An early start.

I had texted Sara last night saying that we'd been delayed on the ferry and had asked if it was OK to go in a bit later, but I was up at 7am and into work at the normal time. Sara was glad I'd gone in as we were very busy with phone calls and I had to do the box office returns as well! The time flew by! By the end of my shift I felt very tired indeed!

I dashed home, very glad I didn't have to go to school today! After a quick change Sophie, Keith and I went to see my Mum and Dad and took them a bottle of wine and some chocolates. The wine was from a village called Saint Pourcain and they had stayed at a little auberge there for many a time while visiting France, so it held special memories for them both.

On the way home we called into the local shop and Sophie bought us an ice-cream. The sun was out and it was lovely to sit in the car and enjoy our treat!

In the evening we were all very tired! Our long day yesterday had really caught up with us! Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

The beautiful Opal Coast

We awoke to another grey, foggy and murky day. Outside our bedroom window the traffic was streaming into the port and it looked like an endless row of lorries. We quickly showered and told Soph and Mike we were going down for breakfast as we were getting a little worried we'd be late for our 9.30am ferry.

Fortunately, the breakfast staff were a lot friendlier and more efficient than the crew on last night in the restaurant, and while we waited for the children to arrive we enjoyed good coffee, cereals, fruit and toast.

Sophie and Mike appeared and we made them choose their cooked breakfast really quickly, poor things! Our choices arrived about 15 minutes later and we all tucked in to eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns and baked beans. It certainly set us up for the day!

After we'd eaten we dashed back to our rooms, gathered up all our belongings and checked out. While I packed the car with the help of the children, Keith had a word with the receptionist about last night's fiasco so at least they're warned I'll be mentioning the situation when they send me their survey!

Luckily, the traffic had died down a bit but by the time we reached the P&O check in point we were told to board straight away. I had to drive up a steep corrugated ramp which was a bit hairy (I was terrified I'd stall the engine) but soon we were parked and heading up to find some seats.

Outside we couldn't see a thing...

Once the ferry left the port we went and bought a pack of playing cards and sat in the restaurant with a coffee playing our favourite game, which was very pleasant. I actually felt like I was on holiday! We'd had a meander around the Duty Free shop but nothing caught our eye - some of the prices were more expensive than Tesco!

After about an hour and a half we arrived in Calais and we were really pleased to see the sun come out. Hooray! We drove onto the A16 and headed towards Boulogne, hoping to see a sign for the D940, the coast road that runs almost parallel to the motorway. We didn't so we took a chance and came off the A16, heading into Calais. We were delighted to see a sign for Sangatte and realised we'd picked up the road we wanted.

This road wound its way along the coast through some pretty villages and dramatic countryside. At one point we were climbing really high and when the road opened out we had tremendous views of the cliffs and rolling fields. Unfortunately, the fog still lingered, especially over the sea, so we couldn't see as much as we'd liked. We passed Cap Blanc Nez (Cape White Nose) and drove on to Cap Gris Nez (Cape Grey Nose) which juts out into the sea and from where, on a clear day, you can see the white cliffs of Dover. We'd passed some lovely villages on the way - Escalles, Wissant and Tardinghen - and I'd love to come back and explore some more one day.

We took the road to Cap Gris Nez and parked in the quiet car park. We were able to follow several paths to the viewing point and although we couldn't see much of the sea, the area had a lovely, quiet feel to it which we loved.

There were a few other people about and we could see a lighthouse in the distance. This area has a lot of history from the first and second world wars and the information boards were very good at telling us what had happened here as well as describing the local flora and fauna.

I wanted to go to the lighthouse but we realised we didn't have a great deal of time so we returned to the car and pushed on to the gorgeous seaside town of Wimereux. We managed to park on the main street and walked down to the front where we found a beautiful esplanade adorned with bars, hotels and beach huts. The weather had improved dramatically and we saw blue sky and sunshine. It was lovely!

We stood and gazed out to sea and thought we saw seals but later we discovered they were rocks! It was very pleasant and it was wonderful to see the sun shining after the morning's fog.

The sea came right up to the promenade but the tide was going out.

I loved this large house, but it needs some tlc!

The quality of light here was beautiful.

We meandered along the promenade and came to a slip leading straight into the sea so Sophie and I had a paddle. The water was freezing cold!

A couple of children were playing on the rocks next to the slip and were collecting sea water in a little bucket. There was a lovely atmosphere to the quaint little town and no doubt it gets very busy in the high season. We saw a smart hotel on the front called the Hotel Atlantic and looked at the price of the rooms - from about 180 euros!

By now it was quite warm and we fancied a sit down and a drink so we wandered back the way we'd come and went a bit further. There were two bars near to where we'd first arrived on the promenade, but I wanted to explore a bit more! However there was only a bridge with a river running underneath it and an ice-cream and waffle stall at the end of the promenade, so after visiting the public loos (no toilet seats!), we went back to the first bar we'd seen.

It was called Les Oyats (beachgrasses, I think) and we sat and enjoyed a beer in the gorgeous sunshine. We picked a beer called La Chouffe which was similar to Leffe but lighter and more floral. It was very pleasant indeed sitting in the sun and soaking up the warmth and ambience. I hope one day we'll be able to go back for longer.

As it was now about 3pm we returned to the car and set off back to Calais, deciding to take the A16 half way along so we could gain a bit of time. After a quick, but very embarrassing detour to the freight terminal for the Euro Tunnel, we finally found the entrance to Cite Europe and parked the car among a sea of British number plates. Our first stop was Carrefour where we bought beer, wine, chocolates and smoked sausage and after taking all our shopping back to the car we headed for the restaurant quarter. The place we normally visit was empty but The Black Bull pub opposite was busy with people eating and waiters dashing to and fro. The menu looked OK so we sat down and ordered some beers and made our choices.

Sophie and I went for the chicken breast in a mushroom sauce served with frites and salad. Keith went for half a chicken while Mike opted for the safe spaghetti bolognese. We enjoyed garlic bread to start and the food was very good. We liked the addition of a bread basket to go with our mains!

Sophie and I also indulged in a dessert of crepes with cream and chocolate so we waddled back to the car! Getting back to the ferry terminal at Calais took a bit longer than we'd anticipated and when we arrived at the check-in we were told there was an hour's delay because of the fog, which was still, like a bad smell, hanging about!

We parked in our designated line and waited for an age to board. As we waited the fog became even thicker and I dreaded it being the same in Kent. However, after a noisy crossing when I tried in vain to have a nap, the weather was clear but we did encounter some foggy spots on the way home. I'm just glad it wasn't too bad!

We arrived home at 1am, three hours after we drove off the ferry in Dover. It had been a very enjoyable day and I'm really hoping that one day we visit this beautiful area of France again!

Down to Dover!

I was at work at 7.30am this morning and hoping to get all my box office returns done so I could leave a bit earlier than I'd hoped.

By 11am I was all done and looking forward to a day and a half off! I sped home to find Sophie working through all the jobs she had to do and about to hoover the house. I finished packing for our day in France and found the map we needed, plus the breathalyser and headlight converters we'd bought back in December, the last time we visited.

I was a bit disappointed with the weather, to be honest. For some reason I'd just assumed we would be enjoying sunshine and blue skies but it was grey and overcast, with heavy showers forecast. By 1pm we were all ready to go, with the car packed (my pillows were in) and then we had a malfunction with the tumble dryer door. It just wouldn't close. Keith tinkered with it and managed to get it going but I was worried it wouldn't turn off. The plan had been to go to the doctor's with him for his 1.30pm appointment and then hit the road straight from there, but I suggested we go back and check that the machine hadn't overheated and blown up. Looking back we could all have stayed at home while Keith went on his own but for some reason this never occurred to us until we'd left...

Keith went for the results of his blood tests and everything was good, which was a relief. We sped back home, emptied the tumble dryer, dumped it all on a chair in the living room and left for good this time! Our journey down the M1 was slow and hampered by the weather, which was stormy. We saw lightning and heard thunder in the distance. Not really what I'd imagined!

We crawled along the M25 and decided to take the M20 to Dover as we'd heard reports of flooding on the M2. Radio 2 said that the weather was terrible and we couldn't believe that all the sunny days we'd enjoyed had disappeared!

At Dartford, we sped on and saw huge jams leading onto the M2 and going the other way on the M25 - it turned out that there was a gas leak in the town and also one of the tunnels had been closed. Not a good day!

Luckily, the M20 was fine and although we had some really heavy rain as we neared Dover, we made it to the port by 6pm. By now it was misty and murky and more like a November day than a May one! We checked in to the Premier Inn and dealt with a very friendly man on Reception before dumping our bags and heading out to St Margaret's at Cliff, a village we'd visited before.

We wound our way down a steep and narrow road to the bay and parked in the car park of The Coastguard pub. A man greeted us and asked us if we were eating but we'd booked the special meal deal at the hotel for tonight and tomorrow's breakfast. We waited at the bar to be served and even though there were several staff about, it took them a good ten minutes to serve us, which really annoyed Keith!

Eventually we managed to order, and two beers, two glasses of wine and two packets of crisps came to almost £19! No wonder so many pubs are going out of business! It infuriates me that it costs us more for a glass of wine than it does for a decent bottle of Pinot Gris in Aldi!

We stayed at the bar and chatted but the weather didn't improve at all. In fact, I think it got worse! We left after one drink and went to The Smugglers pub on the High Street of the village. The other pub we'd been in to some years back was all boarded up, which was a shame as it was a quirky little place and we'd liked to have gone back. Keith ordered at the bar and I had an orange juice while Sophie was given a glass of Chardonnay, which she hates! Unfortunately, Keith's and Mike's beers were sour and smelt like vinegar so they had to be poured away and they had to settle for another choice, which didn't go down well! I don't think we'll be coming back to this village again!

This was all very disappointing as the only reason I'd booked the ferry was so we could go back to this area but we certainly won't be back! Perhaps next time we'll stay near Folkestone and explore the pubs there!

We left The Smugglers and made our way through the thick fog to Dover. We were all a bit hungry by now so I asked if we could move our table reservation forward, which was fine. We were seated at a shabby banquette seat and we noticed crumbs and bits of the leather all over the seats. Not a great start!

Keith and Mike came over and a waiter came to take our order. We said we'd taken advantage of the meal deal which included a pint of beer or lager, or a glass of wine with the meal. Sophie and I ordered a glass of Pinot Gris and the waiter said that would incur a charge of 50p each as we were only entitled to a glass of house wine. I said that was fine, we'd have the house wine but then he said they didn't have any and we'd have to choose off the normal menu and pay the extra!

At this point I started to get annoyed and asked why they hadn't any house wine (unbelievable!) and why should we be expected to pay extra for something when it wasn't our fault? He asked if I'd like to talk to the manager and I said definitely!

To cut a long and tedious story short, we had a brief argument about the wine and I said that we shouldn't be penalised for something he had got wrong, i.e. not ordering enough bog standard wine, which I find hard to believe. It's not like I had requested a glass of Chablis or anything! He gave in, but very reluctantly, and it left a real sour taste in our mouths. We then waited an age for our starters to arrive and another 45 minutes for our main courses to appear. Was it deliberate? We all thought it was. The food looked like it had been cooked and left on the hot plate for ages so none of us really enjoyed the meal and it was late by the time we'd finished.

On the way back up to our rooms the man on reception came into his own and gave Keith a bottle of water and a glass with ice - there's good service for you! It's a shame his colleagues in the restaurant didn't follow his example!

More painting!

Sophie was working today so we dropped her off as I wanted to get my car washed. The weather's been disappointingly overcast and grey which is typical seeing as I worked the last Bank Holiday and it was lovely!

As soon as we returned home I made a start on glossing the woodwork in Sophie's room. I really didn't want to do it as I hate glossing and I was terrified I was going to get paint on her new quilt or curtains! However, I listened to Radio 2 and soon I was almost finished. I just left the section of skirting board by her shelving unit until she decides what she's going to do with the furniture.

When I'd finished I went and had a shower and then Keith and I went to the tip with her old bedding and the packaging from her headboard. As expected it was busy and by now the sun had made an appearance and the weather had improved dramatically. We popped in to see Mum and Dad and take them a newspaper and stayed for a cold drink as it was getting quite warm!

From Mum's we drove to pick up Sophie and returned home to play cards in the conservatory and enjoy a drink in the sunshine. We had a simple dinner of soup and crusty bread and then it was time to relax before bed. Just as we decided to retire for the night I suggested we hang Sophie's new curtains and they looked fab!

A mammoth day!

I was woken at 3am by bright flashes of light - it was like cameras going off outside the window! I then heard the rumblings of thunder and saw that there was a light on downstairs. It was Sophie, who'd brought Monty in. The rain then started and we were treated to an almighty thunderstorm with almost constant lightning and nearby claps of thunder. It rivalled anything Florida had to offer!

We stayed downstairs for a while and watched the spectacle from the front window before going back to bed. It took me a while to go back to sleep as the storm moved off elsewhere.

I was up again at 7am and planning the day as we had a lot to get done! When Sophie woke up we listed all the jobs we needed to do and first thing, Keith and I went to get some diesel for my car and picked up the Sunday papers. We dropped one into Mum and Dad's and checked they were OK after the storm. My Mum had slept through it but Dad had woken up and agreed it was a good one!

Back home Sophie and I made breakfast of poached eggs on English muffins and then it was time to tackle her room once more. She put a second coat of emulsion on the walls while I painted the very tops and then helped put a second coat on the patchy bits. Keith started to assemble her new headboard which looked very complicated! While Sophie and I painted we listened to the Florida playlist on her phone and it certainly made things a lot easier. Outside it was gorgeous, with blue skies, fluffy white clouds and a cooling breeze. Perfect for painting!

Keith brought the headboard up and had almost assembled it. I'd removed her old one and we moved the bed out so he could fix it to the wall. We then stripped her bed of her old bedding and made it up again with all her new pillows, quilt and sheet. It looked fantastic! I even found a replacement valance in my bedding drawer and ironed that for her so it all looked lovely! She was very pleased!

Keith finished the headboard and Sophie arranged all her books and trinkets on it as it has great storage shelves on either side. He then put up two pictures and a shelf for her so it's all starting to come together. We had achieved far more than we thought today!

By now it was almost 3pm so we had a break, although I was still sorting washing out. We're going to put the black curtains from Sophie's room into Mike's bedroom and I had washed them and hung them on the line to dry. Mike had cleaned his room and hoovered it. Wonders will never cease!

We did re-consider dinner today of homemade beef burgers and baps but we decided to go ahead. The recipe for the baps called for an egg but we'd used them all at breakfast so we had to go without! We assembled all the ingredients and I kneaded the dough for ten minutes before adding softened butter. It was a bit icky! I then had to knead it for another ten minutes! Hard work! We then put the dough into a bowl and put it in the airing cupboard to prove while we made the burgers. We used a Mary Berry recipe and mixed the ground beef with salt, parsley, grated onions and a hot sauce. After shaping them into burger-like rounds we put them in the fridge to chill.

By now I was a bit weary so I went and had a bath and peered at the dough which had doubled in size. I took it downstairs and we divided it into eight baps and left them to rise again for an hour. Sophie had cut up potatoes to make wedges so these went into the oven followed by the baps. We'd brushed them with milk and scattered sesame seeds over the top. They looked OK, but not very round!

We took the baps out and left them to cool and then grilled the burgers. Towards the end of the cooking the grill suddenly went off and we think some of the foil had touched the heating element. Keith was not very happy but the burgers were done so we all sat down to eat.

We agreed that the baps tasted lovely but they weren't soft like the ones we buy in the supermarket! However, the burgers were delicious and we'll definitely make them again! After dinner we collapsed on the sofa and did very little. Outside, the thunder and lightning rumbled away again and we'd heard there'd been flash floods in Northampton and that several homes were under water!

A spot of painting

Keith and I went over to Mum and Dad's house this morning and tidied up their front garden which was a mess. The grass was long and there were some monster weeds in their front verge so it was way overdue a good seeing to.

Keith strimmed the small areas of grass and then mowed them while I pulled out all the weeds and turned over the soil. Luckily they have bark down so that keeps some of the weeds at bay but there were a few huge ones!

Keith then mowed the back lawn and I swept everything up - we nearly filled the garden wheelie bin! Mum and Dad were really pleased and looked relieved that it had all been done. We left at 11.30am, sped home to have a late breakfast and then made a start on Sophie's bedroom.

She'd been painting all week so I cleaned her window and sanded down the sill ready for glossing. I did that and then managed to paint quite a bit of her wall. Keith tidied up the tops of the walls so we were really pleased we'd made some progress. Tomorrow we plan to finish the emulsion and get Keith to make up her new headboard for her bed. I'm leaving all the skirting boards and the door until Monday!

As well as doing that I'd changed my bed so a bath was very welcome. I wallowed in the lovely hot soapy water while Keith tried to fix the light in the bathroom which had stopped working. Replacing it was very difficult but when Keith eventually managed to fit a new one it wouldn't work either! What a pain!

We went to get Sophie from work and then it was home for a well-earned drink while Keith prepared the dinner. After we'd eaten he watched the Champions League Final while I dozed on the sofa. It had been a busy day!

A dearth of children!

We awoke to a horrible grey day and the weather didn't improve at all. By lunchtime it was misty and murky!

Work was OK but I was glad to speed home and have a quick chat with Keith. My Dad had phoned to say that my Mum wasn't feeling well (side effects of her medication, I think) so I said that I'd go and see them if we didn't have any children attend the after-school club. Lisa had texted me to say we had no-one booked in earlier in the day, the first time in three years!

I arrived to find Lisa hoovering the hall so I mopped the floor and by the time I'd finished the final bell had rung. We waited in case any parents were running late but by 3.30pm it was clear our services weren't needed so we were free to go!

I drove over to see Mum and Dad and spent two hours with them having a good chat. I think my Mum is exhausted at the moment looking after Dad and that she misses being able to go out and do some shopping and enjoy a coffee with her friends, Garry and Gloria. Garry is also ill at the moment as he had a stroke about two months ago so it's a bad time for all of them.

I left my parents and 5.30pm and drove to pick up Sophie who was at work. She was due to finish at 6pm but had to carry on until 6.30pm as they'd been so busy and four people had called in sick! We finally arrived home at almost 7pm, much later than I'd been expecting!

We hastily finished off the dinner of spaghetti bolognese and dashed off to collect Keith and Mike who gone for a drink as well. It was heaven to get home and look forward to three days off!

So rude!

I awoke to a grey day but by lunchtime the sky had cleared again. Work was OK, we had busy periods but overall it was quite quiet and Sue and I were glad when it was time to go home as we'd both had a few difficult phone calls!

We spent most of the session at after-school club in the playground and Lisa left early at 5.30pm as she was going to a parents' evening for her oldest son. She locked up the school and I stayed with two little girls who were picked up well before 6pm. That was a relief!

I dashed home, ate a quick dinner and then Sophie and I drove to the cinema to see Unsane. The weather had changed again and it was raining hard when we left home. I put some petrol in Sophie's car and we parked in the Weston Favell Centre and walked across.

Sue had printed my tickets off and originally Mike was going to come with us, but he had other plans at the last minute...of course, they included a girl! Sophie and I went in and sat on the right hand side of the cinema as usual, following a couple of women who seemed very respectable.

The film started and then another couple came in who looked very unsteady on their feet. They almost sat down right in front of us even though there were only about 20 of us in the whole auditorium but managed to find seats elsewhere, thank goodness. They then proceeded to talk for the next fifteen minutes which was very annoying.

After about half an hour the two women we'd followed in then struck up a loud conversation which was really annoying as the film was quite suspenseful and quiet. Sophie turned around and told them to stop talking which was brilliant! I was so proud of her! Five minutes later they left!

Then the other two noisy people left so we thought that was it, but no, they returned with suspiciously clinky noises and sat back down again with a lot more commotion. By now, we'd had enough and the film was quite disturbing so we decided to call it a night and left, walking back to the car in the pouring rain. It hadn't been a brilliant night!

Group hug!

Sophie and I went to the hospital with Mum and Dad this morning as he had an appointment with the physiotherapy department. We dropped them off at the entrance and managed to enlist some help with getting a wheelchair for him to use, although he seemed quite happy to use a crutch to walk!

We sped home and planned the menu for the week, deciding to cook homemade beef burgers and make our own baps on Sunday. We're a bit fed up with chicken dishes! Just as we finished Mum called again and we went to pick them up and take them home. Dad seemed OK but looked a little tired from his extertions. He must keep on doing his exercises!

Keith had been for a walk but he wanted to come to the Weston Favell Centre with us so we drove over there and I bought some toys for the children in Wilco's. We decided to treat ourselves and we had a McDonald's for lunch...I can't remember the last time we did that, so it was lovely to enjoy a cheeseburger and fries.

As Sophie and I had the drive-thru, Keith drove and took us to uni as Sophie wanted to take a bottle of wine in for a member of staff who had helped her with her dissertation so Keith parked the car and we walked over to where she studied. By now, the previously grey and horrible weather had given way to sunshine and blue skies and it was lovely to see where Sophie had spent the last three years and she was obviously proud of the building and the library. It was a beautiful airy and light part of the campus and was immaculately clean. The uni is moving to a new campus in September, right on the riverside in Northampton but I couldn't see anything wrong with the present one!

We met one of Sophie's lecturers and had a great chat which became a bit emotional after he sang her praises. She has worked extremely hard and put an enormous amount of effort into her studies so she deserves to do really well. Grant, her lecturer, became a bit emotional as well so we had a group hug. It was lovely and I felt really proud of her.

I gave out the toys at after-school club and I think they lasted about half an hour. I'd bought two bubble bottles, a discus and a velcro bat and ball set which kept the children entertained for a while but the discus ended up on the school roof!

Extra hours.

I was in at work today and covering for a colleague who was on holiday. It was quieter than yesterday but the time still flew by and I was relieved to be finished as both Keith and Sophie had had to take my Mum to the doctor's about her swollen feet.

Sophie had been driven mad by the delay in the pharmacy and both of them had spent all morning dealing with the doctor and ferrying my Mum about so I felt really guilty. I was very grateful, though, and promised Sophie a lunch in Pizza Express! I had arranged to work this day ages ago and if I'd known what would happen with my Dad I'd never have agreed to work it. It does worry me about my new job which is full-time so we will have to put systems in place. Hopefully, my Dad will be able to drive again by the time I start.

Sophie and Keith had stripped all the wallpaper off her bedroom walls and had planned to make a start on the painting over the next few days so that was good. I went to school and we spent the whole session outside again which was great but I do think it would be nice for the children to have some new toys to play with!

Keith and Sophie met me from work and we had a drink in the pub, sitting in the garden and enjoying the early evening sunshine. I had a Cherry Cider which was different and Keith sampled a very cold pint of lager, unusual for him!

Hanging about!

I could hardly believe it was Monday again! Where did the weekend go?

Work was very busy first thing as parents booked their children onto the forthcoming holiday swimming crash courses. My first call was from a Mum who didn't know what the courses were called, only that they started at 8.30am. As we had several that started at that time, it wasn't a lot of help!

I picked Mike up on the way home and he sat and stuffed a very hot meat pie. It was nice to have his company for a while, though, as lately he's spending far more time out of the house than in! Once home, I quickly changed and sent an email to the company that's vetting me for my new job. I'm having problems obtaining a reference from the Citizens Advice Bureau so I hope they can get an alternative!

We had a quiet afternoon at the school but we had three extra children booked in at the last minute. Our usual lot all went by 5pm but the three extras were still around an hour later! This drove Lisa mad as she was due to go to a cricket match with her sons and it started at 6.15pm, and was half an hour's drive away! Typical! The last child was picked up and then she was off, her husband revving the engine of his car as he sat and waited!

Sitting in the sun!

It was wonderful to wake up to another glorious day and after popping to Tesco we called to see Mum and Dad on the way home and had a look at their new lawnmower. Mum had been finding it difficult to mow the lawn with their petrol model and had ordered a Flymo online. Keith took it out of the box and we adjusted the blade so it cut the grass a bit shorter. I think he would have carried on and mowed the whole lawn if I'd let him!

We drove home and had an early lunch of leftovers from yesterday's dinner. I then tackled some jobs that needed doing - washing Sophie's black furry throw (a.k.a. Jeremy - don't ask) which was a mammoth job as it's quite big and I hand washed it in our kitchen sink! I also hoovered the top of the conservatory from our bedroom window and cleaned the windows from all the washing we did yesterday as they were covered in water droplet marks.

Sophie and I went to Beckworth in the afternoon and enjoyed a snack in the restaurant. I enjoyed their delicious "Spaghetti" ice-cream while Sophie chose the pulled pork sandwich. We sat outside in the sun and it was gorgeous!

After we'd eaten I bought some geraniums and a cheerful Sunflower and as soon as we arrived home I potted them all up. Keith came out with me and we sat in the sun for a while before going in and playing cards.

This evening Sophie and I had chosen Chicken Almondine as our recipe of the week and we'd decided to have Dauphinoise potatoes with the meal. I peeled and thinly sliced the potatoes and we layered them in a dish with garlic and cream. I then butterflied the chicken and we coated the breasts in a mixture of flour and almonds after dipping them in buttermilk.

We then shallow fried them in a mixture of butter and oil and kept them warm in the oven. To make the almond sauce we mixed flaked almonds with capers, parsley and lemon juice and heated the sauce up in the frying pan.

It wasn't one of our best meals - I think I had the gas turned up too high to cook the chicken and the  coating was a bit overcooked! I don't really like shallow frying chicken and prefer to let it cook in the oven. The almondy sauce was OK but the capers and lemon juice made it very sharp. We heated up the mushroom sauce we'd bought yesterday and Sophie and Mike had that instead of the sauce we'd made. The potatoes were lovely but could have done with another ten minutes in the oven! I don't think we will try this recipe again...perhaps we should steer clear of nutty recipes!

Hard work!

We dropped Sophie off at work this morning and then popped to the Weston Favell Centre as we needed a sauce for tomorrow night's dinner and the Tesco there stocks the Finest Mushroom and Marsala version we all like.

Once home, Keith made bacon baps for breakfast and then I tackled Sophie's car while the men made a start on our filthy conservatory. I was hoping to finish in time to see Meghan Markle arrive at the church for her wedding, but being outside meant I had a chat with every neighbour that passed by! I did make it inside to see her arrive, though, but felt sad that she walked the first part on her own. It would have been lovely, in my opinion, for her to have arrived with her mum and then meet Prince Charles half way.

I watched a little bit of the ceremony and then went back outside to finish the car. I applied some polish to the scratches on the bumper and it looked way better than it did when we first noticed the damage on Thursday evening.

When it was all finished and gleaming, I helped Keith with the conservatory. He had decided to use our jet washer which just dislodged all the dead leaves and muck from one side to the other. When we thought we'd finished one side it became all dirty again. It was a thankless task and very hard work, especially as the weather today has been beautiful, warm and sunny. I started from the double doors leading onto the gravel garden and worked my way around, following Keith as he manually cleaned the glass roof as far up as he could. I washed the windows and the window sills and all the surrounds and when we eventually finished it did look a lot better! At least we cleaned off the bird muck and removed the small trees that were growing in the guttering!

I tidied up the garden and swept the paths and we relaxed for a little while. My mum called to say that her feet were swollen so I advised her to try and put them up or soak them in a cool bowl. The last thing I need at the moment is her being ill and not able to look after my Dad!

I took Sophie's car when I picked her up and she was delighted with how much better the bumper looked. It will do until we get it repaired properly. We arrived home and watched some more of the Royal Wedding as Sophie had asked me to record it. I'm glad I did as it was great to see the ceremony and the crowds of people who had turned out in the sunshine to see them get married!

Some fantastic news...at last!

Last night I'd had a very disturbed night's sleep as I woke up at 1am worrying about Sophie's car and then realised, when I went downstairs, that Mike wasn't home. He'd gone out again after we'd got in from the pub and as he was at college this morning, I wondered where on earth he was. I made myself some hot milk and watched twenty minutes of Neighbours and just as I was writing a text to him, I heard a car draw up outside. I waited for him in the kitchen and as I hadn't turned the lights on, I scared the living daylights out of him! I was very relieved to see him home!

Before I went to work today (and Keith dropped me off!) we had another good look at the damage to ET and we were able to push the dent out so it didn't look so bad. Keith took me to work and when he'd dropped Mike off at college, him and Sophie went into town to a body repair specialist a friend had recommended. I still have scratches on my car that need to be fixed but Sophie's car is a priority and we were amazed to get a quote of just £160 to fix it. Keith was worried they'd have to replace the whole bumper so that was a huge relief.

Work was a little noisier today as everyone was in, but the time went quickly and Sophie and Keith came to meet me to take me home. We only had two children at the after-school club today and Lisa was not amused! We took them out into the playground and Lisa's daughter and I tidied up the very messy and dirty toy shed. We pulled everything out and put it all back neatly and with everything arranged by type of toy. I don't think it will last the week but it kept us busy for an hour!

Luckily, both our children were picked up early and we were gone by 5.30pm. I sped home and relaxed with Sophie while Keith walked down to the pub. We watched a recorded programme, sipped a glass of wine and I finished off the curry that Keith had started. It was delicious!

After dinner, Sophie looked to see if her result was in for her dissertation. It was a huge piece of work for her and she been labouring over it for months. She was overjoyed to discover she'd been awarded an A overall and an A for every section of the work. We were so pleased for her but she deserved the mark as she'd put so much effort in and had worked really hard. It was a lovely end to a somewhat stressful week!

A horrible shock...

We had a very quiet session at work today as there was only Sue, Sheila and myself in the office. There had been an overturned lorry on the A45 so that had held up a couple of managerial staff who decided to go to another centre. I didn't mind...the peace and quiet was lovely!

The weather has gone back to being sunny and bright and at the school we were outside for the whole session. It is still a bit chilly, though, but it was lovely looking up at the sky and seeing the gorgeous clouds. We were at school right up until 6pm today which was typical as we were all going out in the evening to celebrate Sophie's exam being over. She had popped in to see me at the school and had said it had gone better than expected so that was a relief!

As soon as I got home we sped off into town and managed to find a space opposite The Lamplighter. It was quiet so we grabbed a table in the corner and had a good look at the menu. We were all pretty hungry so we ordered a round of garlic bread and chilli nachos to start. Keith had fish and chips, the children had burgers while I had a chicken burger which was huge! I had to give some of it away to Sophie and Mike in the end! The food was delicious and we definitely didn't have any room for pud so we drove home and received a bit of a shock...Sophie's car had been bumped on the back right hand side and there was a sizeable dent and several scratches. I was totally shocked as I'd driven the car today and hadn't noticed any damage when I drove home from work on both occasions.

Keith said that the damage must have been caused while the car was parked on the street in the village, and that someone had obviously pulled in to wait for a car coming the other way and had clipped the back of ET when they pulled out to go around it. Sophie was so upset and was crying and shouting about it, which made me feel terrible as the car had been my responsibility today. Little ET is her pride and joy and she was furious that someone could damage it and not even say anything.

It was a subdued end to our evening which was a real shame. Hopefully, we can get a quote from a car bodywork repair business and they can sort it out for us. I just hope it doesn't cost a fortune!

A new little friend!

We woke up to grey skies today, which was a bit of a shock! We've got so used to blue skies and sunshine lately!

Sophie and I picked Mum up at 9.30am so she could go and get her nails done. She wasn't in the best frame of mind this morning and I think that looking after my Dad is tiring her out. Sophie drove us and we headed to a dodgy part of town where the nail technician lives. We dropped her off and went to get some petrol before parking at the Weston Favell Centre and walking over to the pharmacy to pick up my Mum's prescription.

We had to wait a while so rather than go for coffee while Mum was having her nails done, we went back and idled away half an hour in the car outside the house, deciding to treat Mum when she was finished. We made friends with a little cat who'd been lying on a mat in the road and he/she was really friendly, jumping into the car and kneading my chest! Sophie talked me through her topics for her exam tomorrow so the time went by quite quickly.

When Mum emerged we headed off to the Costa in Next at Riverside, but it was packed so we walked over to their other branch instead. Sophie and I had an early lunch and coffee and we chatted with Mum about how she felt. I think she's taking it quite hard that she can't go out for a while but I said it wouldn't be forever. A close friend of theirs has just suffered a stroke and can't walk but at least Dad should be up and back to normal soon.

On the way home we popped into the Co-op in the village so Mum could get some groceries and then it was home for a cup of tea and a muffin before I went to the school.

We stayed out in the playground for a while today but it was very chilly so we headed in and put on a DVD for the children. When the session was over it was home to play cards and enjoy a drink in the conservatory. The weather brightened up a bit, which was a bonus!

Ripped off?

Keith and I dropped Mike off at college this morning and then went to the Weston Favell Centre to buy groceries for tonight and tomorrow night's dinners. As usual, I headed for the international foods aisle after we'd decided what we were having and then Keith suggested we look at the American section to see if they had any Root Beer for Mike. On the way I noticed shelves stocked with spices so I took a look...and was amazed to see how different the prices were.

In the normal herbs and spices aisle, where they stocked Schwarz products and Tesco-own varieties the price was around 50p per 10g. In the international food section, i.e. Indian, the spices were selling for around 10p per 10g. Why is there such a difference in price? OK, the Schwarz spices were in little glass jars and the others were in plastic, resealable bags, but that's a big price difference! From now on, whenever we need different spices for a recipe we're making, we're going to head straight for the international foods aisle! It was the same with a bag of walnuts we bought. We have three bananas at home that are way over-ripe so we looked at walnuts to make some muffins. The price varied enormously between the nuts section in the fresh food aisles and the baking aisle where they were half the price!

I would have thought the prices were the same throughout the store but that doesn't seem to be the case!

On the way home we called to see Mum and Dad as they had asked for dishwasher tablets (don't get me started on them...Aldi's are absolutely fine and are half the price!) and we had a look at their shower head in the en-suite as the water was coming out in a dribble. We managed to sort out the shower in the main bathroom so Mum could use that but I think they need to call a plumber out to fix the other shower. They seem to have one problem after another in their house!

Back home I made banana, walnut and chocolate muffins and as soon as they were out of the oven Keith and I enjoyed them with big mugs of tea! Delicious!

We spent the session at the school in the playground and it was really warm! As I was driving home I met Keith and Sophie who had walked down to meet me so we went for a drink at the pub. We sat in the garden and enjoyed a couple of drinks while chatting about our holidays in Florida. It was lovely to sit there and reminisce in the sunshine!

For dinner we ate roast chicken served with crushed new potatoes and salad, and afterwards we watched the film Dunkirk. A great end to a busy day!

Start of another week!

I had a pleasant morning at work, doing extra jobs and helping with the Box Office returns so that made the time go quickly. Outside, the weather was beautiful and after a cool start, the day became warmer.

I saw Keith and Mike when I was driving home as we were all held up by the arrival of a mobile home in a field on the outskirts of a nearby village. After a quick change and a chat with Sophie it was off to school where Lisa was in a chatty mood. We spent the entire session outside and only had six children to look after. The two who normally go quite late went before 5pm but we had another young lad who was picked up at 5.30pm so we didn't really gain much time!

I sped home and Keith made me a Vodka and tonic...bliss! I did some research for our French trip and discovered that the stretch of coastline between Calais and Boulogne is called the Cote d'Opal and has some lovely beaches and small towns. I think we'll head for there if it's a nice day!

Domestic bliss!

Today has been a very relaxed day - just as Sunday should be!

Sophie helped me put a colour on my hair this morning as I was looking distinctly badgerish! Keith went to get the papers and popped in to see Mum and Dad with some dishwasher tablets as my Mum had forgotten them yesterday.

I checked my emails and learnt I'd been offered the Usher's job at the Court. Hmmm! That was a total shock as they'd previously turned me down, even though they said I was a "strong" candidate and would keep my details on file should another vacancy arise. Perhaps someone they'd picked hadn't worked out? I had to provide lots of pre-employment information so I grappled with that for a while!

Sophie and I started our preparations for making our Thai Yellow Curry and we roasted shallots, ginger and garlic in the oven for an hour until they were soft. We then added them to a whole host of other ingredients, such as coriander, cumin, lemongrass and dried chillis and ground everything up into a paste. We deviated from the recipe a bit by marinating the chicken with the curry paste as I thought it would give it more taste.

I did manage to get out into the garden and tidied up our gravelled bit next to the house. I hadn't been down there for a while and everything had sprung into life, which was lovely. The Clematis I cut down last year had grown again and looked really healthy and a beautiful blue flower had bloomed. I raked up all the dead leaves and branches that had come down over the winter and generally gave it a good tidy. It looked lovely when I finished and I'm determined we'll use it more this summer. Now we just need to give the conservatory a good clean!

After a game of cards and a couple of Margaritas Sophie and I started on dinner. We fried onions in coconut oil and added the marinated chicken. It smelt delicious! When that was cooked we added coconut milk, sugar and the fish sauce which was disgusting! The smell was very strong - like bad feet! I'd Googled fish sauce and everyone said that the smell was horrible but that it adds a depth of flavour to the dish! We also add lime juice and diced potatoes and let the whole pan simmer while we cooked some rice.

The meal was delicious and although we could still smell the fish sauce, we couldn't taste it. It was hot and spicy and Sophie and I were really pleased it had turned out so well. We have a lot of faith in the Hairy Bikers' recipes which always seem to work. We really enjoyed making the dish and using ingredients we never would have tried before!

Frustrated!

After dropping Sophie off at work this morning I called into my work as I'd left my notebook behind yesterday! As it contains quite a bit of personal information (I write my blog entries into it sometimes!) I had to go and retrieve it! I had a quick chat with Sara and Sue and managed to get Sara two hours off as she was complaining about being there all day! Sue said she would work until 4pm so that was a bonus for her! Without our conversation, this wouldn't have happened!

On the way home I dropped Keith off at Pitsford before going to pick my Mum up to take her shopping in Kettering. She said she would be an hour so I bought the newspaper and enjoyed a Flat White and a chocolate twist in Costa while I waited.

After I'd dropped her at home I made a start on our bedroom as it was way overdue for a good clean! I cleaned the windows and dusted everywhere before giving it a good hoover and then carrying on to the landing.

After hoovering downstairs and having a quick, late lunch I went to collect Sophie from work as she was finishing early today. It's Eurovision tonight! When we arrived home we started to get all the ingredients out for making Pavlova when I realised we didn't have enough caster sugar and no cornflour! We had to slosh over to the nearest shop in the rain and buy what we needed before heading home to make the dessert.

I whisked the egg whites while Sophie slowly added the sugar and after putting in the white wine vinegar, vanilla essence and cornflour it went into the oven on a low heat for an hour. While it cooked Keith, Sophie and I played cards in the conservatory and enjoyed a glass or red wine as Keith is cooking Beef Stroganoff tonight. I helped him finish the dish and it was delicious - really creamy and the beef was very tender.

We settled down to watch Eurovision, this year coming from Lisbon. Our song was 9th and we were shocked to see a man run onto the stage and grab the microphone out of SuRie's hand while she sang. She coped very well - I would have been terrified!

As always there were some weird and wacky songs and we all thought that Israel's entry was bizarre! However, it was one of the favourites to win...and it did! Again, we were frustrated and angry that the UK had so few votes and we came fourth from bottom which was disgraceful as I thought our song was very good. Perhaps it is true that the rest of Europe hate us!

Thank goodness it's Friday!

I didn't sleep very well last night and woke up feeling tired and groggy! I really didn't feel like going to work but I made it through the morning and felt a bit brighter!

Lisa had decided not to put on a film this afternoon but we still had quite a few children attend the after-school club and we managed to get outside for an hour before going in as it was quite chilly.

We were there until the bitter end and on the way home I met Keith and gave him a lift to the pub. back home Sophie had downloaded Terms of Endearment so we watched that before it was time to go and collect hubby. Dinner tonight wasn't very exciting -  quiche with new potatoes and salad. However we have some nice meals planned for the weekend as tomorrow it's the Eurovision Song Contest final and Sophie wants to have Beef Stroganoff followed by Pavlova, and Champagne! Bring it on!

Planning ahead!

I had a busy session at work, doing the Box Office returns. When I finished the phone calls picked up and we had some complicated queries! I also dealt with the orders coming through so the time went by very quickly!

After a brief spell at home it was off to the school and we spent the whole of the afternoon in the playground. Lisa didn't seem very happy and I think she feels let down by the Head who promised her things would be better with the after-school club, and that we would be able to take the children to the park one day a week. It would be so nice to take them for a walk and break the monotony a bit!

In the evening Keith and Sophie cooked Coq au Riesling, another recipe from the Hairy Bikers. The chicken had been marinating in the wine since yesterday and the smells coming from the kitchen were delicious! We made dumplings to go with the chicken and the meal was scrumptious!

Sophie and I decided to book a day in France for later in May so we're really looking forward to spending a night in Dover (and exploring the coastal pubs) and then taking the ferry to France for the day and stocking up on some wine and beer. Cheers!

A marathon shop!

Keith and I went to the Weston Favell Centre this morning to see if we could get Sophie's furry bedspread cleaned (it really needs it!). We asked at Timpson's and they quoted us £35 which was ridiculous! I don't think it cost much more than that!

We decided to leave it and headed over to Kettering to do the weekly shop, a day early, as there were loads of ingredients we needed for two meals we were cooking - Coq au Riesling on Thursday night and a Thai Yellow Curry on Sunday. Both recipes were from the Hairy Bikers' Chicken and Egg cookbook.

It was a bit of a marathon shop as among the ingredients we needed were Kafir Lime leaves, ginger, lemongrass stems, fish sauce and some spices that we didn't have such as coriander. By the time we finished our heads were spinning!

After we'd unpacked everything at home it was time for some lunch in the garden and before I went to the school Keith and I put up some little fairy lights in the Jasmine bush opposite the conservatory.

We spent the whole of the after-school session in the playground and had three children of a couple of teachers who were doing some training in the swimming pool. It's been a beautiful day today and it was great to get out into the playground and watch the children have fun!

Back home it was drinks in the conservatory, a game of cards and then jacket potatoes for dinner!

Enjoying the sunshine!

We awoke to another beautiful day, with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. Keith and I took Mike to college and on the way home I dropped him at the Pitsford car park so he could walk home.

I mowed the front verge, which took me all of two minutes. As the soil was quite dry I didn't do any digging but just swept up the dead leaves and tidied up. I'm hoping for a decent rainfall so I can put some grass seed down to fill the bare patches.

Sophie and I had showers before Keith got home and as soon as he was changed we went to Jones's to get some things we needed. I wanted more compost (until mine is ready!) and some bird food for our voracious feathered friends who are feeding their young.

On the way home we called into the Co-op to get some lunch and I was amazed that it was so late when we arrived back! Mum had called to say that she needed a lift to the hospital but she called again to say that my Dad was able to go home today, which was a relief! I said we'd go and get him after I finished work this evening and get him settled back at home.

Work was fine and we spent the entire session out in the playground. The boys all played together really well and Lisa and I sat with three of the girls and had a good chat. It was very pleasant sitting in the sun and enjoying the warmth!

At 6pm I dashed home and Keith and I went to get my Mum. At the hospital I went up to the ward with Mum and then took all Dad's stuff back down to the car, which included a Zimmer frame for him to use. Keith and I then drove around to the entrance and, with the help of a nurse, we managed to get him into the car. I was glad that tricky bit was over! We were able to get him out of the car OK and he sat on a chair in the kitchen to catch his breath as he'd found it quite an ordeal.

As soon as they were both settled and OK we drove home and sat in the conservatory with a drink, to plan the rest of the week's menus. Sophie and I are cooking a Thai Yellow Curry on Sunday which needs a whole new range of ingredients, including Kafir Lime Leaves and fish sauce!

A very quiet cinema!

I was working today, but from 9am until 2pm so it wasn't too bad! Of course, the weather was gorgeous but the phones weren't that busy and we mostly had calls about opening times and when the swimming pools were available for general swims!

I sped home at 2pm and sat in the garden for a while with Sophie and Keith. It was utterly lovely! We did go in for a short while and we watched a wonderful programme about extraordinary houses and the episode we saw featured houses in Florida. They were so beautiful! It gave me inspiration for our own house and I'm determined to add some exotic plants to our conservatory and introduce a small water feature in the garden.

We sat back outside for a little while and dangled our feet in a large bowl of cold water! It was bliss! I also made us a non-alcoholic drink with lime juice and elderflower tonic water and filled the glasses with ice and lime wedges. It almost made us feel, when we closed our eyes, that we were back in our favourite part of the world!

In the evening Mike, Sophie and I went out for a meal in town as we were off to the Errol Flynn to see A Quiet Place. We were going to eat at Foodies Rocks but we thought it would be difficult sharing the small portions of food so we went to Akasaka instead. We ordered starters of Yaki Gyoza (Sophie's fried dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables), deep fried squid (me) and skewered chicken thighs (Mike). Mike and I enjoyed Sapporo beers as Sophie was driving!

For our mains, Sophie and I had the spicy Katsu chicken curry which didn't disappoint while Mike had an absolutely delicious chicken Ramen served in a bowl which was full to bursting with vegetables, chicken and noodles. We had to help him finish it!

After Sophie and I indulged in a dessert and paid the bill, we walked the short distance to the cinema and collected our tickets. Not many people had booked to see the film and I have never known the cinema to be so silent! The film was fantastic, but very scary and we were literally jumping out of our seats at quite a few scenes! I thought the acting was tremendous and you could tell that Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are a real-life husband and wife.

We emerged, a little shell-shocked, at 10.30pm and drove home discussing the film. We'd all enjoyed it tremendously!

A spot of gardening

Keith and I went to get the Sunday newspapers this morning and on the way home my Mum phoned as she was having difficulty starting their lawnmower. We diverted to her house and Keith showed her how to get it going and made sure she was OK.

We sped home and I made a start on our own garden, mowing the lawn while Keith strimmed the edges. I then tidied up the area behind the garage. Yesterday Keith had put our new compost bin in place and had raked up the soil it stood on so the worms could get a good access to it. I'm hoping it will be successful and that we'll get some lovely compost from all the garden trimmings, the grass cuttings and our kitchen scraps.

I emptied out all the old pots we had stored there and Keith cut up a load of wood that we were going to use in the chimenea but now can't. We're missing a vital piece from it and I suspect we threw it out over the winter!

I did a lot more tidying up and was really pleased with how it looked when I finished. I even put some grass seed down to cover up the bare patches we have! We now have the umbrella up to give some shade and very soon I'll try and paint the seat to make it look even better!

All four of us had lunch in the conservatory, which doesn't happen very often and then Sophie and I got ready to go and get my Mum to take her to hospital. My Dad was looking paler today and I was a bit worried about him, to be honest. We all just want him home now where he can get a good night's sleep and some proper food!

After we left we returned to Mum's house where we sat in the garden with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Her garden is looking lovely and she'd made a good job of the lawn, even with the difficulties of her lawnmower which is a petrol model and quite temperamental!

Back home we played cards once again and then Sophie and I made Chicken Parmigiana for dinner. I butterflied the chicken and seasoned it and then we coated it in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese before baking it in the oven for about twenty minutes. While the chicken was cooking we made the sauce with tomatoes, onions, garlic and red wine and simmered it until it had reduced a bit. This then went into the bottom of a big dish, we placed the part cooked chicken on top and covered the breasts with fresh mozzarella. This then went back into the oven and we cooked spaghetti with another tomatoey sauce to go with it.

We were really pleased with the dish and it was a lot better than last time when we mistakenly added mushrooms which made it all go too soggy. Success!

Getting rid of rubbish...finally!

We awoke to a beautiful day and after dropping Sophie off at work and buying some baps for tonight's burgers, we headed home to catch up with some chores.

As Mike was at home this morning, I decided to take a load of rubbish we had in the garage to the tip, including our old washing machine that had been in there for nearly a year! It felt very satisfying to be finally rid of all the old stuff we no longer wanted and Keith drove my car while I followed behind. We needed Mike's help unloading it and the back seat was taken up with the old bits and bobs.

Predictably, the tip was busy with people unloading their rubbish and garden waste and after dumping it all (mostly in the recycling skips) we headed home. As a treat, Keith took Mike to the pub for a couple of beers while I showered and then picked my Mum up to take her to the hospital.

Dad was looking quite cheerful and we had a laugh while we visited him to cheer him up. It was a glorious day outside and I only wish we could have taken him downstairs and sat him in the sunshine for a while. He still looks pale and has that horrible hospital pallor. Hopefully, he will be home soon and able to sit in the garden while Mum looks after him.

After we'd visited, we popped to Tesco and I bought a bottle of Tequila for Sophie as a thank you as she's been a great help recently. I treated Mike to a few bottles of Jack Daniels Cider and bought some Vodka for myself. I feel a couple of cocktails coming on tonight!

Back at Mum's house I helped her with her Tesco order which will be delivered on Monday. From now on she should find it easier to order and all her favourites will be stored so she can just order them every week. Thank goodness for supermarket deliveries!

I collected Sophie from work at 6pm and it was home to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We played cards in the conservatory and then cooked delicious burgers under the grill. Our barbecue is out of action so I think it's time to get a new one!

A tad stressful!

I was on my own at work this morning as Kathy was off sick and Sara took a day's holiday. Luckily, Aly helped out when the phone calls became a bit mad and I was able to do the box office returns with a little help. Luckily we didn't have a huge amount of calls, but one woman wanted to book all four of her children into the holiday playscheme in May and that took a fair time to sort out!

It was a relief when my shift ended but there were five calls waiting at 2pm so Aly had to help out! I sped home in a stress and had a chat with Sophie and Keith and then it was off to the school for the last time this week. We were watching Firehouse Dog but the children didn't seem that interested with it and at one point I switched it off as they were all fidgeting and chatting! I sometimes think they're not at all interested in watching the film, but who can blame them on a day like today when the weather was lovely?

After the film Lisa took them out into the playground while I cleared up and mopped the floor. When I went out several mums had arrived but seemed content to chat endlessly rather than just go home! One mum seems to think Lisa wants to cuddle her baby every time she picks up her older child and sent her husband to get him from nursery! Honestly! Lisa and I just wanted them to collect their offspring and go home as we've been looking after them all week, and as much as we like the children, on a Friday it's time to say goodbye!

I drove home and Sophie poured me a large glass of wine as Keith was driving himself to the pub and then going to see Sileby's last game of the season afterwards. Sophie, Mike and I enjoyed cold meats, salad and new potatoes for dinner and then my daughter and I settled down to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Keith came home at about 10pm elated that they had won! It's been so long so he treated himself to a beer and a chicken sandwich to celebrate!

Voting Day

I was very busy at work this morning and learnt all about reporting the box office takings for the cinema, which was very interesting. Sara also gave me a proofreading job to do so the time flew by.

As soon as I was out of the building I called my Mum who was with my Dad in the hospital. She'd managed to get the bus so that was a huge relief. The operation had gone well and he looked a lot better than yesterday, she said. I sped home, and had a text conversation with Sophie who'd been doing a mock exam at uni. It hadn't gone well and she was a bit depressed about it. I said that it was a mock and therefore not important but she said she'd been learning all the wrong things. Keith went to fetch her and I went off to the school feeling worried about her. We seem to lurch from one crisis to the next!

At school we were out in the playground for the whole of the session which was lovely. It's so great to see the children play and enjoy the sunshine.

The minute I walked through the door Keith said we were all going to vote in the local elections so we drove to the polling station in the village. It was Mike's first time to vote! It took us all of five minutes and then it was home to eat a quick dinner of pizza, wedges and salad as Sophie and I were off to see Lady Bird at the cinema.

My daughter drove and we parked in the Weston Favell car park and walked over. It was a lovely evening and the weekend is set to be glorious, thank goodness!

I'd checked how many seats had been sold earlier in the day but there were considerably more people when the film started. I can't say I really enjoyed it as the scenes were all very short and it jumped about all over the place, but I'm glad we went to see it for free! A perk of the job! Sophie hadn't really enjoyed it either which surprised me as I thought it was more the sort of film she enjoys, and the reviews were generally very good. Perhaps it was just us!

Back to the gloom...

We awoke to grey skies and heavy rain today which matched my mood. So much for the happiness I felt yesterday!

Keith and I went to collect Mum and we all went over to Kettering to do some shopping. The rain was relentless and I got soaked helping Mum in and out of the car. We went to Aldi first and then Tesco and while Mum was shopping Keith and I had a coffee in Costa.

We dropped her back home and I said I would take her to the hospital in the afternoon. We didn't know what time his operation would be but she wanted to see him before he went. I picked her up at about 1.30pm and gave her the bus timetables from near her house to the hospital. I won't be able to take her on Thursday and Friday as I'm working all day but the bus goes every hour and takes just ten minutes. She has a bus pass, bless her, so it'll be free!

We parked in the horrible car park (low ceilings and dark) and found Dad's ward. He looked very pale and frail and was obviously drugged up to the eyeballs to help with the pain. He was also sleepy so we didn't stay long and as we were about to leave the nurses arrived to take him down to theatre.

By now, the weather had cleared up and the sun had come out, so that was a bonus. I dropped my Mum off and had a quick sandwich at home before going to school. We managed to get out into the playground and dodge the showers!

As soon as I was finished I picked up Sophie and we went to get Mike from Brixworth. It was bliss to finally get home and have a drink and a game of cards in the conservatory to relax!

Not the best of days...

I woke up this morning feeling fab! I'd had a really good sleep (helped by not having a drink last night?), the sun was shining and I was off until 2.30pm! I decided to start a notebook with all the jobs that needed doing in the house and give myself a year to complete them. Some jobs, like re-carpeting, might take longer, but simple decorating and re-painting could be done quite quickly. I felt full of enthusiasm! It's amazing what a good night's sleep and some sun can do!

Sophie had an appointment at the doctor's surgery to get the results of her blood tests which were all fine so that was great news. Her Vitamin D levels were perfect! From Brixworth we went to Riverside and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the Costa in Next. I felt really relaxed and happy!

We popped into Boots and then Poundland as I wanted to get some plastic cups for school. They have seen sense at last and have stopped providing disposable cups for the water fountains which is great news. It means we can't rely on them as we did in the past for our after-school children. I didn't see anything in Poundland so we went to Wilco's where I managed to get eight cups for £2. I also bought some grass seed for the lawn and the front verge. Sophie looked at paint but we ended up buying it in Homebase. She was slightly shocked at the price - £28 for a large tin! I bought a tub of white gloss paint and a scraper to help with getting the wallpaper off her wall.

As the time was getting on we headed home and I helped Keith with the new blind for Mike's room. We managed to cut it and hang it and it looked great. Phew! That's one job I wasn't looking forward to sorted out! Hopefully, this will cut down on the amount of light that gets into his room in the early mornings.

We had just settled down to watch five minutes of Homes Under the Hammer from this morning, when the phone rang. I tried to answer it but it stopped. Sophie called Mike to see if it was him but he hadn't called. I went to do ring back and it rang again. It was Mum to say that my Dad had fallen at the flying field and that two of his mates had brought him home.

Sophie and I drove over to their house to find my poor Dad on the sofa with a leg that looked very much like it was broken. There was a a huge swelling on his thigh and his leg didn't look right at all. It looked like someone had taken off his leg and then re-attached it at an odd angle...

Mum was on the phone to the NHS 111 helpline service who took all the details and said they would send an ambulance. There was no way on earth we could get him into the car and take him to A&E. My good mood evaporated at once as I could see weeks and weeks of him being in hospital and then recovering...

My Dad was very pale and trembling and looked like he was in shock. We tried to make him as comfortable as we could and I asked why on earth his "mates" had brought him home? They'd said to Mum he hadn't broken it (!) and that he'd just pulled a muscle! He must have been in complete agony when they moved him and they had to bring a chair out to the car to get him into the house.

We waited three hours for the ambulance to arrive and had to call again. I phoned Lisa to say I wouldn't be able to go to work this afternoon and she was very understanding. At one point, when I moved the rug underneath his foot slightly, we thought he was going to pass out.

When the ambulance people arrived, the woman took one look at his leg and called for a paramedic as she wasn't going to try and move him. She hadn't realised he was as bad as he was which was why we'd had to wait so long. He was given gas and air while they waited and when the paramedic arrived he gave my Dad morphine so they could move him onto a stretcher.

I was absolutely furious with the two men that had brought him home. Why hadn't they just called an ambulance at the field? Who knows what damage they might have done by moving him.

Once he was in the ambulance, they cut off his trousers and saw that he had broken his femur half way down the bone. Mum went to the hospital with him while Sophie and I went home to prepare dinner. We did contemplate getting fish and chips, but we decided in the end to go with the macaroni cheese which was the sensible option.

Mum called me at about 8pm to say she could go home and that my Dad would be having an operation tomorrow. Sophie and I picked her up from the hospital, amazed by the changes they'd made in the car parks. There is now a rickety-looking multi-storey car park for visitor parking.

We dropped her off and gave her a tub of macaroni cheese for her supper. Poor thing, she hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime!