Snow!

A great day.
I collected J (late!). B came over with T & KP & we did Halloween; we made cakes & did spooky decorations, - KP's had fewer decorations as she ate or at least sucked most of hers, we made an orange jelly & a good pumpkin lantern which we put on the front porch.
We drew, read, did puzzles & even had time to watch "Charlie & Lola", & ate.
The children were all great fun, J with her handbags, being followed around by KP, T opening, closing & questioning the contents of everything with a door & KP with a small improvised walking stick, looking like the Yoda.

This morning was bright but cold, after lunch it rained & then turned into snow, big penny sized flakes, hard & fast for about two hours.
B took T & KP outside with a torch to enjoy the snow when J went home as J had no wellies with her.
I'm sure that A would be game for snowman when they got home - I heard him giving T some design tips!
I do hope that it clears before our Drayton Manor day tomorrow & that it stays dry for the morning.

Happy Anniversary.

Today is our thirteenth wedding anniversary.
It was a bright sunny day in 1995, as it was this morning.
We were married at Shustoke church at about 1.00pm. It should have been12.30pm, but G's family arrived late. Fancy .
I have a rain cheque from G, who is still in India, so we shall be celebrating later - perhaps we'll go out for an indian meal!

I had a lovely morning, playing tennis in the sunshine. I went on to Knowle to take some things to the charity shop, shopped in Tesco (shame!) & went on to the gym, then home.

B is coming tomorrow with T & KP. All is ship-shape & the beds ready. I have even removed the cobwebs from the bathroom that I missed last week & received a complaint from W.
Other peoples cobwebs are always more obvious than your own, for some reason, even to an avid scrubber like me.
J is here tomorrow, I'm sure that J & T will have a lovely day together.
We have pumpkins to carve & spooky fairy cakes to make.

James Munday, the soldier killed in Afghanistan last week, from Coleshill, is to be buried there tomorrow morning .
Security things were happening there today as Prince Harry is attending, apparently.
A place to be avoided, if not involved, I think .

A programme about class, involving John Prescott, is on at 9.00pm.
I want to watch at least a bit of it to remind myself how awful he is - I may not stomach more than a bit.
I have yet to talk to aj about the conspiracy theory regarding the third tower collapse on 9/11.
(programme on BBC last night)
I didn't know that a third building went down.
Did you?

Home Alone.

A quick note.
The Danes have arrived home safely - the highlight of the trip being J boarding the plane by slipping past the security & being found chatting up an air stewardess at the back of the plane.
A chip off the old block!
It was great to have them here for a little while.
I shall miss little J's wake up call of, "Good Morning Grandma" early tomorrow morning.

A Daily Telegraph columnist is on the Karma Enduro rally & writing updates - check out the Telegraph - Motoring, Joy Rainer.
Have a look at G's blog - see link.

The Passport Office sent back my photos from my renewal application as they "I do not appear to have a neutral expression"
These were the spare photos that were done for my visas last year - no lack of neutrality then!
I had more photos taken in the machine in Boots & aimed to have blank thoughts for the full two minutes.
It was a very windy day, I could not find my comb & am a little concerned that my hair apparently had attitude.

The mole is an ex-mole!
Yes!!

DK's first "slot".

Question Time has come to an end - a little disappointing this week - to be followed by yukky This Week. Three know-alls, massaging each others egos.
Time for bed.

We visited Kenilworth Castle this morning, had lunch in the magnificent "Stables" coffee shop, then pottered around the site whilst J climbed, crawled & peered. DK mainly slept.
We had to hang on to the Bugaboo at times due to high winds whistling around the castle.
We came home for a cup of tea, then W & I popped to Solihull to complete his personal shopping & change the wrong trousers for the right ones.
Boots have some very good offers on No 7 - 3 for 2 plus £5 off vouchers plus a free goody bag if spending £15.

We had a good takeaway from The Balti Cottage & collapsed on the settee before bed.

It is very windy this evening, with the occasional shower - a night to stay in.

Moley & chips!

A lovely day with J whilst W & MK took DK to Manchester to see the consultant, or rather for the consultant to see DK.
The news was a little disappointing, requiring a few weeks remedial treatment in Manchester next month.

J & I went to the playing field again & expended a good deal of energy on the assault course, the BMX track & the Teletubby hills before coming home to lunch.
I worded the lunch menu differently today, so that we had the proper Danish lunch of toast, pate & fruit (& smarties) rather than milk & biscuits, as yesterday.
After a quick fix of "Bob the Builder", J had a long sleep, I had a short one!
W & MK arrived home at 5.00pm & we had an early dinner.

Everyone is in bed now; I'm watching the ten o'clock news before retiring.

Two actions of note today:
The mole exterminator laid traps this morning so I live in hope that any moles in the garden are now past their sell by date.
The "No more boom & bust" PM used the word "Recession" twice during PM Question Time.
I think that he may be past his sell by date.

A new blog from Karma Enduro, with some great pictures - see link.

Make the most of tonight, Moley!

Tomorrow the mole catcher/slaughterer is coming before the lawn is totally destroyed.
We took this second option last year & realised that it was a mistake.
Moley is up to fourteen large molehills so far & hard at work with his mini subterranean JCB.
He has had a number of verbal warnings, with no response.
This is war!

W & MK went clothes shopping today which gave me a few hours with J & DK.
We walked to the playing field, or rather J rode his bike without pedals & I jogged alongside.
He did the swings, perfected the assault course & the BMX track before doing a lap of the field & coming home for lunch.
We had milk & biscuits (J's choice), then he had a two hour power nap whilst DK lunched & checked the house out.
G rang at this point. All is going well - check out his progress on the Karma Enduro link - he would appreciate comments.
We have had a relaxing evening & early nights all round (9.30pm & only me left up)
W & MK are taking DK to Manchester tomorrow for a check up.
J & I have plans......

Just the five of us.

Force-feeding T!

Was it a teapot?

Lining up the grandchildren - the chocolate is to the right of the picture - follow the eyes!

We got there & it took only one small packet of chocolate buttons.

A busy weekend,shopping & cooking on Saturday ready to welcome the family on Sunday.
Aj arrived on Saturday lunchtime to lend a hand.
On Sunday morning aj peeled & mashed a sack of potatoes to finish off the cottage pies, prepared the vegetables & opened the baked beans, confident that these would be deemed essential to complement the meal.
We made blackberry crumble, bread & butter pudding, rice pudding, trifle & coffee gateaux, served with cream, ice cream & custard, for pudding.
All of the next generation of the family eventually arrived, apart from one nephew, along with spouses, partners & three close friends, 22 adults & 9 grandchildren in total.
It was great to see everyone together, for the cousins to meet up & meet all the children, seven of whom are not yet three.

We have had a relaxing day today; W & K went shopping with J this morning, whilst I watched D sleeping & hung out the washing.
Since lunch it has been raining hard, not fit to venture out.
A good excuse to sit down & do little for an hour or so.
Time for tea.