Deep thoughts!

The phone call I'd been dreading came today from North Northamptonshire Council about Mum and Dad's financial assessment. I spoke to a woman from the relevant department on the way home from work and she was actually very pleasant and understanding, which was lovely. I don't think I'll ever come to terms with the situation, though, and the loss of their house. The council will take almost all of their pension and benefit income, leaving them an allowance to spend every week.

I suppose it could be worse, though. I watched the news this morning which featured a 96-year-old woman who'd been in hospital for almost a year, waiting for a care package to be put in place so she could return home. She was all on her own, with carers coming in four times a day to help. It showed her sitting staring out of the window which almost broke my heart...

Dinner this evening was the prawn cocktail we should have had on Friday, and Sophie chose stuffed peppers to go with her salad. Keith and I watched the last episode of Earth and it had me thinking deeply, as usual! There were so many instances in the last 4.5 billion years that were "just right" for humans to eventually evolve, and it does make think we should cherish each day we're alive because if there was just one break in the long, long link, we wouldn't be here!

A busy Sunday!

Today has been very busy, and hard work. I noticed the other day how scruffy our front garden was, so at an acceptable time, I went out and used our hedge trimmer to cut back the hypericum, and then mowed the verge. The shrub had completely taken over the grass verge so there was hardly any grass left! Once that was done, I did some weeding, sweeping and hoeing, and it looked so much neater! Ok, the bush was a bit brown where I'd cut it back, but it'll grow again! And with the rain showers and intermittent sunshine, it won't be long!

Sophie made me a coffee, and we sat for five minutes in the garden. Keith had been checking Sophie's car and had discovered her oil levels were critically low. No wonder it sounded like a squawking hen when it started up in the morning! Keith and I drove to the garage at Moulton to get some oil (expensive!) and when we got back he poured the whole lot into her car, with it still needing more! This time he ordered it from Amazon at half the price!

After we returned, I tackled the back garden. The grass was long and thick and, again, it looked so much better when it was finished. I definitely think our hedgehog has gone elsewhere as there were no little deposits anywhere. What a shame...

Back inside, I sat down for a little while and chatted with Sophie while she prepared tonight's dinner of chicken and ham tangle pie. I then went upstairs and changed our bed and added the laundry to the already large pile! We didn't do any washes on Friday or yesterday, so we had mounds!

Sophie hoovered and I put on yet more laundry throughout the afternoon. After a long soak in the bath, I reconvened with Sophie in the kitchen and we played Scrabble. The banana Daiquiri we had wanted to make had to be changed as I didn't realise we needed a blender to blend the ice, alcohol and banana! Instead, Sophie made a delicious tropical cocktail which we'll definitely have again, but maybe when it's a bit warmer and sunnier!

Sophie narrowly beat me at Scrabble and after the game she made dinner. It was better than mine and there was enough for lunch tomorrow. Another Monday is looming!

Southampton bound!

We left home at 8.30am this morning and drove down to Southampton to see Mike and Abbie. We had been a bit worried that the traffic would be heavy as Cowes Week was taking place on the Isle of Wight, but we only encountered jams at the usual place, as we went onto the M3.

We had a cuddle with the cats and I took a photo of Trixie in her hiding place!

Hugo was gorgeously soft and cuddly, and it was great to get a cat fix!

I had booked a table at The Fox and Hounds in the New Forest town of Lyndhurst, and I was looking forward to showing Sophie this region of the UK. As we drove towards the town, we could see the famous wild ponies of the New Forest in the distance. The area was very popular with walkers and the car parks were full of vehicles, which wasn't a surprise seeing as it's the school holidays.

Luckily, we bagged a space in a large car park in the middle of Lyndhurst. Keith, Mike and Abbie went straight to the pub while Sophie and I visited a couple of shops. The first, a place specialising in wooden products, was lovely, and I bought a wooden spoon and a key fob for our patio doors. Sophie spotted a beautiful pair of wooden earrings and a coaster for Laura with the figure of a Dachshund engraved on it.

After a quick visit to an antique shop next door, we joined the others and had a drink before lunch. Our table was at the back of the pub overlooking the gardens and the place was pleasantly busy with lots of dogs about. We ordered our main courses - chicken schnitzel for three, and steak and kidney pie for two - and had a couple more drinks. It was a Fullers pub so at least Keith and Mike were happy with the beer!

Non-alcoholic for once!

The food was very good and I enjoyed a dessert of Eton Mess, which was delicious. It was lovely to relax and have a good chat!

Mike and Abbie wanted to go to a pub in Southampton after the meal so we headed back a different way to avoid roadworks, and took the M3 into Southampton. We parked the car again and walked across the road to a craft beer bar (the one with the skateboards) and sat outside as it was a lot quieter, even with the traffic going past. It was a bit breezy but sunny as well!

We had one drink and then dropped Mike and Abbie back at their flat. We just had time for a quick cat cuddle again before setting off home.

The journey back was not bad at all and we were home for 7pm. It was lovely to relax, have some cheese on toasted cheesy bread and look forward to a lie-in tomorrow!

A change of plan

Sara and Sheila were out this afternoon on a social visit with Nicola and someone they used to work with, so we were on our own from lunchtime until the end of the shift. It wasn't a bad afternoon at all, and I managed to get a lot done on the last day of the first week of the school holidays! Only five more weeks to go!

Sophie finished at 4pm today and rushed to get changed as soon as she arrived home. I was looking forward to an hour and a half on my own, in peace, as Keith was going to the pub but he couldn't remember whether John would be there or not...

Sophie flew off at 5pm, and Keith left just before six. I made myself a G&T and settled down to watch Your Home Made Perfect. Bliss! Of course, John hadn't turned up so after Keith had one pint he came home. Typical!

I said to Keith I couldn't face the soup again, and I'd have it tomorrow when we got back from Southampton. I then made him drive to Walgrave to get fish and chips from the van! Well, it is Friday!

We watched Doc Martin all evening and Sophie arrived home earlier than I'd anticipated, so that was a bonus!

A disappointing evening...

I had a frustrating journey to work this morning, getting behind two slow vehicles and being forced to overtake one of them as they were doing thirty miles an hour! 

Work was busy, as usual, and it was great to escape at 2pm and dash home. I had agreed to make a corn and chicken chowder soup for dinner, so I made a start after a quick cup of tea. Keith had chopped up a potato, an onion and a red pepper so I sauteéd them in butter, before adding stock, cooked chicken, sweetcorn, milk and an addition that wasn't in the recipe, butter beans. I let it slowly simmer and then left it to finish off just before we ate.

Tonight was unofficial wine night as Sophie is going over to Vikesh's house tomorrow. We opened the bottle of The Ned Pinot Grigio I'd bought in Waitrose and enjoyed some nibbles. Both of us were disappointed with the wine - it was a 2022 vintage and hadn't the beautiful rose hue it normally has. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between this £12 bottle and a Pinot Gris from Aldi costing about £7! 

When I went out into the kitchen to heat up the soup, Sophie went into the conservatory and started shrieking... we had flying ants in there and they were everywhere! She fetched the hoover and started trying to get rid of them, in between screaming and yelling!

In the end, and much against my will, we had to spray the room and shut the door. I thought I had seen one in the living room earlier and I was right. Pesky things!

Unfortunately, the soup did not go down well with Keith and Sophie. They said that the potatoes were hard and Sophie said I hadn't cooked the onions and the peppers enough even though it had been simmering for ages... oh dear! There was a lot left over, so Keith and I said we'd have it tomorrow when Sophie is out for the evening. I said I would heat it again and make sure the potatoes were cooked properly!

A change of scene

Sophie was working from home again today but went to the gym first, as usual. I went back to bed and woke up when she was leaving.

Today, she went straight into the conservatory, and apart from a huge piece of machinery on a lorry delivering something next door - we had no idea what it was but a long telescopic arm stretched out and deposited something in the back garden... it was like Alien - she didn't have a lot of disturbance.

I pottered about doing jobs and cooked leftover potatoes and sausages for brunch. The weather has been beautiful this morning with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. I gazed out at the back lawn knowing I could have spent all day sorting it out, as well as working in the front garden, but it'll just have to wait until the weekend!

When Sophie had lunch, we sat down to write the list and devise our meals for the rest of the week. It's getting harder every time! At least we're all out on Saturday, and Sophie is going to see Vikesh on Friday, so that was two days that were easier! We all seem to have developed pet hates about certain foods, and I'm fed up with everything! We finally decided, and I felt like cheering!

In the early afternoon, I collected my Mum and we drove over to Waitrose in Rushden, for a change. I was bored with visiting Tesco with her! We had a cup of tea first in the café and had a chat. Outside, it had clouded over so the forecast was correct about rain later in the day!

We each did some shopping, and I bought some fresh pasta for tonight's dinner. I had fancied ravioli the other day but I certainly wasn't prepared to make it after the fiasco last time, so I looked for something different in the pasta aisle.

I spotted a pack of "Slow Braised Shin of Beef Tortelloni", so that went in the trolley, as well as some Puttanesca sauce (after consultation with Sophie) and a side salad. The pasta wasn't cheap - it was £5.25 per pack and I bought two so there would be enough for Sophie's lunch tomorrow - and I hoped it would satisfy my pasta craving (which I don't have often!).

We drove home via the scenic route through Wilby, Sywell and along the A43, and it started to rain. What a difference to the weather this morning! I dropped Mum off and sped home to see Keith and Sophie and do the usual Wednesday afternoon chores. Sophie had a good look at my purchases and said she would bulk out the sauce with an onion, carrots and red wine. I had forgotten to buy Italian cheese, so that did not go down well...

Sophie cooked, and her sauce was delicious, but the pasta was disappointing. It had no taste! I also thought that the pasta was too thick so that won't be a dish I'll be buying again. Sophie also made a batch of crunchy garlic bread which was gorgeous, and far better than the shop-bought loaf we had the other evening. She put a generous portion of the pasta into a tub for her lunch at work tomorrow so that was good.

This evening, Keith and I attempted to watch another episode of Earth and this one was a bit chemistry-based, with lots of talk about oxygen, methane, carbon dioxide and how we're protected on Earth by a precious layer of essential gasses, that haven't been around since the beginning of time. How they got to be in the atmosphere was fascinating!

Another busy day!

Today has been a replica of yesterday with a rush of phone calls first thing (14 waiting at one point) and I had to help out until things calmed down. We had another newbie in with us today and I wonder how she felt about the number of calls we receive and the wide range of queries!

I managed to get a lot done today and cleared all the emails, put on the third week of swim camps, prepared the fourth week, and cleared all the cancellation requests we'd received. It truly is amazing what I can get done without having to talk to customers!

At home, it was great to relax in the kitchen with Sophie and Keith. We had the doors and windows open and I could hear a robin singing his little heart out somewhere! It's a beautiful sound and I do feel lucky that we live somewhere so peaceful (most of the time!).

Keith was barbecuing this evening, and on cue, the sky clouded over! Luckily, it didn't rain!

School holidays start!

It was the first day of the school holidays and, although Sara had taken me off answering the phone, I had to jump in and help, as at one point there were ten calls waiting. And this was without swimming bookings! We are still getting complaints and I'm having to deal with annoyed emails, but the management have made the decision and that's that!

Once it had calmed down a bit, I went back to dealing with customer service emails which kept me occupied for the rest of the shift. When we walked out at 4pm, I said that's the first day done! Before we know it the children will be back at school!

It has rained for most of today so everything is looking lovely and green. It's still lovely and cool with reasonable temperatures and I have a feeling we're not going to have really hot weather like last year. Watch this space!

A quiet day at home

For the second day this weekend, I haven't ventured away from the house, and I postponed my visit to see Mum and Dad this afternoon, as I had a horrible earache. I've had it for a few days and have been treating it with Nurofen. It's made me feel yucky!

The weather has been slightly better today - a mixed bag of sunshine and showers but too wet to go out and do any gardening, and the grass has been growing madly! 

Sophie arrived home mid-afternoon as I was watching an old video of our holiday to Mallorca when she was a baby. I showed Vikesh, who thought it was great! It was wonderful to see us 27 years ago and we all looked so young! I've finished the 1996 diary now, so will start work on the last of the handwritten diaries of when I holidayed with my parents in the 1980s.

Sophie and I played Scrabble in the evening and she thrashed me! Dinner tonight was a tomatoey gnocchi dish with mozzarella and chorizo. I'd done some of the preparation this afternoon so it was an easy dish to assemble and cook. Keith turned his nose up at the meal and had leftover Chinese!

DIY cocktails

The weather today has been atrocious, with heavy grey skies and almost non-stop rain. I felt so sorry for anyone getting married today, or planning outdoor events. We can never rely on the British weather!

I amused myself this morning by cleaning out the filter in the dishwasher and sorting out the drawers where we store our saucepans and frying pans. I know how to enjoy myself on a Saturday morning! 

Sophie was going away for the night with Vikesh to a country house hotel in Buckinghamshire, but she wasn't leaving until about 2pm so it was lovely to have her company until then. Keith and I had talked about going to a pub near Kettering, The Red Lion at Cranford, but with the awful weather, we decided to postpone it until another time.

Once Sophie had gone, I started transferring a diary from 1996 onto the blog ready for my holiday book. This was our first trip to Mallorca when Sophie was about ten weeks old. For some reason, I never actually finished it, but it was great to read about what we got up to on our first visit to the island, and the restaurants we visited, none of which have survived, sadly.

I missed my cocktail buddy in the evening but made myself a French Martini with the last of the Chambord, a measure of Vodka and pineapple juice. Sophie must have taught me well as it was delicious!

 

Keith and I hadn't bought anything for dinner tonight as we were supposed to have been having lunch out so we ordered a Chinese takeaway again... naughty but nice!

A Friday treat!

Today has been a busy one, as I was back answering calls, as well as dealing with the emails (Sara was taking minutes at a meeting) and trying to put the rest of the films onto the system. Some of the films had been changed, so I had to jiggle them about and put on two Walt Disney films - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Bambi. In my opinion, not the two best films to show to little children, even though they have U ratings!

As soon as Sophie arrived home, we cracked open the Champagne and put the nibbles in bowls. I had chosen chicken satay on sticks, stuffed cherry peppers, and cheese wrapped in Italian ham. Delicious! We've decided to do this once a month, as a treat. While we sipped the fizz and munched the nibbles, we watched an episode of Race Across The World, which was brilliant, as the contestants were in Brazil visiting the Iguazu Falls. They looked stunning!

Keith came home from having a beer with his mate, John, at the pub and we had dinner. The weather this evening has been horrible with dark grey skies and rain and the weekend is set to be the same. No sitting in the garden this weekend!

After dinner, we watched a scary documentary on Netflix about the Night Stalker in Los Angeles in 1985 who terrorised the neighbourhoods... horrible!

Fascinating discoveries!

I spent the whole day dealing with customer service emails this morning as there were over 70 of them lurking in the inbox... they certainly kept me busy! 

On the way home I called into Aldi to buy Champagne and nibbles for Friday evening, as per mine and Sophie's tennis bet from Sunday. That'll be lovely to look forward to after a busy week!

It took me the rest of the afternoon to prepare tonight's dinner of sausage casserole. I peeled all the vegetables and chopped onions and garlic before browning the sausages and pancetta. It smelt delicious! Keith didn't want to eat my offering as he's definitely not a fan of sausage casserole, so I had to roast a pack of chicken thighs for him!

 

I watched another episode of Earth this evening and discovered that our beautiful planet was covered completely in ice 700 million years ago... 700 million! Life still survived though -obviously, as we wouldn't be here - in small puddles of dusty water. Incredible! It took tens of millions of years for the planet to warm up again, resulting in a profusion of life!

WFH...

Today has certainly been interesting! Sophie went to the gym as usual at 6am and I went back to bed as I felt really tired still. I didn't even wake up when she texted me to say she was on her way home!

She set up her laptop in the kitchen and had her breakfast while Keith and I stayed in the living room. She had a bit of trouble connecting the phone but was soon all set. The problem with being in the kitchen, though, was that Keith and I normally do a lot in there - making our breakfast, cleaning up, emptying the dishwasher, and preparing the dinner - and all that involves a certain amount of noise!

She had various meetings throughout the morning and was taking phone calls, so she moved into the conservatory which made more sense, and was quieter. I gave the top oven a good clean, and Keith and I had breakfast and we didn't disturb her.

At lunchtime, Sophie and I drove over to Brixworth as I needed to get a birthday card for Sheila and we needed a pepper for tonight's dinner. While we were gone, Keith took advantage of the empty house and fried off the minced beef and onions!

The weather has been lovely today with fluffy clouds, blue skies, and sunshine. The temperatures have been reasonable, not like Southern Europe where Italy and Greece are suffering a terrible heatwave with the mercury up in the 40s. It's been going on for days with no respite, and it must be horrendous!

Working from home for Sophie hasn't been wonderful today, she admitted. In the afternoon she was hot sitting in the conservatory and she couldn't get comfortable with her laptop wherever she went. Maybe WFH isn't what it's cracked up to be! She did enjoy her short commute from the kitchen to her bedroom, though!

I sat and watched the new series of Earth presented by Chris Packham before dinner. I'm not normally a fan of Chris Packham - he's always seemed a bit bumptious to me - but he was excellent presenting this programme about earth's history and I learned a lot. I had no idea that 252 million years ago (can you even comprehend that amount of time?) the earth heated up to the extent that almost all of the living beings on earth were wiped out?

The one thing he said at the end was that, no matter what effect we have on the earth in terms of global warming, it will survive and thrive even if we're the masters of our own demise. But, he said, did we really want that on our conscience? Very thought-provoking!

A productive day!

I had another very productive day and managed to get the moan report done and dusted, amendments to the swim camps (grrr!), and further weeks of the holiday activities. I wasn't on the phone at all! It's amazing what I can get done without pesky phone calls! I felt a lot better and more in control at the end of the day but I think I'll be taking over emails again on Thursday and Friday, which is fine.

Sophie is working from home tomorrow so that should be interesting! She's already brought her laptop home with her and she's decided to work at the island in the kitchen. In the very first lockdown of 2020, we didn't have the kitchen as it is now and she was forced to work in the conservatory, where it was warm and sometimes overly bright.

We had vegetables with dinner tonight - our old favourites of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage! It made quite a change from the endless salad!

An unexpected gift!

When Sara and Sheila walked in this morning, they gave me a bottle of Gordon's Blood Orange Gin as a thank-you for helping out when they were both on holiday! I was stunned but delighted! It was something I certainly wasn't expecting, but I do remember Sheila quizzing me last week as to which Gin I preferred!

Sara took over emails today while I managed to get week two of the "swim camps" on (I'm not allowed to call them crash courses anymore!). They'll be bookable this Sunday so I didn't have a lot of time! I was able to come off the phones for most of the day so I caught up with a lot of work, which was a real blessing!

I enjoyed a Gin and Tonic this evening (well, it would have been rude not to!) and Sophie cooked the beef stroganoff we should have had on Saturday night. There were two portions left for lunch tomorrow. Perfect!

After dinner, we started watching the new series of University Challenge with Amol Rajan as question master. He certainly wasn't as grumpy as Jeremy Paxman!

Watching Wimbledon!

We were facing another sociable day as Laura and her little Dachshund puppy, Wilbur, were coming over this afternoon for lunch and to watch the Men's Singles Finals at Wimbledon.

Before popping to see Mum and Dad, Sophie and I cleaned downstairs again and prepared all the food for lunch. We drove over to Kettering, delivered the flowers, cards, and Champagne, and had a chat. Mum and Dad were celebrating fifty-seven years today!

Back home we were able to relax for a little while and Laura arrived at 12.30pm, with little Wilbur. She had a big bag for Wilbur's things and a bag of nibbles for us, bless her! Wilbur was very excited about being somewhere new and with new people. He raced about and explored everywhere downstairs!

We ate lunch at 1pm and enjoyed an assortment of salads, cold meats, crusty bread, and nibbly bits, all washed down with Prosecco. At 2pm we went to sit in the living room, and Keith went upstairs to watch the cricket.

To make it a bit more interesting, Sophie and I had a bet. I said that Djokovic would win, and Sophie said Alcaraz, so the loser would buy the other a bottle of Champagne and nibbles for next Friday's wine night. It started promisingly for me, with Djokovic taking the first set but Alcaraz came back in the second and beat Djokovic in a tie-breaker. He then smashed the third set before Djokovic took the fourth. I had a feeling that things were all over when Alcaraz broke his serve and Djokovic lost his temper and smashed his racquet against the wooden pole holding the net. It was soon all over and I now have to buy Sophie a bottle of Champagne!

Laura went home shortly afterwards, as Wilbur wouldn't settle and was being a little monkey, trying to bite her and obsessed with chewing the bottom of one of our armchairs! He was a gorgeous little bundle, though, and going through a teething stage!

We'd enjoyed the Key Lime Pie halfway through the match and more Prosecco. It was a great afternoon!

Dodging the showers!

After a bit of a late night last night, I woke up later than I wanted. I had a coffee and a shower, and Sophie and I popped over to Tesco at Kettering to buy nibbles for tomorrow's lunch, and a present for my Mum and Dad's anniversary tomorrow.

The supermarket wasn't as busy as I had expected, and we were soon going through the checkout with our purchases - nibbles and Prosecco for tomorrow, Champagne for my parents, and gifts for them from each other. 

The weather forecast today was for high winds and rain, but the morning, although breezy, was mostly dry and sunny. Sophie and I returned home, I made myself some delicious toast with a loaf of seeded bread I'd bought and had another welcome cup of coffee.

Once I'd eaten, I gave the conservatory a clean and hoovered downstairs, before paying attention to the kitchen. Sophie had been given a lovely patterned pot from Daisy and it was a perfect fit for repotting our cacti! Doing this was more difficult than I thought, as they were reluctant to leave the pot they'd been in for a while! However, wearing a pair of thick gloves, I eased them out and put them in their new home, and the pot looks lovely on the window sill!

Laura bought them for Sophie when they were tiny, so we've looked after them well, and they've thrived!

Vikesh came over in the afternoon and he and Sophie dodged the heavy thundery downpours and walked to the pub for a late lunch with Reggie the dog. I made a Key Lime pie for tomorrow's lunch and then sat in the conservatory and read, relishing the peace and quiet, and the warm sun. Above, the clouds raced across the sky in the wind and it was very interesting sitting there and watching the weather!

When Sophie and Vikesh returned, they played Scrabble while I entertained Reggie!

Vikesh left and I took my turn to play Scrabble. Sophie and I sipped delicious French Martinis (I'd bought another bottle of Chambord in Tesco) and I won! Hooray!

As Sophie had eaten a late lunch, she really didn't feel like cooking Beef Stroganoff, so we decided to scrap the meal, have it on Monday night instead, and order a Chinese takeaway! Naughty, but nice!

After dinner, we watched a new French drama called Disturbing Disappearances, which was set in Alsace. It was very good indeed!

Irritated!

The weather has been atrocious today with heavy grey skies and rain all day. Where has our summer gone?

I did as much as I could before the phone lines opened at 10am, and I tried to go off and get on with my admin work, but there kept being two or three calls waiting. I could have cheerfully strangled Shirley today as she was particularly irritating. She had asked to go at about 3.45pm as she had a hair appointment! She also took way longer for lunch which annoyed Kathy and me!

I had no chance of putting any crash courses onto the system, as I wanted to get the emails cleared before Sara returns on Monday. I felt drained when I walked out at 4pm and into torrential rain and flooded roads! The storm has begun! Keith tried to get hold of me as I was driving home so I had to pull over and see what he wanted. I'd ordered a new laptop in the Amazon Prime sale and the driver needed a code to deliver it. Keith couldn't open my emails, for some reason, so I dashed home through the soaking-wet roads and managed to access my account. The poor driver returned and was soaked to the skin, poor thing!

Sophie went out in the evening to Yardley Hastings, and Keith and I had a nursery supper of fish fingers and chips. I can hardly bear to admit it, to be honest, but Keith enjoyed the meal! We watched Doc Martin after we'd eaten and the latest episode of Not Going Out with Lee Mack trapped in a coffin after a stag party do... it made me feel panicky!

Sophie rolled home after 11pm and staggered into the house laden with gifts! It can't be bad!

Plagued by questions!

Work was a little stressful today and I had to answer the phone for the first forty-five minutes as Sue was undergoing a return to work interview after her two weeks' absence. I was not happy as I had so much to do, and when I did go back to my admin tasks, Shirley and Vicky kept asking me questions! I felt like I was going mad!

I feel like I'm drowning at the moment and although I did get some of the crash courses onto the system, there's still more to be done. Perhaps I can do them tomorrow!

At 2pm I sped home and relaxed, before chopping up loads of vegetables for our dinner this evening and doing some housework. It's an unofficial Wine Night this evening as Sophie is going out for a meal with Laura and Daisy on Friday.

We were going to open the bottle of The Ned Pinot Gris tonight, but we drank a Greek Chardonnay instead that Keith had bought in Aldi after seeing it advertised in You magazine. It was delicious and one we'll certainly buy again!

Dinner was lovely and, although I thought I was going to muck up at one point, it turned out very well, with enough left over for our lunches tomorrow!

Out for lunch

Keith and I had decided to take my parents out for lunch today, but our original plan to go to Darlington's restaurant at Weedon and sit in the sun, was thwarted by the weather. We agreed it was too windy to sit outside and rain was forecast for the afternoon.

We collected Mum and Dad at 11am, and had a bit of difficulty getting the wheelchair in the back of the Golf. We'd done it so easily last time! Once we'd shoehorned it in, we set off along the A43 towards Moulton Park, and then out to Duston to show them where the old Travis Perkins building had been demolished.

As it wasn't midday yet, we turned left and drove out towards the M1 at junction 16. I was astounded when the road we normally take had disappeared! There was so much building work going on with new houses being built and more fields fenced off for future construction. We had to drive into Duston and I completely lost my bearings! I turned around and we headed towards the tiny hamlet of Nobottle and then took a right back towards Duston.

Dobbies garden centre was busy, and we had to take a table in the dog friendly section of the café, much to Keith's annoyance. I took orders from everyone and went to the counter to pay.

Mum and Dad ate hardly any lunch which was disappointing, and after looking around and seeing some beautiful fish and plants, I bought some wine and bread rolls in the Waitrose outlet and we headed back. Dad was asleep the whole way back and I had a feeling it wasn't the most successful of outings...

Once we'd dropped Mum and Dad back, we went home to catch up with our usual Wednesday chores - preparing dinner, hoovering, and doing the shopping list. We have a busy weekend coming up with Vikesh coming over on Saturday, and Laura and her little dog spending the afternoon with us on Sunday.

I made a pea and ham soup for dinner which was lovely and easy and we enjoyed it with some toasted leftover cheesy bread and the rolls I'd bought at Waitrose today.

Shockingly, we discovered the identity of the BBC presenter who'd been paying a teenager for explicit photos... it was Huw Edwards, lynchpin of the News at Ten and someone I thought was a thoroughly decent man. Apparently, he is in hospital having a nervous breakdown, which isn't surprising seeing as his career and family life are probably in tatters!

A somewhat trying day!

Work today has been somewhat trying as we had the newbie Kirsty in with us, and Shirley covering for Angela. I tried to go off the phone to catch up with my admin work but it meant that both Kirsty and Shirley kept asking me questions! I felt like pulling my hair out! In the end, Jo sat with Kirsty as she did have some complicated calls, with quite a few holiday club bookings that involved several children, company discounts and childcare vouchers! Everyone seems to have realised that the holidays are looming and that they need to get their children into daycare!

I did clear the emails, though, and I put on several crash courses for the second week of the holidays. At least I have a bit of breathing space!

Back at home, I was able to relax and Keith had prepared all the vegetables for dinner. When Sophie came home she wanted a glass of wine as she'd had a stressful day as well, and then she stuffed the chicken breasts with garlic butter and wrapped them in ham. It was an easy dinner and it was delicious! It was so nice to have something different!

We watched Djokovic win after dinner so things are hotting up for the final on Sunday. We predict Djokovic and Alcaraz in the final... let's see!

Moany customers!

I was kept very busy at work today and managed to clear the 50-odd emails in the customer service inbox, send off the box office returns, and deal with lots of orders. I was able to come off the phone now and again as it wasn't too busy, thank goodness. 

From next week, customers and members will no longer need to book swimming sessions so three years of having to deal with them will be over. Of course, some members are not at all happy as it means that they will have to queue to get into the pool like they did pre-covid. We honestly can't win at times! Whatever we do, we will always have someone moaning about it!

At 4pm it was great to go home and chat with Keith over a cup of tea. We had planned to barbecue this evening, but as usual, the weather was not really suitable for cooking outside! However, he set the barbecue up on the driveway under the garage door and we hoped for the best!

I am now officially fed up with salad and new potatoes! I honestly don't think I can eat them again for a little while and tomorrow we've decided on chicken wrapped in parma ham with rice and roasted vegetables. Bring it on!

We watched Wimbledon again after dinner and I'm still no wiser as to who many of the players are!

A horrible discovery!

I was up at 4.40am this morning, visiting the loo, and I looked out at the garden to see if the hedgehog food had been eaten. The birds were barely awake and I was pleased to see it had all gone. Last night, Keith and I had sat in the conservatory until past 10pm to see if we could see him (or her) coming for their food, but we didn't see anything. We've been a bit worried that our little hedgehog hasn't appeared for a while, but I think he or she is coming out a lot later. We did see lots of bats, though!

I woke again a bit later and felt much more energetic today! After two coffees, I completely stripped our bed to get all the bedding out on the line in the sunshine. The day had started cloudy, but the sun and blue skies soon made an appearance, and it was a perfect laundry day!

Sophie went to see Laura and her new little puppy, Wilbur, and they are both coming over to us next Sunday for the Wimbledon Mens' Singles Finals. They were going for a walk today, and having lunch at Smith's Farm Shop.

I went outside to clean the windows, and Keith followed me as the weather was so lovely. I opened the lid of our compost heap to put some veggie peelings in and was astonished to see an array of blue balls and the rat poison we'd put down... Keith was astounded, and we worked out that the rat had been living in the compost bin as there were several old fat snax balls, the poison and some other food we'd put down for the birds! Neither of us has any idea why the fat snax were blue... There was a hole at the bottom where he'd obviously dug his way in. It was a horrible discovery, to be honest, and we had to scoop everything out and dispose of it properly. It made me feel very uncomfortable!

Once that was done, we sat in the garden and enjoyed a beer each. I had the last bottle of my Fischer Ambreé, and it was heavenly to sit and relax in the peace and quiet (yes!) and watch the birds. A very brave young blackbird (female, I think) fluttered down and pecked at the ground while we were sitting there, which encouraged the sparrows to be brave as well!

All good things come to an end, and after a lovely time relaxing, it was time to carry on with the chores! I hoovered the house and put all the bedding back, including the valance around the base of the bed. Keith had to help me lift the mattress up, which was hard work!

It was great to know that the bed was lovely and fresh and clean, though, and I settled down to watch the Tour de France that I'd recorded earlier. Sophie came home and she chatted about Laura's dog and how much it has affected Laura's life. She said it was a bit like having a baby!

We opened a bottle of wine and watched the cycle race before having dinner of cold meats and nibbles again. We'd had so much left over from last night that it made sense to eat it tonight and save the barbecue for tomorrow.

After dinner, we saw the end of the race which ended on the Puy de Dome, an extinct volcano!

Sniper Keith!

The forecast thunderstorms arrived this morning with loud rumbles and torrential rain. At least the gardens benefitted! It was warm and humid, though, but everything is looking a lot greener now with the rainfall we've had recently.

I mooched about all morning and did some housework. I seem to be constantly sweeping our kitchen floor at the moment and I've said there's a "crumb monster" about, scattering bits everywhere! We must do it three or four times a day!

Sophie drove over to Vikesh's house and they went for lunch at a deli in Castle Ashby. I contented myself with a fish finger sandwich! Keith has been eating pulled pork now since Wednesday when he bought himself a joint to have for dinner. He had a mound of it in a sandwich for his brunch, and I could hear him munching on the crackling from the other room!

Lunch a la Janie!

After having a lovely invigorating shower in the afternoon, I caught up with Wimbledon and the Tour de France upstairs and had a sneaky nap. I took an antihistamine tablet last night for a skin allergy and I think it makes me very sleepy, even though it's a non-drowsy brand. Or maybe it's the heat!

Sophie arrived back home at about 5.30pm and we watched the end of a tennis match between Alcaraz and Jarry that had been going on for a considerable time. I don't know these players any more - apart from Djokovic and Andy Murray, of course, I have no idea who they are! Federer has retired, Nadal isn't playing this year and Kyrgios pulled out at the last minute because of injury. How I long for the old days when McEnroe, Connors, Lendl and Borg were playing. The tennis stars seemed to be real characters then!

Unfortunately, Keith spotted our ratty friend this evening and went and grabbed the air rifle. To cut a long and painful story short, he killed the rodent, and when we ventured out into the garden to get rid of the corpse, neither of us could believe how big it was. It must have been the biggest rat we've ever had in the garden.

The rat

Sophie was furious with us, but we both said we didn't want it in the garden, and the other week it was actually chasing the birds! I know pretty much that another will take its place, but at least for the time being we're rat-free and Keith is an excellent sniper. He's obviously missed his vocation in life! I always said he should have been in the army!

Winning a bet!

It's been a busy week so I was very glad today was Friday and I was looking forward to a weekend off! I came off the phone again today as I had so much to do, but the shift was pretty quiet so I didn't feel guilty!

I managed to clear all the emails, deal with loads of cancellations and orders, and sort out week two of the crash courses ready to put on, so I was pleased I'd been able to achieve so much!

Back at home, Andy Murray was playing again and was ahead by two sets to one. Sophie arrived home faster than she ever has, as she couldn't wait to see the match! She had a bet with Vikesh that if Tsitsipas won, he'd buy her lunch on Saturday! Amazingly, she achieved her wish as Andy Murray went rapidly downhill and lost... I did feel for him because today, exactly ten years ago, he won the Men's Singles title!

We had a very easy dinner of Tesco curries, which Keith moaned about, and drank a bottle of the New Zealand Pinot Gris which was very good tonight. It was beautifully chilled so perfect for a hot evening!

It has been warm today with temperatures of about 28c and we have storms forecast for tomorrow!

Stress!

Today was my admin day at work, but Kitty was working with us (covering for Sue) and she'd taken the wrong bus! Nicola had to go and fetch her, so I jumped on the phone first thing to help out.

I was very busy with the customer service emails, and sorting out the crash courses, but the three girls working today did ask me lots of questions - I was a sitting duck, as I was off the phone and therefore very available!

At 2pm I sped home to find the road closed as I approached Walgrave for emergency repairs... I was fuming as they could have put a sign at the bottom of the hill next to the turn-off to Hannington so we wouldn't have had to go all the way and turn around! I tried to warn several cars but they all ignored me!

I arrived home, changed and then went to pick up Mum to take her to Tesco. We enjoyed a coffee first and then did some shopping. Mum bought some new underwear and nightwear, and several bars of chocolate! Well, why not!

I dropped her back and caught the Care Home manager before I left. I am still waiting for a decision about Mum and Dad's fees, and this has been going on now since early December. I told the manager that I am seriously considering making a complaint about North Northamptonshire Council as it's been so stressful. I just want to get it sorted now!

Back home I hoovered downstairs and caught up with chores. After dinner we watched Andy Murray play the fifth seed, the Greek player Tsitsipas, which was a thrilling match, and had to be continued on Friday as it was so late!

London calling!

Sophie and I went to London today to see Dr Bawa in Harley Street. We booked our train tickets last night, and I was dreading the journey as there were strikes taking place today, and I just had a feeling we'd be standing all the way to Euston again.

Keith dropped us off at the station, and we treated ourselves to a coffee and pastry before going down to the platform. When the train pulled in, we could see free seats, so we rushed on and grabbed two together! Result!

The journey to London was smooth and trouble-free, and I enjoyed people-watching. Virtually every person was on their phone, but I liked watching the scenery flash past and observing my fellow passengers!

We arrived in Euston, and our Uber was waiting for us. It took us ages to escape the traffic around the station, and our poor driver had to make a U-turn and go in a completely different way to get us back to the main road running past the station. Next time we have vowed to take a black cab as it'll be a lot easier!

We planned to have a coffee at Le Pain Quotidien before Sophie's appointment at 11.30am, but we were dismayed to see that the popular café had closed down and the parent company was in administration! What a shock, and how disappointing!

We set off down Marylebone High Street and stopped to have a look in a beautiful delicatessen to see if they had a café but they were just selling coffee to take away.

We strolled along and came to 31 Below which was serving coffee and smoothies. We sat inside and we were glad we did as it started raining shortly afterwards!

I had a very acceptable flat white while Sophie had a berry smoothie. It wasn't quite Le Pain Quotidien, but it was lovely to sit and relax.

It was a short stroll to Harley Street and we were soon seated in Dr Bawa's consulting room. Sophie asked him if she needed any more filler in her nose, as it had been over a year since her first treatment, and he agreed. She had more filler injected into her nose and Botox put in as well to correct the lopsidedness. It was horrible to see her go through it again but she said it was worth it!

We made an appointment for the 9th of August and Sophie paid her bill which made me gasp, but as I said before, Sophie thinks it's well worth it for the boost in confidence she has.

We made our way to Le Relais de Venise - L'Entrecote, and we were seated immediately in between two tables of men enjoying the food immensely. The place was packed again!

31 Below

Salad starter with walnut dressing and crusty bread

Delicious steak!

Profiteroles and house cake

As usual, the food was excellent and the two helpings of steak were tender and tasty. I had so many chips on my plate I couldn't finish them! We ordered a bottle of the house red to accompany the meal, but a lot of people were making do with water or bottles of Coke! Yuk!

There was a great atmosphere in the restaurant which was good as we were seated so close to one another! As soon as a table was free it was re-set and another group sat down! We chatted to a man on the next table who I think was dining with his daughter and was German. He asked Sophie about the bill and she said that the service charge was included and not to pay any more on top! Their bill, when it arrived, was considerably smaller than ours!

We waddled out at about 1.30pm, and ordered a Uber, chatting to two girls who were waiting to go into the restaurant. This whole area was full of people either having lunch or emerging into the sunshine having eaten, so there was a great atmosphere here as well.

Our Uber arrived and we were delighted to find it was a sleek Mercedes which conveyed us in considerable comfort back to Euston. We managed to catch the train waiting at the platform and had seats together in a largely empty carriage.

Both of us fell asleep on the way back and Keith arrived to take us home, where we did very little for the rest of the day! Sophie was in quite a bit of pain with her face so all she wanted to do was relax and I gave her some paracetamol to help with the soreness. We watched Wimbledon and it was wonderful to not have to think about dinner!

A newbie!

I had another hectic day at work, and Jo was training a new girl called Kirsty who had been working at another centre. She was young and inexperienced, and we don't know yet how she will fit in with our little crowd! Although she has a knowledge of the business, she hadn't been answering phones before and she was very quiet! 

I  caught up with Sheila and asked for help with the crash courses and holiday activities but she was also manically busy! I have until next Sunday to get the first week input onto the system, so not really a long time!

Today has been grey, rainy, and cool, but the heat is due to make a comeback at the end of the week and into the weekend... I would be delighted if we could have sunshine and about 21c every day, but experts say we're facing multiple heatwaves over the summer. Phew!

Sophie and I sampled a beautiful red wine this evening that she'd bought at Costco. We will definitely buy this one again and it certainly lived up to its name!

A busy Monday!

Monday has been busy at work, with the cash-ups to do, so I came off the phone to concentrate. It took me most of the morning to do the three days' worth, and I saw that Sheila had been inputting some information as well, even though she was supposed to be on holiday! Sara is next to be off so I will be covering her job from Thursday. It's set to be a busy couple of weeks before the children break up for the summer holidays!

We had bands of torrential rain in the afternoon, and I sped home to watch Wimbledon with Sophie. Dinner this evening was a simple meal of coronation chicken served on a bed of salad with new potatoes. 

After we'd eaten we watched the Tour de France highlights, and the town of Bayonne looked gorgeous!

Men in lycra!

It's been a lovely, very relaxed day today, which is just how Sundays should be! I went out and mowed the back lawn in the morning as it was cool and cloudy again, so not too hot. Keith helped by trimming the edges and it didn't take long for us to make the garden a lot neater. The grass seed I put down the other week has sprouted, and although we do have some weeds mixed in with the grass - fashionable apparently! - the lawn is looking very healthy.

Sophie went over to Wellingborough to have lunch with Vikesh and his parents, and I settled down to watch the Tour de France which was coming from the Basque country. I love the Tour de France, not because I'm a huge fan of cycling, or seeing men in tight lycra (they're a bit too skinny for my liking), but because I love seeing the scenery and the crowds of excited people spectating. The scenery today was stunning, with thickly forested hills, lakes and small towns full of interesting buildings. The road signs were in the Basque language and there were regional flags everywhere! They seem a very proud people. I was overjoyed last year in Rocamadour when we drove along roads chalked with messages, as the Tour had been through earlier in the year!

I enjoyed leftover chicken and rice for lunch and then had a soak in the bath, followed by a nap. Sophie returned home at about 6pm and brought some snacks with her and chocolate barfi which she'd made with Vikesh. It was gorgeous!

Keith and I had sausages for dinner this evening with mashed potatoes, cabbage and carrots served with gravy! It seemed like ages since we'd had gravy as all our meals lately have been salady!

A five year wait...

I woke from a very vivid dream this morning of going to a medieval-themed wedding in Berlin and falling in love with the bridegroom. It was so detailed and I was so in love with groom!

After a lovely relaxed morning, Sophie and I went over to Market Harborough. We'd booked a table at Pizza Express for 12.30pm and we were looking forward to lunch and then doing some shopping afterwards.

Sophie had a voucher for £30 towards the meal, but we pushed the boat out and enjoyed doughballs doppio and breaded halloumi to start, followed by a spicy chicken pizza. We ordered a glass of Chardonnay each and finished the meal with desserts - tiramisu and a white chocolate roulade. Yum!

Sophie wearing her "Pals" hat

After eating and paying the bill, we wandered around the shops. Sophie wanted to find a pair of trousers for work and some shoes, and she succeeded! She also bought some lovely tops, and I splashed out on a box set of  "Not Going Out" that Keith and I will watch after we've seen all the episodes of Doc Martin!

The charity shops certainly bore fruit this afternoon and Sophie found her shoes in The Attic - a black pair of wedge heel espadrilles that were brand new and half-price. Success!

By 3pm we were all shopped out so we returned home via the scenic route and relaxed at home for the rest of the afternoon. The weather today has been cool and cloudy and Market Harborough was windy. The heat of the last couple of weeks is a distant memory!

In the evening we played Scrabble, and Sophie made us cocktails from a recipe that I'd saved five years ago! The cocktails were French Martinis, made with Chambord, vodka and pineapple juice. I've been wanting to try the drink ever since seeing the recipe in the newspaper. They were delicious and the juice went all frothy from being shaken, not stirred!

Dinner tonight was a lovely meal of breaded chicken with stir-fry rice. Sophie had prepared everything this morning before we went to Market Harborough and she made a delicious dinner. She'd coated the chicken breasts in panko breadcrumbs and desiccated coconut and the rice was lovely and spicy.

Our viewing pleasure for this evening was a silly, far-fetched film called Mindcage starring John Malkovich, which dragged on for far longer than it should have!