Love.

A fantastic "Point of View" by A L Kennedy on radio 4 this morning, on "love".
So, who is A L Kennedy anyway?
A deep female voice, or it could have been male??

A busy couple of days, B here on Friday, which was brilliant - loads of little niggling jobs/problems just swept away - small mower going (cable snagged by casing), clocks put right, furniture moved ready for the decorator, even a cappuccino in Pret, with a brownie.
I shopped on the way home, after picking up J & Th from school, tea, etc, as M&S have thoughtfully opened a new food shop at Monkspath, which can be on my way home - brilliant.
It even has a café, if I need a break after the shopping.
I was up ridiculously early yesterday - sometimes you just have to admit that you're not going to get back to sleep & activity may be a better option than lying awake, pondering - I cleared the remainder of things out of the bedroom, so now only the lounge to clear - furniture to the middle & move the ornaments, panelling to shoulder height, so no long pieces of wallpaper to manoeuvre!
Photos to take down in the hall & top off the grandfather clock, I guess - this evening as the family are coming to lunch.

I had friends to dinner last night - 7.00pm, by request as PT has jet lag, but they arrived at 7.30pm!
The salmon was a little overcooked, but the Eton mess with blackberries & gin, marbled with damson puree, was well received - I'd looked up damson recipes to accompany the fruit, given to folk, as there are better things than jam!
This year they are particularly good - large & sweet & an enormous crop.

I shall make a quick visit to church to take some notices, then leave shortly afterwards as the chicken needs to go on at 10.45am & no timer on the cooker - I'm not taking the service, so it won't be very obvious!


 

A nice day out.

A uter at all yesterday - how did I manage - I guess that I had a lot more time to do other things as once logged on the time seems to fly.
Technology is getting it's own back on me today by my btinternet account not recognising my password.
I've just give in & try again this evening.
Why would it do that?

Yesterday I was up very early to make cakes, then played tennis for a couple of hours, home to shower, fill the cakes - jam & buttercream Victoria sandwiches - take one to friends who need something nice & then on to MG & Bicester, laden with apples & damsons.
I did put the bags in a large bucket, to prevent spillage, which worked as far as MG!
I picked up T & KP from school & they helped to retrieve their damsons from every quarter of the boot.  
Life never goes quite according to plan, so I am finding.

We collected a  KP sweatshirt from a shop, dined on sausages, apples & sponge cake before KP was collected, T & I went for a lounge in Pret a Manger pure decadence!

I've done the school run & planned a day, involving a tootle around Bicester before the journey home - a meeting tonight if we have a quorum  - I can't find out until I can access my e mails!
A bit of a vicious circle!

I'm reading a wierd book about a strange guy in New Orleans, written in the 60's by a wierd guy in New Orleans, who committed suicide when he couldn't find a publisher; his mother found a publisher, posthumously!
The blurb says that it's ....."nothing less than a grand comic fugue".
Perhaps I misunderstood the word "fugue" - "A Confederacy of Dunces" - I'm unconvinced by the first three chapters

I'm sitting on the seat under T's bunk - it's backbreaking!

Phew, again.

I've achieved a lot today without seeming to have been busy.
I had a soak in the bath - bad planning really as I was going in the garden, then free until 8.00pm for bell ringing at church.
getting there is a slow process today as some thieving, thoughtless morons stole the electricity cable from along the main road so workmen have been there all day - long distance, slow traffic lights - they were still working when I came home at 9.30pm.

I picked the apples & a bucket full of damsons - these are large, sweet & delicious, obviously liked the weather.
The branches of the damson trees are so heavily laden that they are hanging down to the ground  - a bit dodgy to mow under as they attack you as you go under them & fall down your back/get squashed on the mower seat.
I've downloaded recipes, which I will deliver to the offspring, along with a big bag of damsons. Damson & blackberry mess with gin sounds good - I'll try it on Saturday as I have some "gourmet" guests for dinner.

I had a cappuccino & a good natter with Jan, made scones 7 took some to Muriel in OW.
She is 90 & comes "home" for a couple of weeks every so often - she is amazingly with it & loves laughing about the things we got up to in church in the past.

I came home to garden - the rockery, lawn edges & most of the border at the top of the garden, at long last.
I had a tidy up, cleaned out the chickens (pooh) & then had a shower & a sandwich before bell ringing.
All good fun & keeps me fit - I need to have a bonfire  - not sure where the smoke goes when there's no wind.

I listened to Ed's speech - not all of it as I didn't have a vomit bowl to hand!

Phew!
I played three sets of tennis this morning, despite drizzly weather when we started, it did dry up as time went on & we did enjoy it - I won all of my sets, despite shortcomings, having not played for a couple of weeks.
We always feel good for the fresh air & exercise.
I had an hour before needing to go to Solihull to collect j & Th from school - I think I may have spent this time eating!
Why is it that some days you don't care about food & other days you feel hungry all the time?
I had a slice of rye bread & salmon mousse - I fetched a handful of tomatoes & found I'd eaten them all before I got to my plate.

I made up for the gluttony by parking at P & A's & jogging most of the way to J's school, then speed walking to Th's school - J walks really fast as well.
We chatted, had tea then watched "Pointless", to see if we could answer the questions - we did get a few.
I came home , had a few minutes to close curtains & put the chickens to bed, before dashing out to collect Jan, & so to salsaexercise - one & a half hours of exercise, ending with salsa dancing.
great exercise - I'm not good at the dancing bit, but it's all great fun - we spend a lot of the time laughing, especially when doing the cross-over feet bit, combined with a turn!
A day off tomorrow - lots of jobs to do, outside. 

Indian summer.

It was mentioned a couple of weeks ago, but the weather had turned so cold & wet it seemed highly unlikely, but it's arrived!
Yesterday was a beautiful day with the promise of even warmer weather to come.
The day didn't go according to plan, apart from dressing in gardening clothes - it was much later than intended - payback for staying up until the early hours.
I went to Coles hill for petrol for the mower, to take a coat to the cleaners & buy parsnips for dinner.
I forgot the coat!
then for the little mower - I tried, Steve tried, but it would have none of it!
Rob came round later with a big bag of beautiful cherry tomatoes - absolutely delicious - he tried.
Anyone have any ideas for a failing little mountfield motor mower?
I accepted that I would have to brave the hedges on the ride-on - mow close to the trees & hedges, which aggravates swarms of flying insects & requires a seating position never intended  - rather like a motor cycle racer on a sharp bend - thrown to one side, away from the spiky bits & thorns.
I put the chicken in the oven then dashed back out to finish the job - looks good this morning.
The lawns, like the chickens, know that I love them & are responding well - 2 eggs a day & vibrant lawns for them to play on!

Preparing dinner (& myself) was a rush, but went well - brill roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots & a bottle of pink champagne arrived, which complimented it all beautifully.

Another day in the garden today, after church, & a friend's dog to walk this afternoon.
Perhaps I'll have time to make cakes for church if I get going now.   

Interest from Bangkok?

Strange but true facts number 1947 - a new follower joined my blog yesterday - in Thailand!
Perhaps I'll get comments from the other side of the world.
(This is actually Friday's blog - the clock has ventured past midnight - I thought I was tired)

I've had a successful day - I picked a large bowl of big, shiny blackberries this morning, ready for tomorrow's dinner party - stewed with crème caramel & Cornish ice cream, to suit all diets - following roast chicken with chipolatas, French beans, cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes & root vegetables.
Makes me hungry thinking about it.
I have smoked salmon for a starter - I think I'll make mousse as I have dill, lemon & Philadelphia cheese.

I went to Knowle then Solihull this afternoon, bought a few interesting things, some lovely food at M&S & a heap of cleaning materials, toilet & kitchen roll, in order to get a voucher for 7p/litre off fuel, at JS.
A Waitrose store is planned for Solihull (another for Knowle, if it is viable to have two).
I hope it's not too long in coming, opening whilst I enjoy food shopping.

I realised at about 4.00pm that I'd not eaten all day, so went to Pret for coffee - brill as ever, then attacked food shopping on a less than empty stomach.

Lawns to mow tomorrow - up early, old clothes & a struggle with the little mower to get it started to mow under the hedges, possibly for the last time this year. 

Wedgewood or Royal Worcester?

Jan & I have had a great day out, visiting a variety of potteries in The Potteries/Stoke, Hanley & possibly Burslem.
Apart from enjoying handling the beautiful china & glassware, we enjoyed travelling around the area  - a lesson in social history - there was so much industrial dereliction, cleared sites where potteries once stood & empty commercial premises.
On a brighter note, there were signs of regeneration, but a long way to go.
Portmerion  - our first port of call - has taken over Spode & Royal Worcester.
The signposts to Spode" are still in place 3 years after the take-over, guiding you to locked gates.
We went on to Burleigh, which makes very Victorian looking pottery.
It has taken over Leeds ware & Poole pottery, which is now made there, not in Poole.
The first crates of Poole items had just arrived but they had no prices, so dould not yet sell any
Moorcroft - beautiful pottery involving many hours of exacting decoration, all done by hand, hence the hefty price tags.
We crossed the road to Dun.... - cheap & not very nice, typical supermarket goods, then on to Wedgewood, which includes Royal Doulton, Royal Stuart, Waterford & possibly more.

I think that the Wedgewood won my vote overall - beautiful, delicate patterns in subtle colours with a clear, shiny glaze.
My favourite piece was  a pair of white candlesticks shaped like the dolphins on the Embankment - amazing.
Wedgewood also won on the café front - great coffee & home made cakes served on lovely china all at very good prices.

We were home by 6.00pm, I seem to have been on the phone & answering e mails ever since, apart from eating mackerel & salad for dinner.
Question Time is on  - great team, apart from Anthony Worrall Thompson - not in gaol then? 
I'll phone aj in a while, to wake her up to watch the end of the programme - a weekly ritual!

Thanks for the comments - I thought that there was no-one out there!