The first day of the rest ot my life....

A new week, full of challenges, the main one being to mow the lawns - this may be "small fry" to many of you, but there is a lot of lawn, it is pretty shaggy & the ride-on mower is a bit if a challenge.
I failed as a used - car - salesperson on Saturday - I forgot that someone was coming to see the car & played tennis all morning!
Fell at the first post!!
I had a lazy afternoon on Saturday - the polisher had "done" the panelling in the lounge, leaving it in  chaos. I came home from tennis , made a salad &sat in the midst of the chaos, TV on, doing e mails & phoning friends, when I looked at the clock it was 8 pm.
I did eventually get stuck in - cleaned it all & put it all back, apart from a bookcase that I really can't move - all done apart from vacuuming, by midnight.

Yesterday I was up early, moved/cleaned chickens & baked scones for church, scones & chocolate cake for tea, vacuumed & made church by 10.05am - OK, 5 minutes late.
I went on to NW to take the service then home to welcome B, E, T & KP for a snack lunch followed by a visit to Maxstoke Castle open Day.
I took the Lotus - accompanied by T, out, KP, home - taking the opportunity of parking opposite the car park entrance with the FOR SALE notice on the windscreen.
We enjoyed the castle - hide & seek in the gardens, then home for tea.
B sorted hi tech paraphernalia for me - the phone & the kettle -  & showed me how to use the mower.
T's dead keen to mow the lawns - a chip of the old block.

Start the Week" on Radio 4 discussed Parkinson's Law - work expanding to fit the time available.
I have always been a great believer of this  - listen if you have time!!! 
I must go to buy a postcard - after tennis, anyway !

Rained off.

At Queens, but we managed couple of sets at Coleshill this morning before the heavens opened.
I came home to put the house straight - too wet to mow the lawns.
I prepared a lovely salmon salad to devour whilst watching tennis, surrounded by the mess that was the lounge before Brian came to polish the panelling - all ornaments down & the chest contents piled in the chairs.
I finished my lunch, but then caught up with recordings of "The Apprentice" & "You're Fired" & am still sitting here at tea -time.
I'll just have a nice cup of tea & then become a whirling dervish!!

I've had a lovely couple of days in Bicester, whilst Brian got on here, starting with a lazy journey across country, via Warwick for lunch.
We visited the circus on the school field on Wed evening - really old fashioned stuff that all of the kids loved.
Sermon done, a cake to make & put the place straight as some of the family may visit tomorrow - Th b'day.
party.
I visited MG en route to Bicester & Solihull on the way home, to deliver Th's present, so managed to see 7/9 g'children last week - not bad.
I don't suppose that I will manage that again.

I have signed the Which online petition for action against nuisance phone calls - do look it up & add your weight, if time allows.
Time for tea!!

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.