Bank Holiday?

Today hasn't felt like a Bank Holiday as I was at work from 9am until 2pm and Sophie was out with her beau visiting Castle Ashby gardens.

Keith took me to work this morning and I was working with Jo. We were both hoping that we'd have a quiet shift, but the first four hours were manic with non-stop phone calls, mainly from people booking swimming sessions. I will be so glad when the school holidays are over and the children go back, which in our area is Wednesday.

Sophie will be very glad as well as she's found it quite hard working at home since March and we have a family next door where the children have been very loud over the summer. One of the boys has played basketball virtually every single day since the middle of March and at multiple times during the day. The noise of the ball's constant thud, thud, thud on the patio has been a nightmare! I know children need to play outdoors and I'm all for them getting out in the fresh air, but the noise has really got to us this year. We have two playing fields with basketball nets within a short walking distance and I just wish they would use them!

Luckily things did calm down a bit at work so I was able to tackle some of the 170 emails in the customer service inbox... I tried hard to get as many done as I could but when I finished we had 172... oh well!

Keith picked me up at 2pm and we called over to Mum's to get some warmer clothes for them. We were astonished to walk in to find the heating full on... the buyer had been in on Friday to measure up and whether he'd tried out the radiators, I don't know but I was not happy. The thermostat had been turned up to its highest setting so no wonder the place felt so hot. I called the estate agents to find out what was going on but the woman I've been dealing with wasn't in today, so I asked for her to call me tomorrow.

We dropped off the clothes and coats at the care home and I made an appointment to see my parents on Sunday, as a big envelope of documents had arrived from the solicitors and they need to sign them. My hours are set to increase a bit this week (I will be dealing with emails) so to be on the safe side I made an appointment for the weekend.

I saw my Mum through the window but she didn't answer the phone, which was a shame. I had talked to her in the car earlier and she said she was going to have her hair done today so I hope she did, bless her.

When we finally got home it was time to relax a bit and Sophie picked up Mike from Abbie's so that was a bonus! We decided to have fish and chips from the new chippy in Broughton and despite having to wait a while, they were delicious. We will go back!

Sunday pootle!

As usual for a day when I didn't have to get up, I was awake early! I kept watch for horses again but we had no four-hoofed visitors, which was a relief! Sophie had another lovely lie-in!

The idea today was to pootle about at home and catch up with things. Keith went off to get the Sunday papers while Sophie and I made beans on toast with some bread we bought at Farndon Fields yesterday. It was a seeded bread and the kind that tastes much better toasted and covered in juicy beans!

After breakfast I went out and tackled the back garden. At first I though I was being foolish as the grass was long... and wet! However, I persevered and soon it was looking a lot better. With all the rain we've had lately, it has really grown. I tided up the plants and put out some food for the birds but we've run out of fat snax and peanuts so I said to Sophie about going to Riverside this afternoon.

The weather has stayed dry today and we've had a mixed bag of sunshine and clouds. It's still on the chilly side, though! Sophie went to the gym while I cut the front verge and hoed the border. It looked lovely when I'd finished and the grass seed I put down a while ago has definitely sprouted, filling in the bare patches very well.

After Sophie arrived home and we had showers, we set off for Riverside and my naughty daughter suggested a McDonalds... I can't remember the last time we had a meal from there... was it this year? I would normally have said no, but breakfast was a long time ago so we went and ordered a burger and some chicken tenders. I was hesitant about going inside so we chose the drive-thru and encountered a horrible man who was adamant I wasn't going in front of him even though it was my turn. Why they have two lanes for cars is beyond me... I was hoping that throughout this pandemic people would be nicer to each other, but sadly that hasn't happened. Kindness and thoughtfulness are as much in short supply as ever.

We drove over to the other side of the car park and munched on our meals before walking to Wilko's where I bought loads more bird food. The numbers coming into the garden has lessened a bit but they do love the fat snax hanging up, especially the hordes of sparrows!

We popped briefly into Homebase as this morning I lost our pair of secateurs (I wish I knew where I'd put them!) but they were just about to close so we headed home to relax.

Dinner this evening was the chicken Kiev we should have had yesterday and I helped Keith prepare the meal. We also had Gratin Dauphinois as a change and the meal was lovely and very garlicky!

Our favourite haunt!

I stood guard at the window this morning in case we had a visit from the horses and riders. Sophie muttered last night that if she didn't get a lie in this morning there would be big trouble! I was up at about 7am, so I got dressed ready to rush out in case they came around. Well, of course, they didn't and Sophie got her much needed lie in!

Today the weather has been horrible - cold and rainy - and not at all like it should be at this time of the year. Apparently, last August Bank Holiday it was about 30c!

Sophie and I went to Market Harborough at lunchtime and our first stop was The Attic where Sophie bought a top and a wool dress for £15! We then decided to make our way to the Polka Dot cafe as we didn't want to miss out today! I'd made a veggie sausage sandwich for breakfast so we didn't fancy lunch but we did tuck into a white chocolate and raspberry cake accompanied by a Mocha for Sophie and a big pot of English Breakfast tea for me. Scrumptious! It was so good to be back and this was something we really missed during lockdown!

After we'd eaten we mooched about in the kitchen shop opposite and I bought Mike a glass mug with a lid and straw as he manages to spill coffee in my car every morning on the way to work. We then popped into several of the charity shops and Sophie bought some tops at a knockdown price. Her total haul today of four tops and a dress came to about £25, the cost of a blouse in Next or River Island! Even I did well today and I bought two lovely new handbags for £10!

Before going home we visited Harborough Kitchens and asked if someone could come and have a look at the kitchen. They make bespoke cabinets and the price is probably out of our budget, but I wanted to compare suppliers. The woman we spoke to was very friendly and we've arranged a visit for a couple of weeks' time.

By now it was very chilly and it had started to rain so we decided to call at Farndon Fields where we bought some treats. The place was very busy and the cafe is now open but we were still full of cake so we'll leave going for another visit!

Back home we pootled about and Sophie put her new clothes in for a quick refresh wash. I helped her put her bedding back and then suggested we play a game of cards in the conservatory. Dinner tonight was supposed to be homemade chicken Kiev but half way through our games, Keith decided he wasn't hungry... he made himself a sandwich while Sophie and I had leftover chilli baked in the oven with cheese and tortilla chips! This Saturday night change of meals is starting to become a habit!

Outside it was truly horrible so we brought Sophie's quilt down and curled up on the sofa with the cat to watch a couple of episodes of The Bridge. Keith and I couldn't remember much of it, which was hardly surprising as it was first shown in 2011!

So glad it's Friday!

Work wasn't too bad today but I had so much to do and the time flew by! As well as answering the phones, I had to do the box office returns and I also had a load of invoices to deal with. Plus, I'd been given new films to put on and we're showing "Love Sarah" and "Pinocchio" next weekend. Our screenings haven't been that well attended but I think with the bad weather we're having at the moment, we'll be busier.

The rain first thing this morning was horrendous and the road was flooded at Holcot. On my way home the sky was a mix of huge storm clouds - some of them were pure, dazzling white, while others were dark grey. It was very dramatic and I wish I could have stopped and taken some photos.

I had planned on a nice, easy afternoon of doing very little but I somehow got caught up with trying to connect my computer to Mum and Dad's printer as I had something I needed to print off for them. It was very frustrating, especially as I had ordered new ink! In the end I gave up on trying to connect it wirelessly and had to connect it by a USB lead instead. Grrr!

We took Mike into town at 4.30pm and I went a different way to try and avoid the Friday rush hour traffic. Sophie beat us home and after taking Keith to the pub (the sky was still very stormy and it has rained for most of the day), Sophie and I poured ourselves a glass of red and settled down to watch "That Touch of Mink" starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. It was pure bliss and fantastic escapism!

Dinner tonight was chilli con carne which was perfect as outside it was chilly and very rainy. Oh, of course, it's a Bank Holiday weekend!

Mrs Grumpy!

As is the case now, work was very busy again this morning. I know all of us will be very glad when the school holidays are over and swimming lessons have settled down.

I didn't sleep well last night because of our heavy meal and a few glasses of wine so I felt very irritable this morning. I was glad we were quiet during the first half hour because my colleague didn't actually log onto the phones until well past 8.30am. I don't know what she was doing, but I felt very annoyed! She then spent a lot of the morning going between two desks and cleaning everything so my levels of annoyance increased!

I really think at the moment that I'm truly turning into a grumpy old woman! My patience with customers tends to run out by mid-morning mainly because some of them are so stupid! It's not just me, we all agree with this! When someone genuinely needs our help I am very sympathetic but we get so many queries that people could solve for themselves and it's wasting our time and theirs. And to think I really missed work during lockdown!

Keith picked me up at 2pm and I dealt with three missed calls I'd received since being at work. They were from the estate agent who wanted a key to Mum and Dad's house. I'd had to take it out of the key box by the front door as I'd had a feeling that someone had been sneaking into the house without us knowing - in fact they said that they'd been around this morning without telling me and obviously didn't realise they key was no longer there...hmm! I was not happy!

I said I would put it back as the buyer wanted to go in and measure up and we drove over in very heavy rain. Because we were so close to the time to pick Mike up we went straight there and of course, he was late! Typical!

Back home I had a nap as I felt so tired after my bad night's sleep! Sophie went out this evening with her friend Laura and they went to The Royal Oak in Cogenhoe. Naturally, I waited up for her and she arrived home at about 10.30pm. I could then go to bed and hope for a better night's sleep!

Eat out to help out!

The wind overnight was very strong indeed, and it woke me up at about 11.30pm. Sophie appeared in the doorway of our bedroom and said she was going to get Monty in as she was worried about him being out!

This morning it had died down considerably, but I still urged her to be careful driving to the gym. Keith said that the roads had been OK on the way to Kettering so I think we escaped fairly lightly!

I did some housework first thing and tidied up as we had the Magnet kitchen designer coming at about 10am. When she arrived she was completely different to how she was last week and was very friendly and chatty! She asked us lots of questions, measured up and said she would put something together for us to look at.

I went to work at 11.30am and work was extremely busy indeed. It was quiet at first so Denise asked one of the general assistants to bring a hoover into the office so she could vacuum the carpet, but as soon as she'd done a bit, the phones went mad! A lot of them were about the imminent return of our swimming lessons and parents desperate to get their children onto the time and day of their choice!

I took a call at 17:59:50 but thankfully the woman on the phone just wanted to know what time her child had been swimming in the past so I was able to deal with that quickly and then log off. Phew!

I sped home, did some paperwork for Mum and Dad and got ready to go out for the evening with Fiona and Lynda. Abbie was at our house and Sophie was cooking fish pie for dinner, with instructions I had provided, bless her, but she was more than capable!

Keith took me to Miller & Carter on the Round Spinney roundabout and I walked in just as Fiona arrived. We weren't allowed in the bar for a drink and we were shown straight to a table. Just above my head was a loudspeaker and the music was blaring out... I thought this wasn't allowed at the moment, as it forces people to speak more loudly, thereby possibly spreading the virus?

We asked to move and although the new table also had a speaker above, it was much quieter, thank goodness! We ordered drinks and Lynda arrived as Fiona was telling me about how ill her husband had been. The doctors kept thinking he had Covid, but he'd actually got pneumonia due to builders creating a lot of dust in their house. He was in hospital for quite a while, but is now on the mend.

We had a good look at the menus and I chose the chipotle chicken to start followed by lamb, which we all decided to have. The food was very good but I thought the main course was a bit sparse! We had a really good chat and all of us had room for dessert which, in my case, was a gorgeously gooey chocolate brownie served with ice-cream and caramel sauce.

Keith and Sophie came to collect me at about 10pm and the bill came to a much more reasonable £37 each, despite the "Eat out to help out" offer!

My Chipotle chicken starter... delicious!

Cheers!

Chocolate brownie...Mmm!

Storm Francis.

I awoke this morning to the sound of heavy rain - Storm Francis has arrived! This storm is from the 2019-2020 season and is very unusual for this time of year.

Sophie texted me from the gym to say the roads on the way were very waterlogged and an hour later, when Keith took me to work, they were probably worse.

I was working with Jo this morning and we were hectically busy. The phone calls were virtually non-stop giving us very little time to do anything else in between. At 12pm Denise came in so I was able to go off the phones and help Sara with the emails. We had over 80 in the inbox! Hopefully, one day we'll all look back on this and laugh...

Keith picked me up at 2pm and said that Mike was at home as there was very little he could do at work because of the heavy rain. By now, the rain had cleared away, though, but the wind was growing stronger.

I spent the afternoon pootling about and listening to the wind outside. Our poor plants were being buffeted every which way and the letterbox was flapping like mad! I told Sophie to be careful driving home in case there were fallen branches on the road.

We sat and played cards in the conservatory before our dinner of beef curry and it was very pleasant indeed. We haven't sat outside very much this summer and thinking about it, I do prefer sitting in the conservatory as it feels like we're outside anyway, but protected from the elements!

Monday again!

Monday rolls around all too soon and three of us were back at work. Sophie went to the gym as usual and Keith took me to work at 7.30am. Predictably we had a busy morning with lots of phone calls and many more emails that I helped Sara with. Some were easy to deal with but others took time to answer!

The weather has been lovely today with blue skies, fluffy clouds and warm temperatures. Keith picked me up at 2pm and we sped home for half an hour before going back out again to get Mike. He finished a bit early so we were back home by 3.30pm, always a bonus!

I hoovered the house and pottered about doing jobs and Sophie and I did discuss a possible walk but her ankle is hurting and she slathered deep heat all over it to try and alleviate the pain.

We watched a documentary about the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoyed a bottle of very good wine - a Grenache from South Australia. We have given Keith strict instructions to get some more!

Dinner tonight was coq au vin (which we should have had on Sunday) and it was delicious. Autumn is definitely creeping closer now and meals like this can be enjoyed once more!

A busy Sunday!

Sophie was spending the day in London seeing her boyfriend so Keith and I took her to the station and then went over to Mum's to sort out their garden.

Keith mowed the lawn while I concentrated on the weeds in the front garden. Luckily it wasn't too hot today and after about two hours we'd finished. It looked so much better and we cut down some overgrown bushes at the front as well, in case anyone complained they were encroaching on the pavement.

We headed home and had lunch and read the Sunday papers in our sunny conservatory. Bliss! I then put all of our clean bedding back (not a good idea to pick today to do it!) and went and bought some treats for my Mum to encourage her to eat.

I stopped outside their window and phoned them but they didn't answer, which was a shame as it would have been good to see them. I dropped the bag off with the receptionist, tried one more time to contact them and then headed home for a wallow in the bath. I felt very sweaty!

At about 5pm Mike called to ask for a lift home so Keith and I went to collect him. We took the A43 and half way down the road we had to turn around as there'd been an accident ahead. A farm along this road is doing "pick-your-own" sunflowers and I just knew it was an accident waiting to happen with people turning off a busy, and very fast, A road. It had been cleared when we returned half an hour later and there was car sitting forlornly by the side of the road with a big dent in its backside!

I knew that as soon as we got home Sophie would call and I was almost right! Keith and I had about half an hour to prepare dinner (the barbecue we should have had last night!) before going back out to collect her from the station.

We both returned home to find Keith cooking in the garden and thankfully the weather had stayed dry and the wind had died down a bit. Our poor plants looked a bit wind-blown so I gave them a drink but we have another storm heading our way next week - Storm Francis!

A day of indulgence!

I had a lovely lie-in this morning and woke up at the reasonable time of 8am. Lovely! Poor Sophie didn't fare so well and was woken by a horse and rider at just after 8am, though, and she was not happy! Why people feel the need to ride around our estate is beyond me! What's the attraction?

We had an appointment at Magnet at 11.30am but we were held up on the way by a learner driver doing 30mph on a 50mph road, and then a fallen tree as we made our way to the St James area of Northampton.

We were five minutes late but we didn't get a very warm welcome when we walked in. The man on reception looked at us as if we'd fallen out of a dog's bottom and the designer who had been assigned to us looked clearly unhappy. We found out later that she thought we were due at 11am so a complete mix-up!

This didn't set the scene very well and I nearly walked out when she queried our decision to have an island in the kitchen. She didn't seem at all interested in what we wanted and seemed very put out when I said I hadn't measured the windows and doors! By now I had lost all interest and had mentally decided that Magnet were not going to get our business!

We were taken to look at some cupboard doors which looked cheap and nasty and some worktops which were even worse. The prices she was quoting were ridiculous and I began to feel as if we were wasting her time. She eventually agreed to come out to the house to measure up as I had been so lackadaisical in not doing it properly, and I thought back to yesterday when the designer from Howdens had been really helpful.

We left to go home (avoiding the fallen tree) and Sophie and I then set off for Market Harborough where we were going to have lunch at Pizza Express. It's been so long! We parked in our normal place and walked the short distance to the restaurant where we were seated in a dark little corner. We didn't mind, though, as we were so glad to be back!

We treated ourselves to a glass of wine, dough balls doppio and a spicy chicken pizza. The food was delicious and our waitress very helpful and friendly. After we'd eaten we visited Waterstones and had a good look around and then popped into one of the charity shops where Sophie bought a lovely top and some trousers for less than a tenner!

We also went into Monsoon where Sophie bought two more bargains in the sale and I chose some hair scrunchies and clips. It was lovely to do some shopping but a pain wearing face masks everywhere!

We made our way to our favourite little cafe but to our horror it was closed! It had shut its doors at about 3pm so very early indeed! We were so disappointed, but we went to a lovely little place called Millers cafe instead. We chose a slab of coffee cake and a pot of tea each and it was very enjoyable. We were the only people sitting inside so it was lovely and quiet. Perfect!

By now it was getting late and a lot of shops and cafes were closing. We returned to the car and drove home where we found the tyre fitter seeing to my car. He had fitted two new rear tyres so now it should pass its MOT.

While he was finishing up I hoovered downstairs as all the leaves around the back door and in the kitchen were driving me mad! We are also seeing the tiny little brown flecks everywhere again and the wind has sent them all inside!

I wanted to return Dad's car as his was parked in the road and I hated it being in people's way, so we drove over to Mum and Dad's, dropped it off and then decided to call into the pub on the way home. Today has turned out to be a real day of indulgence!

The pub was quiet and we sat at a table opposite the bar with our drinks. After another one Sophie and I managed to persuade Keith to stay for dinner as the thought of going home and then barbecuing was not at all appealing!

We sat and chatted to Mark who cleans the windows for my parents as he was very concerned about them. He said he would help me with storage solutions so that was a bit of a relief. We enjoyed a delicious meal - Keith and I had fish and chips while Sophie chose the burger which she said was probably the best she'd ever had!

Storm Ellen

I was very glad that today was Friday as it's been a hectic week! I was in at 8am and I knew we were going to have issues when the first few calls were about our online booking system... it turns out some bright spark decided to fiddle about with the booking buttons and change them to something completely unrelated to what people were trying to book, so we were flooded with calls from people saying they could only book a badminton court and nothing else! It was extremely annoying!

If I'd had £1 for every call I received about this issue I would be able to have a very good weekend, so you can imagine how many people we had moaning on the phone! By 1pm both Kathy and I were more than ready to go home! Thank goodness it's the weekend!

I sped home and five minutes after getting back we had a kitchen designer from Howdens arrive. We had a chat with her, told her what we'd like to do and she measured up and asked us lots of questions about what kind of oven, hob, worktop, flooring, sink, taps, etc we wanted. She will then go away, design a 3D plan of our new kitchen and we'll go from there.

Today the UK has been affected by Storm Ellen and we've had high winds and heavy rain showers. There are leaves all around our back door but on the roads there were branches down complete with green leaves, which looks a bit strange as we don't usually have strong winds at this time of the year!

We picked up Mike, who had finished early again, and returned home where I had a nap. I felt very weary, for some reason! My driving duties weren't over, though, as Mike wanted a lift into town and it was a real pain battling through the Friday evening rush hour traffic!

Keith also wanted a lift to the pub because the skies were turning very stormy again and he didn't want to be caught out in a shower. Sophie and I dropped him off, negotiating the irritating road closures in Walgrave that are still on, and returned home to relax and have a chat about our day.

Dinner tonight was very easy - jacket potatoes with salad and various fillings - so we had more than enough time to enjoy a glass of The Ned Pinot Gris and look forward to the weekend!

A bit of a shock...

Today has been as beautiful as yesterday was horrible and we enjoyed clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. Our weather can be so weird at times!

I was in at work at 8am and the calls weren't too bad today. I helped Sara with many, many emails and sped home at 2pm.

Keith and I went to get Mike from work and thankfully he was out early as I had a meeting at Mum and Dad's care home at 4.15pm. I was dreading it, to be honest, but I am so worried about my Mum at the moment and I need to speak to someone.

Keith and I headed back to Kettering and we were taken up to the lounge next to my parents' rooms. We met with with the manager and assistant manager who are as worried about her as we are. She has dropped a stone in weight since coming in and although the staff are asking whether she's eaten or drunk anything, they're not actually checking for sure.

We agreed a plan of action and then they asked if I'd like to see them both, which I was delighted about. However, when my Mum walked into the lounge both Keith and I were truly shocked by her appearance. She was very thin and her face looked gaunt. She hadn't bothered to do anything with her hair or make-up and I couldn't believe what had happened to her since I'd seen her last on Dad's birthday.

We all had a cup of tea and I tried to persuade her to eat and drink more otherwise I said she would end up back in hospital. My Dad was fine and looked great and I think my Mum is finding life very difficult at the moment. The manager had said that once they're out of isolation, we could pick them both up and take them out for lunch or a cup of tea so I told her that. I am really hoping that she'll take our words to heart and start eating properly again. We waved to them from the road outside when we left and later they called to say they were enjoying a meal, so let's hope this is the start.

Dinner tonight was baked cod with veggies and a cheese sauce and the meal was delicious. After we'd eaten Keith and I watched the next James Bond film on our list - For Your Eyes Only. ITV have very kindly decided to put all the films on each weekend so I won't have to order them from Amazon any more!

A bit stressed out!

Today the weather has been truly horrible - it's rained for most of the day and the sky has been a lumpy grey colour. Not pleasant and especially not for August!

Keith and I went and collected my car from Mum and Dad's first thing and while we were at the house I was horrified to see the amount of weeds in their front garden. We really must try and tackle them soon, but the weather is set to be wet and stormy towards the end of the week. Having said that, I really don't have a lot of spare time at the moment!

We took my car to the garage in Broughton and then returned home for bacon sandwiches. I changed my profile on my blog and decided to have a look at some of the blogs I follow. I was shocked and really sad to see that Rick Watson of Life 101 had died in July. He and his wife Jilda lived a wonderful life in Alabama and although I didn't follow his blog every day, whenever I dipped into their lives I felt my blood pressure drop. He was a lovely writer and I couldn't believe that he was gone. Such a sad loss.

At 12pm I left for work and arrived to see our board lit up with loads of calls. One of my colleagues was on a call and I could tell that she was stressed. When she eventually ended the call she looked ready to burst into tears and I think that could apply to all of us at the moment. The calls are sometimes relentless and so many of them could be dealt with by people using our website and not being so lazy. It's easier for them to call us and get us to book them onto sessions or ask for information! I don't mind talking to our regulars, a few of whom have been back since lockdown, but a lot of the calls could easily be sorted by visiting our website!

I was at work with Denise until 6pm and had an enlightening conversation with her and Nicola about what we wear in bed at night! Georgie came in half way through the conversation and the look on his face was priceless!

Back home it was time to relax and Keith had cooked a delicious beef casserole for dinner. We enjoyed it with giant Yorkie puds and it was the perfect meal for such a dismal day!


Rick Watson

Quiet Tuesday!

I had another busy shift at work, but thankfully it wasn't as bad as yesterday! Again, a lot of the calls were about swimming so I think all of us will be very glad when the school holidays are over and the swimming sessions aren't quite so popular.

At 2pm I headed home and on the way to getting Mike I called into the Co-op in Kettering to get some groceries for our food bank collection this evening. It's amazing how quickly the weeks roll around!

Sophie has been in at work today and when she arrived home we played cards in the conservatory and then had yesterday's leftover paella again for dinner. There was so much left from last night that we couldn't have thrown it away and it was just as delicious as before!

Work issues!

Work was very busy indeed again today, even though there were three of us manning the phones. The calls were almost non-stop and predictably most were about swimming sessions. Most people just can't be bothered with booking a session themselves so call us to do it for them!

I stayed for an extra hour to complete the box office returns and realised that we hadn't changed our forms to take into account the reduced rate of VAT... it meant I had to do them all over again! I was very glad to get out at 2pm and go home!

The weather had turned from grey and overcast to sunny and bright and it was lovely to drive home and see the sun shining. Mike had called in sick at work today so we didn't have to go and pick him up from work. Apparently things were a bit fraught in the house while I was at work and I hope he goes back in tomorrow!

Keith had used Sophie's car this morning to do the shopping and she cooked a really delicious paella this evening. While she was cooking Keith and I played cards in the conservatory and we opened a bottle of wine that Sophie had bought in Valencia last year. It was a bit dry but it did go well with our Spanish meal!

Afternoon storm!

Mike was at work again this morning and we picked him up at about 10am. It was another grey and misty morning and it felt very humid and close.

We spent the morning mooching about the house and had Chinese takeaway leftovers for lunch. In the afternoon Sophie and I went down to the St James retail park to visit Homesense. This shopping area is getting emptier as various shops close - it's lost Toys R Us, DW Fitness, Mothercare, and Laura Ashley is also closing down. It's such a shame that so many businesses have gone to the wall.

We donned our masks and had a good look around in Homesense. I bought a new silvery grey lampshade for our bedroom, some new wine glasses and tumblers, a pack of grey flannels and a lovely scented candle. Sophie bought a bottle of Cava and some biscuits. I was looking for pictures for the bedroom and maybe curtains, but we decided to try and get our headboard sorted first.

When we emerged from the store, the sky looked very stormy indeed. When we arrived home we heard the first rumbles of thunder and then it started pouring with rain. Sophie and I stood and watched the rain and lightning from the safety of the driveway and it was great to finally have a good storm! The rain continued to really lash it down and we heard it had flooded the centre of Wellingborough, not far away!

Dinner tonight was Spanish tapas and Sophie cooked everything, including delicious patatas bravas. We also enjoyed, crusty bread, Spanish hams and an omelette. The food was lovely accompanied by our new favourite drink, an Aperol Spritz!

Anniversary celebrations!

Mike was at work at 5am this morning so poor Keith got up with him and took him in. He came back to bed, which is something I would have done!

I was up myself at 7am and enjoyed a leisurely coffee. Outside the weather was truly horrible with misty, grey skies and drizzle. What a difference to last week!

Mike called us at about 10am and we went to collect him, waiting for a little while until he finished what he was doing. Neither Keith or I are happy about him working on his own at the weekend as anything could happen with the machines that he uses. He was still suffering from a runny tummy so he said he would stay at home this afternoon while we went out on an Anniversary mooch.

Keith, Sophie and I set off at midday and, after spotting a strange thing in the hedgerow and doubling back to investigate (we are so nosy, but it looked like someone was having a horsey event and not a rave as we had suspected!), we made our way to the A43. The roads were hectically busy today and I have no idea why? Perhaps the horrible weather had driven everyone out to the shops!

We had been planning on going to Wendelbury near Oxford, but with the rain and mist, we decided to stay closer to home. I suggested a pub I used to deliver to on the outskirts of Towcester, so we headed there, noting how many pubs there were in the town itself.

Unfortunately, The Folly was a restaurant and not a pub so we couldn't just have a drink there. I am sure it used to be a pub three years ago? We slunk back to the car feeling ashamed and drove towards Shutlanger instead, passing by the now closed Towcester racecourse, which is a real shame as Keith and I have many happy memories of going there in years gone by.

The Plough looked empty when we arrived, but it was open and we were told to take a seat and someone would take our drinks order. On each table was a paper bag and at first I thought it was a goody bag for a party but then we realised it was a menu and cutlery! The bar staff were wearing masks and we ordered two halves of Guinness and a pint of lager for Keith (no good beer again).

We sat and chatted and more people arrived. They have a shop next door and the pub was very different from when Keith and I last went a long, long time ago. Two women on the table next to us were enjoying a huge afternoon tea even though technically it was lunchtime!

A bit of cheer on a gloomy day!

We had one drink and then drove to Stoke Bruerne but we weren't keen on the pubs there. The Boat Inn looked a bit rundown and The Navigation had a huge car park which was full so we pressed on to Grafton Regis and The White Hart which is on the main A508. We had stopped here a few years ago and had a meal but today it was well and truly closed so we turned around in the car park and carried on.

By now we were beginning to feel a bit dispirited but we were determined to find somewhere good, so when we saw the sign for Yardley Gobion we turned off the A508 and looked out for a pub. It was a big village so it was bound to have something, surely?

We came across The Coffee Pot Tavern just before we left the village and parked in the empty car park. Inside, it was dark and depressing with a table occupied by two couples and a man sitting on his own. Keith gave up on the beer and chose a pint of lager while Sophie and I had two halves of Guinness again.

We found a table - "I am clean" - it said, and sat and chatted in perhaps one of the most depressing pubs I've had the misfortune to visit in a long time... There was no atmosphere, no attempt to cheer the place up on a gloomy Saturday and nothing to recommend it at all! Even the loos were closed!

We hurriedly drank up and decided to head back to Blisworth where we decided to go to The Walnut Tree. Keith and I visited once before, ages ago, and Sophie came here last year for a wedding, and the place was immaculately clean and welcoming.

We sat up on a little raised area in the restaurant and had a good look at the lunch menu, choosing a pizza to share for Sophie and I and a pulled pork roll with chips for Keith. The cutlery arrived in very crinkly plastic bags (reminded me of in-flight meals) and the bar staff were wearing masks again, which I do find a bit off-putting. Outside it was grey and rainy and the frequent trains sent up whooshes of water whenever they passed.

Both Sophie and I loved our chicken and bacon pizza. The cherry tomatoes on top were succulent and sweet, but Keith was unimpressed with his pulled pork roll, saying the meat was tasteless. His chips were good though but we weren't offered any as he only had seven!

By now it was almost 4pm so we decided to call it a day and head home. Mike felt slightly better when we got back and said he was looking forward to a Chinese meal this evening. Despite our late lunch, so were we!

It was lovely to lounge about and relax and outside the weather became even mistier and gloomier. Thankfully the high temperatures of the last few days had disappeared and the mercury was now hovering about 19c.

At 6pm we called the Chinese take-away in Broughton and made sure they were open and still delivering. We then cracked open a bottle of Champagne and opened our anniversary cards. 28 years today!

Our meal was lovely and the food delicious as always. Keith watched the snooker all evening and Sophie and I went upstairs and caught the last hour of Taken starring Liam Neeson. Swoon!

Moany morning!

I was hoping for a quiet end to the week, but it was not to be. Kathy and I were working this morning and we had some complicated and moany calls right from the start. I took a call from a man who'd received a parking ticket last July and his tone of voice was very aggressive - he expected me to sort it out right there and then! I had difficulty explaining that he should have sought help from us as soon as he received the ticket and not left it so long, but he was having none of it, threatening to take back all of the money he'd paid for his son's membership if we didn't sort it out at once. Unfortunately, once it reaches the point where debt collection is involved, there is very little we can do, and his manner really made it difficult for me to have any sympathy.

The horrible phone calls carried on for most of the morning and our swim lesson portal was also playing up, making it difficult for us to book children onto lessons, which are starting back in September. All in all it was a difficult morning and I was glad to escape at 1pm, do some shopping for Mum to take into hospital, and head home.

After a very quick lunch, Keith and I drove to the care home, picked up a bag for Mum and took it to the hospital. I met a lovely lady called Robin who was trying to arrange a video chat between me and Mum so I said I would call her when I got home.

Keith and I went to collect Mike from the golf club and he was in a foul mood as he'd had an upset tummy all night and all day. We suspected he had a rogue prawn last night... As soon as we got home I called the hospital and they said they would call me back to do the video chat with my Mum but it never happened, unfortunately. She called me instead and sounded a bit confused, bless her. I am hoping she will be out soon.

Keith had treated us to a bottle of Aperol in Tesco the other day so it was Prosecco cocktails this evening and beef tacos for dinner. After we'd eaten Sophie and I watched the lovely film, "A Room With a View" starring Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench, among others. It was a lovely end to a somewhat frazzled day!

Battling through...

We awoke to a really grey and misty day with a weather warning for thunderstorms. I was in at 8am and the morning passed very pleasantly as there were only a handful of us in the office. Mid-morning, the heavens opened and we had a huge downpour of rain with rumbles of thunder. Part of our building flooded so I had to cancel some spin classes as the room was unusable!

The shift passed very quickly indeed and Keith came to pick me up at 2pm. We dashed over to Mum and Dad's house to pick up their car because mine is not well at all. It's making a strange vibrating noise and we're not sure if it's the tyres or something else. It's booked in next Wednesday for its MOT and a service so I'm hoping they can fix whatever it is.

We checked Mum and Dad's house, tried not to look at the front garden which needed weeding and went home. We then went straight back out again to put some petrol in Dad's car. Mike was already at home as he'd taken a half day's holiday but the weather has been so wet today, I doubt whether he could have done much anyway.

The rain was torrential on the way back home but our gardens and fields badly need it at the moment. Sophie had called the hospital for me this morning and had been told the doctors were visiting between 9am and 12pm, so I phoned the ward to find out how my mum was. I was told that she has a problem with her kidneys and was on fluids to help. She was asleep when I rang and I said I would bring in a bag for her tomorrow. I still don't really know what caused this to happen unless she was very dehydrated?

I managed to fall down the last two stairs this afternoon and hurt my left arm and foot. Not really what I want right now! I am definitely thinking we have some kind of curse on us at the moment!

Sophie was out with her boyfriend in the evening - he had caught a train to Northampton to see her, so he's obviously very keen! Keith and I sat and chatted in the conservatory about the kitchen again and then we prepared a very simple dinner of prawn salad. It had stopped raining but the skies remained cloudy and overcast. It was a bit cooler, though!

More bad news...

I wasn't in at work until 12pm today so I had the morning off. I got up with Sophie who went to the gym, and I enjoyed a cup of coffee while looking at kitchen designs on the internet. As much as we liked the men who came around last night, we were a bit worried that their ideas didn't match ours.

Unfortunately, before 9am I received a call from the care home to say that my mum had been taken into hospital as she had been very difficult to wake this morning. I was devastated, as they had no idea what was wrong with her and of course, this now means that when she comes out she'll have to endure another 14 days in isolation with my Dad. Can things really get any worse?

Sophie was working from her office today and had agreed to pick me up from work at 6pm, bless her. I spent the morning pootling about and was nearly late for work as I thought I could go and get ready at 11.30am when I had to leave at that time! Before I left I called the care home but they hadn't heard anything so I said I would call the hospital this evening.

Work was OK, but as the afternoon wore on the sky became very stormy. We were long overdue a good storm as the temperatures have become unbearable and last night was extremely uncomfortable trying to sleep. I think it was one of the hottest nights ever. These kind of hot and sultry nights now have a name - tropical nights - when the temperature doesn't dip below 20c.

Sophie met me in the car park and we drove home under a dark and cloudy sky. I called the hospital and found out that my mum had been transferred to a ward and that the doctors would see her in the morning. As Sophie was working from home tomorrow, I asked her to call the ward and try and find out what was happening.

Before we had dinner we sat and had a good chat in the conservatory about the kitchen. It's maybe one thing we can at least look forward to at the moment. We discussed the idea about having a large window installed in the old dining room, with a padded bench seat underneath and shelving on both sides.

It was another very hot and humid evening and we all sweated profusely while eating dinner. I made the most of the leftover veggies from the other night and I heated them in the oven before covering them with a light sprinkling of breadcrumbs and cheese.

I went out to water the garden after dinner in an effort to encourage some rain. It stayed dry, though, and Keith and I sat and watched the bats wheel about in the evening air. A small moment of calm in a busy day!

The wrong end of the stick!

I was back in at work at 8am this morning and we had another busy shift with phone calls and queries. The office felt a lot hotter today and I was glad to escape at 2pm and head home. The temperature in the car was registering 34c and it took ages for the aircon to cool the interior a bit!

Sophie had made me an appointment to see my parents this afternoon at 4pm. My Dad celebrates his 78th birthday today but it certainly won't be like years gone by when we all went out for a meal or they came around to our house.

Keith went to get Mike and luckily he was back before I needed to leave. I was held up on the drive in by a digger so I was a bit frazzled when I arrived! I was hoping that we'd be somewhere cool in the garden but instead I was taken up to the lounge near their rooms which was much better.

My parents walked in with the help of zimmer frames and my Mum didn't look right at all. I suspect she has another urine infection as she sounded a bit confused, but my Dad looked fine and we had a good conversation. He was very pleased with his gifts of clothes, magazines and a book but I felt a bit upset seeing them like that and I couldn't help thinking back to all the good times we'd had in the past.

I stayed until almost 5pm then sped home because we had two men coming around to look at the kitchen and give us a quote. They were a great pair but could they talk! At first I don't think they really understood what we wanted even though we said we wanted the wall knocked down between the kitchen and what was our old dining room. I wanted the two rooms to be the whole kitchen but they were talking about putting a breakfast bar where the wall is now, which kind of defeated the object. When I explained how we wanted it, I think the penny dropped!

They stayed until almost 7pm by which time I was well and truly drooping! Sophie left to go and meet Daisy and Laura and when the two men eventually departed I had a well-earned drink!

Neither Keith nor I fancied making dinner and my plans to make another dish out of the leftover vegetables went out of the window! We settled on quiche and oven chips which we just plonked in the oven! It was uncomfortably hot and humid and it seemed even warmer than previous days!

Sophie texted me to say she was at The Whyte Melville in Boughton where they'd gone for a meal, making the most of the "Eat out to help out" scheme! She came home just before 11pm and I went thankfully to bed after trying unsuccessfully to cool down a bit!

The heat goes on...

I was in at work at 8am this morning and we had a very busy shift with endless calls about swimming sessions and people having difficulty booking online. Luckily there were three of us answering the calls, but it was hard work.

I finished at 2pm, after doing an hour on the cinema doing the box office returns (our film yesterday didn't have one single customer) and I sped home to see Sophie who had arrived from London earlier in the afternoon. She'd had a great time in Canterbury but said it was very hot. It still is, here, with the temperature hovering around 30c.

As she was still on a day's leave, we popped over to the post office in Brixworth as she had sold a dress on Depop and I needed to send a load of forms and documents to the solicitors. From Brixworth we went to Tesco at Kettering where I spent a small fortune on birthday presents for my Dad and some food for tonight. I also picked out fruit and nuts as I think we should try and vary our diet a bit more!

It was very muggy and warm and I could see clouds building up in the distance. I was hoping for a really big storm! Back home we relaxed with a couple of small bottles of Prosecco that I'd been given a work, as well as some mozzarella balls, olives and sun dried tomatoes. It was bliss to sit and chat about our weekends!

Keith was barbecuing again tonight and I'd bought some chicken and chorizo kebabs in Tesco to go with the sausages, burgers and lamb from last night. I made a kind of ratatouille with another courgette, an onion, the remainder of the sun dried tomatoes, green beans and mushrooms. I'd also treated us to two lots of parmentier potatoes and put them in the oven to roast.

While everything cooked we sat in the garden and chatted to Mike who had arrived home from his weekend in Oxford, looking very tanned and healthy! He'd had a great time and had bought some new trainers... I dread to think how much they cost!

The barbecue was delicious and the vegetable and potato accompaniments really lovely. After we'd eaten I went to sit on the steps at the front of the house and gazed up at the towering clouds in the distance. Unfortunately, the storm never arrived and it continued to be muggy and warm all night!

Hot work!

Keith and I had joked about going to Whitby today but in reality we stayed at home and got on with lots of jobs that needed doing!

I changed our bedding and did loads of laundry, and also did some work on the sale of Mum and Dad's house. It's been another warm day with no sign of the temperatures going down at all. I did think the other day, that July tends to be the hottest month, but August is certainly excelling itself this year!

As well as doing loads of laundry I made a courgette and chocolate cake:

I used two large courgettes ( a neighbour had given us lots) and grated them before adding them to the flour, cocoa powder, eggs and oil. It made the cake very moist! A slice was delicious with a cup of tea mid-afternoon!

Keith thinks he broke one of his little toes last night when he came to bed. He said he stubbed his toe not only on the table in the living room, but also on the bed. This morning it resembled a little purple sausage. I sent a pic to show Sophie but will spare you the gory details!

I had a very tepid bath late afternoon and Keith barbecued in the evening. He cooked burgers, sausages and lamb chops and I made a salad and cooked some new potatoes. It was delicious and perfect for such a hot evening!

A warm and sunny mooch!

I had to go to Milton Keynes today to drop off another bootful of recycling so I suggested to Keith that we combine it with a pub mooch! We are completely child-free this weekend (not that that makes any difference anyway) but we both fancied getting out and exploring somewhere different.

We were both up early (6am for me!) and all set to go by 10am. The journey to Milton Keynes was fine, but the M1 was very busy - I suppose a lot of people are off on their holidays this weekend. We dropped all the bags off (I do feel so glad that we are keeping this rubbish from landfill) and then set off down the A5 and A422 to Buckingham.

Buckingham was busy with lots of people out enjoying the sunshine and there was a market in full swing. Sophie and I have been here a couple of times and it's a really pleasant town with lots of shops and cafes to explore.

We passed through the town, though, and headed for Brackley just off the A43. The Grand Prix is taking place at Silverstone again this weekend but of course there are no spectators so the roads were open as normal. I'm not sure if this will apply to tomorrow, though, when the race is taking place.

We drove through the outskirts of Brackley - a town I have never visited after 48 years of living in Northamptonshire - and headed out into the countryside. The first village we came to was called Halse, but there was nothing there so we pushed on to Middleton Cheney which looked a much bigger village. We spotted The New Inn as soon as we arrived but I still decided to go off down a very narrow street (and almost get stuck) just in case there was something else available!

The New Inn seemed to be a very friendly and sociable pub with the few locals gathered around a big screen watching news of the Grand Prix. Keith had a pint of Hobgoblin, which he said wasn't bad and I enjoyed a half of Guinness, which was lovely and cold!

We sat and had a very agreeable half hour chatting and the pub was lovely - very clean and quiet with friendly staff and locals, so a good first choice!

From Middleton Cheney we drove to Farthinghoe, after a short and fruitless detour to the small hamlet of Thenford, which had some beautiful houses but little else. Farthinghoe is on the busy A422 road and we found The Fox just off the main street.

Lots of people were sitting in the garden eating and drinking and we followed suit after being told by the bar staff that it was table service only. Keith asked for the strongest beer they had, which was Pedigree and I had another half of Guinness. We ordered ham and cheese sandwiches accompanied by salad and tortilla chips and sat back to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

Our food arrived and looked delicious:

And it was very filling!

It was utterly pleasant to sit outside in the sunshine and relax. Sophie kept me up to date with what she was doing in Canterbury (taking a punt along the river) and Keith and I had a good chat about our plans for our kitchen, which is rapidly needing an update. Next year we will have been in our house 20 years!

After we'd eaten we decided to have one last look for a pub serving good beer. I looked on Google maps and found The George and Dragon in the Oxfordshire village of Chacombe, about ten minutes away. The village was buried deep in the countryside and must be right on the Northamptonshire/Oxfordshire border as the historic Northants village of Sulgrave was very close by.

We drove over and found the pub busy with people sitting outside. By now it was very warm so we went in and waited to be served by two harried bar staff. While we were there they kept moaning that all the orders had come in at once! I think they were very lucky to be so busy!

Keith and I sat inside, either side of a wood burning stove, and relished the cool and quiet. He had given up on any good beer and sipped at a pint of San Miguel. The pub seemed very cosy and I would love to go back and visit in the winter. There were lots of beams, stone-flagged floors and a lovely wood burning smell.

By now were we ready for home so we set the satnav and followed a narrow road out to the A43. As soon as we were back, Keith settled himself on the sofa to watch the cricket while I went upstairs, switched the fan on and watched Knives Out on my Kindle. I had wanted to see the Daniel Craig film when it first came out, so now was my chance!

I have to admit to having a nap as well and at 7pm we got ready and went to The Royal Oak where we had booked a table. I knew that Keith wouldn't fancy barbecuing after being out all day so we had decided to eat at our local.

The pub was worryingly quiet and we sat opposite the bar chatting to Ian. For once, Keith decided to have the Sirloin steak while I went for battered haddock, chips and salad. The food was very good, as was my glass of Chardonnay!

 Again, we had a very pleasant time sitting chatting and when we'd finished eating we went back to the bar area and chatted some more to Ian. He is very worried about the pub and said that the landlords still expect him to pay the rent even though he was virtually closed down for four months. I would hate to lose this lovely pub that we have been going to for so long.

By now it felt a lot cooler and there was a delicious breeze blowing. We said goodbye to Ian (there was only one other couple in) and headed home where I opened all the windows and the back door to let some cool air in. Monty curled up on the sofa next to us and it was a lovely end to a perfect day!

So glad it's Friday!

Sophie took me into work this morning and then carried on to the gym. She is travelling down to London today to meet her boyfriend and they're going to Canterbury for the weekend. It's forecast to be very hot today and tomorrow: 35-36c in London and the south-east!

Work was busy but pleasant. Yesterday, the two big barriers we used to have dividing our office were removed, making it all very open-plan. As we are not "hot-desking" at the moment, we needed to be able to all see each other as some of the staff are sitting on the far side of the office. It made the space seem so much bigger and lighter!

Keith had taken Sophie to the station at 12pm and came straight to pick me up from work. It was very hot when I walked out! We dashed home so I could change and then we went to Mum and Dad's house to fill out the forms that the solicitor had sent me. They were very straightforward and it didn't take us long to do them. The gardens need some attention again but it's far too hot at the moment to even think about weeding and mowing! We'll leave them until it cools down a bit!

Back home I fiddled about with printers again and signed up for the HP instant ink. I need to copy some documents to send off but as it was so hot I put it off for later!

As the time for Keith to go to the pub approached it looked quite stormy but he risked the walk down. I kept an eye out for rain but he made it without getting wet! I did see a rainbow at one point so it must have been raining somewhere close by! I spent a pleasant couple of hours watching some recorded programmes and the house was blissfully quiet. I did miss my wine buddy very much, though!

For dinner tonight Keith and I enjoyed quiche, new potatoes and salad. I hadn't really eaten much today so I was really hungry and I enjoyed a lovely G&T with my dinner. Bring on the weekend!

Getting hotter!

I was glad that today was my last regular 1pm-5pm shift as I seem to spend all morning mooching about with the thought of work hanging over me. Next week I'm back to my normal 8am shift but my hours have increased, so I'm now doing an afternoon shift on Wednesday. Before lockdown I was doing extra hours anyway to help out with the cinema work and this has just continued.

I didn't do a lot this morning! Keith went shopping and Sophie was at the gym but I caught up with some chores and went into work at the slightly later time of 12pm. We had to do a lot of behind-the-scenes work for the cinema and the VAT rate had to be reduced in line with the Government's incentive for the leisure industry. It involved quite a bit of work!

Luckily, the phones weren't too bad this afternoon and I was working with Kathy who has a lovely quiet voice! We are back in together tomorrow morning and it's Friday...hooray!

The temperatures have been rising steadily all week and today it was very warm. Mike has gone to Oxford with Abbie as it's their one year anniversary so it was just the three of us for dinner this evening. We enjoyed jacket potatoes with salad - eating in this heat is not fun and we had real difficulty trying to decide what to have over the weekend, especially as there will be just the two of us!

A stressful shift!

Today has been almost a repeat of yesterday as I started work again at 11am. Before I went in, though, I hoovered the house and asked Keith to give the bathroom a good clean. Sophie was working from home and had been to the gym this morning as usual.

At work I did two hours of Sheila's work and then it was back on the phones with Jo. Unfortunately, it was very stressful indeed as the phones rang non-stop and gave us little chance to do anything else in between. As a lot of our customers are finding it difficult to re-instate their membership (having cancelled their direct debits) so we were constantly having to email them with a link where they could resurrect their old memberships again. However, Nicola had a clear out of a cupboard in her office and gave us all three small bottles of wine each - two Prosecco and a white wine, so that made up for the stress a bit!

At 5pm I sped home and picked up Sophie who had an appointment at a beauty salon in town. Their tiny car park was empty which was a bonus and I sat and read until Sophie emerged a little while later. Before going home we called into Boots on Riverside where Sophie bought an armful of products, bless her!

Getting back into the routine!

I was back at work today but not starting until 11am. Sophie had been to the gym first thing and when she came home we enjoyed toasted crumpets and coffee.

I left to go to work at 10.30am and my first two hours were spent going through the films we are putting on in the cinema, and making sure that we had blocked out a lot of seats so we could ensure social distancing! Also, the VAT rate has changed for cinema takings so that had to be sorted out as well! It was very absorbing work and the two hours flew by!

At 1pm I was back on the phones but also dealing with customer service emails so my shift passed very quickly indeed. The others said it had been very busy as we've now opened our swimming pools but people have to book a session and a lot of customers were finding it difficult to do. I have no idea why, as the process is very simple!

At 5pm I left and the next gym session was starting so there were some people about! I still can't get used to how quiet it is! Back home Keith and Sophie were waiting for me on the drive, which was lovely! We sat and played cards in the conservatory and had a good chat.

Dinner tonight was a delicious chicken curry but Keith had added loads of vegetables as we have been given some courgettes by a neighbour. I looked up a recipe for courgette and lemon cake and I'm very tempted to make it!

Fuming!

My Mum had a hospital appointment at 11am this morning and I arranged a meeting with them in the care home garden beforehand, so they could sign some important documents for the sale of the house. I had to make a visit to their house first, though, to find Mum's hospital letter as I didn't know where we had to go!

The meeting was OK, but I was dismayed to see my Mum also in a wheelchair. I was beginning to wish that I'd brought Keith with me to help. We sat in the garden and I asked them to sign several forms, which they did without question. The forms were for fixtures and fittings and questions about boundaries and any neighbourly disputes. Thankfully, they were quite straightforward and Keith and I will try and concentrate on them later this week when I have a free afternoon.

I managed (eventually) to get Mum into my car and the wheelchair folded up. What a good job I have a spacious boot! I had been debating about whether to take Sophie's car and I'm so glad I didn't!

We drove to the hospital and I parked in the horrible multi-storey. Getting Mum to the main entrance was hard as although the kerbs had been dropped, it was still difficult pushing the wheelchair! One very lovely man helped me find the wheelchair accessible path but when we arrived at the main entrance I had a feeling we were in the wrong place...

The woman on the desk directed me back out of the building and across the car park to a separate building opposite. Once there we had our temperatures taken (both 35c) and I had to fill out a short questionnaire. We were then told to go to the ultrasound reception.

When I gave my Mum's name at the desk the receptionist said that we didn't have a face-to-face appointment and that we were supposed to have a telephone one instead... a letter should have been sent out... I was absolutely fuming and I nearly burst into tears. Not only had I disrupted my work rota to be here today but it meant that my Mum has to go back into self-isolation for two weeks for nothing. I was livid. The receptionist said that we were the fourth appointment that had turned up as the others hadn't received a letter either.

Another woman came to help but as the consultant wasn't in there was nothing they could do. The receptionist said she was going to make a staff complaint about how we had been treated because it wasn't acceptable.

I took my poor Mum back to the care home straight away when I had been planning on taking her for a coffee at Tesco's. I was hoping upon hope that as we hadn't actually been seen by anyone we could try and get away with not putting her and my Dad into self-isolation, but a phone call later in the morning confirmed that they would be as they just couldn't risk it. I felt deeply upset and wished now I'd taken my Mum for a coffee as it wouldn't have mattered.

Sophie and I went for a walk after she'd finished work as I had been feeling very stressed out all day and very upset about my poor parents who now have to face another two weeks in self-isolation. They have been in the care home now for six weeks and they've spent most of that time cooped up in two rooms, unable to take part in the daily activities that the other residents are enjoying. I did ask whether they could give my Mum a test in a few days to see if that could shorten the self-isolation and that's my only hope.

We had a lovely walk and came home to relax and enjoy a drink in the conservatory. Dinner tonight was the other two pies we'd bought in Beckworth a few weeks ago. Sadly we didn't like them any more than we did when we first ate them!

Definitely a foodie day!

I realised this morning that three years ago today we flew to Florida for a three week holiday... how I wish sometimes we could turn back time!

Just as we were about to prepare breakfast, Mike called and asked us to pick him up from Abbie's house. We all drove over, collected him and then drove home to resume making our toast and coffee!

Today the weather has been lovely but there has been a fair amount of cloud about. We are due another heatwave later on next week but I really am hoping it won't get as hot as Friday! Sophie and I drove to Farndon Fields at midday and joined the queue of people waiting to get in. We had to wear masks, of course, but we spent a very pleasant half hour picking out some lovely foods, including strawberries, lemon biscuits and macarons.

We took our booty home and sat in the sunny conservatory to enjoy a late lunch. I had treated the boys to a bottle of lager each and Sophie and I enjoyed rhubarb cider over ice. Very refreshing!

The afternoon was spent relaxing and I made the mistake of watching Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby - the hotel in question was in the Highlands and people were enjoying wonderful food and whiskies! I have made a note of the name as I would love to go there some time!

Sophie, Keith and I spent an hour preparing our "Blind Finches" for dinner. Keith hammered the steaks until they were very thin while I prepared the pork mince, shallot and mustard filling. We then cut the steaks in half, laid a slice of Prosciutto ham on top, put some filling in the middle and then made them into little parcels tied up with string.

We let them chill in the fridge for an hour while we relaxed. We'd decided to cook them slightly different to the recipe by browning them all over and then putting them in the oven with the beer gravy for an hour rather than cook them on the hob. I was worried they'd fall apart!

The meal turned out very well indeed! We fried some homemade chips and the food definitely had a Flemish air! We could have been in a restaurant in Bruges!

A pleasant shift

The photo I've used for this month's blog is a house we saw in Naples three years ago. I would love to stay there (it's probably a private house and was being built when we last saw it) or even better buy it, and we can all dream, can't we? We have resigned ourselves to no travel at all this year, unless the situation rapidly improves, but I doubt that will happen! We'll just have to try and plan for next year!

I was at work at 9am this morning and working with Jo. We were the only ones in the office so there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere. In between calls I answered loads of customer service emails and the shift passed very pleasantly.

Keith gave Sophie a lift to the station as she was going to see her boyfriend again and having lunch out. I finished at 2pm, called to put some petrol in Sophie's car (I've been using it a lot over the past week) and went home to relax.

I didn't do a great deal and although not as hot as yesterday - thank goodness! - it was still a warm day. While Keith went upstairs to watch the FA Cup final, I started watching A Suitable Boy, but gave up. I decided to watch the last ever episode of The Affair again and still felt emotional when it finished!

We delayed dinner for a while and went to get Sophie from the station, timing it perfectly as she was coming out when we arrived. She'd had a lovely day but I was glad she was home!

Keith and I enjoyed prawn salad for dinner with crusty sourdough bread and the meal was lovely and just right for the warm temperatures. Afterwards I sat and chatted to Sophie in the conservatory about her day and then it was time for bed!