All glammed up!

I spent yet another day cleaning as Sophie's friend Hannah was staying overnight tonight and I wanted to make sure that the bathroom was clean and Sophie's bedroom in a reasonable state! Keith went off to collect Mike as he'd been at a revision session at school and while he was gone and I was busy hoovering upstairs, Pete the Pest Control man arrived.

It was bucketing it down with rain but we both went out into the garden and he's put down four more boxes to see if we can entice our rat to take the bait. He even put one down by the bird feeder and said he would contact us in about a month's time to see if the food had been taken.

I went to collect Sophie from work at 3pm and it was still pouring with rain. Sophie said that they had been very busy at work and the car park was full when I arrived. I'm so glad it's not me in charge any more!

We went off to Riverside and Sophie treated me to a cup of tea and a cornflake crunch cake at Costa. It was lovely to sit for half an hour and relax after my busy days of cleaning! Afterwards we went to Boots as Sophie needed some insoles for her high heels as she's off to her university Prom tonight at the Derngate Theatre in town.

Before Hannah arrived Keith and I decided to try and get Jim into the garage. We moved our waste bins and pushed back the furniture we have along the sides of the garage to make room and we managed to get Jim almost all the way in with just the bonnet sticking out! If we decided to go the whole hog and empty the garage completely we'd definitely be able to fit a small car in there. It might solve the problem if we ever have three cars!

Hannah arrived and then there was much banging about upstairs as both girls got ready for their big night out. They were having a meal and cocktails first as their tickets were for the dancing only which didn't start until 10pm. When they were ready they both looked stunning:

I drive them into town (it was still raining and it was so cold we put our heating back on) and agreed to pick them up at 12.30am. A late one!

No rest for the wicked!

Needless to say I woke up rather late this morning and was glad that it was a Bank Holiday Monday, although Sophie had to be in at work for 10.30am.

After we dropped her off and took Mike to Brixworth we decided to tackle the guttering of the conservatory, a job we've been putting off for ages. It's horrible, dirty work but Keith did really well and by the time we'd finished, about four hours later, we were both very pleased with how it looked. No more wet, slimy leaves and dirty splashes on the windows! I followed Keith and washed the windows...again!

The weather today has been perfect for the job as it's been dry, breezy and cloudy although the sun did peep its head out now and again.  I had a great chat with Sue as she was outside gardening and it seemed that all our neighbours were also busy mowing, washing cars and generally being busy!

After picking the kids up from their respective places we had a turkey curry for dinner and I felt much better than I did last night!

A tipsy dinner!

I had looked forward to a day off today but I ended up doing yet more cleaning! It's all I ever do at the moment!

I gave the downstairs of the house a clean and then after lunch I tackled as much of the inside of the conservatory as I could. After a greyish start this morning, the sun came out and it was a much better afternoon. I hadn't realised that the conservatory needed cleaning so badly. Since getting rid of the cabinet in the living room we've kept some of the ornaments on the windowsill and it's made it difficult to clean with all the clutter. Today I had a de-cluttering session and found room for our Lladro ornaments elsewhere!

Sophie contacted me to say they were getting the 4pm train home from London so half an hour before they were due to arrive Keith and I set off. It meant that we missed the ending of my Mum and Dad's Ebay sale but it looked like they'd sold everything except the solid wood coffee table (I had my eye on it!) and a green armchair. They did much better than I expected!

After dropping Daisy off we returned home and I made some cocktails. I'd really been looking forward to this evening as Sophie was at home and we had turkey for dinner but it all went a bit wrong! I'm not sure whether it was because I hadn't eaten a lot during the day or whether I drank my cocktails a bit too quickly, but I felt very drunk indeed through dinner and was quite ill! Now in the past I've had some very boozy dinners at friends' houses and have been fine so tonight was rather strange, to say the least! I went off to bed very early and managed to sleep it off. Thank goodness!

A spot of gardening

I saw the blasted rat again this morning so obviously my shot was not on target the other day. He really is a huge animal - I don't think I've ever seen a rat so big so we are going to have to think up a new tactic. The last straw is a glue trap but this has the disadvantage of also trapping other animals and birds although you can release them with vegetable oil. It would mean that the rat would be alive when we caught him so it's something we're going to have to think carefully about!

Sophie was off to London this morning so I took her and Daisy down to the station and made sure she was able to get her ticket easily. I said goodbye and called into Aldi on the way home to buy the newspaper and some rolls for breakfast. I called Keith to say I was on my way home and to start cooking the sausages when the traffic all ground to a halt. I wasn't sure what was happening but after about fifteen minutes of crawling along I realised it was a Steam Engine probably making its way to a nearby show and it was holding us all up!

It must have been going about 0.0001 miles an hour and had a vehicle with it warning us all it was going slow...duh! I really don't think a vehicle that slow should be allowed on the roads and I dread to think what the traffic was like behind me as the road I was on was quite a busy route! Luckily it pulled onto the path and we were all able to get past and speed away. I was hungry!

After breakfast I took Mike to Brixworth and when I arrived home Keith had sold the bike! I was a bit worried that the woman was either a) not going to turn up at all or b) say it wasn't suitable so I was overjoyed to discover that it had all gone very smoothly. Job done!

To celebrate we went and did some gardening and I have to say that when I finished I was very happy with how the garden looked. I dug a load of earth into the rat run at the back of the border and put a big stick in the opening. It probably won't stop our furry friend but it may slow him down a bit!

Monty came out with us and had a mad moment in one of the bushes. I have no idea what he was up to but he seemed to be enjoying himself!

The border which I filled with some of our potted plants

Monty in the bush

Last day...

I had planned on working on my assignment today but other things got in the way! After Keith had been for a walk and came home to shower we all went to the Weston Favell Centre as Sophie needed to take out some money for her forthcoming trip to London to see Busted at the O2.

We also needed to go into Tesco to get some things Keith had forgotten (he lost the list yesterday in Aldi and had to call me to jog his memory!).  From there we returned home but on the way Keith suggested a quick drink in the Royal Oak so we went! We are getting naughty!

We had a couple of drinks and went home to sit in the garden for half an hour. It's been another warm and sunny day and very pleasant indeed. I just hope it stays like this for the Bank Holiday weekend!

Before Mike arrived home Sophie and I left to go to my Mum's and I'm glad Keith stayed at home as Mike missed the bus. Today has been his last day of compulsory schooling so a bit of an emotional time for him. I can't believe it's come around so quickly! His time at secondary school has flown by! Now we have the rest of his GCSEs to look forward to!

Mum made us a cup of tea and we munched on some lovely biscuits before admiring their garden which they've filled with plants so it's looking much better than when they moved in. Their garden is a real sun trap and it was very warm in the sun. Hopefully Mum and Dad will get a great tan this year and enjoy the weather!

We returned home and walked Monty around the estate before Keith walked down to the pub. After he had gone Sophie and I sat and watched TV and when I heard a car door slam I peeped out of the window to see three very glamourous girls emerge from a car. They looked dressed to the nines and I watched them walk off down the street. With Sophie, I dashed upstairs and saw that more and more cars were disgorging equally dazzling girls...then it dawned on us! It's Prom season so obviously they were all congregating at a nearby house before going off to their party. They looked far older than 16 and one girl was even carrying a bottle of Vodka and a bottle of Coke!

Mike was also off to a party in Northampton so Sophie and I took him and then drove back to get Keith from the pub. We then dashed home as I had to make Macaroni Cheese and luckily it didn't take too long. When we arrived home all the cars had gone so obviously the glamour pusses had been picked up - probably by Limousine!

We had a late night tonight as we went to pick Mike up at midnight and when we arrived there was a little gaggle of teens hanging around outside. Mike didn't appear too inebriated, which was a huge relief!

Shopping...of a different kind!

Sophie and I went off to Milton Keynes today, leaving Keith to do the weekly food shop on his own. He was looking forward to it!

We had a lovely journey over and parked in the multi-storey before going to Waterstones for a cup of coffee. Sadly, the Costa Coffee outlet there has been replaced by their own cafe and Sophie said she would treat me while I found a seat.

After what seemed like ages she arrived at the table with two coffees and two packets of biscuits which she said cost £1.40 a packet! Blimey! Unfortunately my Flat White was tepid, bordering on cold, so I took it back to the counter and asked if they could heat it up for me. To his credit, the man serving said he would make me a fresh cup which was much better, and hot!

The coffee was good but I doubt we'll be back, especially when M&S do lovely coffee and there's a Costa next to John Lewis. The biscuits were equally delicious but I would hesitate to pay £1.40 again!

After our refreshments we went to M&S and I bought two pretty tops and some new leggings to wear around the house as mine are virtually falling apart and look very tatty! Sophie also bought two tops and one of them was really gorgeous - an off the shoulder blue summery top that looked incredible on her.

From M&S we went to River Island and Sophie tried on a black trouser suit that fitted her like a glove. She looked stunning in it so she was very happy indeed that she had found an outfit at last for her Prom next week. We popped into Accessorize on the way to John Lewis and Sophie bought some glitzy earrings which go beautifully with her outfit. I knew she would find something beautiful to wear!

We had lunch in John Lewis and chose their delicious Moroccan Chicken Soup served with crusty bread. The restaurant was very quiet indeed and it was lovely to sit and relax knowing we had achieved our mission! Outside John Lewis they were installing an exhibition for the Titanic which runs until the 12 June so we will definitely be going back to see that as Sophie loves anything about the doomed liner!

I managed to buy some more tee-shirts which is what I was after and Sophie tried on some shoes in New Look but they didn't have her size which was a shame as they were gorgeous and just what she was after. The assistant tried to order them online for her but they weren't available so why were they displayed in a prominent place then? Huh!

By now we were both flagging so it was back to the car and a slow and leisurely drive home via Newport Pagnell, Olney and Earls Barton. The weather has been beautiful today with lots of sunshine and fluffy white clouds, perfect for driving in the countryside which is looking at its best at the moment.

When we got home Keith suggested a drink in the pub before dinner so we accepted with alacrity! Mike stayed at home so the three of us went and sat in the window to watch rush hour in the village. I've never seen so many cars coming through! We had a couple of drinks, returned home to start the dinner and then all of played a game of cards while it cooked. A perfect end to a really lovely day!

Animal antics!

Unusually, when I came downstairs this morning, Monty wasn't on his bed. Keith said he was still outside on his bed in the garage, which was completely out of character for him! He hadn't even eaten his breakfast!

I went out to get him and noticed how cold and windy it was. The weather has certainly taken a turn for the worse and the sunshine has well and truly disappeared to be replaced with grey skies and drizzle. Horrible!

I picked Monty up and brought him in to have his breakfast but he just looked at it and hobbled off to the living room looking like an old, tired man. I put him in his bed but he was obviously in pain as he growled at me. However, once he'd settled he went to sleep but I was a bit worried about him. Sophie would be devastated if anything happened to our remaining cat.

When I went to wake Sophie up she said there'd been an almighty fight at about 2am this morning between Monty and another cat. A neighbouring cat, who we thought was Monty's little buddy, sat watching the scrap as if he was a spectator at a boxing match! I told her that Monty didn't seem well so we both agreed to let him sleep in peace and not disturb him. I just hope he feels better later on!

While I was having my coffee we saw the rat. Keith and I ran upstairs and asked Mike for his air rifle. He set it up in the en-suite bathroom as there's a great vantage point there from which to take a shot. I heard the rifle go off and saw the rat run back into the bushes but I don't think Mike hit him. He was a  bit grumpy as he has two exams today, bless him, and said it was too much stress to be dealing with so early in the morning!

A bit later on, after Keith had got back from taking Mike to school, we saw the little blighter again and I'm not sure but I think this time I may have hit it. I stood, like a sniper, at the window and lined him up in my sights. Only time will tell if we got him, but I left some more food out in the hope of enticing him and saw nothing. Is it over and out for the rat?!

Enforced relaxation!

I had an appointment at 11am this morning to take my car into Audi for its emissions service. After countless letters and emails telling me what would be happening, I'd been able to make an appointment for today and had said that I would stay on site and wait. I would have preferred to have been given an A5 for the day but that was not to be!

Sophie and I went as she wanted to go to Next afterwards to look for potential Prom dresses and there would have been no need for Keith to come as well. It was a glorious morning, with the most beautiful "Florida sky" to look at on the way, and with Ben Howard warbling away on the car stereo (Under the Same Sun...bliss!) I enjoyed the journey over to the car dealership!

After a slight hiccup as to where to take my car - inside into a very posh workshop - Sophie and I were shown to a desk and introduced to the man who would be "looking after us today". Was it my imagination or did he appear quite embarrassed by the whole situation? I asked about my road tax as I currently pay £30 a year and did not want this amount to shoot up. He assured me it wouldn't so that was a relief!

After signing a form we were shown to an extremely comfortable lounge and told the wait would be about an hour and a half. We were given wifi codes and we enjoyed delicious coffee from the Ferrari of all coffee machines, plus biscuits. There were newspapers and magazines to read and a television playing quietly in the background. It was all supremely relaxing!

The only fly in the ointment was a woman sitting at the next table who had obviously taken a dislike to both of us for some reason. She shot me a look of pure hatred while I was munching on my biscuit and kept glaring at us for the whole time we were there! I have no idea why!

My car was all finished by 12.45pm and had been given a complimentary health check (she said she felt fine) and a wash and vacuum. She was gleaming when I drove her out and back into the real world!

From Audi we went to Next and Sophie tried on two dresses, neither of which were any good. She tried on a short black one that was very pretty but one size was too small while another was too big and made her look a bit "boobylicious"!!

Back home we had lunch and Mum and Dad popped around later in the afternoon to pick up something I'd printed out for them. We enjoyed a cup of tea and a chat until they left at 5pm, just before Sophie was picked up by her friend Hannah as they were off to a Tapas restaurant in town.

After dinner with just the three of us, Keith and I watched all four episodes of "The Secret" which were brilliant!

Eating with the rat...!

Keith went off for a walk this morning while Sophie and I did some housework. I believe that overnight the messy fairies descend and scatter stuff all over the floor! I'm sure it didn't look as bad yesterday!

Sophie and I had a long chat at lunchtime about money and jobs. She really wants to get a full time job over the summer but it's finding one that's just temporary until she goes back to uni at the end of September, As she hadn't done as many hours over the last month she didn't get a very satisfying pay packet, but I assured her that it wouldn't be forever!

We had lovely fish-finger sandwiches for lunch sitting in the sunny conservatory as today has been gorgeous weather again. In the early afternoon all three of us drove over to the Weston Favell Centre so Sophie could change the 100 euros she had in her purse from her trip to Rome into pounds...there was no point her keeping them as we're not planning on going to Europe any time soon!

She also tried on a couple of outfits for her uni Prom which is next week but there was nothing she liked at all. Keith had his pre-op assessment at 4.30pm so we drove off to the hospital and had to park in the main car-park, a fair walk away. It didn't matter though as the weather was still fine and sunny!

Keith had a lot of forms to fill in and while he was being seen by the nurse Sophie and I read the magazines, including a brochure on Florida, which was a bonus! It was a Thomson brochure and I was amazed to read about all the Disney hotels and how many there were to choose from!

Keith was all finished at about 5.30pm and the weather outside, although still warm and dry, had a distinctly stormy air as the sky in the distance was almost black. I had washing out so we called Mike to say we were on our way to pick him up from Heather's and dashed home as quickly as we could, not an easy task in rush hour!

Luckily the rain had started in Walgrave but hadn't reached our house yet so we ran out into the garden, grabbed the washing and took it in before the heavens opened! We decided to go to The Tollemache Arms at Harrington for a drink before dinner and as Mike wasn't interested in coming with us, just the three of us went.

It poured with rain all the way and we got soaked running from the car into the pub! We found a small table tucked away in an alcove and enjoyed a drink for an hour, watching the pub fill up with diners. They have a steak night on on a Monday - two steaks and a bottle of wine for £30 which looked very popular!

Tonight we were supposed to have had fish pie for dinner but Keith said, quite rightly, that by the time we got home and prepared and cooked it, it would be very late so we called into the Fish and Chip shop in Broughton instead...naughty, but nice!

Whilst we were sitting eating our dinner who should we see but the rat! He emerged from the bushes and sat eating the food that had fallen from the bird table with his little pink feet. Ugh!!! I'm sure he knew we were sitting watching him but it didn't seem to bother him and it was only when Sophie got up and banged on the window that he scampered off. I think we will have to come up with a better rat strategy!

Clearing up the mess!

After all the rain and grey skies of yesterday it was lovely to see the sun again today. I was determined to have a "sort of day off" today, as it's been a busy week and I'm a little bit sick of housework!

We dropped Sophie off at work and once home we put our old living room cabinet (the top part with glass doors) into the car to take to the tip. We also managed to fit our old wooden bath panel into the car and some old rusted metal! The tip was busy with people having a clear out and it felt good to have finally got rid of this rubbish!

Back home we decided to have a potter about in the garden and I noticed that one of our female blackbirds had been digging leaves out of the conservatory guttering for nest-building and had left wet, gloopy leaves all over the windowsills, which looked horrible! I couldn't believe that one little bird could cause so much mess!

There was no way I could leave it so, abandoning my plan to have a day off, I filled a bucket with hot soapy water and cleaned all the windows, the white struts above the windows and the windowsills. I just hope she's finished building her nest now! We've noticed one high up in the Virginia Creeper/Honeysuckle and the one inside all our ivy appears to be abandoned after the blackbirds had reared two batches of eggs there. We've had two lots of fat babies this year!

While I was busy washing the conservatory Keith clipped some of our bushes to keep them controlled this year. We're determined not to let the garden get too overgrown again as it looks so much better now than it did. We also moved two pots of lavender and the old daffodils to another place in the garden and put some conifers and some kind of tree in their place, over Archie's grave. This border now looks a lot better as well and we're hoping that the bushes already in the border will grow and hide the pots.

By the early afternoon I'd finished and enjoyed lunch in the sunny, and now clean, conservatory!

Up north for a wedding...

My cousin Jonathan was getting married today in the town of Poynton in Cheshire and although my Dad and Keith had been invited, in the end just Sophie, Mum and I were able to go.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast today was for rain and cloud and although it was dry when we set off at 10am, the skies were a horrible, lumpy grey. We picked Mum up and headed off on the A14 with the updated Gladys barking instructions at us. I'd planned on going up the M6 but she wanted me to go on the M1 so I decided to follow her and ignore my misgivings!

We stopped for a cup of coffee on the M1 near East Midlands airport and I had a look at the map to make sure we weren't going off on some weird route! It looked OK to me although part of the trip did involve travelling on a single carriageway which was a bit worrying if we came across slow vehicles or a lot of traffic. However, Gladys estimated that we would get to the church a good hour before the ceremony at 2pm so we set off on our little adventure after enjoying a coffee and a brioche roll.

The road was a good one (the A50) and was dualled so that meant we could bowl along at a fair speed! The weather was fine until we had about an hour to go when the heavens opened and the rain bucketed it down. As the scenery was fabulous, it was very annoying, especially as we had mist as well which made things worse!

However, by the time we reached the charming little town of Poynton, the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. We managed to grab a parking space in the car park next to the Baptist Chapel and we peered into the church to see my cousin already there. He greeted us very warmly and we used the facilities which was a bonus! As we were early we headed off to a sweet little cafe a few hundred yards down the road and enjoyed toasted teacakes and tea. As we were sitting enjoying our refreshments, the heavens opened again and we had torrential rain! It absolutely chucked it down and I fervently hoped that, with half an hour to spare, it would stop before we had to make our way back to the chapel!

It did abate, somewhat, but it was still raining and Mum went to ask the cafe staff if they had bin-bags we could put over our heads! I didn't bother but Mum made sure that her hair was covered and still looking good for the ceremony!

The church had filled up quite a bit since we were last there and we took our seats towards the back of the room. There was a stage set out at the front so quite a bit different to the normal set-up of a church! Very soon the bride arrived and we all stood to welcome her and have a good look at her dress. The only other people we knew at the ceremony were my aunt Joyce, my cousin Tony and his wife and two boys, and obviously the groom. No other members of the family had made the trip up from the south of England which was a bit of a shame.

The ceremony was lovely, with quite a bit of singing, a few prayers and lots of bible readings. Half way through the ceremony Jonathan and Julie signed the register and afterwards we all milled about in the foyer for photographs and to chat with friends and family.

The reception was held a mere two minutes away and luckily there was lots of parking. There weren't as many people at the reception as I thought there would be and I think a lot of the people in the church were members of the usual congregation. We sat with Joyce, her very nice friend and my cousin Tony and his family. For some reason his wife Rachel doesn't like me one bit and completely blanked me the whole day! I also noted a lot of tension between Joyce and her new daughter-in-law and also Rachel and Julie so there were obviously some unresolved issues at play! To be honest if it hadn't been for Joyce who has always kept in touch with us despite being divorced from my uncle David (my Dad's brother) we wouldn't have gone but we really wanted to support her more than anything else. It was just a shame that my other cousins from Kent didn't make it.

I bought a glass of wine each for Sophie, Mum and I and we waited for the buffet to be available. Despite our earlier snack we were all a bit peckish and I had plans to leave after we'd eaten. It had taken us about two and a half hours to get up to Poynton and I didn't want to be too late getting home!

Eventually we had something to eat and we left at 5.30pm. It was still raining and I decided to head back the way we'd come. We had a great journey and we were back in Northamptonshire by 7.30pm. Along the A14 we must have come across a cloud burst as the sky went almost black and the rain came down so hard I could barely see! After we'd dropped off Mum we called into the fish and chip shop and Sophie ordered a chicken burger with some chips. I made do with a pot of hummus and some crisps but back home I had a small bowl of Sophie's chips with a rather large vodka and orange. Phew!

Feeling shattered!

It's been a very busy day today and Keith and I have achieved quite a lot! We both dropped Mike off at school and then I took Sophie into work at 9.30am as I wanted to be home for 10am, because we had a couple coming over to look at the folding bike we have for sale on Ebay.

We drove into the village only to find a sign saying there was a temporary road closure for fifteen minutes! I think they were repairing a pothole so I turned around and went via an alternative route...just what we needed when I had to get home for 10am!

Luckily, the couple arrived after I got home and the man had a good look at our bike. He was obviously an expert on Bromptons as he folded it up expertly, something that takes us ages to do! He had a short ride on the bike and then offered us cash for it there and then. As we already had a bid on ebay I refused but he's obviously more than welcome to bid on it by Sunday!

Once the couple had gone Keith and I went to see Sue and have a cup of coffee. Their garden still looks like a building site but things are definitely taking shape now. We sat and had a drink and admired the view while having a good chat and then it was off to Mum and Dad's to cut their lawn. While Keith was mowing I dug soil improver into their borders. Mum had scattered it over the top of the soil so I used a fork to dig it in and it was hard work! The soil we have here in Northamptonshire is mostly heavy clay and great clods kept sticking to the fork making it even more difficult!

We were both a bit hot and sweaty by the time we'd finished but we returned home, grabbed a quick bite to eat and then started on the garage. The plan was to replace some shelves with Sophie's old drawers but I felt we needed both as we had so much stuff to store. We moved the shelves out and swept behind, disturbing all manner of insects and a huge fat slug which looked disgusting! Horrible!

I washed the shelves and then put back cleaning bottles for the car plus plant feed bottles that I'd forgotten I'd had! Keith used the drawers to store all his tools and drill-bits and we also used the old cabinet from the living room as storage as well. When we'd finished it looked so much neater and tidier! How long it will stay that way is anybody's guess!

We collected Sophie from work and then drove to the tip with the car full of rubbish. We'll have to make a second trip for the top part of the cabinet and an old piece of wood that's languishing in the garden behind the garage!

Another rat sighting...

This morning Keith made a start with Sophie's new chest of drawers while I did the weekly menu and shopping list. Sophie helped her Dad and despite hearing some shouting early on, they did very well together and the new furniture was all put up and filled with her clothes by lunchtime. She was very pleased and we'll put her old drawers in the garage to use as storage for all Keith's bits and pieces.

While they were upstairs I saw the rat again and it was huge. At first I thought it was our squirrel as it's as long as one, when it has its tail flat on the ground. I rushed out into the garden and grabbed our rake and I saw it peering up at me from amongst the pots but it was far too quick and disappeared through its rat-run back into next door's garden. I wonder if it's about time we told Sarah and Liam about our unwelcome visitor as it must be going through their garden as well, and even though they're renting the house out, the tenants can keep an eye on its movements, too.

I cleaned the inside of my car and it was the filthiest I've ever known it. Next week it's booked into Audi for its emissions service so I'll be sitting and waiting for it to be done and I'll no doubt be given the hard sell when it comes to maybe buying a new car from them. I was hoping that the service would take all day and I could borrow an A5 but it takes less than an hour so I'll make sure I get lots of their coffee while I'm waiting!

When Keith had finished we both quickly showered and went off to do our shopping leaving Sophie behind to enjoy her leftover Jerk Chicken Pasta. As we were a little later than normal both Tesco and Aldi were very quiet and we were home sooner than I expected, which was a bonus!

In the evening we decided to have a take-away from the van and after ordering our meal Keith and I went to the pub in Old for a drink. It was pleasantly busy and we knew quite a few people who were sitting at the bar. We sat in the window as usual and chatted for an hour until it was time to go and collect our meal, which was ten minutes late...pah!

A trip to Ikea

Sophie and I picked up Mum and Dad at 11am and we drove over to Milton Keynes to visit Ikea. We were supposed to have gone last week but Dad was still suffering with his ribs and couldn't face walking around the huge store, but this week he felt a lot better. It wasn't a bad day to go as the weather was horrible and rainy, so perfect for indoor shopping!

I wasn't intending to go and buy anything interesting - I just wanted to look at kitchen stuff and any outdoor things that were worth buying. We had lunch first and I couldn't resist the meatballs with mashed potato. Sophie wasn't that hungry and ordered the children's chicken nuggets which prompted some teasing from the server who flirted a bit with her!

After eating we split up from Mum and Dad and arranged to meet them in an hour at the foot of the escalator. After putting a few small bits in the trolley I spotted a chest of drawers that had been reduced from £115 to £75 and that were perfect for Sophie's bedroom. Just after we decorated her room (ages ago!) I promised I would replace her old-fashioned pine ones for a new set of drawers and we never got around to it. Until today, that is! We noted the aisle and location and after buying a few more bits and pieces, including some much needed wine glasses, we went to the warehouse bit where the larger items of furniture were kept.

Mum and Dad had been looking for a new footstool but hadn't found one so we all made our way to the checkouts and after we'd paid I headed to the food store and bought some mini sausages for Mike, plus some chocolate as well. I had to treat him to a little something!

We managed to get everything into the car although I had to put one of the rear seats down to accommodate Sophie's drawers! We had an uneventful journey back and after dropping Mum and Dad at home we returned to our house to show Keith our purchases. He unpacked the drawers and looked a bit horrified at all the bits and pieces! Usually he would make a start on building it straight away but this evening he decided to leave it until tomorrow...a wide decision!

A breakfast treat

We awoke to blue skies and sunshine again today - I'm definitely getting used to this!

Sophie was working today, but just for four hours which isn't really enough for her. She is thinking of getting another job as she will need to work over the summer and it would be great if she could have her weekends free. Predictably, the place was very quiet, due solely to the lovely weather. It was around this time of the year that we would suffer the most as people deserted us and went to the parks instead!

We dropped her off and popped over to the bank to take some paperwork in. Keith said he would treat me to a late breakfast in Jenny's so I was more than happy to accept! We both had the all-day breakfast which made a nice change from pastries at home!

Back at home I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon putting all Mum and Dad's furniture onto Ebay. Let's hope it sells for them!

Sophie had an appointment for her nails in the afternoon so I picked her up from work and we drove to the salon. We were a bit early so we mooched about in the local Co-op and she had a bite to eat before her appointment. I stayed in the car and read my Kindle until she was finished an hour later and then it was off to pick Mike up from another revision session before thankfully going home. I felt like I'd been in the car for ages!

Sophie had asked if I could cook Jerk Chicken Pasta for dinner so before I did the final cooking we sat and played cards with Keith in the conservatory over a drink. The previously lovely weather had turned cloudy with rain forecast for tonight and more over the next few days. I will certainly miss sitting in the garden in the sun!

Getting things done!

Today has been beautiful weather-wise - lovely warm temperatures and lots of sun and blue skies. Perfect!

Keith went for a walk this morning and when I arrived home I tackled the housework with Sophie. She is twiddling her thumbs at the moment as she had now completely finished her exams and won't need to go back to uni until October. I can't believe her first year is over! It only seems like a few months that we were taking her on her first real day!

As well as doing some cleaning I also did a lot of niggly little jobs so by the time Keith arrived home from his walk I felt very pleased with what I'd achieved in the short space of time! After we'd all showered and had some lunch we drove over to Mum and Dad's as they had several items of furniture that they wanted to sell on Ebay and I said I'd help.

We spent an hour photographing a couple of lovely cabinets, a two-seater sofa and footstool and some armchairs in the sun and then we drove over to Kettering as I needed to get a trough and some compost for my new strawberry plants. Aldi didn't have any compost but they did have a planter so I bought that along with a bottle of Triple Sec (!) and some Pains au Chocolat for Sophie.

We tried B&M for compost and luckily they had some open bags for just £1! I really didn't need a lot so didn't want to pay a fortune for a large bag so this was the perfect solution! Back home I planted the strawberries and we sat in the garden for a few minutes but it wasn't as warm as it had been the other day!

Keith and I went to pick Mike up from his revision session at 4.30pm - his exams are looming large now and he is really nervous. He finishes school on the 27th May which is approaching very quickly. All too soon all four of us will be in the house all day...heaven help us!

Enjoying the sun!

It's been another, unexpectedly, lovely day today and at the front of our house, which is a bit of a sun-trap, it felt really quite warm!

We took Sophie to work and then went to collect Mike from a friend's house, this time in Little Billing. He wanted to go to McDonald's on the way home as he hadn't had any breakfast! We dropped Keith off at Pitsford and I made some white chocolate and raspberry muffins. I also prepared the vegetables for dinner and then went out to mow our front verge and do some weeding.

The gaps in our front garden have closed in really well, but there was still a biggish area full of weeds. I pulled up as many as I could and chatted to Paul who was out walking Archie and Bailey. In the sun it felt lovely and warm and not at all how the forecast had promised!

In the afternoon Mum and I went to Beckworth for a cup of tea and a scone. Mum bought a couple of plants and I couldn't resist three strawberry plants! I know the birds will steal the fruit so I'm planning on keeping them in the conservatory. Keith wasn't that impressed when I showed him and said that they would spread everywhere...we'll have to see but he made it sound like I'd bought three triffids home with me!

Eurovision!

Although the weather forecast was for cloudy and cool weather, it's been lovely today and I managed to get out into the back garden and mow the lawn, as well as tidy up the borders. Sophie was meeting a friend at lunchtime at uni, so we dropped Mike off in Brixworth and carried on into town. After she went off with her friend Alba, Keith and I went to Jones's as we needed a few bits.

While we were there I bought a bird feeder that means we can put out the food up high and hopefully make it more difficult for our little furry rat friend to nab the grub. As soon as we were home Keith put it together for me and it looks lovely in the garden. The blue-tits were using it straight away!

It certainly wasn't as warm as last week but the weather stayed lovely all day. I'm pleased with how the garden is looking at the moment and I put some new plants in which should give us some colour over the summer.

In the evening Sophie and I tried a Long Island Iced tea and I made sure I followed the measures exactly! I didn't want us to be too drunk to enjoy our dinner and the Eurovision Song Contest! Sophie liked the cocktail but I'm not a fan of coke so I think I'll stay with Vodka and orange juice in the future!

We all played cards in the evening and cooked beefburgers with salad for dinner. I'd also made Panna Cotta which went down very well half way through the evening. We were intrigued by the new voting system but it did mean that the UK dropped way down the board at the end of the night. I liked the winning song from Ukraine but Keith and Sophie hated it! It's all a matter of taste!

An Elvis sighting!

Today was Sophie's last exam and we had planned to go out for a couple of drinks in town after we picked her up at lunchtime. Keith was given a hospital appointment for 11am, at quite short notice, but it still meant we could go out and celebrate. We just hoped we wouldn't have as long a delay as the other week!

We dropped our daughter off at uni after taking Mike and then returned home where I gave the downstairs of the house a quick clean while Keith had a bath. Sue was due to come around in the evening for a drink and nibbles and I really didn't fancy hoovering and dusting when I got back later!

I dropped Keith off at the hospital and then went to get my car cleaned in the half hour I had spare until I needed to pick Sophie up. She was let out of her exam a little early so we arrived back at the hospital at midday and must have missed Keith going in to see the Consultant by mere minutes.

He has been told that it's best to have his whole kidney removed to make sure all the growth is removed and will probably have to go into hospital in June. He seemed quite upbeat about the news and got on well with the Consultant so that was good news.

We parked the car in one of the town car parks and walked to The Lamplighter for a drink. It seemed strange to be going in there at lunchtime rather than a Tuesday evening! The menu had changed slightly and I promised that the next time Mike went to Army Cadets we would go back in and try it.

From The Lamplighter we walked to the Princess Alexandra. The weather forecast today was supposed to be cloudy and cool but we enjoyed a spell of warm sunshine which was a bonus! The Princess Alexandra was empty and we took a seat by the window. Keith had a pint of Hobgoblin and Sophie stuck to lager and they both planned to try a bottle of a very strong US beer that was 8.5% and was called Dirty Bastard! However, the fridge wasn't cool enough so they'll have to leave it until the next time they go! This sort of set the tone for the day as Keith hadn't been impressed with the beers so far and hoped that in The Malt Shovel, he would have better luck!

We walked back to the car and drove the short distance to the Morrison's car park. The Malt Shovel was a lot busier than the previous two pubs and we got there just in time to order lunch! Sophie and I had a cheeseburger with delicious chunky chips while Keith had a chicken and bacon baguette. Sophie had never been in the pub before and said she much preferred The Lamplighter and The Princess Alexandra as they were more "youthful"!!

We stayed for an hour and decided to call into The Old England on the way home. As we were driving along I saw a big black Mercedes pull into a car park belonging to Northampton's Drama school. The man driving the car was obviously an Elvis impersonator and he even had ELV on his car number plate!

After parking the car and walking the short distance to the pub we saw the Elvis man again and Sophie called out to him excitedly! He waved back and it made her day! Unfortunately The Old England was closed and Keith was gnashing his teeth about the lack of good beer so we returned to the car and drove to The Spinney Hill, a pub I hadn't been in for about thirty years! To Keith's extreme annoyance they were advertising Abbot Ale but it wasn't actually available yet so he settled for half a pint of Porter instead! Oh dear! Well, it is Friday the 13th!

Sue came over in the evening and we had a great time eating nibbles and drinking a lovely bottle of Vouvray. Her kitchen is now all finished but the garden still needs to be landscaped and she seemed heartily fed up of all the mess. It has been going on since early December!

The sun comes back!

Today has been a much better day, weather-wise. But then it would, wouldn't it, as it's shopping day!

We took Mike to school and Sophie into uni as she wanted to do some revision with her friends. I dropped Keith off at Pitsford and went home to make out our shopping list as we'd decided on the meals last night. This week we've definitely played safe with no more out of the ordinary meals to make!

As soon as Keith returned we both showered and went off to Aldi and Tesco. It was lovely and warm with blue skies and sunshine. We'd barely arrived home and put the shopping away before Sophie called me to ask me to collect her. I managed a quick bite to eat and a cup of tea and then rushed off to get her. She suggested doing something nice in the afternoon so we popped to Beckworth and she treated me to a bowl of their "Spaghetti" ice-cream, which was delicious and perfect for the sunny weather.

After we'd eaten we mooched about in the garden section and I bought some summer bedding plants to go into the empty pots. Beckworth have a beautiful display of plants now and it seems hard to remember when it was all given over to the ice rink and the Christmas goods for sale!

As soon as we got home Keith took a call from my parents as my Dad wanted him to go over and mow the lawn. If I'm honest I wasn't that happy about it and to make matters worse, Mike wanted to go to Brixworth. Looking back I should have said no to both requests as I just wanted to potter about in the garden with my new plants, but we went over to my parents after dropping Mike off first.

Keith cut the lawn while I sat with my parents and Sophie and chatted. I'm a bit worried about my Mum and Dad at the moment as my Dad is still in a lot of pain with his ribs and my Mum looks worn out. I think selling the business and moving home twice has really taken its toll.

Once back home and having collected Mike from Brixworth we did all sit and play a game of cards, though, and at least relaxed for an hour before eating Keith's chicken curry!

A bad dinner choice!

It's been another horrible day today and this morning, on the way to B&Q to buy a rat bait box, it absolutely chucked it down. We bought a box in the store for £15 plus some extra bait and also a new carbon monoxide alarm as ours had stopped working.

The weather didn't really improve all day but we did manage to get out for a brief walk in the afternoon as I needed to post a letter. Keith and I went and we took Monty who was very reluctant to go at first, but soon ran along with us, his tail held high. After posting the letter we walked down to the gate to see the horses who were a bit skittish today. Monty disappeared into the undergrowth and one horse came to see us and let us pat him.

We carried on around the estate and then returned home to play cards in the conservatory. For dinner tonight we'd decided, in a moment of madness, to have venison sausages in a red wine sauce, but we decided in the end to just oven cook them and serve them with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I had a feeling the kids wouldn't eat them as they looked a bit redder than the normal pork sausages we have, and I was right! Sophie took one mouthful and refused to eat any more and Keith himself just managed one...it was his idea!

Return of the rat...

Today hasn't been the best of days, I'm afraid! It started with an argument with Mike who refused to hurry this morning to get ready for school. Sophie had an exam at 9.30am and really wanted to leave home at 8am but Mike still wasn't ready and didn't hesitate in being rude. Coupled with that, the weather has been horrible all day - misty, horrible rain with no glimpse of sunshine at all.

After taking both kids to school and uni Keith and I came home then went out to get some bread at the local shop and had poached eggs on toast for breakfast. While he made Shepherd's pie out of the leftover lamb from Sunday I attempted to read the next section of my counselling course on grief and bereavement...not the ideal topic on a day like today!

We picked Sophie up from uni at 11.30am and she said that her exam had been horrible and very difficult. To celebrate we went off to McDonald's so she could have fried chicken for lunch and I said I'd like a McFlurry. The nearest restaurant was at Weston Favell and it was just a little depressing, to be honest. We discovered that McDonald's had no McFlurries at all so I sat and watched her eat and Keith enjoy a cup of tea before we splashed our way home again.

I did make some muffins in the afternoon, though, and enjoyed one with a cup of tea. Keith made a bread and butter pudding and some garlicky cheese scones, so we really have been busy bakers today! Whilst we were sitting in the conservatory in the afternoon we were shocked and very angry to see a rat again. I'm not sure whether it's the same one (it looked a bit different) but it tried to make off with one of the fat snax. Keith went rushing outside but it scuttled off along the fence and through a hole. I was furious, as we'd spent £90 for absolutely nothing, and this annoyed me more than anything else today.

Mike stayed with a friend overnight as he was still very angry with us about this morning even though he was the one being rude and unhelpful. I talked to him via Messenger and at least by the time I'd gone to bed we'd made peace. Dinner tonight was lasagne, another first for us, and although it was delicious (I'm not sure I'll ever buy a Dolmio sauce again) I don't think we used enough pasta sheets as it was rather gloopy!

Blowing in the wind...

Keith went off for another walk today while I went home to change our bedding (it was a perfect drying day being sunny and windy) and prepare Coq au Vin for tonight's dinner.

Sophie went to uni to revise for tomorrow's Economics exam which she is really worried about. I could sympathise as I did Economics at A-level and only studied it for a year as I found it so difficult, probably as it's maths based and that certainly wasn't one of my strongest subjects!

After Keith got home we popped to Tesco to get some veggies for Wednesday night's meal and called to see Mum and Dad on the way home. Dad was still in a fair bit of pain with his ribs and was waiting for a call from the doctor to prescribe some painkillers. We had a cup of tea and then returned home to sort out some more laundry and get it on the line. I love the smell of sun-dried sheets!

As is usual for a Monday night, Keith went off to the pub and Sophie and I drove to pick up Mike from Heather's. Back home we enjoyed the delicious Coq au Vin I'd prepared earlier and if I have to say so myself, it was very good!

Sun-soaked Sunday!

Today has been glorious - very warm with long sunny spells and a delicious breeze. We took Sophie and Mike to work and Heather's and on the way home I dropped Keith off at Pitsford as he was going to walk home. The reservoir was packed with people cycling and walking and the car-park, so empty during the week, was almost full.

I returned home, finished peeling the potatoes for dinner and then did a stack of ironing. Keith and I had talked about going to the pub at lunchtime but I just knew it would be busy, and probably full of screaming children, so we decided to stay at home in the peace of our garden. We sat out for as long as we could stand it but it did grow very warm and I could feel my arms burning a bit! We sometimes under-estimate the power of our British sun!

After an afternoon spent doing very little Keith and I went to collect Sophie from work and called in to see Maureen and to ask about her recent holiday in Thailand. She'd had a fantastic, if very busy, time and glowed with a lovely tan.  Sophie looked hot and bothered so after picking up Mike we headed home and turned the aircon on to cool her down!

Dinner tonight was perhaps not the best choice for such a warm and sunny day - roast lamb - but it was delicious nonetheless. Needless to say we could smell barbecues going on all around us. Make the most of it!

Storm clouds gather...

Today started off warm and sunny but we had a weather warning here for possible heavy, thundery rain later in the day.

Sophie and I went to Market Harborough at lunchtime and I enjoyed a sandwich and a milkshake in Caffe Nero. Sophie wasn't hungry and made do with a milkshake as well, as she was looking forward to pasta leftovers when she returned home.

We had a mooch about the town which was very busy with people out enjoying the warm temperatures and sunny weather. We treated ourselves to a bottle of Tequila, one of white Rum and some Triple Sec for our cocktails which are certainly becoming a regular thing at the moment!

On the way home we could see towering cumulonimbus clouds in the distance and by the time we arrived the sky was looking very ominous indeed! While I was taking a call from my friend Lynda, the heavens opened and it started raining followed by thunder and lightening. I do love a good storm!

We'd rushed home to sit out in the sun so it was typical that it started raining before we had a chance to get out! The storm carried on for a couple of hours and when Sophie and I went to pick Mike up from Heather's the sun had come out again and it was lovely and warm again.

Mum and Dad popped around in the evening for a drink and Dad said he was very sore, but on the mend. I told him to sit out in the garden tomorrow as it's supposed to be even warmer with lots of sunshine. Hooray!

After Mum and Dad had gone I made Sophie another cocktail and realised that instead of using Tequila, I'd used Vodka! She became a wee bit tipsy and we watched some old videos that I'd uploaded to YouTube which made her even more emotional! Oh dear!

Making plans

Mum called this morning to say that Dad was going to take it slowly and drive home as planned but could we go to their house as they were having curtains fitted today. We readily agreed as it was the least we could do in the circumstances!

We popped over to open up the house and then I drove Sophie to uni as she was meeting some friends to revise. Today has been lovely but we've had some very high wispy cloud appear to temper the sunlight. It was still warm, though, and reached the heady heights of 23c!

I drove back to Mum's house and stopped on the way to pick up our lawn mower and strimmer as Keith wanted to cut the grass at their house. The curtain man was busy fitting the new drapes so Keith and I went out into Mum's back garden and cut the lawn. It was looking beautiful - really velvety and a gorgeous emerald green colour. I wish ours looked the same!

The curtain man left at 12.30pm and we finished soon afterwards. We phoned Mum and Dad who were somewhere on the M5 and went home to sit in the sun for a little while. We also managed to have a look at the area in Naples where we'll be staying next year and we did a little research into restaurants. We were delighted to find our favourites nearby - Chili's, Applebee's, The Longhorn Steakhouse and even a BJ's Brewhouse in Fort Myers, only about half an hour away! We also saw an IHOP so that will mean some delicious breakfasts out!

Monty meowed and meowed until we let him out into the garden with us and he looked very contented stretched out on the grass amidst the daisies and dandelions. We all love soaking up the sun!

I picked Sophie up from uni at about 3pm and we went home where Mike was getting ready to go to Brixworth to see his friends. Keith and I had had to pick him up from school earlier as he said he'd hurt his back but there was no evidence of any pain when he got home! I have a feeling we'd been had again!

Keith went out in the evening with his mates John and Dave so it meant Sophie and I had a girls' night in, with Tagliatelli Carbonara for dinner accompanied by a bottle of wine and the final of Masterchef! Bliss!

Casting votes

On the way to taking the kids to school and uni this morning my mobile rang and it was Mum to say that my Dad had fallen over in the shower at their hotel down in Torquay. They had gone to stay in the seaside town for a few days as they have friends there, but this morning, the last of their short stay, he'd slipped and fell. At first he was badly winded and couldn't get his breath which frightened Mum a lot. However, after calling the owners of the hotel who helped considerably they got him to his feet but his toe had been cut and his ribs were really sore. Mum was sure he wouldn't be able to drive home today as planned so after telling her to call me when he'd been checked out at the hospital I rang off, feeling very worried.

After we'd dropped the children off Keith went for another walk I stayed at home to do more housework. As we're out in the garden a bit more lately we seem to be treading more bits in onto the carpet which looks like it needs hoovering every day! Grrr! I also did another of my hated jobs - the bathrooms! We had a date for installation of our en-suite the other day - the 18 July. It can't come soon enough!

As soon as Keith came home from his walk we showered and went off to do the weekly shop. I know I said I would never set foot in Aldi again but I couldn't leave my husband to do the whole shop on his own so I went with him. Happily, today though, was fine and we whizzed through our list and got back home without any angry words or stress!

Sophie had stayed at uni all morning for an exam and then went out with her friends for a lunchtime meal. Luckily, her friend Hannah brought her home so we didn't have to venture out again and when Mike asked to go to Brixworth, the answer was a resounding "No!"

Mum phoned in the afternoon and said that Dad had been checked out at A&E but there wasn't really a lot they could do for his ribs. The hotel owners had been fantastic and had said they could stay another night free of charge which was lovely of them. I told Mum that if Dad felt he couldn't drive on Friday Keith and I would come down to Torquay and I'd drive his car home.

Keith, Sophie and I went out later in the day as we had to vote for the local Police and Crime Commissioner in the village. I had a brief look at the candidates but I don't think any of us were really that interested. We went to the pub for a quick drink afterwards and sat in the window watching the world go by. It's been another beautiful day again today and I'm getting very used to sitting in the garden and enjoying the sun!

Sneaking off...

It's been a gorgeous day today - perhaps our first proper Spring day - with warm temperatures and a beautiful sky of blue.

We took both kids off to school and uni as Sophie had an exam today and was meeting friends first to revise.  We had an appointment with Virgin at 9.30am as there were a few things we needed to talk to the rep about, namely the change of plan with regards to Key West. The man I saw on Saturday wasn't coming in until later so we saw a lovely girl called Kellie who helped us with our queries and booked our holiday! We only have 454 days to go!

After seeing her we had the mundane task of getting some shopping (very handy as the Virgin travel shop is within Tesco) and I bought some crushed ice for cocktails. Sophie is enjoying the Vodka Caiprinhas I'm making her and I'm loving a combination of Vodka, Amaretto di Saronno and orange juice. Delicious!

We drove home and Keith suggested we walk up to the pub to celebrate booking our holiday. Who was I to refuse! I felt a little guilty about going for a drink but it was such a beautiful day and there were obviously other people who had had the same idea. Seize the day, I say!

The afternoon and early evening was spent picking up the kids and Keith made his lovely chicken pie for dinner. A night off cooking for me!

An afternoon spent baking!

It was back to reality today and after dropping Mike off at school I came home to give my car a good wash as the new windscreen was being fitted later in the day. A mini-digger had been delivered over the road at Sue and Paul's house as the builders were now concentrating on their garden. Annoyingly, a young lad was driving up and down the road and in and out of Sue's drive on the digger and every time it reversed it made an extremely loud beeping noise.

I have no idea why he was driving aimlessly about and as he drove past me for the upteenth time I glared at him. He said he didn't mean to be annoying but I replied that he was and that I had a daughter inside trying to revise for exams. I wouldn't have minded if he been actually doing something but the constant beep was driving me mad!

After I spoke to him, he drove the ruddy thing into the garden but the beeps went on, intermittently, for the rest of the day! I finished cleaning my car and then started on the downstairs of the house which needed hoovering and dusting badly! Keith came home from his walk and the windscreen man arrived at lunchtime, just as it started to rain. We had to swap the cars about and make sure mine was under cover so he could get on with the job.

I spent the afternoon in the kitchen making Irish bread from a mix we'd bought in Aldi and a Quiche Lorraine. I'd never made quiche before and I doubt I'll ever go to the trouble of making it again as it was quite a long, albeit, simple process. However, they can be so good from the supermarkets that in future I'll buy them! I had to make shortcrust pastry, leave it in the fridge to chill for half an hour and then blind bake it with the beans I'd bought the other day. I then cooked streaky bacon and onion and covered those two with smelly Gruyere cheese that took ages to grate! The final process was to mix cream and eggs together and pour the mixture over the bacon, cheese and onions before baking in the oven for half an hour.

We had the quiche for dinner in the evening and although it was enjoyable I should have served it hot, rather than letting it cool over the afternoon. I am pleased, though, that I made it but next time I'll get a Tesco Finest!

Bank Holiday mooch

This morning was beautiful - lovely, sunny and warm - not what I was expecting at all! Mike came home early and then we took him to Heather's as he was going out with her family to Stanwick Lakes for the day. Keith suggested the three of us go on a mooch and I readily agreed!

After showering and getting ready we set off towards Market Harborough and headed to the village of Marston Trussell first as we'd been to The Sun Inn some years back. The village itself is tucked away and pretty rural so it was no real surprise when we saw that the pub had closed down and a development of new houses was being built in the grounds. Sighing deeply we headed for Theddingworth as we dimly remembered a pub there, but this too had closed its doors, and some time ago by the look of the building!

By now the weather had turned from dry and sunny to grey and rainy so we were a little dismayed and disappointed that our mooch was turning out to be a damp squib! We drove on to Lubenham and were mightily pleased to discover that The Coach and Horses was open and looked lovely and welcoming.

We ordered drinks at the bar and grabbed a table in the lounge area. The room opened out into a large restaurant with lots of people dining and there were several dogs at tables by the bar which pleased Sophie. I remembered the pub from long ago and Keith admitted that he had mixed up Lubenham with Lyddington which was also in Leicestershire but a long way away!

The pub had obviously undergone a refurbishment since we last visited and will be one we'll definitely come back to in the future. From Lubenham we headed towards Foxton and found a real gem called The Black Horse. It helped that they served one of Keith's favourite beers, Abbot Ale, and again, this was a lovely cosy pub with friendly staff and a welcoming atmosphere. Foxton is next to Foxton Locks which is a lovely spot for a walk when the weather's nice but not so today when it was pouring with rain!

We decided we'd have one more so we drove to Sibbertoft and The Red Lion but this was closed. It's another pub that's tucked away down a side street and we have only ever managed to visit once when it was open. It looked closed for good, but later I checked the website and they close on Mondays so that was a bit disappointing. We drove, instead, to The Bull's Head in Clipston which used to be a fantastic pub for whisky, as they had over 300 available! It's changed hands since then and underwent a bit of a dubious phase but things have improved and it's now warm and welcoming and we appreciated the log fire burning next to us.

Back home I made Chilli con carne for dinner and we picked Mike up from Heather's house as the weather improved again!

A bit of gardening

Sophie was at work this morning so after dropping her off we called to see Mum and Dad and return their lawnmower which we'd been looking after all winter for them. Their garden is looking lovely with a nice lawned area, decking at the bottom and a small patio. Very soon Dad will have to cut the grass!

After seeing them we drove to Tesco and I treated myself to a bottle of Vodka (essential for cocktails) and some Leffe. We bought ourselves lunch and then went home to sit in the conservatory and talk about our plans for Florida next year. Keith, as it turned out, wasn't that bothered about celebrating in Key West so we've decided to stay in Marathon again and then we can spend a day in Key West but also go to the Dolphin Research Centre again and then the Everglades Holiday Park on the way back to Naples so we can see the Gator Boys!

After lunch I seized the opportunity to mow the front grass verge and our back lawn just before we had a few spots of rain. Tomorrow is a Bank Holiday and it's supposed to be a mixed bag of weather so I was glad I was able to get out and tidy up the grass before it really did rain hard.

Mike called in the afternoon and asked whether he could stop at a friend's overnight. I was a bit surprised but we agreed. He was under the impression we were having Chilli Con Carne for dinner, when in fact I was cooking Parmesan crusted chicken breasts! They went down very well and the breadcrumbs I made from a day-old loaf were miles better than the ones I bought in Tesco before!