so we had to wear concert attire - apart from one tenor, who obviously doesn’t read his email reminders.
Today I woke late as I had a big chunk of wakefulness in the night. After lunch my son came and mowed the back lawn and tidied a bit more of the front.
Church choir practice has been cancelled tonight as our MD is unwell. This means I can go to practice with the choir I agreed to help out at their Evensong next Thursday, though it will mean missing my own rearranged choir practice, so I am rather conflicted.
I was thinking on the way to work that the trees here are still looking nicely leafy: they are beginning to turn, but (touch wood) we haven't yet had a big enough blow for them to plummet en masse.
Supper was part 2 of the veggie curry. I think what's left will be boxed up and frozen: I'm going out with a few of the ladies from church tomorrow evening to a local Italian eaterie, so the curry will do for another time.
Rehearsal is tonight, preceded by the AGM, which, unusually for French people, the committee attempt to expedite as quickly as they can possibly get away with.
It would be interesting to note whether they can get through an AGM more quickly than a Trade Union to which I once belonged. It took place during the Annual Conference and lasted approximately three minutes (and I am not clear as to why it took so long). Item 1 to approve the minutes of the last AGM (this had only four lines). Item 2 to receive the Annual Report (discussion of which had featured in the Annual Conference - no further discussion allowed). Item 3 to receive the results of elections (which had all taken place previously by postal ballot).
I like those sort of short meetings @la vie en rouge and @Ex_Organist. I seem to go too far too many long ones.
A busy day today. My lip reading class that I haven't been to for three weeks due to various reasons this morning. The theme was Birmingham, and I now know a lot of things I didn't know before.This afternoon I hosted a meeting for people involved in literacy projects in the town to get together at the Town Hall and talk about ways we can work together to encourage reading among our children and young people. Then this evening to a local boxing gym that does a lot of work with the town's young people, including having alternative education provision. I came home feeling very weary indeed, and am now heading to bed.
Tomorrow I need to follow up on what we decided this afternoon and also take a leaf out of @puzzler's book and swap over my summer and winter clothes.
Fantastic concert this evening: piano recital by Llyr Williams, playing Ravel, Debussy and Chopin. I feel quite wrung out emotionally, especially as we were sitting in the front row!
Usual Thursday here, I went to yoga then coffee with the ladies. The new young lady is from Iran and we had an interesting discussion with her about the situation back home. Two of the others in the group were older immigrants to Britain so we also discussed attachment to home countries.
This afternoon I started my masters assignment with a short piece of reflective writing on my studies so far. Then this evening we went out to our bible study group. Mr Heavenly has just made a quick dash out to join some friends in the pub before last orders so I am sipping a lemon beer by myself.
Back in the Lockdown Days when church meetings were on Zoom we had a brief discussion as to the length of the Zoom sessions which had to be specified when the session was set up beforehand. Some people wanted to make them longer so that we didn't all get cut off before we had finished and some of us didn't see a problem.
When I moved here and joined various groups. - the arts centre, Church, the hedgehog sanctuary, Warm spot.
I agreed to join but said "yes but I don't do meetings.". Now, when there's a meeting and they ask me to come along, I remind them.
I don't do meetings. Meetings don't get things done. People do. 🙂
I agree, up to a point - but meetings are sometimes useful in determining what things need to be done IYSWIM.
After a busy, productive, but very tiring few days, I've taken the opportunity to enjoy the Sun-Shine of Arkland the Mild by Doing Nothing At All™...apart from the usual Quaffage, that is.
I'm now at the stage of Having Nowhere Special To Go (most days) and Nothing To Do When I Get There, which is a sort of Blessing.
Lunch will a BAKED SPUD with either CHICKEN or Polish BACON, accompanied by the second half of yesterday's tin of MUSHY PEAS.
I have putting off doing my Self-Assessment Tax Return, but I knew I had to as, being a paper version, it has to be in by the end of this month. (For some abstruse reason, "Ministers of Religion" can't do it online). Having battled confusion in the past, I found it much easier this year, as HMRC now only require one form instead of two. Now to get to the Post Office!
Having been generously included in a group of Ladies Who Get Together On Various Occasions For Different Things (generously because I am a newbie and the rest of them have been together for years) I am going to a Meeting this evening where I believe we will be discussing plans about what might be upcoming for the group.
As the Meeting is going to include Wine and Nibbles I'm regarding it as Pleasure rather than Business.
I went into Nearby Town on the bus this morning and met up with my new friend for coffee. This afternoon has included Domestics and a long overdue Zoom catchup with Nenlet2 which was really nice.
Tea is cheese and tomato pastry swirls ( @Heavenlyannie 's idea) although I couldn't get the ready-rolled puff pastry and although I worked hard with the block I was sent as a substitute the pastry is going to be far too thick.
I've had a busy, rather faffsome day: wills with complicated legacies to charities (which my boss gets me to find out addresses and registered charity numbers of on the interweb). I know he appreciates my doing it, but it is a faff.
I shall feel that I deserve the glass of two of WINE I'll be having later with the church ladies - we're going to a local Italian eaterie for supper, so I'd better go and get myself sorted.
I did the usual this morning (replied to emails, answered forum messages, wrote a referencing tutorial). Then I went to a lunchtime online lecture on Roman dress. This afternoon I recorded a referencing tutorial (for a different module) and phoned a student.
Tea was sticky rice, mixed fish chunks baked in green zhoug paste and yoghurt, mushroom and cavolo nero curry. I am currently sipping a nice Chilean white (Gewürztraminer).
Mr Heavenly isn’t in yet as he is at a work social but he shouldn’t be late as the youngsters want to go home early and watch The Traitors (the youth of today, lol). When he gets home we will watch 2 episodes of The Traitors.
I have putting off doing my Self-Assessment Tax Return, but I knew I had to as, being a paper version, it has to be in by the end of this month. (For some abstruse reason, "Ministers of Religion" can't do it online). Having battled confusion in the past, I found it much easier this year, as HMRC now only require one form instead of two. Now to get to the Post Office!
Once, having missed the paper filing deadline, I worked out the numbers and used the standard online form. My assessment was accepted as correct, but in the confirmatory letter there was a paragraph basically telling me not to do it again. I suspect they didn’t want the potential hassle of trying to go after a minister of religion who had basically provided the information they needed, but just not in the form they asked for it.
On another occasion when the online process was new, my paperwork arrived full of guff about how it would be far better to submit online. By the time I attempted to do that and found it was not possible the paper deadline had passed. I was duly fined, but successfully appealed on the basis that paperwork addressed to me by name in full knowledge that I was a minister of religion shouldn’t have given the clear impression that I could file online when in fact that was not possible.
I did my swap of summer and winter clothes this morning and this afternoon went and opened a new venture in town which was enjoyable. This evening has been spent watching TV while huddled under a blanket - I feel about 90.
I have a bit of a full on day tomorrow so need to head to bed very soon.
We have surrendered to the weather and the central heating is now on, just for an hour in the morning and one in the evening. We don’t mind extra layers to keep warm but we need some encouragement to get moving in the morning.
The usual mixture of Sun-Shine and Clouds in Arkland the Breezy, but the brisk nor'-nor'-wester is at least making short work of drying the Wash Ing I've hung out!
Lunch is a BACON SANDWICH - there is CHICKEN for later, probably with BAKED BEANS and CHIPS. Comfort food...
Our Smart thermostat is set to 19.5 degrees in the day and 20 in the evening (it is set to 13 overnight but it never comes on then). So it maintains a fairly constant temperature and comes on automatically.
I had a lie in this morning and then a long walk. I really need to go and do some housework and laundry now though, and then some reading for my studies. I shall feed the birds first.
Freshly baked baguettes and cheese for lunch.
Today I'm off to buy flowers for my son's partner's birthday. I love buying flowers.
Oo, lucky Boogielet's partner! I love flowers and it's a while since I had any. Must remedy that soon.
I much enjoyed my Meeting with Wine and Nibbles and as I was out yesterday evening we plan to catch up on last night's Traitors over Stir Fry and WINE.
We went litter-picking round the village this morning, which was a really nice community thing to do. There was a bracing wind, but it was warm in the sunshine. Casa Nen is, as hoped, coming into its own now - it's Pretty Chilly outside but in the house we are still wandering about in shorts and teeshirts.
Went for an early swim, then breakfast and washing before going to Abergavenny for the United Reformed Church Synod (I am a Baptist 'ecumenical guest'). A lovely drive in the autumn sunshine, and a good meeting too.
When we got married, husband en rouge decided he was going to buy me flowers every weekend. It hasn't always worked out, but most of the time he sticks to it. Dahlias this week. He went to the market yesterday with Captain P, who carried the bouquet and got a load of admiration, and boasted that they were for Maman.
@Nenya feel free to use this information (I know someone whose husband gets her flowers every week) to apply pressure to Mr Nen
A busy day with our three monthly repair cafe kicking things off this morning. We were in a new venue, which we all agreed worked well. This afternoon husband and I went to a 60th wedding anniversary party which was really nice. It was very poignant seeing a video of the film of the wedding. They were both so beautiful and so in love. Sixty years later the same is true but the changes are very obvious. I found the video interesting from a sociological point of view. So many ladies in petal-like hats and so much smoking, including the man that lights up as soon as he leaves the church. This evening we were at a wine and cheese event. Too much cheese and rather a lot of alcohol, not all of it wine. Still a good evening and we won a bottle of prosecco in the raffle which is always a good thing.
@Nenya feel free to use this information (I know someone whose husband gets her flowers every week) to apply pressure to Mr Nen
That won't cut the mustard with Mr Nen. I have on several occasions over the years observed to him that many women I know have received a piece of jewellery to mark the birth of a child. He still owes me two .
A bright and bracing day here in the Wilds of Wiltshire. We've been to church at our Little Local Place and have had to change our plans for the rest of the day as we were going to have lunch with friends but one of them isn't well so we have postponed. This does mean we can this afternoon go to a monthly discussion group that happens locally and also have our usual Sunday evening roast with WINE.
I have woke up feeling slightly under the weather and probably have the beginnings of a cold. I have been on my morning walk in the sunshine, done the laundry and am now relaxing on the sofa. Mr Heavenly is making lunch, which is a chicken, mango and butterbean salad in a satay dressing, with another of his home baked baguettes.
Ms Dafyd has made it clear on several occasions that flowers are not her thing. I'm sorry not to be able to express my feelings that way, although it's true I'd probably only buy them intermittently.
A dire and dismal day in Arkland the Drenched, with the waters that are above the Firmament descending en masse to join the waters under the Firmament. I did at least manage a quick trip to the village Co-Op, having somehow run alarmingly short of BEER.
Darllenwr has bought me, several Lego flowers which look nice and don’t die off.
There are now some Lego flowers in my Amazon basket!
It's been sunny in the southwest, but cool. Church was lovely - the CofE up the hill where Mr. Boogs plays the piano once a month.
I spent this afternoon doing three loads of washing as it's cheap electricity on a Sunday. All dry(ish) now, just a little airing on the airers needed.
Mr Boogs is crash banging upstairs as he's knocking through into the under eaves to make the second bedroom into a double for visitors.
I dislike 'big jobs' almost as much as he hates gardening! 😂
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Another busy day with no lunch, as I had lots of emails to answer, then a meeting, followed by an afternoon of phone calls with students and forum communications. But I’ve managed to finally escape and consume some cheddar, and I am now sat on the sofa where I am being harassed by Mochi the Cat who sees me as her personal entertainment system.
I think lunch is chicken legs with some form of citrusy salad. Mr Heavenly might be out, he was unsure earlier. If so I will do some studying.
We ended up doing coffee and lunch out in Nearby Town, around the appointments we had for our flu jabs, as well as various errands, and this afternoon I've had a zoom meeting with another scheduled for this evening. I'm currently feeling A Tad Peculiar and needing to drink Lots of Water; don't know if it's a reaction to the jab or to what I ate for lunch.
Today was Bamford to Hope via Bamford Mill and Win Hill, followed by a very acceptable Hophead (pint thereof) and brie and bacon ciabatta lunch in Hope. 1000' was climbed and around six miles covered.
Hazel Grove is not on the Hope Valley line. You would need to change stations at New Mills to get there from Hope. (I used to work in New Mills, and was for a time commuting by train from Levenshulme.)
Veggie curry for supper.
Stockport to Stalybridge operated on that basis for some years (1992 - 2018) - one train a week (on a Friday) in one direction only. Changed to Saturday with service in both direction in 2018, It now (since 2022) has apparently two trains per week in both directions, both running on Saturdays.
Domestics and catching up on the phone with a friend this afternoon (who has finally exchanged contracts on her house sale and purchase after weeks of waiting - phew!), salmon and roast vegetables for tea and the Celebrity Traitors for our TV viewing pleasure later.
The Transport Act of 1981 introduced the "Speller Amendment", which allowed a line to be opened on an "experimental" basis and, if unsuccessful, closed without going through the usual procedures. After five years though any closure proposal must be treated in the normal way. There have been stations (eg Newhaven Marine, now "properly" closed) which have been served by trains ... which didn't actually carry any passengers because the platform was deemed to dangerous to use!
But we digress ..... I went shopping early, then did some church work and had a swim. I am now contemplating some washing-up while my wife listens to "The Archers".
Today's programme was (a) flu jab* at the village GP, (b) Shopp Ing at Tess Coe, (c) visit to Arkland HQ to collect box of acrylic paints for Railway Muddling porpoises, and (d) back to the Mechanical Man for MOT retest and repair of tyre pressure monitoring system - all successfully done. Lunch will probably be a BAKED SPUD and a STEAK PIE with MUSHY PEAS.
The Mechanical Man had previously warned me that a scan costing £50 might be needed to sort out the tyre pressure issue, but it wasn't, and the bill came to just £15.60 (on top of the £35 MOT fee paid on Tuesday - retest is free). This is why I go to this garage - they have never (in 20 years) charged me for anything they haven't done, and their prices in any case are quite reasonable by today's standards.
*No ill-effects at all - so far! - and I was also able to book my Covid booster for early November, to be done at the local surgery. This saves me having to search online for a place where disabled parking might be available - I know that I can always park at the village GP, as they have quietly given me leave to use the staff car park if necessary.
BTW, yesterday's outing with the Ladies who Lunch went well. The place we patronised offers some 'Chef's Specials' (though I guess many places also do now), so I had Pan-Fried Calf's Liver on a Potato Cake (filled with various Vegetables), with Bacon, Parsnip toasts, and a Cherry & Chive Sauce...
Lemon Meringue to follow, and two large glasses of a Portuguese red wine (Dao).
Here in the Wilds of Wiltshire autumn is behaving oddly, no doubt due to the extra-hot summer. A large tree just down the road has shed a lot of brown leaves but the leaves that remain on it are still green. Although it's nice to see the autumn sunshine, and good for those of us who are as solar-powered as possible, I'm very concerned about how dry everything is. We need rain, and lots of it - gentle and steady, overnight every night for several months.
It did...
After that I came home to Clean Ing, and then Beethoven. Rehearsal is tonight, preceded by the AGM, which, unusually for French people, the committee attempt to expedite as quickly as they can possibly get away with.
Tomorrow is a teacher training day, so the school holidays have effectively started this evening.
Today I woke late as I had a big chunk of wakefulness in the night. After lunch my son came and mowed the back lawn and tidied a bit more of the front.
Church choir practice has been cancelled tonight as our MD is unwell. This means I can go to practice with the choir I agreed to help out at their Evensong next Thursday, though it will mean missing my own rearranged choir practice, so I am rather conflicted.
Supper was part 2 of the veggie curry. I think what's left will be boxed up and frozen: I'm going out with a few of the ladies from church tomorrow evening to a local Italian eaterie, so the curry will do for another time.
It would be interesting to note whether they can get through an AGM more quickly than a Trade Union to which I once belonged. It took place during the Annual Conference and lasted approximately three minutes (and I am not clear as to why it took so long). Item 1 to approve the minutes of the last AGM (this had only four lines). Item 2 to receive the Annual Report (discussion of which had featured in the Annual Conference - no further discussion allowed). Item 3 to receive the results of elections (which had all taken place previously by postal ballot).
A busy day today. My lip reading class that I haven't been to for three weeks due to various reasons this morning. The theme was Birmingham, and I now know a lot of things I didn't know before.This afternoon I hosted a meeting for people involved in literacy projects in the town to get together at the Town Hall and talk about ways we can work together to encourage reading among our children and young people. Then this evening to a local boxing gym that does a lot of work with the town's young people, including having alternative education provision. I came home feeling very weary indeed, and am now heading to bed.
Tomorrow I need to follow up on what we decided this afternoon and also take a leaf out of @puzzler's book and swap over my summer and winter clothes.
Usual Thursday here, I went to yoga then coffee with the ladies. The new young lady is from Iran and we had an interesting discussion with her about the situation back home. Two of the others in the group were older immigrants to Britain so we also discussed attachment to home countries.
This afternoon I started my masters assignment with a short piece of reflective writing on my studies so far. Then this evening we went out to our bible study group. Mr Heavenly has just made a quick dash out to join some friends in the pub before last orders so I am sipping a lemon beer by myself.
Back in the Lockdown Days when church meetings were on Zoom we had a brief discussion as to the length of the Zoom sessions which had to be specified when the session was set up beforehand. Some people wanted to make them longer so that we didn't all get cut off before we had finished and some of us didn't see a problem.
I agreed to join but said "yes but I don't do meetings.". Now, when there's a meeting and they ask me to come along, I remind them.
I don't do meetings. Meetings don't get things done. People do. 🙂
I agree, up to a point - but meetings are sometimes useful in determining what things need to be done IYSWIM.
After a busy, productive, but very tiring few days, I've taken the opportunity to enjoy the Sun-Shine of Arkland the Mild by Doing Nothing At All™...apart from the usual Quaffage, that is.
I'm now at the stage of Having Nowhere Special To Go (most days) and Nothing To Do When I Get There, which is a sort of Blessing.
Lunch will a BAKED SPUD with either CHICKEN or Polish BACON, accompanied by the second half of yesterday's tin of MUSHY PEAS.
As the Meeting is going to include Wine and Nibbles I'm regarding it as Pleasure rather than Business.
I went into Nearby Town on the bus this morning and met up with my new friend for coffee. This afternoon has included Domestics and a long overdue Zoom catchup with Nenlet2 which was really nice.
Tea is cheese and tomato pastry swirls ( @Heavenlyannie 's idea) although I couldn't get the ready-rolled puff pastry and although I worked hard with the block I was sent as a substitute the pastry is going to be far too thick.
I shall feel that I deserve the glass of two of WINE I'll be having later with the church ladies - we're going to a local Italian eaterie for supper, so I'd better go and get myself sorted.
Tea was sticky rice, mixed fish chunks baked in green zhoug paste and yoghurt, mushroom and cavolo nero curry. I am currently sipping a nice Chilean white (Gewürztraminer).
Mr Heavenly isn’t in yet as he is at a work social but he shouldn’t be late as the youngsters want to go home early and watch The Traitors (the youth of today, lol). When he gets home we will watch 2 episodes of The Traitors.
Once, having missed the paper filing deadline, I worked out the numbers and used the standard online form. My assessment was accepted as correct, but in the confirmatory letter there was a paragraph basically telling me not to do it again. I suspect they didn’t want the potential hassle of trying to go after a minister of religion who had basically provided the information they needed, but just not in the form they asked for it.
On another occasion when the online process was new, my paperwork arrived full of guff about how it would be far better to submit online. By the time I attempted to do that and found it was not possible the paper deadline had passed. I was duly fined, but successfully appealed on the basis that paperwork addressed to me by name in full knowledge that I was a minister of religion shouldn’t have given the clear impression that I could file online when in fact that was not possible.
I have a bit of a full on day tomorrow so need to head to bed very soon.
Today I'm off to buy flowers for my son's partner's birthday. I love buying flowers.
Lunch is a BACON SANDWICH - there is CHICKEN for later, probably with BAKED BEANS and CHIPS. Comfort food...
I had a lie in this morning and then a long walk. I really need to go and do some housework and laundry now though, and then some reading for my studies. I shall feed the birds first.
Freshly baked baguettes and cheese for lunch.
I much enjoyed my Meeting with Wine and Nibbles and as I was out yesterday evening we plan to catch up on last night's Traitors over Stir Fry and WINE.
We went litter-picking round the village this morning, which was a really nice community thing to do. There was a bracing wind, but it was warm in the sunshine. Casa Nen is, as hoped, coming into its own now - it's Pretty Chilly outside but in the house we are still wandering about in shorts and teeshirts.
@Nenya feel free to use this information (I know someone whose husband gets her flowers every week) to apply pressure to Mr Nen
That won't cut the mustard with Mr Nen. I have on several occasions over the years observed to him that many women I know have received a piece of jewellery to mark the birth of a child. He still owes me two
A bright and bracing day here in the Wilds of Wiltshire. We've been to church at our Little Local Place and have had to change our plans for the rest of the day as we were going to have lunch with friends but one of them isn't well so we have postponed. This does mean we can this afternoon go to a monthly discussion group that happens locally and also have our usual Sunday evening roast with WINE.
FISH CAKE etc. for Lunch.
CHOCOLATE for later...
There are now some Lego flowers in my Amazon basket!
It's been sunny in the southwest, but cool. Church was lovely - the CofE up the hill where Mr. Boogs plays the piano once a month.
I spent this afternoon doing three loads of washing as it's cheap electricity on a Sunday. All dry(ish) now, just a little airing on the airers needed.
Mr Boogs is crash banging upstairs as he's knocking through into the under eaves to make the second bedroom into a double for visitors.
I dislike 'big jobs' almost as much as he hates gardening! 😂