Summer continued............

We played tennis in almost ideal conditions this morning, home to change and then to The Bull at Furnace End for lunch to spend the tennis ball kitty that builds up over the year - delicious meals, very well presented and a bargain as they have two for one deals, seemingly all of the time.
Now home again and trying to feel energetic - eating at lunch time is not really a good idea if you want to achieve anything in the afternoon!

Lazy weekend - friend for dinner on Friday evening and stayed up far too late so tired on Saturday and, added to the fact that it rained on and off for most of the day, I really didn't do much apart from vacuuming up the dead flies and some ironing.
Walked to church yesterday in the sunshine and saw lots of tiny toads crossing Moat House Lane, from R to L, for about half a mile - smaller than bumble bees.
Friends for lunch and tea hence there's the remains of a Malteser cake to be avoided/given away.

Very warm and muggy this afternoon, I shall wash the cars.....shortly!
 

Lazy days.

I'm having tea in the conservatory, having had a lazy day - clearing up done from last night's dinner party, loads of washing on the line, a visit to the neighbours to see Ann, who has been in hospital, round to Jan's with Magnums to eat in the garden, followed by a visit to see M and M, Mary recovering from surgery last week and looking very well.
I'm fighting against feeling guilty, but it has been a warm day following a late night.
I still have to buy the wallpaper for the study as the decorator starts on Monday.
I'm hoping to find something suitable on line - nothing in Laura Ashley - shame as they have 50% off.

Washing to get in, iron and put away, more still to put on the line.
The chickens are laying well and keeping to the field, in the main apart from the odd foray into the house.

Tomorrow forecast to be very warm, so another lazy day?
 

C of E meets the 21st century.

At last - the Church of England has convinced a majority that there is no reason to discriminate against women - hallelujah!

After spending most of the week with B&E, I spent Saturday morning training for their church's summer holiday extravaganza - mainly learning the songs, with a great group of people (and a guitarist of note)
I eventually arrived home on Sat evening, having stopped off in Kenilworth to meet a friend - a walk across Abbey Fields and around the castle, in Mediterranean heat - brill!

Three services yesterday - the parable of the sower - a big garden set up for the Family service, with rocks, paths , thorn bushes and good soil - the congregation to cast their seeds wherever they wanted.
all but one planted on the good soil - we've put it outside to see what happens.
A God of hope who even has hope in the hopeless!

Beautiful day today - tennis this morning, a quick nap and then to Solihull to pick up J and Th.
Both have brilliant reports from school - only four days to go.
I'm very proud of all them all.

Whew! Heatwave in Bicester.

A baking 32 degrees when I returned to the car, left by Bicester Library for a couple of hours during the day.
I wish that I could say that I'd been working in the Library on my services for Sunday (Matt 10 = parable/allegory of the sower), actually I parked there to walk across to B Village for coffee in Pret, a look in the Radley shop (disappointing) and a potter around the town before coming back to collect KP from school, T being involved in the school play.
Years 5 and 6 put on a modern version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
It was brilliant - some real talent and such stamina - the show lasts one and a half hours, two performances yesterday and a third this afternoon.

Yesterday was a day of culture as I went to Th's school play - a year 2 production of "The Wizard of Oz" - another triumph - word perfect and excellent diction and singing by such little people.

I have brilliant grandchildren - three amazing end of year reports seen so far and more to come.

This morning I surprised myself with my navigational skills - 3 3point turns and two referrals to passers by to find the PO parcels depot, where I have been a number of times in the past.

More fun and games tomorrow.

That's it folks!

Wimbledon all over for another year, but some brilliant tennis and some new blood  - didn't make the final though!
I did watch the final set - what do I watch now - I've forgotten.
in the summer I tend to be busy/in the garden/out until quite late so don't even turn the TV on many evenings - I've set the new Freeview box to record my favourite programmes, but don't yet know how to retrieve them - I did for about half an hour one evening..............

Glorious weather, no tennis as too many on holiday - I'll have to change into sensible clothes and get on with the day - Solihull/ school pick up after a potter - a clean day!

Jan and I had a "Day out" on Friday, at short notice - Warwick and Alcester, in the sunshine - a laugh a minute!
Saturday, I was awake early and had written Sunday's sermon by 8.00am
Brilliant - not necessarily the sermon, but that I had the rest of the day to shop, cook (Sunday lunch - poached salmon and salad, summer pudding) and garden.
I finished mowing the lawns at 9.30pm - Malcolm had cut the front hedges so the front needed tidying, he's presently cutting the side hedges, which will take the day.
Church yesterday then friends to lunch, Keith stayed on to watch the tennis, tea and supper.

Lotus is ready to go so I hope the sun keeps shining! 

What happened to Andy?

I've just spent a couple of days in rural Cambridgeshire with cousin JR - 90 years old with dementia,  Alzheimer's and two live in carers, one night, one day, with overlap.
Presently the carers are two Polish girls in their 30s, who are a delight - great fun and care for him so well, with infinite patience.
He does like to sit with you, hold your hand, stroke your arm and shower you with superlatives, interspersed with thanks for everything - he is presently happy and smiling, apart from occasional bewildered sessions. Yesterday I took him out for a drive - the first time that I've felt confident to do so for a long time - all down to the wonderful care he's presently getting, compared with the previous agency - more later.

We've watched Wimbledon in the afternoons - his Father (no, he's not here, he died 38 years ago, honestly)used to watch, so he makes some sense of it.
So what happened to Andy?
He never got going - you kept thinking he was leaving it for a while and then it was all over - he can't even blame anno domini, yet.

Home by 9.00pm yesterday - great drive at that time of day - straighten out all of the corners and still improve the fuel consumption!
Just had an aj breakfast - bacon, tomatoes, fresh egg and a small slice of fried date and walnut loaf - delicious!
I never eat stuff like that - must have been hungry.
A day in the garden today - I'm hoping to put some chicken wire across the field and then let the new chickens out, without them making a mess of the borders/keeping them in the field.
Don't know if I have enough chicken wire or the skills to do the job.
Time will tell.

Hottest day of the year??

He's done it again!

The Murray / Anderson match started just as J, Th and I got back from school, so we watched most of it, apart from cooking and eating tea.
There was a battle going on for the 11th game in the third set, when I left for home t about 6.30pm, though I assume that Andy eventually won.
I played tennis this morning I  lovely weather, then shopped for tonight's dinner, came home and prepared it, showered and dressed properly, then transferred to the Lotus to drive to Solihull to collect J and Th from school.
Back home with half an hour to spare before the guests arrived, to do the salads and vegetables  and cook the pudding.
About to fall asleep - chickens left to their own devices - they are shut in the run anyway and it's a warmish night.
Glad I'm not a chicken.
They don't seem to be eating the layers pellets - I did buy a new bag today and start afresh, to tempt them.
What next?