TURN THE LIGHTS OFF!

Just a quick blog to remind everyone
1. Tonight the clocks go forward an hour(spring forward)
Unfortunately, they also go forward in Denmark, so we shall still be an hour behind.
2. Google have "turned the lights off" & ask everyone to join them for an hour tonight
-from 8.00 - 9.00pm - to save energy.
Go out, go to bed early or watch the TV in the dark.

I shall definitely opt for number 3.
The weather is foul - cold, wet & very windy. The wind is booming down the chimney, adding to the overall effect. G has just left to go to a meeting in London with the Karma Endura rally drivers, & will be back late.
I went for a run early this morning, did my accounts, to see if I am solvent (phew!), caught up on housework & baked rock cakes, to get a smile out of G before he left (failed).
I am now watching the boat race, which we always watched with Dad (Cambs 1927 - 30).
As kids, TV coverage was on a very small set, in black & white, & covered only the race.

Today, coverage starts an hour & a half before the race, & includes all of the historical, personal, social & political detail that you could wish for, along with a great deal of discussion.
At Putney it's grey, wet & windy & very rough; sinking is a possibility, apparently.
30 years ago, Cambridge sank!
As a multi-tasker, I am also composing a letter, attempting to book a holiday & drinking tea.

Remember the clocks!

Friday again.

Up early & off to Paula & Adrian's to spend the day with Jessie & Thomas.
We had a lovely day; J was a princess - pink tutu, fairy wings & a Barbie tiara over the jeans & Snoopy tee-shirt for most of the day. (I successfully took a photo on my mobile phone & sent it to G)
Thomas was peckish & cuddly - no change there.
We have cut, stuck, sung, crayoned, played families, dolls houses.......
Foul weather all day, so no chance of J & I pushing the prams around the park.

I have checked the local cinemas & can find nothing that G & I fancy seeing that is on before 21.30pm.
Those in the running are "27 dresses" (chick flick)
"There will be blood" (old oil) DD Lewis
"H...... hears a who?" (Dr Zeus cartoon starring an elephant)
G would only consider no 2, if consulted. He's asleep anyway so I'd better get cooking.
Do not wake up a sleeping husband after a hard day's work unless you have a meal on the table.
He has just woken up with a start as he dropped the remote control/fear of loss of control of the evening's viewing.
Looks like we shall have a relaxing evening!

Images from the chilly north.!

Of course, these are not in the correct order as the second five photos are now first!
Never mind.

It did snow - me, well wrapped up, on Tuesday.

J at Mormor's (danish granny's) birthday party.

The birthday dinner. Well done Bent!

The birthday cake - a pile of rings of baked marzipan. Delicious!

Playing trains with Daddy. Yes, he is on the table. "Welcome to Berlin"

Roskilde - The Viking Ship Museum, the fjord through the window.

W & J on board a viking ship.

Selecting lunch at the museum restaurant.

Roskilde Cathedral - one of the many royal tombs.

The "van " in the drive - any morning over Easter.

T'internet is "on side" tonight.

I have been to Cambridge to visit JR today. We had a scrummy lunch at The Black Bull & caught up on the news.

Home James & don't spare the horses!

We arrived home yesterday after spending the morning in Copenhagen, where we had coffee & a final danish pastry in Illums then walked to Christianhavn & back in the snow before returning to the airport to fly home.

Today, I saw G off to work after breakfast, spoke to Jen on the phone, did boring paperwork, some errands in Coleshill & then spent two hours in the gym, followed by food shopping in Solihull.
Today I changed my shopping tactics, parking & shopping at Morrisons, where parking is free for 2 1/2 hours, if you spend £20 & prices are relatively cheap.
I always find it aggravating that I have to pay £1.90 to park for two hours in the M&S car park, however much I spend.
After two hours the price rises exponentially.
I did write to M&S to explain, but I stil have to pay!
I drove home in torrential rain, cooked a very healthy meal & then dashed off to a Church Council meeting at the Rectory.
Home for dessert & coffee.

I have tried three times to post some photos but, apparently I am not connected to the internet, so I will try again tomorrow.
Welcome to Kath Wall, my dear "old" friend from St John's College, York.

Happy Birthday Ben!

Ben was born on 24 March 1976, making him 32 today.(I calculated back from today)
I do hope that he found his gift surprising; I bet that no-one else thought to buy him a model phone box containing a quartz timepiece, for his desk.
Heavy snow last night & again today.
You only have to suggest a walk & it starts again - Tim would love it.
We had breakfast, played & encouraged J to do high speed circuits of the house (indoors!).
We then ate a delicious lunch of everything in the fridge, played, read &then G & I ventured out & have done the length & breadth of Ringsted in one & a half hours.
The sun came out whilst we were out & it is now very pleasant.
K & J have gone to feed the ducks before dinner.
An early start tomorrow as everyone is back at work & we fly home.

Happy Easter!

A bright, beautiful morning starting at freezing butthen warming up nicely for a while.
We have exchanged eggs, eaten MK's home made hot cross buns & been to church - a long service with 3 baptisms & communion & little congregation participation (none actually, apart from wishing each other "Happy Easter"), whilst W prepared lunch & G played with J.
After a delicious lunch, with extra calories hidden in every mouthful, (cooked by W) joined by T & B, we went for an invigorating walk around Ringsted.
It was very cold!
J did twice the distance of the rest of us, all at high speed.
We have maintained the Easter tradition by eating a good deal of chocolate - very nice danish chocolate with scrummy fillings.
Diet next week!

Yesterday G & I went to Copenhagen on the train.
It was very cold, windy & snowing, in the main.
We overcame this by taking a long danish lunch until matters improved a little, & then did the expensive shops, looking for a birthday present for Ben!!

In the evening we went to T & B's to celebrate Tina's birthday with a wonderful meal that Bent claimed to have cooked. (but, we saw the caterers van leaving)
We arrived home late & relaxed.
J woke up & gave a running commentary all of the way home.

G has some great photos....later.

Springtime in Ringsted

Well, here are the photos from yesterday.
They have all been roundly criticised by both W & G, but please feel free to add your own criticism if you think that they may have missed something.
As for me, I´m pleased with them - they all have heads & feet, you can tell who they are & only the first one is distinctly blurred.

J waking from hibernation

G admiring William´s brand new, just finished bicycle.

William going for a trial ride on afformentioned bike.


J begging for more gruel, after the hibernation.
Really, G doesn't always scowl.
He does always scowl at me when I take a photo, so it does give this impression.
He has been caught smiling by the odd professional photographer with a quick action.

We woke to two inches of snow this morning.
It is now bright & sunny & I am about to take G for a walk, whilst he is awake & functioning!
We have been to Roskilde to see the Viking boats, which we enjoyed.
Apparently B & E went there long ago under similar climatic conditions.
The setting of the boat museum, on the edge of the water is beautiful & J thoroughly enjoyed rearranging the pebbles around the boats & kami kazi missions, hanging from all of the bridges!
W treated us to a lovely lunch, we visited the cathedral (11th century, red brick, containing the royal tombs) & then drove home whilst all but MK snoozed - it's liquid at lunchtime that does it!
We have had tea & simnel cake , W & MK are making hot cross buns, the sun is shining, all's well with the world!