Sophie is jabbed again!

Day 4 of kitchen renovation.

Our electrical woes continued this morning when I realised that both the television and Skybox in the bedroom weren't working, and the lamp and telephone on the landing were also off. We felt we had to contact Anthony and ask him to get the electrician back first thing on Monday morning but to our delight, he said he'd come out today and fix the problems.

Keith went to Tesco early and bought food for dinner tonight and tomorrow - if the weather is OK, the plan is to barbecue. Sophie and I enjoyed pastries and coffee for breakfast before driving over to Weedon for her second Covid jab. She is now fully vaccinated, and she's very pleased!

From the surgery, we went to an antique centre nearby and spent a very pleasant hour wandering around looking at an enormous range of vintage items. Some of the antiques available were tat, but I'm sure there were treasures to be found if you knew what you were looking for! Sophie bought some beautiful earrings and a matching bracelet, and she spotted lots of gorgeous glasses, but they were all quite small and she wanted some bigger ones for serving wine.

There was a book shop and small cafe upstairs but we decided to head for The Heart of the Shires shopping village and have a coffee there instead. Darlington's is one of our favourite places to go and today we shared a magnificent Club Sandwich served with salad and potato crisps. Outside, the weather was dreary, grey and dismal so I hoped it was going to cheer up for the evening's barbecue!

After eating we mooched about the small vintage/gift shop but didn't spot anything we liked. I didn't dare go into the Abraxas Cookshop, as I had a feeling I would spot a lot of things I wanted for the new kitchen!

We went home via Pitsford and treated ourselves to an ice cream each from the van in the car park. It was just what we fancied after lunch, and we sat and ate them in the car, watching a constant stream of people either cycling or walking around the reservoir.

I had told Mum I would take her shopping this afternoon, so we returned home where I took a lateral flow test. We discovered the electrics had been sorted, and the new fridge freezer had been delivered so that was a bonus!

Before leaving for the care home, Sophie and I had a look at pendant lights, but we decided to venture out to Homesense tomorrow to have a proper look. It's quite difficult choosing something on the internet and we wanted to make sure we chose the right ones!

Mum and I went to Tesco, and she bought some underwear and a pretty top, along with some toiletries. We then sat and had a long chat in Costa, and I tried to get to the bottom of what had happened last week. It appears my Uncle visited and contacted their banks to try and get them a new debit card, but had cancelled the one I hold in the process. I was still very annoyed, and Mum was quite chastened about the whole experience, so let's hope it's behind us now.

Mum enjoyed two coffees, and then I took her back to the care home, promising that the next time I visited I would go up to the room to see Dad as well. At home, it was time for cocktails and Scrabble, but it took Sophie ages to make my drink as she kept forgetting things that were in the garage or couldn't find something she needed. We have set aside nearly the whole day tomorrow to get organised and have a good clean!

Dinner tonight was lovely - Keith barbecued sausages and chicken, and Sophie and I took care of the crushed new potatoes and a vegetable stir fry. We also decided on meals up to next Wednesday so that should make shopping a bit easier!

The good... and the bad!

Day 3 of kitchen renovation.

We had no builders turning up early this morning, thank goodness so it was nice to ease into the day without the fear of being caught out!

I left for work early and called into the garage at Moulton to buy myself a coffee and pastry. It was easier than making a coffee at home! I have asked Keith to try and fill our cool box with ice blocks so we can keep the milk there during the day! He is also trying to get the washing machine connected again, and if he does, that will be a huge help!

At work, Sheila had also brought in pastries so I had another one... delicious! It held me in good stead for a busy shift, and I managed to do the box office returns in between phone calls. Sara and Sheila were helping out and I have to say it was a particularly pleasant few hours!

At 4pm I sped off to see what developments had been made in the kitchen while I was at work. Keith and Mike were at home, but just about to leave for Abbie's house. Mike is now off work for a week and they're going to be driving down to Southampton to look at flats. I was absolutely delighted to see the washing machine working and a load in progress! It stood forlornly in the middle of the kitchen and reminded me of the machines you get when you rent a villa in Spain and it's situated down in the basement or a scruffy garage! We had also been lent an oven and dual plate hob from the electrician which was wonderful! We now (almost) have a kitchen again! As well as all this, the lights had been fitted in the ceiling and they looked great.

Our makeshift kitchen!

Keith and Mike left and I went out into the garage to put the load of washing into the tumble dryer. However, it wouldn't work... Both fridges were also switched off so I went back inside and had a look at our fuse box. The cooker switch was down, so I put it back up and went into the garage but nothing was working, not even the light. I even tried putting the fuses in the garage down, and then back up again, but nothing helped.

I called Keith who said he would try and find the problem when he got home. I couldn't believe it - it was great about the washing machine and the oven, but here we were with another set of problems to solve! When Keith arrived home he checked everything but nothing worked so we think maybe the electrician had isolated something in the kitchen which had affected the power in the garage. All we could do was rig up an extension lead from the conservatory so we had power to the electrics in the garage, and then leave it and try and sort it out on Monday.

I gave Keith a lift to the pub and returned home where Sophie and I opened a beautiful bottle of Rose Malbec from Argentina, poured some popcorn into a bowl and relaxed for an hour. Our dinner was simmering away in the slow cooker, and we had mashed potatoes and veggies to go with it, which were microwave friendly.

Dinner was a success and the new lights looked beautiful - they are very bright, but we're going to have dimmer switches on the pendant lights to soften the effect at night. After dinner, we listened to music on Sophie's Echo Dot and looked forward to the weekend!

The wall comes tumbling down!

Day 2 of kitchen renovation.

Keith was shattered this morning so I told him to go back to bed for an hour, but at 7.30am the first of the builders arrived! I hurriedly woke him up and by 8am work had started. We had three men, two of them at the house to take down the dividing wall between the kitchen and the old dining room, and an electrician who was preparing all the lights and sockets.

The noise was incredible as they banged away but very soon our wall was just a heap of rubble and there were six metal props holding up the ceiling! These were removed when the men returned with an RSJ beam that will hold the ceiling up permanently.

We decided to escape the noise and mess and went over to Tesco, where we wandered about in a daze, trying to work out what to have for dinner for the rest of the week! The only options were meals we could cook in the slow cooker, or on the barbecue, or cold salads. Keith looked pained the whole way around - I think he's finding the mess and the inconvenience hard to take already! Even though we bought food for really just one night (Friday) and salads, tinned vegetables and chilled foods to microwave, we still managed to spend £80 in Tesco. I was shocked. We bought a washing up bowl and a drying rack so we could wash the dishes on a makeshift decorating table - this along with the slow cooker and the dual hob we've ordered will be our kitchen!

Back home I parked outside temporarily (the skip is blocking the drive completely) while we unloaded all the shopping and then tried to find room for it all. Thank goodness we still have two fridges!

Keith went and checked the gas for our barbecue and said that it was really low. We called B&Q but of the ten nearest stores to us, not one had any available. Apparently, there is a nationwide shortage of Calor gas! Wonderful!

Luckily, a local supplier in Brixworth had some so we sped over there, paid about £20 for a new bottle and sped back where Keith connected it to the barbecue. Phew! At least we have this to fall back on now!

I managed to do a wash this afternoon in the bath. After I had let it soak, and then rinsed all the clothes I took them into the garage and used our little twin tub to spin them. It did a marvellous job of getting them dry, and then I pegged them out on the line. At least we can do this if we can't get the washing machine re-connected tomorrow!

The electrician stayed all day and did lots of preparation work. The pendant lights we ordered to go over the island weren't suitable at all, so we've had to return them. They were on a bracket but the best ones are two separate lights so we'll have to start the search all over again!

When Sophie returned home she was amazed at the transformation and we all agreed that we had so much more space and it was lighter, exactly what we were after. Once the new window is in it should be lovely to have more sunlight.

Dinner tonight was difficult! We had put the mince for the cottage pie (that we should have eaten on Tuesday) in the slow cooker, and we cooked the potatoes first and mashed them to go on top of the meat. We then had to keep this warm and cook the other vegetables on the hob. It was then my job to grill the cottage pie in our microwave, but we had never used the grill, so I think it was a shock to its system as we had quite a bit of burning, to begin with! After an extraordinarily long time, the cheese and potato topping changed colour a bit, and we all sat down to eat.

But the real fun was washing up! We put the bowl on the makeshift table and Sophie washed up while I dried. Keith and Mike were given the task of putting everything away, in various areas of the house and garage! Over the weekend I'm going to try and get sorted out a bit more and bring things we need regularly into the conservatory!

It was bliss to finally relax and watch Baptiste. We just have the electrician coming tomorrow, and then the plasterers at some point next week!

Keep repeating the mantra, "It'll all be worth it in the end..."

Day 1 of kitchen renovation.

Both Keith and I were up early this morning as I had expected the skip to arrive at about 7am. We emptied the remainder of the stuff out of the cupboards lining the wall, and I took some things out into the garage. 

At 8am two men from Highfields arrived and we had a bit of a shock... they said they were ripping the entire kitchen out today, rather than just the cupboards lining the wall... We spoke to Anthony who said we could keep half the kitchen but in all honesty what was the point? Yes, it'll mean hardship for a few weeks - no dishwasher, no washing machine, no oven, no hob, and no sink - but we'll have to cope. We may have been laughing about it today, but I doubt we'll find it so funny after a few weeks!

By mid-morning everything had gone and it was all piled up on the driveway as the skip still hadn't arrived. We were shocked by the state of the under-sink cupboard - one corner had virtually rotted away!

Amazingly, Monty-cat was fine, even during the worst bits of the banging! He curled up on the sofa and went to sleep, but when one of the men came into the conservatory to chat, he scarpered! He is a funny one!

Yes, I'm ok!

By 3pm, the skip still hadn't arrived, and the kitchen contents were now covering the driveway! Everything, and I mean, everything had gone from the room so cooking, washing up and doing laundry will be fun over the next few weeks! Now I'm glad we bought the twin tub the other week as it'll come in handy for doing small amounts of laundry and spin-drying the clothes! We've also ordered a dual hob plate that is coming tomorrow to heat up stuff in saucepans.

Just after Keith left to get Mike from work, and during another torrential downpour, the skip finally arrived. I helped the remaining builder put in as much stuff as I could, and when Mike and Keith arrived home, they helped as well. Within half an hour everything had gone!

Our very own climbing wall

It was alarming to see the ugly underbelly of our kitchen!

Our makeshift area for washing up (when we buy a bowl!)

Because we hadn't told Mike the extent of what had happened, he hadn't cancelled Abbie coming over, so now we had five mouths to feed! After some debate about what to do, we decided to go to the pub for a meal, but we vowed we wouldn't rely on this, or takeaways, every night! I think the barbecue will come in handy over the next few weeks, as will the slow cooker and the microwave!

I went and had a lovely, hot, bubbly bath and at about 7pm we made our way to The Royal Oak for something to eat. The pub was quiet, and it was bliss to relax and discuss what had been happening today. 

We all chose something different to eat, and the food was delicious. Sophie and I shared a bottle of wine and also dessert. By 9pm, all of us were extremely tired (most of us had been up at about 5am) so it was home, a loll on the sofa and then bed. Tomorrow the wall comes down!

Getting prepared...

Although it wasn't so busy at work today, the noise level was tremendous, mainly because four of us were on the phones, and there were some other people in the office as well, adding to the general mayhem. Some of my poor customers could hardly hear me!

It was an absolute relief to get out at 4pm and sit in my car for two minutes, relishing the peace and quiet! It's been a rainy one today, with torrential downpours in the afternoon and evening. Good news as I didn't have to water the garden!

I took some photos today, in readiness for the works to begin this week:

Keith and Mike had moved the table and small shelving unit out today, so the room is pretty much empty apart from the computer table. All we need to do tomorrow is take out some plates from the cupboard and move the microwave and coffee machine!

Sophie texted me before she left for work to say that Zain was coming up to see her for a meal this evening, so she would be out... all plans for our dinner went out of the window, as I just knew we would have wasted half of it, so it's cottage pie tomorrow instead! Abbie is coming so it's a much better idea. Our meal tonight, therefore, was a sad mix of cold meats, fried potatoes (leftovers from yesterday) and some sausage rolls... not what I had in mind and no lovely salad to go with it!

Sophie was home by 9pm, which was a bonus, and Keith and I watched the first episode of the excellent Baptiste... we can't wait to see the rest of the series!

Frantic Monday!

So, it was back to work this morning and Monday tends to be the busiest of the week... ho hum! I walked in to find Jo with a new girl who was training today. I was a bit goggle-eyed, as two minutes in, we had twenty calls in the queue and the new girl was answering calls while Jo looked on! Sheila and Sara had to pitch in as the phones just went loopy! Was today really the best day to train someone new?

The frantic phones continued all day, and I had an hour's reprieve when I came off to do the box office returns. By 4pm I'd had enough, and I think everyone felt the same. The new girl, Millie, had coped admirably, so it's probably kill or cure!

Back home we relaxed and decided to barbecue again as we had leftover sausages and burgers. The evening was lovely, and I sat watching two pigeons on a nearby rooftop enjoying the evening sunlight. Is it really sad that I envied them their little lives, sitting there seemingly without a care in the world, enjoying each other's company and no doubt relishing the view?!

A blast from the past!

Sunday has been grey and dreary... all day. There's been no sun at all, but it's been muggy and close, so quite unpleasant.

Mike was in at work again, but starting at the later time of 5am - a lie-in! Keith and I woke up at 9am, when he called to ask us to pick him up! This meant that any plans I had for this morning went awry! By the time we'd got back from collecting Mike, it was almost time to get ready to go out for lunch at Pizza Express followed by Jurassic Park at the Northampton Filmhouse.

Before we drove into town we called at Laura's house to give her the treats that Sophie had bought. While they were chatting I called Mum and we had a much better conversation. I'm still annoyed though.

Northampton town was quiet and sleepy and a lot of places weren't open until 12pm. We killed time by looking in shop windows and peering into the nearby Shoe museum, before heading back to Pizza Express where we were the first of the day's customers. We were seated by the window, looking out onto a tiny terrace that would have looked lovely adorned with plants and flowers! 

Although we really lingered over our meal, we were still too early to go to the cinema! We enjoyed Doppio doughballs, halloumi bites and chicken goujons, followed by their new "Burnt Bits" pizza, which was delicious. We indulged in dessert (shared chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream) and a glass of wine each, so we had a lovely relaxing lunch.

Before going to the cinema we sat in the car for twenty minutes, as the entrance doors were still closed (Derngate was closed completely),  and it was lovely to sit and relax, watch people pass by and digest our meal! The film was as good as ever (the roar of the T-Rex was deafening!), and it was fabulous to be back in the cinema. The last time was Boxing Day 2019!

Once back at home, we played Scrabble with a glass of Rose but we were both a little full and sleepy from our long lunch to play a second game! Keith barbecued in the evening and we even managed some dinner despite indulging so much earlier on! Phew!

Ladies who lunch

We awoke to grey skies and dull weather, which perfectly matched my mood after the argument of last night. Poor Mike had to go into work at 4am this morning, something I find utterly ridiculous. I will be so glad when he leaves this job! He has now worked every day since Monday 12 July, and won't have a day off until this Saturday, the 31 July. I think that's against the law, personally.

Keith and I went to pick him up and he wanted to go to McDonald's. Who can blame him? We queued up at the drive-thru and noticed three police cars opposite the restaurant at the entrance to an industrial estate. There was a car, which looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry, and a battered down fence... Obviously, something was going on! 

We went that way home, via Pytchley, and the police were out stopping cars and asking the drivers questions, and a little further on, a police officer was out with one of the police dogs, so it looked like there'd been a chase!

Back home I tried to sort out the table in our study as it was covered with "stuff" that didn't have a home. The sun came out, and Sophie suggested going to Beckworth to buy some treats for Laura. It sounded like a great excuse to have lunch there as well!

Again, the restaurant was busy with a sign warning that service was slower than usual. Sophie didn't seem impressed with the new layout and said it reminded her of a hotel canteen! We shared a delicious sandwich and a slice of cake and indulged in a small glass of Rose (me) and an Aperol Spritz (Sophie).

After we'd eaten we mooched about and Sophie bought her treats for Laura while I purchased a punnet of mushrooms and two bottles of Rose. We rarely drink this kind of wine and I thought today was the perfect day to indulge.

Back home I had a nap for an hour and then we reconvened in the conservatory for cocktails (Vodka Martinis) and Scrabble.

Abbie joined us for dinner this evening and we opened both bottles of the Rose to try. The first, a Californian Zinfandel was lovely, but a bit sweet, whereas the French wine was delicious!

Financial woes...

I went into work early this morning, leaving the house at 7.30am, so it was just like old times! Our office was very hot and muggy - I shall be so glad when this warm weather is over!

I managed to get everything done by the time my shift started at 10am and we had a busy morning. Kathy's granddaughter was in with her as a possible new starter, but in my opinion, she was a bit young at just 17, bless her! I have a feeling the fast-paced work and constant phone calls put her off!

As I left work I noticed I'd had two text messages from Mum and Dad's bank to say that the mobile number and address had been changed, something I hadn't done. I sped home and called the helpline who confirmed that changes had been made. Luckily the other fraudulent payment had been refunded and I decided to have a look at their other bank account to check things were ok. However, no matter how many times I tried I was unable to access the account, or later, withdraw any money from the ATM at Mawsley.

Unfortunately, it looks as if Mum and Dad have decided to do something with their bank accounts so we had a rather heated discussion later in the evening - not really the lovely relaxing Friday night I'd been looking forward to after a busy week!

Hot and uncomfortable!

The plan was to go shopping early this morning, but unfortunately, I had to sort out yet another problem with my parents' bank account. This took us to almost 11am, so we set off far later than we wanted to! It was hot and sultry again and I really didn't want to be shopping and lugging bags about in the heat! At least both Aldi and Tesco were cool inside, though, so that helped!

When we got home we were both sweating and uncomfortable packing everything away, and it made it all the more difficult to realise we no longer had loads of room in the cupboards! A lot of the groceries were stored on the cabinet in the garage! I made lunch for Sophie and me - some assorted cheeses and hams, hummus dip and oat biscuits. I also made us a lovely refreshing drink of Elderflower tonic served with lots of ice and slices of lemon and lime. It was delicious!

The afternoon was spent doing very little, although I did prepare all the vegetables and chicken for our Paella tonight, and I put the hoover around. This heat is really getting to us now and sleeping at night is very uncomfortable!

"Where's the...?"

This morning, Keith and I made a start on clearing out the old dining room/study in preparation for when the wall comes down next week. We emptied the bookshelves first and made room for it in the garage, before transferring all the books back. We've covered it with a sheet of plastic to keep the books dry and protected.

We then emptied the cabinet and drawers and did the same thing! It was heavy and cumbersome moving it into the garage but the space we had created was the perfect fit, and we made a joke about changing the garage into a bar!

It didn't help that today has been hot and sunny and I for one, can't wait for the cooler weather to arrive at the weekend! After sorting out the furniture in the study, we emptied the cupboards in the kitchen (the ones lining the wall) and made room in two other cupboards and the drawer under the oven.

Now, of course, we can't find anything. When Sophie and Mike arrived home to the changes, there was a constant cry of, "Where's the crisps?" "Where have you put the dishes?" "Where are all the glasses?" And even I have forgotten where I've put stuff! We may have been a bit premature but it's all done now and we're going to have disruption for a while, so we may as well get used to it!

Evening storm

We awoke to more blue skies, heat and sunshine. This weather is set to continue until the weekend when hopefully we'll get more reasonable temperatures and spells of rain.

My day didn't get off to a great start when I fell down the stairs... I was carrying the fan, and stupidly, didn't pick up the plug which I stepped on, making me fall and slide down a few steps. Luckily, I wasn't badly hurt but it did shake me up a bit!

We had another busy day at work, and I had to have another chat with Sheila and Nicola about the cinema. It was agreed that I'd go in early on Friday to do as much as I could and take the time off in lieu. It's not something I'm entirely happy about, but what else can I do? Neither Sheila nor Sara are in on Friday so there's no way I can get the box office returns done during my shift.

It was a huge relief to escape out into the heat at 4pm and head home. Huge storm clouds were building up in the sky, and when I arrived home, the wind strengthened, a sure sign of a thunderstorm on its way! We were barbecuing again tonight, but plans had been made to use the garage awning if it got bad!

And it did get bad! At about 6.30pm the thunder started to rumble and the rain started. We had one huge flash of lightning and an almighty clap of thunder that seemed very close! Poor Monty looked highly alarmed and all the local dogs started barking madly!

It then started to really lash down with the thunder booming all around us and occasional flashes of lightning. It was great - I do enjoy a good storm! Our poor neighbour, who very kindly collects the food bank offerings, was running around getting soaked!

Luckily, by 7pm, the rain had abated and Keith was able to barbecue in the garden. We had hot dogs tonight, for a change served with crispy onions in a finger roll. Delicious!

Freedom Day?

After a hot, uncomfortable night, it was Monday again! Sophie was working from home for four days and, of course, unable to go to the gym, but I was still awake at 5.45am!

Although the school holidays don't start here until Wednesday, I knew we'd be busy at work booking crash courses and other activities. I can't remember what it was like last year when we'd just emerged from the first lockdown? I don't think we were offering swimming sessions!

To be honest, work wasn't too bad, but I did have to insist I came off the phones to sort out the box office returns. The phones didn't stop - we had over 300 calls by 4pm - and we had about 60 abandoned calls, but most queries were about swimming, as predicted! It's going to be hot all week so people want to cool off!

I called into the petrol station on the way home to fill up Sophie's car and opted to wear a mask in the shop, even though now we no longer have to (in most cases). Some people were wearing them, others not, but it's done me well so far, so why change?

At home, I had a cool shower and we watched Boris's announcement at 5pm. He is self-isolating as well, so Sophie's in good company! Most of the restrictions have been lifted but I think people are still very wary as the infections continue to rise - about 40,000 a day.

It was too hot to play cards in the conservatory so we sat in the cooler living room with the fan and tried to persuade Monty to sit in front of it. He hates the heat and he looks so uncomfortable poor thing!

We experience a "Pingdemic"!

I had a fitful night's sleep - I hadn't drunk a lot, but I had mixed my drinks... a G&T to start, followed by a couple of glasses of white wine and then I went onto red to try the Malbec that Liam had bought, and then Port with the cheese!

I was awake at 7.30am and couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up. It was very warm still! I had imagined a lazy morning doing nothing but how wrong was I! Mike called at about 9am for us to collect him, and then he wanted to go to McDonald's for breakfast, so we didn't get home until gone 10am. I did the rest of the washing up, made bacon sandwiches for breakfast (Mike's food had made my mouth water!) and Keith disappeared to Tesco to get barbecue meats for tonight. A short time after he got home, Mike wanted a lift to Abbie's!

Driving home I faced the prospect of changing our bedding before having a shower and collecting Mum so I could take her out for a cup of tea (or lashings of water, due to the heat!). Sophie was delighted about being "pinged" as she was facing five days at home, no commute to work and a chance to loll about today and relax. We had both taken tests early this morning and they were both negative, which was reassuring.

I picked Mum up at 2pm and we drove straight to Beckworth where we were shocked by how warm it was! They also had a notice saying a lot of their staff were isolating so it certainly is a "Pingdemic"! We sat and ordered a scone each with jam and cream, and a bottle of water. We were so thirsty!

Yummy scone!

After enjoying our scones we looked around the shop but all I bought were limes for Sophie's drinks. Keith hadn't been able to find any this morning!

I dropped Mum back at the care home and went home to have a nap on my bed, with the fan blowing on me. Bliss! It was then time for a couple of games of Scrabble and a glass or two of Cava. We also made a decision on the flooring... after some doubt, we've gone for Driftwood, even though at first we didn't like it...

Dinner tonight was a barbecue and then we had a hot night, trying to keep cool. It's been about 32c today and much hotter than I'm comfortable with!

A little entertaining!

Today has been hot and dry - not really the kind of weather I wanted when I had to clean downstairs and prepare dinner for guests this evening!

However, I did have a lot of help! Keith had to clean a couple of the conservatory roof panels again due to the birds pooping on them, and he watered the garden and trimmed the front verge so it looked neat. While I gave the conservatory (and its windows) a thorough clean, Sophie made a Key lime pie, prepared the starter of asparagus wrapped in Serrano ham, and chopped the vegetables for the main course of Chicken and Ham Tangle Pie.

It was very hot working in the conservatory but I didn't dare open the windows and doors wide in case we had an influx of flies! After cleaning the room I set the table and then cleaned the rest of the downstairs of the house. By about 2pm I had done all I could do, the Key Lime Pie was chilling in the fridge and everywhere looked clean and tidy!

Sophie and I were able to relax for a while and we laid on the bed with a fan full-on, and I draped cold flannels all over me in an effort to cool down. Mike and Abbie had gone to Pitsford for a picnic, but had sensibly bought sun cream as it was so sunny and warm!

After relaxing, I assembled the filling for the pie and decided to crinkle up the filo pastry at the last minute. I had a shower but as I was putting some make-up on, I had the beginnings of a migraine... I went downstairs, took some painkillers and drank a bottle of water while lying on the sofa. I tried not to panic as Sarah and Liam were due in half an hour! My left eye was having the zig-zag flashes of light that were characteristic of a migraine and were horrible, but thankfully, after resting for ten minutes, they disappeared. I think it was because I had hardly eaten all day, and hadn't drunk much water. Naughty!

Before changing into a dressy top, I covered the pie in filo pastry, stuck it back in the fridge and ran upstairs to get ready. I had to put my hair up as it was so hot, and there was no way I was leaving it down!

Sarah and Liam arrived bang on time and they went out into the garden to look at the trees. I think Liam thought he could lop the Silver Birch himself until he saw the height of it! We had a discussion about the kitchen and the trees, Mike made an appearance and chatted to them both, and then we enjoyed drinks and olives before I served the starter with Hollandaise sauce. It was delicious and so simple to do!

The rest of the meal was equally delicious, and went down very well with our friends. Sophie helped enormously by cooking the vegetables and washing up. I was very thankful when the main course had been served and we could relax and enjoy dessert, followed by cheese and biscuits. 

It was great to catch up with Sarah and Liam and we had a lovely evening. We've been friends now for about 20 years and it was lovely to sit and reminisce about old times! They went at about midnight, and after taking everything through to the kitchen, it was time for bed.

However, just as I was settling down to sleep, Sophie came rushing in and said that she'd been "pinged" - she'd been in contact with somebody with Covid and had to self-isolate for 5 days. Just what we needed to hear!

55 years!

I was very glad it was Friday but not looking forward to work today. Kathy and I were on our own, as both Sheila and Sara weren't in today. However, it wasn't as frantic as I'd been expecting, and I did manage to do the cinema returns before the end of my shift, thank goodness! I did have to speak to Nicola about next week when the number of screenings increases, so she assured me that she would sort it out.

After work, I sped home and collected a gift and cards for my parents who are celebrating their 55th Wedding Anniversary today. I also bought them some flowers in the nearby Co-op, and some Nurofen for Sophie who has a tooth infection at the moment, poor thing. She had to make an emergency dentist appointment at lunchtime to try and get it sorted out.

I spoke to my parents briefly, but couldn't really do much else as I hadn't taken a test. However, I did make an appointment to take them out on Sunday.

Back home I tidied up, then dropped Keith off at the pub. Abbie was staying over again with Mike, and as Sophie and I were out this evening, to see Sue, they had arranged to go and get fish and chips for supper, and then collect Keith from the pub!

Sophie and I drove over to Sue's house and had a lovely evening catching up and enjoying a delicious chilli for dinner. Her house is lovely and her garden exquisite... well it should be, she gardens for a living!

We stayed until 10pm, but then it was home to sit on the sofa with Keith and watch the end of a documentary about Eric Clapton. Phew! The weekend is ahead of us!

A busy day!

I asked Keith this morning why we're both so busy all the time at the moment? Today has been full-on with hardly any let-up! I have no idea what I'd do if I was working every day of the week!

We had an appointment at Highfields at 10am, so instead of sneaking back to bed until 8am this morning as I sometimes do after I've waved Spohie off to the gym, I sorted out four loads of laundry (we didn't do any yesterday), emptied and re-filled the dishwasher, and did the list for shopping, which we were going to do later in the day.

We arrived just on time at the Highfields office and met Anthony who took us upstairs to have a look at the flooring samples. There was a lovely atmosphere there, and we enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee whilst chatting with the staff. One man was very enthusiastic about the flooring and came from the same area of the country as Keith, so they chatted away non-stop!

We took two boxes of samples away with us so we could put them down at home and see if we liked them. From Highfields, we drove to Jones's where we bought new placemats for Saturday night, bird food, cloths and a scented candle. I do like the house to smell nice!

As our boot was now full, we returned home, put it all away and drove down to meet Sophie and her work colleagues for lunch at Cafe 900. Today has been cloudy and overcast so not the beautiful, brilliant sunshine we normally have when we eat at the cafe. It was lovely to sit and chat with Sophie and her workmates, though, and was a nice oasis of calm in an otherwise busy day!

We spent the next hour and a half shopping, and Mike called us to say he was working later than normal. True to form, he called us to pick him up just as we were about to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea after putting away the shopping and preparing the vegetables for dinner!

Sophie was out this evening, meeting Laura at The Rose and Crown in Yardley Hastings for dinner. Because she was out for the evening we had shepherd's pie for dinner, made with lamb mince, which she hates!

Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Keith and I had earmarked today to clean our filthy conservatory roof, and I was not looking forward to it one bit!

First of all, we popped over to Tesco to get a few bits of shopping, and then we visited B&M to see if they had any window cleaning kits. I found something suitable, as well as a huge orange mitt to clean the windows with!

Before going home we popped to the surgery and I picked up my cream, but strangely, this morning, the rash seemed a lot better. Because I'm off work, maybe?

I had to have a cup of coffee before we started, and Keith disappeared out into the garden to make the pole we'd bought even longer! He started at the worst bit, under the canopy of trees, where the birds sit and do their business straight onto our roof!

I made a start on the double doors leading out onto the gravel garden, which were covered in cobwebs and bits of leaves, as well as tenacious ivy suckers. It had been trying to come indoors! Once Keith had cleaned each glass panel, I followed him and cleaned the guttering, the windows and the windowsills. Once we moved around to the front of the conservatory it became hot!

Amazingly, we had finished by 3pm and it looked enormously better, especially the glass panel nearest the house which was covered in nasty black bits. It was lovely to look up and see them so clean, but we promised ourselves that next time we'd get a professional in to do them. The very topmost points are difficult to get to and I think we need someone who knows what they're doing, or who has the equipment!

We went to get Mike from work and noticed that the temperature was registering 26c. I didn't realise it was so warm! He had given in his notice this morning and will finish on the 13th of August. He'll take a couple of weeks off, but he's looking for a job in Southampton where he's moving with Abbie. Another end of an era coming up!

Back home I planted out some summer bedding flowers I'd bought in Tesco this morning. The poor things were as dry as a bone, but once in their new homes, they looked a lot happier!

Unwelcome news...

Jo and I were working on our own again today, as Denise was on holiday. I received a shock when a customer called to book a swimming session next Wednesday, the first day of the school holidays. There was a long list of sessions for the day, but we had been led to believe that we would no longer be booking swimming sessions - it was the one thing we were all looking forward to.

Imagine our shock, then, when we were told that it was carrying on and that the number of people for each session had increased substantially... Jo and I were furious and made our feelings very clear to poor Sheila who bore the brunt of our extreme annoyance. It's not just the endless repetition of the bookings, it's the fact that many people choose to re-book or ask for a refund if they can't make it for whatever reason. Moving multiple people from booking to booking is time-consuming and tedious.

I, for one, have had enough of work at the moment. I'm expected to do the cinema work of poor Stella who passed away last February (without a pay increase, I hasten to add) as well as the admin for the huge number of orders and invoices we have to process, the crash courses, holiday activities, playscheme places and classes, along with answering the phone. Some of the calls we get can be complicated and lengthy, and a lot of the time, English is not the first language of the person calling, so it can be frustrating and stressful trying to work out what they want so we can help them.

And we still have some staff, who are more than capable of helping, still on furlough! Grrr!

After work, Jo and I had a chat and we both feel fed up. I know the others will feel the same way. We were hoping so much that people could just go along and swim without booking so it felt like a blow to the stomach.

At home, I waited for the doctor to call me, as I had phoned at 8am this morning and secured an appointment. She was brilliant and prescribed some steroid cream, which should clear up the rash. Let's hope so!

The rash goes on...

Mike came home some time late last night, but had forgotten to tell us, so Keith had a shock this morning when he was woken up at 5am!

I went to work and had a busy shift, as per usual for a Monday. Sheila had put on the first few weeks of the crash courses, but there are still quite a few to put on, and I have no idea how I'm going to do them. I just about managed to complete the box office returns from the weekend!

After work, I went over to the bank and spoke to someone about the fraudulent payment on the account. It appears it was taken from my Dad's card which is safely in his wallet in our documents drawer at home... I cancelled the card anyway, so at least it can't be used again.

I went upstairs to Boots from the bank and asked the pharmacist about my rash, which is not getting any better. In fact, it flares up when I'm feeling stressed, which, at work, is a lot of the time! He was a bit useless, and told me to contact my GP, which I will do as soon as I get home! I've had enough of it now!

Sophie was home today after her weekend away and had put the hoover around for me, which was lovely. We sat and caught up with what we'd both been doing, and I tried the new Gin I'd ordered from the Drop Store (after a three-week delivery), called Ginetic, which has been distilled in France. Unfortunately, the long wait wasn't worth it, as I didn't like it one bit! I think I'll stay with my Orange Gin from either Aldi or Lidl!

I called the surgery but was advised to call again tomorrow at 8am when I could try and get a telephone appointment. With all of the haring around after work and catching up with Sophie, we missed Boris's announcement, but it was on the news anyway and was as we had predicted - all restrictions will be removed next Monday. However, infections are rising alarmingly - about 30,000 a day, but deaths are still low. Who knows if it's the right decision? Only time will tell!

It's not coming home...

We had a lazy morning today and didn't do as much as yesterday, but I was pleased with the progress we'd made already! I did a Covid test in readiness for taking Mum out this afternoon, and after a lot of thought as to where we could go, I decided to just come home and sit in the conservatory with a cup of tea and a slice of cake.

The weather has been warm and muggy with a lot of clouds about. The whole of England is getting ready for the Euros final tonight when we face Italy. There is so much hype, the pressure on the players must be immense!

I missed the Mens' Final at Wimbledon, where Djokovic and Berrettini were playing, as I went to get Mum, but I did record the match, just in case! We sat in the conservatory and chatted but Mum seemed a bit down this afternoon. When she asked to see the bank statements I had a shock when I noticed another unknown transaction for about £70!

After dropping Mum back, I came home and contacted the company the payment was made to and had an online chat with a very helpful man. Although he looked into it, he was unable to find out where the payment came from, so I'll need to call the bank tomorrow. Another thing I really don't need at the moment!

Keith and I had a barbecue this evening and the sky clouded over even more, but it didn't rain thank goodness! It was then time for the football, but I didn't dare watch it in case I jinxed it! I needn't have worried... the game went to extra time, and then penalties, and England lost. Oh well, there's always the World Cup next year!

A clear out!

Keith and I were going to clean the conservatory roof today but we took a look at the weather forecast and changed our minds! Also, I wasn't keen on immersing my hands in soapy water all day!

As it turned out, we didn't get any rain, but we still managed to get a lot done in the house. I wrapped up some china and we managed to store the box in the eaves of the garage, and I also cleared out the cupboards in the kitchen, taking out anything we don't use regularly and storing it away. When I'd finished the kitchen looked a lot more streamlined and less cluttered! It would be nice if it stayed that way!

We had some things we no longer wanted and before I took them to the charity shop I advertised them for free on our residents' Facebook page. I had quite a few takers, so that was great!

The weather today has been cloudy with sunny spells, and warm. I missed watching the Womens' Singles Final at Wimbledon, but I didn't really know the two women playing. Gone are the days when the Williams sisters dominated!

In the evening Keith and I went to The Royal Oak for dinner. We had debated going somewhere different, but we wanted to support our local, and the food is always good. Tonight, we enjoyed pate and battered king prawns to start, followed by pork belly with crackling, which was delicious and very filling! We didn't stay for dessert and returned home to collapse on the sofa and cuddle Monty who was missing everyone. He was delighted when we sat with him and enjoyed a nightcap!

Making decisions!

Highfields were due at 8.30am this morning, and Anthony arrived with the electrician to decide which electrical points we needed, and where. It's all getting very exciting now, and we also made an appointment for next Thursday to look at the flooring.

We decided to have an electrical point on the island in case someone is using a laptop or charging up a phone, and we also opted for lights underneath the cupboards, something that we have now but they have never worked from the day we moved in. We must get a move on with choosing the pendant lights otherwise Highfields will choose for us, something that I don't mind as I just can't come to a decision!

After they'd gone, Keith managed to extract the hard drives from the two computer towers we have in the garage, and will now be taking the dismantled machines to the tip along with the old plates from yesterday, and some more rubbish we need to get rid of. It's all been very cathartic and at times I feel like we're moving house!

Sophie went to the gym this morning, but later than normal as she is off to Canterbury for a weekend away with Zain. I said a fond farewell to her - I will miss my wine buddy this evening!

Work was busy again and I had no time to do anything except the box office returns. Sheila has had to put on the crash courses and holiday activities as they will be bookable from next week! The children break up for the long summer holidays on the 20 July, so bookings can be taken from the 13th! Where has the time gone?!

Most of the calls today were about swimming, in some form or another, and we are desperately hoping that from the 19th we won't need to take calls booking sessions. We've been doing it for just under a year now, and it's got to us all.

I sped home at 4pm and relaxed. No children this weekend, so it will feel pretty weird! I took Keith to the pub and came home to catch up with writing this blog! I also had the tennis on and saw Djokovic beat the player who beat Andy Murray.

After a very ordinary dinner (chicken escalopes) Keith and I watched Death in Paradise with Monty curled up between us. He had calmed down from this morning when we'd had multiple owl faces and anxiety, just because Anthony and the electrician were in the house (who were really lovely and friendly, by the way!). I dread to think what he'll be like when the wall comes down, and I'm seriously considering getting him some sedatives from the vet while the building work's in progress!

A busy day!

Mike was off to London this morning, so Keith and I took him down to the station and waved him off. As we drove out we heard on the radio that some of the trains down to London had been delayed or cancelled, and Mike's 9.20am journey had been affected.

Before doing the weekly shop we called into Starbucks so I could have a much-needed cup of coffee. I would have preferred Costa, but beggars can't be choosers!! We both had a Flat White (I had a blueberry muffin as well) and then decided to pop to Lidl to do our shopping for a change. We have noticed the prices creeping up in Aldi so we thought we'd compare.

Keith took a tiny trolley which we soon filled up! We managed to get everything we needed (and some stuff we didn't need!) and the bill came to £92. However, there are only two of us this weekend, and we're going out for a meal on Saturday night, so not quite a bargain! We did buy a bottle of orange and passionfruit Gin for me, beer, and two bottles of wine, though, so not bad!

After putting all the shopping away we went out to the garage and put down some old flooring we'd been keeping, to make the floor a bit cleaner for when we store our kitchen stuff. We have streamlined the space in readiness for the cabinet that will need to be stored there, and boxes full of kitchen stuff, The internal wall is coming down in three weeks and all the cupboards that line this wall will have to be emptied. We also need space to store our old fridge freezer while the works are in progress as well as the new one!

We had been keeping the splashback from our shower in the ensuite (why?) and various offcuts of flooring so we took these to the tip, as well as some other rubbish that we didn't need. When we arrived there was no queue, but as we drove out, the line of cars stretched all the way to the entrance!

Back home, I sorted out the cabinet and decided to get rid of our horrible old dinner plates and use the second-best ones that we keep for nice occasions (not our best ones that we use for dinner parties!). The rest of the day was spent sorting things out, but as it neared 5pm, all I seemed to have created was a mess! I did decide to relinquish the bottles we've been keeping on top of the bookshelf though... two of them we brought home from Napa but I took photos of them:

The first wine we tried at Tudal

From the gorgeous Hans Fahden winery - happy memories!

Sophie came home and was a bit bemused by the stuff everywhere, but conceded that we had made a difference in the garage!

Another fab result!

Keith and I went and bought another box of tiles this morning, to make sure we had enough in case any get broken. Of course, they were of a different batch but does it really matter? (When we got home we checked and we couldn't tell the difference!).

From Topps Tiles, we went to Curry's PC world where we looked at the huge range of fridge freezers on offer. We want an American style one, but we have to be careful as it has to fit between the two walls so we only have about 88cm to play with. I spotted a Kenwood fridge freezer that I liked, and we made a note of all the specifications so we could read reviews online. We also looked at tumble dryers - heat pump ones - so we could try and get it into the cupboard under the stairs instead of traipsing out in all weathers to the garage!

Whilst we were driving, Sheila from work called to say that the Cat Cafe visit tomorrow will have to be postponed as Sara's partner's Mum had sadly died. I was relieved, to be honest, as it meant I had a bonus day to get some chores sorted out.

After dropping off some unwanted bric a brac to the charity shop at Weston Favell we headed home for lunch and had a look at the reviews online. I'm a member of Which? and they said there were better and cheaper, fridge freezers available so we've chosen a Fridgemaster which we can buy from AO.com.

Mike wanted a lift to Brixworth this evening as he was watching the big match with friends, and I popped to the pharmacy to get something for this rash which is not getting better. The pharmacist gave me some antihistamine tablets so I hope they'll start working. It comes and goes and seems worse when I'm hot!

Keith, Sophie and I watched the first half of the football, then we girls went upstairs as I have a weird thing that they only win if I'm not watching - pretty ridiculous really, but there you go! I did think they would lose to Denmark tonight, but amazingly they won 2-1! We're in the final!

Work niggles!

Today has been stressful at work, and it didn't help that one of my colleagues seemed to be constantly logged off the phone, meaning that I had barely finished one call before answering the next. It's starting to become a problem, to be honest!

It was a huge relief to finish at 4pm and go home to relax. I have one day off to get things done as I'm going to the cat cafe in Bedford on Thursday with Sara, Sheila and Nicola from work. As much as I'm looking forward to it, I have so much to do in the house at the moment!

After dinner Keith watched Italy and Spain play and I predicted Itay to win, which they did, so now they're in the final on Sunday. With whom, is the big question! It could be England or Denmark!

Itchy, itchy!

This morning, my hands and arms started itching, and my skin broke out in lots of raised red bumps. I think I may have been affected by the ivy that I cleared away yesterday, as it's affecting the underside of both arms, where I was pressing the leaves and branches down into the bin...

Sophie had an appointment at the beauty salon this evening, so I took her to work this morning as parking is really difficult (it was a good job I did...). I dropped her off at just before 9am and this time I went straight into work to try and get some jobs done before the calls started at 10am. I managed to do most of the box office returns so that was a bonus!

As predicted our shift was busy today, and I gave up all hope of doing anything other than answering calls. We are all very much hoping that after the 19th of July we can abandon the booking of swimming sessions because to have to do that in the school holidays doesn't bear thinking about!

My arms and hands continued to itch through the day, and Sheila gave me an antihistamine tablet to take, which really didn't do much to help, but it was good of her to offer!

I was going to stay on for a while after 4pm, but I'd had enough so I sat in the car park for a while catching up with emails, and then drove down to Brackmills. We set off for Kingsley, and when we arrived, we realised we couldn't park in the car park as there were workmen doing something with the road. I had to park where I could, but thankfully I wasn't in their way! There seemed to be a lot of milling about, shouting, and then eating of baguettes! Just before we left to go home, a huge dumper truck arrived and I got out of the way while the going was good! I'm just glad Sophie wasn't in the beauty salon for very long!

Bring the ivy down!

Keith and I were asked to go next door this morning to be witnesses to our neighbours' wills and other legal paperwork. We were only too happy to agree so it was a bit of a solemn occasion, with their two sons present as well.

Once we'd done what we needed to, we drove to Mawsley, bought some bread and croissants for breakfast and came home to enjoy them. Well, I did... Keith went out into the garden where Mike had made a start on cutting down the ivy that's covering our wall. It needs to come down as it's gone mad, and Keith's worried that it'll get into the guttering and cause dampness on the internal walls by blocking the downpipes. Of course, we also need it gone for the new window we're having installed!

As I read the paper and munched on my croissants, I heard a lot of swearing and a few cross words, so when I finished I went out to see if I could help. The ground was covered by branches and ivy leaves so I made a start on gathering them all up to put in our garden bin.

I filled the bin, plus two plastic boxes, and brought another load through from the gravel garden. Sophie had texted me to say she was arriving in Northampton at about 1pm, so I had to leave everything in the garden. At least the worst was done and the ivy was all down! That's saved us about £800!

I dropped Keith and Mike off at the pub for a well-earned beer and carried on down to Northampton. Sophie was tired but had had a brilliant day in London and had thoroughly enjoyed being at Wimbledon!

We called to the pub to pick up the men and Keith offered us a drink as well. As I was still in my scruffs, we sat in the garden and enjoyed a cold Guinness - what a lovely way to spend half an hour!

Back home I pottered about, and then had a long hot shower before joining Sophie in the conservatory for Scrabble and a new cocktail - Campari, Vermouth and the remains of the Cava from last night. It was delicious!

After we'd played Scrabble Sophie and I sat and chatted about our California trip next year. I'd been looking at car hire prices on Friday morning, and I was shocked to see how much a car would cost us while we were there - about £1200! I think we only paid about £300 last time! We discussed going to Napa by Uber, and then picking up a car there, the day we travel down to Monterey. We don't really need a car in Napa as our B&B is within walking distance of the town, we're planning on taking two escorted wine tours, and we could get the bus to Yountville.

Sophie then made dinner completely on her own while I sat and chatted to Keith. A lovely, relaxing end to a busy day!

A fab result!

I took Sophie to the station early this morning, in the pouring rain. Luckily, as they have centre court tickets, the weather shouldn't spoil her day!

Back home Keith and I had breakfast and then I mooched about for the rest of the morning, doing very little, which I felt guilty about! I watched some of the early tennis games, and recorded both BBC1 and BBC2 in case I spotted a glimpse of Sophie and Zain in the crowd!

I had arranged to take my Mum out this afternoon, and I made sure I did a test before I went! I collected her at 2pm and we went to Tesco first so Mum could get some bits that she needed. I bought a load of bird food and a bottle of Cava to enjoy with the tennis later! I'd also been instructed to buy a meal deal for Mike who gave me very precise instructions as to what he wanted! I got it right eventually!

From Tesco, we popped home to take the meal deal to Mike, and then it was off to Beckworth to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake. I hadn't been to the cafe since December, and it had been re-located from the marquee at the back to where it used to be. It has been extended, with all new furniture and tables with lots of plants dotted about. I have to say it was beautiful!

Mum went for a chocolate roulade slice whereas I chose the sherry trifle cake. Both were delicious!

After we'd eaten we wandered around the shop part but neither of us saw anything we wanted to buy. Beckworth now looks like a high-end department store and the plant nursery seems like an after-thought!

I dropped Mum off at the care home and drove home where I was itching to watch the tennis! However, amazingly, Mike suggested a game of cards so we sat in the conservatory and played a couple of games before ordering a takeaway from the Chinese in Broughton. If Sophie had returned home it would have been a steak and kidney pie for dinner!

After we eaten and cleared away I finally went upstairs with a glass of Cava to watch the tennis, while Keith tuned into the football. England were playing Ukraine and, unbelievably, they won 4-0! What a result!

I saw the first game shown on Centre Court, a very good game between Kauff and Juvan. At the end, when Kauff was being interviewed, I saw Sophie and Zain in the crowd! An even better result!

A grill malfunction!

If I was hoping for a quiet end to the week, I didn't get one! Kathy and I were flat out with calls today so I hardly got anything else done! It was a huge relief to walk out at 4pm knowing it was the weekend! 

Sophie returned home from work and was a little stressed. She's going to Wimbledon tomorrow and they have centre court tickets, so they're staying at a hotel overnight to make the most of the day, something she wasn't really expecting. She rushed around packing, but we did sit down at 6pm and watch half an hour of The World's Most Extraordinary Homes before tackling dinner.

We had decided to have a chicken and sausage traybake, but I thought it would be good to grill the meat first to give it some colour. I popped it all in a tray, put the vegetables (peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes) in another, and turned the grill on.

Everything was going OK until all of the sudden the whole oven and grill turned off! The food was only half-cooked so we had to come up with something fast! We bunged the veggies into the wok to stir fry them and the meat into a frying pan and cooked them that way. After ten minutes the oven was working again so it all went back to finish off! Phew!

By now I was hot and stressed - Friday dinners are supposed to be easy! I went to collect Keith and Mike and although the meal hadn't gone quite as we'd expected, it was delicious served with Mediterranean couscous!

After dinner, we watched Andy Murray lose, which was a huge shame, but he's in the Olympics later this month, so we'll have to hope he succeeds there!

Waiting about...

Keith and I had a busy day ahead of us, and we left home at 9am, calling into the launderette to pick up our super-king bedspread that had been washed and dried. From there, we went to Brockhall to get a quote for some scratches on my car's bumpers. We were quoted £680 which was far more than I was expecting, but I need to get them sorted out. However, as Keith rightly pointed out, we also need to sort out the ominous knocking as well, and if the cost of that is way too high, then it may be time to say goodbye to my beloved Audi. I've had it for eight years now, and it's done over 165,000 miles but there's only so much you can spend out!

After Brockhall, we popped to Tile Giant and picked up two sample tiles, and I suggested going somewhere for breakfast. We decided on the new cafe at Waitrose, but we were very disappointed to find it closed when we arrived! Apparently, the coffee machines weren't working!

We settled for Costa instead, and then it was off to do our weekly shop at Aldi and Tesco. Luckily, the supermarkets weren't too busy and we were home at just after midday. I was expecting a call from my Uncle David who was visiting my parents today, as we had arranged to meet for coffee afterwards. While I waited I fiddled about with my blog and nearly had a catastrophe when I changed the theme and layout... luckily, I'd downloaded the original so I was able to restore it, but the header photo still isn't right!

My Uncle finally called at about 4pm to say that they were heading home and would I mind not meeting? I was relieved as it was now quite late in the day, so we had a chat and then I decided to hoover my car and clean inside. Mike had told us this afternoon that he will be leaving mid-August to live with Abbie and they'll be going to Southampton where she will be at university. When he leaves I will get my car thoroughly valeted as it's not worth it while he's still at work and spreads grass and dirt everywhere!

The weather improved in the afternoon and we'd decided to barbecue this evening as it was really the only time we could. We have rain and unsettled conditions forecast for the weekend, so no point doing it then! Keith had marinated come chicken with our Jerk sauce which pleased the children greatly! Before he started the cooking we sat in the garden and chatted and it was gorgeous!

Later in the evening, Sophie came downstairs and said that Zain had managed to book tickets for Centre Court on Saturday! How lovely!