A busy end to the week.

In the past, Fridays have been pretty quiet, but that was not the case today, I'm afraid! We were hectically busy, right from the word go, and at one point there were 15 calls in the queue! Not really what we were expecting, or wanting on the last day of our working week!

It remained busy throughout my shift, and I had some frustrating calls. One woman phoned three times and asked me the same question as if trying to catch me out. When I asked if I'd spoken to her before, she denied it, even though I knew she was lying. I think some people believe there's many more of us answering calls and phone again hoping they'll get a different person!

It was great to escape at 4pm and head home knowing I had three days off. It's a Bank Holiday weekend (but I am down to work on the 31st!). Sophie arrived home and after she changed out of her work clothes we started our evening with a mini bottle of rose Cava, before finishing up the wine we'd used for the Jerk Chicken yesterday. We also watched a good film - All Roads Lead to Rome, which was light-hearted escapism. If we can't travel at the moment, we can at least travel via films!

Some good news...

I had to remind myself to go to work this morning as I don't usually (this time around anyway) work on a Thursday!

When I arrived at work, Sara told me about some changes that had happened yesterday. She had realised that we were all finding it stressful at the moment, as the calls have been relentless and at times, long and complicated. A couple of my colleagues had found themselves stuck on the phone at well past 4pm dealing with different issues. This makes us very late leaving as we have to cash up at the end of the shift. From now on, we're logging off five minutes before the shift ends to avoid receiving a call seconds before we finish, and which could end up being long and involved. It's a particular bugbear for us all!

We could also have ten minutes' break if we wanted and I was really pleased that we were being supported and listened to! I know that a couple of my colleagues have found it tough lately, and I have felt fed up as well.

Today, after the initial rush again, it was quiet and I was able to do a job for Sheila - putting on the playscheme places for the May half-term holiday. It was great to get back in the swing of things and I'm hoping more jobs like that will come my way!

At 4pm I sped home and caught up with Keith. He had researched a van company that would take one of my Mum's sofas over to the care home next week. I think taking it over for her will cheer her up so we sorted that out, which was a relief. I didn't fancy trying to wedge it into the car like we did last time!

Before dinner this evening Sophie and I played Scrabble and I was beating my daughter when we had to stop to cook. Unfortunately, while we were eating the delicious Jerk Chicken, Monty decided to walk all over the board, dislodging all the tiles! Oh well!

Recycling matters!

I was off work again today and it was lovely to potter about this morning and not have to rush. We had made the decision to take the recycling to Milton Keynes as it was threatening to overwhelm our garage! I'd had enough of the boxes and the bags everywhere!

We had a very easy journey to Milton Keynes and dropped off a bootful of pet food pouches and Tassimo pods. Another load saved from landfill! We took the scenic route home via the A5 and we were amazed to see all the building work around junction 15 - it looks like they're making a new industrial park.

I'd suggested Jerk Chicken Pasta for dinner tomorrow night, but we had one problem - we didn't have any Jerk paste. I thought Asda stocked it so we headed there but after scouring the shelves and asking one of the staff, there was none to be had at all. We bought a few other things in Asda and then we were forced to go to Tesco at Weston Favell as I knew for sure they had it there.

I can't remember the last time we had visited - certainly not this year - and it was strange seeing the cafes still closed up. I managed to find the paste and bought three jars to make sure we had enough for the future! 

On the way out we witnessed a furious man shouting at one of the checkout staff. He was yelling at him to not throw his purchases down the conveyor belt! It's a good job he wasn't shopping in Aldi!

Back home it was lunch and then I resumed my sorting in the garage, this time for the recycling we collect locally. I was fed up by now as I really didn't want to spend the whole day doing this! I had lost track of the time, and Keith appeared to tell me it was well past 2pm and we had to go for Mike! Where has today gone?!

After collecting Mike, I re-potted our basil and mint plants, and finally was able to relax! Dinner this evening was a chicken noodle soup, and I started the preparations by chopping up ginger and garlic, making stock and simmering the chicken for about twenty minutes.

Before doing the final cooking, we sat and discussed the meals for the rest of the week, and enjoyed a non-alcoholic cocktail in the conservatory. Sophie was going to cook a meal from her new Indian cooking book, but the list of ingredients just for the sauce ran on for far longer than we had realised. We didn't fancy sending poor Keith out to try and get it all!

After the delicious soup, served with garlic bread, Sophie and I retired upstairs to watch a film, Bottle Shock about the 1976 comparison of French and Californian wines, and we applied a bright green mask to our faces which made me look like the Grinch!

Back to work...

After waving Sophie off to the gym this morning, I went back to bed as I felt shattered. I'd woken at 5am when the alarm went off and facing a day at work, I needed an extra hour! 

Work was not too bad, thank goodness, and after an early rush, it did quieten down a bit so at least we were able to catch up with some other work. Jo had had a bad day yesterday, with a series of grumpy customers so she was hoping for a better day today!

I sped home at 4pm and managed to do some chores before Sophie arrived home. Today, the weather has been dull and grey and during the evening it started raining, something we haven't seen for a long time! The gardens really need it at the moment, so at least it saves me doing the watering! Apparently, this April has been the frostiest for 60 years! It certainly has been colder, especially at night!

Sophie and I just had ginger ale with ice this evening and I do think that abstaining from alcohol stops me from waking up at about 3am in the morning!

A quick check-up

I was off work today and had swapped shifts with Denise so I could accompany my Mum for a check-up at the hospital this afternoon. She was a bit worried about a small lump in her breast so she had an appointment at the treatment centre in Kettering.

I spent the morning giving the downstairs of the house a good clean and throwing away things that we no longer needed. It's been another glorious day but there's still that chilly wind about! Keith went to do some more essential shopping for the next few days and then made me lunch, which was a bonus!

I had arranged to meet Mum at the treatment centre and I asked Keith to drop me off as I was a bit worried about parking. The last thing I wanted was to have to go elsewhere on the large hospital site to find a space! My Mum arrived within a few minutes of me getting there and we checked into the reception. The building looked brand new and I was impressed with the whole process. Mum was seen by a consultant first and he examined her. My Mum had breast cancer about 20 years ago and has had a mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. The consultant thought that the lump she felt was the edge of the implant, but she went for an ultrasound and a mammogram as well, and all was fine.

The breast clinic is called a "One-Stop" clinic and I was really impressed that everything was done so quickly, and in one place without her having to wait for the results. It really put her mind at ease. It was lovely being able to spend some time with her, and when we'd finished we called the Care Home who came to collect her.

Keith came back to collect me (he'd been to get Mike from work) and at home, I finished off the housework, and then was able to relax for a while. When Sophie came home from work we played cards in the conservatory with a mocktail... we're off the alcohol from Monday to Thursday to give our livers a bit of a rest!

Just pottering!

Today has been very relaxing and I haven't moved from the house at all! Mike was at work again this morning, and when he returned he said he wanted a hair cut. Keith drove him over and popped to Tesco to get some essentials while Mike was at the barbers.

I spent the morning pottering about and doing loads of washing as it's been breezy and sunny today, perfect for getting everything out on the line and drying it for free! I really love doing laundry on days like this!

Sophie got ready to see Laura and Daisy for lunch and went to The Red Lion at Yardley Hastings. There was a chill to the wind, and it was noticeably cooler than yesterday so I just hoped she wouldn't be exposed to the elements!

I watched the end of Too Close in the afternoon, a good drama that had been on a couple of weeks ago, but which was a bit depressing! 

Sophie came home at about 6.30pm laden down with gifts from her friends! She received beautiful scented candles, a bottle of Rum, chocolates and even an Easter Egg from Laura! We had a drink and had a good chat about her afternoon while Keith prepared our dinner of cold meats, salad and new potatoes. Even though Sophie had been out for lunch, she was still hungry as they'd had tapas dishes which had been a bit on the small size, portion-wise!

Ladies who lunch...

Unfortunately, I was awake at 4.15am this morning, woken by Mike and Keith having a conversation! Mike is working this weekend and had to go in extra early to get the greens ready for the golfers. Keith went back to sleep until 5am but I lay awake until I heard them leave. When I did go back to sleep, Mike calling at 7am to say he was finished woke me up again!

Sophie and I had lunch booked at The Falcon in Castle Ashby at 12pm and I had originally thought we could go to Milton Keynes to take the recycling first! It would have meant leaving home at 10am and rushing to get ready which we didn't want this morning.

The Falcon Inn and restaurant holds special memories for me. Keith and I spent our wedding night there 29 years ago, and it was a regular place I went to for Christmas dinners with my parents. It was a lovely place to go for a celebration dinner, and we've spent some wonderful times there. It was sad to see it all closed up but it's been extensively refurbished and the changes are spectacular. The Falcon was built in 1594 and is owned by the 7th Marquess of Northampton. It's a gorgeous building, with honey-coloured stone everywhere, sweeping grounds and beautiful terraces where you can enjoy a meal or a drink.

We arrived on the dot of 12pm and were greeted by two very friendly members of staff who showed us to our table overlooking the grounds. The restaurant was beginning to fill up, and some people were seated on the other terrace which was just for drinks.

We were given the wine menu and the lunch menu and asked if we wanted a bottle of sparkling water. We had already looked at the choices on their website, and all the dishes sounded delicious! We ordered a glass each of white wine, a Torrontes-Chardonnay from Argentina (delicious) and a portion of sourdough bread and butter, and olives. We decided to share a starter of asparagus (£12) and we both went for the tagliatelle for our main course. The fact that we'd decided on exactly the same thing throughout the meal was a source of amusement for our server!

We were very lucky with the weather, and although every now and again there was a gust of wind, it was extremely pleasant sitting on the terrace in the sunshine. By now the tables were filling up and a family trooped in and sat behind us. The mum and dad looked especially glum for some reason, I have no idea why given the surroundings and the delightful prospect of lunch out, and the two children sat glued to their tablets the whole time we were there.

I had imagined that the place would be full of the beautiful people, seeing as the renovations have created such a splash locally, but most people were dressed very casually and two women, who looked like they'd been out for a ramble, turned up and were seated on the drinks terrace. I heard one of them say that they'd spent their wedding night at the hotel as well, so there's no doubt the place holds special memories for a lot of people.

Our starter accompanied by bread and olives.

The first course of food was sublime, especially the asparagus, which was cooked to perfection and accompanied by burrata, - an Italian cheese I'd never heard of before - almonds and extra virgin olive oil. The bread was still warm, crusty on the outside, soft in the middle, and the olives were plump and just salty enough. We did think that three asparagus spears were a bit mean for the £12 price tag, but we really couldn't fault the taste or presentation.

After we'd devoured the starters our main course arrived - tagliatelle with courgette, basil pesto and a wonderful parmesan sauce. It came with a foam! We'd never eaten a foam before!

The pasta was soft and delicious - it was definitely the highlight of our meal. Sophie ate hers in record time, she was so impressed. I needn't have worried about tonight's barbecue at home as the portions weren't huge, but it was certainly quality over quantity, which is sometimes just what you want.

We couldn't resist a dessert and we both opted for the panna cotta served with rhubarb and pistachio nuts. It was so pretty, it looked like a work of art!

I had a decaffeinated coffee to finish off the meal, and while our server cleared our plates, I tentatively asked if we could look around the hotel. I said I quite understood if we couldn't, given the current pandemic, but I explained I'd stayed here on my wedding night and next year is our 30th anniversary. I was thinking of spending the night here with Keith as a treat. She said she would ask and while she was gone, we both used the beautiful toilet facilities. I went after Sophie and unfortunately banged my head badly on the lintel as I came out of the bathroom! Not really what I wanted! But then I suppose it is a very old building, and people were a lot shorter in the 16th century!

Back at the table, we were given the bill and it came to what I was expecting, a shade under £100 which included service at 12.5%, something we were not going to quibble about. I praised the food and service to the rather snooty Maitre D' who brushed off my compliments without saying thank you. It's been so long since we've been somewhere this good in the UK, and I think we've become accustomed to lack-lustre service and food! There was no mention of us looking around the hotel, and our server never came back to say we couldn't, so I felt disappointed and a bit silly for asking in the first place. It would have been nice for someone to come and say they were sorry it wasn't possible, but they could have invited us back in May when inside dining is allowed again. A marketing opportunity missed as the rooms start at about £250 a night!

From Castle Ashby, we drove to Olney and managed to park on the main street. We made straight for a lovely shop selling vintage treasures where I needed some more soaps. Sophie bought one each for Laura and Daisy as she's meeting them for lunch tomorrow to catch up after birthdays and Christmas, and wanted some gifts for them.

It was then lovely to wander around the shops, some of them selling some very strange things indeed! Olney used to be known for its antique shops, but now these have all been replaced by gift shops that sell things people don't really need! 

The town was busy with shoppers enjoying the sunshine, and the pubs were doing a roaring trade with outside diners and drinkers. We ambled back to the car and before heading home, popped to Beckworth to get some more gifts for the girls. Beckworth has changed since the last time we were there with the checkouts now situated in a new part of the store. Again, there was more tat on display, including a small bottle of shower "milk" for £20!  Am I really that much out of touch with prices that I find that ludicrous?

Back home we relaxed for an hour and then it was cocktail time and Scrabble. We played two games - Sophie beat me each time - and afterwards, we helped Keith with the barbecue. Sophie said she was so hungry her stomach had begun to eat itself! After a three-course lunch!

Our evening meal was delicious - I had marinated chicken breasts in cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger and coconut milk this morning - and we also enjoyed juicy burgers with new potatoes, corn on the cob and salad.

After we'd cleared away we decided to watch the new Sky Atlantic drama, Mare of Easttown starring our very own Kate Winslet with an awful American accent. Sophie and I were not impressed, but Keith enjoyed it, so he can watch it from now on while he's doing the ironing!