Christmas preparations.

We awoke to a beautiful morning of frosty landscapes and sunshine. What a lovely change from all the rain and gloom over the past few weeks!

It was great to potter about and have a lazy start to the weekend. Sophie was going out with Laura to have lunch and see a film, so I made a start on sorting out our Christmas decorations, ready for us to put them all up tomorrow. I decided to test the lights and one small set, attached to our Father Christmas wreath, didn't work. Luckily I found some replacement ones and attached them instead.

I had a bit of a mishap when I managed to hoover up my little earbuds that I've had for ages...not a good idea especially as the cable was wrapped around the brush of the hoover! New ones are now on order from Amazon so hopefully they'll be here tomorrow!

Keith went to see Sileby play in the afternoon and I carried on sorting things out and then transferring my blog to a word document. As it was still very cold outside I put the heating on and then had a lovely hot bath. Bliss! I then watched a cheesy Christmas film on TV and fell asleep, waking up as Keith arrived home.

Sophie wasn't eating with us this evening so we'd chosen a Tesco Finest meal which was a bit of a disappointment. We had just finished eating when Sophie arrived home and she loved the fact that the wreath was lit up and our tree lights were on. I made her a drink and we settled down to watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which was great as always!

A couple of photos I took yesterday...

It's December tomorrow! How did that happen?!

Black Friday

Well, the forecast was certainly right as we had a cold and frosty start and we actually saw the sun! I drove into work and although my shift wasn't as bad as yesterday, I still had a few niggling problems with various orders and invoices. Of course, today is also "Black Friday" which was everywhere - there was no escaping it!

After work I sped home, collected Keith and we popped to Tesco to get ingredients for a cake that Sophie's going to make over the weekend, as well as dinner for Keith and I on Saturday night because we'll be childless. Mike is still in London, so it was a bit of a shock when we returned home from seeing Mum and Dad, to discover there's been a terrorist attack on London Bridge.

Sophie told us as soon as she arrived home but said that it was OK as her friend Laura was working from home... er, what about your brother?! We texted him and after a short delay he replied to say he was OK, which was a huge relief. Unfortunately, we later learned that two people died in the attack and the knifeman had been shot dead by the police. All this just after our terrorist threat had been lowered...

Keith walked down to the pub this evening while Sophie and I settled down to watch North by Northwest starring the gorgeous Cary Grant. It's Friday night so it must be an Alfred Hitchcock movie night!

Work struggles!

It was so dark this morning driving into work but there is some relief on the horizon, as tomorrow is set to be drier and colder. Hooray!

I didn't have a particularly pleasant shift at work as we had computer niggles and stroppy customers! I also had a lot of annoying queries with the orders I'd been processing so it was quite a struggle at times! I was mightily glad when it was 3pm and Keith came to collect me!

I have to confess to not doing much when I got home so today has been very much a usual quiet Thursday. While Keith was cooking toad-in-the-hole for dinner, Sophie and I watched an episode of Escape to the Chateau which we both enjoy. It looks like an idyllic life and I sometimes do envy Angel and Dick Strawbridge! The Chateau looks gorgeous but I suppose it must be hard work catering for weddings!

Out for a treat!

I had a lovely, lazy start to the day this morning as after I'd waved Sophie off, I curled up on the sofa with Monty and watched some recorded programmes with a cup of coffee.

Keith came down blearily at 8.30am so at least he'd had a lie-in! We didn't have any real plans for today as Keith had a GP appointment at 11.30am so we couldn't do a lot. I tackled the kitchen and gave the fridge and cupboards a good clean and clearout, throwing away a lot of out-of date packages and tins while I was at it. I made sure I washed them out and put the empty jars into the recycling!

Keith washed some of the glasses we have on the top of our cupboards and then took Mike to the station as he's going to stay with Abbie in London until Sunday. I went and had a lovely bath and then lounged about in my dressing gown until Sophie came home.

Tonight, we had decided to go out for a meal and we'd booked a table at The Saracen's Head in Little Brington so as soon as Sophie was back, we all got ready and headed out. First up was a drink at The Althorp Coaching Inn which really must be one of my favourite pubs. It's so cosy, dimly-lit and quiet and has a lovely olde worlde atmosphere. There were candles everywhere and it was so pretty. We sat near the fire and said hello to an inquisitive dog who was at the next table with his owners.

We enjoyed a drink and had a good chat before driving the short distance to Little Brington. I used to deliver here when I worked for Majestic so it was great to return as a customer! There was also a good atmosphere here, with some people congregated around the bar with their dogs. We ordered drinks at the bar and were then shown to our table in what looked like an old library. There was another couple eating so it was lovely and quiet, but we noticed a table set for ten opposite.

We were given menus and for a change I decided to have the Guinea Fowl. We chose the bread and olives to start while keith went for the pork belly (my second choice) and Sophie opted for the lentil and sweet potato dahl.

The breads were delicious and as we were all hungry we hoovered everything up rather quickly! We still had plenty of room for our main courses, though, and the food was absolutely delicious.

My Guinea Fowl was served with a fondant potato, red cabbage and crispy black pudding bon bons while Keith's pork belly looked lovely and the meat came with layered Chorizo Dauphinoise potatoes, a long crispy piece if crackling and curly kale. Sophie's curry was also delicious and she was stuffed when she finished! However, we couldn't resist puddings of plum and blackberry crumble and creme brulee. It was a truly lovely meal.

While we were eating the table opposite arrived and I think it was a birthday meal - they were all women and the quiet atmosphere soon disappeared, but it was a really enjoyable evening and one I will remember for a long time!

We made our way home in the rain and collapsed on the sofa before bed!

Parking fun!

Driving to work this morning was dark and rainy and unfortunately, this weather seems set to continue for the rest of the week at least.

There was a management meeting at work today so we had an influx of people in our office which made the noise levels increase substantially. Luckily they disappeared elsewhere for the actual meeting so it quietened down!

At 2pm I drove home, picked up Keith, and we popped to Brixworth. We needed a paper but there wasn't one to be had anywhere so I suggested we go to Waitrose and see if they had one. We could also have a coffee in their cafe!

I fetched two coffees and a sandwich for Keith, as well as a mince pie for me, and we sat by the window overlooking the car park, which made for interesting viewing! I'd parked next to a huge Porsche Cayenne but as the car was almost on the white line, I left a decent space. We saw the female driver return to the car and she did the strangest manoeuvre to get the car out of the space! Instead of simply reversing, she went back a bit, then forward, then back again, then to the right until she straddled another three parking spaces. Then she reversed again until she was facing the right way and drove out! I hadn't parked particularly close to her, but we looked on in amazement! What if the other spaces had been occupied?

Next up was another woman in a Golf who parked right outside but instead of reversing and straightening up her car she just left it there. We don't know whether she saw the expression on our faces, but she went around to the other side of her car, saw how badly it was parked and then decided to get back in and make a better job. When she got out again she glanced at us, so she must have known we were watching!

Before leaving we had a mooch around the store and I looked at all the Christmas delights on offer, such as mince pies, Panettone cake and chocolates galore. They all looked so lovely but I doubted whether we'd all get through them!

Elephant poo?

We started the week with horrible weather, yet again. This month really has been dismal! Keith took me to work as he had to pop to Tesco and I had a pleasant shift working with Sara.

At 2pm we drove home where I caught up with some overdue jobs (writing this, financial matters!). The weather didn't improve one bit and it's really starting to get to me now! I can't remember the last day when the sun shone from morning until night and everything feels so damp. Our lawn is muddy and sodden and Keith and I estimate that the last time we mowed it was early September, before we went to Mallorca. We normally give it a last cut in October but it's been too wet!

Sophie came home from work and presented me with a pad of recycled paper made from elephant poo... a present from her boss who's just come back from Thailand! It had bits of what looked like grass embedded in the paper! Wonders will never cease!

I made fish pie for dinner which everybody except me seemed to enjoy. Afterwards we settled down to watch Indiscreet starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Sophie wasn't as impressed with the female lead as she had been with Kim Novak and Grace Kelly but she enjoyed the film nonetheless and I loved the glamour of it all!

Gloomy Sunday...

I was awake in the night for some reason, so I managed to sleep in until almost 9am which annoyed me very much! I felt like I'd wasted half the day!

Keith and I popped to Tesco first thing and called to see Mum and Dad on the way home for a coffee. I did think the weather was going to improve as I'm sure I saw a hint of sun, but it carried on grey and damp as usual. I'm sure this month has been one of the wettest and gloomiest for ages and the sun-baked earth of Summer is a dim and distant memory!

We had a late breakfast and at 1.30pm headed down to the gym as Sophie had a beauty appointment at 2pm. However, nobody was about and after she'd waited for ten minutes she gave up and returned to the car.

We decided to pop to Beckworth and had a snack in the restaurant. I was still full from lunch so I ordered their Spaghetti ice-cream while Sophie had a cup of tea and a slice of gateau. Afterwards we had a quick look in the Christmas Emporium and we picked out two ornaments for the trees. This time next week we'll be putting them up! I can't believe it! It only feels like a few weeks since we were taking them down!

We drove home through truly depressing weather - misty, grey and damp and the overwhelming colours were grey and brown. Horrible!

Back home, just as I was relaxing, the phone rang and it was Mike to ask us to pick him up from town. I was not happy! Sophie and I went down to get him and picked him up from Abington Park. The whole area was dark and the thought of walking through the pitch black grounds was horrible! How different to when we used to pick him up and the sun was shining and people were out enjoying the lovely surroundings!

Back home once again we enjoyed a drink and watched some more of Rear Window while Keith cooked a delicious roast. Mike didn't join us as he'd already eaten at Abbie's and he certainly missed a treat!

Working alone...

I had a bit of a lie-in this morning as I didn't have up be up until 7am so that was a bonus! Keith drove me to work and on the way in I bought a turkey sandwich for my lunch as last night I couldn't be bothered to make one!

Things went a bit awry at first as I treated myself to a Latte from reception only it hadn't got any milk in it... Then the wallboard refused to work properly so I wasn't able to see how many calls were coming in and the attachment on my headset broke so I was unable to use it, which was the biggest pain of all!

Luckily, Monica sorted me out with a fresh coffee and kept popping in throughout my shift to make sure I was OK and to offer me cups of tea, bless her. I was working alone today and although I'd looked forward to it, it was quite lonely! It meant that I had to turn the phone off to dash out to reception with 2pm cinema tickets and to go to the loo! Thankfully, it wasn't that busy and I managed to sort out my headset by ordering a replacement lead on Amazon, to be delivered tomorrow. I definitely need it for Monday, which is always busy! Sheila also came in unexpectedly and sorted out the wallboard so if it happens again I'll know what to do!

I didn't miss much with the weather, though, as it was horrible, grey and rainy again. Sophe picked me up at 4pm and we headed home in the gloom to eat Pringles and drink wine while watching a new series of 90 Day Fiance. More idiots falling for people who live thousands of miles away!

Keith had been out watching Sileby play and arrived home damp and cold. We'd put the heating on and the living room was really cosy as he'd had the fire on earlier. In fact, it became a little too warm!

Dinner tonight was homemade chicken Kiev which turned out surprisingly well and then we settled down to watch the excellent Rear Window starring James Stewart and a beautiful Grace Kelly!

Struggling through!

I woke up this morning and didn't feel my best at all. I had gripey pains in my tummy that lasted all day, so I have no idea what caused them! I couldn't wait to get home at 2pm and have a nap but I still didn't feel brilliant.

Mike was going to Abbie's house for the weekend and I just knew that he would be going in the rush hour. As soon as Sophie returned home from work we took him down to the train station where he was meeting his girlfriend off the 6.15pm train. The queue of cars heading out of the station was terrible so he said he would arrange a taxi to Abbie's house when she arrived.

We had planned on having fish pie for dinner but that went out of the window as it would have been a real rush to get it all prepared and cooked. To make matters worse, Keith decided he was going to have a couple of beers at the pub so he wanted to be picked up at 7.30pm! He suggested we get fish and chips on the way home instead, which I readily agreed to!

I made the mistake of going to a popular fish shop on the way home but it was rammed with people and cars so we abandoned that idea and went to Moulton instead, but that was just as busy. The fish shop we used also did many, many other dishes such as Indian food and pizzas which I found a little alarming. Why not just stick to one kind of dish?

We waited ages for our food and just had time to head home, pop it into the oven to keep warm and then go and get Keith from the pub. Keith and I were disappointed with the fish, to be honest...the batter was thick and hadn't been cooked properly so that was a fitting end to a somewhat trying day! I can't even look forward to a weekend off as I'm at work tomorrow!

Traffic niggles!

Today has been mostly uneventful, as Thursdays are. Keith took me to work and went off to do the weekly shop, and when he picked me up at 3pm I made the mistake of going home via the Round Spinney roundabout.

The traffic was horrendous and I was nearly taken out by a lorry who was dangerously close to my passenger side. I eventually had to let him in and he disappeared off to the industrial estate so he was completely in the wrong lane. I think from now on I'll avoid the whole area!

The weather continues to be dismal and grey, and frankly very depressing! In the evening I came up with the idea of trying to make my blog into a book. I need to transfer all the entries onto a word document and then I can use an online company to make it into a book that we can keep. The thought of it all disappearing by mistake fills me with horror so that can be my project for the winter! I dread to think how many words I've written but by putting it onto Microsoft Word I can find out!

Tackling little jobs!

I got up with Sophie at 6am this morning and then went back to bed for an hour! I felt a lot better when I woke up again!

Keith and I made a start on the en-suite bathroom ceiling today and he scraped off all of the flaking paint. I helped him clear it all up (most of it had landed in the shower cubicle) and then we put one coat on the bare bits. He wasn't able to get it all off so we'll just add an extra couple of coats to level it off. It looked better already!

I carried on cleaning the house while Keith popped to Tesco and then he went off in the afternoon to the doctor's to have a spirometry test which measures his lung function. Thankfully his terrible cough has eased and we're all hoping that he won't get another cold this winter!

He was there for a while so I watched a Christmas film on Channel 5, which was bliss! It's really cosy in our living room at the minute and with the candles lit and a somewhat cheesy (but enjoyable!) film to watch it was great!

Scary cushion!

This morning was very frosty and I helped Sophie de-ice her little car before she set off for the gym. Keith drove me into work and it was an absolutely gorgeous morning with a dusting of frost on the fields and trees and a deep pink sunrise. Beautiful!

Work was fine and at 2pm Keith collected me and on the way home he asked if I was easily scared...huh? What was he on about? When we arrived back I soon found out...Mike had ordered a cushion online with a photo of his face transferred onto it. It was truly startling!

What made it worse was that when you squeezed the cushion, his face was distorted! He had had it made for Abbie's Christmas present and Keith and I agreed that it might make her run for the hills! He chose (I have no idea why) a photo taken in the Cathedral in Palma against the stained-glass window so his face is bright pink!

As a joke we went upstairs and I put two of our long pillows in Sophie's bed with the cushion at the top so it looked like someone lying there. Yes, we are all big kids!

When Sophie came home she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw it!

He then put the cushion inside his hoodie and posed for pics! It caused great hilarity in the house, I can tell you!

This evening we all went to the cinema at Lings to see Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley and a whole host of British actors, include Ralph Fiennes. It was very good indeed and Keira Knightley was brilliant in it. It was about Katharine Gun, who'd leaked a US email about the war in Iraq and what happened to her afterwards. Keith and I couldn't remember anything about it so it was very interesting to watch.

Afterwards we called into the pub in Walgrave for a drink before going home and had a very pleasant hour chatting about going to Berlin in the new year. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

What a bargain!

I took myself off to work this morning and my shift passed very pleasantly. At 2pm I drove home and suggested to Keith that we go to Riverside as I needed some new make-up and we were also low on bird food. Now that the temperatures have fallen, our little feathered friends will be glad of some food in the garden!

We popped into Boots where I chose a No7 foundation for £15. With a hair colour (my hair will need doing again in a few weeks...) I took my purchases to the till where the very kind sales assistant told me that as the make-up was on a 3 for 2 offer and they also had a £10 off voucher, I could get another two more foundations for just £20! I sped off and when everything was put through the till it only came to £22! I had saved about £30! I now have enough make-up to last years!

We popped into Next and we both enjoyed a coffee there before going on to Wilco's where I bought a big tub of fat snax and some mealworms. Christmas is in full swing now in the shops...there's no escaping it!

We drove home in the gathering dusk and we were treated to a beautiful sunset. As we hadn't bought a newspaper yet, we called into Broughton and took the scenic route home. The A43 had been nose to tail with cars and although I would hate to see the hedgerows gone from the sides of the road, this route really does need widening and making safer.

Dinner tonight was leftovers from last night - namely re-heated pudding and bubble and squeak. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but it was delicious. No more bubble and squeak now until Boxing Day otherwise I will get fed up with it!

Pudding fun!

This morning, Keith and I popped over to Mum and Dad's for coffee, while Sophie went to collect Laura, as they were both going to see our local rugby team, Northampton Saints, play Lyons. It was the first time Sophie had been to a rugby match and she was really looking forward to it.

We had a chat over coffee with Mum and Dad and then we left to go home and tackle some jobs. I wanted to rake all the leaves up in the back garden and I'd planned on using our leaf blower to suck them all up and shred them so I could put them on the borders for the winter.

However, I don't know whether it was because the leaves were too wet, but the leaf blower went into meltdown and refused to work. There was also a burning smell coming from inside so I hurriedly turned it off and just used the rake instead!

I felt a bit dejected about the machine so after making sure most of the leaves were off the grass I went back inside and we turned on the rugby in a vain attempt to see Sophie and Laura. I looked out for Soph's terracotta coloured coat, not knowing she had worn her black one instead!

Dinner tonight was steak and kidney pudding so Keith cooked the meat and kidneys and left them in the slow cooker for an hour and a half. After the rugby we went back into the kitchen and I made the suet pastry. Once it was all rolled out, I lined the pudding dish and we piled the meat and offal into the casing. With the top on and covered in foil we at first tried to put it into the slow cooker, but it wouldn't fit! I lifted it out by the handle we had made and nearly dropped it as the foil came off! There were a few swear words exchanged but finally we put the pudding into a large saucepan, poured boiling water up two thirds of the way and covered it tightly with the lid and more foil. We had to experiment with our gas rings, finally choosing the smallest to let it simmer away...which is did for three hours.

Sophie returned from dropping off Laura and had had a great time, enjoying a meal at The Fox and Hounds in Harlestone after the match, which Northampton won!

Dinner was delicious and it turned out very well, thank goodness!

Something new...

Annoyingly, I was awake at just before 6.30am this morning so I went downstairs and caught up with some of the programmes I'd recorded on television. It was a lovely relaxing start to the weekend.

Amazingly, the heavy rain of last night gave way to sunshine and blue skies today so that was a bonus. After breakfast I walked to a neighbour's to deliver the Spring bulbs for the green and we had a chat about Parish matters and how difficult it was to come to a decision about anything! It was lovely to be out in the fresh air but the ground was very wet indeed and there were loads of leaves everywhere.

Back home, after a short, but heated, discussion about a trip to France in December (we had planned on going to a Christmas market, but for some reason I had doubts about going) I suggested to Sophie that we go into Northampton to try and sell her Nikon camera at a shop on the Wellingborough Road. Sophie never uses this beautiful camera any more as her phone takes great photos and it's just languishing in her room gathering dust. We put the battery on to charge and had showers before setting out to see if we could get a reasonable price.

The shop offered £80 which we thought was a bit low so we'll probably try to sell it on ebay. On the way back to the car we called into a small Sainsbury's and I bought a bottle of red and a tube of Pringles for later.

I then suggested we go and try a new cafe I'd heard about in Orlingbury called Wythmails so after putting my filthy car through the carwash, we drove over. We knew it closed at 4pm but we just fancied a slice of cake and a cup of tea. We found it (with some difficulty!) and parked right outside. The cafe is very small with about eight tables and we didn't know whether we had to wait to be seated or what... we stood by the counter and a young member of staff told us to find a table.

A woman who had been on the phone outside bustled over as we were looking at the menu and said that the kitchen closed at 3pm. We explained we didn't want a meal, just cake, so she told us that we needed to order at the counter, which surprised me as I thought they would at least come to take our order!

Sophie went and chose two small cakes and a hot chocolate for us each which came to a staggering £12! The cakes were small and disappeared rather quickly! The other people dining were enjoying lunch and the menu did look good, but I thought the prices were a bit steep. £2.80 for tea?

Our drinks arrived and they were covered in cream and marshmallows and were accompanied by a chocolate star and a Flake.

They were delicious, but then they should have been for £3.50!

Wythmails is relatively new and is competing with Beckworth (4 miles away) and Manvell Farm tearoom in Walgrave so I was a bit surprised at how high the prices are. I'm not sure we will go back. to be honest, but I'm glad we tried it.

We drove home the long way and took some photos of the beautiful sunset...

Back home Keith had the fire going in the living room so it was very cosy. We relaxed and Sophie and I made dinner of stir fry chicken and vegetables with noodles, which was delicious. Keith had bought us a bottle of whisky in Tesco this morning so we indulged with that and after dinner watched the end of Vertigo, which was very good, despite the weird dream sequence!

Hunting for bulbs...

I drove myself to work this morning and I was mightily glad it was Friday! It was a lovely feeling when I left at 2pm and drove home!

I suggested to Keith that we go to Brixworth to get a newspaper and also to buy some bulbs as one of our lovely residents has asked for donations of Spring flowering ones to plant in the two greens we have on our estate. We hunted for them at the small row of shops in Brixworth (the greengrocer's and the hardware store) but there weren't any so we drove to Beckworth instead.

The previously dry day then turned very rainy again and the sky went almost black! Where is this weather coming from? I bought two packs of crocuses in Beckworth, both of which attract bees and should make the green areas beautiful and colourful in the Spring. I suggested a cup of tea but Keith wasn't keen so we bought some foodie treats and returned home in the heavy rain.

The huge puddle of water had gone in Holcot, but no doubt, if we have more rain, it will return! It was bliss to get home, crank the heating up and light some candles to make the living room cosy. I had been sorely tempted to buy a beautiful throw in Beckworth, but as Sophie said, Monty would only use it as his personal blanket and dribble all over it!

Keith went to the pub but didn't drink so Sophie and I opened a bottle of red and watched The Family Stone with Diane Keaton. It was good but a bit sad (something we weren't aware of) and then we started watching Vertigo after dinner. It was great seeing San Francisco in the 1950s!

Flood!

Well, the expected rain arrived and when I waved Sophie off to the gym this morning, the weather was truly horrible. Keith took me to work as he was going to do the weekly shop ands the roads were very bad with water running off the fields.

Today has been a bad day on the roads altogether as there was a bad accident on the A43 which shut it for about six hours and part of the A45 which runs towards the M1 was also shut because of flooding.

When Keith picked me up we went home via Brixworth as he said the traffic in Holcot was horrendous, mainly because of the closure of the A43 but also because the area around the duckpond was also flooded and cars were having difficulty getting through.

Photo courtesy of a Holcot resident

Back home it was definitely time to turn the heating on and get cosy. Mike also has a cold now which no doubt he will spread amongst all of us!

Cooped up!

I was in at work again today to cover for absence so no day off for me! I think Keith was a little miffed I was working but I couldn't turn down an extra shift, not so near to Christmas!

Apart from some frustrating calls, work passed pleasantly enough and I sped home at 2pm to discover Keith feeling a bit cooped up. He suggested a trip to Kettering so we had a coffee in Costa where the man who served me was very chatty and took photos of the patterns he'd made in my Flat White!

It has been a lovely day today but tomorrow is due to be very rainy and we have a weather warning out from midnight tonight until midnight on Thursday. the ground is completely saturated now and the roads around us are regularly flooding.

While we enjoyed our coffees in Costa we planned out the meals for the rest of the week and the weekend and then popped into Tesco to get some bits. We even bought some early Christmas presents for the children!

Back home I prepared veggies again for dinner - a curry this time which Sophie prepared later in the evening. It was delicious!

Getting things done!

Today dawned cold and sunny and I took myself off to work again, leaving Keith and Mike in bed, lucky things!

Work wasn't too bad at all and I sped home at 2pm. We had bought a new shower caddy in Ikea a few weeks ago and it still hadn't been fitted so I did it myself. Keith was reluctant to do it, for some reason...I think he thought it was going to fall off, but after a couple of attempts, it didn't move. I put a folded up towel underneath it just in case it did fall off and damaged the shower tray!

We went to Brixworth to get a paper and then Keith popped to the doctors while I waited in the car. he came out with more antibiotics, stronger ones this time so let's hope they work. We are all fed up with his hacking coughs and I'm sure he hates it as well.

Back home I prepared loads of veggies for our spaghetti bolognese this evening and Sophie and I cooked this evening. We opened a bottle of Italian red wine that my Dad had brought over last weekend and it went perfectly with the meal. Delicious!

Little frustrations!

I drove myself to work this morning and had a pleasant shift with Joanne. It certainly wasn't as manic as it has been of late on a Monday, which was a bonus! At 11am we turned the phones off for two minutes to honour Remembrance Day but our manager somewhat spoiled it by shouting out a question to poor Sara who had to respond...oh dear!

At 2pm I returned home and Keith and I went over to Tesco at Kettering to get shopping for tonight, Tuesday and Wednesday. Sometimes I get a little weary of having to think up meals every night, but yesterday evening, when Sophie and I had eaten at lunchtime and we all did our own thing for something to eat in the evening, it brought it home to me how much I actually enjoy all sitting down together and sharing a meal, despite it being hard work at times!

When we emerged from the supermarket, there was a very strange light in the sky, almost as if it was about to snow! There was a very cold wind which made it feel much chillier than the 9c showing in the car.

Back home I spent a very frustrating hour trying to sort out the returned bathroom cabinets I'd sent back to Marisota. They weren't showing up on my account and I was worried they hadn't seen the returns slip I'd taped to the outside of the boxes. I engaged in webchat with two members of their staff and ended up getting nowhere... I will try again later in the week!

Keith's cough has been particularly troublesome this evening so I told him to go back to the doctor tomorrow as it really should have cleared up by now!

The celebrations continue!

This morning we collected my Mum from home at 10.30 and drove to Woburn where I'd booked afternoon tea at the Woburn Coffee House. Our table was booked for 12.30pm but we arrived an hour early so we could have a mooch about the shops.

After the rain and grey skies of yesterday, today was gorgeous...

Lovely shop selling gifts and home decorations

We had a good look in an Antique shop followed by a mooch in a gorgeous shop selling home decorations and gifts. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon!

Our table at the Woburn Coffee House was in the Orangery at the back of the building.

A bottle of Prosecco was already on the table and my Mum was over the moon with the lovely setting.

We had been told about a party behind us but they weren't noisy or rowdy at all, as I had feared! We also had a group of women celebrating a baby shower and there was a lovely atmosphere.

Sophie had ordered a vegan afternoon tea and received a three tier stand, while Mum and I had a five tier stand to share. The food was out of this world and my Mum was very impressed!

The list of foods we had is too numerous to mention but full details are on the website, and the menu changes frequently. We enjoyed glasses of Prosecco and we all had a big pot of tea to drink as well.

At the end we were stuffed!

The afternoon tea at Woburn is not traditional - not a sandwich in sight! - but it was lovely and worth paying a bit extra as the staff were all lovely and nothing was too much trouble.

We drove back to Northampton and called into Homesense before going home as I was looking for a toothbrush holder for the bathroom. I found one upstairs and then we dropped Mum back.

The evening was spent doing very little!

Birthday celebrations!

I was up quite early this morning and awoke to a misty, beautiful start to the weekend. I indulged in the last ever episode of The Affair and have to confess to feeling very emotional at the end...I actually shed a tear! I've been watching the series ever since it started so it was quite sad to think that it was all over. Maybe I'll watch it right from the start again!

Keith and I went to Brixworth to get some vegetables for lunch and the newspaper. It really was a beautiful morning with the sun shining through the mist. When we returned Sophie had very kindly hoovered and had prepared all the vegetables for my Mum's birthday lunch.

I had prepared the Coq au Vin yesterday so all I had to do was put it in the oven. Sophie made another chocolate and Guinness cake for dessert and at 1pm we went to get my parents as we thought it would be nice for my Dad to enjoy a glass of wine or two. The previously beautiful weather had turned grey and drizzly and it was horrible!

Lunch was delicious and the only niggle was that Mike was still down in London. We had a great chat and Sophie's cake went down very well! Sophie and I took my parents home and then returned to relax for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We enjoyed a glass of wine and munched on cheese on toast later whilst watching a documentary about the Berlin Wall. Ten years ago we had been in Berlin (all of us, including my parents) to celebrate my Mum's 65th birthday and also the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall!

Outside the rain was pouring down and I heard that the road between Walgrave and Holcot was almost impassable due to water on the road. We'll all be building arks soon!

Helping out...

I'm thankful that work wasn't too busy with calls today, as the woman who comes in on a Friday was absent due to a relative passing away. Sara helped out with the calls when it did get a bit busy and then asked me to stay on a bit later as two staff covering the afternoon shift called in sick!

I left at 3pm and sped home to prepare tomorrow's lunch as my parents are coming around to celebrate my Mum's birthday. I started off the Coq au Vin so all we have to do tomorrow is pop it in the oven and peel the veggies.

Keith went to the pub this evening but didn't drink so he drove himself, which was great as Sophie and I could enjoy a glass of red wine before cooking dinner. We did think Mike was coming back this evening but when we called him he said he was returning on Sunday. It'll mean he'll miss seeing my parents tomorrow but he said it's his anniversary tomorrow and that obviously takes precedence!

Flood!

Sophie phoned me this morning on her way to work to say that the roads were flooded around Holcot - both as you enter the village and on the way out to the A43 by the duck pond. She told us to go careful.

When we left at about 7.15am, the roads were indeed very bad and there was chaos by the pond as a Mercedes had broken down after going through a huge puddle of water that resembled a ford! This meant that only one car could go through at a time and the traffic was backed up a fair way coming into the village. It was pandemonium! Luckily we managed to get through but the roads were very wet everywhere with lots of water coming off the fields.

Work was OK today and at 3pm Keith collected me and we drove to Jones's as I needed some bits and bobs. He'd been to the doctor's this morning and had been given antibiotics to take so let's keep everything crossed that he'll feel better soon!

Christmas was in full swing at Jones's and I bought some cards - the same ones I've bought for the last couple of years by Peter Pauper Press and they're beautiful. I managed to resist buying anything else!

We drove home through the Bramptons and admired the evening sunrise. After all the rain of this morning it had dried up in the afternoon and the sun had come out!

Hard work!

Today has been hard work, and until the evening, Keith and I didn't set foot outside the house! We were both up when Sophie went to the gym and I had a couple of coffees to keep me awake!

Keith tackled the en-suite shower room this morning as we had been putting it off for far too long. He had to remove all the mouldy seal from the shower and give it a good clean before re-sealing it. I headed to the bathroom with our little portable radio (Ken Bruce was back) and finished off the top of the walls before glossing the door. I was very pleased when it was all finished!

I helped Keith try and remove some of the sealant which was stuck like glue and took the shower hose downstairs to give it a good clean. By early afternoon Keith had at last managed to remove the sealant but it was a horrible, dirty job and at one point I feared we'd left it too late. When he finished we gave the glass surrounds a good clean and I washed the back splash. It looked better already! He then resealed the shower and we left it to dry.

We're getting there! Just need a new bathroom cabinet and a mirror!

A symphony in grey!

Our poor en-suite which has been a bit neglected of late...

Looking cleaner!

I hoovered upstairs and down and did a general tidy up before collapsing in front of the computer! By now it was late afternoon and we realised we didn't have anything in the house for dinner this evening so we suggested to Sophie by text that we go to the Indian restaurant in Mawsley for a treat! I think we deserved it!

I spent a very pleasant hour clearing out some old files on the computer while listening to some classic 80s music and then jumped into the bath when Sophie arrived home.

We drove over to Mawsley at 7pm and were shown to a table in a quiet corner as Keith was still coughing. I had said to him it had gone on too long so he promised to call the doctor tomorrow. Perhaps he now needs antibiotics?

We had a lovely meal and shared poppadoms with relishes to start followed by various curries. The food was delicious and the service very good indeed. Sophie and I shared a dessert and then it was home to relax before bed. I'm going back to work tomorrow for a rest!

Microwave woes...

This morning I didn't spill sultanas everywhere, it was milk! I love my Tassimo coffee to start the day but it's never hot enough so I pop the mug into the microwave for 30 seconds. However, after spilling milk everywhere I put it into the oven and nothing happened...it emerged even cooler after the addition of the milk. I put it in again but the same thing happened and it dawned on me that our microwave wasn't working...

It was a fairly old one anyway as we'd inherited it from my parents but now I had to resort to heating up my coffee in a small saucepan and it wasn't the same! I had already prepared my porridge (in for two minutes while I finish getting ready for work) so I had to ask Keith to heat it up in a saucepan for me. Grrr!

Apart from one horrible coughing fit when I was booking a squash court for a customer, my cough wasn't too bad today. I drove myself while Keith stayed at home but as soon as I returned we left to go to Tesco as we needed something for dinner this evening and most importantly, a new microwave. We only ever use it for heating things up (peas, baked beans, coffee etc) but we picked one out by Breville that looked very stylish and had a grill if we ever decided to use it. More importantly it had a clock!

Tonight I had suggested to Sophie that we go and see more fireworks and there was a display at Overstone Park. We bought some jacket potatoes to have for dinner and I selected Birthday cards for my Mum who will be 75 on Saturday!

The weather has been horrible again today and it was cold and rainy. It was lovely to get home and put the heating on. I did wonder about going out this evening but I thought it would be great to actually see fireworks on the 5th so as soon as Sophie arrived home we went back out again into the rain.

Driving was horrible because the traffic coming the other way was heavy and with the drizzle and glare it was not a nice journey. As we neared Overstone the traffic came to a standstill and we could see groups of people walking to the display. There is a huge residential area near to Overstone Park but it looked like many people had decided to drive as the traffic was not moving. Sophie and I looked at one another and decided to abandon the idea. With the weather, I thought it wouldn't be that busy, but as with all things at the moment, the crowds had descended!

We drove home, curled up on the sofa and watched Escape to the Chateau! Bliss!

Cough, cough, cough...

My day didn't get off to a great start when I opened a new packet of sultanas a bit too forcefully, and they scattered all over the worktop and floor... I love them in my morning porridge but spent wasted minutes picking them all up!

Keith took me to work this morning and I was first in. My cough is now very irritating and after the first few calls, my throat was really dry so I had to go and buy myself a bottle of water to keep hydrated. I'm sure the others found me very annoying!

Luckily work passed very quickly and at 2pm Keith met me to take me home. Our new bathroom cabinet had arrived and Keith had started putting it together so I helped him. The first one I'd ordered had to be returned as the mirror was cracked and this should have been a warning to me as the replacement was cheap and nasty.

I helped Keith attach the back panel but the screws were tiny and very hard to drill into the wood. When the time came to attach the magnet closing on the door, the screw holes were out of kilter! Keith did his best but then I noticed that a piece of the wood had bent on the corner of the door and then it snapped off!

We were both furious as he had spent ages struggling to put the cabinet together and it was now ruined. I called customer services and told them what had happened (the man on the line didn't really care, to be honest) and arranged a return and a refund. I certainly wasn't going to order it again!

We boxed the horrible item up again and left it in the garage to be collected. I didn't feel like doing anything else this afternoon so we pootled about and caught up with Strictly from the weekend, even though we knew who had been booted out of the contest!

Mammoth cake!

We took Sophie to the gym this morning and went to Tesco to do some shopping while she did her workout. We didn't have anything in the house for dinner tonight and Sophie wanted to make a Guinness chocolate cake, so we had a list of ingredients to get. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a coffee in Costa.

Mike is away at the moment, visiting Abbie in London as her flatmate returned home for the weekend. I'm not sure he really wanted to go but she bought him his train ticket and Keith dropped him off at the station on Friday afternoon. I have no idea when he'll be returning but at least Keith can sleep in his bed at the moment while he's still coughing!

After getting Sophie, we called to see Mum and Dad for a quick chat before heading home to cook breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, potato smiles and baked beans. Already the morning had whizzed by so three quarters of the weekend had gone! Why does time go so fast!

After enjoying breakfast and reading the papers, Sophie set to with the cake while I had a shower. While it was baking in the oven it smelled delicious and was huge - I think she had used a whole block of butter in it!

The weather has been slightly better today but we still stayed indoors and did very little. I now have a cough as well which is extremely irritating and I'm dreading being at work with it tomorrow.

When the cake had cooled a little Sophie spread a delicious topping over it:

We enjoyed it while it was still warm and it was delicious!

Luckily we managed to catch Mrs Doubtfire a few minutes after it started so we watched it all over again, whooping with delight when we saw the outside of the house - we'd been there! It's a lovely film and one I can watch over and over again!

Rugby disappointment!

Today has been a bit of a lazy day and the weather has been abysmal; the sort of Saturday to keep warm in the house and ignore the wind and rain! We'd all been looking forward to the rugby this morning but within minutes I realised there wasn't going to be a good outcome as England weren't playing particularly well, or maybe South Africa were much the better team. Either way we lost, so that was a huge disappointment after the victory over New Zealand last Saturday.

Sophie was meeting Laura and Daisy for lunch at the Cromwell Cottage pub in Kislingbury, so I dropped her off in Moulton where Laura was picking her up, and returned home to have some lunch of my own.

All thoughts of getting out into the garden or doing anything outside was hopeless so I just gave in to staying inside! I had a lovely bath in the afternoon and a snooze before getting ready to go out to Miller and Carter with Keith in the evening.

Mum and Dad had given us a voucher to use in the restaurant and before we went we popped to Mawsley to get some cash from the machine near the shops. Unfortunately, our "quick" visit coincided with hordes of people descending on the village for their fireworks so the traffic was horrendous! Keith hurriedly got some money and we fled to Walgrave for a drink before our meal.

There were still some men in the pub who had been in the bar since this morning to watch the rugby and they must have been drowning their sorrows! We sat at the bar and chatted to Ian while we had a drink and then made our way in the rain over to Miller and Carter. The A43 up to the Round Spinney roundabout was closed for roadworks so we had to drive through Moulton to get there - the road will be closed all weekend, which is a bit of a nuisance!

The restaurant was quiet and we sat just inside the door. I had suggested to Sophie that she meet us there later as after going to the pub in Kislingbury they were returning to Laura's house and then going to Yardley Hastings for a bonfire and fireworks. Rather than have Laura's mum take her all the way back home, we thought it was easier if she was dropped off at the pub, then she could join us for a drink!

We had a lovely meal and shared some cheesy garlic bread to start. I sipped a mocktail while Keith had two pints of a good beer, which surprised him as he wasn't expecting to get one! He chose a T-bone steak for his main course (a hefty £30!) while I opted for chicken but I received two large breasts so it was definitely not a lighter option!

Sophie texted to say they were leaving Yardley Hastings and soon she was with us and ordering a cocktail, which was lovely. We had a good chat about what she'd been up to and then we paid the bill and returned home (it was still raining).

Before bed we relaxed for a while and I really hoped I'd have a good night's sleep and a lie-in tomorrow!

Girls' night in!

Keith had had a terrible night and had ended up sleeping on the sofa because every time he laid down he started coughing. It was a real shame that he needed the car this morning and had to take me into work, otherwise he could have gone back to bed when I got up.

My shift passed quickly at work but we had lots of niggling little problems, so I was very glad to leave at 2pm! We called into the Co-op in Moulton on the way home to get some flowers and chocolates for Sue as Sophie and I were going to visit her in her new house this evening. 

At 6pm Sophie and I dressed warmly in coats, scarves and boots and went to the bonfire and fireworks in the village. We parked on the outskirts so we could drive straight to Kettering to see Sue  afterwards. A lot of people were walking along to the field and after paying our admission fee we walked up to the tent where Sophie bought a plastic beaker of red wine. We also indulged in a burger and a hot dog smothered in crispy onions. Delicious!

The bonfire was lit at about 6.30pm followed by the fantastic fireworks. I love this tradition so much and it was wonderful to see the huge bonfire alight with the fireworks behind.

Sophie took a selfie of us to record the occasion...

After the fireworks we walked back to the car in the rain (it had rained on and off all evening) and drove to Sue's house. I vaguely knew the way and we saw Richard's Audi parked at the entrance to the street where Sue lives. I managed to manoeuvre Sophie's car in front of Sue's and we knocked on the door. The door opened slightly and a weird man's voice asked who it was...for one moment I thought it was Sue's new partner, Martyn, but it turned out to be Richard goofing about! He hugged us and after a few minutes left to go home. Tonight was strictly girls' night!

We were introduced to Martyn who seemed lovely and he disappeared upstairs to his "man cave" while Sophie and I caught up with Sue and Michelle. Sue had put on a feast of Indian appetisers, cheese, biscuits, dips, crusty bread and olives. I drank a whole bottle of the Freixenet 0.0% fizz while the others sank two bottles of the New Zealand Pinot Gris that we all love.

We had a great evening with lots of chat and laughter and left at about 11pm. On the way home I spotted a police car and shouted out at them to come and breathalyse me! Sober for a whole month!