Happy Mothering Sunday.

My sons have always been diligent about sending me "Mothering Sunday" cards as opposed to those celebrating "Mothers' Day" - there is a difference.
The former is a Christian festival, the latter, a secular one, celebrated worldwide on different days.
In the UK, they coincide.
I spent yesterday at St Michael's Cof E secondary school in Rowley Regis - a fantastic building -  on a course led by Bishop Andrew to motivate "small churches" - congregation, not building!
A very good, uplifting day, ending with a short service, during which the Bish prayed for the congregations on.....Mothers' Day!!!!!

Today P, A, J and Th came to lunch, with A,s parents - always good company.
I made stuffing balls and a birthday cake for A's mum and laid the table yesterday evening, then got up early this morning to put a shoulder of pork in the oven to slow roast, and to prepare the vegetables and puddings, before church.
We had a great day, everything according to plan apart from unknowingly, having a hole in the back of my black tights at church.
Today, I thought that I'd got it all together - better than burning the lunch anyway.

I spent the evening with Jan and Chris - lots to catch up on and plans to make!

Thanks to W, B and P for the  presents - I loved them all.
   

Gymnastics!

Well, it has taken me all week but I did get to the gymnasium this morning, enjoyed the experience and felt great afterwards, aided by swimming in a near empty pool, floating in the Jacuzzi and a hot shower.
My membership runs out in a couple of weeks, I cannot decide whether or not to renew it for three months as we play tennis more regularly in the summer and then there's the garden..........
It's all dependent on the weather.
I don't want to pay £100 just to feel guilty for not getting there enough.

I didn't blog yesterday as I did nothing of note - a bath and beauty treatments in the morning, old clothes on, ready for a day in the garden, then the hail and rain came and continued for most of the day.
I did lots of un-noteworthy jobs in the house - well, perhaps not "lots".
A few, mainly e mails, filing, phone calls and catching up on recorded TV.

Today I collected J and Th from school, having fitted in shopping in Knowle and Solihull after leaving the gym, with mushroom risotto and coffee in Pret - brill as usual.
Pret a Manger in Solihull is a delight - charming staff and great food and filter coffee only 95p.
I've ticked all of the boxes today - on a course in Rowley Regis tomorrow and the family for lunch on Sunday - a shoulder of British pork in the fridge, vegetables in the laundry.
Just a few odds and ends to buy on the way home tomorrow.

Hot and sunny weekend forecast - hurrah!
 

A rainy day in Bicester.

I came to Bicester on Monday afternoon to share in B's birthday celebrations - a James Bond themed weekend culminating in a sparkling bomb cake on Monday. - they certainly know how to do birthdays!
I had intended to go to Oxford yesterday, to an exhibition of Impressionist paintings from USA, travelling by bus, which stops opposite the Ashmolean, almost.
Yesterday was a cold, very wet day, so I opted for day time TV, a little ironing, to relieve the guilt, and a walk in town in the afternoon when the rain was less fierce.
T, KP and I shared tea, then set about the round of Cubs and gymnastics - why has the name expanded recently, it was always "gym"?
B and I went foe a "curry" in the restaurant in the square, which was excellent, then a pub crawl and back to bed - unaccustomed to the alcohol.
School runs then home today - may manage Oxford inbetween - there's always another day!

Happy Birthday B.

B has the good grace to look years younger than he actually is - what more could you ask of a son???
I'm having dinner with the family so must be off shortly - I played a couple of sets of tennis and am about to shower and dress properly.
I was up early, filling the bird feeders - domesticated and wild - having had an early night, exhausted.
Yesterday I had twenty to lunch, £10 a head plus raffle, for church funds - slow roast pork followed by Eve's pudding, banoffee pie and croissant and chocolate B&B pudding.
This involved being up by 6.00am to make the stuffing, prepare the vegetables and start cooking the pork - banoffee pie made and tables laid on Saturday.
I went to Sh church  - SR's final service as Reader in the Parish - then back to  get on with lunch.
It all went very well - food went down well along with 6 bottles of wine and the remaining few guests even washed the glasses whilst I ran friends to Coleshill, having been abstemious, as usual.
I have yet to do the accounts, but we should have made around £200.

I rarely get around to eating at these events, but made up for it later with a large portion of bubble and squeak made from the remaining broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes, fried in olive oil.
I only wish that I'd stopped there and not polished off the remains of the bannoffee pie!
Oh well.
Despite being up early today, I ironed yesterday's tablecloths and tea-towels then did e mails, etc and had to rush off to tennis, without breakfast, having lost track of time.
The evils of the internet!

 

Happy Anniversary.

It was exactly a year ago on Saturday since I found that my 18 year marriage was over.
For the next hour I could hardly breathe, I scarcely slept for weeks and ate very little for months, losing two stone in weight, giving rise to concern amongst acquaintances that I was desperately ill.
The shock of finding that the person who vowed to be there for you for the rest of your life, to whom you had committed every aspect of your life and wellbeing, had changed beyond recognition, has taken it's toll.
I am well aware of and greatly regret the pain caused to our family and close friends - it is their love and support that have seen me through the very worst time of my life and I cannot thank them enough for their patience and good counsel.

My life is good, I have a wonderful family, grandchildren I adore and  some good friends.
I have a home that I love, that I can manage, with just  a little help, at times, and a garden that I enjoy.
I very much miss having someone special to love and care for, but I do now have more time and energy to devote to the other people and the other aspects of my life.

There is always light at the end of the tunnel - I am even lucky enough to be able to put a name to that light!
   

Cheeseburgers and chips!

Well, it may not be the healthiest meal in the world - shall I correct that - definitely not the healthiest meal anywhere, but delicious, just once in a blue moon.
I believe that there was a blue moon tonight, anyway I collected J and Th from school to bring them home with me for a sleepover.
We were going to have tea in Pret - dead healthy stuff, a salad for me - but they had little left by 4.45pm, so we were forced to have "Happy Meals" in McDonalds.
We enjoyed them, then shopped a little in M&S and JS before coming home, settled in then watched "Sports Relief" in onsies (not me) with a premature midnight feast  by the fire.
A bit of a late night but it's Saturday tomorrow - Happy Birthday Tina.
 

First day of Spring.

Marked by a return to cold, wet and windy weather - a sad chick huddled on the gas meter against the side of the house - she likes to welcome visitors as they walk up the drive/ exit cars.
She didn't even lay an egg.

Today spring has returned, the sun casting long shadows of the trees across the field opposite, still a little chilly, but it's early yet.

I did start the day at the gym yesterday, left feeling relaxed and ten years younger.
I visited Phil, bearing butterfly cakes, and had tea and a chat, before going up to church to open up for wedding florists and to "do" the noticeboards - another of those tasks paving the "road to hell".
Now you can peruse the route for the "May day Parish Walk" (A2/coloured), a calendar of coming events, posters for the most imminent, alongside a selection of favourite passages from the Bible - please add your favourite.

I drank cappuccinos with bacon and tomatoes, shopped at Morrisons for Sunday's fund raising lunch, before the weekend crush at the butchers' (two legs of British pork for £24. Beat that!) and pre-viewed the St Cuthbert  video ready for the evening discussion group.
It was such a cold, wet and windy evening, I actually sat by the fire and e mailed likely attenders(few really as we had been at the Lent course at the Meths the previous evening), offering to loan them the video to watch at home instead.
It worked!
Cod, pan-fried in bacon fat, with tomatoes and mushrooms for dinner  - it actually taste really good.
Any other ideas to make cod palatable?
 

Beer and bingo!

A "budget for the pensioners", apparently.
Those who play bingo, drink beer and have an annuity to splash out on a world cruise, rather than invest to provide an income for later years, anyway - no doubt the bingo halls, pubs and travel agents will be packed out today!
I shall avoid them, until the rush is over, anyway - P&O have some amazing last minute deals on "Ventura", sailing next week, so you could perhaps combine all three pleasures - sailing the high seas whilst playing bingo and drinking beer.
Imagine, a ship full of pensioners!

Anticipating an upturn in my finances yesterday, Peter, the decorator came to plan the decorating of the remainder of the house, just the wallpaper for the remaining two bedrooms to choose now.

I played tennis in the morning and had planned to mow the lawns, but, as is said, "the road to hell is paved with unmown lawns"!
I did get up at 6.00am, finish, press and hang the one bedroom curtain, then cut the second to size, from the old dining room curtains, made from silk that we brought back from Thailand some years ago, and then had made up, by a lady in Tamworth.
I finished the second one and hung it last night - they look wonderful - I'm delighted.
I brushed up my "Word" skills and printed some headings and notes ready to do the noticeboard in church, today - excellent timing as the mum of a bride marrying there in April phoned, wanting access to plan the wedding flowers, so we are meeting there at lunchtime.
I "did a Mary Berry", making a large batch of butterfly cakes (decoration, not content!), for friends, then visited M&M and Jan.
The remainder are ready to take to Phil this morning - I did eat one, just to check..............
Apart from that, I went to the Lent course, at the Meths, then came home for a late dinner, the last recorded episode of "Morse" whilst hand sewing the curtain.

Today, shall I go to the gym?
It's much too windy for gardening?



























 

Water, water everywhere.............

but only if you pay for it!
Yesterday afternoon a Severn Trent engineer came to put a water meter in, as it is calculated that this will more than halve my water rates - no, I've not lowered my standards of hygiene, but I'm paying for a sizeable household of bathers.
Few of my visitors request a bath!
Having planned an early morning (well, 8.30am) visit to the gym, I did a rethink and decided to do all of the heavy water usage tasks during the morning to take advantage of the freely available water.
The winner in the water usage stakes must be" cleaning the conservatory roof" - a task only bettered by "cleaning the oven" in the "foulest job" stakes!

Prior to cleaning roofs, you have to clean out the guttering - rubber gloves, bucket and up the step ladder - a walk in the park compared with the conservatory roof, though.
Four hours later I was filthy, soaked, but  feeling quite pleased with myself.
Task accomplished!
All of the "downstairs" gutterings cleaned, including the garage and factory - a long low building with a mile of guttering, and the roof scrubbed, using about a dozen buckets of hot water with Domestos cleaner, which then scoured the guttering and/or soaked me.
The roof is only 90% clean, but the best I could do - I may have the roof tiled before next winter.
I think that the conservatory would then become a "garden room".

I was showered and very presentable by the time the engineer arrived but will not be fitted for another month, in the drive, under the gravel.
Well!

After a "power nap" I attacked the silk dining room curtain that had been lying on the kitchen table for a few days, waiting to be downsized to fit my bedroom.
I've done it!
Downsized, hemmed and edged - all done on the lounge floor, by hand, bell wrapped around bell ringing practice.

Tennis this morning.
The lawn mower's returned, so I may be tempted, if the sun comes out...............
Pressed and hung this morning!

Cashmere or baths?

Yesterday we played tennis in the sunshine, having shed the fleeces and gloves that have been necessary, at least for the first half hour, for quite a while.
It was great.
I came home and had two cappuccinos to celebrate, before changing to go to Solihull for a brief potter around the shops, before collecting J and Th from school.
I did the school pick ups on foot - walked to J's school then on to Th's then home, a good mile and a half in total, the first mile at high speed!
I spent over an hour in the garden at P& A's, raking up the debris - much of it from the large willow tree that overhangs a quarter of the lawn - joining in football with Th, at the same time, whilst J was
on the computer. 
I popped into JS on the way home, bought a couple of herbs for the garden - much cheaper than the garden centre - home by 7.45pm, tired.
After dinner, too tired to even pick up the computer, so had an early night.

Today Severn Trent are fitting a water meter, which should halve my water costs, which will keep me in silk and cashmere - far more satisfying.
I've just done a final load of pre-meter washing and am considering washing the conservatory roof, rather than going to the gym - 5 minutes to decide!


 

Chicken squash.

I believe that a chicken has a brain the size of a pea - my chicky has a brain the size of a proton!
Today she managed to get into the 5 inch gap between the shed and the factory wall.
Having become ridiculously house-proud about the state of the yard now that the tat and tarpaulins of two old goats has gone, I was sweeping by the shed prior to getting down to gardening proper - I am aware that I always spend some time going off at some strange tangent before starting the gardening task that I've gone out to do - this may be age related!
I heard her, couldn't see her and then squinted down the gap and.........
How on earth could I get her out?
The only implement long enough to reach her was the line prop - 8ft, wooden and heavy.
I bodged the end into a car sponge and pushed her backwards as far as possible - not far enough!
After gardening proper for a while, giving time to think, I found a length of plastic tubing, much lighter and about a foot longer than the line prop, so that I could I could manoeuvre it with one arm, and that wedged between the shed and the wall.
I managed to push her backwards, into the foot wide space between the shed end and other wall - I had attempted to squash myself through this space to get nearer to her, but decided that two of us wedged between shed and wall would merely result in two emaciated corpses being found......eventually.

I did loads of gardening, had a big bonfire then came in for a soak in the bath before cooking a steak for dinner and watching a recording of "Endeavour" - the young Morse, which was very good.

I've made my bed with the sheets that have dried on the line this afternoon and smell wonderful..
Simple pleasures. 
 

Death by james Martin!

Recipes, that is, not his hand.
A highly successful day yesterday as I managed to do all of the jobs/make all of the visits on my list, get the shopping at Morrisons and have a good evening here with five friends for dinner.
We started with Cava served in old fashioned crystal champagne glasses.
We then had pear, walnut and Parmesan salad with smoked salmon and dill mousse - homemade in a small loaf tin, lined with cling film, turned out and decorated with lemon, followed by JM chicken, chorizo and bean casserole with sugar snaps, rounded off with JM croissant and chocolate bread and butter pudding or poached pears in proseco, with cream, cheese and biscuits, coffee and coffee cake.
The pudding was delicious and very simple.
My stomach would have coped had I not polished off the remainder of the b&b pudding whilst clearing the table at the end of the evening.
I woke some time after 4.00am, my stomach still complaining.
I eventually made tea at 5.00am and read (44 Scotland street - Alex McCall Smith) for 3 hours, then phoned aj for a chat.
I've had a thoroughly lazy day.
I was on the computer, in bed, and suddenly it was nearly 1.00pm - what a waste of a morning.
I got up,put the washing out and noted that the cold wind made it not a day for gardening, as I had planned.
I had brunch then vacuumed from top to bottom of the house - the first thorough clean for weeks - which did wonders for my state of mind.
Sad!
I took the bedroom curtain down and got the sewing machine out, ready to dissect it, but had a long phone call and had lost my enthusiasm, replaced by hunger, by the time it was finished.
An excellent rump steak and salad, followed by some of the steamed pears from Fri dinner, whilst watching a recording of an excellent play "A week with Marilyn Monroe" - brilliant cast - then bed. 

Even harder!

Another foggy start to the day, but sunshine promised later.
No blog yesterday as I went to bed just after 8.00pm, exhausted, hence awake far too early this morning, e mails done and day organised before 6.00am!
I have to type up notes, including a calendar of events, from a meeting on Wed, and circulate them.
That could be more of a challenge - amazing how quickly you lose skills if not practised.

I have a dinner party this evening, which encouraged me to make good use of the "foggy/pre-gardening time" yesterday, having not done any proper housework since before going on holiday, six weeks ago.
I polished and even thought to put the lights on and replace failed bulbs - not as bad as it sounds as most of the fittings have a minimum of 3 bulbs - I'm working towards having similar bulbs in all fittings as I have a "light bulb cupboard" with about a dozen different bulb types.
I'm aiming to have just candle - small screw & large bayonet and normal - large bayonet.
The brighter the better!
Are halogen and filament compatible?

I went in the garden at lunchtime, achieved everything I'd planned as well as clearing a couple of cubic metres of leaves off the border opposite the conservatory, replanting some tall perennials there and turning the small bed into a herb bed.
I was accompanied throughout by chick and a robin.
JA collected the mower - my hero, the wallpaper and my new mobile phone were delivered.
Three visitors and two cappuccinos - a good day in all.

Today, deliveries to make, people to see, vacuuming, shopping and cooking to do, then scrub up by 7.00pm, for dinner.

Hard labour.

Six hours in the garden with only a cappuccino break, but lots more to do tomorrow.
I cleared the rockery on the yard of leaves and acorns so that the plants could see the light.
The leaves filled the cubic metre bag twice, the other debris filled the wheelbarrow.
There were hundreds of acorns, all putting down roots - they are  very difficult to pull out later as they have one long root
Tomorrow, I have to finish clearing the border behind the rockery and remove the enormous pile of leaves that has collected by the conservatory and then sweep the yard.
I hope to also clear the molehills off the lawn, filling in a dip in the lawn and turfing over it - exhaustion, rather than time will be the limiting factor.
JA came and looked at the mower - a bit of damage, apparently something must have run into me when I wasn't looking! He's collecting it tomorrow and will check it out ready for mowing, next week, perhaps.
I look forward to mowing the whole field now that the fencing is all down.
I came in at 5.00pm, knackered, and made some large chocolate butterfly cakes for a Parish Fundraising meeting at 7.30pm.
I took some to Jan as she's a bit work-worn this week, back to shower and change, then prepare the meeting, which went very well - we put the calendar of events together for the year - 24 in all!

I ordered the wallpaper for the kitchen, last night - William Morris "fruit" - it's being delivered tomorrow.
Wallpaper Direct - how's that for service, and a 10% discount?

"Epistling"

W sings the praises of "journaling" in today's blog.
Can I add the advantages of "Epistling", to relieve stress - writing a letter/epistle to the perpetrator of your stress each evening, in a ...........journal.
You realise that your perspective on the situation changes subtly, day by day, which is good as you realise that you are moving on.
Of course, this will only be of use if your stress is caused by an individual.
Mine was.
I handed the journal over after a month - 30 epistles in total -  and felt that I had offloaded something.
Whether the recipient was burdened by my epistles, I shall never know.

Anyway - I've had a self-indulgent day - a bath, painted my toe nails purple, missed the gym as I was hoping to play tennis, which didn't happen, Di visited, then I went to M&S, Ventura Park and had coffees and a catch up with Karen for a couple of hours.
It was nearly 4.00pm by the time I'd bought all of the necessary beauty aids in Boots, shopped in JS,had the car washed on the car park and filled up with diesel and driven home.
I was starving, so ate my tea early and pottered before settling down for an hour before bell ringing.
I've decided to give the campanology up - I've been away for 6 weeks, with holiday, aj ill and meetings, I'm rubbish anyway and I am always taking services so am unlikely to ever be able to ring anyway.
What a failure!

 

Sun bathing.

A glorious day despite the forecast of cloud.
Bed stripped and in the wash before I went to the gym just after 8.00am.
Finished with a swim and relax in the Jacuzzi.
Is there any set etiquette for dealing with those who stand in the middle of the pool, chatting, whilst swimmers manoeuvre around them?

Tennis was off  - not enough of us  - so I came home, hung the washing out and did another load, answered e mails and organised things:
Fund raising Sunday Lunch here on 23 March.
Visit to the Sikh Temple on Soho Rd.
Flower arranging Workshop day on 12 April.
Liaison with Shustoke Wedding Barns, re open, decorated church over Easter weekend.

Those who have soon my floral displays may think that one of these will be wasted on me but, it's never too late to make a start.

A couple of friends dropped by for a chat and then it was time to leave to collect J and Th from school.
I parked at P and A's to get maximum exercise - a mile and a half  in total, added to by playing football with Th after tea - I did win, 60  - 50, an indication of the length of the game.
P and A went to J's parents' evening - brilliant report, as usual.
Well done J.
Home by 7.00pm to get the rest of the washing in, put Chick to bed, do the ironing and make my bed up - smells of the garden and fresh air.
Beautiful.
I can't wait to get to bed.

The gym or tennis tomorrow followed by coffee at Ventura Park with Karen.
Bell ringing at 8.00pm, which should be a challenge as I've not been for 6 weeks, due to holiday and illness (AJ's) and babysitting.
It's all go!
 

Shriven and ashed.

A glorious, warm and sunny day.
The first Sunday in Lent has been busy - sticking to the lent theme, I was up early to make Scotch pancakes to go with the coffee, after the family Service at Sh.
The service and the pancakes went down well.
I went on to take Morning prayer at 11.00am at OW, then home for a cappuccino and a snack (and a nap) and a baking session - cake and scones for tea as we were having a meeting here at 5.00pm, to discuss fund raising, after I'd taken Evening Prayer at Sh at 3.30pm.
All done by 7.00pm and salmon and salad in front of the TV.

The party last night was fun.
I picked Barrie up in SC, he knew the way to "Christopher's" in Tamworth, where 20 of us had a good meal and did a lot of catching up.
Thank God for the reversing sensor as I had to reverse out of the car park - a long way including a narrow, arched entrance.

I plan to go to the gym in the morning before playing tennis then off to Solihull to collect J and Th from school.
I will get in the garden at some point this week!

Done and dusted.

The day has gone well - a couple of hours in the gym and swimming pool, then back home for lunch, mainly because I had forgotten to take a pair of shoes.
Wearing trainers for the school run is not a problem, but I was going straight to Whitacre  Methodist Church for the service and wanted to look dressed for the part.
I managed an hour in Solihull, only buying nail varnish and lipstick, then on to pick up J and Th.
J had won a whole school competition to design a parking ticket and was in proud possession of new bike lights, her prize.
P was home by 6.00pmso, avoiding the M42/Crufts dog show, I was at church in good time.
It was an interesting service, lots of nice people and my address was well received and discussed over coffee and biscuit.
Home by 9.0pm for dinner, now watching today's recording of "Poirot" - much abridged by forwarding through the 5 minutes of ads every 10 minutes.
I shall have an early night, cup of Horlicks and start a second "Alexander McCall Smith" novel.
A day off tomorrow, apart from the family Service to finalise for Sunday.
Brilliant weather is forecast, so I hope to spend some time in the garden before scrubbing up to go to a party at "Christopher's" with a friend.
Should be fun - may even get round to nail varnish! 

The world's third largest desert.

The Sahara, of course, outflanked only by The Arctic and Antarctic - I'm sure that it was classed as the biggest when I was at junior school.
The Nile, on the other hand, is still the second longest river (4016 miles, 880 miles within Egypt),
the Amazon still the winner!

I'm polishing off my address/talk for the local Women's World Day of Prayer Service, tonight, this year, composed by the women of Egypt.
The inside cover of the service sheet has a map and information about the country, the service has drama and role play, leaving you wondering what to add.
I've opted for the tourism angle - a million Brits visit annually (violent fluctuations since Jan 2011/ The Arab Spring), to laze around at Red Sea resorts with large tattooed Russians (personal observation, based on a fleeting visit to Sharm), to cruise the beautiful Nile and to visit the antiquities, ranging from the pyramids at Giza, built in 4000BC to the amazing temples, seemingly everywhere, above or below sand level.
Yesterday tourists were told not to leave the Red sea resorts, following a terrorist attack on a tourist bus - bad news as the resorts were considered safe.
The tourist trade has been badly hit apart from the resorts, not surprisingly, despite protests that all is well - numbers down by 90% in Sept, apparently.
Anyway, the new leader of the Liberal Dostour Party is a Christian Woman - life is moving forward.

I came home yesterday in time to meet a friend for coffee/lunch at Ventura Park, after a great couple of days "Grannying".
Today, the gym, collect J and Th from school, then back for the WWDP service at 7.00pm, then home for dinner.
Perhaps I'll have a lunch somewhere instead.
I can prevaricate no longer........

Technology has taken over.

There are five of us sitting in the lounge, four of us are sitting with devices, looking at screens, I'm looking at two - this and the TV, B polishing a presentation for tomorrow, T and KP playing games and E finding it all boring.
What is the world coming to?
When two or three are gathered together, electronic devices should be banned.
Can i continue the rant - mobile phones, used by:
*people needing to communicate
* people on their own who want the world to realise that they do have friends.
*people in company who want to point out that they have more interesting people to talk to.
*mothers pushing prams who are indifferent to their child's development of speech and appreciation of their surroundings.
I think that the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages; the world was a better place without mobile phones.

Rant over.
I'm in Bicester with the family, hopefully providing a useful service with school runs for a couple of days - home tomorrow.
We watched James Martin make a Spanish chicken casserole this afternoon, between school and going for tea at Pret before taking KP to beavers.
T and I went to JS to purchase the chorizo, beans and shallots then came home and prepared the casserole, now ready to eat.
It smells good!
I'll let you know.
 

Cough.

Only the one cough now as aj went home yesterday morning.
It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny so, as planned, I spent 3/4 hours tidying up outside - I removed the last tarpaulin by the stables, swept the walls and windows of sheets of cobwebs, put the kids' bikes in a stable, swept up barrow loads of leaves and acorns and had a massive bonfire to get rid of all of the evidence.
It is completely cleansed - all detritus removed and the dovecote open to the daylight after many years - perhaps something will nest in it this year.
I fuelled the bonfire further with boxes from the shed then scrubbed up, ready for the hairdressers.
I came out looking quite different - sprayed and spiky, with a full fringe - good but beyond my capabilities to repeat.
I had a big cup of tea, a long chat to m and then dressed to match the hairstyle, complete with long, black boots, and went to friends for dinner in the village.

This morning I checked out my sermon - transfiguration/ a moment of Heaven.
When did you last have a "moment of Heaven"?
I went to Communion at Sh then on to take the service at NW, then Morrisons for a paper, haddock and Lemsips, then home for lunch and an afternoon by the fire.
It has been cold, wet and grey all day, so more of the same this evening.
Only decision - shall I watch the "Oscars"?