Wednesday - stopped sulking!

Thank you for the five comments, even if two of them were G repeating himself!
I did intend to take a camera on Sunday but having managed to dress myself, all clothes the right way round, & pack various bits & pieces for Solihull & Bicester (including the things that B & E forgot last time), I forgot to pick it up.
I have taken pictures on my exceedingly posh phone, I will post them tomorrow, I need a technical bit to do this, which G will provide.
I am looking quite glamorous, having just come from the hairdressers.
My day off today.
This morning, I did too much housework, then went to the gym & swam 25 length not having time for the gym as well as I had to be at the opticians at 3.00pm.
Very little change in my prescription so no new specs needed, but I may have a contact lens instead. Apparently my eyes could be balanced with one lens in my left eye. I don't think that he was joking as he appeared to be a man unlikely to be troubled with "laughter lines" in later life.
Think of the benefits
* half the cost
*only one lens to put in/remove/clean.
*only one lens to lose.
Do you think that I misunderstood?
Could aj write a poem about this?

The bonus print is of water falls near Luang Prabang in Laos, taken in August. Check this out with the competition photo on the back page of The Sunday Times, Travel supplement.

I think that this is it! Wow!!

Monday!

A hard day at the chalkface, finishing with year 8 "making" pizza.
The ingredient list:
pizza base
tomato paste or tin of tomatoes/pizza topping
grated cheese
plate to take home.

A bottle of oil & baking trays on each table - you get the picture!
Came home tired & cold, so sitting by the fire with a cup of tea & a teacake, instead of the gym.
Dropped the lap-top on my foot - at least it had a soft landing!
Pork chops & rice pud for dinner.
No comments, so that will do.

A nice cup of tea in Bicester.

G took his constitutional on his bike whilst I went to church.
After "brunch" we set off to visit the family in Solihull & Bicester.
G remembered that his phone could take photos rather late in the day.
Home in time for supper by the fire & "Cranford".

Auf wiedersehn, pet

The entrance.

Birmingham - you are here!

Home sweet home.

Decaf to boot.

Your bonus print - Tim at T & B's for dinner on J's christening weekend in March 2006 - smoked duck salad, which he loved, "delicious chicken"

Yesterday, both G & I had a hard day at work, so lit a big fire & collected a takeaway from the Polash (the usual), leaving the chicken fillets in the oven.
We drank a bottle of wine with it & then fell asleep - no change there!
We went to Birmingham this morning, firstly to the jewellery quarter & then to the German market (the biggest outside Germany) by the town hall.
We joined in the spirit by having a bag of caramelized nuts & a hot ham roll in the freezing cold & then pottered around for long enough to remember why we don't shop in Birmingham.
We came home, lit a big fire, had a nice cup of tea & a toasted teacake & were both asleep before 6.00pm!
AJ should be proud of me - I have used my money off vouchers & entered 8 competitions this week.
I will list my successes in due course!
I have not done the ironing, yet.

At the gym by 11.00am

OK, so this is "Living Well", now Bannantynes. I think that I resent paying money to that egotist.

Look at those feet - weapons of mass destruction

Your bonus print - I thought that this was sailing down the Mekong river; Carole Thatcher is spending Christmas doing this. On closer inspection, it's N Thailand.

My first (& last) day off this week.
A cup of tea in bed, reading the Christmas Good Housekeeping, including entering all of the competitions.
A little light housework & then off to the gym in Solihull for a couple of hours, before coffee &, I have to admit, a slice of cappuccino cake, at M&S.
Shopping in Solihull & Kenilworth & then home to minister to G, back from Amsterdam, with a bad cold.
G had to collect some papers from work, so we went together & ate at The Bear at Berkswell - food OK, service laughable.
Only go there if you "want a laugh" (G didn't)
Chocoholics, JS have Green & Black's" chocolate on special offer!
I have filled a cupboard with it.
Spellcheck gives "molehill" for Solihull - Spooky! They have moved to the top lawn.
We cannot decide whether they travelled under or over land.
Any thoughts?

Break again today

How about this one for G's rally publicity shot?

I was just planning my day this morning when Granville School phoned & asked if I could go in to cover for an ill english teacher.
This saved me planning further & with a burst of speed I was there by 8.50am
I sat with 4 isolated pupils & then "taught" 3 difficult classes & one OK one.
This daily supply lark is not easy!
Covering for an extended absence is much better as you have an identity & a programme of work to follow.
I visited Kingsbury on the way home to see AR to discuss "The Noble Peace Prize", to be awarded on Awards Evening, next week was given a very warm welcome & caught up on the gossip. Jamie came home with me to discuss "Citizenship"- a poisoned chalice!
I have had a call telling me that I have won yet another holiday! A second call reminded me to make the phone number to claim this prize!
TV is rubbish so I shall plan Thursday, which will involve not answering the phone before 8.00am.
J & G are coming for the weekend after next,. We shall be celebrating Oscar's 1st birthday -keep the Sat. free.
Chocolate cake guaranteed!

Another "break" today.

Another day at Swad followed by a trip to the gym.
I'm getting there - the journey & with the kids & enjoying the challenge.
Two days off now. What on earth to do with this freedom?
Housework competing with Warwick, Charlecote House, York, bike ride??????
Perhaps I'll write a really weird poem!
Off to bed - early start to make the most of the day but mainly because G has an early flight to Amsterdam.

Morning break today

I left home at 7.20am to drive to Swad.- a good journey as nearly all of the traffic is going south.
I took a register, went to assembly, & taught all day - quite hard work, in a new environment with some difficult kids.
The day ends at 2.50pm. Beat that!
I left at 3.10 & drove to Solihull, to the gym, for a couple of hours, came home & fell asleep.
It is 23 miles to school & 33 miles from school to the gym - info for W.

We are planning to decorate the study, hall stairs & landing, when time allows.
Any ideas ( we don't fancy white with a screwed up paper effect)
The study was last done when it was W's bedroom, about 18 years ago?
Where does the time go? - perhaps aj could write a poem about this or that!

Blogger won't let me upload my carefully selected images, I must have upset it in some subtle way.
Can I have some comments please.

Church at eleven

Yesterday we swept up leaves & now have a pile the size of the millennium dome at the top of the field.
As a reward G took me on a shopping trip to Homebase & Wickes, to buy light bulbs & Christmas tree lights (Copenhagen has red lights on the trees in their Christmas decorations & they look great).
After all of this exercise & excitement, we had an early night.
Today G made soup whilst I took the service at N Whitacre (Luke 21. 5-19)
We took this to P & A to share for lunch.
We did a little light shopping in Solihull on the way home & then did some paperwork / relaxed in front of a nice log fire.
There is now about an inch of snow so we shall have another early night in preparation for my first day at Granville School, Swadlincote, tomorrow.

Basil Brush.

Swadlincote. I forget what the leaning tower is.

Making this with year 11 next Thursday.

Basil Brush dropped in for elevenses.

Really.
I had a quick cup of coffee whilst looking out of the kitchen window; this large fox ambled across the field to the kitchen window & then walked down the drive & across the road.
I drove to Swad (only one brief error in navigation, with no sat nav) to discuss some supply work. I shall be doing 3/4 days a week until Christmas to cover the absence of the food tech/ health & social care/ child development teacher.
This should have many benefits
1. pay
2.a warm place of safety during the day, with no heating costs.
3.I will be learning all about the diet of 0 - 5 year olds, with yr 10 projects.
4.Cookery lessons - I may even come home with dinner prepared.
5.The school day finishes at 2.50pm - time to get to the gym before 4.30pm, the witching hour for "off-peak" members.

I went to the gym afterwards, which was envigorating.
There are few people there during the day so I can plod away without a thought about what I look like & watch daytime TV with no guilt whatsoever.

Home for elevenses

The famous St Bendt's Church in Ringsted.

The Ringsted museum.

The Royal Copenhagen shop in Copenhagen.

W took AJ, J & me to Copenhagen yesterday afternoon. We enjoyed the shops, the Christmas decorations & coffee in The Royal Copenhagen cafe. K joined us after work & we went to "Dan H" for a meal.
We all had burgers. J declared hers to be the "best she had ever eaten". They were very good & she has been on a strict diet for some weeks, so this could well be/ seem true.
W took AJ & me to the airport in Copenhagen early this morning, printed our boarding passes & saw us safely on the way to the departure gate.
We had a good journey, with coffee & muffins, & were met by G at BHX.
AJ left for home at tea time, after tea & a toasted tea-cake.
Many thanks to W & K for having us & to T & B for their wonderful hospitality yet again.

Today it was the ducks' turn for elevenses.

This was Sunday morning in the park - the ducks did feature quite significantly. They seem to know Jeremy - a sort of minuscule Dr Doolittle!

Saturday in Malmo. I didn't remember it being foggy,. William pointed out that the indoor photos were also in the fog & then cleaned the thumb-print off my lens.
I do like simple solutions!

See what I mean? This was our lunch stop.

This one is in soft focus, to show my range of skills.

Today I didn't take any photos.
AJ & I took J out this morning to feed his pet ducks. It was freezing & they were thrilled to see us & yesterday´s loaf. We pottered in town, bought lunch, including yummy danish pastries, to take home to share with William, who was decorating.
J ate a lot of tomatoes! ( & some cake, quite a lot, really - this is not really allowed)
We helped W after lunch & then went to T & B´s for another lovely meal.
Tomorrow - painting & then to Copenhagen as a reward.

Malmo for elevenses today.

Yes, we tried a new country for elevenses today - Sweden.
We were a little perturbed to note the comic-book big black cloud over Malmo as we left the bright sunshine of Copenhagen this morning, via the Oresunds bridge.
It was sleeting & very cold, but was kind to us in that it only did the precipitation bit whilst we were indoors. It did remain pretty chilly!.
We had a great brunch - a little cup of coconut & ...... soup with all sorts of interesting nibbles, including salmon, olives, sausage, filo pastry, fried bread....
We visited some inspiring shops & enjoyed the town. J ran through most of it at high speed - he is now asleep.
W is sanding the kitchen walls, AJ drinking wine & K relaxing, I hope.
We have some photos to add - W has to do this for me as it involves my memory in his camera.
I'm not sure that my camera has coped with the time-shift as the photos look a little blurred!

Holme Gaarde for elevenses & a nice glass of beer

Warming up at the gym on Wed.

No fear!

J & J on duck feeding duty

Helping Daddy to sort out his new *phone.

Jeremy has definitely been a "Daddy's boy" today - perhaps it was the puddle incident yesterday & a fear of more wet trousers.
The electrician took over the kitchen, he did not require anyone to swear at the sockets for him, so we went to the glassworks (as in title), enjoyed the shop, the play area & lunch in the brewery.
Pretty cold & windy so we all opted for an afternoon nap. W may have been working but I am not in a position to know.
W is now drilling in the kitchen, J has had a bath & is considering bed; he did try to throw me off the computer as he got here first!
W has "magicked" the photos into a "gill file".
Most of those of J are blurred as he moves too fast.

"Twelveses" in Ringsted.

This allows for the time shift - the hour lost on the flight from Birmingham, which will be magically returned to us (aj & me) on the return flight.
Denmark is a little chilly & breezy.
Points to note:
¤ Aj had to remove her Ugg boots to get through security - this involves aj attached to a chair & me using brute force.
¤We missed W at the airport, again, briefly. He hides!
¤T & B entertained us last night - a wonderful coq-au-vin & excellent company.
¤Jeremy remembers us, or is very friendly to any ladies old enough to be his grandmother who talk english & smile, incessantly.

We took J out on his bike to feed the ducks this am.All went very well until he sat in a puddle (heavily disguised by leaves) right up to his middle......
He "flew" home between us for dry kegs - great fun!
W & B are filling a trailer with DIY effluent, to go to the tip. J & AJ are watching.

No elevenses since Thursday!

A brief update, as I suspect that you only read the first 4 lines:
Fri: Thomas to play with. A long walk in the sunshine, with leaves fluttering down, then a spot of bonfire building whilst T slept in his pram at the side.
Sat: Guy Fawkes creating along with leaf collecting & more bonfire building.
The family + friends over for the celebration. G's friendly shopkeeper supplied loads of fireworks at a knock down price - they were wonderful.
A new experience for J,T,KP & T - smiles all round. Stew & dumplings to follow.(low fat suet!)
Sun: Tim & I went to the Garden Centre to buy a bird feeder & check up on Santa Claus & the reindeer - the latter were there awaiting Santa's arrival on 24 Dec.
To the Symphony Hall, pm to "The Family Pirate Concert", all in stripey pirate T-shirts. T went the whole hog - eye-patch, cutlass, hook. Great fun. Home to dinner, cooked by G, & so to bed - knackered, yet again.
Shustoke begins to look autumnal.

PS. Tim does not have a third eye. This was the most comfortable spot for the eye patch!

Two days at Shardelows for elevenses.

I think that I have achieved two "firsts" since Monday:
On Wed am, I drove to see cousin JR in Cambs, then on to Frinton, where JR spent his summer holidays when a lad.
Frinton is very gentile, a hot-spot for the over 80s, with one main street, Connaught Ave, leading to the sea.
We walked along Connaught Ave, had lunch in "The Lock & Barrel", pottered, then returned to the car, to find a parking ticket.
One of the few able bodied people in Frinton & I had managed to park in a well camouflaged "Disabled" space. Bother!
We drove on to Walton, & walked along the pier & the front.
Walton could win prizes for its potholes.

Today we went to "The Dog & Duck" for lunch (Presently having the roof re-thatched) then on to Saffron Walden for a walk round its very pretty lanes.

I left at 4.00pm in order to collect G from B'ham airport at 6.30pm.
The journey generally takes about 1hr 45min.
Today I had to add 1hr, for an overturned car on the M11 near Cambridge + 15 min for a tailback at the Catthorpe interchange.
G came home in a taxi; I arrived at 7.00pm!

I claim to be the first person to get a parking ticket in Frinton, indeed, possibly the only car in Frinton without a "Disabled "badge & not entitled to park in that space!
I claim to have made the slowest journey ever between Horseheath & Hollylands!