Tea and cake... again!

I was up earlyish, and started watching Little Women, but gave up after about half an hour. The film kept moving backwards and forwards in time, which I hate! I'm just glad I didn't go and see it at the cinema!

When Sophie woke up we had breakfast of cheese on toast and watched Saturday Kitchen. However, I had a lot of things planned for today so by lunchtime, we were showered and dressed and ready to go. We went to Mum and Dad's care home first and I dropped off some new underwear and shoes for my Mum, as well as a pair of trainers for my Dad.

We then sped over to Brixworth as I had a stack of cards to post for my Mum, and there was one that was destined for Cyprus. However, just as we arrived, the post office closed, which was very annoying! Undeterred we drove to the small post office near The Whitehills pub which is always very friendly and helpful. The lady behind the counter said the card might still make it to Cyprus in time, but she did warn me that at the moment, the post was very slow, something we have noticed at home with expected deliveries.

From there we popped to Moulton so that Sophie could post a card to a friend who lives in the village and then it was over to Beckworth for lunch. Originally we'd decided to just have cake and a cup of tea, but both of us were hungry so we decided to share a panini. I had been expecting the restaurant to be decked out in Christmas decorations, but we were both disappointed with the lack of atmosphere. We were seated right at the farthest end of the marquee and looked over a jumble of boxes and mess. Not really what we were expecting!

However, as always, the food was very good, and we shared a pulled pork panini served with French fries, salad and coleslaw, and then we each chose a cake. Sophie decided on the Red Velvet while I went for a festive slice of sherry trifle torte, which was a bit on the small side!

After we'd eaten we visited the shop and Sophie bought lots of foodie gifts for her boyfriend. It is highly doubtful whether she will actually be able to give them to him before Christmas because of the current lockdowns, and the fact that London is set to go up into Tier 3 next week.

We drove home, and as we neared the house we saw a car parked outside, with a woman staring in the windows... As I pulled onto the drive she was literally hanging out of the window, and when I went over she said she was trying to work out what letter we were displaying for the Advent window! I apologised and said that I thought I only had to display it for the one day, but it seems not! I told her the letter T, and she went off very satisfied!

Sophie and I had decided to go to the small Christmas Fayre in the village and we drove up rather than walk in the dark. I was glad we did because we were there for all of five minutes! They had tried, bless them, but you just can't recreate the lovely atmosphere of a candle-lit church outside!

We returned home, Sophie made us Vodka martinis and we played Scrabble in the conservatory while Keith cooked Beef Stroganoff for dinner. Delicious!

Two for the price of one...

Thursday has been a non-eventful day, mainly due to the fact that I was at work from 10am until 4pm, so not much to report!

Thankfully, it was a quiet shift and there was only Sue, Sara and me in the office. December is traditionally the quietest of all the months as people have Christmas on their minds! I drove home at 4pm and relaxed with Sophie for a while before going to have a bath. I haven't felt at all well this week (tummy pains again) so having a bath was lovely and relaxing.

On Friday I worked with my buddy Kathy and it was just like old times! Again, the shift was quiet but the time passed fairly quickly as I had a job to do for Sheila.

At 4pm I sped home, changed and cuddled up on the sofa to relax. I was just so glad it was Friday and I had three days before my next shift! Keith cooked fish and chips for dinner, and Sophie and I sat and enjoyed a programme about Christmas at The Plaza hotel in New York. It looked wonderful! We rounded off the evening with half an hour of the film Last Christmas and sipped a glass of Sherry. Bliss!

Mrs Angry!

I switched the lights on in my decorated window early this morning just in case anyone was wandering around and having a look! I have to say, though, that I didn't see anyone looking at the decorations all day, but then I wasn't peering out continuously!

Keith and I took Sophie's car to the garage at Moulton, put some petrol in for her, and took the filthy little thing through the carwash. It was a gloomy, damp sort of day today, and as we drove off the forecourt, it started to drizzle. Typical!

Back home I enjoyed pastries and coffee for breakfast and sat with Sophie for a while. I had an appointment to see my parents at 12.40pm again, so I showered and drove over, giving myself plenty of time in case any building works held me up!

When I got to the care home, there wasn't a car park space anywhere. There were even cars parked along the approach road, but as some pretty big vehicles pass closely by, I didn't fancy leaving my car there! I sat and waited for ten minutes but in the end, gave up and had to park along a straight bit of the road. I went into reception and explained where I'd parked so they could get hold of me if they wanted me to move. I had no idea why there were so many cars but I hope this isn't going to be the case every time I visit in the future!

I was taken to the garden room, and I sat and waited... and waited. After fifteen minutes had gone by I called the care home and asked where my parents were! Another five minutes went by before they came down, and by now I was furious as half the time had disappeared!

I couldn't stay any longer as I was picking Mike up from work so we barely had ten minutes before I had to go. Before I left I arranged to pick up the DVD player I'd bought for my parents last week, and which was waiting for me in reception. Somehow, my parents had managed to break it in less than a week, which was extremely annoying. I stood and waited at the gate to be let out, and one of the carers appeared with the box. Perched on top were the two cards I sent out yesterday to my parents, and the carer attempted to give them back to me! Why? They were clearly addressed to my parents! Sometimes I really do wonder! Also in the box were the cards my Mum had written out for me to post, but some had the address missing so I'll have to do some detective work to find them!

I drove to get Mike without mishap and called into the Co-op on the way home to buy a sandwich. Mike told me to get a meal deal rather than a single sandwich and bought the food for me, bless him! 

After we'd returned Keith and I went back to the garage at Moulton to get some diesel for my car, and to take it through the carwash as well. Only now it was closed! I was livid - it wasn't turning out to be the best of days!

I was determined to get it washed as it was so dirty so we set off on a tour of the town, and eventually went to the carwash at the Morrison's garage on the Kettering road. Hooray!

It was bliss to get home, watch two episodes of The Fall and then try the new Gin for tonight - Blood Orange - which has turned out to be a new favourite!

Getting things done!

We awoke to another freezing cold morning but the weather is set to change later today and become a bit milder. Keith and I took my car over to Broughton this morning to get the brake pads replaced and braved the morning rush hour traffic, which was terrible.

We had intended going straight to Brixworth to go to the post office, but we decided to wait until later in the morning and avoid the school run! It can get very manic at the shops as a lot of parents park there to take their children to school.

We went home and had some breakfast instead, and watched the sky slowly turn blue. The fog had disappeared this morning, and the rest of the day turned out to be gorgeous with all the trees and hedges white and frosty.

After breakfast, we ventured over to Brixworth, and I popped into the Co-op first to get some tins and packets for the food bank collection this evening. I can't believe that two weeks have gone by so quickly! I then went and joined the long queue for the post office and bought stamps for my Christmas cards. I decided to head home and put them on the envelopes there, so Sophie and I could post them at lunchtime when we went for a walk.

Sophie had a fairly fraught online meeting at work this morning and I sat in the conservatory with her. At lunchtime, it was heaven to get out and enjoy the cold crisp air and sunshine. We posted the cards and walked up to the village where I had another look at the advent window in the house opposite the pub. It was pretty but you'd have to look hard to see the letter! I think ours will be easier to find!

Back home it was lunchtime, and Sophie had the last of the Mulligatawny soup while I had leftovers from the pasta dish we'd enjoyed last night. Keith went to get Mike from work, and I pootled about doing some chores. At the moment all I seem to do is empty or fill the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen! It seems never-ending! I also had a message from a neighbour who wanted me to sort out her gym membership, which put me into a bad mood! I messaged her back saying that I wouldn't be at work until Thursday and she would have to call the contact centre to sort it out herself. Grrr!

Rob Price called and said the car would be ready at 4.30pm, so I had about half an hour to start preparing the window for tomorrow. I had ordered some lights for my Mum but she no longer needed them so I used them on our front window and Keith helped me unravel them, which was a real finicky job! I just hope they'll look OK!

Keith and I went to get the car and the rush hour traffic, at 4pm, was horrendous. They had replaced the brake pads but still couldn't find the source of the knocking and the mechanic said he couldn't even hear it. It cost us £123, and Keith drove my car home through the murky gloom. He said it hadn't made a noise all the way so let's hope it's fixed!

I had a trial run of the lights back home and then soaked in the bath for ages. Bliss!

An unexpected bonus!

The fog and frost continued this morning, and it was particularly bad on the roads. Keith and I went to Tesco first thing and did our shopping for the next few days. I also needed some bits and bobs for my parents so they went into the trolley as well. Going through the checkouts we chatted to one of our regular ladies and caught up with all of her news. I hadn't seen her for ages, so that was good!

Back home I wrote out all my Christmas cards, so that's one job completed. Sophie didn't feel very well today and looked really pale and tired, bless her. I heated up a bowl of Mulligatawny soup and toasted some naan bread, and made her take some Ibuprofen with her lunch. I think that working from home is starting to really affect her now so with the vaccine becoming available over the next few months, maybe this is the beginning of the end.

Before getting Mike from work, I dropped off the stuff for my parents at the care home. Luckily today we weren't held up by diggers but it was still very muddy!

Back home we surprised Mike with not one but three advent calendars! I had ordered what I thought was just one from Amazon, but it turned out to be three for £4.99, so that was a bargain! Mike said the chocolates were a bit small but with three, it should satisfy his sweet tooth!

When Sophie had finished work we walked around the estate to deliver Christmas cards to friends and neighbours. Monty came with us, and accompanied us all the way, which was delightful! He hasn't done that for a while! It was very cold, though, and although we'd planned on walking up to the village, we decided to drive instead. The reason we were going was to look at a decorated window for the Advent walk. On the map, it showed a house opposite the pub, but it wasn't that clear when Sophie drove along the road. I was starting to get a bit worried about what I had to do, which is typical for me! I agree to do something and then heartily regret it!

One thing is for sure, the lights and decorations on our estate, and in the village, are beautiful and it seems that everyone has really gone all out this year to cheer up their houses for Christmas! The trees on the green were also lit up with the solar lights, and looked wonderful twinkling away in the darkness!

Our stunning countryside

Sundays are rapidly becoming the busiest day of the week lately! After a bit of a lie-in, Keith and I went to get the Sunday newspapers, and I was delighted to see that the weather was gorgeous - cold, misty and beautiful.

On the way back we took the single track road through the countryside, and I stopped to take some photos:

I absolutely love winter days like these! I could have sat and gazed out at the stunning scenery all day!

Back home Sophie was busy preparing the sauces for our dinner of Korean fried chicken tonight. I made breakfast for Keith and me, and then we popped over to Tesco's in my Dad's car to give it a run. We are reluctant to use my car until we get the brake pads sorted out on Tuesday.

My Dad's car was like a frozen igloo, and it took us ages to thaw it out! At Tesco I bought Christmas cards for my parents, two bottles of Bombay Sapphire Gin (for Mike as presents to me and Abbie), some Christmas treats, and ingredients for a cocktail for this evening.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon was spent mooching about. I did some household chores, and Sophie and I had a facemask whilst watching A Place In The Sun. I set up Amazon Prime on the television in the bedroom so Keith could watch England play France in the Rugby. 

By 3pm we were all set to go for a walk as I was hoping for a beautiful sunset. The sky had clouded over a bit but it was still a mixture of blues and greys. It was also still very cold! We walked up to the village and then down the rough track towards the nature reserve. Over to the west, the sky was cloudy but to our left, we could see the twinges of colour from the setting sun.

Someone's watching us...

It was heaven to be out walking, and the peace of the countryside was like a balm to the soul. We stood and watched the sky constantly changing until sunset, about 3.50pm, and then turned back. The photos I've taken really don't do justice to the beauty of our surroundings. On the way home, we met John, one of Keith's pub mates who was out walking his dog. We had a chat, and it was great to catch up with his news.

It was astonishing how quickly the light went after sunset. It was almost completely dark by the time we got back to our little estate, and we met several people who were walking up to the village to see the lighting of the Christmas tree outside the pub. We had forgotten it was taking place, but cocktails were calling us!

Sophie made delicious cocktails using Vodka, Prosecco, raspberries, lemons and honey, and she served them in her new glasses:

Cheers!

Outside it had become very foggy again, and temperatures were set to drop below freezing. Brrr! After a little relaxing with our cocktails, Pringles, and Greg Wallace in Vienna again (we are going next year - I am going to overdose on Christmas markets until I can't take it any more!) we made dinner. Sophie had already brined the chicken thighs, and I took them out, cut the fatty bits off and patted them dry. Sophie made the batter using sparkling water and vodka, and we heated up the oil in our big casserole dish.

Although we started at about 6.30pm, we didn't eat until about 7.45pm as it took quite a while to fry the chicken in batches, and we had to do it twice. Sophie made Jasmine rice (even though I hadn't bought proper Jasmine rice!), and the meal was delicious with the two sauces and a bottle of Sake that Mike had bought for us as an early Christmas present!

A human conveyor belt!

I had a flu jab booked for today at about 11am so after a quick breakfast, Sophie and I headed over to Guilsborough. We were a bit early, and we were amazed at the number of people driving in and out! It was a constant stream of cars!

I waited until my allotted time and went into the surgery where I was met by a member of staff holding a bottle of sanitiser. I then headed to the reception desk, gave my name, and was directed to the suite of rooms where I turned left. It was all very slick and well-organised and very much like a human conveyor belt! I went into one of the rooms, rolled up my sleeve and received a quick prick in the arm. All done! I must have been in and out in less than five minutes!

Sophie and I had decided to venture out to Olney again today, and as Buckinghamshire is in Tier 2 like Northamptonshire, it meant we could visit the shops and have lunch at a cafe. It took us a while to drive from Guilsborough to Olney but we went a new way which was a lot easier, bringing us out onto the main high street of the small town. We were lucky to bag a parking space on the main street, about a ten-minute walk from the centre. 

Sophie hadn't had any breakfast so we went for lunch first. We chose Teapots again, and we were delighted to take one of the last tables in the small cafe. Sophie chose a baked potato with cheese and beans while I opted for a cheese and onion toastie served with coleslaw and salad. The food was delicious, and we made room for more tea and cake afterwards! 

I chose coffee and walnut while Sophie enjoyed pineapple and coconut. The cakes were scrumptious and just what we'd been waiting for!

It was lovely sitting and relaxing in the friendly cafe, and we will be back again soon, I hope! From there we went to a nearby newsagent where we bought a magazine each and the newspaper. I had spotted a magazine with ideas for kitchen diners so I had to have it! Hopefully, it will give me some inspiration!

Teapots cafe, Olney

We mooched about the shops and Sophie bought some lovely glasses which she wants to use for cocktails. They were second-hand, which was even better!

The last time we'd visited Sophie had spotted some Russell and Bromley velvet boots and they were still there, priced at £110. I said I would get them for her as a Christmas present from my parents, but when she tried them on, they were slightly too small, which was a huge shame as they would have been perfect! She did, however, buy a blouse in another charity shop for £4 which was very pretty and perfect for work (when she gets to go back into the office!). 

We spent a lovely afternoon mooching about and taking some photos of the pretty town. By 3pm we'd had enough and headed home where we relaxed until dinner. Keith cooked a delicious beef casserole with dumplings, perfect for a wintry day!