Fly posting.

So arrest me!
I was up early to hand over the Volvo keys to the mechanic, who takes it away for the day, returning it serviced and with an MOT for a very reasonable price - my hero.
As I was up I had a cappuccino, put on the TV and got on with the publicity for the Table Sale that we're running in the parish hall on 5 May - more e mails out and poster done and printed.
I rewarded myself with a soak in the bath, before walking around the village to fly post, have a private viewing of the newly decorated Parish hall and have coffee with Jan and Chris.
I must have done something with the remainder of the afternoon, can't remember what.
I did put the dead flowers out and vacuum downstairs - that couldn't have taken 3 hours.
e mails and some more TV at some point.
I did put the mower battery on charge, to no effect - perhaps the charger's duff - the mechanic looked at it and couldn't see anything amiss - I'd done it all correctly.
AJ arrived for a break, we had salmon and salad for dinner and I've planted hollyhock and nasturtium seeds.
Presently watching TV and planning to tax the car and buy coffee online.  

All chill.

A Bank Holiday from shopping just doesn't work anymore as people shop online anyway.
I'm watching a programme about Amazon which is surprising - people shopping at JS to store goods until the price rises, then sell on Amazon.
Call me old fashioned.
I like to potter around the shops to see, feel and compare the goods, for most things, or at least look and then order on line, when you know what you're ordering.

I had a lie in and embroidered a ladybird over the hole in the knee of JP's jeans this am.
It took me an hour and made me aware that my near sight isn't as good as it was - I still see better without my glasses, for close work.
I spent the rest of the day gardening - removed two 6 ft conifers from the rockery, roots and all.
Knackering.
I hoed most of the borders, put in some new perennials , gooseberry and raspberry bushes, trimmed the edges and mowed under the hedges - the big mower had a flat battery, I hope.
I've put it on charge, I hope, so that I can  finish the lawns tomorrow. 

Happy Easter.

Starting with a bottle of bubbly with a prospective wedding party, after the morning service at Shustoke.
A good congregation for the service - 48 + 5 children, welcomed with a smile and chocolates and concluded with tea/coffee and a variety of cakes.
We have kept the church open, beautifully decorated, serving teas, cake and bubbly from 11.00am on both Saturday and Sunday.
A couple of wedding parties and about a dozen others visited.
Could have been more, but worthwhile.
Cakes dispatched to deserving cases - the James Martin parkin and carrot cake were well received as was the wedding cake made by the local baker.
Home by 6.00pm, in time to walk to Jan and Chris's for a lovely dinner, now home and watching "Endeavour" - brill!
A day off tomorrow - hoping to garden, if weather permits.
I need some exercise, too much standing/sitting around this weekend - perhaps get to the gym first thing.

Let tem eat cake.

Attributed to Marie Antoinette, erroneously.
We are keeping Shustoke church open this weekend for anyone who wishes to visit over Easter, including couples who are planning a wedding reception at the Wedding Barns and contemplating marrying at the church - there seem to be few restrictions on choice of church nowadays.
We shall be serving afternoon teas, wedding cake and bubbly (kindly donated by the Wedding Barns) on both days, to which end I have been baking all morning and finishing off/decorating cakes this evening.
I now have 4 dozen cup cakes, carrot cake, parkin, coffee cake and fruit cake.
I shall make the scones tomorrow morning before going to church for 11.00am, loaded, set up for the day.

I went to the Good Friday service at 2.00pm - always the most moving service of the year, I think.
We dressed the altar (stripped for today) then cleaned and decorated the church, putting back the window arrangements  from last Sat wedding, Dawn and Jane doing the remainder whilst I gave Henry a work out.
All looks good, lilies on the altar, flowers done and tables laid for tea.
Three different couples visited whilst we were there - one couple from Chelmsley Wood.
On having a chat it materialised that I had taught him at Simon Digby 39 years ago -amazing.

I've eaten too many cakes today, not much else.
 

Eggtravagant!

I've taken my second day off from the usual round to deliver Easter eggs and have lunch out near Bicester.
I left home later than intended as I painted my toe nails purple - it does my ego good - then you have to wait until they're really dry before putting on shoes.
Clothing was difficult as it seemed that it should be a warm day, but the forecast was for a cool day - it was.
The outward journey was fine but the roads were very busy later so I chickened out and came home at tea time instead of visiting Kenilworth or Warwick, stopping at Meriden en route, for fish and chips for tea.
Pig!
The first time for well over a year and I only ate half of it.

I'm told that the flashing ads are cookies - never had so much trouble getting rid of cookies, ever1

Almost as good as it gets.

Me that is.
I played tennis this morning, then on to Dorridge for a facial, Solihull for coffee at Pret, a potter around the shops for an hour and then back to Coleshill for a trim and blow wave.
I did have to buy a dress and T shirt in East - it's a very old building in the High Street with a  wonderfully cosy, beamed upstairs with big changing rooms, where they put all older stock.
I really wanted a blue T shirt, the East one is lilac, so I had to go back to M&S to find a blue one, making me a little late at the hairdresser's - he forgave me!

I was home by 4.30pm, which gave me a couple of hours to finish preparing the Lent Course that I lead at the Meths this evening.
Severn Trent were installing a water meter at the end of the drive when I got home, a day early, as they were in the area and had time - have to start bathing with a friend!

I've since eaten a salad and am watching "Endeavour", which is my very favourite programme of the moment - the young Inspector Morse - recorded on Sunday.
A day out planned for tomorrow - no point having your hair done and spending the day in the garden.   

Three cheers for the National Trust.

NT membership must be one of the best bargains available for those with enough time to visit some of the wonderful properties available.
Today I took J and Th to meet E with T and KP at Upton House near Banbury.
The weather was glorious, the staff could not have been more helpful, enabling the children to enjoy a conducted tour of the house and then have great fun in the woods and the gardens for several hours.
There are many wonderful paintings and a great deal of fine porcelain which would be well worth a second visit.
We were home by 6.00pm to cook dinner - a homemade version of Mcnuggets and chips with salad - then a drawing session, some TV and bed.
I think that I may have been the first to nod off - all of that fresh air, exercise and driving following a pretty poor night's sleep.
I'm hoping that the glass of Benedictine will have helped tonight.

How can I get rid of the advertisements that are flashing over every page that I open? 

A day at the brewery.

Most enjoyable.
Coffee and brownies on arrival, flower arranging demo, buffet lunch, demo of an Easter table decoration and then the remainder of the afternoon spent making a similar one, with a fat candle and eggs.
I have spent longer arranging flowers today than I have spent in the last thirty years.
The result was really pleasing. It is presently in the centre of the dining table, well sprayed and hopefully will last until next week.
My daffodils in vases in the scullery and on the lounge hearth look equally as good.

How to make a palm cross.

The quandary of the day.
We are going to make them from strips of coloured thick paper during the family service.
I thought, naively, that I could undo an old one and Hey Presto!
Not as easy as that - they break up when unfolded.
T googled the above - some poor demonstrations, but after an hour b and I have it cracked, leaving the coffee table piled with brightly covered crosses of all sizes, made from the remains of failed attempts.
I'll practise tomorrow and hope to remember it on Sunday morning.

The lesser challenges were walking up to church with T and KP to open up for a wedding florist, who eventually arrived T 11.00pm.
I carried the laptop again so that t could sort out the technicalities of connecting it with the amplifier and loud speakers.
He managed well and even the CD player sounded so much better played through the speakers.
KP and I sorted through all of the service sheets and filed them accordingly - KP in her element.
We walked home to make special cup cakes for Mum and Dad - T, malteser, KP, lemon, all delicious.
We lunched on poached eggs then set off for Bicester, via Coleshill.
A glorious day again, a shame to be in the car really, but I think the they may have been pleased for the rest.
I shared their barbeque, in the kitchen, 15 degrees but feeling cool, then came home and to bed.

Muppets Most Wanted

Today we chilled - breakfast, the gym to use the pool and spa bath - T swam about 30 lengths, KP, 10 and I managed a fair few as well as being the support team for KP, as she was just out of her depth throughout.
We were in the water for bout an hour and a half, in total.
When showered and changed we went to Solihull to "The golden Arches" for lunch - sitting in the big armchairs by the window - beat that!
A potter around the shops, a visit to Maplins for a cable for T to connect the laptop to an amplifier in church and Gap for a treat.
We took the shopping back to the car and then went to the pictures to see...............
Not bad - perhaps a bit complex, but brilliant fireworks displays and credits.
Home for tea and a relaxing evening watching "Masterchef" - their favourite!
"Chilled" because no fixed times apart from the pictures - apparently this is a very quaint term.
Who cares!

I have this flashing box/ competition across the page - how do I delete it?

A new mower.

Last night I went to bed immediately after T and KP, exhausted.
Tonight I have managed to stay up for an hour or two after them, having had a surreptitious nap whilst watching "Masterchef", given away by waking up with a snort!

We've had a busy day, walking up to church round the lanes, to meet the managers from the Wedding Barns as they'd not seen it before and send bridal couples to local churches.
They kindly brought six bottles of Proseco for our Open Weekend at Easter, when we're serving wedding cake, bubbly and afternoon teas.
T sorted out the music for the Easter Open Weekend, which he'd downloaded onto my laptop, hence I carried it all the way. KP checked out the loo - the "worst she'd ever been in". She's been very lucky!
We walked home down the main road, the actual road, as it's closed for resurfacing, at some inconvenience as it's a main, busy thoroughfare.
We called in at the shop for sausage rolls, made by the local baker, remembered from a past visit.
After lunch we went in the garden, jeep, bikes and the mower out in the sunshine.
We did mow the lawns, using it as a training exercise for T, who realised that it was not as easy as driving the battery jeep, but got the hang of it eventually, with me "holding the bridle".
Tea - cold chicken, homemade chips and salad - and a relax before bed.
A great day with lots of fresh air and exercise, always a winner!

Big plans made for tomorrow. 

Zizzi pizza beat Pizzaland

according to T, who seems to be an expert in such matters.
T, KP and I lunched at Zizzi's in Kenilworth on the way home from Bicester - the manager agreed, apparently they use different bases, but they are owned by the same group, as are "Ask".
Small world!
We bought wonderful food at Waitrose - much cheaper nowadays - and came home to play, rest and cook roast chicken, roast vegetables, bean mix and broccoli, followed by crème brulee for desert.
Jan came for dinner, then we went bell ringing - T spent time on the organ with an organist and KP rang a bell - all great fun.
Came home late and straight to bed - all of us - out like lights!

Malteser cake.

Cooling on the rack, ready to be filled and decorated - the g/children enjoy doing that.
Q. How many Maltesers can you get on a cake?
A. As many as you can lay hands on minus those that disappear into little tummies.
Far fewer needed when I do it.
Friends coming for afternoon tea, I'll make some scones of some sort shortly.

Lots of questions to ponder:
*Do I need "Patch Magic"  to make grass grow on the bare patches/mole hill sites on the lawn.
*Why does my mobile go from 100% charge to empty in a matter of hours, without being used?
*What percentage of the population are "axe murderers"?
* Should I feel guilty as I'm watching "Foyles War"  as it's raining  and I can't garden?

Yesterday was fine - I cleared the remains of the mess/leaves/acorns built up around the goat enclosure, mowed outside and half of the field. Rob came round and started the small mower for me - it sees me coming - so that I could mow under the hedges and around the trees first - makes life much easier.
That took 5/6 hours.
I then had a bath and went to a concert in Solihull - "The Armed Man", Karl Jenkins and "Toward an Unknown Region" - Vaughan Williams - very good.
Home to late to eat  so Sunday lunch was sorted.

Struggling with "Passion".

Having decided to have a hot foaming bath and a pedicure this morning instead of going to the gym - usually the gym wins, honestly - I found it difficult to put on old clothes and get dirty in the garden.
Impossible, actually, so I found a clean option - I did the washing and settled down in the conservatory to admire the lawns and write a sermon for Sunday - Passion Sunday.
Despite a lot of reading and research I didn't put pen to paper and eventually gave up at about 3.30pm.
I packed up some of yesterday's cake and went to Coleshill to visit Phil - he always makes us a cup of tea and eats cake - very gratifying.
I shopped, banked and posted mail, then came home to cook dinner - haddock.
I've had phone calls, answered e mails, but still no sermon.
I'll take the books to bed - wake up early and try again

Grassmere gingerbread,

Victoria sponge and small scones, all made by 8.00am, ready for the coffee and cakes morning - scones in the fridge to cook and serve straight from the oven at 11.00am.
Eight friends, a lot of chatting, a small bring and buy and a good time had by all.
Afterwards, I finished the coffee with another piece of cake and changed out of my pink jeans (admired by T&KP, last summer, but never worn) and went out to mow.
The mower was in fine fettle but failed to mow at all on the first circuit as I forgot to set the cutting height below maximum, so the blade didn't see the grass!
Four hours later I had made a pretty good job of the lawns and mown the goat paddock - still a lot to do.
A slow job as the grass was much wetter than I realised so two rounds to cut and about three to collect the grass, stopping to remove the boxes (crippling) and clear the grass tunnel by sticking your arm up it as far as possible - quite vetinary, but no calf, only clogged grass, thank goodness.

I popped round next door after changing into clothes not bearing lawn detritus, to thank them for looking after ex-chicky, returning over two hours later, too late to bother to cook, so some bread and cheese and bed.

My mobile phone isn't holding it's charge - am I just unlucky with mobiles?
Will the heat wave start tomorrow?
Did Farage outwit Clegg?
Does it take much to outwit Clegg?
Should we come out of Europe?
Just a few things that won't keep me awake for long.

 

What's in it for me?

nothing but sand!
I was unaware of any intake of silicon dioxide whilst playing tennis this morning - I did lose the first set though, which is unusual - but the car was certainly coated  with some fall out from somewhere.
The hot, sunny day did not materialise - I had lunch  and then planned to mow the lawns, but the rain came first so I started on my sermon for Sunday (got the books together and fell asleep).
M&S delivered the 3 seater settee this afternoon - it looks very good and is just as comfortable as the two seater, just shorter.

I've since been to the Lent course at the Meths at 6.30pm, followed by a meeting of the Alms House trustees at 7.30pm.
The course was  difficult and tough going, the meeting went well - no problems, I'm now watching a recorded episode of "Poirot" - on board the Queen Mary on her maiden voyage to new York, protecting  a million pounds worth of bonds, carried in a metal portmanteau.

The field looks lovely - cilla, celandines and daffodils in flower - I did take a photo to post, with my phone and send it to my e mail address.
It's not arrived yet! 

and now for the weather forecast.......

Scientists in Britain have made great strides with the accuracy of weather forecasting, which will now be 62% accurate, which will save the economy millions - wind farms cranked up, ice cream manufacture, hanging out the washing, etc.
Surely the odds are still pretty low, not that earth shattering - not a criticism, more of an observation.
Yesterday was a glorious day - I celebrated by taking the day off - an early trip to the gym followed by coffee with friends in JL, Ventura Park, which lasted until 1.00pm.
I bought a veritable flock of fluffy Easter chicks from Hobbycraft and purple underwear in M&S sale.
I've never had purple before, but I like it - perhaps there was an unconscious reference to women bishops.
I had tea with M&M on the way home, then had tomato and basil salad, having bought a beautiful basil plant in M&S - always superior!
The only sensible thing I bought was milk.

Bell ringing last night - I rang two rounds, with help and less stress.
Perhaps I will get there!

Pranksters open day.

I considered regaling you with my plans for the day - a trip to Stamford to make the acquaintance of my new friend, a German shepherd puppy of almost excellent pedigree - but have decided against it, to avoid recriminations.
Like the men in your life, you always assume that everyone else will love him as much as you do, overlooking the blindingly obvious fact that love is blind, you're looking into the sun and they're not.
Woof, woof.

The clocks springing forward yesterday was wonderful as I am woken by the dawn chorus most mornings, now 5.30 rather than 4.30am.
I didn't wake up until 6.42am - a record!
What followed is probably most mundane by your standards, but I enjoyed it - tennis (2 sets, won both), home to write and circulate a report on Saturday's course, change and head for Solihull, an hour around the shops (M&S sale - UP TO 60% off, nothing that you would even consider for dirty work/gardening clothes, even if they were in your size), ordered wallpaper from Laura Ashley and "took advantage" of the offers in Boots to buy lots of hair toiletries - perhaps you'll notice  a difference.
Drove to P&A's, did the school run on foot, some of it jogging, cooked tea, ironed a few shirts and came home.
I made a "risotto" with Sunday's shredded pork, broccoli, rice and sweet and sour sauce.
It was awful, but I eat it, fell asleep and was woken up by Jan picking me up for the church AGM at NW.
What a farce!
I shall take this as a challenge!

My new cards came from Vistaprint - really good.
I did mistakenly order 50 magnetic copies, rather than the 20 I had intended - I shall give them to everyone I know to decorate their white goods.

The gym then Ventura Park for coffee with a friend  - JL rather than M&S, perhaps - so many elderly in M&S whereas JL merely has the deranged.


All of the churches increasingly in the red, congregations diminishing, 2 out of 4 treasurers not in attendance/no financial report submitted, no activity within the church and everyone sitting back and accepting it