Ding dong

I've just returned from bell ringing - I'm getting better, probably because I've gone for three weeks in a row - practice makes, well not perfect, but an improvement.
Maurice took us up to see the bells as I have great difficulty in seeing what they are doing - I thought that they hung down to ring - they don't.
Up another three ladders & a lot of guano at higher level - fascinating.
There are six bells, one a replacement after the fire following a lightning strike in 1887, the newest added after the war.

If you want people to come & see you, just have a lie in.
Keith & a mate came to mend chests before 9.00am, I had released the chickens & gone back to bed with a cup of tea, for a chat on the phone with aj.
They mended two chests which were suffering from overloading,then they unhung heavy carvings, ready for decorating. Brill.
Later, Brian, a retired polisher came to size up a couple of jobs, which he will start/do tomorrow.
Three rooms - the main ones are all upside down, all needing jobs to be finished before I can clean/get straight - next week perhaps.
The dyson is upstairs, that's a start.
A local phoned to see the Lotus - told him that he couldn't see it until the weekend as I'd just put it back on the road & wanted to drive it for a few days first - perhaps not the best sales technique.
I've just eaten a lot of biscuits - oh dear, not the best healthy diet.

Raining.

Today I planned to mow the lawns, assuming that it would be dry.
Amazingly, it has just started to rain, so it may call for a change in plans - the house is in a state of flux as I've been reassessing the contents of the downstairs rooms/packing away/ giving away & generally reorganising.
A morning/day spent finishing at least one room would be good.
I had a brilliant day yesterday - the best for many weeks.
I was up early to sweep the yard - a wheelbarrow full of bits off the oak tree, in the main - followed by a thorough clean & move for the chickens, then a bath before going to Coleshill for a manicure & pedicure.
I now have shiny purple toenails, with which I am delighted - no polish on fingernails as it doesn't last long with housework & gardening.
I insured & taxed the Lotus, so all systems go - I do hope the sun comes out again as forecast.
It is still for sale, if you are interested - much better deal when on the road - MOT planned before 13 July.
Tomorrow I shall "split the breeze".
I went on to have coffee with a friend & then collected J & Th from school.
They were on great form - J had only scored 9/10 in her spelling test as she had forgotten to learn the words.
The one wrong - circumspection!!!!
J is 9!

I came home via JS to take on baking requisites, visited a friend en route & arrived home at the disgusting hour of 9.30pm, had a smoked salmon sandwich (sorry W) & an earlyish night, then spent until 2.00am catching up on emails.
Not a good idea - crampy legs from supporting the laptop & too tired.

A whole day to myself - I shall move mountains today!

Changed, but still no paragraphs!

Well, who needs paragraphs anyway!
I was up early to free the chickens, clean them out & fill the feeder - I hope they appreciate all of this care & attention.
Yesterday evening I went to the "Antiques Valuation Evening", with Charles Hanson, in Coleshill.
It was very good, he is charming & very chatty. He talked about his jobs, as an auctioneer & on TV, talked about & valued the items we'd put on the stage (including my painting of "The entrance to Sutton Park" - he knew of the artist!!) an auction of promises, then chat & further valuations, over supper.
I bought a £50 Hanson's voucher, to spend at one of their sales - they recommend 25 July, when they host the BBC.
A friend immediately asked if he could come with me - should be fun.
CH is going to come & do a valuation lunch for us out here, date to be arranged.
Wow! Should be great fun.

I have the Lotus outside on the verge with a luminous "FOR SALE".
Actually, I so enjoyed putting it out & it looked so good that I took steps to put it back on the road, whilst in Coleshill. Must follow it up this morning, then three services to prepare for tomorrow & cakes to make for the Family Service.
I'd better get going......

One long paragraph?

I apologise for the above. I do write in paragraphs, but they all get removed on publishing - help would be appreciated. Help would also be appreciated into explaining why my m phone does predictive text of late &, from today, is in Spanish. This is most disconcerting, some of my texts have been really strange! Had a great day - spent 3 + hours this morning with a novice preacher, giving feedback, then went to Knowle & Solihull to shop. I put up ads to sell the Lotus - photos with an info sticker across them - in Sh shop & Coleshill, there was a message from an interested party when I got home. Fingers crossed - I need an empty garage. I picked up an encyclopaedia at the charity bookshop, that they had had in today - they do requests, & paid the CA money in, rather late. I spent a couple of hours with friends this evening & have since watched yesterday's recordings of the apprentice & have stayewd up far too late. I bought the new Hilary Mantel novel, half price at Morrisons & was looking forward to starting it - too tired now. Tomorrow's another day!

Pied piper.

These chickens follow me everywhere, to the point that I have to keep the door shut - one met me in the hall yesterday when a friend was here, to our surprise. I've just found a plop in the conservatory, so goodness knows how long the house tour took!They see me in the conservatory & fly down the lawn to sit on the sill. If only husbands could be so devoted!! Managed to play tennis, although a grey morning & should be doing something useful now, but seemed to have turned idle since lunch. It has brightened up now - I must get going - must take the hanging baskets to Dawn to be filled, visit a couple of friends then home to shower before going out to dinner at a friends. I haven't cooked a meal since Sunday lunch so no washing up even. I could get used to this. I went bellringing last night. I'm rubbish, but they all say that it takes some months to become proficient.Highlight on Friday is Charles hanson, the antiques guy, doing a valuation at Coleshill Town hall. Going with a friend. What shall I take?? Everwhere is so green, rain tonight forecast which will be good.

Here comes the sun.

Apparently, summer starts on 1 June. It certainly did this year & we are now on summer day 4, with more warm weather promised. I even donned shorts yesterday morning, anticipating a morning of tennis. Unfortunately, this was cancelled as we didn't have four to play as some were on holiday. What else do you do pn a hot day, when you have been twarted? Housework - penance for believing that you should expect more. Actually, I needed to empty the large "Noble chest", as Keith was coming to repair it, ready to take the family archives. This got me going on scrubbing, washing & sorting, I worked my way through th scullery & kitchen, like a whirling dervish, with pleasing results. I dressed properly & went to Solihull to pick up J & Th from school, tea, after which I did a G & nodded off on the settee - along with a tired Th, before coming home for warmer clothes & out to dinner with a friend. A beautiful morning, woken by the cuckoo at very close quarters about 4.30am, so the chickens have had an early start to the day! Perhaps they'll manage better than the one egg today!!

Hangover, what hangover?

Well, the girly bring a bottle party went really well - about 20 of us, all having a good time, chatting & never a mention of church fundraising - a few other hair-raising tails though! I did do a sell on the church toilet twinning as I had a certificate on the toilet door, in readiness. The food was scrummy & the birthday cakes - one for Olwen & a second for Mia, Jan's Norwegian wild blue (?), 4 yesterday - one coffee, one lemon, teuned out brilliantly. All tidied up & the dishwasher on by midnight. The sun came out, eventually, so the doors open to the garden, even if we didn't venture out. A beautiful morning - washing & chickens out before 6.00am, a sermon to write & shopping to be done for tomorrow's lunch - Phil coming with friends, to catch up on the village news, after his sojourn in Tamworth. G off to Thailand tomorrow am, via MG for lunch & a chauffeur to HRW. Sounds like a good weekend. Quandry, should I use last week's "Trinity sermon", with which I was pleased, to explain the trinity to NW, or write the planned one on the centurian & his slave? I think that I may have to go with option 2, having done the planning, to get it out of my head. Enjoy your weekend, especially those for whom life isn't just one long holiday!