Oxford was beautiful - the sun was shining & it was quiet with just a busker or two, sand artists modelling sleeping dogs, alongside the itinerants with their real sleeping dogs.
I pottered around the centre, main streets & side streets, as far as Christ Church College, walked around the gardens & had coffee in Pret before catching the bus back & speed walking back from town to collect T & KP from school.
We cooked chicken curry & made fruit salad for tea before KP was collected for Beavers, which she loves.
T & I visited Tesco!!!! to choose a special lunch for today - his school trip to Silgrave Manor(?)
Home, KP & so to bed then dinner in peace.

Today Kate came to clean, whilst I ironed, then I took three family photos to the framers so they will be ready to hang in the hall, which may have been decorated by now.
My planned visit to Bicester Village didn't happen - I lost the will somewhere, visited M& S Food & came home for coffee & some lunch.
I intended to mow the back lawn afterwards, but it rained hard whilst I had my lunch, so that didn't work either - I chilled for half an hour before B came home & we collected KP - T at digital leaders, to collect later.
B & E are having an evening at the theatre - TKP & I visited BCC - a local school - their Open Evening for potential year 7 students .
A newly appointed head to get them out of special measures, much improved, apparently.
We arrived early & had a look around for half an hour before the rather too long & tedious presentation - a DVD of the school, which we were about to see in the flesh, followed by EIGHT students telling us, in turn, what a wonderful school it was.
No criticisms at all - perfect!

Home for cocoa & bed!

Gleaming Spires.

Can anyone explain why last week's blog "Phew Again" has now had over 80 hits?
Did I unwittingly use any dodgy phrases?

Anyway, back to the more mundane for my usual readership.
I'm in Bicester this week picking up T & Kp from school & doing the myriad (exaggeration!) of clubs & after school activities - they tire me & I only do the transport.
They have been great fun as usual - never a dull moment.
T has a time issue - he insists on being very early for everything, especially school - not usually a family failing!

I played tennis on Monday morning before setting off - the decorator is in - he is brilliant so I know that I shall be delighted with the make-over, when I get home.
Yesterday I made damson jam, speed walked into town & pottered around for a couple of hours before picking up T & KP.
We made damson jam buns (delicious) - they are very good helpers in the kitchen, whilst the tea cooked, then off to cubs & gym.

Today I'm planning a trip to Oxford on the S5 - another speed walk into town for the bus.
Never a dull moment!

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.