Home & dry.

We have just spent two days with JR. I forgot the sleeping bags so actually made up my bed with thick, vintage, cotton sheets, accepting that I shall be spending a fair few nights there.
It was wonderful, It is very quiet & I slept like a log - the shiny sleeping bag on a narrow single bed always gives the slight fear that you will slide off at some point.
G slept on top (of his bed), under an eiderdown, kicking & giving commands, so no change there.
JR was on good form & delighted to see us.
We went to Stanstead Mountfitchet to find the garage parking we used in February. It took ages to get there, to find that it had closed down.
Anyone know of a cheaper car park than £63 per week?

We have had a relaxing day with Jessie & Thomas, Jessie's highlight may have been reading "Where did I come from?", the book that set P in the right direction many years ago, with large, graphic, cartoon pictures. We ate some "giant's sausages", according to Thomas & cycled/scooted to the playground for a while.
To Marsh Gibbon tomorrow.

A "no-washing" day.

Today took me by surprise in that I went to bed feeling poorly last night, cold, with a headache.
I woke-up at hourly intervals from 3.40am onwards. Waking-up always requires a visit to the bathroom, which is a nuisance.
I didn't feel a great deal better this morning, so had a lie-in, followed by a long bath & a lazy day with little food.
I'm now recovered, having ventured out to Ventura Park at tea-time, with G trying out the two new wheels on the Lotus.* They went so well that we are having the other two to match!
I was seriously in the dog house for spending 54 minutes in M&S, (sale time) having agreed to meet after 30 minutes.
*refurbished wheels, due to damage done by pot-holes on the A38.

Only me.

As in "only me out there, blogging"
Anyway, life is settled again. No school. No work. Lots of jobs to do about the house & garden.
Jessie came today, so we had a nice relaxed day.
We sorted through the button box, made a Teddy Bear Shop out of a shoe box & oat cookies out of porridge, butter & carnation milk.
The latter are scrummy but, I calculate that each one contains 1/4 oz of butter.
The Telegraph crossword was set by a human today & we have almost completed it.
Hurray!

I have washed lots of tablecloths recently, in M&S detergent for whites, with brilliant results.
Even old treated stains have all but gone.
Do try it, 60 degrees.
We'll see what tomorrow brings - clouds I suspect.

St James Day

Busy week.
G & I cleaned the church on Wednesday after school - G used the 20ft cobweb brush with a certain aplomb!
On Thursday we did jobs - I wrote my sermon, we cut the hedge opposite the conservatory, getting soaked before we finished, in a thunder storm, ironed & had a take-away.
On Friday I had a Thomas day - park, ducks & MacD, then on to Bicester to babysit T & KP & a sleepover.
We went to see J, G & family, then on to Oxford via the Park & Ride - I christened my bus pass, the driver thought that G was on his own, not a toy-boy, as he didn't have his.
Oxford was bright & sunny, we managed to take in some of the sights, despite the crowds in the shopping area.
Today I've done two services & had Marg & Phil, Maurice & Mary to lunch.
We had pork , with a good gravy followed by strawberry trifle.
We are watching vintage "Father Ted" - Mrs C with a bad back, shades of W, before bed.
Jessie tomorrow so we'll try some girlie things to do.

One to go.

I've just got in from taking part in the school quiz.
We came second , having lead all the way through, but not playing our joker judiciously.
We drank two bottles of bubbly & had the highest combined age - experience will out!
G is watching "The Bourne Supremacy", extra loud.
It may be worse than World War 11!
I'm a trifle pissed.

One down, two to go.

Having spent a good four hours marking maths SATS papers yesterday, for end of term assessments, I got all of the results on the system today with the help of the NQT who takes over the job next term - the mark for every one of the 25 questions on each of the two papers for everyone in my year 7 & 8 classes imput, then colour coded.
One of my year 7 & two of my year 8's are being moved up, which is great. I just hope that the year 11 GCSE results are as good. Fat chance!

We have just watched "Ball Trap" - a very old TV film about a camping holiday in Brittany.
We can see the attraction now!
Two more days to go with not a great deal of pressure apart from planning a Careers Day for year 8, for Jamie.

I have a fasting blood test at 8.45am as my glucose test was overlooked last time - I suppose I can afford another armful of blood, for a good cause!

We had a letter from our tuk-tuk driver today; I have composed a reply, in simple English & put together a parcel of books, pants & shorts/trousers for the children, to go with the family photos G took at their house.
I've only done 8 clues in the Telegraph crossword. Dumbo!
School quiz tomorrow evening - no chance there then.
I'll take a bottle & glasses for the team.

Home again.

I went to see JR yesterday - A visit to Haverill & lunch out, followed by an afternoon nap.
Today we went to Saffron Walden, lunch then a visit to see Mary.
A long drive home with pretty awful weather & heavy traffic.
I need sleep, but G is still out, so a meal to cook yet.
Day off tomorrow.