I took Mike in this morning and made it very clear we needed to leave home at 8am to do battle with the traffic! The journey went well and I even had time to buy a coffee and a sandwich at Greggs before I started my session at the Citizen's Advice Bureau.
Frank was in again, but no Gill, which was a shame. Judy and Claire came over to advise and we were careful to make sure they had a hot drink mid-morning - Frank had even brought in some delicious mince pies!
It's been a very quiet day today and we had only seen ten clients by midday. It was good for me as I wanted to leave early to take my parents to the doctor's surgery this afternoon. Frank said it was no problem for me to leave at 2pm and I even managed a walk in the sunshine at lunchtime to go and buy a newspaper!
I left at 2pm and hurtled off to pick up my parents. I was a bit early which was a good thing as my Mum wanted to stop off at the Co-op to get a couple of things she needed. I bought some burger buns for our dinner this evening and we set off for the surgery, arriving in good time and parking right outside in the disabled spot. Success!
Mum and Dad were in to see the doctor for quite a while and I was nervously looking at the time as I'd arranged to drop them back off at home and then pick Keith and Sophie up on the way back into town to get Mike. Why I hadn't just asked Keith to get him, I don't know, as it made the journey very fraught! I did manage it though and we were only ten minutes late picking Mike up from town, which was a miracle! I did drive a bit like a demon, though!
Mike wanted to be dropped off in the village so Keith, Sophie and I decided that a drink at the pub was a very good idea after such a busy day. I felt like I needed a proper drink so I had a vodka and tonic and felt a whole lot better! We sat in the window and had a good chat before heading home to cook dinner. We'd bought some (quite) expensive Wagyu beefburgers in Aldi and we were keen to find out what all the fuss was about! They were delicious, as it turns out - very succulent and extremely tender. Yum!
Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
A cold and frosty start!
The traffic going home from town was horrendous last night and it took us nearly an hour to do a 25 minute journey...not good!
We took both Sophie and Mike in this morning and again, we were in the car well over an hour. The sun has made an appearance again today and it makes driving quite hard because of how low it is in the winter.
We returned home, had a quick breakfast and then went over to see my Mum who has not been feeling well since Sunday afternoon. She was glad to see us as she felt a bit faint and dizzy, probably due to not eating anything since the weekend. I made her a cup of sweet tea and we sat with her for half an hour until she felt better.
I made her promise to sit and do nothing until my Dad returned from being at the flying field (he had no choice but to go today) and then we went home where I cleaned the house for three hours. I'd been putting it off over the weekend but as we didn't have to go and pick the kids up until 4.30pm it gave me a window of opportunity! The house did look a lot better when I'd finished so that was good!
We went a different way home tonight from town and halved our journey time. Keith was out in the evening to a football match but it was still very cold and frosty so he was worried the match would be called off at the last minute because of a frozen pitch.
He went off when I was in the middle of making Pasta Carbonara for dinner and we received a big surprise when he came back just as we were sitting down to watch a film! Indeed, the pitch was still frozen, so no football tonight!
We took both Sophie and Mike in this morning and again, we were in the car well over an hour. The sun has made an appearance again today and it makes driving quite hard because of how low it is in the winter.
 |
| Abington Park on a cold and frosty morning |
We returned home, had a quick breakfast and then went over to see my Mum who has not been feeling well since Sunday afternoon. She was glad to see us as she felt a bit faint and dizzy, probably due to not eating anything since the weekend. I made her a cup of sweet tea and we sat with her for half an hour until she felt better.
I made her promise to sit and do nothing until my Dad returned from being at the flying field (he had no choice but to go today) and then we went home where I cleaned the house for three hours. I'd been putting it off over the weekend but as we didn't have to go and pick the kids up until 4.30pm it gave me a window of opportunity! The house did look a lot better when I'd finished so that was good!
We went a different way home tonight from town and halved our journey time. Keith was out in the evening to a football match but it was still very cold and frosty so he was worried the match would be called off at the last minute because of a frozen pitch.
He went off when I was in the middle of making Pasta Carbonara for dinner and we received a big surprise when he came back just as we were sitting down to watch a film! Indeed, the pitch was still frozen, so no football tonight!
Monday, 28 November 2016
Work experience...
All this week Mike is doing work experience at a recruitment company in Northampton. It means he has to be there for 9am and won't be able to leave until 5pm. It's a bit of a pain, to be honest, as it means a much longer travel time in the morning and going into town in the rush hour (and coming out at night) is no fun!
We dropped him off this morning and he had to find out where the office was by himself. We had suggested he call last week to get all the details but he'd ignored our advice so we dropped him off at the complex of offices where the company was and wished him luck!
We returned home for breakfast and then got ready to take Sophie to uni at 12pm. She was only in for an hour and a half so we dropped her off and went to Aldi to buy dinner for Tuesday night. I then treated Keith to tea and scones in Waitrose to kill the rest of the time. I queued for ages in there and when I eventually returned to the table with our lunch an elderly lady came over (wife of the man who was waiting in the queue behind me) to ask me if I could show her how to access her text messages! I managed to find out where they were stored and showed her how to get to them. She was really grateful, bless her!
After collecting Sophie we headed to the bank as she wanted to transfer some money between her accounts. She is in the middle of arranging a group visit to a basketball game in New York in February when she is there again with uni and had asked everyone who wanted to go to pay her upfront. I was reluctant to let her organise it as I was worried people wouldn't pay, but she was very strict about the other students giving her the money on Friday so I just hope she's not disappointed!
After the bank we decided to treat Sophie to a late McDonald's lunch and went to the restaurant on Riverside. It's been absolutely glorious day with clear blue skies and bright sunlight. Lovely to see but not so great to drive in!
After eating we visited Homebase to look at paint samples and we had a mooch about their Christmas display which was of the "Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap" way of doing things. The whole area looked really cheap and messy and I certainly wasn't tempted to buy anything!
I bought a paint sample from Dulux and we briefly looked at lamps for the landing. Sophie said she didn't like the table we have in the space but I like having some furniture there and the drawer is always useful for storage!
We also had a look around in Next (very elegant and classy decorations) and Boots before heading back into town to get Mike. As we were a bit early we had a quick drink in The Abington pub - a bit naughty but it was either that or sit in a cold car! Being in the puy brought back lots of memories for Keith and I as we used to go here a lot when we worked together almost 30 years ago! In fact, on our first date we met outside the pub so it was nice to go back in. I'm not sure I'd rush back though!
We dropped him off this morning and he had to find out where the office was by himself. We had suggested he call last week to get all the details but he'd ignored our advice so we dropped him off at the complex of offices where the company was and wished him luck!
We returned home for breakfast and then got ready to take Sophie to uni at 12pm. She was only in for an hour and a half so we dropped her off and went to Aldi to buy dinner for Tuesday night. I then treated Keith to tea and scones in Waitrose to kill the rest of the time. I queued for ages in there and when I eventually returned to the table with our lunch an elderly lady came over (wife of the man who was waiting in the queue behind me) to ask me if I could show her how to access her text messages! I managed to find out where they were stored and showed her how to get to them. She was really grateful, bless her!
After collecting Sophie we headed to the bank as she wanted to transfer some money between her accounts. She is in the middle of arranging a group visit to a basketball game in New York in February when she is there again with uni and had asked everyone who wanted to go to pay her upfront. I was reluctant to let her organise it as I was worried people wouldn't pay, but she was very strict about the other students giving her the money on Friday so I just hope she's not disappointed!
After the bank we decided to treat Sophie to a late McDonald's lunch and went to the restaurant on Riverside. It's been absolutely glorious day with clear blue skies and bright sunlight. Lovely to see but not so great to drive in!
After eating we visited Homebase to look at paint samples and we had a mooch about their Christmas display which was of the "Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap" way of doing things. The whole area looked really cheap and messy and I certainly wasn't tempted to buy anything!
I bought a paint sample from Dulux and we briefly looked at lamps for the landing. Sophie said she didn't like the table we have in the space but I like having some furniture there and the drawer is always useful for storage!
We also had a look around in Next (very elegant and classy decorations) and Boots before heading back into town to get Mike. As we were a bit early we had a quick drink in The Abington pub - a bit naughty but it was either that or sit in a cold car! Being in the puy brought back lots of memories for Keith and I as we used to go here a lot when we worked together almost 30 years ago! In fact, on our first date we met outside the pub so it was nice to go back in. I'm not sure I'd rush back though!
Sunday, 27 November 2016
A sore head!
Keith and I woke up feeling very groggy this morning and I had a bad head! Not from too much wine, but I think the different wines we enjoyed (and the Gin and Tonic to start). We had a very lazy morning and didn't venture out until much later to get the Sunday newspapers!
Sophie had a lot of work to do for uni so we spent most of the day in the conservatory. I did some work on my family tree and discovered that one set of ancestors were what were known as "Dissenting Protestants" in the early 19th century. Intriguing!
The weather today has been a mix of sunshine and clouds and it looks set to be sunny early next week. I'd love to see some snow but there's not much chance of that at the moment!
Sophie had a lot of work to do for uni so we spent most of the day in the conservatory. I did some work on my family tree and discovered that one set of ancestors were what were known as "Dissenting Protestants" in the early 19th century. Intriguing!
The weather today has been a mix of sunshine and clouds and it looks set to be sunny early next week. I'd love to see some snow but there's not much chance of that at the moment!
Saturday, 26 November 2016
Wine Night!
This afternoon I decided to get out into the garden and do some more leaf raking as the weather was dry and still. I also planned to have a bonfire as we still have a lot of Mike's old school books hanging around and taking up space!
I told Keith what I was doing, fully expecting him to say that he would do it, but he seemed quite happy for me to play with fire! I had to scrape out a load of sludge in the bottom of the Chiminea first which was probably left over from the last barbecue we had in the summer!
I put some dry paper down and then some scrunched up stuff on top along with several firelighters and put a flame to it all. It burned really well! I carefully added Mike's books to the pile and managed to burn quite a lot! Some of them went out into the recycling box and Mike came out to see what I was doing and helped a bit, although he did like to take risks with the fire by setting light to papers that were only just inside the Chiminea! He's a bad lad!
It was a very pleasant afternoon spent in the garden and I did manage to burn some leaves as well. The birds didn't seem to mind me having a bonfire and still flitted about taking food from the feeders. I even managed to sit out for a while and soak up the late afternoon sun!
Keith went off to a football match in the afternoon, and Mike went off to see a friend so I was able to watch some recorded programmes on television in the peace and quiet. Before Keith came home I jumped in the bath as I wanted to get washed before we went to collect Sophie from work. Keith came home and said although the weather was nice it was a cold day, and even colder watching football!
Tonight Keith and I were out at Richard and Michelle's house who live just behind us. It was lovely not having to drive! Sophie was in on her own but was quite happy to watch a film curled up on the sofa with the cat. Sue and Paul knocked for us and we walked up to the house together.
It was the first time I'd been in their house and it was really lovely - a cocoon of warmth and lovely candles. Richard made us ladies a Gin and Tonic and very good it was, too! We sat in their comfortable living room before we went back out to their gorgeous conservatory/kitchen to enjoy nibbles and start on the first of the wines.
We kicked off with Champagne and I decided I liked the first that was served as it was quite yeasty and would be lovely on Christmas morning. Half of us preferred the first Champagne and I found the second one quite dry. This turned out to be the more expensive of the two, a £27 bottle from Waitrose
whereas the first was an £11 bottle from Aldi. Was it worth the extra £16? I didn't think so.
Mine and Keith's Rieslings were up next and everyone said they liked the first very much. It had a real "petrol" oily nose which can be typical of a Riesling. It was medium dry and very drinkable. Sue quizzed me at length as to which grape variety it was but as it was a wine we don't often drink, she was kept guessing!
The second didn't have as much of a petrolly nose and was drier and tasted a little smoother. I preferred the second and I think we were split again as to which was which! The first turned out to be a German Riesling at £4.50 while the second was the Cono Sur Chilean Riesling at £9. Both wines would be perfect in the garden on a hot summer's day.
While we were sipping the wines we nibbled on delicious cheeses, ham and breads served with chutneys and olives. Sue and Paul had brought the reds tonight and I really liked the first one that was served. It smelt of Germolene, which sounds strange, but it had a very fruity and smooth taste. Sue was convinced it wasn't the one they normally drink but she was wrong as it was! It was a Yellow Tail Shiraz, priced at just £6. The second wine was the more expensive but I definitely preferred the first and none of us thought that the extra £6 was worth paying.
We had a really lovely evening with lots of chat and laughter and didn't go home until past 1am!
I told Keith what I was doing, fully expecting him to say that he would do it, but he seemed quite happy for me to play with fire! I had to scrape out a load of sludge in the bottom of the Chiminea first which was probably left over from the last barbecue we had in the summer!
I put some dry paper down and then some scrunched up stuff on top along with several firelighters and put a flame to it all. It burned really well! I carefully added Mike's books to the pile and managed to burn quite a lot! Some of them went out into the recycling box and Mike came out to see what I was doing and helped a bit, although he did like to take risks with the fire by setting light to papers that were only just inside the Chiminea! He's a bad lad!
It was a very pleasant afternoon spent in the garden and I did manage to burn some leaves as well. The birds didn't seem to mind me having a bonfire and still flitted about taking food from the feeders. I even managed to sit out for a while and soak up the late afternoon sun!
Keith went off to a football match in the afternoon, and Mike went off to see a friend so I was able to watch some recorded programmes on television in the peace and quiet. Before Keith came home I jumped in the bath as I wanted to get washed before we went to collect Sophie from work. Keith came home and said although the weather was nice it was a cold day, and even colder watching football!
Tonight Keith and I were out at Richard and Michelle's house who live just behind us. It was lovely not having to drive! Sophie was in on her own but was quite happy to watch a film curled up on the sofa with the cat. Sue and Paul knocked for us and we walked up to the house together.
It was the first time I'd been in their house and it was really lovely - a cocoon of warmth and lovely candles. Richard made us ladies a Gin and Tonic and very good it was, too! We sat in their comfortable living room before we went back out to their gorgeous conservatory/kitchen to enjoy nibbles and start on the first of the wines.
We kicked off with Champagne and I decided I liked the first that was served as it was quite yeasty and would be lovely on Christmas morning. Half of us preferred the first Champagne and I found the second one quite dry. This turned out to be the more expensive of the two, a £27 bottle from Waitrose
whereas the first was an £11 bottle from Aldi. Was it worth the extra £16? I didn't think so.
Mine and Keith's Rieslings were up next and everyone said they liked the first very much. It had a real "petrol" oily nose which can be typical of a Riesling. It was medium dry and very drinkable. Sue quizzed me at length as to which grape variety it was but as it was a wine we don't often drink, she was kept guessing!
The second didn't have as much of a petrolly nose and was drier and tasted a little smoother. I preferred the second and I think we were split again as to which was which! The first turned out to be a German Riesling at £4.50 while the second was the Cono Sur Chilean Riesling at £9. Both wines would be perfect in the garden on a hot summer's day.
While we were sipping the wines we nibbled on delicious cheeses, ham and breads served with chutneys and olives. Sue and Paul had brought the reds tonight and I really liked the first one that was served. It smelt of Germolene, which sounds strange, but it had a very fruity and smooth taste. Sue was convinced it wasn't the one they normally drink but she was wrong as it was! It was a Yellow Tail Shiraz, priced at just £6. The second wine was the more expensive but I definitely preferred the first and none of us thought that the extra £6 was worth paying.
We had a really lovely evening with lots of chat and laughter and didn't go home until past 1am!
Friday, 25 November 2016
Taxi service!
I took Mum and Dad over to the doctor's surgery this morning as my Dad was having his "staples" removed from his knee...Ugh! Rather him than me! I dropped them off and vainly tried to park in the surgery car park but gave up after nearly wedging my Dad's car in between two other cars! I'd suggested taking his car as it badly needed a run and it's smaller than mine so therefore a bit easier to park.
I eventually had to go and park the car in the Weston Favell Centre and realised, with a sinking heart, that it was Black Friday (even though we don't live in the US...). Mum and Dad didn't have to wait long and my Dad was quite happy to walk back to the shopping centre and go and have a coffee in BB's. We enjoyed our drinks and Mum and I left him there happily reading the paper while we did some shopping in Tesco (even though we had both been in the store yesterday!).
There were a lot of people buying televisions but there were no unruly crowds fighting and arguing over the bargains, thank goodness! I drove my parents home and then headed back for lunch in the sunny conservatory. The promised sun has certainly arrived today and it's been glorious! What a treat to see blue skies and sunshine again!
Keith and I went to collect Mike at 3pm and rather than drive all the way home only to go straight back out again, we waited at uni for Sophie to come out. We waited half an hour but it was preferable to making two journeys! Mike was a bit fed up with waiting but he had no choice!
In the evening Keith went to the pub while Sophie and I prepared a sausage casserole and watched a cheesy Christmas film. The dinner was delicious (thanks, Hairy Bikers!) and after eating Keith and I caught up with two episodes of the hilarious "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Heeeeere!"
I eventually had to go and park the car in the Weston Favell Centre and realised, with a sinking heart, that it was Black Friday (even though we don't live in the US...). Mum and Dad didn't have to wait long and my Dad was quite happy to walk back to the shopping centre and go and have a coffee in BB's. We enjoyed our drinks and Mum and I left him there happily reading the paper while we did some shopping in Tesco (even though we had both been in the store yesterday!).
There were a lot of people buying televisions but there were no unruly crowds fighting and arguing over the bargains, thank goodness! I drove my parents home and then headed back for lunch in the sunny conservatory. The promised sun has certainly arrived today and it's been glorious! What a treat to see blue skies and sunshine again!
Keith and I went to collect Mike at 3pm and rather than drive all the way home only to go straight back out again, we waited at uni for Sophie to come out. We waited half an hour but it was preferable to making two journeys! Mike was a bit fed up with waiting but he had no choice!
In the evening Keith went to the pub while Sophie and I prepared a sausage casserole and watched a cheesy Christmas film. The dinner was delicious (thanks, Hairy Bikers!) and after eating Keith and I caught up with two episodes of the hilarious "I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Heeeeere!"
Thursday, 24 November 2016
Busy day!
There was not much spare time today because as soon as we'd dropped the kids off at college and uni, we headed over to Mum and Dad's as we were taking them shopping with us. My Dad seemed to be in a fair amount of pain this morning and I made the mistake of sitting him in the back of my car rather than the front.
We dropped them both off at Tesco's and then went back over to Aldi to do the bulk of our shopping. When we finished we managed to get parked in a disabled space and used Dad's card. It meant he hardly had to walk to get back to the car.
We sped around Tesco and re-joined my parents who had been waiting in the Costa Coffee outlet. It was then time to get home as quickly as possible, put the shopping away and grab a quick sandwich before I went out gardening with Sue in the afternoon.
Luckily, the weather has been fine and dry today but that cold wind is still about. We went to the house in Brixworth first and the little grey cat, Bella, came out to greet us as well as the robin who sang to us from the trees. We raked up all the leaves on the drive and filled the wheelie bin up within half an hour! I tidied up the patio area and then joined Sue who was raking up leaves at the far end of the garden. The last half hour was spent collecting apples which had fallen off the trees, throwing out the maggoty ones and keeping the good ones. We could have made cider with them!
From Brixworth we went to Old as the owner of the house there had ordered some Spring bulbs he wanted planting. Sue wasn't that happy as she said she hates planting bulbs and after an hour of doing it I can see why! The owner wasn't there so we didn't really know where to put them and in several spots we disturbed bulbs that had been planted there already! It was hard work digging all the holes and making sure the bulbs were in the right way up! We had loads of them!
It was great to get home, strip off my dirty clothes and have a cup of tea and a mince pie with Keith in the conservatory. We then went and collected Sophie and Mike and popped to the Weston Favell Centre on the way home so Keith could go to the bank. Mike went off with him and bought some food...he said he had hardly eaten all day!
We had a very enjoyable evening playing cards and having a drink, something we haven't done for ages. We also looked at some old photos of us all in Berlin and chatted about what we were most looking forward to when we go in a few weeks' time!
We dropped them both off at Tesco's and then went back over to Aldi to do the bulk of our shopping. When we finished we managed to get parked in a disabled space and used Dad's card. It meant he hardly had to walk to get back to the car.
We sped around Tesco and re-joined my parents who had been waiting in the Costa Coffee outlet. It was then time to get home as quickly as possible, put the shopping away and grab a quick sandwich before I went out gardening with Sue in the afternoon.
Luckily, the weather has been fine and dry today but that cold wind is still about. We went to the house in Brixworth first and the little grey cat, Bella, came out to greet us as well as the robin who sang to us from the trees. We raked up all the leaves on the drive and filled the wheelie bin up within half an hour! I tidied up the patio area and then joined Sue who was raking up leaves at the far end of the garden. The last half hour was spent collecting apples which had fallen off the trees, throwing out the maggoty ones and keeping the good ones. We could have made cider with them!
From Brixworth we went to Old as the owner of the house there had ordered some Spring bulbs he wanted planting. Sue wasn't that happy as she said she hates planting bulbs and after an hour of doing it I can see why! The owner wasn't there so we didn't really know where to put them and in several spots we disturbed bulbs that had been planted there already! It was hard work digging all the holes and making sure the bulbs were in the right way up! We had loads of them!
It was great to get home, strip off my dirty clothes and have a cup of tea and a mince pie with Keith in the conservatory. We then went and collected Sophie and Mike and popped to the Weston Favell Centre on the way home so Keith could go to the bank. Mike went off with him and bought some food...he said he had hardly eaten all day!
We had a very enjoyable evening playing cards and having a drink, something we haven't done for ages. We also looked at some old photos of us all in Berlin and chatted about what we were most looking forward to when we go in a few weeks' time!
Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Power-cut!
I was very early for my session at the Citizen's Advice Bureau this morning as I took Sophie into uni first and we always give ourselves plenty of time in case the traffic is bad. I was so early I decided to treat myself to a coffee and pastry first and headed to Caffe Nero, but their coffee machine was broken! This gave me the perfect excuse to go to Costa where I enjoyed a Flat White and a muffin whilst reading the paper.
Frank arrived just after me and we set up the offices, wondering who would be joining us as both Priya and Gill were off today. We had an early rush and there were about seven clients waiting by 9.30am! Such a difference to last week when we had a slow start!
Judy and Claire arrived and the morning was quite steady, which was a relief! With a manic start like that I thought we would be in for a really busy day! Judy and Claire went back to the main office at lunchtime and we had Pat and Hadeer in to take their place and it went very quiet indeed! So quiet that I suggested Frank go early as he had things he needed to do. As I was meeting Sophie in town after work I was more than happy to stay on until the end.
At one point in the afternoon, one of the admin staff came over with a very angry look on her face and wanted to speak to Frank. She looked so furious that I wondered what on earth was the matter... When I said he had gone for the day, she looked at me like I had just crawled out of the carpet and asked why. I said that we were very quiet and there was no point both of us sitting with nothing to do. She disappeared without another word and I thought, blimey! I'm glad he wasn't here to face her wrath!
Sophie came over to find me after she'd enjoyed dessert at the new pudding cafe in town and I was thrilled to see her! Now she can finally picture me working on a Wednesday! We walked back to the car and on the way home I filled up with diesel and put my filthy car through the carwash. It really needed it!
As we drove into the estate I noticed a burglar alarm blaring out and realised that all the houses were in complete darkness. Keith said the power had gone off shortly before we arrived home so we lit all our candles and stood in the window of the house watching the evening darken outside. All around we could see flickering candles in the windows of the other houses!
We were without any power for about an hour and a half and then it came on, only to go back out again an hour later. Luckily, the second power-cut only lasted a few minutes so I was able to cook us dinner! Keith went out to a football match and wrapped up warm as a horrible cold wind had developed after dark and it was very chilly indeed!
Frank arrived just after me and we set up the offices, wondering who would be joining us as both Priya and Gill were off today. We had an early rush and there were about seven clients waiting by 9.30am! Such a difference to last week when we had a slow start!
Judy and Claire arrived and the morning was quite steady, which was a relief! With a manic start like that I thought we would be in for a really busy day! Judy and Claire went back to the main office at lunchtime and we had Pat and Hadeer in to take their place and it went very quiet indeed! So quiet that I suggested Frank go early as he had things he needed to do. As I was meeting Sophie in town after work I was more than happy to stay on until the end.
At one point in the afternoon, one of the admin staff came over with a very angry look on her face and wanted to speak to Frank. She looked so furious that I wondered what on earth was the matter... When I said he had gone for the day, she looked at me like I had just crawled out of the carpet and asked why. I said that we were very quiet and there was no point both of us sitting with nothing to do. She disappeared without another word and I thought, blimey! I'm glad he wasn't here to face her wrath!
Sophie came over to find me after she'd enjoyed dessert at the new pudding cafe in town and I was thrilled to see her! Now she can finally picture me working on a Wednesday! We walked back to the car and on the way home I filled up with diesel and put my filthy car through the carwash. It really needed it!
As we drove into the estate I noticed a burglar alarm blaring out and realised that all the houses were in complete darkness. Keith said the power had gone off shortly before we arrived home so we lit all our candles and stood in the window of the house watching the evening darken outside. All around we could see flickering candles in the windows of the other houses!
We were without any power for about an hour and a half and then it came on, only to go back out again an hour later. Luckily, the second power-cut only lasted a few minutes so I was able to cook us dinner! Keith went out to a football match and wrapped up warm as a horrible cold wind had developed after dark and it was very chilly indeed!
Tuesday, 22 November 2016
Mooching about!
After dropping Sophie off at uni this morning Keith and I drove to B&Q to have a look at paint colours. The large store on the outskirts of Northampton has recently been changed around and we couldn't find anything in there!
Keith went to look at loo fittings (our loos are still making a terrible noise) while I wandered over to the paint section. The choice of colours was staggering! I wanted Dulux's "Light and Space" range as the paint is for our dark landing but they only offered the colours in a matt finish which I don't like.
Looking at all the choice only made me more confused so I took a couple of colour charts from Dulux and B&Q's own brand and Keith and I went to look at the plumbing section which was riveting! We also looked at hand rails for the stairs as the one we have at the moment is ugly. We saw a metal rail that would look great and I made a note of the length we would need for our stairs.
From B&Q we walked over to the brand new Lidl opposite, and had a mooch about as Keith wanted to buy a couple of new frying pans. We spotted two we liked, a small one for eggs and a larger one for when we brown mince, so Keith bought both of them. The aroma of baked breakfast goods was delicious when we entered the store so we wandered over to have a look at what was on offer but I fancied something savoury this morning and they only had sweet stuff or cheesy pastries so we decided to head home and have breakfast there.
Today has been gloomy and overcast and I'll really be glad when the sun makes an appearance again! I think the end of the week is forecast to be cold and clear but there's no sign of the white stuff yet!
Keith went to look at loo fittings (our loos are still making a terrible noise) while I wandered over to the paint section. The choice of colours was staggering! I wanted Dulux's "Light and Space" range as the paint is for our dark landing but they only offered the colours in a matt finish which I don't like.
Looking at all the choice only made me more confused so I took a couple of colour charts from Dulux and B&Q's own brand and Keith and I went to look at the plumbing section which was riveting! We also looked at hand rails for the stairs as the one we have at the moment is ugly. We saw a metal rail that would look great and I made a note of the length we would need for our stairs.
From B&Q we walked over to the brand new Lidl opposite, and had a mooch about as Keith wanted to buy a couple of new frying pans. We spotted two we liked, a small one for eggs and a larger one for when we brown mince, so Keith bought both of them. The aroma of baked breakfast goods was delicious when we entered the store so we wandered over to have a look at what was on offer but I fancied something savoury this morning and they only had sweet stuff or cheesy pastries so we decided to head home and have breakfast there.
Today has been gloomy and overcast and I'll really be glad when the sun makes an appearance again! I think the end of the week is forecast to be cold and clear but there's no sign of the white stuff yet!
Monday, 21 November 2016
Weird weather!
It was lovely to have a slow start to our Monday morning as Sophie wasn't going into uni until midday and Mike isn't at college today. Sophie and I sat in the conservatory and worked on our respective assignments whilst staring out at the increasingly gloomy weather.
The sky was leaden and grey and it was rainy and chilly. Horrible! After we dropped Sophie off at uni we headed to Kettering to do some shopping and it became really foggy! Could it get any worse? We shopped for tonight, as well as dinners for Tuesday and Wednesday, and popped to see Mum and Dad to give them their newspaper.
Back home it was time for some lunch and the weather became even worse, if that's possible! We had torrential rain and wind and at one point it was so dark I had to turn all the lights on - it was only 3pm!
I had said to Keith that I wasn't looking forward to picking Sophie up at 4pm as it was bound to be really foggy and dark, but amazingly, the sky cleared and we saw some sunshine and clear skies! There were a lot of huge towering clouds about, though, and they had a strange orangey tint to them. Despite the blue sky it still looked very stormy and it wouldn't surprise me if we get more rain before the night is out!
The sky was leaden and grey and it was rainy and chilly. Horrible! After we dropped Sophie off at uni we headed to Kettering to do some shopping and it became really foggy! Could it get any worse? We shopped for tonight, as well as dinners for Tuesday and Wednesday, and popped to see Mum and Dad to give them their newspaper.
Back home it was time for some lunch and the weather became even worse, if that's possible! We had torrential rain and wind and at one point it was so dark I had to turn all the lights on - it was only 3pm!
I had said to Keith that I wasn't looking forward to picking Sophie up at 4pm as it was bound to be really foggy and dark, but amazingly, the sky cleared and we saw some sunshine and clear skies! There were a lot of huge towering clouds about, though, and they had a strange orangey tint to them. Despite the blue sky it still looked very stormy and it wouldn't surprise me if we get more rain before the night is out!
Sunday, 20 November 2016
Dreary Sunday...
The weather today has been abysmal with heavy grey skies and nothing in the way of sunshine. We had a lazy start to the day and Sophie went into the conservatory to do some work on her assignment. After picking up the papers and dropping one off at Mum and Dad's Keith and I went home where I made a batch of muffins.
In the afternoon Sophie and I went over to collect Mum and Dad and bring them back for a cup of tea. Maureen at work had brought me a box of Mexican biscuits home from her holiday so I put these out with the muffins.
We had a good chat and the kids were about for once! Outside, the weather hadn't improved at all and when we took Mum and Dad home it was dark by 4pm. Horrible!
In the afternoon Sophie and I went over to collect Mum and Dad and bring them back for a cup of tea. Maureen at work had brought me a box of Mexican biscuits home from her holiday so I put these out with the muffins.
We had a good chat and the kids were about for once! Outside, the weather hadn't improved at all and when we took Mum and Dad home it was dark by 4pm. Horrible!
Saturday, 19 November 2016
Calamity Jane!
Today started off bright and sunny but by the afternoon, the cloud had thickened and it was distinctly dreary and grey.
We took Sophie to work and I had to then go and buy some sort of outfit for this evening's Come Dine With Me at the fancy dress shop in Northampton. A bit late, I know! The theme is American Icon or Thanksgiving and I'd decided to go as a cowboy. I bought a cowboy hat, some spurs and a neck-tie and will team this with my jeans and a denim shirt. We also went to look for the place where Mike is doing work experience in a couple of weeks time and we eventually found it after the third time of driving up and down the Wellingborough road!
I spent the morning catching up with things I needed to do, such as provide our advanced passenger information for our flight to Berlin in December. This is getting very close and we'll be able to check in online this afternoon!
Although the weather was a bit of a disappointment, I still ventured out into the garden in the afternoon and swept up all the leaves. I knew full well that the area I'd cleared would be covered again but I felt I needed to get out and get some moderate exercise and fresh air, ahead of tonight's meal and wine drinking! I raked up loads and loads of leaves from under the bushes and in the road and almost filled our garden waste wheelie bin. It was lovely to be out and very sociable as I spoke briefly to Richard and Michelle and waved at various other neighbours.
I did contemplate washing the car but decided not to, which was a good decision! After Keith had gone to the football I did a stack of ironing and then settled down to watch some recorded programmes, which was lovely and just what I wanted to do!
Sophie was late out of work this evening as they had been very busy and we went over to Brixworth to collect Mikey first. He said he was tired and needed a shower and I was glad to have him home. As soon as we arrived back after picking up Sophie I dressed in my cowboy outfit and decided to put my hair into two bunches as I looked better. Keith suggested I go as Calamity Jane!
He drove me to Andrea's and we arrived at the same time as Lynda and Fiona. Fiona looked amazing as Marilyn Monroe while Lynda had wrapped the American flag around herself and sported the Statue of Liberty's headdress. They both looked wonderful!
Andrea was also dressed as the Statue of Liberty and wore a beautiful pale blue dress.
We started off with mulled wine and nibbles and then moved over to the dinner table for tomato and brandy soup served with Andrea's homemade sunblush tomato and chilli bread. Our main course was a Thanksgiving meal of turkey with home-made stuffing, parmesan mash, sweet potato mash, red cabbage, carrots, green beans and brussels sprouts served with bacon. Andrea had even made her own cranberry sauce! It was delicious and very filling.
Lynda, unfortunately, felt ill during the meal and had to go and stand outside in the cold night air to cool down a bit. She felt a lot better after a while though and managed dessert of chocolate and pecan pie served with ice-cream. None of us could manage cheese and biscuits and by 11.30pm we were all ready to go home. As Lynda hadn't drunk anything except water and the small glass of mulled wine she drove Fiona home.
Keith and Sophie came to collect me and by now it was pouring with rain! Apparently we are experiencing the first of the winter storms - Angus!
We took Sophie to work and I had to then go and buy some sort of outfit for this evening's Come Dine With Me at the fancy dress shop in Northampton. A bit late, I know! The theme is American Icon or Thanksgiving and I'd decided to go as a cowboy. I bought a cowboy hat, some spurs and a neck-tie and will team this with my jeans and a denim shirt. We also went to look for the place where Mike is doing work experience in a couple of weeks time and we eventually found it after the third time of driving up and down the Wellingborough road!
I spent the morning catching up with things I needed to do, such as provide our advanced passenger information for our flight to Berlin in December. This is getting very close and we'll be able to check in online this afternoon!
Although the weather was a bit of a disappointment, I still ventured out into the garden in the afternoon and swept up all the leaves. I knew full well that the area I'd cleared would be covered again but I felt I needed to get out and get some moderate exercise and fresh air, ahead of tonight's meal and wine drinking! I raked up loads and loads of leaves from under the bushes and in the road and almost filled our garden waste wheelie bin. It was lovely to be out and very sociable as I spoke briefly to Richard and Michelle and waved at various other neighbours.
I did contemplate washing the car but decided not to, which was a good decision! After Keith had gone to the football I did a stack of ironing and then settled down to watch some recorded programmes, which was lovely and just what I wanted to do!
Sophie was late out of work this evening as they had been very busy and we went over to Brixworth to collect Mikey first. He said he was tired and needed a shower and I was glad to have him home. As soon as we arrived back after picking up Sophie I dressed in my cowboy outfit and decided to put my hair into two bunches as I looked better. Keith suggested I go as Calamity Jane!
He drove me to Andrea's and we arrived at the same time as Lynda and Fiona. Fiona looked amazing as Marilyn Monroe while Lynda had wrapped the American flag around herself and sported the Statue of Liberty's headdress. They both looked wonderful!
Andrea was also dressed as the Statue of Liberty and wore a beautiful pale blue dress.
We started off with mulled wine and nibbles and then moved over to the dinner table for tomato and brandy soup served with Andrea's homemade sunblush tomato and chilli bread. Our main course was a Thanksgiving meal of turkey with home-made stuffing, parmesan mash, sweet potato mash, red cabbage, carrots, green beans and brussels sprouts served with bacon. Andrea had even made her own cranberry sauce! It was delicious and very filling.
Lynda, unfortunately, felt ill during the meal and had to go and stand outside in the cold night air to cool down a bit. She felt a lot better after a while though and managed dessert of chocolate and pecan pie served with ice-cream. None of us could manage cheese and biscuits and by 11.30pm we were all ready to go home. As Lynda hadn't drunk anything except water and the small glass of mulled wine she drove Fiona home.
Keith and Sophie came to collect me and by now it was pouring with rain! Apparently we are experiencing the first of the winter storms - Angus!
Friday, 18 November 2016
A lunchtime treat!
Sophie didn't go into uni today as her last lecture of the day had been cancelled and she said it wasn't worth going in for just an hour and a half. She went off for a walk with Keith while I stayed at home and did housework. It's been a bitterly cold day today with clear blue skies and sunshine and they both looked very cold when they arrived home!
At lunchtime Sophie and I went to Market Harborough and had lunch at Pizza Express again. We chose the dough balls with the dips, a large pizza to share and some delicious little potato balls which were lovely with the pesto.
It's always cold and windy in Market Harborough and today was no exception! It was freezing! We walked about the town and Sophie bought some snow boots for New York in the Mountain Warehouse. We're hoping she'll take them to Berlin as well as it'll be great if we have snow there!
I treated us all to some cakes and we returned home for a cup of tea in the conservatory. The sky looked very ominous and it has been snowing further north but we didn't get any of the white stuff. Mike went out to a friend's house in the evening and Keith went off to the pub so a very relaxing night ensued!
At lunchtime Sophie and I went to Market Harborough and had lunch at Pizza Express again. We chose the dough balls with the dips, a large pizza to share and some delicious little potato balls which were lovely with the pesto.
It's always cold and windy in Market Harborough and today was no exception! It was freezing! We walked about the town and Sophie bought some snow boots for New York in the Mountain Warehouse. We're hoping she'll take them to Berlin as well as it'll be great if we have snow there!
I treated us all to some cakes and we returned home for a cup of tea in the conservatory. The sky looked very ominous and it has been snowing further north but we didn't get any of the white stuff. Mike went out to a friend's house in the evening and Keith went off to the pub so a very relaxing night ensued!
Thursday, 17 November 2016
Stormy weather!
Keith and I spent the morning shopping as usual and went to see Mum and Dad on the way home to take them some dishwasher tablets that they'd asked us to get for them. My Dad looked well but said he still had a fair bit of pain in his knee. It has only been a week so he will still have a bit of soreness there...he can be so impatient!
Back home we put the shopping away and I went into the conservatory to do some work on my assignment. I wasn't gardening with Sue today as she has an event on at the village hall tomorrow and needed to get ready for it. However, just at the normal time we would go we had a mini-storm!
Our Eucalyptus tree was being flung about all over the place and a fresh deposit of leaves arrived on the lawn! So much for raking them all up the other day!
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
A somewhat trying day!
It was the full moon (a super moon!) the other evening - Monday, I think - and you know what they say about what happens to people when there's a full moon...I think we had most of them in at the CAB today!
It was definitely "one of those days" with heavy traffic on the way into Northampton and some very dodgy people coming in for advice. I was so glad that Frank was working with me today! Gill was on holiday so Bill came in to work with Priya and he was a very experienced advisor, thank goodness!
Two men came in during the morning with some convoluted, confusing tale and one of them returned in the afternoon with some more of his mates looking to get food bank vouchers. They were from one of our Eastern European neighbours and really didn't qualify for the vouchers as they weren't claiming benefits, but although friendly, I'm not sure how they would have reacted if we'd said no to them. Again, I was so glad that Frank was with me!
Despite the interesting mix of people (and smells!) we were quieter than normal and Frank suggested I go early as I was heading off to the library to do some research on my family tree. I'd been really looking forward to spending a couple of hours in the quiet and finding out some information, but it was not to be... The man I spoke to last week seemed delighted to see me again and I have a feeling he thought I was a complete novice at genealogy! He set me up on a computer but rather than leave me on my own to get on with things he sat right next to me which was a bit unsettling!
I was researching a branch of my family who were blacksmiths in the Kent village of Ightham and I was hoping I'd be able to get a definite marriage date for one of them. However, I found that the library didn't have access to the Family Search parish records for this village so me being there was a bit of a waste of time. In fact, I didn't find out anything useful at all and although I knew the member of staff was trying to be helpful, I found it very irritating and he confused me even more!
I was so disappointed at the way things had turned out and left much earlier than I'd intended which meant that I was able to collect Mike from college rather than ask Keith to go out. We drove home in very heavy traffic and it was lovely to finally get home and sit and relax!
It was definitely "one of those days" with heavy traffic on the way into Northampton and some very dodgy people coming in for advice. I was so glad that Frank was working with me today! Gill was on holiday so Bill came in to work with Priya and he was a very experienced advisor, thank goodness!
Two men came in during the morning with some convoluted, confusing tale and one of them returned in the afternoon with some more of his mates looking to get food bank vouchers. They were from one of our Eastern European neighbours and really didn't qualify for the vouchers as they weren't claiming benefits, but although friendly, I'm not sure how they would have reacted if we'd said no to them. Again, I was so glad that Frank was with me!
Despite the interesting mix of people (and smells!) we were quieter than normal and Frank suggested I go early as I was heading off to the library to do some research on my family tree. I'd been really looking forward to spending a couple of hours in the quiet and finding out some information, but it was not to be... The man I spoke to last week seemed delighted to see me again and I have a feeling he thought I was a complete novice at genealogy! He set me up on a computer but rather than leave me on my own to get on with things he sat right next to me which was a bit unsettling!
I was researching a branch of my family who were blacksmiths in the Kent village of Ightham and I was hoping I'd be able to get a definite marriage date for one of them. However, I found that the library didn't have access to the Family Search parish records for this village so me being there was a bit of a waste of time. In fact, I didn't find out anything useful at all and although I knew the member of staff was trying to be helpful, I found it very irritating and he confused me even more!
I was so disappointed at the way things had turned out and left much earlier than I'd intended which meant that I was able to collect Mike from college rather than ask Keith to go out. We drove home in very heavy traffic and it was lovely to finally get home and sit and relax!
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
False alarm!
Today, like yesterday, has been gloomy, damp and grey. Keith and I took Sophie to uni, went to the bank and Tesco and then popped over to Mum and Dad's for a cup of coffee. I took over the little Birthday cake I'd bought last week and we enjoyed a slice with our drinks.
My Dad looked much better but I'm not sure how they'll both get on being cooped up in the house all day. With this horrible weather it might get a bit depressing! Keith took my new table and mirror out to the car and when we got home he set it all up for me.
Taking advantage of the dry weather I raked up a load of leaves in the garden and tidied up the borders. The little robin eventually appeared but before I could do any more (the gravel garden is also covered in leaves) Mike phoned to ask us to pick him up from Brixworth. He only wanted me to go and get him, bring him home so he could shower and then take him back again! I said a resounding "No!"
When I started the car a warning light came on to say that one of my headlight bulbs had gone...Nuisance! We picked Mike up, came home to have some lunch and then headed down to Halford's on Riverside to buy a new bulb and get it fitted.
I also bought a new rear wiper-blade and the whole bundle, including fitting, came to £30! Keith pulled the car around to a covered parking space and as soon as the Halford's man fiddled with the light it came back on! He said it looked like there'd been a loose wire so refunded me the cost of fitting. He did fix the new wiper-blade though but it still seems to squeak a bit!
By now the weather had turned really nasty with horrible rain and misty skies. It has been very mild though, and reached 15c at one point this morning! We went to get Sophie from uni and headed home in the gloom where we had to put all the lights on, it was so dark!
My Dad looked much better but I'm not sure how they'll both get on being cooped up in the house all day. With this horrible weather it might get a bit depressing! Keith took my new table and mirror out to the car and when we got home he set it all up for me.
Taking advantage of the dry weather I raked up a load of leaves in the garden and tidied up the borders. The little robin eventually appeared but before I could do any more (the gravel garden is also covered in leaves) Mike phoned to ask us to pick him up from Brixworth. He only wanted me to go and get him, bring him home so he could shower and then take him back again! I said a resounding "No!"
When I started the car a warning light came on to say that one of my headlight bulbs had gone...Nuisance! We picked Mike up, came home to have some lunch and then headed down to Halford's on Riverside to buy a new bulb and get it fitted.
I also bought a new rear wiper-blade and the whole bundle, including fitting, came to £30! Keith pulled the car around to a covered parking space and as soon as the Halford's man fiddled with the light it came back on! He said it looked like there'd been a loose wire so refunded me the cost of fitting. He did fix the new wiper-blade though but it still seems to squeak a bit!
By now the weather had turned really nasty with horrible rain and misty skies. It has been very mild though, and reached 15c at one point this morning! We went to get Sophie from uni and headed home in the gloom where we had to put all the lights on, it was so dark!
Monday, 14 November 2016
An unexpected treat!
My Dad was due to leave hospital today but before he could come out he needed to have an X-ray on his knee. Mum called to say that he was waiting to go down and that as soon as he was ready she would call me.
Ian came over this morning and together with Keith, he installed a double plug socket on the landing. Mum had shown me a small table she no longer needed and a mirror so that will be the start of the transformation of the landing space which will no longer be gloomy and dark!
We eventually went to get Dad at midday and when we arrived he was all ready to go home. He looked a little pale but he was fully back to normal and, as you can imagine, his weird behaviour on Saturday was the main topic of conversation! I hope he's never like that again! He told us of some more strange dreams he had and seems to have remembered what he was like, which I found surprising. I honestly thought he would have no recollection of what happened to him at all!
I dropped Mum and Dad off at their house and then had some lunch at home before picking up Sophie from uni. Mike had called me to ask whether he could stay with his friends for another night so it was just the three of us again. Keith suggested going to The Lamplighter for dinner and we readily agreed!
We had a lovely evening and the pub was a lot busier than I expected for a Monday night. There was an open Mic event on later but we managed to have two courses before 8pm. We started with garlic bread, both cheesy and plain, and I chose chilli for my main course, while Sophie had a burger. Keith opted for fish and chips...what else? We had a good chat about Berlin and a couple of drinks and it made for a lovely evening out.
Back home, we snuggled up on the sofa and watched "I'm a Celebrity". I wasn't going to watch it this year but already I'm hooked!
Ian came over this morning and together with Keith, he installed a double plug socket on the landing. Mum had shown me a small table she no longer needed and a mirror so that will be the start of the transformation of the landing space which will no longer be gloomy and dark!
We eventually went to get Dad at midday and when we arrived he was all ready to go home. He looked a little pale but he was fully back to normal and, as you can imagine, his weird behaviour on Saturday was the main topic of conversation! I hope he's never like that again! He told us of some more strange dreams he had and seems to have remembered what he was like, which I found surprising. I honestly thought he would have no recollection of what happened to him at all!
I dropped Mum and Dad off at their house and then had some lunch at home before picking up Sophie from uni. Mike had called me to ask whether he could stay with his friends for another night so it was just the three of us again. Keith suggested going to The Lamplighter for dinner and we readily agreed!
We had a lovely evening and the pub was a lot busier than I expected for a Monday night. There was an open Mic event on later but we managed to have two courses before 8pm. We started with garlic bread, both cheesy and plain, and I chose chilli for my main course, while Sophie had a burger. Keith opted for fish and chips...what else? We had a good chat about Berlin and a couple of drinks and it made for a lovely evening out.
Back home, we snuggled up on the sofa and watched "I'm a Celebrity". I wasn't going to watch it this year but already I'm hooked!
Sunday, 13 November 2016
Back to normal!
Today dawned bright and sunny but I wasn't able to get out and enjoy the weather as I had housework to do and a bookshelf to move! Ian is coming over tomorrow to put us a double plug point on the landing so we can have a table and a lamp there to brighten the space a bit. Keith and I pulled our chest of drawers in the bedroom out, hoovered and dusted behind it and then did the same with the bookshelf on the landing.
We managed to find room for the books we wanted to keep and we had a big bag full of others that we didn't need any more. On our way to get the Sunday newspapers we took them to the old telephone kiosk in Holcot which is used as a bookswap. Hopefully other people will enjoy them!
I cleaned the house and then it was time to collect my Mum and go and see my Dad again. We fervently hoped that he was better! The car park of the hospital was empty and we had to contact someone to let us in which was surprising. My Dad is at a small hospital called Woodlands just outside Kettering and I had expected today to be the busiest but it looks like they send everyone home at the weekend!
Thankfully, he was a lot better and almost back to his old self, which was a huge relief for us. He said he felt very strange the day before and kept seeing people that weren't really there! We stayed until 3.30pm and then I took Mum home where she made me a cup of tea. She had a lovely table she didn't want any more and a mirror so next week I'll call back with Keith and take them off her hands.
Although I'd invited her around for dinner, she said she would be fine at home now she knew my Dad was better. We had a lovely cup of tea and a slice of cake and then it was time to go home, in the gathering dusk. There was a beautiful sunset tonight and it was very pleasant driving home and seeing the sky change before my eyes.
Mike was out tonight so there was just the three of us for dinner and it was heavenly to relax and sip a glass of wine while Keith cooked!
We managed to find room for the books we wanted to keep and we had a big bag full of others that we didn't need any more. On our way to get the Sunday newspapers we took them to the old telephone kiosk in Holcot which is used as a bookswap. Hopefully other people will enjoy them!
I cleaned the house and then it was time to collect my Mum and go and see my Dad again. We fervently hoped that he was better! The car park of the hospital was empty and we had to contact someone to let us in which was surprising. My Dad is at a small hospital called Woodlands just outside Kettering and I had expected today to be the busiest but it looks like they send everyone home at the weekend!
Thankfully, he was a lot better and almost back to his old self, which was a huge relief for us. He said he felt very strange the day before and kept seeing people that weren't really there! We stayed until 3.30pm and then I took Mum home where she made me a cup of tea. She had a lovely table she didn't want any more and a mirror so next week I'll call back with Keith and take them off her hands.
Although I'd invited her around for dinner, she said she would be fine at home now she knew my Dad was better. We had a lovely cup of tea and a slice of cake and then it was time to go home, in the gathering dusk. There was a beautiful sunset tonight and it was very pleasant driving home and seeing the sky change before my eyes.
Mike was out tonight so there was just the three of us for dinner and it was heavenly to relax and sip a glass of wine while Keith cooked!
Saturday, 12 November 2016
A bad reaction...
Mum and I went to see my Dad this afternoon in hospital and we warned before we went into his room that he had had a bad reaction to the painkillers and was a bit confused. We had a real shock when we saw him as he was completely out of it although, thankfully, he did at least know who we were.
It was horrible to see him like that as he seemed to be hallucinating - he kep staring at the corner of the room and mumbling to himself about something. He was very difficult to understand and kept dozing off. My Mum, naturally, was very worried about him and she was terrified that it would be permanent even though the nurse assured us it was just a temporary bad reaction to the opiate-based painkiller.
We spent two hours with him but he didn't seem to get any better while we were there and the nurse told us that he'd had the last dose of painkiller at lunchtime which is when they realised that maybe giving it to him wasn't the best idea! It was supposed to take about twelve hours for it to wear off so hopefully when we go and visit tomorrow he should be a lot better. He was supposed to be coming out on Sunday but that has been moved to Monday morning so that was disappointing for my Mum who was looking forward to having him back on Sunday afternoon.
We left and went home and I tried to get my Mum not to worry about how he was. At my house things were a bit up and down as the gas engineer was in and working on the central heating and there was a long tube running down the stairs where he was draining water out of the system. He never managed to get around to servicing the boiler but at least the water leak has been finally fixed.
Before we had dinner Sophie and I watched a lovely documentary on China and I was able to relax for an hour. I just hope my Dad is back to his normal self tomorrow!
It was horrible to see him like that as he seemed to be hallucinating - he kep staring at the corner of the room and mumbling to himself about something. He was very difficult to understand and kept dozing off. My Mum, naturally, was very worried about him and she was terrified that it would be permanent even though the nurse assured us it was just a temporary bad reaction to the opiate-based painkiller.
We spent two hours with him but he didn't seem to get any better while we were there and the nurse told us that he'd had the last dose of painkiller at lunchtime which is when they realised that maybe giving it to him wasn't the best idea! It was supposed to take about twelve hours for it to wear off so hopefully when we go and visit tomorrow he should be a lot better. He was supposed to be coming out on Sunday but that has been moved to Monday morning so that was disappointing for my Mum who was looking forward to having him back on Sunday afternoon.
We left and went home and I tried to get my Mum not to worry about how he was. At my house things were a bit up and down as the gas engineer was in and working on the central heating and there was a long tube running down the stairs where he was draining water out of the system. He never managed to get around to servicing the boiler but at least the water leak has been finally fixed.
Before we had dinner Sophie and I watched a lovely documentary on China and I was able to relax for an hour. I just hope my Dad is back to his normal self tomorrow!
Friday, 11 November 2016
Phew! It's Friday...or is it?
This morning felt like a Thursday as we dropped the kids off at their respective learning centres and then went and did our shopping. I bought some more bird feed as the weather is certainly much colder now and the food disappears fast when I put it out in the garden. We have a crowd of starlings that bicker and fight all the time, plus lots of sparrows and our resident robin who perches on a hanging basket bracket and stares at me when I'm on my computer!
Cheryl is still about and very busy burying nuts to keep her going over the winter! I bought a big bag of peanuts and a tub of fat snax so that should keep them going for a few days! We did our shopping and went home to have lunch before it was time to collect my Mum and go and visit my Dad in hospital.
Today has been glorious weather with clear blue skies and lots of sunshine. My Dad was very groggy still, from the anaesthetic he had yesterday (an epidural) so we only stayed for half an hour before going back to my Mum's for a cup of tea. We had a good chat over a cup of tea and then I returned home via the scenic route which was a lot more pleasant than the busy A43!
After picking Sophie up from uni Keith and I went out for a drink at The Griffin at Pitsford as we heard it had re-opened under new management. The last time we were here was last summer and although the pub had new owners not much else had changed.
Keith and I had a very pleasant drink for an hour and a half and we were delighted to find that when we returned home, Sophie had cooked dinner, which was lovely. Keith disappeared upstairs after we'd eaten to watch the England-Scotland game while Sophie and I watched the film, Basic Instinct, which Sophie did not enjoy!
Cheryl is still about and very busy burying nuts to keep her going over the winter! I bought a big bag of peanuts and a tub of fat snax so that should keep them going for a few days! We did our shopping and went home to have lunch before it was time to collect my Mum and go and visit my Dad in hospital.
Today has been glorious weather with clear blue skies and lots of sunshine. My Dad was very groggy still, from the anaesthetic he had yesterday (an epidural) so we only stayed for half an hour before going back to my Mum's for a cup of tea. We had a good chat over a cup of tea and then I returned home via the scenic route which was a lot more pleasant than the busy A43!
After picking Sophie up from uni Keith and I went out for a drink at The Griffin at Pitsford as we heard it had re-opened under new management. The last time we were here was last summer and although the pub had new owners not much else had changed.
Keith and I had a very pleasant drink for an hour and a half and we were delighted to find that when we returned home, Sophie had cooked dinner, which was lovely. Keith disappeared upstairs after we'd eaten to watch the England-Scotland game while Sophie and I watched the film, Basic Instinct, which Sophie did not enjoy!
Thursday, 10 November 2016
An early start!
I had a very bad's night sleep last night and what made it worse was that I had to be up at 5.30am as my Dad was going into hospital this morning for a knee operation.
Keith came with me and drove and we were both amazed to see how much traffic was on the A43 at such an early hour. We dropped my parents off at the hospital at 7am and went home to have a coffee before taking the kids to college and uni. From there we went straight back to collect my Mum and take her home, so quite a busy start to the day!
We decided to leave the shopping until tomorrow so I had a couple of hours to catch up with things before I went gardening with Sue in the afternoon. At one point we had heavy rain and gusty winds but when she picked me up the sun was shining so foolishly I didn't take a mac and therefore got very wet when we had a torrential downpour in Brixworth!
I spent the whole time at the first garden raking up leaves and filled up the wheelie bin and several wheelbarrow loads with the wet, heavy things! At the next house we did some weeding and luckily it stayed dry until we left. I have a week off next week as Sue is busy with events at the village hall so I'll hopefully be able to concentrate on my next counselling assignment, in the dry!
As soon as I was finished gardening it was off to collect Sophie and Mike and then home to a lovely wallow in the bath and a snooze on the bed while "watching" Pointless. We had a fish and chips for dinner as we hadn't been shopping and it was quite a wrench to go back out into the cold night to fetch them!
Keith came with me and drove and we were both amazed to see how much traffic was on the A43 at such an early hour. We dropped my parents off at the hospital at 7am and went home to have a coffee before taking the kids to college and uni. From there we went straight back to collect my Mum and take her home, so quite a busy start to the day!
We decided to leave the shopping until tomorrow so I had a couple of hours to catch up with things before I went gardening with Sue in the afternoon. At one point we had heavy rain and gusty winds but when she picked me up the sun was shining so foolishly I didn't take a mac and therefore got very wet when we had a torrential downpour in Brixworth!
I spent the whole time at the first garden raking up leaves and filled up the wheelie bin and several wheelbarrow loads with the wet, heavy things! At the next house we did some weeding and luckily it stayed dry until we left. I have a week off next week as Sue is busy with events at the village hall so I'll hopefully be able to concentrate on my next counselling assignment, in the dry!
As soon as I was finished gardening it was off to collect Sophie and Mike and then home to a lovely wallow in the bath and a snooze on the bed while "watching" Pointless. We had a fish and chips for dinner as we hadn't been shopping and it was quite a wrench to go back out into the cold night to fetch them!
Wednesday, 9 November 2016
Birthday celebrations!
Frank was back at the CAB today so that meant I had some support in the office, which was great. I was in early as I'd taken Sophie to uni on the way. It's my Mum's birthday today so before starting work I had a coffee at Caffe Nero and called her to wish her a happy birthday.
As forecast, it was raining today, the first time that it's rained since I began working at the CAB since July! Predictably, we had a quiet day and Frank was surprised at all the changes that had taken place since he'd been away. I don't know whether the rain and cold temperatures put people off but it was very steady and we didn't have to turn anyone away at all, which was a relief after last week!
Gill was away today, though, but we had Hadeer in to cover and she very kindly bought us a box of biscuits to eat with our afternoon tea! That's more like it! Penny came over at 2.30pm to "observe" me and luckily we had one last client come in to see us so she was able to see me in action! She gave me a self-assessment form to complete and that was it. My training is over!
After work I called into M&S to buy my Mum a small birthday cake and to pick up a Christmas pudding I'd reserved through the Daily Mail points system. It was worth £8 and served four people but I have to say I was a bit disappointed when I saw it...it was tiny! Still, it was free! Luckily only Keith, Mum, Dad and me will be eating it on Christmas Day and I'll probably make a chocolate bread and butter pudding for Sophie and Mike.
From M&S I went to the library as I discovered I can use their computers for free to look up Parish records for my family history hobby. I spoke to a very kind man who gave me a lot of advice and tips so next week, as Sophie won't be at uni on the Wednesday, I'll go in and see if I can access some records. The only other alternative is to go to the library in Maidstone in Kent (a long way away!) or to go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints like I did last time.
I met Sophie who had been having lunch in town and we walked back to the car to go home. The traffic was horrendous and there'd been some sort of incident at the large Carlsberg brewery in town which was causing problems on the road. We arrived home at almost 5pm and I started on making an apple crumble for dinner. Keith had very kindly prepared the Coq au Vin for the main course and while I was doing dessert, Sophie set the table for me. This meant that we were able to sit and relax with a glass of wine for an hour before my parents arrived at 7pm.
The dinner went very well but half way through, one of our heart candle holders fell and hit me on the head before scattering melted wax everywhere...my Dad ended up with some on his face and it went all over the glasses and plates and onto Mike's new tracksuit bottoms! It was a bit of a shock and my head hurt where it had hit me! The next thing was that Mike knocked over a vase full of flowers and which I'd only just topped up with water so that had to be cleared up!
The apple crumble also went down very well, especially as the apples were from one of the gardens I look after with Sue. Fruit for free!
As forecast, it was raining today, the first time that it's rained since I began working at the CAB since July! Predictably, we had a quiet day and Frank was surprised at all the changes that had taken place since he'd been away. I don't know whether the rain and cold temperatures put people off but it was very steady and we didn't have to turn anyone away at all, which was a relief after last week!
Gill was away today, though, but we had Hadeer in to cover and she very kindly bought us a box of biscuits to eat with our afternoon tea! That's more like it! Penny came over at 2.30pm to "observe" me and luckily we had one last client come in to see us so she was able to see me in action! She gave me a self-assessment form to complete and that was it. My training is over!
After work I called into M&S to buy my Mum a small birthday cake and to pick up a Christmas pudding I'd reserved through the Daily Mail points system. It was worth £8 and served four people but I have to say I was a bit disappointed when I saw it...it was tiny! Still, it was free! Luckily only Keith, Mum, Dad and me will be eating it on Christmas Day and I'll probably make a chocolate bread and butter pudding for Sophie and Mike.
From M&S I went to the library as I discovered I can use their computers for free to look up Parish records for my family history hobby. I spoke to a very kind man who gave me a lot of advice and tips so next week, as Sophie won't be at uni on the Wednesday, I'll go in and see if I can access some records. The only other alternative is to go to the library in Maidstone in Kent (a long way away!) or to go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints like I did last time.
I met Sophie who had been having lunch in town and we walked back to the car to go home. The traffic was horrendous and there'd been some sort of incident at the large Carlsberg brewery in town which was causing problems on the road. We arrived home at almost 5pm and I started on making an apple crumble for dinner. Keith had very kindly prepared the Coq au Vin for the main course and while I was doing dessert, Sophie set the table for me. This meant that we were able to sit and relax with a glass of wine for an hour before my parents arrived at 7pm.
The dinner went very well but half way through, one of our heart candle holders fell and hit me on the head before scattering melted wax everywhere...my Dad ended up with some on his face and it went all over the glasses and plates and onto Mike's new tracksuit bottoms! It was a bit of a shock and my head hurt where it had hit me! The next thing was that Mike knocked over a vase full of flowers and which I'd only just topped up with water so that had to be cleared up!
The apple crumble also went down very well, especially as the apples were from one of the gardens I look after with Sue. Fruit for free!
Tuesday, 8 November 2016
Important issues!
I took Sophie to uni today as Ian was coming around to the house to help Keith investigate why our loos make such a terrible noise when they're flushed! When I arrived home he was already there so hopefully they can get it fixed soon! It's such an embarrassing noise!
Sophie sent me a message during the day to say that she'd sorted out her video with the help of her friend Danni, so that was a relief. Keith and Ian suspected that the loo problem had something to do with an air bubble in the water pipes so have decided to leave things until our gas engineer comes out to us on Saturday. They did bleed the new towel rail in the en suite though as the bottom was hot while the top was cold. What those two men did when they installed our new bathroom is anyone's guess!
It's been a cold and dingy day today with not a great deal of sunshine and some areas of the country have been forecast to have snow. Although we're supposed to be getting rain tonight and into tomorrow I don't think we'll see any of the white stuff!
We collected Sophie from uni at 3pm and she had a rant about an assignment she'd submitted and which had been quite severely criticised by one of her lecturers. So, we've gone from being happy about the video to sad about the assignment...it's a real roller-coaster of emotions at the moment and I'm sure I remember that last year was very similar when she started uni!
In the evening, after an early dinner of curry, Sophie and I walked up to the village to go to the Parish Council meeting with two of our neighbours, Simon and Lynn. It was a horrible night with a persistent drizzle in the air so we took an umbrella, just in case! We all had some issues to raise at the meeting, namely the speed of the cars driving past our estate, the narrow bridge where there has been several near-misses and the maintenance of the flower boxes, from which we had those glorious poppies stolen in the summer. Simon also wanted to bring up the subject of cars being parked on the pavement as he has a son who uses a wheelchair and finds it difficult to navigate the path.
I knew a couple of people at the meeting and firstly we were quizzed as to why we were there, which I found a bit unwelcoming and rude! We stated that we had issues to talk about and these were explored first, before the meeting started. Our ideas were listened to but I'm not sure anything will be done about them, to be honest. We can only wait and see.
We had to sit and listen to the rest of the meeting which was a bit boring and Sophie took to playing a game on her phone which she hid under her scarf! When we emerged into the night it was raining properly so we had a wet walk home! We stood and chatted to Lynn before we went home and learned some disturbing information about the large field that backs onto our estate. Apparently it's a "land bank" and has around 137 building plots on it...this was news to me but Lynn assured me that it's doubtful it'll ever be built on. Let's hope not!
Sophie sent me a message during the day to say that she'd sorted out her video with the help of her friend Danni, so that was a relief. Keith and Ian suspected that the loo problem had something to do with an air bubble in the water pipes so have decided to leave things until our gas engineer comes out to us on Saturday. They did bleed the new towel rail in the en suite though as the bottom was hot while the top was cold. What those two men did when they installed our new bathroom is anyone's guess!
It's been a cold and dingy day today with not a great deal of sunshine and some areas of the country have been forecast to have snow. Although we're supposed to be getting rain tonight and into tomorrow I don't think we'll see any of the white stuff!
We collected Sophie from uni at 3pm and she had a rant about an assignment she'd submitted and which had been quite severely criticised by one of her lecturers. So, we've gone from being happy about the video to sad about the assignment...it's a real roller-coaster of emotions at the moment and I'm sure I remember that last year was very similar when she started uni!
In the evening, after an early dinner of curry, Sophie and I walked up to the village to go to the Parish Council meeting with two of our neighbours, Simon and Lynn. It was a horrible night with a persistent drizzle in the air so we took an umbrella, just in case! We all had some issues to raise at the meeting, namely the speed of the cars driving past our estate, the narrow bridge where there has been several near-misses and the maintenance of the flower boxes, from which we had those glorious poppies stolen in the summer. Simon also wanted to bring up the subject of cars being parked on the pavement as he has a son who uses a wheelchair and finds it difficult to navigate the path.
I knew a couple of people at the meeting and firstly we were quizzed as to why we were there, which I found a bit unwelcoming and rude! We stated that we had issues to talk about and these were explored first, before the meeting started. Our ideas were listened to but I'm not sure anything will be done about them, to be honest. We can only wait and see.
We had to sit and listen to the rest of the meeting which was a bit boring and Sophie took to playing a game on her phone which she hid under her scarf! When we emerged into the night it was raining properly so we had a wet walk home! We stood and chatted to Lynn before we went home and learned some disturbing information about the large field that backs onto our estate. Apparently it's a "land bank" and has around 137 building plots on it...this was news to me but Lynn assured me that it's doubtful it'll ever be built on. Let's hope not!
Monday, 7 November 2016
A nasty shock
I was horrified to discover that Mike had been smoking in his room last night. I was just about to go downstairs when I noticed the wind making a strange noise in his room so I opened his door to find the window wide open. When I went back downstairs Keith said he'd been caught smoking last night and that Sophie knew about it as well.
I marched back upstairs and woke him up as I was so furious about what he'd done. Keith and I had suspected that he'd been smoking at friend's houses but we never dreamed he would do it at home. I have never smoked and Keith gave it up over 25 years ago so no-one has ever smoked in our house, not even when we've had friends around for dinner. As you can imagine I was extremely angry and shocked. He apologised but the damage was done and I will be very reluctant to leave him on his own in the house from now on.
We took Sophie to uni and Mike came with us as he wanted to get his hair cut in Kettering. We dropped Sophie off and then drove to see my parents as they'd bought a new wireless printer and wanted me to set it up for them. We had a coffee and I managed to get the printer connected to their computer so they were both pleased.
While Keith and I went and did the rest of the week's shopping, Mike had his hair cut and we arranged to meet in the car park of Tesco. We waited and waited and when I sent him a text he said he was still getting his hair cut. He was in the barber's for almost an hour and when he emerged his hair looked hilarious! He looked like the Cheese Strings man from the adverts!
At least he made us laugh and lightened the atmosphere a bit! I was laughing so much I could hardly drive home!
Sophie had also contacted me to pick her up early from uni as she was in a bit of a stress. I dropped Keith and Mike off at home and headed off to collect her and she explained that she'd been having trouble making a video for one of her assignments and that her team had virtually left it for her to do on her own.
We went down to Riverside as neither of us had had any lunch and she treated me to a sandwich and a crispy cornflake cake with a Flat white coffee. Delicious! From there we went to Boots and I bought myself some new make-up. As they had an offer on No7, I saved almost £10 which was a bonus!
We also visited Next as it's my Mum's birthday on Wednesday and I bought her a voucher that she can spend in the store. Sophie bought her a beautiful wooden lantern and a pillar candle from her and Mike so I'm hoping she'll be really pleased with her gifts.
From Riverside we went to the Weston Favell Centre as Sophie needed to take a top back to New Look and then it was home. The sky was looking a bit ominous and rather than walk down to the village as we'd planned we concentrated on working on the video.
Unfortunately, she became very stressed about it all and although we spent two hours trying to figure it out with various movie maker apps, we both gave up in the end and admitted defeat. I said to Sophie that it wasn't fair that she'd been left to do it alone as it was supposed to have been a collaborative effort and she'll go into uni tomorrow and get help. I made a video for her 18th birthday and found it very easy but that was using my old laptop and I couldn't find the same app on my PC.
We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and I just hope she manages to get it sorted out tomorrow!
I marched back upstairs and woke him up as I was so furious about what he'd done. Keith and I had suspected that he'd been smoking at friend's houses but we never dreamed he would do it at home. I have never smoked and Keith gave it up over 25 years ago so no-one has ever smoked in our house, not even when we've had friends around for dinner. As you can imagine I was extremely angry and shocked. He apologised but the damage was done and I will be very reluctant to leave him on his own in the house from now on.
We took Sophie to uni and Mike came with us as he wanted to get his hair cut in Kettering. We dropped Sophie off and then drove to see my parents as they'd bought a new wireless printer and wanted me to set it up for them. We had a coffee and I managed to get the printer connected to their computer so they were both pleased.
While Keith and I went and did the rest of the week's shopping, Mike had his hair cut and we arranged to meet in the car park of Tesco. We waited and waited and when I sent him a text he said he was still getting his hair cut. He was in the barber's for almost an hour and when he emerged his hair looked hilarious! He looked like the Cheese Strings man from the adverts!
At least he made us laugh and lightened the atmosphere a bit! I was laughing so much I could hardly drive home!
Sophie had also contacted me to pick her up early from uni as she was in a bit of a stress. I dropped Keith and Mike off at home and headed off to collect her and she explained that she'd been having trouble making a video for one of her assignments and that her team had virtually left it for her to do on her own.
We went down to Riverside as neither of us had had any lunch and she treated me to a sandwich and a crispy cornflake cake with a Flat white coffee. Delicious! From there we went to Boots and I bought myself some new make-up. As they had an offer on No7, I saved almost £10 which was a bonus!
We also visited Next as it's my Mum's birthday on Wednesday and I bought her a voucher that she can spend in the store. Sophie bought her a beautiful wooden lantern and a pillar candle from her and Mike so I'm hoping she'll be really pleased with her gifts.
From Riverside we went to the Weston Favell Centre as Sophie needed to take a top back to New Look and then it was home. The sky was looking a bit ominous and rather than walk down to the village as we'd planned we concentrated on working on the video.
Unfortunately, she became very stressed about it all and although we spent two hours trying to figure it out with various movie maker apps, we both gave up in the end and admitted defeat. I said to Sophie that it wasn't fair that she'd been left to do it alone as it was supposed to have been a collaborative effort and she'll go into uni tomorrow and get help. I made a video for her 18th birthday and found it very easy but that was using my old laptop and I couldn't find the same app on my PC.
We spent the rest of the evening relaxing and I just hope she manages to get it sorted out tomorrow!
Sunday, 6 November 2016
A lazy day...
Keith and Sophie, foolishly, went out for a walk this morning even though it was still very cold and windy. While they were gone I tidied up the house, washed the glasses from last night, cleared all the fireworks away and prepared the vegetables for dinner.
Just as I was sitting down to watch Alice Roberts narrate the story of our human ancestors making their way to Australia, the phone rang and it was Sophie begging me to collect her and Keith from the end of the farm track near to the nature reserve...
When I got to them they were both freezing and hadn't enjoyed the walk at all. They had left the car between Holcot and Walgrave so we went to collect that and returned home to a warm house and a hot lunch. I said they were both mad to have gone and I think they agreed with me, for once!
Sophie and I spent the afternoon in the warm conservatory not doing very much, which is just what we wanted to do. Outside, the dry and bright day had given way to cloud and rain and the northeasterly wind which was so cold. It felt lovely to be cosy and in the warm!
Just as I was sitting down to watch Alice Roberts narrate the story of our human ancestors making their way to Australia, the phone rang and it was Sophie begging me to collect her and Keith from the end of the farm track near to the nature reserve...
When I got to them they were both freezing and hadn't enjoyed the walk at all. They had left the car between Holcot and Walgrave so we went to collect that and returned home to a warm house and a hot lunch. I said they were both mad to have gone and I think they agreed with me, for once!
Sophie and I spent the afternoon in the warm conservatory not doing very much, which is just what we wanted to do. Outside, the dry and bright day had given way to cloud and rain and the northeasterly wind which was so cold. It felt lovely to be cosy and in the warm!
Saturday, 5 November 2016
Come Dine With Me!
Today has been long and hard, but very enjoyable!
After taking Sophie to work this morning and having some breakfast, I started preparing my meal for tonight by baking a loaf of wholemeal bread. While it was rising in the airing cupboard, I made the sausage casserole and let it cool down before storing it in the fridge. I then prepared all the vegetables - I've never done so much chopping, peeling and slicing in my life!
The bread turned out lovely, even though Keith said it resembled a lump of elephant poo! Charming! The afternoon was spent laying the table and cleaning the downstairs of the house. Keith and Mike were both out so it was very peaceful! I managed to have a lovely relaxing bath and then it was time to collect Sophie from work and put the finishing touches to my preparations. I found a video on YouTube with a crackling fire and ran that all evening to give "atmosphere" while outside we lit the log I'd bought ages ago, in the summer, and never used.
I put little tea-lights in all the candle holders and Sophie said the conservatory looked gorgeous. As the theme tonight was "Bonfire Night" I didn't dress up but when Andrea and Fiona arrived they'd both decided to wear fancy dress! Andrea was dressed as a fireman and carried an inflatable fire extinguisher while Fiona came as a sparkler!
The evening went very well and I think the food was liked by everyone! I know Keith enjoyed my bread despite his previous comment! We started with a Spiced Butternut Squash soup served with the bread and croutons. I was so glad I'd decided to buy my sausages in Chamber's as they were delicious and we could really taste the difference!
After the main course Keith lit the fireworks - he'd set them up earlier in the day - and Mike went out to help him. I decided we'd watch them from indoors as it was freezing cold and also we weren't far enough away to watch them safely outside. I did not want any accidents! The display was great and perfect for the garden with some very pretty fountains and quite a few bangs!
After they were over we went into the garden with the sparklers and waved them about but it really was a very cold night! I'd had the idea of sitting around the log and toasting marshmallows but decided against it when I saw the forecast!
Once we were back indoors we enjoyed the chocolate bread and butter pudding and then it was lovely to just relax over glasses of wine and chat. The girls called a taxi and left at about midnight so that was great and not too late. I was shattered and was definitely ready for my bed!
After taking Sophie to work this morning and having some breakfast, I started preparing my meal for tonight by baking a loaf of wholemeal bread. While it was rising in the airing cupboard, I made the sausage casserole and let it cool down before storing it in the fridge. I then prepared all the vegetables - I've never done so much chopping, peeling and slicing in my life!
The bread turned out lovely, even though Keith said it resembled a lump of elephant poo! Charming! The afternoon was spent laying the table and cleaning the downstairs of the house. Keith and Mike were both out so it was very peaceful! I managed to have a lovely relaxing bath and then it was time to collect Sophie from work and put the finishing touches to my preparations. I found a video on YouTube with a crackling fire and ran that all evening to give "atmosphere" while outside we lit the log I'd bought ages ago, in the summer, and never used.
I put little tea-lights in all the candle holders and Sophie said the conservatory looked gorgeous. As the theme tonight was "Bonfire Night" I didn't dress up but when Andrea and Fiona arrived they'd both decided to wear fancy dress! Andrea was dressed as a fireman and carried an inflatable fire extinguisher while Fiona came as a sparkler!
The evening went very well and I think the food was liked by everyone! I know Keith enjoyed my bread despite his previous comment! We started with a Spiced Butternut Squash soup served with the bread and croutons. I was so glad I'd decided to buy my sausages in Chamber's as they were delicious and we could really taste the difference!
After the main course Keith lit the fireworks - he'd set them up earlier in the day - and Mike went out to help him. I decided we'd watch them from indoors as it was freezing cold and also we weren't far enough away to watch them safely outside. I did not want any accidents! The display was great and perfect for the garden with some very pretty fountains and quite a few bangs!
After they were over we went into the garden with the sparklers and waved them about but it really was a very cold night! I'd had the idea of sitting around the log and toasting marshmallows but decided against it when I saw the forecast!
Once we were back indoors we enjoyed the chocolate bread and butter pudding and then it was lovely to just relax over glasses of wine and chat. The girls called a taxi and left at about midnight so that was great and not too late. I was shattered and was definitely ready for my bed!
Friday, 4 November 2016
Such a busy day!
Today, like this week, has flown by and it's been a real busy one!
Mike didn't go to college today as he felt ill with his cold so we left him at home, took Sophie to uni and called into the butcher's at Brixworth to buy the sausages. It rained heavily while we were driving which wasn't good news for tonight as the fireworks take place in a muddy field!
After buying the sausages we headed over to see Mum and Dad for a cup of coffee and to catch up with their news as I hadn't seen them since last weekend. They were both fine and were amazed to hear our news and how busy we've all been over the last week.
From there we drove to Kettering and I bought the ingredients for my meal on Saturday night, plus some wine. I bought my fireworks in Tesco, along with sparklers and some firelighters. Keith has very kindly offered to deal with the fireworks for me, which is a relief. At the top of the list of do's and don't's that came with the bangers was "Don't drink alcohol before lighting the fireworks"!
We headed home and I made the butternut squash soup (a lot of chopping, peeling and slicing!) and my chocolate bread and butter pudding. Keith and I tried the soup and it was lovely, with a hint of spice and sweetness. I will chill it overnight and re-heat tomorrow before adding a dollop of cream and croutons.
We collected Sophie from uni and drove home to get ready for the bonfire night. Keith was off to the pub and Mike was late getting ready so just Sophie and I walked up in the dark. It was very eerie! When we arrived at the field we both had a drink - a mulled wine for me and a lager for Sophie. The bonfire was lit at about 6.30pm and it gave off some very welcome heat. Tonight is much colder than it has been recently. I definitely think summer and the mild Autumn are distant memories!
Mike joined us and I bought him a beefburger and then the fireworks started. Some of them were really beautiful and some were very loud! A lot of people had come out to see the display and we chatted to Paul and Sue who were helping out with drinks and food. There was a lovely atmosphere.
All too soon, the display was over and we walked home with the crowds through the village and back home. Keith had returned from the pub and dinner was almost ready. Bliss!
Mike didn't go to college today as he felt ill with his cold so we left him at home, took Sophie to uni and called into the butcher's at Brixworth to buy the sausages. It rained heavily while we were driving which wasn't good news for tonight as the fireworks take place in a muddy field!
After buying the sausages we headed over to see Mum and Dad for a cup of coffee and to catch up with their news as I hadn't seen them since last weekend. They were both fine and were amazed to hear our news and how busy we've all been over the last week.
From there we drove to Kettering and I bought the ingredients for my meal on Saturday night, plus some wine. I bought my fireworks in Tesco, along with sparklers and some firelighters. Keith has very kindly offered to deal with the fireworks for me, which is a relief. At the top of the list of do's and don't's that came with the bangers was "Don't drink alcohol before lighting the fireworks"!
We headed home and I made the butternut squash soup (a lot of chopping, peeling and slicing!) and my chocolate bread and butter pudding. Keith and I tried the soup and it was lovely, with a hint of spice and sweetness. I will chill it overnight and re-heat tomorrow before adding a dollop of cream and croutons.
We collected Sophie from uni and drove home to get ready for the bonfire night. Keith was off to the pub and Mike was late getting ready so just Sophie and I walked up in the dark. It was very eerie! When we arrived at the field we both had a drink - a mulled wine for me and a lager for Sophie. The bonfire was lit at about 6.30pm and it gave off some very welcome heat. Tonight is much colder than it has been recently. I definitely think summer and the mild Autumn are distant memories!
Mike joined us and I bought him a beefburger and then the fireworks started. Some of them were really beautiful and some were very loud! A lot of people had come out to see the display and we chatted to Paul and Sue who were helping out with drinks and food. There was a lovely atmosphere.
All too soon, the display was over and we walked home with the crowds through the village and back home. Keith had returned from the pub and dinner was almost ready. Bliss!
Thursday, 3 November 2016
An evening out!
As with all Thursdays now, today was virtually the same as last week with shopping and gardening. I decided to buy all the stuff I needed for my meal on Saturday tomorrow so I could concentrate more! When Sue and I finished the garden in Brixworth we called into the butcher's, Chamber's, as Sue had some meat to pick up for her weekend when she has friends staying. She recommended the sausages so I will call there tomorrow to buy them as Lynda had specified to me that she wanted good quality ones! As I would never use cheap sausages anyway, I think it's best I get them there!
As soon as I'd finished my gardening stint with Sue, at about 4pm, it was off to collect Mike from college and Sophie from uni. Mike seems to have caught a cold from someone and sneezed all the way home. I suppose it is the season for it!
Sophie went off to get ready for her evening out and I suggested to Keith that we go out as well as it would be easier than driving her all the way into town and back again, twice. We had planned on having fish and chips anyway, but he agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly.
Mike said he was going to stay at home because he felt rough so after dropping Sophie off at Nando's in the town centre we parked the car in the Mayorhold car park and walked the short distance to The Oriental Garden, a Chinese restaurant in Sheep Street. They do an "All You Can Eat" menu for £15.50 a head so we opted for that. It included a platter of starters such as seaweed, prawn toasts, barbecued spare ribs, etc, followed by crispy duck. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine as Keith was driving!
We chose three main courses - sweet and sour chicken, beef curry and barbecue pork with egg fried rice and the food was very tasty. The restaurant was incredibly noisy as there were groups of people all eating and having a great time. Have Christmas parties started early?
By 9.30, after having a naughty dessert of Toffee Apple and Banana we sent a text to Sophie to see if she was ready to go home. She had assured me she didn't want to go for a drink with her work friends after the meal, but when I contacted her she wanted to go to Revs for cocktails! We said no, but by the time we'd paid the bill, walked back to the car and driven around to Bridge Street, she'd managed half a glass of Rum Bongo!
As soon as I'd finished my gardening stint with Sue, at about 4pm, it was off to collect Mike from college and Sophie from uni. Mike seems to have caught a cold from someone and sneezed all the way home. I suppose it is the season for it!
Sophie went off to get ready for her evening out and I suggested to Keith that we go out as well as it would be easier than driving her all the way into town and back again, twice. We had planned on having fish and chips anyway, but he agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly.
Mike said he was going to stay at home because he felt rough so after dropping Sophie off at Nando's in the town centre we parked the car in the Mayorhold car park and walked the short distance to The Oriental Garden, a Chinese restaurant in Sheep Street. They do an "All You Can Eat" menu for £15.50 a head so we opted for that. It included a platter of starters such as seaweed, prawn toasts, barbecued spare ribs, etc, followed by crispy duck. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine as Keith was driving!
We chose three main courses - sweet and sour chicken, beef curry and barbecue pork with egg fried rice and the food was very tasty. The restaurant was incredibly noisy as there were groups of people all eating and having a great time. Have Christmas parties started early?
By 9.30, after having a naughty dessert of Toffee Apple and Banana we sent a text to Sophie to see if she was ready to go home. She had assured me she didn't want to go for a drink with her work friends after the meal, but when I contacted her she wanted to go to Revs for cocktails! We said no, but by the time we'd paid the bill, walked back to the car and driven around to Bridge Street, she'd managed half a glass of Rum Bongo!
Wednesday, 2 November 2016
A bit of stress!
Today has been quite a stressful day at the Citizen's Advice Bureau as Frank wasn't in again and Priya went off for training in the afternoon. It meant that I had to turn lots of people away which I hated doing. Of course, the weather today has been beautiful and sunny but I didn't see any of it! It's turning much colder now and we had our first frost this morning so that was a bit of a shock!
In the afternoon there was just Gill and myself and I had to stop clients coming in at about 1.30pm as Gill would never have coped if I'd let people wait. This meant that we didn't get away until nearly 4pm and I was late collecting Mikey from college. It was bliss to finally get home after my long day and relax with a cup of tea!
Sophie was out in the evening to celebrate her friend Hannah's birthday at Frank's burger house in Billing. We dropped her off at Hannah's house first and then went home to have dinner and relax for a bit before it was time to collect her later in the evening. She was a bit tetchy on the way home as she would have preferred to have been picked up from Hannah's house rather than the restaurant...oh dear!
In the afternoon there was just Gill and myself and I had to stop clients coming in at about 1.30pm as Gill would never have coped if I'd let people wait. This meant that we didn't get away until nearly 4pm and I was late collecting Mikey from college. It was bliss to finally get home after my long day and relax with a cup of tea!
Sophie was out in the evening to celebrate her friend Hannah's birthday at Frank's burger house in Billing. We dropped her off at Hannah's house first and then went home to have dinner and relax for a bit before it was time to collect her later in the evening. She was a bit tetchy on the way home as she would have preferred to have been picked up from Hannah's house rather than the restaurant...oh dear!
Tuesday, 1 November 2016
Where have all the pumpkins gone?
We had a blanket of fog this morning and it was really gloomy when we went to pick Sophie up at 7.30am. She was very bleary-eyed and tired because she hadn't gone to bed until about 3am but had insisted she wanted to come home as she needed a shower before going into uni.
After we took her back in Keith and I had a quiet day. The fog lifted, to be replaced by grey, overcast skies. I managed to motivate myself to put a colour on my hair in the afternoon and went back to collect Sophie from uni at 3pm. The BT engineer came again today to sort out our internet which has been going wrong again for the past week. I just hope this is the last time we see him!
Sophie wanted to pop to the Weston Favell Centre after uni to take a top back to New Look so after we did that we had a drink in Costa before heading into Tesco. I have now decided to make Mary Berry's Spiced Butternut Squash soup as a starter on Saturday so I bought all the ingredients plus dinner for tomorrow night. Sophie is out again on Wednesday and Thursday this week!
I was pretty glad I had changed my mind about the pumpkin fondue as there was not one to be seen anywhere, not even in the grocers on the ground floor! Where have they all gone?
Keith was out this evening to watch his team play so it was Jerk Chicken Pasta for dinner and boy, was it hot! Keith had used quite a bit of the Jerk paste to marinate the chicken and it was very spicy indeed! Phew!
After we took her back in Keith and I had a quiet day. The fog lifted, to be replaced by grey, overcast skies. I managed to motivate myself to put a colour on my hair in the afternoon and went back to collect Sophie from uni at 3pm. The BT engineer came again today to sort out our internet which has been going wrong again for the past week. I just hope this is the last time we see him!
Sophie wanted to pop to the Weston Favell Centre after uni to take a top back to New Look so after we did that we had a drink in Costa before heading into Tesco. I have now decided to make Mary Berry's Spiced Butternut Squash soup as a starter on Saturday so I bought all the ingredients plus dinner for tomorrow night. Sophie is out again on Wednesday and Thursday this week!
I was pretty glad I had changed my mind about the pumpkin fondue as there was not one to be seen anywhere, not even in the grocers on the ground floor! Where have they all gone?
Keith was out this evening to watch his team play so it was Jerk Chicken Pasta for dinner and boy, was it hot! Keith had used quite a bit of the Jerk paste to marinate the chicken and it was very spicy indeed! Phew!
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