En famille.

The whole family are here to celebrate our birthday, all of the beds are occupied, or will be when the nightcaps are finished.
Tomorrow the remainder of the family & very close friends are joining up us for lunch.
The champagne's in the fridge already, compliments of W & MK.
This morning W & I went food shopping to Ventura Park, then on to Morrisons to collect the salmon, then home for lunch.
The boys were having great fun in the garden on every wheeled vehicle available.
I've cooked ready for tomorrow - salmon, gammon, cakes & profiteroles so far - the rest to be done in the morning.
B, E, T & KP arrived at tea time & the shrieking from the garden increased tenfold!
We had a big dinner together with the children, cooked by W & MK.
The children watched "You've been framed" for a while before bed we have had a relaxed evening - until the medium sized spider ambled across the hearth rug, causing chaos & striking fear into the hearts of both daughters in law.

Busy day tomorrow & probably an early morning so time for bed.

Semi finals day.

We played tennis again this morning for nearly two hours & then left under protest - we have promised to go again tomorrow.
It really is the way to improve - intensive coaching/hitting a lot of balls until you feel comfortable doing it.
Aj is a qualified coach, so a real asset - both T & KP were much improved by the end of today's session.
We bought some scrummy bread at Morrisons - date & walnut, cranberry & pumpkin seed, then home to prepare lunch, with jan & Wil joining us.
We made smoked salmon mousse, Tomato & basil salad (of course), rock cakes & Eton mess, with sausages & salad.
T laid the table & helped with the preparation.
KP settled for praising the food.

This afternoon the g/children played on the jeep & bikes whilst I mowed the lawns - T was keen to help & sat on the mower with me, learning the ropes - the mower is much too heavy for him to use at the moment& a bit scary as the ground is bumpy.
I cleared the last pile of hay from the goat paddock, to reveal a large burned patch of ground & a host of insects - it all needs cutting again.
As a friend has the use of this ground & two stables I do feel that he should keep it in a fit state & not expect me to keep it tidy for him as well as free use.

Kippers for tea, KP had a today's egg instead.
T loved the kippers!
Playing with Aj, then a play in the bath before bed at 9.00pm.
I've had a shower - desperately needed after mowing under dusty hedges & trees - a glass of wine & ready for bed.

Up early for more tennis tomorrow.
 

Wimbledon or bust!

After a leisurely breakfast, we went to Coleshill to play tennis for an hour or so - T & KP improved significantly during that time, particularly T, due to size & strength, I guess.
We went on to Knowle Auction House to have a few things valued - no great news there, but interesting & really nice folk who know there stuff or know a man a man who does & admit to their limitations.
I suppose that you can't ask more than that of anyone.
We went on to Solihull for a Happy Meal, which was delicious particularly as we were all pretty peckish - OK once in a while.
we bought a few gems before returning to Knowle, visiting the "china shops" & the bakers, then home for a nice cup of tea/glass of squash & a healthy tea to balance the lunch.
After a playtime, we watched TV, KP asleep on my lap for half an hour, then bed & both out like lights!
More tennis, by request, tomorrow, so up early!
 

Granny days.

Aj & I have had a couple of days off - touristing!
Yesterday we set off for Bicester, taking a small picnic & heading for Waddeston, the Rothschild mansion  near Bicester.
I have visited many times as the g/children love it - a fairytale house with great grounds & adventure playground.
Aj had not been, so it seemed a good choice for a picnic &somewhere to while away an afternoon.
It was hot, sunny & lived up to expectations, despite the house being fully booked - we can go another day.
We went on to eat with B, E, T & KP, who had returned home from holiday that morning.
KP was so tired she didn't talk - a first!
We caught up on the news & slept well.

This morning B & E went to work, the rest of us had a slower start, eventually leaving about 11.00am, to tour Bicester, including lunch at the new Sainsburys - not to be recommended, the food was disappointing, although T & KP enjoyed theirs - little choice & not very appetising.
We eventually travelled on to Solihull, took on some food at M&S & visited ToysRus for AJ, before coming home.
To ate hot dogs & salad for tea, chilled for a while & then went to church for bell ringing.
T & KP have been to the ringing chamber before, but were fascinated by the activity & the model bell, that had actually been taken up tonight to help me to understand what happens when you pull the sally.
I'm a slow learner - a real dunce, I think.
I don't even remember how to knot the sally at the end of ringing, from one week to the next.
All now in bed - asleep almost instantaneously.

Another hot day tomorrow - amazing!
we hope to play some tennis & go to the playground in Meriden.
Off to bed!  

Will you still love me..........................

We've had a great day with a wonderful group of friends here for lunch.
We drank lots of bubbly (proseco), ate salmon & salad & lots of puds & cakes, which went down very well - even the weather picked up so that folks could eat in the garden.
I'd worked very hard out there  - it does look good, including the lawns.

There is little food left - a bit of summer pud, chocolate ginger cheesecke & a slice of cake.
The cheese was awesome - thank you Morrisons - the manager cut big pieces for me.
I did forget to put the cheese biscuits out - bother.
Enough to last a long time!

All of the family phoned - all have been/are on holiday.

Happy Birthday to Peter for tomorrow - a no post day!

   

Happy birthday.

It's our birthday - aj & me - I just opened Google & did a double take  - Happy Birthday Gillian, complete with cakes.
Absolutely brilliant!
Thanks to whoever did it - I'm guessing that it's not universal.

We're having a lunch party with 30+ friends coming - all well on track & ready for bed.
Salmon cooked & skinned. gammon cooked & puds made - summer pud, strawberry trifle, choc ginger cheesecake - lemon cake,  coffee cake & Eton mess to be finished in the morning.

I had a good day - shopping for food in Solihull - I bought a rug for the porch in JL & asked for a discount, she said she could only take off £20!!
Aj here at tea time, followed by Jan & Chris, for a nice cup of tea & a biscuit.

I got up ridiculously early to empty the washing machine & didn't go back to bed, so got lots done before it was light
Time for bed.

Achieved.

I had a long list of jobs to do today & have excelled myself by doing them all plus a few extras.
I scrubbed all of the garden furniture - hoping for a hot day on Sunday for our birthday lunch, so that people can opt to eat at tables in the garden.
I cleared the hedge cuttings from the borders, tidied them all, trimmed the edges - does anyone make a pair of shears that aren't perpetually blunt?
I swept the yard - a barrow load of miniscule acorns & general debris - cleared the laundry & pet the garden tools back in there, where they used to live before G turned it into a garage for his racing car.
This then necessitated cleaning the garage where the tools had been - in the way - for the last 17 years.
Ants were undermining the garage - a large pile of soil in the corner.
I've put one of those disc ant traps there to upset/murder them.

After a quick, late lunch, I finished the borders then mowed all of the lawns - 3 hours & not too bad a job as the grass was quite short apart from the far side of the field, which wasn't done last time as I ran out of fuel.
I popped to see Jan & Chris, in my filthy garden clothes, to take Chris's b'day card & a couple of books.
I came home & lit the bonfire - bedbase, hedgecuttings, straw & oddments from the garage - it burnt brilliantly - in by 9.00pm, knackered.
I vacuumed upstairs whilst my dinner cooked so only downstairs to do & a couple of loads of ironing to do - perhaps I'll do some before bed.
Off to Hansons Auction tomorrow - should be fun.

Sold!

It was well after 6.00am before it was light enough to free the chickens this morning - Autumn on the way.
I was playing tennis at 10.00am so was up & in the garden by 8.00am to finish tidying the borders under the hedges, having breakfasted on fried tomatoes on toast.
Malcolm came at 9.15am to finish the hedges - now done & looking good.
After tennis I did a quick essentials shop at Morrisons, including some small pansies, to complete the borders, then home to change & off to Hansons' Auction House to view the 3 day sale that starts tomorrow.
We've had a really good time & found some interesting mixed lots of china/glass/oddments that we fancy bidding for on Friday.
It was very warm, necessitating a round of cold drinks to keep us going, but fascinating.
The estimates for the brown furniture were ridiculously low - a good time to buy - not the desk there that I need, this time.
I've had a cappuccino to recover - delicious & hope that I may get a second wind & do some more gardening later, the problem being that the insect come out to bite in the evenings, as I found to my cost on Monday.
Is there a good way of getting rid of bites in a hurry - I'd rather not look as though I have the plague for our party on Sunday - Jan has suggested that I wear a bell around my neck!

A day off tomorrow, to catch up on all of the tidying inside & out.
 

More sunshine, still more to come.

A busy day with Jessie & Thomas.
I was up early to make a coffee cake for Mary's birthday & some scones for us, whilst the oven was on - they all turned out really well.
J & Th arrived about 10.00am, we delivered the cake then went to play tennis for an hour - both doing well.
When we came home the chickens had laid two lovely big brown eggs, so we had boiled eggs & soldiers for lunch, rested up for 3/4 hour, then they played football, bowls (own version!) & drove around in the jeep whilst I washed the cars & cleaned the downstairs windows,
We went to the playground in Meriden for an hour then on to Solihull where we had a relaxed tea in McDonalds, sitting in big chairs by the window.
P was out doing a little last minute shopping when we arrived so we played football for half an hour before watching the news.
I stopped for petrol on the way home, then off to church to practice bell-ringing - I'm a slow learner, I think  - I cannot picture what is happening to the bell when I do the strokes.
I've been given a book so perhaps that will help 

Thanks.

A brilliant day - everything has turned out really well.
Malcolm & friend came at 9.00am to cut the hedges - I'd taken the lotus out of the garage to allow access to the power points, & had the trestle out of the factory ready.

By the time I came home from tennis at lunchtime, the front hedge looked really good & they had started on the inside.
I've spent the afternoon tidying the drive, ex trailer park & front borders from the leaves & the odd weed, some left to do, but it's looking good ready for our birthday party on Sunday.
I came in at 7.00pm to change for salsaexercise.
Jan picked me up - en route  we had so much to talk about that we decided that it was a shame we couldn't just have a glass of wine & chat for a couple of hours.
There is a God - when we got there, there was no class - holiday week, so we spent our £10 on a drink at the Coleshill Hotel & chatted.
I've had a cappuccino to celebrate.
Time for bed - J & Th tomorrow & some more tennis. 

Westonbirt.

That was today's destination, taken by Jan & Chris to the Antiques Fair, with my netske & Japanese bowl, for valuation.
Neither item will buy me a house near the beach in Devon or Cornwall, not even first class rail fare to get there.
Oh Well!
We had a great day out & all of the dealers were interesting & helpful as they didn't have a great deal to do otherwise, in most cases.
We went to church first, followed by coffee & chocolate cake, before venturing forth.
Lots of phone calls this evening & now a late night.

M coming to start cutting the hedges tomorrow whilst I play tennis, then back to the garden - sounds good.
Toe nails need a fresh coat of paint - shall I opt for purple again?

Spooky!

Wednesday was the last day of the great divide.
I had overlooked a mobile of porcelain bells that has hung just inside the back door, securely, for over 17 years.
When I came downstairs first thing, it had fallen off & was lying on the floor - don't forget me!!!
Spooky or what? 

Dry at last

Mowing lawns in failing light is difficult as it's difficult to see which bits still need to be cut - I didn't start until 5.30pm & bad light stopped play at 9.00pm
Mowing's fine but emptying the box is difficult as I have to remove it to clear the tunnel the grass travels along, which clogs when the grass is damp.
I have the far side of the field still to do - it may rain again today.
This explains why this blog was started but not posted last night - I fell asleep before it was done!

It rained heavily on Thursday nigh & is raining now, but the lawns look really good this morning so I will be catching up on jobs indoors, at least for a while.
Yesterday I pinned & tacked three dresses that needed taking in & shortening, had cappuccino, toast & homemade redcurrant jelly with Jan, then cleaned the silver, polished & put everything back.
I have the brass to do today - a lot less to polish of late - Hurrah!
It looks so good when everything is twinkling.
A friend gave me a vast box of cutlery on Wed - I have sorted, polished a few nice bits - I love to use odd, beautiful teaspoons - & made up a cutlery tray to keep at church for functions.
Anyone want 5 kg of assorted cutlery?
I hope the rain stops so that I can garden later.
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Masterchef

Tonight I cooked a chicken & a selection of vegetables, which was delicious.
This is the first meal that I have cooked for some months as I have been living on salads.
I did enjoy it & have cooked a large pan of ratatouille on the side, to eat tomorrow.......
Fruit for desert & a cappuccino.

Perhaps I'll start cooking again now the evenings are becoming cooler - I'm having a birthday party for Sunday lunch, so will be cooking for much of Saturday, I guess.

I've been out much of the day - I found a local, Malcolm, who will cut the hedges for me - they are getting shabby & I find the hedgecutter too heavy to use.
I have plenty of other things  to do anyway.
He came this evening with his wife, to size up the job - brill.

I shopped in Solihull, coffee in M&S, a T shirt in Laura Ashley sale to go with  my new pinky-brown linen trousers & groceries from JS, who then paid for the car park to show their appreciation.
I visited Phil on the way home as he is moving to an alms house in Coleshill.
He is packed up & awaiting the removal of the bulk of the remaining furniture to his family.
He's sad to see it all going but looking forward to his new home.

I'm hoping for dry weather for a couple of days so that I can mow the lawns & tidy the garden.
Just remembered the chickens - whoops!
They go to bed, but I have to shut the house door to keep them warm & safe
It's dark!
 

The glorious twelth.

We didn't shoot anything - the glory went mainly to Th, who, after playing tennis like a five year old for the best part of an hour, suddenly got it right, swinging his racquet like a professional, sending balls from behind the base line.
Brilliant.
Perhaps another AM in the making?
J improved & we had a good time - Th didn't want to come home once he had the knack - I know the feeling, Aj & I used to play for hours when young & carefree, a few years ago!

We came home to bacon sandwiches then chilled before scooting to the playground in the village.
We used the adventure one as well - Telly Tubby hills, balance things & bars - great fun.
Home to tea, a cake-making session & an amazing bonfire.
The latter was unintended - I had a lot of private papers to dispose of & thought we'd have a little fire next to the bonfire.
I should have realised that a large pile of dry hedge-cuttings & straw wouldn't take a lot of igniting.
Fortunately, the wind was in the right direction - across the fields & we could stand upwind, making paper balls to feed it.

We ate the chocolate butterfly cakes in front of the TV & so to bed.

Up early - chickens out, ironing done, breakfasted & a trip to Hanson's Auction House & The Museum of Childhood in the offing.
All that & another summer's day to enjoy.

 

Blog success

I've had a really lazy day - or thought I had until I think back - I carried  the pot plants out of the conservatory yesterday, which left a trail of debris through the house.
I've had a holiday from housework as I've not been in the mood for  some week  - P was the last person to wield a vacuum around here, whilst helping G to move some furniture whilst I was away.
No complaints received!
This morning I let the chicks out at daybreak & then decided that I really did need to get to grips, so attacked downstairs with a vengeance & the industrial vacuum.
I had intended to make scones for church - no cakes as the chickens had not obliged - but didn't get round to it, so took choccy biscuits & pop instead for family service.
I went on to OW for Morning Prayer, getting home at 12.30pm.
I decided against gardening as I had e mails & paperwork to do, which would not require me to have a shower before going back to church, so a lazy, sedentary afternoon.
Nevertheless, I think that I shall have an early night & read - usually too tired.
J & Th tomorrow - tennis if weather permits.   

More economies.

Yesterday I e mailed the firm that sells us our domain, in response to their bill for £40 for two years, telling them that it was too much.
They reduced the payment to £27, no questions asked - a good outcome.
This follows on from the BT broadband reducing from £32 per month to £13.25, just for asking, with £7 per month for all calls.

Aj & I had a good time yesterday pottering around Alcester & Warwick.
We found a few bargains, mainly in the Alcester antique shop - a real Aladin's cave, set in a delightful little town with an abundance of tea & coffee shops.

Today I have been entertained by J & Th - we have played tennis, scooted to the village to make use of the playground for an hour, before tea.
The chickens looked favourably on us, so scrambled eggs & fresh fruit pavlovas enjoyed.

Judith came over for a chat & supper, bearing a half bottle of champagne & wine - only the former devoured!
I had a soak in a smelly bath, then bed.
Wonderful!

This was yesterday's blog - fell asleep & lost it - now awake & retrieved!
Up early to release the chicks - Family Service prepared & sermon written, all by 10.15am!
Thank you God!
I thought that they may take up most of the day.
I can attack the garden for a workout, after a week's neglect.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
 

Home sweet home.

We stayed at the William Cecil in Stamford last night, a really nice hotel with an excellent restaurant - a Travelzoo bargain booked as a birthday treat.
We ate roast duck with a sort of timbale of scratchy duck cooked in crisp skin, dauphinoise potatoes & purple sprouting with an amazing sherry & port reduction.
We shared a desert - a platter of all sorts of little deserts, from lemon meringue to Eton mess.

Today we pottered around Stamford - the most delightful stone town divided into areas around the churches, with squares & snickets.
This helped by warm sunshine.
We went on to Market Harborough & Lutterworth, visiting antiques centres & a few charity shops & bought some interesting bits & pieces.
Anyone want to buy a Guinness aneroid barometer?
We were home by 5.30pm, for tea & a rest before I had to go to a mtg of the Alms House trustees.

Yesterday we drove from York to Bawtry - a very upmarket, market town full of restaurants & tea shops - to meet Kath, a friend from college days, where we shared a room.
We hadn't met for 30 years but none of us had changed a bit!!
Kath has an amazing memory & could recall things of which I had no recall - not all good!
We talked over lunch, which took a long time, before aj & I set off for Stamford.
We arrived in time to check in at the hotel then walk around the town before relaxing & bathing before dinner.

The last blog re weddings was done on what could have been our 41st wedding anniversary, I realised later, if W senior had been a monogamist.
One never knows how life will turn out.

 

Married bliss.

I had a lift to York with B & E on Saturday, which enabled me to catch up on KP's news for a couple of hours, at close range - she has inherited the "chatter gene" from somewhere!
Yesterday we all put on our finery to celebrate jamie & Julie's wedding .
It was a delightful day - a relaxed service at St Edward the Confessor on the Tadcaster road, taken by a vicar who made everyone feel at home even if they didn't know the hymns, followed by a reception at The Churchill on Bootham.
It was a lovely family affair with a host of children & a sweetie buffet to ensure they were all hyper by bedtime.

Aj & I were home by 9.00pm - firm believers that the evening disco is for the younger generation - too loud & dark - & were in bed before 10.00pm.
This did have the knock-on effect that I was awake again at 1.00 am & read for a couple of hours.
AJ has a copy of "How to change your life in 21 days"
Since it is 21 days until our birthday I thought this may be the ideal day to start self improvement.
I read the first chapter, on diet & found that I'd got it right already, apart from the chocolate biscuits. Chapter 2 is on exercise - I'm sure that this will involve some lifestyle change!

We have to fetch the car from The  Churchill, time to get up.  

Where did that week go to?

I cannot believe that it is Saturday & I've not blogged since Monday - a very busy week.
G went away on Monday - business out East.
I realise that at this time of year, when G is away, I just set my own agenda, which involves getting up early, to let the chickens out, at about 6.00am, being on the go all day & not really settling down until the light starts to go, about 9.30pm, when I put the chickens to bed again.
I've spent hours in the garden, which looks really good, spent time with friends, been out for coffee & lunch, shopped & done lots of sorting out in the house, as it's good to have the windows open & wash everything that is removable whilst the weather 's so good for drying.
may sound dull but I've enjoyed it all thoroughly.
The decorator is coming in Sept & life will be easier if I've shifted some stuff out that I no longer need or want.
I've chosen the wallpaper for two rooms so only have paint colours to decide, from his charts as he provides the paint.

Wed was my strangest day of the year: g has a Triumph 200 that I bought for his b'day some years ago - a car which had been in the family & cherished for many years theat he had often spoken about.
It became available on the death of the lifelong owner 7 J delivered it, on the drive, complete with large bow for his b'day morning.
it had been stored in JR's barn in Cambs for  some years, but is now being disposed of.
A friend who delivers vintage RR chassis had on eto deliver to Colchester & said he would collect the Triumph on the return journey.
G was going, to gain access to the barn at JR's/visit.
G had forgotten & was not here - I went instead as I couldn't think of another solution when this large Bentley truck arrived early on Wed am, before I was dressed.
I had a great day, sitting between two burley truckers, collecting & delivering the RR, lunch at a truckers' café & on to JR.
Great views from the cab & well looked after - Andy played for west Ham & was a world motorcycling champion in his younger days & lives life to the full - a wealth of stories.
I may never be a truckers' Moll again! (I did offer)

I have picked pounds of redcurrants & raspberries from a friends garden - fantastic crop that they have had enough of & going away - compotted & the last batch to freeze, ready to make summer puddings for my b'day party.
I have baking to do, the lawns to finish, when the sun's been on them for a little longer, then off with the family to York for my nephew's wedding.
It will be  great fun - I'm staying with AJ,  along with his three brothers & partners - never a dull moment