Our census form arrived in the post today, all ready to be filled in (on paper or online) on the 27 March. Over the last few months, with my family tree research, I've taken a special interest in the census as I've been heavily reliant on them from 1841 to 1911 to gather information about my family. The 1841 census was really basic, just listing address, names, age, whether the occupants were male or female and their occupation. The census asked whether the person was born in the same county but that was it and it gave no clues as to where the person was actually born.
The 2011 census, though, is huge! It asks lots of questions about occupation, how many hours you work, where you work, how you get to work, religion, ethnicity and what sort of qualifications you have. The content will remain secret for 100 years but it should give our descendants a fascinating insight into our lives and what we did for a living, in the future. I'm sure there will be people who resent having to write down such information and I'm sure a few will suspect that the contents will somehow be used in ways that are not to the public good, but by law we will all have to complete the census or face a fine. I'm in two minds, to be honest. I'm not sure that I like giving such personal details out and do worry that the information can be used to spy on us, but having made such use of the censuses in the past, and not wanting to fall foul of the law, I'll be doing my duty and filling it all in on the 27th!
Monday, 7 March 2011
Sunday 6 March and more domestic bliss!
Well, all was pretty quiet last night even with two more children in the house! After breakfast Keith and I went off to get the Sunday papers and called in to see mum and dad on the way home. Jakey-lad was his usual affectionate self (wish our cats were!) and I made extra fuss of him as he's just been diagnosed with having an over-active thyroid gland, poor thing. Mum and Dad are having to fork out a fortune in vet's fees but he's worth it and he'll be on tablets for the rest of his life.
Back home I tackled Keith's car which was a disgrace, it was so filthy. By the time I finished and looked at my own mud-splashed vehicle I was running out of energy so took it through the carwash! I then cleaned it inside and removed about a tonne of sweet papers, drink bottles and other rubbish! Grrr! No doubt the cats will walk all over both of them tonight and decorate the paintwork with their muddy footprints!
Back home I tackled Keith's car which was a disgrace, it was so filthy. By the time I finished and looked at my own mud-splashed vehicle I was running out of energy so took it through the carwash! I then cleaned it inside and removed about a tonne of sweet papers, drink bottles and other rubbish! Grrr! No doubt the cats will walk all over both of them tonight and decorate the paintwork with their muddy footprints!
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Tidying up
Today dawned dry but cloudy so without further ado we ventured out into the back garden for some heavy pruning. Keith took charge with the clippers and I just watched as he cut down all the bushes that grow against our back fence. One of them was in a really sorry state so we made the decision to cut it right down to the ground, to see what would happen. Last year we did the same with one of our bushes in the gravel garden and the difference in it is amazing - it really seemed to benefit from having all the dead wood cut away.
We were left with an enormous mound of clippings so we made two trips to the local recycling centre (as tips are now called), plus another trip with a load of rubbish that was languising at the back of the garage, such as old plant pots, disgusting old plates and bowls that I thought I might find a use for and some old wood that used to be a little bench that Keith built for me a few years ago. One of the bits I threw out was an old wooden wine box that I used for summer bedding plants but which has since rotted away. They were lovely when they were new but time has taken its toll and they had to go. It all looked so much neater!
After the trips to the tip (sorry...recycling centre, which was amazingly clean and well-ordered by the way!) I raked all the leaves and bits off the lawn, swept and tidied the garage and hoovered Keith's car which resembled a shrub itself! I had my lunch in the garden watching two robins flit about on the branches, no doubt curious as to what we'd been doing all morning in their garden!
In the afternoon, Sophie and two friends walked to our (almost) local village shop but the fine weather had turned and we had a fine drizzle that soaked everything. To their due they made it in an hour but called on me to pick them up, which I was glad to do. The three of them are having a sleepover tonight in the conservatory so no doubt there'll be shrieks and giggles until well past midnight!
We were left with an enormous mound of clippings so we made two trips to the local recycling centre (as tips are now called), plus another trip with a load of rubbish that was languising at the back of the garage, such as old plant pots, disgusting old plates and bowls that I thought I might find a use for and some old wood that used to be a little bench that Keith built for me a few years ago. One of the bits I threw out was an old wooden wine box that I used for summer bedding plants but which has since rotted away. They were lovely when they were new but time has taken its toll and they had to go. It all looked so much neater!
After the trips to the tip (sorry...recycling centre, which was amazingly clean and well-ordered by the way!) I raked all the leaves and bits off the lawn, swept and tidied the garage and hoovered Keith's car which resembled a shrub itself! I had my lunch in the garden watching two robins flit about on the branches, no doubt curious as to what we'd been doing all morning in their garden!
In the afternoon, Sophie and two friends walked to our (almost) local village shop but the fine weather had turned and we had a fine drizzle that soaked everything. To their due they made it in an hour but called on me to pick them up, which I was glad to do. The three of them are having a sleepover tonight in the conservatory so no doubt there'll be shrieks and giggles until well past midnight!
Friday, 4 March 2011
Not the best of days...!
Well, I think I paid dearly today for having yesterday off! The last day of the working week has not been pleasant - we've been hectically busy all day, which wouldn't normally be a problem, but we were short-staffed so it's been hard work, especially as we were all in early to do the cleaning. I had an argument with my dad and then I slipped over on a patch of wet floor and landed face down in front of loads of people. Talk about embarrassing and painful! The noise and chaos has been incredible - just like half-term last week but it's not school holidays!
Sophie was supposed to have caught the bus home but I phoned her and asked if she could work for an hour after school as we really needed an extra pair of hands. We have no idea why we were so busy today - don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (OK...maybe I am...) but it does help to know in advance we're going to be manic so we can plan for it!
We eventually escaped at 5.30pm out into the remains of a beautiful day and a gorgeous sunset. I'm just hoping that the weekend will be dry so that Keith and I can get out into the garden and do some tidying up. It would be great to spend a few hours in the open air and chase all these horrible winter cobwebs away!
Sophie was supposed to have caught the bus home but I phoned her and asked if she could work for an hour after school as we really needed an extra pair of hands. We have no idea why we were so busy today - don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining (OK...maybe I am...) but it does help to know in advance we're going to be manic so we can plan for it!
We eventually escaped at 5.30pm out into the remains of a beautiful day and a gorgeous sunset. I'm just hoping that the weekend will be dry so that Keith and I can get out into the garden and do some tidying up. It would be great to spend a few hours in the open air and chase all these horrible winter cobwebs away!
Catching up...
Well, a lot has happened since I last wrote this blog! On Wednesday evening, and carrying on with the "out and about" theme, Keith and I went off on a mooch to three different pubs. The children were more than happy to stay at home so we seized the opportunity and went back to a small area where there are some good pubs.
The first was The Vane Arms at Sudborough which used to be the place to go for real ales in Northamptonshire. It's undergone a few changes over the years but now it seems to have bounced back and was lovely and welcoming when we visited. It's a traditional village pub with low beams, log fires and stoneflagged floors and Keith was quite impressed with the beers on offer. The food looked good and smelt good, too! We stayed for a couple of drinks and chatted to a man who used to frequent our local but had moved to Sudborough, so there was a lot of reminiscing about people we used to know.
From The Vane Arms we drove the short distance to The Snooty Fox at Lowick, a pub well-known for its food, and the fish in particular. We've been visiting The Snooty Fox for many years and it's a lovely pub with, again, lots of exposed wooden beams, stone-flagged floors and big log fires. The menu looked extremely tempting and I intend to return for a meal in the near future!
Our third and last pub of the evening was The Samuel Pepys at Slipton which had undergone a refurbishment since we visited last. I wasn't too sure I liked it, as I felt it had made this lovely old pub too bland and hotel-like. There were lots of cosy tables with little candles and the lighting was very subtle but I hated the venetian blinds at the windows! Just me, but some nice thick curtains would have looked more authentic for a pub of this age!
So, we had an enjoyable evening but on Thursday morning I felt terrible. My throat was raw and I had a horrible hacking cough and no energy whatsoever. The best thing, I decided, was to succumb to the inevitable and stay at home. I took some night-time cough medicine and slept soundly from 9am until 2pm! I was amazed but I did feel slightly better when I woke up. The rest of the day was spent doing very little and another good night's sleep followed!
The first was The Vane Arms at Sudborough which used to be the place to go for real ales in Northamptonshire. It's undergone a few changes over the years but now it seems to have bounced back and was lovely and welcoming when we visited. It's a traditional village pub with low beams, log fires and stoneflagged floors and Keith was quite impressed with the beers on offer. The food looked good and smelt good, too! We stayed for a couple of drinks and chatted to a man who used to frequent our local but had moved to Sudborough, so there was a lot of reminiscing about people we used to know.
From The Vane Arms we drove the short distance to The Snooty Fox at Lowick, a pub well-known for its food, and the fish in particular. We've been visiting The Snooty Fox for many years and it's a lovely pub with, again, lots of exposed wooden beams, stone-flagged floors and big log fires. The menu looked extremely tempting and I intend to return for a meal in the near future!
Our third and last pub of the evening was The Samuel Pepys at Slipton which had undergone a refurbishment since we visited last. I wasn't too sure I liked it, as I felt it had made this lovely old pub too bland and hotel-like. There were lots of cosy tables with little candles and the lighting was very subtle but I hated the venetian blinds at the windows! Just me, but some nice thick curtains would have looked more authentic for a pub of this age!
So, we had an enjoyable evening but on Thursday morning I felt terrible. My throat was raw and I had a horrible hacking cough and no energy whatsoever. The best thing, I decided, was to succumb to the inevitable and stay at home. I took some night-time cough medicine and slept soundly from 9am until 2pm! I was amazed but I did feel slightly better when I woke up. The rest of the day was spent doing very little and another good night's sleep followed!
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Out and about...
Today I have spent more time out of the office than in it, which has been enjoyable! One of the tyres on my car had a slow puncture so on the way to work this morning, Keith and I dropped the car into a local tyre repair business who would fix it for me. Once that was done we headed into work and spent the next hour in a flurry of activity opening up. We then went off to Booker to get some essential stuff for the kitchen and called into Halfords on the way to buy a new bulb for one of my headlights...there's not a week goes by when I don't have to do something to my car!
When we returned to work, the car was ready so we sped off to collect it and take Keith's car back home and then popped into the bank and Tesco...phew!! I must admit it's made a change to be out and about because the last week or so I haven't left work except to do the banking run so it was lovely in the afternoon to see the sun come out and blue sky appear. It's still a bit chilly though so I don't think Spring is here just yet!
When we returned to work, the car was ready so we sped off to collect it and take Keith's car back home and then popped into the bank and Tesco...phew!! I must admit it's made a change to be out and about because the last week or so I haven't left work except to do the banking run so it was lovely in the afternoon to see the sun come out and blue sky appear. It's still a bit chilly though so I don't think Spring is here just yet!
Tuesday 1 March
Today I've been in a pretty crabby mood which probably wasn't fair on the people I spent my day with. My cold has made a comeback and I have a sore throat that feels like I've swallowed a bag of knives. I contemplated having a sickie, but went into work anyway, although on reflection it might have been better if I'd stayed at home.
Self-pity is a horrible thing and it wasn't until I got home and read an article in one of the Sunday supplements that I realised what a blessed life I actually have. The article was about a woman whose husband had committed suicide and then four years later, her only daughter had died in a accident. Reading her terrible story made me realise I have nothing to moan about - I'm sure that woman would do anything to be in my place with a healthy family all around her. My crabbiness was banished and I vowed to stop feeling so sorry for myself when I have nothing to be miserable about.
I still have a sore throat, though!
Self-pity is a horrible thing and it wasn't until I got home and read an article in one of the Sunday supplements that I realised what a blessed life I actually have. The article was about a woman whose husband had committed suicide and then four years later, her only daughter had died in a accident. Reading her terrible story made me realise I have nothing to moan about - I'm sure that woman would do anything to be in my place with a healthy family all around her. My crabbiness was banished and I vowed to stop feeling so sorry for myself when I have nothing to be miserable about.
I still have a sore throat, though!
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