Snow!

A great day.
I collected J (late!). B came over with T & KP & we did Halloween; we made cakes & did spooky decorations, - KP's had fewer decorations as she ate or at least sucked most of hers, we made an orange jelly & a good pumpkin lantern which we put on the front porch.
We drew, read, did puzzles & even had time to watch "Charlie & Lola", & ate.
The children were all great fun, J with her handbags, being followed around by KP, T opening, closing & questioning the contents of everything with a door & KP with a small improvised walking stick, looking like the Yoda.

This morning was bright but cold, after lunch it rained & then turned into snow, big penny sized flakes, hard & fast for about two hours.
B took T & KP outside with a torch to enjoy the snow when J went home as J had no wellies with her.
I'm sure that A would be game for snowman when they got home - I heard him giving T some design tips!
I do hope that it clears before our Drayton Manor day tomorrow & that it stays dry for the morning.

Happy Anniversary.

Today is our thirteenth wedding anniversary.
It was a bright sunny day in 1995, as it was this morning.
We were married at Shustoke church at about 1.00pm. It should have been12.30pm, but G's family arrived late. Fancy .
I have a rain cheque from G, who is still in India, so we shall be celebrating later - perhaps we'll go out for an indian meal!

I had a lovely morning, playing tennis in the sunshine. I went on to Knowle to take some things to the charity shop, shopped in Tesco (shame!) & went on to the gym, then home.

B is coming tomorrow with T & KP. All is ship-shape & the beds ready. I have even removed the cobwebs from the bathroom that I missed last week & received a complaint from W.
Other peoples cobwebs are always more obvious than your own, for some reason, even to an avid scrubber like me.
J is here tomorrow, I'm sure that J & T will have a lovely day together.
We have pumpkins to carve & spooky fairy cakes to make.

James Munday, the soldier killed in Afghanistan last week, from Coleshill, is to be buried there tomorrow morning .
Security things were happening there today as Prince Harry is attending, apparently.
A place to be avoided, if not involved, I think .

A programme about class, involving John Prescott, is on at 9.00pm.
I want to watch at least a bit of it to remind myself how awful he is - I may not stomach more than a bit.
I have yet to talk to aj about the conspiracy theory regarding the third tower collapse on 9/11.
(programme on BBC last night)
I didn't know that a third building went down.
Did you?

Home Alone.

A quick note.
The Danes have arrived home safely - the highlight of the trip being J boarding the plane by slipping past the security & being found chatting up an air stewardess at the back of the plane.
A chip off the old block!
It was great to have them here for a little while.
I shall miss little J's wake up call of, "Good Morning Grandma" early tomorrow morning.

A Daily Telegraph columnist is on the Karma Enduro rally & writing updates - check out the Telegraph - Motoring, Joy Rainer.
Have a look at G's blog - see link.

The Passport Office sent back my photos from my renewal application as they "I do not appear to have a neutral expression"
These were the spare photos that were done for my visas last year - no lack of neutrality then!
I had more photos taken in the machine in Boots & aimed to have blank thoughts for the full two minutes.
It was a very windy day, I could not find my comb & am a little concerned that my hair apparently had attitude.

The mole is an ex-mole!
Yes!!

DK's first "slot".

Question Time has come to an end - a little disappointing this week - to be followed by yukky This Week. Three know-alls, massaging each others egos.
Time for bed.

We visited Kenilworth Castle this morning, had lunch in the magnificent "Stables" coffee shop, then pottered around the site whilst J climbed, crawled & peered. DK mainly slept.
We had to hang on to the Bugaboo at times due to high winds whistling around the castle.
We came home for a cup of tea, then W & I popped to Solihull to complete his personal shopping & change the wrong trousers for the right ones.
Boots have some very good offers on No 7 - 3 for 2 plus £5 off vouchers plus a free goody bag if spending £15.

We had a good takeaway from The Balti Cottage & collapsed on the settee before bed.

It is very windy this evening, with the occasional shower - a night to stay in.

Moley & chips!

A lovely day with J whilst W & MK took DK to Manchester to see the consultant, or rather for the consultant to see DK.
The news was a little disappointing, requiring a few weeks remedial treatment in Manchester next month.

J & I went to the playing field again & expended a good deal of energy on the assault course, the BMX track & the Teletubby hills before coming home to lunch.
I worded the lunch menu differently today, so that we had the proper Danish lunch of toast, pate & fruit (& smarties) rather than milk & biscuits, as yesterday.
After a quick fix of "Bob the Builder", J had a long sleep, I had a short one!
W & MK arrived home at 5.00pm & we had an early dinner.

Everyone is in bed now; I'm watching the ten o'clock news before retiring.

Two actions of note today:
The mole exterminator laid traps this morning so I live in hope that any moles in the garden are now past their sell by date.
The "No more boom & bust" PM used the word "Recession" twice during PM Question Time.
I think that he may be past his sell by date.

A new blog from Karma Enduro, with some great pictures - see link.

Make the most of tonight, Moley!

Tomorrow the mole catcher/slaughterer is coming before the lawn is totally destroyed.
We took this second option last year & realised that it was a mistake.
Moley is up to fourteen large molehills so far & hard at work with his mini subterranean JCB.
He has had a number of verbal warnings, with no response.
This is war!

W & MK went clothes shopping today which gave me a few hours with J & DK.
We walked to the playing field, or rather J rode his bike without pedals & I jogged alongside.
He did the swings, perfected the assault course & the BMX track before doing a lap of the field & coming home for lunch.
We had milk & biscuits (J's choice), then he had a two hour power nap whilst DK lunched & checked the house out.
G rang at this point. All is going well - check out his progress on the Karma Enduro link - he would appreciate comments.
We have had a relaxing evening & early nights all round (9.30pm & only me left up)
W & MK are taking DK to Manchester tomorrow for a check up.
J & I have plans......

Just the five of us.

Force-feeding T!

Was it a teapot?

Lining up the grandchildren - the chocolate is to the right of the picture - follow the eyes!

We got there & it took only one small packet of chocolate buttons.

A busy weekend,shopping & cooking on Saturday ready to welcome the family on Sunday.
Aj arrived on Saturday lunchtime to lend a hand.
On Sunday morning aj peeled & mashed a sack of potatoes to finish off the cottage pies, prepared the vegetables & opened the baked beans, confident that these would be deemed essential to complement the meal.
We made blackberry crumble, bread & butter pudding, rice pudding, trifle & coffee gateaux, served with cream, ice cream & custard, for pudding.
All of the next generation of the family eventually arrived, apart from one nephew, along with spouses, partners & three close friends, 22 adults & 9 grandchildren in total.
It was great to see everyone together, for the cousins to meet up & meet all the children, seven of whom are not yet three.

We have had a relaxing day today; W & K went shopping with J this morning, whilst I watched D sleeping & hung out the washing.
Since lunch it has been raining hard, not fit to venture out.
A good excuse to sit down & do little for an hour or so.
Time for tea.

The Eagle has landed.

G is in Goa, MK, J & DK are here, so we are all ready for the weekend to start.
Yesterday I finished all of the jobs at home, including the ironing & those shirts, then I went to Solihull to take on provisions - the first big shop that I've done for a long time.

Today was a Thomas day. It was bright & sunny so we enjoyed our walk in the park & playing in the playground.
I must have had my "I need a friend" face on as so many strangers stopped for a chat about the weather, their dogs, children or to ask directions.
I met W, MK &family at the airport, we came home for stew & dumplings. Everyone is now settled, not to say in bed asleep, apart from W & me.
I hope that they all sleep well.

It is really autumnal; a nip in the air & leaves blowing about - the damson leaves always fall off first, they've nearly all gone.

I shall put a link to G's Karma Enduro blog tomorrow, when W shows me how to do it.
(livekarmaenduro.blogspot.com)

Home Alone.

I have just finished this blog, then it disappeared.
Bugger.
I am thinking of finding relevant film titles for all of my blogs from now on.
The only snag is that I know few film titles & those that I do know (James Bond & a few classics) may not prove very useful.

G is on his way to India.
We drove to Leatherhead to see Gina, Oscar & the twins, G went to James' practice for a chiropractic/acupuncture session.
After lunch we went to Terminal 4, via G's local office.
We had coffee with G's co-driver, Steve, & his wife & then I left them for their four hour check-in.
It took me so long to get out of the car park that the Satnav had kicked in & was giving me directions. Honestly.

After a half hour hold up on the M40, I called in at Bicester, helped Joe get T & KP ready for bed & collected the high chair that E had bought for me & arrived home at 8.30pm
My antibiotics seem to be working at last, I feel great & full of beans, despite having been awake all day. I'd better go to bed anyway as I have a lot to do tomorrow & 15 shirts to iron.

Hi, Jen.

AJ is at the local library at this very moment, catching up on her e mails & blogs after two weeks of enforced silence since her computer was stolen.
That's kept her off the competition sites & given others a chance!
I did enter the "This Morning" comp, on line this week, as I was on line with the TV on - how about that for multi-tasking?
I don't rate my chances of winning the £52000 too highly as I couldn't remember the order of the responses, & put Lewis Hamilton down as a tennis player!

I feel much better today, so the antibiotics must be working, albeit, slowly.
On the other hand, perhaps my immune system did it single-handed!
I shall burst into life shortly (I mustn't be seduced by Jeremy Kyle), clean the bedrooms & make up the beds. I then have the dozen shirts to iron that I avoided yesterday.
Looks like a nice day, weather wise.

Pain stopped play.

We had a relaxing weekend, in warm sunshine.
We went to Star City on Friday evening but the place was crawling with police, checking on cars (not volvos!),there was nothing that we wanted to see so we drove home, picking up an Indian takeaway en route.

G had a haircut on Saturday in preparation for his epic journey, starting on Wednesday.
Paula came over with J & T in the afternoon & stayed overnight as A was gallivanting with a group of quatrogenerians, in Edinburgh, for the weekend.

On Sunday morning, J collected the acorns from the yard with the tractor & trailer & T's help, then visited the playground in the village, before lunch.
I had intended to play tennis this morning, but I was struck down with an infection on Friday night & have had to visit the doctor today, as even G's best efforts at the pharmacy, with powders & cranberry juice failed to bring about a cure.
I've had a lazy day so far - two loads of washing on the line & lounging on the settee, drinking weak, decaf tea. What a wuz!

I have had a second letter from the cousin in Georgia. Her grandmother died in 1936.
My grandmother, her younger sister, died in 1957, I think. She has photos of Mum in her youth, which are quite rare.

I need to put a link to G's blog. Instructions would be welcome.

DK should have his plaster off by now. What a shock to loose you own body weight in minutes.

Three words that spellcheck can't cope with. Guess.
I did make one of them up.

On strike again.

OK, so I'm not worth a comment.
I spent most of the morning with the TV on, playing on the computer, in my dressing gown.
What a slob.
I had a bath, a watercress sandwich & then worked in the garden all afternoon, in the sunshine.
G came home early & joined in, mowing & raking.
I made butternut squash soup for dinner, followed by prawn & avacado salad & chocolate - healthy or what?
We have watched the big cat programme on BBC 1 again tonight - it is amazing & I recommend it to everyone - on CBBs as well.
Wildlife in Africa!

I have started looking through a suitcase full of papers & old family photos from my childhood, before repling to the newly found cousin in USA.
The second folder of photos that I opened were grannies, from a holiday in Denmark in 1957, including Copenhagen & Odense - places that G & I visited this summer. Many of the photos were of the same sites, 57 years on. Fascinating.
There are lots to get through yet.

Thomas day tomorrow & the sun is going to shine again.

I have now corrected this three times & lost the changes as we have no signal in the lounge.
I'll go upstairs to the powerhouse, rather than curse BT again.

Welcome Home.

I arrived home at around 8.00pm last night, G at about 10.30pm.
If you have trouble sleeping, I recommend spending the day with two small children; it always works for me.
I really enjoyed the morning, playing tennis at Coleshill, in bright sunshine.
I then went on to Knowle & Solihull to shop, had a snack in M&S, & arrived home at tea-time, to prepare a meal.
G picked aj & C up from the airport & we had a meal together before they set off for York.
Stockholm had been cold & aj had caught one & been off her food!
A good day.

Tomorrow I have housework to do & 60 winter pansies to plant out.
I hope that the sun shines.

Greetings from Bicester.

Tuesday already.
We had a quiet weekend (I now realise, as I listen to LOUD ABBA, on Tim,s CD player along with a bouncy tune from his toy computer & KP helping me with the blog).
We gardened on Saturday morning, despite it being rather cold, & then went to Solihull to drop off a horticultural b'day present for Adrian. We went to the Harvest Supper in the evening - an enjoyable parish get-together, with a high count of hearing aids!
On Sunday aj & C came for coffee & G took them to the airport to fly to Sweden to see the tennis, whilst I took Morning Prayer at N Whitacre.We did some tidying, ironing, went for a walk & dossed for the rest of the day.
I came to Bicester early on Monday & had such a great day with T & KP that I have stayed for a second day.
Today is B & E's wedding Anniversary so T & KP helped to make a lovely coffee cake yesterday afternoon & decorated it with the chocolate buttons that escaped KP.
It is wet & windy. We have just collected T from nursery & KP noted that her boots got wet, so we may stay in.

TGIF

Not really - life's one long weekend!
I drove home from aj's, via Wetherby yesterday afternoon, so only managed to eat a takeaway (the usual) & sleep in the evening.
Today I have had a great day with Thomas. He had a half hour session on the swings in the park & then snoozed as we pottered around the shops & collected Jessie from school.
Jessie talked incessently for the next hour, then had tea!

I opened a letter of W's, to read it to him over the phone.
It is from a cousin in USA, a relative of my mother, refering to the relatives I remember us visiting as a child.
I will contact her after discussing with aj, whose memories will augment mine (greatly!)
Exciting!

Happy Birthday Adrian, for Saturday.

Happy Birthday William!

William was born shortly after midnight, 34 years ago.
I remember it all well, though probably, incorrectly. (I wont share it, don't worry)
The midwife put the date as 30 September, the date on which she had clocked on, which was later corrected to 1 Oct.
I'm sure that wrm will add/correct this memory if required.
I cannot believe that it was 34 years ago.

AJ & I will be celebrating at home, as it is cold & showery with no good films on offer.
We have had a good day, tootling around York in the sunshine, after an hour in Acomb where AJ harassed the public about their use of the railway system & powers of observation regarding advertising.
We relaxed in M&S with coffee & scrummy cake.

Other noteable events of the day:
1. AJ shut her coat pocket in the car door, smashing her very old mobile phone. Does anyone have a spare one that makes/takes calls & takes photos?
2.Sainsbury's have changed their carrier bags from orange to blue. I think that this is to make those that litter the countryside, less obvious.

Photos are from Tim's birthday party in May.
The whole WM family are there,DK was still "under wraps".