Mrs Angry!

For some reason, I was in a bad mood today, so everything I did was coloured by my grouchiness! I can't even blame my mood for getting up late, although I woke up with a headache, which was annoying!

Yet again, we hadn't bothered to do the list last night, so Keith and I faced the onerous chore this morning. We both sat and looked at each other, and couldn't decide what to have for dinner over the next few days... so boring! Eventually, we managed to cobble something together, but I fear Sophie will have a few words to say about it later...

Keith went to do the shopping and grumbled about it, as it was far later than he normally goes. Going after 9am means it's busier than he likes (and therefore he doesn't have much time to chat with his bevy of favourite check-out girls...).

I pootled about and did some more onerous tasks such as filling the washing machine, emptying the dishwasher, sweeping the kitchen and clearing up after the cats. We hardly see Gomez during the day now, as he is out most of the time, while Mooney prefers the warmth and comfort of the sofa. Imagine my annoyance when Gomez flitted back in after being out for a couple of hours and promptly pooed in the litter tray... I was so angry, I could have cried... He then managed to trail litter everywhere on a freshly swept floor. Argh! I can now understand why Keith sometimes moans about being at home, and the endless repetitive nature of his day. There's always something to fill or empty!

Keith arrived home and became as annoyed as me when he saw the roller blind from the en-suite bathroom sitting on the island... I'd pulled it down again, even though I'd been as careful as I could have been with it. It should be more robust than that! He went storming upstairs to try and fix it, and then roped me in as an assistant! 

The next half hour was spent bickering at each other before I decided to take some old clothes to the textile recycling bins at the tip. I also, in a fit of pique, decided to bin all the medicine blister packs we've been saving. Terracycle have just - just! - introduced a scheme in connection with Aldi, where you can send off two envelopes' worth of blister packs a month for free. I sent off the first two a couple of weeks ago but then received an email from them saying that, due to overwhelming demand, they've had to pause it for a while. Superdrug take them but I've heard they don't like large quantities...

We tried to empty the bin bag of blister packs and they ended up all over the floor, which made me madder than ever. At the tip, there was a long queue of cars waiting to go in because a machine was busy doing something dangerous with the skips and having a crushing spree. I felt like doing that myself!

Once we were home, I calmed down and had a cup of tea and a mince pie. It was then time to collect my Mum from the care home and take her to her nail appointment. It was a good job I was early because the entrance road to the home was blocked by a lorry unloading what looked like dollops of concrete. I got out of the car to find out how long they'd be, and I think one of the men directing the lorry saw my face and asked the driver to move! I wound my window down as I went past and told him I was going straight back out again, but he looked at me as if I was a hysterical female and said I might have to wait!

When we arrived at Natalia's house, unusually, she was still with a client so we had to wait. It pretty much summed up my day, to be honest! I asked if we'd got the time wrong, but she said she'd be finished soon and, to her credit, she was done within fifteen minutes. 

However, this made us later than normal, so we hit rush hour traffic going home. I called in to collect Keith, and we put Mum's table and the lamp in the boot to take with us. I'd also managed to get their DVD player working and had bought an HDMI cable at Jones's yesterday to connect it to their television, so they could watch a DVD. 

We returned home and had a quick freshen-up before we took Sophie to Yardley Hastings where she was having a meal with Laura. We'd also decided to have a meal out ourselves and had booked a table at The Green Man at Lavendon, about five minutes away.

It was a bitterly cold evening and the temperature was hovering around zero! Brrrr! We dropped Sophie off and made our way to the pretty pub which was looking beautifully festive. In the dining room, we were given menus and our drink orders taken. Keith was delighted to find Abbot on the pump, and I had a half pint of Rocking Rudolph.

We had an audience for dinner

We chose our meals - tomato soup and beef and ale pie for Keith, and chicken strips in a barbecue sauce and katsu chicken curry for me. My starter was delicious and the chicken strips were sprinkled with crispy onions and chillies. When my main course arrived, I looked at it and knew that I wouldn't be able to do justice to it. There was enough to feed two people! Keith gamely made his way through his meal but I asked a waitress if I could box up my meal and take it home! It would be perfect for my lunch tomorrow!

We paid our bill (about £50) and had a last drink in the bar. It was quiet with only a handful of people drinking, which was a shame as the prices were reasonable and the staff had been friendly.

Out into the freezing cold night, we drove to Yardley Hastings, collected Sophie, and returned home. Our house felt cold as we'd turned the heating off and the cats were glad to see us! As usual, Gomez cried to go out... he must be mad, but we didn't give into him!

Sophie and Keith went to bed, but I poured myself a glass of Jura whisky and indulged in an hour of The Couple Next Door, which was riveting. Bliss!

A little Christmas shopping

I was determined to get out of the house today, so we set off for Northampton as early as we could. Our first stop was Jones's and although I was only looking for a pillar candle, I managed to spend nearly £60 on boring items such as poop bags, cat treats, gloves for Keith, lighters and kitchen cloths. I did splash out on a box of recyclable Christmas crackers, though, and some more stocking fillers for the children. I looked at the gonks they had on sale, but they didn't really resonate with me! However, it looks as if rats have taken the place of the gonks!

From Jones's, we drove to Lidl where we looked for saucepans in the middle aisle, but there were none to be had, just lots of Christmas tat. We bought dates and some chocolate as a treat... well, you just have to! Next door in B&Q I bought a lampshade for my Mum's beautiful Mason lamp which I thought would be lovely in her room:

Next door, in Aldi, we looked for saucepans but, again, there were none, so we crossed the road to Dunelm and looked in there, where we were spoilt for choice. Keith was worried we wouldn't have enough pans for the vegetables on Christmas Day, so we bought two. On Sunday, in Abraxas, I looked at the Le Creuset saucepans which were about £500 for a set, and told Sophie that Mum had bought us five for Christmas, shortly after Keith and I had moved in together. The set came with a wooden cabinet to attach to the wall. It looks like they don't do the cast iron pans any more, but my original pans came with wooden handles which, after a fair amount of time, used to get slightly singed!

I looked in vain for king-size pillowcases (can never find them anywhere), and we paid and left to go home, calling into Smith's Farm Shop to get something for lunch. Back at home, the cats were waiting for us in the conservatory and I think they were a bit spooked that we'd left them! They were able to get into the conservatory, though, and we'd left the door open so they could come and go, but they spent the rest of the afternoon on Sophie's bed!

Dinner this evening was a chicken casserole with dumplings served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. It was delicious, but near the end of the meal, when I ate a forkful of potatoes, I felt something gritty in my mouth... I spat it out and retched because I cannot abide anything like that in my mouth at all! Sophie was really worried as she thought I was choking but when we looked at the potatoes we discovered two shards of glass! How on earth they got there is still a mystery, but I was very glad it was me who had them in my meal! Can you imagine, though, if I'd eaten them? I was a bit shaken up!

Getting colder

It was back to the gym and work for Sophie this morning, and I saw her off at about 6am. The weather had changed overnight and was much colder and drier this morning. We're set to see some cold weather this week, but it is winter on Friday!

Keith, reluctantly, went shopping this morning later than he wanted as we couldn't be bothered to come up with a list last night. While he was gone, I caught up with my blog, which took a fair amount of time to write! I sometimes wonder how many hours I've devoted over the years to writing this blog... I know it's the equivalent of writing a novel every year as it averages out at about 100,000 words. Most of it waffle, you could say!

The weather has been beautiful today with clear blue skies and sunshine, but it was cold! It was great to potter about and catch up with long overdue jobs, and when Sophie returned home from work, the house was looking lovely and it was cosy and warm. The new candlesticks looked gorgeous on either side of the fireplace, and I'm looking forward to putting up the Christmas decorations with Sophie at the weekend.

Keith went to see Sileby play this evening and wore three coats! He looked so bundled up as he left that I wondered whether he'd be able to drive the car! Sophie and I cooked the leftover bolognese sauce I'd made last week, and added more vegetables, pasta and garlic bread. I wasn't really in the mood for the meal this evening so there was enough left for Sophie's lunches until the end of the week.

We indulged in a few episodes of Help! We Bought A Village and Keith returned at 10pm looking as frozen as he always does after a match!

Ladies who lunch...

It was heavenly to get up a little later this Monday morning, and even better that Sophie had booked today off! We had planned on going to Weedon for lunch, and a look around the shops, so we set off in the most dismal, miserable weather at about 11.30am.

I took the scenic route to Weedon and we both commented on how the countryside was just a mixture of greys, greens and browns. The trees looked drenched and the fields were sodden. It was a typical late November day.

We arrived at Weedon and had a look around the shops first, picking out a jar of paté and some crackers to have for our evening meal. Keith was looking forward to leftovers from last night's dinner, and I knew we wouldn't fancy much to eat after lunch.

At 12.30pm we made our way to what used to be Darlington's but has now changed to a restaurant called 1867... when did that happen? The decor inside had changed and the lovely friendly man who used to be there all the time had gone. Things always change...

We were lucky to get the last table outside and although they had heaters and blankets on the chairs, it still felt a bit chilly and we could hear the rain falling as a section was open to the elements! Sophie chose lasagne for her lunch while I opted for a seasonal turkey and stuffing baguette with crisps and salad. We indulged in a glass of wine each and sat and had a great chat, reminiscing about the last time we were seated out in the "tent", and marvelling that it was December 2020, at the height of the pandemic!

The food was lovely, so in that respect, the place hadn't changed at all, which was good. After we'd eaten, we had a good look around the shops, and I managed to buy another stocking present for Sophie in Abraxas.

I was on the hunt for candlesticks and a new glass, as I'd broken the one Sophie had bought me and which was perfect for a whisky and ginger or gin and tonic! The glasses in the cookshop only came in boxes of four, so we headed to the antique centre in Weedon Bec to see what they had there.

Because it was such a chilly, damp day, we were glad we'd wrapped up well to visit the antique centre! Today, the place seemed full of tat, so we crossed to the other side of the centre where vintage items mingled with antiques. Sophie spotted a pair of cloudy white candlesticks which were perfect for what I wanted and only £7! Bargain! I didn't see any glasses, though, but I had a sneaking suspicion that I had some gin glasses in the cabinet in the garage!

We left, and before going home we called into Dobbie's Garden Centre at Harlestone. Sophie made straight for the pet section while I looked for a plastic plant pot for the new orchid I was given. I bought two, one for now and one for when it grows a bit bigger! Sophie bought some treats and toys in the pet outlet, we also bought squirty cream and marshmallows for hot chocolate and returned home as it was growing dark.

Back home we enjoyed hot chocolate and relaxed for the rest of the evening, enjoying our paté and crackers with a bottle of red wine a little later than planned, as we were still full from lunch!

Lazy Sunday

I had a much quieter Sunday, but Sophie was going back down to London with Vikesh to celebrate the anniversary of their first date a year ago! How the time has flown by!

Keith and I gave her a lift to Vikesh's house and returned home to have breakfast. The weather has been totally different today, with heavy clouds and an all-pervading greyness. I wanted to concentrate on my family tree research so I spent most of the day doing that, in between sorting out the laundry and doing some housework.

I tracked my DNA sample and was pleased to see it had arrived in Missouri! Hopefully, it won't be too long before I discover just what kind of mongrel I am! I had a month's free trial of the My Heritage website so I made use of it today and added another couple of distant relatives to my tree. Things don't get any easier though, and trying to discover more about one branch of the family just ended in frustration. I don't trust some of the information on other trees and would far rather make sure it's correct with my own research!

I did indulge in a hot bath in the afternoon, watched by Gomez and Mooney, who must have wondered what I was doing! They wouldn't come anywhere near the bathroom, though, and kept a safe distance! Sophie texted me while I was languishing in the suds to say they were having a great time, but were heading home at about 4pm. 

Vikesh brought Sophie home and stayed for a couple of hours. It was lovely and cosy in the living room, and I'd lit all the candles and put the heating on. Sophie and I sipped a whisky and ginger, and I looked forward to my dinner of toad-in-the-hole, which Keith was making in the kitchen. Sophie and Vikesh were stuffed to the gunnels after their lunch at a restaurant in Leicester Square, which looked huge!

Before...

After!

She said to me she didn't think she'd ever eat again!

The colours of London

There was no lie-in today as Sophie and I were heading to London to see the Monet Immersive at the Boiler House on Brick Lane. It was the same building where the Dali Immersive was held earlier in the year, and we were both looking forward to a day in the capital.

We booked the 9.18am train from Northampton, but there were no coffees or pastries to enjoy today because of the long queue at the station café. We made straight for the platform where the London train was already waiting, but we couldn't get onto it as the doors were firmly closed! More and more people gradually arrived on the platform, and I could see we were all moving almost imperceptibly to the doors! About five minutes before we were due to leave we were eventually allowed to board and Sophie and I were delighted to get seats. We had thought the train would be packed because of Winter Wonderland taking place, and also there were supposed to be protests today in Central London about Gaza and Israel.

We settled back in our seats and watched the sunny late Autumn landscape flash past. I was so glad that it was cold, but sunny today. There was a convivial mood on the train and two men further up the carriage had already started on cans of Stella Artois lager, and vodka and coke. It was barely 9.30am... don't get me wrong, I am partial to a tipple myself, but at this early hour? As the journey went on, they became louder and louder!

We arrived in London, desperate for a coffee and something to eat, but the little outlet we used to visit in Euston was closed, and there were long queues at Starbucks. We decided to get a black cab and head to Brick Lane to see if there was a little café there where we could enjoy a coffee and pastry.

We managed to get a cab easily, and the journey to East London didn't take long. He dropped us off a short distance from the street and we walked towards Brick Lane, where there was a great buzzy atmosphere, with people looking in shops and milling about in the cold sunshine.

We found a perfect place for coffee and pastries - a café called 1001:

They were offering cooked breakfast, but we chose a pastry and a coffee. I found a seat next to a huge Christmas tree and felt like I was abroad! There was a party of young French girls at the next table, and a sign outside was written in Spanish and Italian!

It was great to sit and relax and soak up the atmosphere. We had plenty of time before our timed arrival at the Monet Immersive, so we indulged in some people-watching - the man who had been in front of us in the queue was definitely a character, wearing what looked like a kilt over trousers and loudly talking to the staff!

After our coffee, we made our way to the Boiler House, taking some photographs of the vibrant streets along the way.

We love Harry Styles!

We were a little early for the exhibition, but we were warmly welcomed into the building to start our tour. First up were message boards about Monet's life and his travels to London and Venice with his wife. I love his London paintings of the Houses of Parliament in the fog. We read all the information and then moved into a room that was designed to resemble the bridge at Giverny. The colours were beautiful!

The exhibition wasn't crowded, and there was plenty of room to mill about and look at everything. We moved from this room into another, set up to look like part of his house at Giverny with paintings on the walls.

The paintings weren't real but superimposed on the canvases

Next up was the large room where his paintings were displayed on the bare walls. Again, people were relaxing on deckchairs, bean bags or stools to enjoy the exhibition. We stood and watched, entranced by the colours.

Caricatures he did when he was in his teens.

One of my favourites - I love the expression on Monet's face as he looks at his wife.

As well as the paintings displayed on the walls, there was relaxing music playing. Some people looked like they had fallen asleep! We both agreed that the cats would love all the patterns on the floor and would chase them!

We stayed for a while and then made our way to the Virtual Reality part of the exhibition. Last time it was included in the entrance fee, but with the Monet Immersive, we had to pay £3 each if we wanted to take part. We did, of course, because it had been so enjoyable before. This time we were taken to a high stool and the member of staff fitted the visor. 

I wish I was able to film the Virtual Reality tour, as it was fantastic! We started off in the house in Giverny and made our way through the countryside, visiting a train station in Normandy and then London in the fog, which I thought was particularly beautiful. At one point we were hovering above the sea and cliffs and also in a landscape filled with snow. It was wonderful!

In the gift shop, Sophie bought a tee shirt and we made our way outside. It was still sunny and cold so we decided to visit a vintage vinyl and clothes market a short distance away. I've never seen so many colourful clothes in one place!

Sophie bought a pair of sunglasses and earrings, and I messaged Mike saying he would love it! I'm still on the lookout for a Ralph Lauren shirt that he'd bought at a thrift shop in the US a few years back, and had shredded on barbed wire fencing, rendering it unwearable!

On the way to Spitalfields Market, we came across a Crisis charity shop and couldn't resist going in. There were some beautiful clothes and Sophie found a lovely chenille jumper and a tie-dye teeshirt. She tried both of them on but the tee shirt wasn't a great fit so she reluctantly put it back on the clothes rail. I spotted a selection of Christmas cards and bought two packs.

It was great to be back at Spitalfields Market and we had a good look at all the stalls. It was fantastic! There was so much on offer, including clothing, art, gifts and food. We looked at some of the stalls and decided to have a cocktail at a busy bar within the market called Players Social.

We were shown to a high table with stools and chose our cocktails. I opted for a Negroni while Sophie had an Old-Fashioned. We also ordered some wasabi peanuts to nibble on with our drinks.

Next to us was an American couple and they were obviously feeling the cold as they asked for the overhead heaters to be turned on. It was chilly as, although covered, the market had open sides.

The drinks arrived and Sophie picked a wasabi peanut to try. However, after putting it into her mouth, she immediately spat it out again! She hadn't realised that wasabi is very similar to horseradish and it was too strong for her liking! It was hilarious! I ate some but we put the rest into a bag to take home to Keith!

We sat and chatted, and soaked up the atmosphere. There were people eating and drinking and having a wonderful time. After our drinks, we had another look around the market and Sophie bought some fudge for Vikesh. It was a perfect place to buy Christmas gifts, and Sophie bought another pair of earrings.

It was a short walk to Cinnamon Kitchen, where we'd eaten in April. There was a heavy police presence in this area, and we'd learned that protests were planned in Central London today and tomorrow. Our table was booked for 3pm and we hoped it would be busier than it was the last time we visited. Luckily, it was and we were shown to a table near the entrance. Two musicians were playing and it was quite loud if I'm honest! We were given menus and Sophie chose our starters and main courses. It looked as if the Festive Feast menu wasn't available but we were happy to choose our own dishes. 

We ordered a bottle of Spanish white wine and the food. Sophie chose Punjabi samosa and Chettinad shrimps to start, followed by paneer butter masala and Lucknow-style chicken biryani with Peshwari naan for our main courses. 

Our starters

The food and wine were delicious and luckily, the musicians stopped playing and went and enjoyed their own meal! Several other parties turned up to eat so we weren't alone!

We both chose Rasmalai tres leches cake for dessert and it was beautiful! We could have eaten much more of it! It was creamy and delicious!

Outside, it had grown dark and after paying the bill (£100 plus a tip) we left and I took a photo of the beautiful lights in the surrounding area. The heaters weren't on so there was nobody sitting outside!

Back on the main thoroughfare, we tried to hail a black cab, but they were all carrying passengers. We found a taxi rank nearby and took one to Euston. Our driver was a very glamorous lady with lovely blonde hair and immaculate nails!

We were able to get on the next train back to Northampton and grabbed two seats facing one another. An Italian couple sat next to us and never stopped chattering in their native language the whole way to Milton Keynes. It's a beautiful language and so lyrical! I wish I could have understood what they were saying!

Keith met us at the station and we made our way home where we relaxed with a drink. He had slow-cooked brisket of beef all day and the smells were divine, although both of us were still full from our late lunch!

I'm on holiday!

Today was my last day at work before a week of annual leave and I wanted to get as much done as I could. The Christmas playscheme bookings went live today, and I had some films to put on, right into January, so that was good news and kept me busy! I dealt with all the customer service emails, and as many orders as I could, and wrote up some notes for Sara for when she returns on Monday.

Tonight was a Special Wine Night with a bottle of Aldi Champagne (Keith bought another bottle yesterday) and some delicious nibbles. We watched a great Netflix documentary about the court battle between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy. When it was actually taking place I hadn't shown much interest, but the documentary was interesting and showed just how damaging social media can be.

We had a disappointing evening meal of chicken Kyiv, crispy potatoes... and beans! I can say with all truthfulness, that it was not our best meal ever! However, it was a great feeling to know that Sophie and I were going to London tomorrow to see the Monet Immersive and that I was on holiday all next week when I hope to achieve some long outstanding jobs!

An early finish

I like Thursdays as I finish at 2pm and (most times) I can go home, potter about and relax. Work was fine and there was a fair amount of emails for me to deal with, which was good news. Sheila had been busy with her own work and hadn't had time to deal with any of them. I'm just hoping to get some more films to put on by the end of the week as I am off from next Monday myself.

At 2pm I sped home, and Keith and I caught up with an episode of Shetland. The Shetland Islands and the Orkneys are places I've never had the chance to visit, and one day I'd love to go and take the car. The television series makes the place look bleak but beautiful. Maybe one year, we'll explore all of the UK's offshore islands!

I'd recorded a Christmas film this morning, but it was as cheesy as you can get, so I decided to watch it a bit later. It seems incredible that this time next week will be the last day of November, a month that has sped by with unbelievable speed! Sophie's holiday to Istanbul at the beginning of the month seems a distant memory!

Keith and I played cards in the kitchen with a drink this evening, while Sophie cooked beef in a black bean sauce served with lots of vegetables and rice. I enjoyed a whisky and Fevertree Coca-Cola, which was delicious. For some reason, the drink always reminds me of Christmas!

A shopping treat.

Sophie went to the gym this morning, for the first time in what felt like ages, and then returned home to work in the conservatory. She brought croissants home with her for my breakfast, and they were delicious with a little jam and a mug of coffee for breakfast.

I spent the morning catching up with jobs and trying not to disturb my daughter when she was in a meeting, of which she had many! To make a head start on tonight's dinner, I chopped up celery, onion, carrots, parsnips and two peppers to make the base for a bolognese sauce, and added garlic, tomato pureé, red wine, mixed herbs and mince. I cooked it for a while, let it cool, and popped it in the fridge so all I'd have to do later was reheat it and cook it slowly for a couple of hours.

The cats were in and out all morning and enjoyed having Sophie around today. At one point, Gomez was on her lap and I'm sure he appeared in one of her meetings!

In the afternoon, I collected my Mum and drove to the Waitrose at Kingsthorpe for a treat and to make a change from going to Tesco at Kettering. We had a cup of tea first, and I munched on a tuna and sweetcorn sandwich as I'd eaten nothing since the croissants this morning.

Afterwards, we wandered around and I picked out an Italian wine to go with dinner (we don't drink a lot of Italian wines, and had none in the house) and some lovely crisps to enjoy before we ate. Mum chose some Christmas cards and chocolate treats, and we returned to my house to pick up some items she needed, and to ask Keith to come with me to take her back.

Back home, Sophie had finished work, we put the heating on, lit the candles and sat in the living room with James Martin and his travels through Spain. I cooked the bolognese sauce slowly, Sophie made garlic bread and we cooked tagliatelle to go with the meaty sauce. The meal was delicious, there was enough left for our lunches tomorrow and some that we froze to go with pasta in a future meal!

A staff do

I had another day of dealing with emails and orders, and the day flew by. However, when we all left at 4pm, rather than say we'd see each other later (or tomorrow) we said, "See you tonight!" as we were meeting up at Tracie's pub in Wellingborough for a drink and something to eat.

Sophie finished work early this evening and she had very kindly offered to give me a lift, before having a meal with Vikesh. I had a bath and we left at about 6.30pm. I have to confess to not really wanting to go out again, but it had worked out well with Sophie seeing Vikesh, so no excuses tonight! I'd managed to get out of the last two evening get-togethers!

We went to collect Vikesh and popped in to wish his Mum a happy birthday and to have a chat. It was only about ten minutes from Vikesh's house to the pub and as I got out of the car, Sheila and her husband walked past, which was great timing! I waved Sophie and Vikesh off and we walked the short distance to Tracie's sweet little pub.

Gradually everyone arrived and I sat with Angela and Jo, who I'd worked with today. Sheila, Sara and Nicola had bought the food, which had been ordered from a local chippy. I treated myself to a half pint of stout which was creamy and nutty. It was lovely to sit and relax and have a good laugh and also to catch up with a couple of the girls who used to work in the membership department.

Sheila's and Tracie's husbands went to collect the food, and we all tucked in. It was OK, but I enjoyed Sheila's fruit cake served after the food more! By 9pm, Sophie and Vikesh had come to collect me so we returned to his house, said goodbye and headed home.

Keith and I watched a music channel before we went to bed, and listened to The Moody Blues and Nights in White Satin, which I love. I looked up Justin Hayward on Wikipedia and discovered he's the same age as Keith and still performing! Then we turned over and listened to The Police singing Message in a Bottle. I told Keith I used to have a crush on Sting, who I then found out was 72! 72!!!! I would have said he was in his early 60s!

Monday again!

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning but she felt slightly better. She called the GP surgery when she got to work at 8am and was given a telephone appointment for later in the day.

I wasn't answering phones today and dealt with the customer service emails and orders. The time flew by and Sopihe contacted me at just after 4pm to say that the GP had called her earlier than expected and she'd missed the call! The doctor did call back, though, and said she wouldn't need to see someone in person. She'd had a good day at work and hadn't needed to use her inhaler, so let's hope she's on the mend!

I was glad she was feeling better as she cooked dinner tonight, the biryani we should have had last night! Everything was prepared, so she had to cook the new potatoes and chicken (Vikesh's Mum puts chips in sometimes!) and then add rice to the vegetables and meat and cook it through. While she was beavering away at the stove, Keith and I played cards, and then I helped her with the last of the cooking. It was delicious, and there was enough left over for lunch tomorrow.

We caught up with I'm a Celebrity after dinner as both Sophie and I wanted to see how Grace Dent managed the first challenge last night. We're both fans of the food critic, having seen her in Henley-on-Thames a couple of years ago. We also like Fred Sirieix so it'll be interesting to see how they survive the jungle!

A more relaxing day!

We had a more relaxing day today and made the decision to have the leftovers from our Chinese meal tonight for dinner. Sophie was supposed to be cooking a chicken biryani and had marinated the meat yesterday,  but it could wait until tomorrow. 

Her chest was feeling tight again today, and she'd had to use her inhaler a couple of times, which was worrying. I said that maybe she'd need another course of antibiotics and she promised to call the doctor tomorrow. She is now fed up with this and misses her runs at the gym.

We pootled about this morning, and in the afternoon popped over to see Mum and Dad and took them their ornaments. We didn't stay long and I arranged to take Mum out next Wednesday for a cup of tea and to do some shopping.

On the way home we popped into the nearby Co-op to try and get some Chinese accompaniments but they had none and Sophie was spooked by a couple of men shopping, so we beat a hasty retreat! From there we drove to Mawsley and I bought a couple of boxes of tempura battered chicken. That will have to do with some more rice! We took the scenic route home but the weather wasn't great today and it was a typical gloomy November day!

We were able to relax when we arrived back, and we sat in the kitchen chatting over a cup of tea and some of the biscuits Keith had bought. Rather than play cards or Scrabble this evening we sat and watched Bridget Jones' Diary which was excellent and perfect for a Sunday evening and a glass of wine!

Sophie cooked dinner and stir-fried the noodles from last night, adding the rice we'd cooked, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce to the mix. As with last night, it was delicious!

After dinner, our viewing choice was a programme comparing Aldi and Harrods... I was pleased to see that Aldi's Champagne (our favourite) beat the one from Harrods! However, that means that the shelves will be emptied!

A clear out!

I had a bit of a lie-in this morning and after a coffee and something to eat, Keith and I decided to clear out some of the rubbish in the garage. We'd planned to do this when I'm off in a week's time, but I thought that making a start today would help!

While we were out in the garage, Sophie cleaned the house and wrapped all the china that we'd left in the conservatory. Outside, it was very damp (we must have had a lot of rain overnight) but mild for the time of year. We pulled my car up onto the drive and gradually started filling the boot with rubbish. I'd brought several suitcases home from Mum and Dad's rooms so they went up onto the eaves, and Keith took down our two Christmas trees... it won't be long before they'll be put up and decorated! It'll be interesting to see what the kitts think of them! We still have a load of books and DVDs but hopefully, Keith and I can take them to the Oxfam shop in Market Harborough when I'm on holiday.

Once the boot was full, we drove to the recycling centre in Brixworth and carefully sorted all the rubbish. I was pleased when one of the men working there said a few items could go to re-use! Back home, I hoovered the floor of the garage before going in for lunch with Sophie. She'd cooked some chilli in the oven, and we enjoyed it with nachos, grated cheese and sour cream. It was delicious!

We put the boxes of china into the garage (that we'd just emptied!) and I'll try and do something with the stuff we don't want when I'm off. One box of ornaments will be going to Mum and Dad's tomorrow as they've cleared some space on their shelving unit.

With Sophie's ministrations, the house looked lovely and was warm and cosy.  We all showered and Vikesh came over at about 4.30pm. Sophie had lit the tealights in our hanging heart decorations in the conservatory, and it looked beautiful.

Sophie, Vikesh and I played two games of Scrabble (I won one, Vikesh won one, Sophie was not happy!) while Keith watched football. We ordered a Chinese takeaway for dinner and sat in the conservatory to eat. Luckily it was warm! After we'd eaten we searched for a film to watch but no one was able to agree on anything! Vikesh had brought over "Falooda", which is a lovely, creamy liquid dessert containing vermicelli and basil seeds. It was delicious and unlike anything I've ever tried before! It has its origins in Persia and we'll definitely be trying it again! Mooney absolutely loved it and cleaned up all of our glasses, but Gomez wasn't so keen!

All by myself...

Kathy didn't work today, and as Shirley was also off, I was left to answer calls virtually by myself. I was glad we weren't busy! I also managed to answer all the emails between calls and do some orders. I thought first thing this morning that it would be a bad day, but it wasn't, thank goodness!

When Sophie returned from work, Keith handed out some unexpected but very welcome treats! He bought a bottle of our favourite Aldi Champagne (according to Which? it's better than Veuve Cliquot!), a box of biscuits because Sophie mentioned yesterday that she was craving some, and Paprika Pringles! He then also produced a Whisky Advent Calendar for me! I was speechless! That will certainly brighten up my December days!

The male half of the couple next door came around to collect the parcels at about 6pm, and was very apologetic. I knew she wouldn't show her face! He spun us some story about the postman not giving the number of the house, which was a lie as I'd used the number on the parcels to track them and it clearly showed our house number and a photograph of Keith receiving them! No more will we accept!

Keith went to the pub to see John and Sophie and I opened a bottle of wine and watched an interesting Netflix documentary about the Twin Flames Universe cult in the US. It made for riveting viewing!

Parcelgate

It was lovely facing a shorter shift today and at first, I thought I'd have to answer phone calls as Vicki couldn't work. Her little boy had been sick during the night, but Denise stepped in to help, which was a relief!

I answered all the customer service emails and popped into the post office on the way home to send my DNA sample off to the USA! It had arrived yesterday, and I'd had to give two samples from inside each cheek. It cost almost £10 to send it, but it will be tracked all the way.

It was lovely to get home and relax. I'd joked about watching a Christmas film on Channel 5 but in the end, Keith and I watched the last half hour of Shetland, and then I caught up with some housework. I always fantasise about sitting and watching television when it's cold and horrible outside, and one day I'll do it!

Tonight, after dinner, I put a message on our residents' Facebook page to ask our new neighbour to collect two parcels that had been languishing in our hallway for ten days... I'd sent her a private message but that had been ignored, and we were all fed up with the stuff still awaiting collection. Who orders items (from M&S as well) and then doesn't bother to collect them? Was she waiting for us to take them around for her? She'd be waiting a long time! We've told the postman that we won't take any more parcels as this is not the first time we've been good enough to take post in and they have either not bothered to come around or taken ages!

The post had the desired effect because an hour later she had sent me a private message to say she'd collect them tomorrow... let's see!

The Kitts go free!

The weather today has been lovely with plenty of sunshine and blue skies, so perfect for letting the kittens out into the garden for the first time! We waited until 9am, after all the school traffic had gone, and opened the conservatory door so they could explore at their own pace. Predictably, Gomez shot out like a bullet fired from a gun and made straight for the bushes at the back of the garden. Mooney was hesitant but went out more quickly than I'd expected. I thought he would refuse to go out completely!

They then had a fantastic time, sniffing all the bushes and cavorting through the leaves that had fallen from the trees at the back of the garden. Occasionally, they would pop back in to make sure they could come back into the house, and then they were off again. I sent pictures to Sophie at work, and she was delighted that their first visit was such a success. I just wish it had been the summer, though!

While they were out, I managed to wade through a load of chores, and was quite pleased with myself! I contacted a local auctioneer company who might be able to sell some of Mum and Dad's possessions for us. I also registered with Terracycle so I could send off medication blister packs for recycling, mopped the kitchen floor and hoovered, popped the extractor fans in the dishwasher and washed and dried two loads of laundry! Phew!

In the afternoon, Anthony from Highlands came to see us, accompanied by Mike, who deals with windows and doors. We told them about Everest last week and had a good chat. Mike then measured up for the windows and said he would quote for the three that needed doing urgently, and give us prices for the rest, such as the en-suite bathroom window and the cloakroom which aren't as important.

The kitts had been in and out all day but by 3.30pm we decided to keep them in. We're not going to let them out after dark and they were shattered anyway, spending the rest of the afternoon and the evening snoozing! It had been so good to let them out and have some freedom... now I just want them to stop using the litter tray during the day!

The kitts watch TV!

Sophie was back at the gym this morning, so I was up at 6am with her and sorting out the cats. I warned her to be careful, and she said she was just going to walk on the treadmill, not run!

I was on the phone again at work but tried to do as many of the cash-ups as I could before 10am. At least I scanned all the paper cash-up sheets and saved all the information, so that should help Sheila when she returns on Thursday. As usual, Angela made a great deal of outbound calls, but there's really nothing I can say as she has nothing else to do. I had a load of orders to sort out, so helping Sara today was out of the question.

It was bliss to get in the car at 4pm and head home. The traffic is steadily getting worse every evening and the queue on the A43 was horrible. Some motorists leave it until the last minute to jump into the queue, which is annoying. I might choose a different route home in future!

The cats were being particularly skittish this evening and I have no idea why. I accidentally trapped Mooney's foot in the conservatory door when I closed it, so he ran off upstairs, which wasn't a brilliant start to our evening! He eventually came down, sat with me on the sofa and then promptly hid again when Sophie arrived home! They have been with us for five weeks tomorrow, and as the weather is looking sunny and dry, we will let them out to explore the garden!

After a delicious dinner of roast chicken and roasted vegetables, we sat and watched Grand Designs and the cats were entranced by Kevin McCloud!

However, when Keith and I decided to watch Planet Earth III on BBC iPlayer, they were totally mesmerised by the birds, the fish and the animals! Monty never used to watch television, so this is new for us, and it was great to see them so interested in what was going on!

Mooney watching an enormous snake!

Back to work

Sophie didn't go to the gym this morning, which I felt was very sensible of her! I had to get myself up, but she was awake at about 6.45am and came down to see the cats.

Jo was on holiday today, so I was back answering the phone, as well as trying to do the cash-ups for Sheila, who was also on annual leave. I tried to do as much as I could before the phone lines opened at 10am, but there was no way I could do both! The cash-ups are far too complicated!

Luckily, today was quiet and by the afternoon I was able to help Sara with the emails. Her cough is no better, and she had quite a frightening coughing fit which prompted all of us to tell her to go to the doctor and get it sorted out!

Sophie arrived home from work this evening and said her first day back since last Tuesday was fine, and she hadn't needed to use her inhaler at all. She had to find baby photos, as tomorrow there's a baby shower at work and they need to take photos in so people can guess who the baby is! We found a lovely picture of the three of us when Sophie was 9 weeks old, so she snapped a photo of it on her phone and will print it out tomorrow.

Dinner tonight was easy beefburgers in brioche buns, oven chips, onion rings and peas. Sometimes the simplest meals are the best! Keith and I watched the last episode of Rise of the Nazis: Manhunt on BBC iPlayer after dinner and learnt that 99% of those responsible for killing Jews in the Second World War have never been brought to justice. It was a great series and very thought-provoking.

It was an early night tonight as Sophie is determined to get back to the gym tomorrow. Up at 6am then!

More celebrations

We were hoping for a quiet day today, but we somehow managed to keep busy for most of it! Our plan to let the kitts out into the garden was postponed due to the horrible weather. It just shows how forecasts can change, because when I checked about ten days ago, the weather was supposed to be sunny and dry! It has been cold and rainy today, so not ideal for their first time exploring the garden!

Sophie did all the preparation for our dinner of coq au vin this morning, and we both pootled about doing jobs and catching up with chores. I coloured my hair (I didn't use the really dark dye, so am back to my normal chestnut brown). I wouldn't let Sophie do anything too strenuous, so I hoovered and tidied up downstairs, but she is much improved and only needed to use her inhaler a couple of times.

We popped over to Tesco at 1pm and Sophie bought some gifts for Vikesh's family as it's Diwali today. We then went to see Mum and Dad and had a glass of Champagne with them and a slice of chocolate cake. I'd wanted to do this on Mum's actual birthday, but it was great to have the celebrations today instead.

After seeing Mum and Dad, we returned home and Vikesh came around to see Sophie. She gave him the gifts for his family in little bags and made a pot of masala tea to accompany delicious slices of red velvet cake. He, in turn, had gifts for her from his family and lots of food, which was very welcome!

He joined us in a game of Scrabble but had to play one-handed, as he had a sleeping Gomez cuddled up to him! It was so sweet to see! I thrashed both of them, then we played cards and we think Vikesh has just about got the hang of our family version of Rummy!

We ate dinner at about 8pm and the meal was delicious. We had marinated the chicken all day in red wine and herbs and it the gravy was lovely and thick.  Sophie and I only had a small plate as we were still full from the cake and the snacks that Vikesh had brought with him!

A trip to the coast

We'd arranged to go and see Mike and Abbie today but we didn't realise the A43 was closed, which made our journey difficult! We consulted Googly and she said we could either go down the M1, around the M25 and take the M3 or conversely, drive up to Coventry on the A14 and M6, take the A46 to the M40 and then carry on our normal way along the A34. Phew!

We left later than we wanted, to be honest, and picked the slightly longer route as there was just a four-minute difference. It felt strange to be heading north to start with, but the traffic was flowing until we reached the junction for the M40, and we became stuck in a queue.

Once onto the M40, it stopped again just before our junction, but the run down the A34 was lovely, especially as this route is so wooded and the trees were beautiful shades of brown, orange and red. We didn't stop at all (not even for coffee) and arrived at Mike and Abbie's flat at 1pm, so too late to go for a few drinks before our meal in Lymington.

We drove towards the coast, passing Lyndhurst on the way and the gorgeous scenery of the New Forest. There are some beautiful villages around this area and I really wish we'd had longer to explore. Maybe, we'll stop at an Airbnb one weekend and thoroughly enjoy this lovely part of the UK.

We managed to park in Lymington and walked the short distance to The Angel and Blue Pig which is on the High Street. There was a market taking place just outside, and it would have been lovely to look around and go down to the sea. Maybe next time!

Our table was booked for 2pm and we were seated in the window. Mike, Keith and I had the same beer - Old Thumper - and it was delicious! It was one of the loveliest beers I've had! I chose a half-pint and it disappeared quickly!

We had a look at the menu and Sophie and I shared a starter of buttermilk chicken tenders, Mike and Abbie shared an oozing Camembert with crusty bread, and Keith had battered cauliflower wings. The food was excellent!

I chose the fish and chips for my main course, and Keith had food envy when he saw my plate! We all said it was the best pub food we'd had in a long while and I hope we'll go back again in the future. Four of us shared desserts of tiramisu and chocolate brownie and we all agreed it was a great meal.

By now it was 4pm, so we headed back to Southampton, and, as we were thinking of the cats back at home, we decided to call it a day and said goodbye. Mike and Abbie are coming to us for Christmas dinner this year so there'll be seven of us. I'm glad Keith chose a bigger turkey!

Our journey home wasn't too bad. We chose to go along the M3, then the M25 and finally the M1 and although the traffic was busy, we made good time. It was bliss to get home, have a drink and cuddle the cats. They'd been fine today but had hardly eaten any of the food we'd put down for them. We'd given them the run of the house and they seemed perfectly content when we arrived home.

It goes without saying that we skipped any kind of meal this evening. We were far too full!

A sociable evening

I woke Sophie before I left for work this morning and she said she'd had a great night's sleep and felt much better. What a relief!

When I arrived at work, I was given a beautiful orchid in a pot and some chocolates as a thank you for dealing with the extremely difficult callers on Monday and Tuesday. We had all been given the gifts from our MD, which was a lovely touch and totally unexpected! The morning was very relaxed as it was just Kathy, Shirley and me in the office, and it was so quiet and pleasant! If only every day were like this!

As is usual on a Friday, it was heaven to escape at 4pm and head home to look forward to the weekend. Sophie and I were going to see Sue tonight at her house, so we showered and changed, and Keith kindly acted as our taxi driver so we could have an Aperol Spritz or two!

We sat and chatted while Sue put the finishing touches to dinner. Sue asked Sophie to make the cocktails, and they were delicious! It was great to catch up over a lovely main meal of sausages, mash and vegetables, and Sue had made a gorgeous berry fruit crumble for dessert with custard. A perfect meal for a cold November night!

We managed, somehow, to make room for cheese and biscuits, and Keith picked us up at 10pm. We explained to Sue we were both shattered after the drama of the last few days and had to be up to drive to Southampton tomorrow.

Keith collected us, we drove home and then it was time for bed. Bliss!

A shock awakening!

When I went to bed last night I felt worried about Sophie. She doesn't normally get chesty colds, that's the domain of Keith and Mikey who both suffer at around this time of year. So, when she woke me at 1.30am this morning I was very concerned.

We went downstairs and I said we were going to call the NHS helpline. She spoke to a woman who went through all her symptoms, and referred her to a male paramedic who dismissed her worries, and said that she just had a chest infection and she had to put up with it. Sophie was distressed and unable to take deep breaths and she was starting to get a bit panicky. I had got dressed, as I really thought we'd be heading to A&E, but we just had to take the paramedic's word for it. 

Sophie hadn't slept at all as her back hurt and she was uncomfortable lying down. We went upstairs and she came into bed with me, propped up on pillows. We put Friends on the television and we tried to doze off. At around 5am I made her use her inhaler, which helped enormously, and I made her warm milk. She also took some ibuprofen, and we both fell asleep at about 5am.

I set my alarm for 7.30am and texted Sara to say I wouldn't be in. Again, Thursday is just an overtime day, so I don't have to work. There was no way I was going to leave Sophie! She woke at 8am and texted her manager, and I went downstairs to have a coffee.

Sophie felt no better when she got up, so I made an appointment for the doctor. I was very worried about her, especially when she went upstairs to find Gomez and couldn't breathe. I had to rush to her with the inhaler.

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon watching her like a hawk. The inhaler seemed to work but lasted about two hours. I was so glad when it was 2.30pm and I could drive her over to the doctor's. I had forbidden her from having a shower, but she'd managed to get dressed, clean her teeth and put some make-up on, bless her!

After a wait, we saw the doctor and she did a very thorough examination, saying she definitely had some crackling on the right side of her lungs and prescribed antibiotics and steroids to help with the wheezing. I was so relieved. I'd had visions of us going to hospital, just as Mikey did back in 2019.

We collected the medication, and I drove to the care home to see my Mum and give her the gifts I'd bought yesterday. I didn't want to leave Sophie in the car too long, so I promised we'd come back over on Sunday with the Champagne and cake. She had been spoiled by the care home staff and looked lovely today, so that was a relief!

Back home, I made Sophie tea and toast and she took the steroids and the antibiotics. Already, I could tell she was better and not so worried. Phew! The sense of relief was enormous.

After dinner, we relaxed and then it was definitely an early night! I was shattered!

I feel discombobulated...

Sophie went to the gym this morning but returned home earlier than she wanted as she had trouble exercising and her chest felt tight. She still has a cold and is very stuffed up, so she decided to cut her session short. She set up her laptop in the conservatory, and Keith put the heater on so she wouldn't be too cold.

Keith and I drove over to our GP surgery as I wanted to see if I could get a repeat prescription for my painkillers for my shoulder which, better than it was, still hurts. The waiting room was full when I arrived, and I waited a good five minutes for the receptionist to notice me. She was typing something into a computer and must have known I was waiting. It must take a particular breed of person to do this job - certainly one without any customer service skills whatsoever.

From the doctors, we went to Beckworth to see if the turkeys were in, and picked out one for Christmas Day. That's that sorted! I also looked for presents for my Mum for her birthday tomorrow, but everything was so expensive! Even the gift bags were exorbitant!

We paid for the turkey and drove to Tesco at Kettering where I bought some treats and a box to put them in. I also bought a chocolate cake and Keith will get me a bottle of Champagne in Aldi tomorrow.

Back home, I sat with Sophie and had lunch, and the pharmacist from the surgery called to say she would give me the painkillers again, but then went on to give me dire warnings of how they could affect me and to use them only when the pain was severe. She then wanted me to arrange a blood test as soon as possible. As I hate all things connected with doctors, that did not go down well!

Foolishly, I had arranged for a sales representative from the window firm, Everest, to visit and give us a quote for new windows. He was due to see us at 2pm and I was dreading the appointment, to be honest, but our windows desperately need replacing now!

He arrived late, and I just knew it was going to be a long process. We said right at the start that we just wanted a quote, but it took him two hours to measure the windows and then put all the figures onto his laptop. We opted for turn-and-tilt uPVC windows with triple glazing, which seem to be the most expensive option... He was a bit slow and bumbling, and towards the end of the appointment I was longing for him to go, but he wanted to talk us through every aspect of the windows, most of which we had no interest in! I just wanted to make sure they'd look good, keep draughts and noises out and not be too expensive. When he printed off the quote, Keith and I nearly fell off our chairs... the price was about £23,000! That's about £2000 a window as we wanted eleven, even though our cloakroom window is tiny!

We finally managed to get rid of him and said that we were seeing other companies as well. Phew! We won't be paying that much!

So, I felt a bit discombobulated today. We were both annoyed by the quote and the subtle pressure the salesman had put on us (as usual). We've decided to contact Highfields who installed our kitchen as they also do windows and maybe see if they can help.

Keith and I did the dreaded shopping list, I sorted out porridge and lunches for tomorrow, and we were able to relax. Sophie's chest still felt tight, but she cooked dinner, even though by the end of the preparation, she was feeling uncomfortable.

After dinner, she put some Vicks Vaporub into a bowl with boiling water and inhaled it, but she still had a tight chest. Poor thing!

Irate calls Pt 2

I spoke to the angry man from yesterday at work first thing, and he was fine with me, but I get the feeling if someone doesn't call and speak to him today, we are going to get a lot more irate calls! 

It all went quiet until lunchtime and then the calls started again, this time with different people calling. I took another call from one of the family who'd done the work and again, he was fine with me. Unfortunately, as our shift drew to a close and nobody had got in touch to discuss the payment, the calls started to be abusive and unacceptable. I looked on in horror at the words used on the calls and felt so sorry for Jo and Angela who had to take them. In the end, about ten minutes before the shift ended, we had to turn off the phones. It left a very bad taste in my mouth.

Two of the managers had been in the office all day and were writing reports, but really I think one of our directors or senior managers should have contacted the men who'd done the work and just spoken to them, even if they said that the matter was being sorted. I just hoped that the girls wouldn't have to face the same thing tomorrow.

Keith was out this evening watching Sileby so Sophie and I enjoyed a Tesco Finest dinner with a drink. I fancied something a bit stronger than wine tonight so indulged in a whisky and ginger ale. We watched some more of a Netflix documentary about a couple who were killed by their daughter's boyfriend... or did she do it? Or both of them? It was very interesting and intriguing!

Irate calls!

I felt for my daughter returning to work today as she had a case of the holiday blues! She also has a cold and the beginnings of a tooth infection, so she wasn't very happy!

A normal Monday started to get more interesting when we started receiving calls from a man who'd completed some work at one of our centres and was demanding payment. Kathy and Jo spoke to him throughout the afternoon (I was off the phones), and he started to get aerated towards the end of the shift as we refused to put him through to our managing director. We all expected to have to deal with more of the same tomorrow! I normally help out first thing when the phone lines open so I just knew I'd get a call from him!

It was lovely to get home and relax. Keith had taken in two parcels for our "new" neighbours and I wondered how long it would take them to collect them this time? They were from M&S and were bulky and heavy so I hoped it would be soon!

Before dinner tonight we sat in the kitchen and chatted, hearing more about Sophie's holiday and enjoying a drink. Heaven!

Unwrapping memories

Thankfully, I wasn't up so late this morning and I surfaced at about 8am. The horses going past the house woke Sophie, and when she was up, I made baked banana porridge for breakfast as a treat, adding some cream to the dish as an indulgence!

Sophie was busy this morning unpacking, and we did a mound of laundry from her holiday. The weather has been a lot better today, and it was lovely to see the blue sky!

In the afternoon, I went to collect my Mum as I wanted her to go through the ornaments and pictures I'd brought back from the warehouse last week. I hadn't opened any of the boxes, so after buying some little cakes to go with a cup of tea, we returned home and I sat her down at the table in the conservatory to go through everything.

I think she found it a little overwhelming, to be honest, but I needed to know what to keep and what to give away. I would estimate that over half of the items she didn't even remember she had, and three-quarters of it she didn't want! Opening the large box where I'd put the ornaments was a bit like a mix of Pass the Parcel and Christmas! I'd wrapped the fragile ornaments in newspaper in September 2020, so it was interesting to read the headlines of the paper from then. There was a lot of mention of the Rule of 6!

We put the items into three categories - keep, try and sell, or give to charity. Some of the pictures I knew my Dad wanted, such as one of his own photographs of Snowden and another Rob Piercy picture of the same mountain.

We took Mum back, and with us, came the pictures and a box of ornaments that she could unpack and place where she wanted. Dad was over the moon with the pictures, so that was good. I now need to do something with the rest in the conservatory!

We had a quiet evening and sat down with a glass of wine before dinner to watch Help! We Bought a Village. Keith cooked roast chicken for dinner, which was delicious and better than I'd expected!

Return of the Soph!

I woke up too late for my liking this morning, and felt like I'd wasted half the day! I had resisted getting up at about 6am when I first opened my eyes!

After a cup of coffee, I cleaned the house from top to bottom and changed Sophie's bedding so it was lovely and fresh for when she came home this evening. Outside, the weather was wet and windy, so not ideal if anyone was heading out to bonfires and fireworks later!

Keith drove over to Irchester in the afternoon to watch his team play football, and I mooched about, very glad when Sophie told me she was at the airport and ready for their flight home.

Keith returned from the game and we played cards in the kitchen before dinner. Outside, there were a lot of bangs and crackles so someone close by was enjoying the fireworks. The cats did not enjoy the noise at all, and Mooney hid behind the sofa looking very anxious. Gomez didn't seem to mind so much!

Dinner tonight was a hearty beef casserole with dumplings and lots of vegetables. Our meals over the past week have not been very memorable so we made up for it tonight!

We then played the waiting game for Sophie's arrival home, and I realised we should have saved Retribution for tonight! Why is there so much rubbish on television on a Saturday night? Vikesh dropped her off at 10.30pm, and she was glad to be home! She had a terrible cold and a nasty bite on her hand and was looking forward to her bed, bless her! 

She had brought us some beautiful presents back from Istanbul - a tee shirt for Keith, a lovely mug and a cat tile for me, as well as a bar of milk soap, two gorgeous bowls as a house present and a pink Turkish "eye" tile to hang up in the kitchen. She had also bought some little eye fobs for our keyrings:

Lovely!