Endeavour.

I missed the series - the young Inspector Morse - and am enjoying catching up.
I'm probably missing the next series but watching recordings saves time as I can whizz through the advertisements.

On a practical level, I am being helped to sell things on e bay - interesting and fun if time-consuming.
This has two benefits - holiday money and reducing the amount of clutter that I've amalgamated over the years of bargain hunting and, of late, at auction sales.
I'm well in profit at the moment and really enjoying things still with lots to sell on a stall and then a car boot sale.

On the macular hole front, I've come to terms with the situation, that is, not being in charge for a week or two, so no planning ahead.
I should know within a couple of weeks - I can't believe that my eye has been dodgy for long as I'm sure that I would have been aware  of the  wobbly bits and bits missing with my right eye.
Then again, I suppose that you rarely look with just one eye and the other compensates very well.
I do use the eye glass for looking at hallmarks etc, in my right eye though.

Cold again today - popped to Kenilworth for a potter and Waitrose, this afternoon - a free telegraph and coffee along with the shopping.
I've sourced the Dreamland electric mattress cover to Argos, to be bought on Monday en route to pick J and Th from school.
I should be in the new "Winter Quarters" by Monday night!  

Macular what?

A day trip to Wales on Tuesday to provide the "in-car entertainment" for a friend, with a stop in Oswestry on the way home for  a delicious lunch in Wynnstay Hotel - highly recommended.
Home for M&S Keralan chicken dinner and a catch up on "Silent Witness".

A trip to Lichfield on Wed for a potter and a visit to Vision Express for an eye test.
I have finally given up on D and A in Solihull after many years.
taken over by Boots and seemingly always busy and moved from one place to another to wait.
Vision Express was really quiet with excellent service - unfortunately I couldn't read even the top line with my right eye and the test letters were moving and changing shape, strangely.
After having eye drops in to dilate the pupil and further examination, the optician said that I had a "Macular Hole" ,which would need surgery to prevent it worsening.
A Happy Meal at McDonalds whilst waiting for a letter to be written, between patients, and for the effect of the drops to wear off meant that  I had a parking ticket by the time I returned to the car - I'm hoping that it will be rescinded when I explain and send a copy of the opticians letter.

I phoned the GP first thing this morning, she made an appointment for me at Walsgrave Hospital at 11.30, where I was fully investigated and eventually shown the computer images of my macular hole - a classic case which will need surgery, recall within a fortnight.
K kindly took me in - two lots of drops in both eyes made them really dodgy, not helped by snow on the way home - glaring whiteness and fully dilated pupils!

Most of this afternoon spent asleep on the settee by a nice fire, making up for a disturbed night's sleep - I wish I hadn't eaten all of the chocolate biscuits!

I still have to buy an electric mattress protector for the "Winter Quarters" before making up the bed and moving in.
Where will I get the best deal? 

Where are all the brides?

On the bright side, we've done some good networking  and a fair bit of sorting, rearranging and cleaning.
On the less bright side, we saw very few bridal parties - three in all, one yesterday and two today, along with three small walking parties.
Oh well, plenty of cake left and time to relax and chat with friends who dropped in.
A lesson or two learned.

Friends came for dinner last night - great fun recalling the finest days at KS along with smoked salmon mousse, slow roast lamb with Persian spices (delicious), blackberry and pear crumble with cream, followed by fine cheese from WR, coffee and chocolates.
A bottle of St Emillion, Sauvignon Blanc and Proseco, to celebrate B's return to the clergy, full time.

Can Greece really solve it's economic problems by changing it's PM?
They seem to think so and faith moves mountains, so who knows!

Brides welcome!.

Back to normal - "whatever that is" as I recall Prince Charles saying many years ago.
I don't recall much else he has said, something about a "carbuncle on the face of the National Gallery", referring to JS, but that's it.
Catching up with e mails and housework on Tuesday.
Coffee with JT at Ventura Park on Wednesday + sale shopping, home in time for the delivery of the new bed for the winter quarters.
Brilliant, Seally bed - salesman claims that Barak Obama sleeps on one - with built in topper over the pocket springs, yet to be tested as it needs to breathe and I need an electric mattress cover before making it up, perhaps/
Trip to Leamington and Kenilworth with k on Thursday, including a very satisfactory shop in Waitrose - lots of half price offers on things I needed/wanted.
Yesterday we cleaned the church and I baked cakes, ready for the Open/Bridal Weekend.
B arrived for lunch and swept around the house, mending everything in his path - tumble drier timer (failed 4 years ago), hot water tap washer (12 months) and the leak in a water pipe in the roof which has caused a large brown patch on the newly decorated ceiling in the study since Christmas.
This last one still to be completed as I failed on he blowtorch front, to be put right this morning.
He's threatening to do the wardrobe shelf (18 months), but that may be a step too far .

I have to be at church to let the florist, baker, photographer and beautician in to do their displays, then home to fill the cakes (ran out of icing sugar), then back to serve teas until 4.00pm.
Same again tomorrow - I hope we have a good turnout as OW is open as well, so big effort all round.

Friends for dinner tonight - slow cook Persian spiced lamb from Waitrose, must sneak away to put it in.

The rain in Spain........

stays away from Andalucía in January!
I've just had a really enjoyable ten days staying at "The Reina Cristina" in Algeciras, across the bay from Gibralter.
The hotel was built in 1906 and welcomed royalty, film stars and politicians, then, about 20 years the beach was infilled and an enormous container port built.
It's still a charming place in vast grounds, handy for the bus and railway stations in town, with great views of the shipping across the bay and a snip off Travelzoo.
We enjoyed exploring the town, despite the grim reviews.
We took local buses to La Linea and spent another day in Gibralter and  the final day at  a Roman site about 20 km along the coast, driven there by a couple from the hotel who were experts on all things Roman and were great guides, in return for lunch at a beachside restaurant.
We drove to Seville for a couple of days and took the train to Ronda, stopping to visit friends at a bar en route and dined with friends at "Faustinos", one of the oldest tapas Bars, with them and other friends in the evening.
We stayed in small hotels in the old quarters in both towns which were magical.

Home late on Sunday evening, Solihull yesterday to shop, briefly and unsuccessfully, and collect J and Th from school.
I've done the washing and ironing, caught up on e mails and cleaned out the chickens - nothing pressing as I'm in tomorrow awaiting delivery of a new bed for the" Winter quarters", formerly, the study.
I've bought pillows but still need a white valance to complete the look before I move in.

Hanson's sale this week so I may need to visit Etwall for even more excitement, churches open all weekend with bridal displays so cakes needed to serve with the wedding cake and friends to dinner on Saturday evening.

I'm trying not to think about food as I'm determined to lose the Xmas and holiday weight gained.
I'm a bit peckish!

Epiphany

on Tuesday, but celebrated today so we've spent this afternoon undressing and removing the 30 Christmas trees from church. - a few cwt of needles to sweep/vacuum up tomorrow, then all done.
As well as marking the end of Christmas, Epiphany marks the arrival of the Magi/wise men to visit the baby Jesus.
Reading the story (from Matthew's Gospel) you will find that the number of Magi is not given and was assumed to be three as there were three gifts, it is widely believed that there were more, possibly up to a dozen.
The family was "in a house", not a stable, and Jesus was probably aged two by the time the Magi arrived.
Gifts would have been given but those noted were to prophecy Jesus's future - gold for a King, Frankincense for a priest and myrrh foretelling His death.

Life still seems hectic - church at Shustoke, taking the service at NW, home for coffee and a bacon sandwich then back to remove the trees.
J and Th tomorrow - their last day of freedom - another frosty day on the cards.

Happy New Year

2015 is going very well - yesterday I celebrated the new year with lunch here for about thirty family and friends - poached salmon, baked gammon and quiche with salad followed by a variety of desserts, washed down with proseco................
Wonderful to see so many lovely people on new year's day and especially to have B, E and family staying, T was kitchen assistant and Barrista!
We walked around the reservoir this morning to blow away the cobwebs - easily done as there was a strong, cold wind - then home for lunch.
I've since done loads of washing and cleaned the kitchen a bit  - plenty of time to do more later in the year!
B mended the porch light - switch failure, cleaned the shower fan and put the coat hooks back up in the porch, with longer screws, after they fell down whilst loaded with guests' coats yesterday.
I should be writing a sermon for Sunday - Epiphany, but hope that it won't take too long as it's a good topic - "We Three Kings"
Presently watching some recorded TV - saves time as you can speed through the ads.