Do I want a piglet?

I spent four hours this morning sweeping up wet leaves and acorns from the yard - I have never seen so many acorns as there are this year, some already rooted on the rockery.
Six barrow loads, added to the four barrow loads I collected before the monsoon!.
Then I cleaned out and moved the chickens.

That done, I had a shower to get clean and straighten my back, then to Coleshill to do some chores - I rewarded myself by booking a manicure and pedicure for tomorrow afternoon.
I spent the rest of the afternoon with Jan, planning the fund raising events for church, for next year.
So far we have
*Burns' night
*Table Sale
*Charles Hanson Valuation lunch
*Cream Teas, to coincide with the Griffin Beer Festival
*Wine and Cheese evening at a "Posh" venue - TBA.

Does anyone have any bright/new ideas??

I've just had my fish supper - chili salmon with stir fry vegetables, tomato and basil salad.
Bell ringing at 8.oopm, followed by a drink in the Griffin - trying to make the latter a tradition - I'm better at drinking than bell ringing - I don't even dribble! 

Diet advice.

Don't come home after an exercise class and eat stir fried vegetables with scallops, followed by fruit salad, unless you plan to sit up half the night whilst your digestive system deals with it.
Actually, I did accompany it with a mug of ovaltine light - perhaps that was the straw that broke the camels back.

This morning I did paperwork and phone calls, including Nespresso, to finally acknowledge that the milk frother heater was no longer functioning. ie, the milk stays cold, no froth.
I was told that an e mail would be sent, would I attach the receipt and send it back.
I asked if she meant me to use the post, she said, "you do have a smart phone, don't you?
You take a photo , attach it to the e mail, and send it back".
Right, that's sorted then.
I've arranged a training session for tomorrow!!

I had an enjoyable shop in Knowle and Solihull today, met Jan for lunch in Pret, then collected J & Th from school, cooked tea, then came home via JS fuel station and M&S food, for fish and vegetables.
I had  time just to empty the car and change into tracky bottoms and trainers, before salsaexercise - good exercise but the dancing is almost beyond me.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Phew!

I don't know where the end of the week disappeared to - I did a blog last night, then it also disappeared, apart from the last word - perhaps they are together in the ether, somewhere.
I am relaxing prior to going to Sh church to take evening Prayer, having taken the family service  this morning, followed by Morning Prayer at OW, where I managed to leave my sermon and intercessions (prayers), as  one of the older ladies had a turn after the service, and we were awaiting the paramedics.
She is alright - tests done...

I came home to lunch with B, E and family and AJ - a combined effort.
All have now gone home, I've looked at my e mails - yawn!!
I wanted to clean the windows as the sun is shining, making them look a mess - I overcame the urge!
I have a quiet week planned - must get organised ready for the decorator and plasterer - hopefully in reverse order, find a curtain rail and curtains for my bedroom, before the freeze.

Table Sale yesterday went well - £335 for the church, £115 on my vintage stall and a good time had by all.
I wish I'd bought a Sunday Telegraph!
 

Out to lunch!

Up early to make a cup of tea, when I took pity on the Dyson, dissected it and washed everything removable - filters, tools, etc.
Once in the mood, I put the washing machine on then vacuumed through, binning everything that looked out of place.
Unfortunately, the recycling bin fought back and tried to break my thumb by catching it between the tray and the lid.
Ouch.
Bleeding profusely - just the job when about to do the ironing.
Protected by kitchen roll I ironed everything in sight, then set about my e mails whilst eating a toasted tea cake and flat white coffee.

Whilst suffering the disappointment of no froth for a cappuccino, I phoned Nespresso - water reservoir rusting - new one to be dispatched, then the no froth problem.
I was told to put water in the milk frother, with a little detergent and run it, to remove any clag.
After mopping up the soap suds, I phoned back to say, no change.
They will collect and replace - have to have a cappuccino out tomorrow.

I had a good scrub up, skimpy dress and black tights, then off to Purley Chase Centre for a birthday lunch with  a good buffet and excellent company.
Home by tea time.

Time to relax and write a few letters before an Alms Houses/residents meeting in a very cold church,  a visit to the Shopping Evening in the Village Hall on the way home - £2 entrance, to include a glass of yucky English wine and local cheese.
 Nothing bought, but a few locals to chat to before home to settle down.
Tired, with a cut, bruised thumb but an immaculate Dyson and clean floors.

I found an NHS site and calculated by BMI - 24.5
I knew I was still fat!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
 

Beware the chocolate!

I made dietary mistakes today - toast & nutella for breakfast, before a sprint into town and back, then a drive to Knowle.
Feeling peckish, I bought a Bakewell slice at my favourite bakers - Curtis's - it was awful, tasting of oil, so a bad result all round - calories and little pleasure.
I went on to Solihull looking forward to a coffee, but didn't have time as I stopped to buy a pair of shoes - electric blue with stunning heels - an impulse sale buy because they match my favourite dress - just need an invitation to dinner now!
I picked up Jessie and we went shopping for a curtain rail for my bedroom - failed -  whilst Th played football, then, had a drink in M&S - my coffee, at last!
We bought very chocolate biscuits to feed to Grandad when he returned with Th - we had to buy three packets - why do they do that?
I ate two with my tea, then three more from another packet, on the way home.
I didn't have time for dinner when I got in and went bell ringing, high as a kite.
I was useless, couldn't catch the sally & scared myself and Maurice to death, eventually giving up.
I've since eaten cheese, tomato and toast - still buzzing.

I want to calculate my BMI - think I'll have to go metric first.
I watched a "Bargain Hunt" from last week at the weekend - there was me, in red tee-shirt, looking skinny, right in the centre, with Jan - the day we went to Hanson's in July - the non-celebratory team.
I've been busy deleting things so that that programme will not be deleted before Jan has seen it.
15 seconds of fame! 
Scrub up in the morning - out for lunch.  

Why Guy Fawkes?

There have been a great many dirty deeds planned, which subsequently failed, so why do we remember Guy Fawkes above all others?
Unless you're British, you won't even know who Guy Fawkes is.
How about incinerating replicas of the 1984 Brighton bombers every year?
Perhaps there's more to GF than I'm aware of - my ignorance is immense.

  I'm relaxing after doing the schoolrun/walk with t & KP - the best part of the day, which went like clockwork....apart from T's shoes - what's a bit of dried mud anyway!
I'm about to walk into town before setting off for Solihull to collect J & Th from school.
In between, I'm planning to do a little light shopping with coffee at Pret, somewhere along the line.
The joys of retirement - sounds a pretty good day - the company of four grandchildren, shopping and coffee!
Bellringing, perhaps followed by a tonic water at the Griffin, this evening.
I am waiting for the rain to settle down a little - give it 5 minutes, at most.
 

Home again

I appear to have got up during the night and put another duvet on the bed, so I must have felt the chill at some point.
Just in case, I lit a fire in the lounge this evening.
A good move as a friend came round and we spent the evening chatting, over coffee, by the fire.

This morning I got up at a gentle pace, having written tomorrow's sermon - Zacchaeus, that very little man, who climbed up into a sycamore tree, the saviour so to see - I wore my new jeans, which feel perfect - a good fit all round, bought yesterday in exchange for the birthday flowers that M&S got so wrong, three times.
I got my exercise for the day by running to Jan's and then spending four hours walking around "Antiques for Everyone" at the NEC, with Chris.
He is a mine of information, especially on things oriental; I'm a mine of misinformation on everything.
I would have bought an 1820 whatnot to use as a bedside table, had it not been over £20000 - good to have a wish list, I guess - something to work towards.
It's great just to look at and feel these things - a learning process.

Back for coffee and a chat with Jan, so I wasn't home until tea time - wet, windy and almost dark but a great home-coming as there were two moles on the car bonnet.
Thank you Arthur .
Traps still set so I guess that there are more to come.

I cooked scallops & stir fry vegetables for dinner, followed by fresh stewed apricots with vanilla ice cream - it was delicious.
I now have to finish my sermon so that I have time to visit Sh church in the morning, before taking the service at NW.
Lots to do.

The leaves and acorns on the yard have blown to the sides like the parting of the Red Sea - should be easy to sweep up, if the wind ever drops.