I was working today, but from 9am until 2pm so it wasn't too bad! Of course, the weather was gorgeous but the phones weren't that busy and we mostly had calls about opening times and when the swimming pools were available for general swims!
I sped home at 2pm and sat in the garden for a while with Sophie and Keith. It was utterly lovely! We did go in for a short while and we watched a wonderful programme about extraordinary houses and the episode we saw featured houses in Florida. They were so beautiful! It gave me inspiration for our own house and I'm determined to add some exotic plants to our conservatory and introduce a small water feature in the garden.
We sat back outside for a little while and dangled our feet in a large bowl of cold water! It was bliss! I also made us a non-alcoholic drink with lime juice and elderflower tonic water and filled the glasses with ice and lime wedges. It almost made us feel, when we closed our eyes, that we were back in our favourite part of the world!
In the evening Mike, Sophie and I went out for a meal in town as we were off to the Errol Flynn to see A Quiet Place. We were going to eat at Foodies Rocks but we thought it would be difficult sharing the small portions of food so we went to Akasaka instead. We ordered starters of Yaki Gyoza (Sophie's fried dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables), deep fried squid (me) and skewered chicken thighs (Mike). Mike and I enjoyed Sapporo beers as Sophie was driving!
For our mains, Sophie and I had the spicy Katsu chicken curry which didn't disappoint while Mike had an absolutely delicious chicken Ramen served in a bowl which was full to bursting with vegetables, chicken and noodles. We had to help him finish it!
After Sophie and I indulged in a dessert and paid the bill, we walked the short distance to the cinema and collected our tickets. Not many people had booked to see the film and I have never known the cinema to be so silent! The film was fantastic, but very scary and we were literally jumping out of our seats at quite a few scenes! I thought the acting was tremendous and you could tell that Emily Blunt and John Krasinski are a real-life husband and wife.
We emerged, a little shell-shocked, at 10.30pm and drove home discussing the film. We'd all enjoyed it tremendously!
Monday, 7 May 2018
Sunday, 6 May 2018
A spot of gardening
Keith and I went to get the Sunday newspapers this morning and on the way home my Mum phoned as she was having difficulty starting their lawnmower. We diverted to her house and Keith showed her how to get it going and made sure she was OK.
We sped home and I made a start on our own garden, mowing the lawn while Keith strimmed the edges. I then tidied up the area behind the garage. Yesterday Keith had put our new compost bin in place and had raked up the soil it stood on so the worms could get a good access to it. I'm hoping it will be successful and that we'll get some lovely compost from all the garden trimmings, the grass cuttings and our kitchen scraps.
I emptied out all the old pots we had stored there and Keith cut up a load of wood that we were going to use in the chimenea but now can't. We're missing a vital piece from it and I suspect we threw it out over the winter!
I did a lot more tidying up and was really pleased with how it looked when I finished. I even put some grass seed down to cover up the bare patches we have! We now have the umbrella up to give some shade and very soon I'll try and paint the seat to make it look even better!
All four of us had lunch in the conservatory, which doesn't happen very often and then Sophie and I got ready to go and get my Mum to take her to hospital. My Dad was looking paler today and I was a bit worried about him, to be honest. We all just want him home now where he can get a good night's sleep and some proper food!
After we left we returned to Mum's house where we sat in the garden with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Her garden is looking lovely and she'd made a good job of the lawn, even with the difficulties of her lawnmower which is a petrol model and quite temperamental!
Back home we played cards once again and then Sophie and I made Chicken Parmigiana for dinner. I butterflied the chicken and seasoned it and then we coated it in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese before baking it in the oven for about twenty minutes. While the chicken was cooking we made the sauce with tomatoes, onions, garlic and red wine and simmered it until it had reduced a bit. This then went into the bottom of a big dish, we placed the part cooked chicken on top and covered the breasts with fresh mozzarella. This then went back into the oven and we cooked spaghetti with another tomatoey sauce to go with it.
We were really pleased with the dish and it was a lot better than last time when we mistakenly added mushrooms which made it all go too soggy. Success!
We sped home and I made a start on our own garden, mowing the lawn while Keith strimmed the edges. I then tidied up the area behind the garage. Yesterday Keith had put our new compost bin in place and had raked up the soil it stood on so the worms could get a good access to it. I'm hoping it will be successful and that we'll get some lovely compost from all the garden trimmings, the grass cuttings and our kitchen scraps.
I emptied out all the old pots we had stored there and Keith cut up a load of wood that we were going to use in the chimenea but now can't. We're missing a vital piece from it and I suspect we threw it out over the winter!
I did a lot more tidying up and was really pleased with how it looked when I finished. I even put some grass seed down to cover up the bare patches we have! We now have the umbrella up to give some shade and very soon I'll try and paint the seat to make it look even better!
All four of us had lunch in the conservatory, which doesn't happen very often and then Sophie and I got ready to go and get my Mum to take her to hospital. My Dad was looking paler today and I was a bit worried about him, to be honest. We all just want him home now where he can get a good night's sleep and some proper food!
After we left we returned to Mum's house where we sat in the garden with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Her garden is looking lovely and she'd made a good job of the lawn, even with the difficulties of her lawnmower which is a petrol model and quite temperamental!
Back home we played cards once again and then Sophie and I made Chicken Parmigiana for dinner. I butterflied the chicken and seasoned it and then we coated it in breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese before baking it in the oven for about twenty minutes. While the chicken was cooking we made the sauce with tomatoes, onions, garlic and red wine and simmered it until it had reduced a bit. This then went into the bottom of a big dish, we placed the part cooked chicken on top and covered the breasts with fresh mozzarella. This then went back into the oven and we cooked spaghetti with another tomatoey sauce to go with it.
We were really pleased with the dish and it was a lot better than last time when we mistakenly added mushrooms which made it all go too soggy. Success!
Saturday, 5 May 2018
Getting rid of rubbish...finally!
We awoke to a beautiful day and after dropping Sophie off at work and buying some baps for tonight's burgers, we headed home to catch up with some chores.
As Mike was at home this morning, I decided to take a load of rubbish we had in the garage to the tip, including our old washing machine that had been in there for nearly a year! It felt very satisfying to be finally rid of all the old stuff we no longer wanted and Keith drove my car while I followed behind. We needed Mike's help unloading it and the back seat was taken up with the old bits and bobs.
Predictably, the tip was busy with people unloading their rubbish and garden waste and after dumping it all (mostly in the recycling skips) we headed home. As a treat, Keith took Mike to the pub for a couple of beers while I showered and then picked my Mum up to take her to the hospital.
Dad was looking quite cheerful and we had a laugh while we visited him to cheer him up. It was a glorious day outside and I only wish we could have taken him downstairs and sat him in the sunshine for a while. He still looks pale and has that horrible hospital pallor. Hopefully, he will be home soon and able to sit in the garden while Mum looks after him.
After we'd visited, we popped to Tesco and I bought a bottle of Tequila for Sophie as a thank you as she's been a great help recently. I treated Mike to a few bottles of Jack Daniels Cider and bought some Vodka for myself. I feel a couple of cocktails coming on tonight!
Back at Mum's house I helped her with her Tesco order which will be delivered on Monday. From now on she should find it easier to order and all her favourites will be stored so she can just order them every week. Thank goodness for supermarket deliveries!
I collected Sophie from work at 6pm and it was home to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We played cards in the conservatory and then cooked delicious burgers under the grill. Our barbecue is out of action so I think it's time to get a new one!
As Mike was at home this morning, I decided to take a load of rubbish we had in the garage to the tip, including our old washing machine that had been in there for nearly a year! It felt very satisfying to be finally rid of all the old stuff we no longer wanted and Keith drove my car while I followed behind. We needed Mike's help unloading it and the back seat was taken up with the old bits and bobs.
Predictably, the tip was busy with people unloading their rubbish and garden waste and after dumping it all (mostly in the recycling skips) we headed home. As a treat, Keith took Mike to the pub for a couple of beers while I showered and then picked my Mum up to take her to the hospital.
Dad was looking quite cheerful and we had a laugh while we visited him to cheer him up. It was a glorious day outside and I only wish we could have taken him downstairs and sat him in the sunshine for a while. He still looks pale and has that horrible hospital pallor. Hopefully, he will be home soon and able to sit in the garden while Mum looks after him.
After we'd visited, we popped to Tesco and I bought a bottle of Tequila for Sophie as a thank you as she's been a great help recently. I treated Mike to a few bottles of Jack Daniels Cider and bought some Vodka for myself. I feel a couple of cocktails coming on tonight!
Back at Mum's house I helped her with her Tesco order which will be delivered on Monday. From now on she should find it easier to order and all her favourites will be stored so she can just order them every week. Thank goodness for supermarket deliveries!
I collected Sophie from work at 6pm and it was home to relax and enjoy the sunshine. We played cards in the conservatory and then cooked delicious burgers under the grill. Our barbecue is out of action so I think it's time to get a new one!
Friday, 4 May 2018
A tad stressful!
I was on my own at work this morning as Kathy was off sick and Sara took a day's holiday. Luckily, Aly helped out when the phone calls became a bit mad and I was able to do the box office returns with a little help. Luckily we didn't have a huge amount of calls, but one woman wanted to book all four of her children into the holiday playscheme in May and that took a fair time to sort out!
It was a relief when my shift ended but there were five calls waiting at 2pm so Aly had to help out! I sped home in a stress and had a chat with Sophie and Keith and then it was off to the school for the last time this week. We were watching Firehouse Dog but the children didn't seem that interested with it and at one point I switched it off as they were all fidgeting and chatting! I sometimes think they're not at all interested in watching the film, but who can blame them on a day like today when the weather was lovely?
After the film Lisa took them out into the playground while I cleared up and mopped the floor. When I went out several mums had arrived but seemed content to chat endlessly rather than just go home! One mum seems to think Lisa wants to cuddle her baby every time she picks up her older child and sent her husband to get him from nursery! Honestly! Lisa and I just wanted them to collect their offspring and go home as we've been looking after them all week, and as much as we like the children, on a Friday it's time to say goodbye!
I drove home and Sophie poured me a large glass of wine as Keith was driving himself to the pub and then going to see Sileby's last game of the season afterwards. Sophie, Mike and I enjoyed cold meats, salad and new potatoes for dinner and then my daughter and I settled down to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Keith came home at about 10pm elated that they had won! It's been so long so he treated himself to a beer and a chicken sandwich to celebrate!
It was a relief when my shift ended but there were five calls waiting at 2pm so Aly had to help out! I sped home in a stress and had a chat with Sophie and Keith and then it was off to the school for the last time this week. We were watching Firehouse Dog but the children didn't seem that interested with it and at one point I switched it off as they were all fidgeting and chatting! I sometimes think they're not at all interested in watching the film, but who can blame them on a day like today when the weather was lovely?
After the film Lisa took them out into the playground while I cleared up and mopped the floor. When I went out several mums had arrived but seemed content to chat endlessly rather than just go home! One mum seems to think Lisa wants to cuddle her baby every time she picks up her older child and sent her husband to get him from nursery! Honestly! Lisa and I just wanted them to collect their offspring and go home as we've been looking after them all week, and as much as we like the children, on a Friday it's time to say goodbye!
I drove home and Sophie poured me a large glass of wine as Keith was driving himself to the pub and then going to see Sileby's last game of the season afterwards. Sophie, Mike and I enjoyed cold meats, salad and new potatoes for dinner and then my daughter and I settled down to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Keith came home at about 10pm elated that they had won! It's been so long so he treated himself to a beer and a chicken sandwich to celebrate!
Thursday, 3 May 2018
Voting Day
I was very busy at work this morning and learnt all about reporting the box office takings for the cinema, which was very interesting. Sara also gave me a proofreading job to do so the time flew by.
As soon as I was out of the building I called my Mum who was with my Dad in the hospital. She'd managed to get the bus so that was a huge relief. The operation had gone well and he looked a lot better than yesterday, she said. I sped home, and had a text conversation with Sophie who'd been doing a mock exam at uni. It hadn't gone well and she was a bit depressed about it. I said that it was a mock and therefore not important but she said she'd been learning all the wrong things. Keith went to fetch her and I went off to the school feeling worried about her. We seem to lurch from one crisis to the next!
At school we were out in the playground for the whole of the session which was lovely. It's so great to see the children play and enjoy the sunshine.
The minute I walked through the door Keith said we were all going to vote in the local elections so we drove to the polling station in the village. It was Mike's first time to vote! It took us all of five minutes and then it was home to eat a quick dinner of pizza, wedges and salad as Sophie and I were off to see Lady Bird at the cinema.
My daughter drove and we parked in the Weston Favell car park and walked over. It was a lovely evening and the weekend is set to be glorious, thank goodness!
I'd checked how many seats had been sold earlier in the day but there were considerably more people when the film started. I can't say I really enjoyed it as the scenes were all very short and it jumped about all over the place, but I'm glad we went to see it for free! A perk of the job! Sophie hadn't really enjoyed it either which surprised me as I thought it was more the sort of film she enjoys, and the reviews were generally very good. Perhaps it was just us!
As soon as I was out of the building I called my Mum who was with my Dad in the hospital. She'd managed to get the bus so that was a huge relief. The operation had gone well and he looked a lot better than yesterday, she said. I sped home, and had a text conversation with Sophie who'd been doing a mock exam at uni. It hadn't gone well and she was a bit depressed about it. I said that it was a mock and therefore not important but she said she'd been learning all the wrong things. Keith went to fetch her and I went off to the school feeling worried about her. We seem to lurch from one crisis to the next!
At school we were out in the playground for the whole of the session which was lovely. It's so great to see the children play and enjoy the sunshine.
The minute I walked through the door Keith said we were all going to vote in the local elections so we drove to the polling station in the village. It was Mike's first time to vote! It took us all of five minutes and then it was home to eat a quick dinner of pizza, wedges and salad as Sophie and I were off to see Lady Bird at the cinema.
My daughter drove and we parked in the Weston Favell car park and walked over. It was a lovely evening and the weekend is set to be glorious, thank goodness!
I'd checked how many seats had been sold earlier in the day but there were considerably more people when the film started. I can't say I really enjoyed it as the scenes were all very short and it jumped about all over the place, but I'm glad we went to see it for free! A perk of the job! Sophie hadn't really enjoyed it either which surprised me as I thought it was more the sort of film she enjoys, and the reviews were generally very good. Perhaps it was just us!
Wednesday, 2 May 2018
Back to the gloom...
We awoke to grey skies and heavy rain today which matched my mood. So much for the happiness I felt yesterday!
Keith and I went to collect Mum and we all went over to Kettering to do some shopping. The rain was relentless and I got soaked helping Mum in and out of the car. We went to Aldi first and then Tesco and while Mum was shopping Keith and I had a coffee in Costa.
We dropped her back home and I said I would take her to the hospital in the afternoon. We didn't know what time his operation would be but she wanted to see him before he went. I picked her up at about 1.30pm and gave her the bus timetables from near her house to the hospital. I won't be able to take her on Thursday and Friday as I'm working all day but the bus goes every hour and takes just ten minutes. She has a bus pass, bless her, so it'll be free!
We parked in the horrible car park (low ceilings and dark) and found Dad's ward. He looked very pale and frail and was obviously drugged up to the eyeballs to help with the pain. He was also sleepy so we didn't stay long and as we were about to leave the nurses arrived to take him down to theatre.
By now, the weather had cleared up and the sun had come out, so that was a bonus. I dropped my Mum off and had a quick sandwich at home before going to school. We managed to get out into the playground and dodge the showers!
As soon as I was finished I picked up Sophie and we went to get Mike from Brixworth. It was bliss to finally get home and have a drink and a game of cards in the conservatory to relax!
Keith and I went to collect Mum and we all went over to Kettering to do some shopping. The rain was relentless and I got soaked helping Mum in and out of the car. We went to Aldi first and then Tesco and while Mum was shopping Keith and I had a coffee in Costa.
We dropped her back home and I said I would take her to the hospital in the afternoon. We didn't know what time his operation would be but she wanted to see him before he went. I picked her up at about 1.30pm and gave her the bus timetables from near her house to the hospital. I won't be able to take her on Thursday and Friday as I'm working all day but the bus goes every hour and takes just ten minutes. She has a bus pass, bless her, so it'll be free!
We parked in the horrible car park (low ceilings and dark) and found Dad's ward. He looked very pale and frail and was obviously drugged up to the eyeballs to help with the pain. He was also sleepy so we didn't stay long and as we were about to leave the nurses arrived to take him down to theatre.
By now, the weather had cleared up and the sun had come out, so that was a bonus. I dropped my Mum off and had a quick sandwich at home before going to school. We managed to get out into the playground and dodge the showers!
As soon as I was finished I picked up Sophie and we went to get Mike from Brixworth. It was bliss to finally get home and have a drink and a game of cards in the conservatory to relax!
Tuesday, 1 May 2018
Not the best of days...
I woke up this morning feeling fab! I'd had a really good sleep (helped by not having a drink last night?), the sun was shining and I was off until 2.30pm! I decided to start a notebook with all the jobs that needed doing in the house and give myself a year to complete them. Some jobs, like re-carpeting, might take longer, but simple decorating and re-painting could be done quite quickly. I felt full of enthusiasm! It's amazing what a good night's sleep and some sun can do!
Sophie had an appointment at the doctor's surgery to get the results of her blood tests which were all fine so that was great news. Her Vitamin D levels were perfect! From Brixworth we went to Riverside and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the Costa in Next. I felt really relaxed and happy!
We popped into Boots and then Poundland as I wanted to get some plastic cups for school. They have seen sense at last and have stopped providing disposable cups for the water fountains which is great news. It means we can't rely on them as we did in the past for our after-school children. I didn't see anything in Poundland so we went to Wilco's where I managed to get eight cups for £2. I also bought some grass seed for the lawn and the front verge. Sophie looked at paint but we ended up buying it in Homebase. She was slightly shocked at the price - £28 for a large tin! I bought a tub of white gloss paint and a scraper to help with getting the wallpaper off her wall.
As the time was getting on we headed home and I helped Keith with the new blind for Mike's room. We managed to cut it and hang it and it looked great. Phew! That's one job I wasn't looking forward to sorted out! Hopefully, this will cut down on the amount of light that gets into his room in the early mornings.
We had just settled down to watch five minutes of Homes Under the Hammer from this morning, when the phone rang. I tried to answer it but it stopped. Sophie called Mike to see if it was him but he hadn't called. I went to do ring back and it rang again. It was Mum to say that my Dad had fallen at the flying field and that two of his mates had brought him home.
Sophie and I drove over to their house to find my poor Dad on the sofa with a leg that looked very much like it was broken. There was a a huge swelling on his thigh and his leg didn't look right at all. It looked like someone had taken off his leg and then re-attached it at an odd angle...
Mum was on the phone to the NHS 111 helpline service who took all the details and said they would send an ambulance. There was no way on earth we could get him into the car and take him to A&E. My good mood evaporated at once as I could see weeks and weeks of him being in hospital and then recovering...
My Dad was very pale and trembling and looked like he was in shock. We tried to make him as comfortable as we could and I asked why on earth his "mates" had brought him home? They'd said to Mum he hadn't broken it (!) and that he'd just pulled a muscle! He must have been in complete agony when they moved him and they had to bring a chair out to the car to get him into the house.
We waited three hours for the ambulance to arrive and had to call again. I phoned Lisa to say I wouldn't be able to go to work this afternoon and she was very understanding. At one point, when I moved the rug underneath his foot slightly, we thought he was going to pass out.
When the ambulance people arrived, the woman took one look at his leg and called for a paramedic as she wasn't going to try and move him. She hadn't realised he was as bad as he was which was why we'd had to wait so long. He was given gas and air while they waited and when the paramedic arrived he gave my Dad morphine so they could move him onto a stretcher.
I was absolutely furious with the two men that had brought him home. Why hadn't they just called an ambulance at the field? Who knows what damage they might have done by moving him.
Once he was in the ambulance, they cut off his trousers and saw that he had broken his femur half way down the bone. Mum went to the hospital with him while Sophie and I went home to prepare dinner. We did contemplate getting fish and chips, but we decided in the end to go with the macaroni cheese which was the sensible option.
Mum called me at about 8pm to say she could go home and that my Dad would be having an operation tomorrow. Sophie and I picked her up from the hospital, amazed by the changes they'd made in the car parks. There is now a rickety-looking multi-storey car park for visitor parking.
We dropped her off and gave her a tub of macaroni cheese for her supper. Poor thing, she hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime!
Sophie had an appointment at the doctor's surgery to get the results of her blood tests which were all fine so that was great news. Her Vitamin D levels were perfect! From Brixworth we went to Riverside and enjoyed a cup of coffee in the Costa in Next. I felt really relaxed and happy!
We popped into Boots and then Poundland as I wanted to get some plastic cups for school. They have seen sense at last and have stopped providing disposable cups for the water fountains which is great news. It means we can't rely on them as we did in the past for our after-school children. I didn't see anything in Poundland so we went to Wilco's where I managed to get eight cups for £2. I also bought some grass seed for the lawn and the front verge. Sophie looked at paint but we ended up buying it in Homebase. She was slightly shocked at the price - £28 for a large tin! I bought a tub of white gloss paint and a scraper to help with getting the wallpaper off her wall.
As the time was getting on we headed home and I helped Keith with the new blind for Mike's room. We managed to cut it and hang it and it looked great. Phew! That's one job I wasn't looking forward to sorted out! Hopefully, this will cut down on the amount of light that gets into his room in the early mornings.
We had just settled down to watch five minutes of Homes Under the Hammer from this morning, when the phone rang. I tried to answer it but it stopped. Sophie called Mike to see if it was him but he hadn't called. I went to do ring back and it rang again. It was Mum to say that my Dad had fallen at the flying field and that two of his mates had brought him home.
Sophie and I drove over to their house to find my poor Dad on the sofa with a leg that looked very much like it was broken. There was a a huge swelling on his thigh and his leg didn't look right at all. It looked like someone had taken off his leg and then re-attached it at an odd angle...
Mum was on the phone to the NHS 111 helpline service who took all the details and said they would send an ambulance. There was no way on earth we could get him into the car and take him to A&E. My good mood evaporated at once as I could see weeks and weeks of him being in hospital and then recovering...
My Dad was very pale and trembling and looked like he was in shock. We tried to make him as comfortable as we could and I asked why on earth his "mates" had brought him home? They'd said to Mum he hadn't broken it (!) and that he'd just pulled a muscle! He must have been in complete agony when they moved him and they had to bring a chair out to the car to get him into the house.
We waited three hours for the ambulance to arrive and had to call again. I phoned Lisa to say I wouldn't be able to go to work this afternoon and she was very understanding. At one point, when I moved the rug underneath his foot slightly, we thought he was going to pass out.
When the ambulance people arrived, the woman took one look at his leg and called for a paramedic as she wasn't going to try and move him. She hadn't realised he was as bad as he was which was why we'd had to wait so long. He was given gas and air while they waited and when the paramedic arrived he gave my Dad morphine so they could move him onto a stretcher.
I was absolutely furious with the two men that had brought him home. Why hadn't they just called an ambulance at the field? Who knows what damage they might have done by moving him.
Once he was in the ambulance, they cut off his trousers and saw that he had broken his femur half way down the bone. Mum went to the hospital with him while Sophie and I went home to prepare dinner. We did contemplate getting fish and chips, but we decided in the end to go with the macaroni cheese which was the sensible option.
Mum called me at about 8pm to say she could go home and that my Dad would be having an operation tomorrow. Sophie and I picked her up from the hospital, amazed by the changes they'd made in the car parks. There is now a rickety-looking multi-storey car park for visitor parking.
We dropped her off and gave her a tub of macaroni cheese for her supper. Poor thing, she hadn't eaten anything since lunchtime!
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