Off to Kent

Mum and I went off to Kent today to see Nan and I took baby Audi as she needed a good long run. We had a great journey down and after cooking Nan some lunch (we used her oven for the first time in ages) we went off to buy her some Birthday cards for her friends and relatives and I popped into Sainsbury's to get some things I'd forgotten in Tesco the day before...there's always something!

Back at the flat I treated myself to half an hour on her circualtion boosting machine! It's wonderful but feels very strange when the electrical impulses squeeze all the muscles in your calves. Nan is supposed to use it for three half hour sessions every day, but I suspect she doesn't. I would if I were her! It's so relaxing!

We left at our usual time of 4.30pm as this normally ensures we beat the queues at the Dartford Tunnel, but today we came unstuck, even before we'd reached the M25. We headed off to a shortcut we knew, but this was even worse with the whole area gridlocked. I made the decision to go back onto the M25 (but the other way) and then turn off onto the A2 and go through London instead.

This idea worked fine until we grew near to the Blackwall Tunnel and everything came to a standstill. We think it had something to do with people making an early getaway for the Jubilee Weekend...

The rest of the journey was OK and we stayed on the M11 rather than brave the busy M25. We arrived home at just after 7pm, I put the potato wedges in the oven and then sat back with a very long vodka and tonic!

I make a plan...

Keith came into work with me today but is in pain at the moment with, of all things, gout! He has suffered from it in the past but he's had a flare up and it's more painful than his hip was!

It was a real pain trying to decide what to eat so in my lunch hour I planned a whole week's meals and then ordered everything I needed from Tesco online and arranged for delivery on Friday evening. At least now we'll have everything sorted out and I'll only need to shop for fresh veg one or two days next week. There is no way I'm going to wander around Tesco's on a Saturday morning!

We were very quiet at work today but in the evening we had two parties so Sophie helped out. I went home, prepared dinner, hoovered and sorted out the washing and then went back to pick her up. We had a Private Hire party for 150 Rainbows, Brownies and Guides so it was pretty busy! Talk about squeezing it all into a few hours!

I am a taxi driver...

With Keith out of action, the pressure is now really building as Sophie goes in for exams and then has to be picked up from school so she can go home and revise. I was in the middle of a meeting at work when she finished at 11am so I had to run out and pick her up and then after I finished the meeting, take her home. My poor car is certainly going to be doing some miles in the next few days, although after Wednesday she is finished for two weeks.

My wonderful daughter did some revising but she also did the ironing for me and then put the hoover around so when I got home there was not much for me to do, housework-wise. We had salmon for dinner which was different for us and it turned out to be very good indeed and went well with potatoes and asparagus. Deciding what to eat every night is starting to be a real headache and I'm going to have to go shopping again tomorrow to buy food for Wednesday and Thursday nights! Come back, Keith...all is forgiven!!!

End of an era!

Today has been so hot that mum and I couldn't face doing any cleaning. Dad has been away flying his model aeroplanes in Eastbourne and he came back with a very good tan! I did manage to put some plants into the pots we have in the garden at work but boy, was it hot!!

At 3.15pm I received a phone call from Sophie to say that she was walking to work and when I saw her my eyes nearly popped out as she looked like one of the St Trinian schoolgirls with long back socks on, a short black skirt and a very revealing blouse! This was covered in messages from her friends as today has been her last offical day at school! I really can't believe it, to be honest, as it seems like only yesterday I took a photo of her when she started primary school at the age of 4. Her friend Elise was with her and they were full of what had happened at school and how they now just had to go back in for exams.

We thankfully went home just after they arrived and it was heaven to go and sit in the garden, feel the gentle breeze and sip something long and alcoholic!

Relaxing in the sun!

Sunday has been a little more relaxed, apart from first thing this morning when we ventured into Tesco to buy dinner for tonight. Mum is coming over for a meal and as it's so hot I'm going to have quiche and salad and nibbly bits.

Tesco was packed with people all doing the same as me and the salad, cold meats and drinks aisles were very busy indeed! We all make the most of this weather when we can!

In the afternoon Mum, Soph and me went off to the garden centre and I bought a few plants to put into the spare pots I have. I was going to resist putting in summer bedding plants because of the drought, but they'll all be near the outside tap so I won't have to lug full watering cans all over the garden!

We had a very pleasant evening and a lovely meal which was perfect for the hot weather!

The Leek Revived!

Here is a photo of the "leek"...we will be keeping a close eye on it!

Not so lazy summer days...

Well, summer has arrived and the temperatures have soared today. I went out into the garden first thing to mow the lawn as it's been bugging me big time whenever we've sat out there! It was great to get it all cut and tidy but I could feel the heat coming through even by 10am.

Next up was a huge pile of ironing so I did that in the kitchen, opening the back door and the windows to let the delicious breeze flow through. I love doing laundry when the weather is breezy but dry and sunny and I love the smell of air-dried clothes - they seem to capture the smell of sunshine!

Keith and I sat out in the garden for a little while in the afternoon and the children went off to visit my mum which was lovely for them all. She loves that they can walk or cycle up to her house!

As a treat we ordered a Chinese take-away in the evening and then settled down to watch the Eurovision Song Contest. We all voted on the songs and I thought that this year, with Englebert Humperdink, we stood a good chance, but alas, no! We came second from bottom which I find unbelievable as there were a couple of really crappy songs which all scored higher. I've said it before, and no doubt I'll say it again, but I really think it's time we gave up on this fix of a show!

Friday and another girlie night out!

I'd been invited, along with my two ex-work friends Lynda and Andrea, for a meal at Fiona's house tonight as she was cooking a Moroccan dish, Lamb Tagine. The three of us each took a course and Keith very kindly made me a lemon cheesecake to take with me.

The plan had been to pick up Lynda, drive to Andrea's house and leave my car there as Fiona lives on a busy street in the middle of Northampton, but when we arrived at Andrea's house, she'd forgotten all about our plan and was already at Fiona's house! When we called her, she was full of remorse but Fiona very kindly parked her little Fiat 500 on the street so I was able to put my baby Audi into her garage, all safe and secure!

We sat out in the garden with a glass of champagne as Fiona's daughter had just given birth (albeit a bit early) to a baby girl and then we feasted on Andrea's starter of mixed sun-dried tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, dips and pitta breads.

The main course was delicious and very filling and Keith's cheesecake went down well. How we managed to eat cheese and biscuits after all that, I don't know! The house was full of children - Fiona still has five at home - and dogs who kept running in and out, chasing each other!

It was a great, if very late evening and I didn't get home until 1am, but Keith was still up and waiting for me, which was lovely!

Son of leek!

Yesterday we made a wonderful discovery...we knew that our "leek" had been revived, but yesterday Keith spotted son of leek growing next to it! This plant is not really a leek, but a Cordyline Australis and we really thought it was dead after the very cold winter we had. Rather than pull it up we just let the roots stay in the pot and hoped that there was a little bit of life left...which there was!

Here's one:

Today has been another hot day so it was out into the garden with a long cool drink!

A day off!

I stayed at home with Keith today as he was having his staples taken out of the wound! Yuk! Luckily the nurse arrived very early (as I was hoovering!) so it meant we had the rest of the day to ourselves.

First stop was Tesco and Keith did very well walking around on his crutches. It means that next week we won't have to rely on a delivery and he can come with me one evening to do the shop together. We took £37 worth of Tesco Clubcard vouchers with us and decided to have a bit of a spend. Keith wanted to take the shop up to £50 to qualify for the 5p off diesel so we piled beer and wine into the trolley along with meals for the next two evenings and a bottle of vodka for me!

When we got to the checkout, the bill went up and up and finally reached £65! We can certainly spend it! Imagine our dismay, though, when we handed the vouchers over and we were told they were duplicates that we'd already used! Now I know why they were buried at the bottom of one of our drawers!! I seem to remember some vouchers being delayed in the post last year and Tesco sent us some more!

Very red-faced, Keith handed over the cash and we slunk off home to put our indulgent purchases into the fridge to chill!

After doing some essential ironing we went to the pub for lunch and very pleasant it was, too! We had a sandwich and a couple of drinks and then it was back home to relax in the warmth. By 4pm it was very hot and although we sat out in the garden for an hour, it was too hot for me and I went back inside where it was a bit cooler. Needless to say the fan will be out this evening when I go to bed!

The heat is on!

Phew! Today has been warm and sunny but we were still relatively busy at work first thing, although the customers faded away by the afternoon.

I had a meeting with Mikey's Head of Year and form teacher after school and it wasn't a pleasant meeting. He is playing around a fair bit at school and acting the fool which means he's been on report. I can't understand why he's behaving so badly but we discussed several ways of getting him to concentrate more so I can only hope they will work.

Back home, after a short sharp discussion between Mikey and his dad, we all went out to enjoy the sunshine in the garden and things improved. I think deep down he realises he's being silly and that he mustn't live up to his friends' expectations of him to muck about and be the class clown!

Not in the mood!

Today was cleaning day and I was not in the mood to do anything at all, I'm afraid! As I'd spent yesterday cleaning my own house it was a real effort to go into work and start there as well!

I managed to motivate myself to do a fair bit of hoovering and then cut the grass in the garden which was very overgrown and wet. The weather was still cloudy and dull but by the time I went home the sun had come out and it was beautiful.

The rest of the week is set to be warm and sunny which means we will be very quiet indeed at work!

Most of today was spent doing housework so it was back down to earth with a bump! I had a headache this morning which was probably due to mixing cava and white and red wines! I popped two tablets, had two cups of strong coffee and felt much better!

I worked in the house until 2pm and was really pleased with how the house looked afterwards. Keith prepared the vegetables for dinner for me as we're having roast pork and it's been ages since I cooked a Sunday roast!

In the afternoon Keith and I went for a slow walk around the estate and he really enjoyed getting out and enjoying the fresh air. It's been gloomy and grey again but at least it's been dry and next week is forecast to be hot and sunny...has summer arrived at last?

Pampering and wine!

Today has been a lovely day, despite the very gloomy weather. Mikey wanted to go to the Festival in Moulton this afternoon so I dropped him off on my way to Fong Spa. He was meeting up with some friends and it was great to see him go off and enjoy himself.

Sophie came to the spa with me as I was only having threading on my eyebrows so wouldn't be long. It would  have been nice to have gone for a few hours, but maybe we can do that another time. My eyebrows were desperately in need of some attention and I hadn't been near them with tweezers since they were "threaded" in Milton Keynes. The lady who did the treatment on me was lovely, but boy, did she hurt me and I won't be having it done there again! It was almost as if she wrenched out the hairs and when I eventually emerged I found the skin underneath my eyebrows was red and inflamed...not a good look when I'm going out this evening! They were beautifully shaped though so I was very pleased with that!

After my torture session we headed off to Waitrose to buy some wine for tonight as it's our Wine Evening. I was going to make do with something from our wine rack but I decided that was a bit cheap and I'm really glad I chose the two wines, both of them from California. They're made by the Hahn Winery which is family owned and I chose a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, both at £10.99.

On the way out I saw Tim, our next door neighbour, so it was a good job both wines were hidden in my bag...it's another blind tasting tonight!

Back home we had lunch, I picked up Mikey from Moulton and then Sophie proceeded to pamper me until it was time to go out. I had a shower and then she blow-dried my hair, straightened and then curled it, painted my toenails and fingernails and did my make-up for me. When I was ready I felt like a million dollars!

Mum and Dad came in to see Keith before we all went up as he wasn't going. He finds it very uncomfortable at the moment and a night sitting on hard chairs and then tottering home on his crutches wasn't appealing!

We had a great night at Sarah and Liam's house with some delicious wines (mine were beautiful) and some very good food. There was lots of chatter as usual and we all had a very enjoyable evening. If Keith had been there it would have been perfect!

Girlie night out!

This evening I went out with three friends - Sue, Lynda and Laura -  to Exotic Dining in Kettering and we had a lovely meal with lots of gossip and laughs.

Lynda picked us all up and drove so I was able to have a glass of wine, which was a treat. The restaurant was busy, much busier than when Sue and I went a few months ago. As we were all hungry we ordered two poppadums each and a starter and the food was delicious. The menu is different from a traditonal Indian but they do have classic curries as well as I had a Chicken Jalfrezi. I ordered scallops to start which were cooked to perfection and admired the other three choices of King Prawns, a gorgeous fish dish and Laura's tandoori selection.

We had a great conversation over dinner and it was really lovely to go out and have a good time after the busy few weeks I've had. I didn't get home until about 11.30pm and after a quick chat with Keith who was up waiting for me, it was heavenly to get into bed!

Busy days...

Mum and Dad are away at the moment with their caravan until the end of the week so I'm very busy indeed at the moment, both at work and at home. The timing wasn't brilliant but there you go! All this will be a distant memory soon!

Sophie has started her exams at school and they'll go on until mid June. I will be very glad when July arrives, I can tell you, as the exams and her Prom are causing all of us a considerable amount of stress at the moment! We were pleasantly busy at work but I did manage to pop home today to see Keith for half an hour as it's a long day being stuck in the house. The weather has been dry and sunny, but chilly so sitting in the garden is not an option for him at the moment.

When I got home, eventually (Sophie was working) I made dinner and made cauliflower cheese from scratch. Now this might not be something to boast about, but I've always been wary of making sauces as mine tend to turn into big lumps but it worked perfectly. Shame my toad in the hole was a bit soggy though!

The daily grind!

Now that Keith is out of action for a few weeks I'm the one who is in charge of the house! I make sure the alarm is set for 6.30am, get Sophie up and then head downstairs to feed the cats (a blur of fur as they speed in from outside), make packed lunches and get the family breakfast. Gone are the days (for the time being) when I had a shower, got ready and went off to work leaving Keith to deal with all the domestic bliss!

It means I'm getting into work slightly later, but needs must at the moment and it's not a problem. When I get home I prepare the dinner, sort out the washing and ironing and do any essential housework, just like millions of other women and I think myself lucky that Keith will be back to normal in a few weeks. I keep reminding him that I used to do all the housework and cooking when he worked full-time and I finished at 3pm but he says he can't remember...selective memory I think!

Home at last!

Keith was given the all-clear to go home this morning so at lunchtime I was helping him into the car and driving him home. The weather was beautiful on the way home, a real blue-and-white sky, full of fluffy clouds and sunshine, but ten minutes after getting home we had a really violent hailstorn that made everywhere look like it had been snowing!

I settled him on the sofa, made him a cup of tea and some lunch and headed back to work for the afternoon. I would have loved to have spent the rest of the day at home, but it was not to be. Maybe next week I can have some time off.

The children were so glad to see "Nilby" home and we had a very pleasant evening, but when it came time for bed, Keith was very uncomfortable and it was like lying next to a squirmy worm! I think that until his stitches are out we'll be sleeping separately...I yearn for a night's uninterrupted sleep at the moment!

Not homeward bound...

Keith was supposed to be coming home today but he phoned me this morning at work to say that his ankle was still swollen and that he had to have a scan to make sure he didn't have a blood clot...a bit alarming! However, he's had a problem with this ankle ever since we visited Florida last year so it would be good to get confirmation that everything is OK. However, I will be mightily glad when he is home as the car parking charges and extra diesel are playing havoc with my finances! This is one side of a hospital stay you tend to forget!

I went into see him in the evening after work and he seemed cheerful enough so it's fingers crossed he will be home tomorrow!

Dining out

Today was another fairly busy day with jobs to do in the house and visiting Keith in the afternoon as well as the evening. It was a glorious day with lots of sunshine and after I went to get the newspapers first thing I called into Mum and Dad's for a coffee and to tell them about our little scare last night.

Keith was annoyed about what had happened and I only wish we'd been able to find out who threw the stuff at the window. It was a very childish thing to do and from now on we'll make sure our curtains are closed in the evening, something I dislike doing if the nights are still quite light.

I went back to the hospital at 6pm and then it was back home to collect the children as Mum and Dad had invited us around for dinner in the evening which was a real treat. Dad had cooked a Chinese meal for us and it was delicious. He also served a gorgeous Viognier wine from Chile which I loved, but was a bit dismayed to find out it was £10 a bottle and from Majestic who only sell by the case! Hmmm...can I justify spending £60 on some wine at the moment? Probably not!

A sunny Saturday and a bit of a shock...

At last we've seen some sunshine today but I was so busy I hardly had time to enjoy the weather. The morning was taken up with preparing dinner and doing housework while Sophie did some ironing for me and made an excellent job of it! I told her to be careful otherwise she'll get the job full time!

In the afternoon I took Mikey for a haircut as he hasn't been near a pair of scissors since his impromptu appointment in Lanzarote in December! He was fed up with his hair being so long (and so thick, lucky thing!) so I took him to the Barber's that Keith goes to and he was very pleased with his much shorter locks!

All plans to go for a walk went by the wayside later in the day as both children weren't keen at all. Sophie is busy revising now as her exams start with a vengeance on Monday and for most of the day she's been watching films in French to help with her listening exam in the language on Monday afternoon. I don't envy her!

At 6pm I was at the hospital with Keith and then it was home to finish off the dinner (a very good beef in a red wine sauce) and then we settled down to watch the film Super 8, which, though only a 12 rating, was pretty scary!

It was at a very scary moment that our front window was hit hard by something white and what looked like cottage cheese. Well, as you can imagine we all jumped out of our skins and Sophie started screaming as it had given us all a shock. Mikey and I ran outside to see if anyone was about, but the street was empty, save for a car parked further up with its lights on. This freaked Sophie out even more and she started lamenting the fact that she'd watched so many horror films! What made it worse was that, even though I was sitting by the window, I hadn't seen any movement at all outside so it looked like it had come completely out of the blue.

With Sophie still freaking out, we all got into the car and had a slow drive around the estate to see if we could see any boys hanging about. We saw a man walking slowly through one of the grassy areas which was a bit spooky and when we went past the spot on the other side he'd disappeared...

However, it turned out his house had been hit as well and like us, he was out looking for the culprits as when we drove past he asked us to stop to find out if we'd seen anything. Sophie then phoned her friend Elise, who lives a few doors up and her and her brother had a good look around while I shepherded my two back into the house. The white stuff turned out to be tissue paper soaked in water and was easily removed, but the whole experience gave us a shock, I can tell you. We found out that the car belonged to someone visiting one of the houses and they'd left their lights on to prevent people hitting the car in the dark, so that was one problem solved!

Of course, while all this was going on, Keith had rang us, both on my mobile and on the home phone so he was wondering what on earth was going on! Needless to say I had a very bad night's sleep!

In search of the perfect coffee...

This morning I waited in for the Tesco delivery man to arrive as there was no way I was going to go and do it in the store! Housework I do not mind, but shopping, usually Keith's job, is a step too far! While I waited I did some ironing and by 9.30am I was at work pleased that the fridge and cupboards were full. We certainly won't starve!

Work was pleasantly busy and after lunch Dad and I went off to Milton Keynes to try a coffee from a Douwe Egberts coffee machine. Our own machine is broken at the moment and we're looking to get a new one. Mum and Dad had driven over last night but Mum is not really a big coffee lover so Dad wanted my opinion. I thought it was OK but my main worry was how long the machine took to make a cappuccino - 30 seconds - which could cause problems if we're busy.

On the way back we discussed the pros and cons of getting another machine and I think this time we're going to make sure we get the right coffee-maker for our business. At 3pm I went off to pick up the children from school as I was meeting a friend at work whose daughter is the same age as Sophie and who is thinking of going to Sophie's school for Sixth Form. She wanted to ask Soph lots of questions about the school to try and make a decision.

The four of us had a pleasant chat for an hour and then it was a quick drive home to get ready to go and see Keith in hospital. My plan to have him home for the weekend is in tatters and it's looking more likely to be Monday when he'll be ready. For me, it can't come soon enough!

A quieter day, thank goodness!

All was back to normal today as Mum and dad were in and despite being mobbed by a Nursery group first thing, we were much quieter. Mum and I even managed to have a coffee and a muffin mid-morning at BB's!!

I was home at 4pm again and I tackled the ironing while Sophie put the hoover around for me. The children are being very good and before I left for the hospital at 6pm I prepared dinner and asked Sophie to put the oven on for me so we could eat when I got home.

Keith was in a fair amount of pain when I went into see him and was sitting in a chair next to his bed. He said that getting out of bed and into the chair was an ordeal and he nearly passed out. I think he thought that as soon as the operation was over he'd be pain-free but it will take time. My thoughts of him being at home for the weekend were a bit optimistic, I think and it's looking more likely he'll be home on Monday, all being well.

Again, it was horrible leaving him there, but I went home, made the dinner and then relaxed with Sophie by watching a property programme based in Florida. We can dream!

A long day...

Keith and I were up at 6am this morning and on the way to the hospital by 6.30am. I hated leaving him there and I'm sure he hated being there, too, but he has to have the operation as he's in so much pain now. The weather matched our mood - dull, grey and drizzly and I did feel horrible going back home to get ready for the day.

Mum and dad were off today so I was in on my own and we were absolutely heaving because of the rain. I helped in the kitchen for two hours, constantly washing up, clearing tables and serving and by 2pm I was shattered. I hadn't slept very well the night before and with the early start I was bushed!

At 3.30pm I headed home and thought about Keith having his operation. He'd called me and said he was going down to theatre at 4pm and was having an epidural which was a big relief to me. I phoned the ward at 5.30pm and asked if we could visit but he wasn't back on the ward yet, so I asked the children to get ready, bundled them into the car and we drove to the hospital where I phoned again at 6pm. Luckily, he was back, feeling fine and we could see him for a few minutes.

He was extremely pale (normally he has a ruddy complexion!) as he'd lost quite a bit of blood and they were almost on the point of giving him a transfusion but he was feeling OK. We didn't stay for long as the children were really not happy being in the hospital and I think Keith wanted to rest.

As a treat, we went to Pizza Hut for dinner and had a good meal but I couldn't help feeling guilty that Keith was stuck in hospital (and very hungry) while we were stuffing ourselves with pizza. However, I know that he's in the best place and the children do have a new name for him...above his bed was the sign "Nil by Mouth" which Sophie thought was the previous occupant! So now Dad's known as Nilby to the children...at least we can see the humour in the situation!

A day off!

As I was in yesterday I took today as holiday so that I could help Keith get ready for his hospital stay tomorrow. The weather today has been glorious with lots of sunshine and blue skies so after doing some quick shopping we returned home and had a late breakfast in the conservatory and soaked up the sunshine.

The rest of the morning was taken up with doing housework and in the afternoon we popped down to Homebase so I could buy some more violas which were only £1.50 for 30 plants! Bargain! I've put them all in pots near to the house so I can water them easily with the watering can...no hosepipes for us despite all the rain!

Sophie worked for us in the evening and then it was home to a roast chicken dinner, Keith's last supper as he said!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to work we go...

Bank Holidays are normally sacred to me, but today Mum, Dad and I went into work to finish off the painting (and do the cleaning) as a new floor is being out down in the Ladies' loos next week.

I was in very early and Dad and I made good progress with the second coats so by 2pm I was all done! I'd also hoovered for mum so it was lovely to get home, jump in the bath and relax. The weather was horrible anyway - lashing rain and wind - so I wouldn't have been doing anything exciting anyway!

In the evening Keith and I went for a drink at The Hare in Loddington and it was great to know that I was off the next day! Yipppeee!

Essential shopping

It's become a tradition in our house to drive over to Corby to buy Mikey shoes. And we have to go on a Sunday!

We stopped off at McDonald's first for the children to have breakfast (I had porridge and a latte) and then we headed for Corby. Normally I get lost but today I drove straight to the big out-of-town shopping area and we parked outside Brantano's. We ended up buying Mikey three pairs of shoes and then we went into Matalan to buy him some new trousers for school, something he badly needed!

Our last stop was the huge Asda where I found two bottles of my favourite wine, Redwood Creek Merlot, and we treated Mikey to some Root Beer so he had a very enjoyable morning!

As the weather was pleasant for once, I spent the rest of the afternoon gardening and putting my car through the car wash (so it's bound to rain again soon). It was lovely to be out in the fresh air and the garden doesn't look as bad as I thought it would. One of the bushes that I thought had died has lots of new growth and there's even a hint of something growing in the pot that our "leek" was in so we'll keep an eye on that as we thought it was completely dead.

By 4pm I was all done and it was lovely to sit and relax with a drink...not in the garden I hasten to add, though. Although sunny and dry it was still a bit too cold!

We are creatures of habit...

Today was very much like last Saturday!

Sophie arrived home at 11am after being at a sleepover over the road with two friends. She was tired and a bit giggly after drinking a bottle of cider and some WKD the night before...I wasn't aware of this but she said they didn't drink a lot...just one more worry to be added to the list!

After she'd showered we both went off to Market Harborough again, having a milkshake in Caffe Nero before visiting our favourite shops and dodging the hail showers. It was windy and cold but we did venture a bit further along the High Street today in search of shoes for her upcoming Prom at the end of June. She saw a gorgeous pair in Monsoon but at £65 they were out of her price range, especially for a pair of shoes she'll probably only wear once.

Back home we were greeted with lovely smells from Keith's curry...yes, the same one as he made last week, but this time with more chillies in and it turned out to be very hot!

Mucking about...

I just happened to leave my mobile phone at work for 20 minutes while Mum and I popped over to the bank, but on my return I discovered that Keith had been trying to get hold of me as the school had called. Apparently, Mikey had fallen over and was covered in mud...

I dashed to the school to pick him up and he was filthy, with his shirt, trousers, blazer and school bags all muddy. Luckily one of the women on the Reception desk gave me a black bag to use in the car and I took him back to work before heading for home. His explanation was a bit vague, but it sounds like he was mucking about with his mates and someone had pushed him down a muddy slope at school. Needless to say as soon as we were home it was straight into the bath for him and straight into the washing machine for all his clothes!

I settled down with a pack of Sushi I'd bought for my lunch, the first time I'd ever tried it, and it was delicious! No raw fish, but very tasty mackeral, prawn and salmon so I'll definitely try it again!

I'll be building an ark soon...

Yes, today we awoke to heavy rain and grey, leaden skies. I know I wanted rain and the gardens certainly needed it, but this has gone on for far too long now! We have a Bank Holiday weekend coming up and all thoughts of sitting in the garden with a long cool drink have disappeared. We even have plans to come into work on the Monday and finish the painting as what else is there to do at home other than sit and watch the falling rain?!!

It's also Polling Day today and I'm still in two minds about whether to vote or not. We have just two candidates and at the moment I'm not happy with either of them. Where's the Monster Raving Loony Party when you need them?

We've reached the middle of the week!

Today Keith and Ian finished the barrier we have erected to stop our lovely customers denting the new cladding. They've made a really good job of it and it's great to know that it's completely protected. I just wish we'd done it earlier!

Amazingly we had no rain today but there is more on the way and I was amazed to read the headlines of the paper which said that if we have another dry winter we may have to have standpipes in the streets next year! Unbelievable!

Sophie was working for us tonight but I headed home to do some very essential housework until it was time to pick her up. It gets to the stage when I really can't stand it any longer and I had no choice but to hoover (Archie's fur was the biggest culprit) and tidy the kitchen. Then, when I got home I could relax!

Swimming on the M25...

Today Mum and I went down to Kent to see Nan and to sort out some of her finances. We really, if we were honest, didn't have the time to go down as we had so much to do at work but there was no way of getting out of it.

The rain was lashing down on the M1 making driving very difficult, but in Dartford the sun was shining and it was a gorgeous Spring day.

While mum and my uncle went to the bank, I did Nan's shopping for her which was fun as I rarely shop in Sainsbury's and she's extremely particular about what she buys! I daren't get it wrong!

We left Dartford in bright sunshine but ahead of us was a huge black cloud. Very soon the heavens opened and the M25 was awash with water, with the fields on either side flooded after all the rain we've had. By the time we got home it was misty and murky and not like Spring at all.

As I stopped outside the house to let mum drive home Sophie opened the window and said that the alarm at work was going off and could we go in as Dad was cooking dinner? Muttering a few words under my breath we turned the car around and headed back the way we came to investigate why the alarm was ringing.

When we arrived the Nursery cleaner was looking a little worried but nothing had happened, burglary-wise, so it must have been an over sensitive sensor!

I can tell you the drink I had when I eventually got in was very welcome indeed!