Halloween!

I love Halloween and this time of year in particular. Normally we buy a pumpkin, carve it into a scary face and buy lots of sweets to give out to the children on the estate who come trick or treating. This year however, we're giving it a miss, mainly because we're off out to the pub tonight and we just haven't had the time to do some pumpkin carving. I will make up for it next year, though and I plan to have a display of beautiful squashes and pumpkins that I saw at Beckworth Emporium a few weeks back. I'm sure they'll have them in again next year. Michael is a bit miffed as he goes out with his sister trick or treating but we've bought him a small bag of sweets as consolation and he is looking forward to having dinner at the pub tonight!

We did yet more cleaning today, changing beds and washing everything that didn't move. It's been typical Halloween weather today - damp, grey and chilly, but the trees do look gorgeous at the moment in their Autumnal oranges, yellows and reds.

So, we are off out tonight and then we have a very early start in the morning. I won't be online again until Wednesday evening so have a great Halloween and see you soon!

Saturday 30 October

Saturday was a gorgeous day with lots of sunshine but we didn't go out and make the most of it as Keith and I were busy giving the house a good clean ready for our trip to Berlin. Mum and Dad are coming to stay so the house needs to be spotless otherwise they'll think I'm a slut...! I'm sure they won't really but at least I can go away and not worry that the place is a tip! We made a start with the bathrooms and the kitchen and I sorted out the cupboards, horrified at the tins and packets lurking at the back which were way out of date!

After dinner (Sophie's favourite fajitas...) Keith and I had an evening of history lessons. First up was a programme on Channel 4 about the Second World War which was very interesting. My knowledge of recent history is woefully bad as I didn't study the subject at school because I hated the History teacher who was a real nut. It's such a shame as I'd loved to have studied it, as Sophie is doing now, and it's shocking to think that a teacher could have that much influence on my future, but there you go.

After the programme on the Second World War we tuned into The Pillars of the Earth, a very enjoyable drama set in the 12th century, another age I find fascinating, mainly because of the standard of living which must have been filthy to say the least! After this we turned over to More4 and watched a very harrowing and disturbing programme about a film the Nazis made in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942. We stuck it out until about 11.30pm when Keith confessed he was finding it very boring. Yes, there wasn't a lot happening, but the scenes were shocking and left me feeling very uncomfortable. I have to admit though that it wasn't the ideal type of Saturday night viewing!

The best thing about the evening was putting the clocks back though and gaining a whole hour of extra time! Yipppeee!!!

Something scary this way comes...

At work, Polly and Angie dressed up to celebrate Halloween. They looked fabulous! Angie was dressed as a devil with a red painted face, a black hat and black clothes. How she cooked like that all day, I'll never know! Polly changed into a clown's outfit and looked hilarious with baggy trousers, a checked shirt and rainbow coloured, curly hair! In the past we've put on a big party for Halloween and Bonfire Night but this year we've scaled it down as Bonfire Night is next Friday and there'll be loads going on elsewhere in the town. We've bought a big pack of fireworks in the past and it's always a worry setting them off when there's so many children about - it's the stuff of nightmares if one of the fireworks falls over and goes into the crowd. Some of the fireworks are huge and very dangerous so that's one less worry this week!

So, it was my last day at work before a few days off and Keith and I are really looking forward to our trip to Berlin on Monday. It can't come soon enough!

A brief respite...

Today has been a lot quieter at work - I have no idea why, as the weather has been no different to yesterday (a bit cloudier, maybe) but there you are. I will never understand the public or why they do what they do. Maybe they all read this blog...

Mum and I managed to escape this afternoon for some lunch and a spot of shopping as my thoughts have now turned to my forthcoming trip to Berlin. I needed some warm tights and some long laces for my boots (we walk so much in Berlin my feet have to comfortable). I went into Boots to get my tights and ended up with a whole load of other things that seemed essential, such as a mask for my hair, a leave-in conditioner and make-up. Still, I consoled myself with the thought that I hadn't had to buy a pair of new boots so I didn't feel too guilty! As I was wandering up and down the aisles I suddenly remembered that we had arranged an interview for 2.30pm at work and it was now 2.20pm! Dashing madly back to the car we kept giggling about our stupid forgetfulness!

Back at work, Sophie and Susie had finished selling all their trinkets and painting faces. As part of Sophie's business studies course, she had to make a profit from £5, something she managed quite ably! They had spent the day at work doing nails, making up faces and selling bracelets and had made a tidy proft, all of which will go to Great Ormond Street hospital.

Mum and I did a bit of tidying up at work (more nappies left abandoned) and then it was home, a drink in the conservatory and a game of cards, at which I was well and truly thrashed!

Manicosity!!!

That's a new word I invented for today as it has been very manic! And, bizarrely, a beautiful day here with lots of sunshine and very mild temperatures...why have people come to us when they could be out enjoying the fresh air? I wish I was! I did mention to Keith this morning about a walk if I got home early enough, but I am a wee bit tired having probably walked a few miles already!

Basically, all we have been doing today is shovelling up other people's mess. What these people's homes are like, I shudder to think...yesterday we had a dirty nappy left under one of the tables... As we have three nappy bins in the toilets (mens' as well, I hasten to add, so there's no excuse) and plenty of normal rubbish bins, we were somewhat disgusted. This was in addition to the two sopping wet nappies that were left lying by a car in the car park the other evening. People spill drinks all over the floor and never think to let us know and today we had the squashed raisin brigade in. A high-chair was left surrounded by a squadron of squashed raisins and the odd flattened grape, lethal if you happen to step on one!

What gets me is that if we're a nano second late in clearing up the mess we get moans and groans, as if it's our fault! Oh well! I'm not complaining that we're busy, it's just the general public and the mess they make! I would be very worried indeed if we weren't busy at this half-term, but I do appreciate those customers (and there are a few despite my gripes) who take a minute to bring their laden tray back to us and let us know if they've spilt something so we can mop it up. It takes all sorts, I suppose!

Anyway, I'm sincerely looking forward to going home, enjoying the last couple of glasses of my Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc and relaxing with Keith in the conservatory in (I hope) peace and quiet. We have a delicious home-made tomato soup to look forward to and I can't wait!

Tuesday 26 October

The noise level at work yesterday was tremendous...normally I can handle it but yesterday it just seemed to get to me in a big way! As the weather was so horrible (wet, windy and miserable) we were busy. It was wonderful to get home in the evening and enjoy the (relative) peace and quiet!

Sue came around for a drink - we compared New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs - and we had a good natter!

Half-term ahead...

We have a busy week ahead of us as it's half-term and with the weather being unpredictable, we could end up being a bit manic!

However, Mondays are always quiet as we are normally closed so today was just nice. Sophie went off to the cinema with a friend in the afternoon and I made sure I was home at a reasonable time. Keith treated us to a meal at the pub in the evening and it was very quiet, but still lovely and cosy. When we came out there was a gorgeous aroma of coal fires and a starry sky with frost already silvering the grass and windscreens of the cars. I just love the smell of winter nights so much - that wonderful mixture of cold air and, sometimes, a blend of woodsmoke and coal which makes me want to wrap up warm and take a walk under the gorgeous velvety black sky!

An extremely fruitful day!

We had a great day down in Kent, hunting down our ancestors!

For once we had a good journey down to Dartford and before going to see Nan we went and did a little bit of shopping because this time, Sophie was with us! She wanted a new handbag but didn't see anything she liked, so after picking up some lunch in M&S we drove over to Nan's flat.

Our first stop was Stone Cemetery and after a couple of wrong turns we managed to find it tucked away on the outskirts of the village. It wasn't as large as I imagined but before we began to look for Frederick and Fanny's grave, we were stunned by a whole plot of the most ornate and extravagant graves I've ever seen in my life, and that includes headstones in Greece where they tend to include photos and mementoes of their loved ones. These graves were gypsy families and were complete with photo engravings, drawings of gypsy caravans and horses and lots and lots of gold and flowers.

They had also dedicated several benches to the memory of their loved ones and these were surrounded by flowers and mementoes as well. I've never seen anything like it in my life.

Sophie went off and unbelievably, found Frederick's and Fanny's grave straight away. This isn't the first time this happened as she found the grave of Keith's uncle Valentine, who died in the First World War, when we went to France a couple of years ago. It was fantastic to find it so easily but we had a shock as their grandson was also included in the plot, something I was obviously unaware of. He died in 1918 in the First World War and would have been my Grandfather's cousin. I later found out his name was Reginald Robert French and he was just 21.

From the cemetery we drove to Southfleet (after a few more wrong turns!) passing through the village of Betsham on the way and having a look at The Colyer Arms which was run by Frederick and Fanny. Sadly, it's now closed and was all boarded up. In Southfleet, a very pretty little village, we found the church of St Nicholas and had a good look around the churchyard but we couldn't see the grave of William and Elizabeth who I think were Frederick's parents. They died in the late 19th century so the inscriptions had probably faded away. The church was beautiful and afterwards we walked down to the old Post office which I think Elizabeth ran when she was a widow.

So it's been a wonderful day and Mum and Nan really enjoyed driving around the county and visiting lots of places!

Feeling better

Saturday was spent doing very little so by the evening I felt a lot better. The forecast wet and windy weather didn't really happen until the late afternoon, just as we planned to go for a walk! I did a lot more research on the family tree and noted down places I wanted to go to on Sunday, so I was a bit more prepared this time. I also looked into Keith's tree and was puzzled to find a few unusual things about his family. Keith phoned his brother (who was out) so we're going to have to confess to misplacing his side of the tree when he calls back!

Frantic Friday!

I really thought things would calm down a bit this week, but it's been as busy as ever. Today was mad - we had one member of staff out on holiday and there were various schools closed because of Teacher Training days. When the three of us arrived back from the wholesaler's it was straight into helping out as the place was full!

Keith came into work as he'd had my car in the morning but there was no way I could have taken him home so he went to the bank for us and then came back and helped me out as I manned the reception desk. Finally, at 2.30pm I was able to take him to the garage to pick up his car, only to find it still wasn't ready!

I picked Soph up from school and she came back to work with me as she was helping out in the evening with a party. It's been a long day and, with my stinky cold, I haven't felt my best! It's half term next week so we've geared ourselves up for another busy time but I'm hoping by Monday I will feel a wee bit better. We're off down to Kent on Sunday to have a poke around some graveyards - I'm just glad I picked this Sunday and not the next!

The dreaded lurgy...

I thought I'd escaped having a cold but yesterday it started with a vengeance so now I feel like I have a head full of cotton wool...

Thursday was another frosty, cold day but we didn't have time for a walk as we had various things to do - a visit to the doctor for Sophie to see about her verrucas and to pick up Keith's car which was in for its MOT. The car wasn't ready so it was a wasted journey!

As soon as I got home I went straight into the bath for a long soak, followed by a quick snooze which was itself followed by a very quiet evening!

First frost.

We've had gorgeous weather today, but the sunshine has come at a cost - the first frost of Autumn and although it wasn't too bad, the air was certainly very chill on the way to work this morning!

Mum and dad took the day off so Keith came into work with me but he had a doctor's appointment first thing, this time to talk about his hip which is causing him some real pain. He can't have the operation until next year because of his heart problems, but he is in agony most of the time now and it's really affecting his life. The doctor gave him some painkillers so hopefully they will work and he'll be able to move about without groaning.

After work we had a Parents Evening appointment at 5pm and we had planned to walk down to the school in the lovely early evening sunshine, but Keith was in a lot of pain with his hip so we had to drive instead. The meeting went well and Mikey seems to be improving a lot at school and working hard with his reading and writing.

When we came out, the pub was open and we went in for a quick drink which was a real treat. As always there was a lovely atmosphere and it was great to sit at the bar and relax with the other customers. A bit like the old days before the children came along!

Back home I cooked fajitas for dinner - Sophie's favourite dish and I have to say they were delicious. We used chicken thighs which were tender and tasty and I received lots of compliments - I have a feeling the meal was slightly better than my efforts last night!

Tuesday 19 October

It's getting cold...very cold. Well, cold to us anyway! I suppose if you live in Siberia, it's still sunbathing weather!

Keith has a cold but so far mine has managed to stay away. I told him to wrap up well, take plenty of fluids (not beer) and rest, which is what he did today. When I got home from work I conjured up a chilli hot pot which I think cleared out all his sinuses so maybe that will kill all the nasty little germs!

Work was busy as we did more catching up and we had plenty of customers in to keep us on our toes. I chased about all over the county for Mikey's medicine from the doctor and had to order it from Boots in the end to be collected tomorrow. Of course, his cough seems a lot better at the moment which is typical!

Season of colds and annoying coughiness...

Keith and I both have the startings of a cold but naturally, his is far worse than mine! Mikey still has his cough so we've booked an appointment at the doctor's for him as nothing seems to be working.

Monday was a day of catching up and I felt sorry for my mum in particular as the jet-lag seems to really affect her, much more than it does my dad. I went to pick her up at home at 10am as she just couldn't wake up at her usual time! They waded through paperwork and I suppose their lovely holiday is now a distant memory.


We had a great dinner on Sunday night with them and they brought back some wonderful gifts for the children who were thrilled with their San Francisco 49ers teeshirts and hooded jackets. Mum also managed to get a beautiful all-in-one top for Soph from Madonna's Material Girl range that was available in Macey's so she was delighted! Keith and I didn't do so badly either with Levi's for him and perfume and choccies for me! They'll have to go away more often!

Sunday somnolence...

I had a lovely long lie-in this morning which was a real treat! Keith and I both woke up at about 7.30am and he got up to have a cup of tea. "I'll be with you in a minute," I said to him but then I turned over and went back off to sleep until 9.30am! I had a very vivid dream about being on holiday in Spain and driving a dodgy moped!

When I did get up it was non-stop until I sat down at about 2pm. The children put their orders in for breakfast and then I spent the next few hours giving most of the house a good clean. Mum and Dad are coming around for a meal tonight so it should be a good few hours of non-stop talk as we all catch up on what we've been doing for the past two weeks.

Of course, the weather has been beautiful today - lots of sun and blue skies but we didn't have time to go out and enjoy the fresh air so we'll have to hope for a few sunny evenings to come when we can maybe squeeze in a walk. It's getting darker so much earlier these days but as I write (at 6pm) we still have lots of light and blue skies. In a couple of weeks time, the clocks will go back and then winter will really be upon us!

Homecoming

My mum and dad arrived back home today after being in the US for two weeks, the reason why I've felt like I've been on a too-fast treadmill over the past fortnight! They've been touring around California, staying in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Carmel and Santa Barbara so I think the colder weather here will be a bit of a shock for them, as will the jet-lag when it kicks in!

Although I've been busy, I've really enjoyed the last two weeks as Keith's been coming into work with me every day and in the evening we tried to walk up to their house to feed Jake and the fish as often as we could. I really needed Keith in with me as he's done many jobs at work that would have been much harder for me to do on my own. Although it was only for two weeks, we've worked together pretty well!

This morning I went to feed Jake and the fishies for the last time and turned the heating up for mum and dad who've been used to the 90 degree heat in sunny California. We then all went to the Chiropodist's as I wanted Keith to take Sophie in this time and try and get some more information out of the woman as to how long this procedure will take. We've had three sessions now and nothing seems to be working on Soph's verrucas, and at £64 a session I'm starting to feel a little alarmed! I did phone up my health insurance company to see if she was covered with that, but despite the amount of money I pay every month verrucas aren't one of the ailments that are included in the cover. Well, they wouldn't be, would they? Grrr!

We're going to give it one more sesssion and see how things turn out before going to our local doctor and seeing if he can send us to the Chiropodist at the hospital. In her defence though, the woman that Sophie sees did say we could tackle the smaller verrucas with Bazuka gel so we went off to Boots to buy that and some cough medicine for Mikey's highly irritating cough which he still has! Arrrrggggh! As much as I love the Autumn and winter I don't like the nasties that go with it!

Dressing up

Last night Keith and I went to Sue and Paul's house for a Murder Mystery evening with an 'Allo 'Allo theme. There were twelve of us in all, most of whom were strangers to us so we went with a bit of trepidation! Keith looked very authentic as a French sausage seller (photo to follow later) with his trousers tied at the bottom with string, a large sausage around his neck and his beret. Sophie drew him a moustache and he looked hilarious. I was a bit more subdued, wearing a cream raincoat, scarf and beret in my role as the French Resistance member.

Everyone had gone to a lot of trouble with their costumes especially the German officer, RAF pilot and GI Joe who looked fantastic. We also had a nurse, a female German officer (very scratchy uniform) and a cabaret singer who looked very sexy in fishnet tights and bowler hat!

It was a great evening and as the drinks flowed the conversation became louder and we got to know the others who were great. It was lovely to meet new people.

We all took it in turns to either interrogate or be interrogated and watched several clues on the television. At the end of the evening we had to guess who the murderer was and with a stroke of genius our cabaret singer guessed right that it was GI Joe who turned out to be half-German and therefore had to kill the evidence!

So, a great evening and we can now have Keith's sausage for breakfast!

Grey gloom...and a mood to match...

It's been a really gloomy, miserable day today and the weather hasn't been much better either!

One humourous moment, though, was when Keith bought his sausage...which is really quite big! It's nicely curved and has a little string so he can wear it around his neck tomorrow night. I just hope he doesn't feel the need to nibble on it throughout the evening...

There was no time at all for a walk today as I was at work late with Sophie who did a couple of hours for us this evening. When we left at 6pm it was almost dark with heavy grey clouds and a gloomy mist so no glorious sunset for us, which would have brightened the day up a bit.

Mikey has an annoying cough at the moment - something he has every year at about this time. The season of sniffles is upon us and I just hope that I can manage to avoid catching anything!

Wrong again!

Wednesday 13 October 

Well, just after I posted about my adoption theory I was proved wrong! I looked at a later census and saw Ellen still living with her natural parents in London and working as a Barmaid! I have no idea who this Ellen Roche is but she's not my relative! Oh well! Back to the drawing board!

Back home in the evening Keith and I went for an amble into the village and had a look for some conkers. We didn't find any but we did have fun kicking up the leaves - oh the joys of Autumn! It was lovely to have a leisurely walk and see everyone else rushing about in their cars and it was a much needed moment of respite in an otherwise busy day!

Tuesday 12 October and some more research...

I forgot to say that the birth certificate I'd ordered came in the post on Monday and on first sight looked to be the wrong one. Ellen's father was called John but on the certificate it said William. I was really disappointed and put it to one side but last night I spent more time looking at the birth records and I have a theory...it could be that Ellen was taken in by John and Eliza as they didn't have any other children in an age when most couples were having large families. Perhaps William was a brother or cousin as he was also born in Ireland? It could be that John and Eliza took Ellen in because William and his wife were unable to look after her? This is why it's so frustrating! I'd love to know the answers but it's very unlikely someone will be able to tell me the truth. John and Eliza never had any more children and on the 1911 census Eliza states that she had one child who died...Arrrghh!

I've been in contact with my Aunt to see if she knows any more and she's given me a phone number of her cousin who may have more information so it's great that I'm getting in touch with my living relatives in the search for more history.

Yesterday Keith and I went on the hunt for French berets as we're going to a Murder Mystery Evening on Friday and it has an "Allo Allo" theme. Keith is supposed to be a sausage seller and has to have bicycle clips tied around his trousers and has to carry a large sausage! Hmmmm! I'm going as a Resistance woman with a trench coat and beret...It's a good job the party is next door as I'd hate to think we had to travel any distance and, God forbid, the car broke down...!

A bit of frustration...

I arrived at work early this morning to meet the drain man but he turned up over an hour later than the time he gave me and I was beginning to think he'd forgotten! However, within an hour of him being at work, it was all sorted and we now have fully functioning loos, thank goodness!

Today has been busy, as usual, so no time at all for a walk, but I did manage to collect some more leaves for Mikey's collage. Sophie wanted me to print off a photo for her homework, but of course the printer was completely out of ink! Typical! We seem to be wallowing in homework at the moment. Mikey has five pieces due in early next week, and Sophie gets a huge amount most weekends, some of which is French and which means I'm gradually remembering my own studies from eons ago and realising that I haven't totally forgotten it all!

A restful weekend?

Today has been a tad stressful! Last night, Jenny our weekend Manager at work, phoned me to say that one of the toilets was blocked so I said we'd come in on Sunday morning to try and sort it out. At 9am Keith and I were driving into work and it was gorgeous...misty and sunny with a hint of warmth to come. We had a look at the loo, poured some caustic soda down to try and clear it and then went home to pick up the children as Sophie was working for us today for a couple of hours. We treated them to a MacDonald's breakfast and then went back to work to have another go at the loo, this time with customers on the premises who kept wanting to visit the facilities!

The caustic soda really hadn't worked so we drove off to Focus DIY to buy some more and whilst there we spotted a lethal looking plunger that was sure to do the job. Back at work, we tried the plunger and it seemed to work, the loo not filling as much as before, so after a while and using the soda again, we told Jenny to keep an eye on it and went home. Keith was suffering a bit because the soda had splashed on him and he wanted to get into the shower fast!

I drove off again to get the Sunday papers and when I arrived home Keith was mowing the lawn. By now it was an absolutely gorgeous day. Lured into the garden I couldn't resist dead-heading the geraniums and tidying up all the pots and plants. I hadn't had a shower earlier on and resembled a wild woman but I figured that another hour wouldn't make a difference to how I looked (like a madwoman, I bet!). By now it was getting on for 1pm and neither Keith or I had had any breakfast or lunch! I made a start on washing the conservatory windows which were covered in tiny bits of leaves, spider webs and dead ladybirds. Nature has truly taken over the garden in the last few weeks...there were snail and slug trails everywhere and spiders hanging from every bush...Ugh!

Remembering our lack of sustenance Keith went inside and made a pile of toast and we munched away contentedly in the kitchen, joined by Mikey who promptly dropped his plate on the floor, shattering it into tiny pieces and decorating the tiles with butter!

I lost my temper which led to a bit of a spat between Keith and I, but we were reunited in realising that Mikey's homework still had to be done...He did the maths while I started on the nature collage. Mikey sat at the computer and designed a poster...it took all of us about an hour to complete and it still isn't all finished!

I finally sat down at 3pm after having a much-needed shower, only to answer the phone a few minutes later to Jenny who said that the mens' toilets were now overflowing every time someone flushed the loo...

We went back into work and found the toilets overflowing with water so we had no choice but to close them off to the public and ask them to use our one disabled toilet, a bit of a nuisance as we were a bit busy! I called a drain man who had come out to us before and arranged to meet him at work early on Monday morning.

We arrived back home at about 5pm and I poured myself a large whisky and ginger ale! I think I deserved it! Keith and I had a few games of cards before I (yes...me!) cooked dinner. We'd planned to eat at lunchtime today but that obviously didn't happen and I'd said I would give Keith a rest from cooking. I have to say we had a delicous meal of roast lamb and all the trimmings and I received a resounding thumbs up!

Saturday 9 October

We were promised a lovely weekend but yesterday was grey, damp and miserable. Again, the plan to get out into the garden was put on hold and instead, Sophie and I went to Boots to buy some essentials and then Beckworth Emporium to buy fat snax for the birds. While we were there we had a cup of hot chocolate each and a Boston Brownie, feeling a bit like imposters as everyone around us was having a full lunch.

Keith and I did manage a walk in the grey gloom, though, and I picked up some beautiful Autumn leaves for Mikey's homework collage. I thought that the sun would break through, but it remained grey and miserable all day, unfortunately.

In the evening Keith and I were ashamed to admit that we were in bed at 9.30pm, leaving the children downstairs watching a film. I'd been awake in the morning at 6am so I was absolutely deadbeat and fell asleep on the sofa, something I rarely do. I did have a good night's sleep, though!

Phew! It's Friday!

This week has been great but very, very busy. It really has passed in a blur and I'm looking forward to a restful weekend...I hope I get it!

Today has been typically Autumn - heavy fog and damp conditions but the weekend looks better. If it is, I MUST get out into the garden and do some tidying up, plus I need to buy some fat snacks for the birds who are eating everything I'm putting out for them. Our next door neighbours have seen rats in their gardens eating from the bird feeders but luckily we haven't seen any so far. Perhaps the cats have frightened them away, but seeing as we're surrounded on three sides by farmland, it's inevitable, I suppose. I'm hoping to get out for at least one walk over the weekend and maybe go around Pitsford again with Mikey on the bikes. He needs to make a collage as one of his pieces of homework so we'll have to go and collect leaves, berries and other naturey things for that.

I'm also hoping that my Great Great Grandmother's birth certificate will arrive in the post tomorrow and that it'll be the right one...I'll look a bit silly if it's not! That might then confirm her proper name and where she was born, so here's hoping.

The nights are really drawing in now and it's getting very gloomy at 6pm. Before long it'll be time to turn the clocks back but at least we'll get an extra hour in bed!

Thursday 7 October and eating out again!

I seem to be doing a lot of eating out at the moment! For three weeks in a row now I've been out with friends for meals and very enjoyable it's been!

Last night I went to the Mandarin Buffet with two friends and it was great. As the name suggests, it's a Chinese buffet with every type of Chinese dish you can think of, plus a few Japanese and Indian classics thrown in for good measure. It's a large restaurant but the noise level was reasonable and unlike Red Hot in Northampton, it didn't remind me of a busy hotel.

We shared a bottle of very good house white and munched our way through the buffet along with a good many others. At £12.90 for as much as you can eat, it was very good value and the choice was excellent as along with all the usual Chinese dishes there was also sushi, Japanese dishes (they were raw and had to be cooked by a special chef) salads, desserts and a chocolate fountain. I think it would go down very well with my little family so I can see another visit looming in the near future!

Wednesday 6 October and a bottle of free wine!

Bruce came into work yesterday with his grandchildren and very kindly brought me a bottle of Italian Prosecco to say thank you for the pass card I've given him. It put a big smile on my face as I do like a glass or two of bubbly and it went down very well as a pre-dinner aperitif! I used to work with Bruce in the Wine Shop and he certainly knows his stuff about wine so it was delicious - very elegant and smooth with lots of tiny bubbles which is always a good indicator of a decent sparkling wine.

Life continues to be hectic but at least the weather has improved and last night we went for another walk into the village. The leaves were carpeting the roads and paths and the bushes were covered in red berries. As soon as we have a frost I'll be out picking my sloes to make Sloe Gin.

I did a little more research into the Family Tree, concentrating this time on my maternal Grandmother's side of the family. Sometimes, however, the more I delve into the past the more confused I get...I always worry that I'm looking into people that, although they share the surname of a relative, are complete strangers!

Hitting the ground running...

Life is very busy at the moment and the last two days have passed in a blur. It seems that at the moment every minute of the day is allocated to doing something but that suits me fine. I like being busy!

Yesterday we had beautiful weather (well it was Monday!) so Keith and I found time for a short walk after work. The trees are really beginning to change colour now and the leaves are falling in abundance so the sunshine and the golden colours were a welcome relief from the drab greys of Sunday.

Today I had a few highs and lows and it certainly made the day an interesting one! We didn't have time for a walk, but we did spend a pleasant hour in the conservatory with a drink and the crossword. It sums up my day when I bought what I thought was an Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc and noticed as I was pouring it that it was a Chardonnay...I'm not a huge fan of Chardonaaaaay but it was quite pleasant. I definitely prefer the Sauvignon Blanc, though so I may have to go back to the supermarket and buy the right one tomorrow. Good job it's on special offer!

Wet Sunday

It has rained almost non-stop today. As a child I always hated wet Sundays. I'm not sure why it was Sunday in particular that was depressing or Saturdays as well, but wet weekends are never welcome, no matter how old we are. All plans to go out into the garden have been put on hold so I did a few bits of tidying up, helped Mikey with his homework and then devoted the afternoon to researching the tree. It was a bit frustrating, to be honest. The relatives on my dad's side are proving to be particularly elusive and I sent off for my Great Great Grandmother's birth certificate in the hope that it may shed more light on things. This genealogy hobby is an expensive hobby!

Chores!

Today has been full of doing things that were a bit of a chore, but I suppose it catches up with me every now and again! Sophie had another visit to the Chiropodist this morning and more freezing treatment. The Chiropodist never stopped talking and I really think I ought to go for a career in counselling (or more likely, just listening). Reading through the various pamphlets for all the services offered by the centre before we went in (Reiki, counselling, massage etc) I'd earn a fortune!

After the appointment I dropped Sophie off at Susie's house as they were going off to Milton Keynes with Susie's step-mum while I went home to tackle the housework. It took me four hours to clean downstairs but I have a lot of satisfaction from knowing everything is very clean! I can now relax, look forward to a steak dinner tonight and a glass of red!

Lagging behind...

I seem to be lagging behind already this month so hopefully I'll catch up over the weekend. Yesterday was busy and the weather was atrocious - summer is well and truly over now. I thought back to a couple of years ago in October when we all went for a walk in Salcey Forest and it was like a summer day - warm and sunny and beautiful. I have a feeling this October will be a little different although this morning has seen a return to blue skies and misty sunshine. I really must get out and try and take some photographs if it's like this again. I love the sunshine through the mist.

This weekend I need to do some boring stuff like housework and I haven't ventured out into the garden for ages so I dread to think what's happening out there, apart from the slugs and snails taking over completely. If it stays dry I may use today as a chance to put the garden to bed for the winter. Keith is planning a lot more pruning to the bushes in the back garden which have gone on the rampage. We did the same thing with the shrubs in the gravel garden last October and although they looked very bare at first, the pruning did wonders in the Spring and Summer when they really flourished. I have a competitor for Keith's attention this weekend, though...the Ryder Cup is on so I know not a lot will get done, unless it's rained off again of course!

Seafood and eat it

I was going to write this last night but I arrived home far too late so now this is officially an October posting! Oh well!

Anyway, I went out with some friends last night to The Seafood Cafe in Northampton and we had some delicious food. I was a bit taken aback at first as the restaurant looks like a bigger version of a local chippie with the stainless steel counter and white tiles everywhere. All the tables are arranged along one side and a lot of the specials were on big blackboards. When we arrived it was quite busy but as the evening wore on it became very loud!

There were four of us and we had a great time catching up. The food was gorgeous and the fish cooked to perfection. They had an amazing variety of fish to choose from including lobster, oysters, crab, scallops and king prawns. I chose the scallops and chorizo to start followed by sea bass fillets with peas, pancetta, lettuce and saute potatoes. We enjoyed two bottles of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with our meals which were delicious - really crisp and fruity and a great match for the fish. We all had room for pud so I chose the Eton Mess which was lovely, if a little sweet.

I'll definitely be going back and would love to take Keith as he really appreciates a good bit of fish, something we don't often eat at home. My only gripe was the loudness of the music. I really must be getting old!