Eboracum.

Thar's where I am - with aj.
We had an energetic day, walking down to Acomb for a potter this morning, then catching the bus into York, for a further potter.
We had tea & a bun in M&S & did a little shopping, with some success.
It was dark by 4.00pm today, before we got home for a nice cup of tea & a piece of cake (the way to aj's heart is a Victoria sponge, with jam & cream)
We are about to have dinner - aj's slaving in the kitchen!

I drove here yesterday after church.
G has texted me once in the last two weeks, yesterday he texted twice - once as we started the two minutes silence & again as it came to an end.
When I apologised afterwards I was told that people thought it was hearing aids bleeping.
Much more likely to be found in Sh church than a mobile phone, I suppose.

Back in the saddle.

Yes, I went to the gym this morning, the first time since Boudicca's personal gym!
I had to rush to get to M&S for the cardholders' event - £5 voucher + 10% discount + a glass (v small) of bubbly & a mince pie - then on to pick up J & Th at 3.15pm.
I've had a great day.
Actually, I've had a great week.
I went to Bicester on Monday, to babysit T & KP.
I babysat O & the twins on Tuesday evening, went back to B & E, as it was late, & and eventually came home on Thursday.

I delivered 28 letters about the Mid Advent/Christmas tree festival (MAV), inviting groups of friends, neighbours, families, etc to volunteer to decorate a tree in church for £10, as part of the Christmas celebrations.
The Estate are donating 10 trees & we hope for more from Planters Garden Centre; we have 2 volunteers so far.
It should be great, if it works.
The Church will be open on 10 & 11 Dec, lit only by the tree lights on the window sills & around.

Good Housekeeping has it's best / tried & tested Christmas produce from all of the supermarkets - M&S & JS did quite well:
Turkey               - M&S Classic British.
Smoked salmon - JS Taste the Difference, Speyside, whisky smoked.
Stuffing              - JS Taste the Difference, pork, sage & onion (Philistines)
Cake                   - JS T the D hand decorated....
Pudding              - M&S luxury/Waitrose richly fruited (£3 more!)
Mince pies          - Co-op truly irresistible

JS have some good wines at half price.
Tesco have Tattinger vintage champagne at half price.

New batteries in the bathroom scales so tomorrow morning will be trying - I'll start dieting as soon as I get off them, I'm sure.

Whew.

We had a great bonfire party last night, the bonfire went well, with titivation (paper & videos pushed into holes) & the fireworks all ignited with only the super-duper rocket needing a second attempt.
B the Brave!
We dined on chilli & rice, gingerbread & cakes & the grandchildren all had a late night.

E & T came to NW church this morning, T was assistant stereo operator & behaved brilliantly, although I did find that he was unable to discuss the finer detail of my sermon on "The Foolish Virgins"
B & KP went for a cycle ride & found a bee hive in a tree.

After lunch of roast pork the family had to leave early as T had a b'day party to attend.
G phoned from a Thai beach, having had a lift from Bankok, enjoying himself.
A lovely weekend. 

Wet.

 I have done everything on my list, apart from writing Sunday's sermon & taking out the letters re the Mid Advent Festival (because I have no envelopes.
I'll get up early tomorrow as I'm past it tonight.
I have a delicious, big, sticky gingerbread & cakes made, the ingredients for chilli & Sunday lunch, the beds all made up & two boxes of fireworks in the porch.

It was a lovely sunny morning - two loads of washing dried outside.
I went to Solihull this afternoon to collect J & Th from school. The M42 was closed so traffic was heavy. The Heavens opened for about an hour, so J & I were drenched, despite parking between the schools & having a big umbrella. We went to JS to choose fireworks & had tea there whilst we dried out.
It's raining again - as long as it's finished by tomorrow.

I'm watching "The Hotel Inspector" - The Grimscote Manor in Coleshill - The Grimstock, where W once worked.
JS has Baileys at half price - £9.89/litre.  

Home again......

I took G to Heathrow on Tuesday, having stayed with B & E on Monday night, to give us a head start.
G has travelled onward to the coast in Thailand, somewhere.
I had a text, but it was a bit garbled.
It took me three days to get home as KP had a parents' evening yesterday so I stayed on to babysit.
In effect, I took T to Beavers then KP & I went to Bicester Village for a potter & "a coffee" in Pret.
KP had a brilliant report.
My bed will seem very quiet & empty tomorrow morning, I'll get up & get on with the host of jobs I have to do.
QT is on - very good tonight, Ed Balls is the weak link.Peter Hitchins is particularly good - he had been to St Paul's to speak to protesters & said "they knew nothing about the economy, in fact, they knew very little about anything".
Do watch "The Frozen Planet", the photography is amazing - the best nature documentary ever.
I haven't even started my novel yet!

Tennis cancelled.

All psyched up & ready to play tennis & we don't have a quorum. Shame.
I'll go & put proper clothes on & then on to Plan 2. Finish the chores & off to Marsh Gibbon, then Bicester  to see the family before G departs for Thailand / Vietnam for another holiday. This time to see the elephant round up, eventually, in Surin.
Perhaps I'll fly out & surprise him by appearing in the herd, otherwise,I'm open to offers.

Yesterday was a lovely bright, mild day - we both went to the combined All Souls day service at OW, then had Marg & Phil, M,M & Keith to lunch. We went for a walk round the Moathouse Lane/Church block then back for a meeting with Jan re fundraising.
We now have    - "Coffee & Cakes" here on 19 Nov
                           - "Mid Advent" festival on 10, 11Dec, filling the church with Christmas trees &
                              asking folks to decorate them/ sponsor their decoration.
                           - Fund raising lunch here on 4 Dec.

Offers of help/attendance warmly welcomed.

Must phone the sweep to book for home & the almshouses chimneys, when I find his number.
Early start tomorrow, for Heathrow drop-off - glad the clocks went back!
Did they change in DK?

Fall back.

Not a comment on our relationship, but the fact that the clocks go back tonight.
There is the annual debate about the benefits of this.
Personally, I shall just rearrange my life to take place an hour later, where possible.

Yesterday I went to Balsall Common for my free facial, courtesy of the daily Telegraph.
I eventually found the establishment - a small semi on a housing estate, the curtains closed (10.00am), a pushchair by the door & childrens voices.
I rang the bell twice & then left, confident that I would not have a relaxing half hour.
Thanks, DT.
I food shopped in Solihull - P,A, J&Th for dinner & folk for lunch on Sunday.
A had a day off so we did not have the planned day with J & Th, but they had time to make pumpkin lanterns with G.
We ate dinner by lantern light - a first!

Tonight is the Fireworks Party at DMP, which we enjoy.
Nowadays the fireworks are followed by a meal in the Hamilton suite, rather than at the house - too much mud & outer clothing, I guess.

Apparently, the 3 things that make people most happy are:
1. finding a £10 note in a pocket of old clothes
2. going on holiday
3.getting into bed with ......clean sheets
I go with 3, & you can do it twice a week!

Michael D Higgins is the new President of Ireland, they have opted for a poet rather than a murderer, a dragon or a passe pop singer.
A bit of a "no-brainer". I would have thought.