Me again.

A busy day - shopping in Solihull then on to P & A's to do some jobs.
Keith had just finished plastering a patch in the kitchen ceiling, so there was plenty to do.
I am delighted with some underwear from M&S sale, other sale things were rubbish.
I was served by a mum of a v naughty girl from KS.

She recognised me as the headteacher!?
Home in time to save the washing from the rain, ironed whilst the dinner cooked.
Some photos from G:
 

Home again

Another exciting day with the TKP team!
It looked like another wet day in the offing so we opted for a "homestay".
Cleaner on her hols so we had a "Kate Day" - T & KP tidied & vacuumed their rooms, & cleaned the windows, to add an extra dimension whilst the dyson was in use by the competition, with great gusto & satisfaction.
We had a drink & biscuit mid-morning - the accepted perk of all those doing housework, planned the rest of the day, then had a pic-nic lunch in the lounge.(Dyson at hand for the "apres pic-nic")
We piled into B's car, planning to collect a parcel from the PO depot, then across Bicester to visit old haunts.
Plan failed when I couldn't get the handbrake off, despite it being pretty obvious, looking in the handbook, having instructions in stereo from the back seat & phoning B.
Bother.
Change of plan ; we walked to the old haunts, including the playground, twice, on outward & inward journeys, shopped & walked home.
T&KP chose their tea - sausage rolls from the "best baker in Bicester" - did include lots of tiny carrots & cucumber.
Cooked the dinner (mint in the potatoes) G to Marsh Gibbon (MG) for a back treatment, then home to bed.
Slept well!
Today may be an anti-climax, but we are going to Solihull, so M&S may do the trick!

Banbury, not cross.

Yesterday it rained.....& rained.... & rained.....& then stopped , after we arrived home!
We walked to the railway station (how I hate the term "train station"!), went to Banbury, at great expense, & walked around, in the rain.
Actually, it was quite good fun.
We did a few "Granny china shops" & played "Bargain Hunt", without the selling - we decide what the bargains are worth - all the deals come up in profit!
We had "Happy Lunches" in MacDonalds & a potter in M&S.
T navigated & found the best, dry route back to the Railway station.
We just missed the 13.44pm train - we saw the train on the platform, when we were going into the railway station, so we rushed up and down the stairs! As soon as we got down the stairs and onto the platform..... the doors closed, we rushed up to the train & were about to press the door open button when the train puffed and left the platform.
We waited 15 minutes, and did train spotting until an anouncment boomed out of the speaker it said.... " The next train at platform 3 is the 14:04 service to London Marylebone, calling at Bicester North High Wickham and London Marylebone.

We rushed up the stairs then down the other stairs to platform 3! the train door open buttons went orange; a man pressed one and the doors opened!

We found two seats and sat in them. K sat on Granny's knee! 12 minutes later we were at Bicester North and walked over the new bidge and home! 

 

We picked herbs from the garden  & cooked tarragon chicken with minted new potatoes & fresh vegetables, for dinner.

T had a mozzarella, tomato & basil starter.

 

We watched some of the paralympics opening ceremony, then bed.

Home tonight!

 

Part of this blog composed by T.

Guess!

Bicester.

I'm having a few days, being entertained by T & KP.
G brought me over on Monday evening then went back to Marsh Gibbon for a treatment on his bad back before going home.
He has a few days peace to work on the lotus,  take the Volvo for a service, this morning & host the fundraising meeting this evening.

Yesterday we had an energetic day - we walked into Bicester, pottered around & did "Granny's China shops"
We went to Pret a manger for lunch & a session on their playground, followed by a session on the Bicester village playground, then home via the horrible Tesco.
Out & walking about for six hours ensures a good night's sleep!

T says it's tiring walking around Bicester and Bicester village. I really enjoyed our trip!
Today we are going Oxford on the bus from the market square - lunch at MacDonalds?

KP says she enjoyed lunch, at Pret a manger and the two play parks!

Granny's going to be a "Sky captain" today.
It looks fun!
TV off!!

A day off.

Windy & wet today, too wet to garden, so G is working in the garage.

I am unaccountable!
I've spent the morning going through the wardrobe, sorting out jeans/trousers to just keep those that fit, store the odd pair of OS ones, as a precaution; some for the charity shop.
Whilst in the case under the bed I came across a dress that I've not worn for over forty years, then, just the once.
It fits!!
I phoned aj so she could guess what I was wearing; she got it in two.

Inspired, I tried my wedding outfit from 1995, which is a bit big.
G thinks i might wear it for D & E's wedding in May - not sure whether that's sentimentality or economy.

When asked if he'd marry me today, he said he would give it some thought!!!

Just had a wonderful lunch - note, no kale - followed by a nice cup Of tea & a sliver of b'day cake.

Yesterday I took the services at Sh and OW, then we went to a hog roast at Priory Farm in support of Elzabeth Finn Trust, where we met quite a lot of old friends made some new ones.
I had taken a large B'day cake to church, then wrapped up the remainder for friends, which we dropped off on the walk home.

Brilliant picture on the front of the DT of a knitted Prince Harry, in the buff, added to a display of knitted paraphernalia for the Royal Jubilee, in Saltburn, N Yorks.
It is all done anonymously by the "Saltburn Yarnbomber".

Take a look - I think she deserves a medal!

Off to Bicester later for a fun few days being entertained by T & KP..........
.  

Happy Birthday.......to aj & me.

On your birthday you should be able to do just what you want & be pampered all day, within reason.
I went down early, put the kettle on & phoned aj, sitting  in my favourite chair in the conservatory.
Just as she answered I noticed the front end of a small bat sticking out from under the settee!
I suspected it was a G joke, until it reversed & disappeared.
I gave it safe passage to a dark spot in the garden from where it has since moved on, so, presumably, it has survived.
I took G a cup of tea in bed, opened my cards & pressies - all brill, thanks - then got up.
We went to Warwick then on to Kenilworth to lunch at The Cross, in the old town, a favourite restaurant for lunch, on special occasions.
We went on to Kenilworth, to Waitrose, & bought beef wellington for dinner.
We have just eaten it, with runner beans & a nice bottle of St Emillion, followed by nectarines, b'day cake & coffee.
I made a v small cake for us & a large one for after Church tomorrow as Mary W's b'day was on Monday.

We've watched "Parade", I think, with Dom Cumberbach, on BBC i player.
Weird.

Services at Sh & OW in the morning then on to a Hog Roast at Manley's in aid of the Eliz Finn Trust, formerly, The Distressed gentlefolks association", which supported cousin Vine when she needed help.

A lot of rain today, on & off.
August isn't normally this wet, is it? 

Another fine day.

Up at 6.30am yesterday, finished the ironing then spent the day in the garden, until 7.30pm, so two reasons for not blogging
1. too tired/fell asleep after dinner
2. anticipated ridicule from family for enjoying such an uneventful day.
Result : laundry clear, all borders around the house pristine, including the one under the front hedge, & hedge face cut.
Now need some more plants to soften the brown!

Sitting in the kitchen (not scullery!), in the sunshine, to write a sermon for Sunday.
Feeling v pleased with myself as I have lost 21lb since going to Vietnam & am wearing a new short skirt, that was too tight before, having scrubbed up at length, right down to the body exfoliator - tube of cream with a high sand content, to abbraise with in the shower.
Must have been a freebie!
This micro-gardening takes it's toll on the knees - any suggestions?

Sermon on birthdays/joys of maturity coming on.
Article in Fri DT - those with faith have fewer mental health problems, so there.

A nice day out.

G visited the dentist this morning to have a big job on a molar.
Whilst he was "in the chair", I walked into warwick & pottered around, finding a new designer red murano glass pendant, perfect for aj, to match her new holiday dress.
Brill.
G & I had a potter then went to Stratford to the Bigwood's auction rooms to collect the lot that hadn't sold, last Friday - Sylvac planter, leaf vase & beetroot pot, 5 Wedgwood leaf plates & 11 large soup plates, 2 tureens & platters from Grannie's service.
I'm glad they didn't sell as they're all really nice - now open to offers.
We had a cup of coffee & a walk around Stratford, which was busy with tourists, then on to Bromsgrove to collect bits for the poorly lotus.
We went via Hanbury Hall, a NT property, quite like Blyth Hall, with beautiful gardens, where we had a light lunch, sitting in the sunshine, between showers.
We went on to Alcester & had a walk around - a really pretty little old town, with beautiful buildings. then to Bromsgrove, Knowle, to see the new auction house, then home via Meriden, to buy a lottery ticket.
On my travels I bought a yaho crystal plate & a Carlton ware owl money box, both of which we've found on E-bay for 20/30 times cost.
Brill, brill.

We had a healthy chicken stir fry for dinner & we're watching TV - Who do you think you are, before bed.
A good day in all
  

Home again.

Tennis was rained off on Monday so I packed a bag to go & see JR, as we had a couple of days free & G was going to work on the lotus.
Before I got to Coleshill, I made the rather selfish decision that I would visit aj instead - no one else knew of my plans anyway - so turned towards the M42 instead.
My mobile phone allowed only emergency calls & obviously did not realise that calling aj rated as an emergency, so I arrived at 12.30pm, unannounced.
Aj was out!
I walked to JS & put money on my phone, which didn't help, then walked into Acomb, seeking aj/to buy rubber gloves & secateurs so that I could tidy the environment if I didn't make contact.
As it was, aj had popped out for vitals, found the car at home, when she returned & set off to find me.
She was successful!
We went back for lunch then caught the bus into York, pottered, then had afternoon tea at M&S, a birthday present, compliments of aj's M&S Premier membership.
Thank you M&S - sandwiches & a clotted cream tea - scrummy.
(We had a very light supper to balance the calories) 

This morning we went to Wetherby to potter - a favourite trip.
We went home for lunch then did York by bus. Fortunately aj took an umbrella as there was a deluge with water pouring down the streets.
The O2 shop sorted my phone - static on the sim card??
We went to buy aj some Fitflop shoes in Jones sale, without success but  I bought some Ecco gortex trainers, reduced from £105 to £29.
Wow!
I came home after supper, a good time to travel as there was little traffic.
The heavens opened for the last half hour, which slowed progress down.
A great couple of days - saved aj from drudgery for a while!

Day out tomorrow - G to the dentist for a repair job.

All present & correct.

We collected our three warren point of lay pullets from John Andrews t OW this morning; this involved going down to the field behind the farm which is full of chickens, hen houses stuff.
As the chickens were out, it was a matter of catching the three that were most accessible & putting them in a box - I kept well away as I was dressed 7 ready to go to NW to take the service.
A wise decision as G managed to get his first "chicken shitting".
they seem to have settled in to their new home and had put themselves to bed when G went to shut them up for the night.
We shall let them out into the field at the end of the week, when they are used to the eglu.

We had a teddy Bears Picnic and parachute Jump, from the tower of NW church, this afternoon.

I was doing the picnics for 45 children, so got stuck in making ham and cheese sandwiches, after church.
I'd bought carrier bags to do the lunches as in John Lewis - bag then chooses a sandwich, cake, drink, fruit & crisps - all went very well.
The parachuting was brilliant, as was the weather & G took some great photos of teddies descending from the tower.
Jan & Chris came for a meal & to meet the fowl - a good evening.
Suggestions for three names - pecking order already sorted, so one is "the boss".
I thought about "Maggie", for her.

Tennis tomorrow, weather permitting.

Another hot day forecast, but what do they know!

Cluck, cluck.

We are expecting three additions to the household, having sourced their accommodation & food & put our names on them G has now to refurbish the eggloo, fashion a feeder & we can collect our three warrens, point of lay, & look forward to collecting nice brown eggs every morning.
We did have a dozen warrens about thirty years ago, when W & B were small & ate eggs in many different guises, from egg mayonnaise to quiche lorraine.
J & Th can help to name them & collect eggs when they're here.
They've been here today -  we all played tennis this morning, despite the wind; both G & J did well with their new racquets. After lunch G made parachutes to fit teddies in anticipation of the"Teddy Bears' Picnic & Parachute Jump" at NW church, on Sunday afternoon.
Unfortunately, it was very wet & windy so they had to settle for travelling around on the fan in the conservatory, to the delight of J & Th, Jan & Kristian, who came to deliver the ham & cheese for the sandwiches at the TB's picnic.
G went to collect the Eggloo whilst we went in the garden to drive the jeep & play football, between showers.
It has poured down this evening, but the promise is for fine weather tomorrow.
Please God, it will stay fine for Sunday, or we will have to cancel as the roof of the church tower will be too slippery.
Shopping, early tomorrow morning, followed by tennis, if dry, then cake making.
I've done Sunday's sermon - teddies & parachutes & the need to "do".
I'll prepare the picnics before I go to church, weather permitting!

Have a good weekend - hotter in CPH than here yesterday. 

Summer?

Only one laptop now works, so I have to await my turn!
A busy weekend, with the rare delight of Peter's company & P, A, J & Th on Sunday.
The weather has been really good until this afternoon, when it rained cats & dogs, flooding the yard in minutes.
I played tennis on Saturday morning, with the big boys & girls.
I played "like someone else", as my friend Carole says & won both sets with my partner - the first mixed doubles I've played for thirty years - male partners can think that only they can play winners!
Played with the ladies  on Mon am & again this morning - good fun.
Yesterday morning we went to Bigwoods' Auction house in Tiddington, near Stratford, with Peter & a boot load of goods to value/sell.
Stephen Kay, one of the auctioneers, spent a good hour with us, valuing, listing & discussing  - quite excited at a few items.
Fascinating.
They appear on "Flog it", regularly - S Kay is a very large man.
He doesn't like Flog it or being on TV!
He also thought that my 19th century Masons porcelain bowl may be a fake.
He may be right - it was £10 at a charity shop,
The lesser goods are in the general sale on Friday, the rest in the collectors sale on 28 Sept, which we may get to.
We went on to Stratford, had coffee in the sunshine at the theatre, by the river &  a potter around, before coming home for lunch.  
Peter left us & we spent the afternoon gardening.
Still eating cold chicken, as I over-catered on Sunday!

Whew, what a scorcher!

Obviously the summer weather was all saved up for the Olympics.
Yesterday was a fantastic day, hot & sunny all day; I had to drag myself in from the garden just before eight o'clock, fearing that g would be in a state of collapse due to lack of food if he waited any longer for dinner.
I need not have worried as he had found a glass of wine & a large bag of crisps.
dinner - pan fried salmon, Thai rice & salad took about ten minutes to prepare & back to the TV/Olympics to watch Bolt, bolt the 200m.

I cleaned the house "from top to bottom" before the heat of the day & made up beds - Peter is visiting tomorrow & O & the twins are doing a sleepover on Saturday.
It feels good when all is spic & span, even if it won't last for long.
All of the family are here for Sunday lunch, so some shopping needed.

I was invited to play tennis on Saturday morning, which I'm looking forward to - I may even cycle there if there's not a breath of wind!

J & Th here - cutting & sticking Olympic pictures as respite from tearing round the garden, at the moment.
G wants the laptop to source the Lotus bit repairers that he saved on it last week.
Enjoy the sunshine - even hot in CPH!  

Home again

We went to Bournemouth early on Sunday, to clean & decorate the flat, as the tenant has just left.
We started at 2.00pm on Sunday, after the drive down, a coffee at Cafe Nero in Boscombe, taking on provisions at JS followed by a sandwich.
Four hours on the kitchen whilst G repaired things &blitzed the bathroom, then scouring paintwork.
I cooked dinner at 8.30pm, then a walk down to the beach, before bed.
It was very quiet everywhere.
The Daily express had a picture of a little girl on the beach in B'mouth, so there are visitors somewhere.
Only "Urban Beach" was busy in Boscombe - not our scene - you may have seen it on TV in "Three in a Bed" (I think)
Removing six wardrobe doors to re-glue laminate then more scrubbing & cleaning of all carpets, followed by late dinner at a Nepalise restaurant, on Monday.
Window cleaning followed by painting throughout - Dulux magnolia matt - return of "Rugdoctor" & repair of dishwasher, loading the car & off home by 7.15pm.

Today G went to George Eliot for blood tests & results of mole removals.
The Lotus is in pieces so I cycled to the tennis club, played three sets then cycled home - fantastic weather - warm & windless.
We went to Lichfield this pm, to pay for a holiday, then had a potter round.
G had his eyes tested & ordered specs from "Specsavers"
We visited Talbots on the way home to see Archie - he's lovely.

Time for bed...

Relaxing again.

A busy week, great fun with T & KP staying from Mon to Thursday, J & Th joining them for a couple of days & a sleepover.
The weather has been alright, enabling us to spend an hour playing tennis each day followed by hours of fun & games, spent in the garden on the fleet of vehicles.
The jeep must be run in now & goes faster on each outing - they  are now quite competent driving it, after a hairy start, some weeks ago.
Only one session spent indoors, making a row of shoebox shops - KP "Beads", Th "Car showroom",
J "Olympics", Th "Sainsbury Local"???
I took T & KP home on Thurs, after an hour with T on the jeep, an hour at the tennis club, meeting P, J, & Th for lunch at McD in Solihull, a little shopping (flip flops) & a tootle round Bicester to source dinner.
T declared himself to be "tired".
I called in at J & G's en route home & collected the B'mouth flat keys.
We are going to clean & decorate, all in 3 days, ready for new tenants.

Yesterday we had a day at home.
G took the Lotus to pieces to remove a bit from behind the dashboard that had leaked the radiator contents into the car.
A big job - car in bits, carpets drying in the sun, part to be repaired somewhere.
I spent the entire day tidying the spinney behind the shed. ie removing 5 barrow loads of brambles, nettles,ivy & grass, to give the wild flowers a chance to thrive.
I gave up, knackered at 7.00pm & relaxed in a hot bath, on the phone to aj.
Recuperated, I cooked dinner then fell asleep before the coffee.
Why did I wake up at 4.00am?
I think that the reason I didn't go back to sleep again was something to do with G twitching, kicking & snoring.
Never mind. Good to be up & doing by 5.30am.
A day off today then to Gill & Andrew for dinner.