5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

RevolvingDoor

^ What a beautiful dog.:A

CCP wrote: »

3) Cold pizza for brunch, which is always the best part of a takeaway imo.

Oh, that sounds yummy.

1. I realised I have paid off more of my mortgage than I thought when I checked the balance today.

2. Sunny and warmish (well not freezing) day at long last.

3. I'm having spicy tomato and chilli tricolore pasta for lunch.

ampersand

WARNING-strange flitty numbering and lack of continuity follows.
1. Back at midnight after staying extra night/Sunday, in car, snug&warm, safe as houses, after being pulled out of hidden spring/muddy turning verge in middle of nowhere on the Sussex Downs. The family of PCC heard my engine and rugby-stature son came out to offer help, c 22h. How grateful was I! They'd already rescued 2 that day. In the event, he and Dad brought Mum's car, same make as mine, and I was on tarmac in seconds. I am writing to them today. Kept thinking about you being somewhere in that neck of woods, kittikins and I'm hoping I'll read good appn news as I continue catch-up read.

2. I opened this parallel window to salute mhagster and Mr mhags and children mhags and that new friend from a year ago. I may see more as I continue my catch-up reading, but at this very moment, I join with everyone here in sending further strongest hugs, practicalities, cakes, time, wishes, soup, uplifting sights of fauna and flora to you and yours, mhags - and the same again.

3.Just reached post 21024 of mhagster, so of course I will say Bonne Anniversaire 44, but eek!re: lost security pass. But Sarah Millican....marvellous! I'll read on...good. A brilliant night had and staged and all elements chiming in. That made a wonderful birthday and night to read and I am so glad, mhags.

4. I love Oban sparrer - although my stays are SYHA. I went there first for b'day post R's death, depths of winter, just wanted to flee. Harry Potter had taken off and first film was in the local cinema. You may want to check it out - run then as his fiefdom with tartan-clad walls, sgians-dubh and other like things, by a splendid Clan chief type. I've been back several times since, also using ferry.

5.Can't believe that the bargain roses are looking perfect on my return, as if in limbo since I left. They start white with deep purple-veined throats, mop-head yellow stamens, blushing up to cherry crimson tops - lovely ballerina dresses.

charlie's aunt-you are right about the frozen raspberries. Aren't they just the most forgiving crop ever? I have kilos still left too- just take a bag out every so often for jam. Might try your line.

ccp-I'm so sorry. I'm glad you have an understanding vet.

pk - On Good Friday. I wandered around Brighton too[after fabulous Bus Pass journey along coast and cliffs] and found the Sussex food street festival Treated self to tucker bronze sorrel and Good King Henry plants[still in car, but fine]
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...and I've just finished catching up, so will carry on now.

Thankyou all, but I just took off. I just can't be bothered with being ill any more and intend ignoring now.

Found Alfriston YH could take me for those 3 days before Mr T vouchers expired, so that's what I did, plus Sun night in car in high Sussex woods, after alarums as described.

1. Took ages to get there, nearly 6 hrs, rather than . Big hold-ups etc, but never mind as that happy event of beeb journo strike always means much better programmes and I enjoyed hearing the DNA story all over again, especially with long-overdue recognition for Rosalind Franklin added in[and as I type now, there's more on R4]. YH is splendid, old-fashioned C16th stone flint building and choccie box village v. conscious of NT recognised mediaeval age/building. The Clergy House is wonderful. Even lovelier, no-one had wanted the lower bunk - tant mieux.

2. Had glut of hot cross buns[so massively rtc'd as rptdly, unpleasantly sans doute, gloated here]thus able to hand 2pks to family of 4 whose quest for same had been fruitless. We then all played a silly kiddy monopoly and I taught them Sevens - evil, nasty, most excellent of card games. American maman is a total Martin fan, but didn't know of this website OR My Waitrose advantages - now remedied. Welcome C[and W and T and A]!

3. Into kitchen came chap - immediately recognised fellow mature Cambridge student from 1990-ish. Have always remembered his work on Andrei Tarkovsky. Said nothing till following night. He'd had the ditto thing. Had food to share, so did, also bottle of wine and this spread over much catching up, which involved another extraordinary path-crossing coincidental event/acquaintance, now deceased. I saved some of this person's books from destruction, so have promised to pass one to R, should he wish. He wishes very much, as the late person was for him a signal, singular, exceptional character and intellect, who he thinks of often, 5/6 years on. His Adler-ian bent also directed him to further Phil degree work. He has his Ph.D now, some lectures, some OU teaching and Librarianship and stays fairly free to live this rather loosely-held, little money way, which I entirely understand. I finally like my way, too.

3. Good Friday - alit from rtn bus at Seven Sisters and wandered for hours, all bitter swiping cold, then glad rtn to warmth and the above meal.

4. Easter Saturday - drew morning curtain at bay window and watched a squirrel play for over 10 mins. It was real play. He/she persistently threw up, batted, tumbled, tug-o-warred with 5 or 6 large tufts of dark moss, with leaps up and down tree trunk, then snapping a sizable[for him] branch, about 50cms, which was also flung about and played with, using the moss as some little squirrel brain accessory. It was astonishing and enchanting to watch. Didn't see him again though.

5. Seeing a Mr T sign, thought 'Good, need petrol' on Saturday, but it was shut. Instead found a Tesco car boot! Hailsham I think it was. Bought nothing! Found a little Co-op further on, Ore?, doing roaring trade as no-one believed how shut everywhere was. Nice lad directed me up hill for petrol. Phew!

6. Lots of down to sea, clambering high places, woods, bleak bitterly cold beaches[Dungeness] more meandering, my sort of thing. Okay - The One is not in my life these days, but on such days contentment and awareness of same is also present. I have books[Grayson Perry from Library and Qiu Xialong and others], 2 Thermoses, pukeko wellies, warm outer layers, thick socks, provisions, choc, radio, tapes[okay, forgot camera, but have brain and Memory Bank], curiosity and herbs, now also 2 more pots of rosemary picked up at village table-top sale near Winchelsea, more stones with holes[must find one on every beach]and much similar.

7. To Rye for lunch at l'Ambrette - using Ancient Persons' Privilege Card, after hearing the marvellous bit on R4 about same. Absolute knock-out. Completely wonderful. RECOMMEND....[REPEAT endlessly].

8. My first time in Rye, but remembered a fellow Greenwich dealer used to go buying there. Hampstead/Saxmundham/Aldeburgh/Nth Norfolk overtones. But I had been thinking of the wonderful Dr Syn stories on i-player radio and this marshy land. Yet again, my sort of empty spaces. Town however was different, a Driving/Parking clogged up nightmare and I had no idea where to find the restaurant. Suddenly, there was a gap in a tight little Dickensian street. I aimed for it. Didn't care by that stage. Asked a gent where L'Ambrette was, if he'd heard of it. He looked at me strangely. I was parked right outside! No, 24, High Street. What a stunning building -
http://www.theambrette.co.uk/home/rye_default.aspx
Please treat yourselves.
There's Margate, too.

9. So, why was I anxious re:13h booked lunch?[and they'd sent the friendliest reminder to my phone] Perhaps to do with setting off with hours to spare, fiddle about, maybe spot sth....like a luminous green sign pointing 'Art Exhibition-this way' with big arrow. Off I went. Endless signs, every few hundred miles :-), winding up and down and over hills/dales/faraways of lovely country, views, buildings, tors, stones, sheep etc.etc.etc..... Found it! Pett Village Hall - and no ordinary village Art Exhibition. Need I say? In disbelief that I was doing this, have bought 3 things and still feel so pleased. But it wasn't even like that! I couldn't even get round it all in 2 hrs, said I was en rte to l'Ambrette[everyone said 'We're open till 5, you MIGHT make it. It's not a hurry/eat place. You'll love it.'] I did return in time. Chap renewed conversation we'd had by a dynamic, wonderful large oil which he said I persuaded him to buy - £340! - but we were both in love with it and he'd bought 4 others by then, asked where I'd been.
So, I have 2 miniatures by this extraordinary lady, Barbara Valentine[her daughter Julette Dodd also has formidable talent, the late Louis Dodd being husband and father in this remarkably gifted family], loads of links available. BV was unlike any expectation I could have imagined. She confessed a particular love of and weakness for Dutch interiors in her miniature work, also said 'everyone can paint and draw', which ethos I have seen in her daughter's pages online too,echoing the view of one beloved mother-in-law I had. I've now looked up and seen so much more about ALL her work, though she was also doing quick watercolour sketch portraits for people and captured them every time.
http://www.jrusselljinishiangallery.com/pages/dodd-pages/doddthumbs.htm
I also have a still life by the organiser[I later learnt - a gentle gentleman; we had a big talk] which I love and will find the perfect frame for.
It's a biennial show and this was his 15th. They've raised over £38k for St Michael's Hospice.

9. Easter Sunday - found an Antiques Fair, little one, the usual nice people. Deeply loved sth which I was strong about and did not buy. Did take an intriguing little glass sth though - for £1.50, from woman who said I reminded her of herself, picking it up and looking at it and turning it in my hand exactly as she did about 20 years ago. But I have spotted a signature, barely visible in chunky pontil, that needs a bit of deciphering...tbc.

10.. Heard Boat Race high up on Downs - oh dear! Then ventured down, found beautiful little Church and graveyard with a wonderful, life-size weathered, wooden crucifix. Wandered, read, reflected.

11. Down a rough tracky end of Rye outskirts to live and die with Andy Murray FINALLY getting over the finishing line victorious, in a setting of bleak, gull screeching inlets, ugly bones of small long-gone ventures, torpedo cloud scuds obscuring setting sun, starling crowd dives into bamboo[shades of France], big subsequent walks in fierce wind - I love these sorts of places - and pleasure of Thermos returned to with warm Hostel eventually. Have a great weathered lump of flat rock stepping stone. It will bed down here and I will have that place and time again every time I see/tread it. We can all be Proustian:-)

12. Found a car boot in Peasmarsh yesterday, 7h. Bitterly cold! Some finds!- thank goodness. On verra. It was in the car park of Jempson's, a splendid one-off independent of W8rs stripe:
http://www.jempsons.com/about/75-years-of-jempsons/
Lovely shop, lovely staff.

13. Meandered on>Tenterden, then the long empty road alongside the Royal Miltary Canal, big floody abandon and good sheep - again my sort of thing- towards Rye, but left to Lydd and Dungeness. The wind was ice. Instant tears frozen on face. Cars rocking. Dogs none too happy with mad determined walkies owners. Found self thinking of Edge of Darkness as I trudged a huge triangle down, along, round the monstrous edifice. Found my stone with hole. Sea vast, dirty, churning, running perpendicular to shore. Great stuff. RNLI boat nearly careened. Watched things through binocs. Eventually knew I had to start heading back.

14. Heard No Cast Real Life 1st time in what felt like ages - Tom really is boring. Story line strained and thin, arduous listen.

15. How many hours have I been hacking away happily at this? Not dressed yet. Not bovvered either. It's sunny. Nearly time for more Real Life.

Happy days all.
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Sod it! I will-because IT IS! IT IS!
16. Some palimpsest memory tweaked about as I crawled along the approach to Dungeness. I thought of Derek Jarman but had somehow saved looking it up until just now and YES, it IS this! Of course I loved it. Stopped car, wandered up and down, staring at sea, back to this, feeling self returning to something like. Thought of a Kettles Yard painting when I saw the bones of that boat. Big want,want,want - and then the No Camera thing did annoy, BUT of course I have to go back...
http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/derek_jarman_garden_prospect_cottage_dungeness

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/feb/17/gardens

ampersand

Bonjour beautiful Beth!

Kittikins

Ampersand - there is always a spare bed in my house, no sleeping in cars, no matter how comfy! (Ok, I may be somewhere along the Downs from where you were, but, but, but.....)

1. DD is having a lovely time on holiday up at my parents' and our phone calls are lots of fun

2. OH took us out for dinner last night, I was easily persuaded not to cook! Vietnamese is our favourite

3. A plan to have some chums over for a pot luck dinner on Thursday night looks like it might turn into a birthday party, hoorah! I love parties

4. Popped down to Brighton today and enjoyed the sunshine for a bit.

5. Am going to help some chums by babysitting for them tonight

6. I've studied some Latin today and am now planning fun activities for a hopeful language club I want to start up in September

7. The sunshine

8. OH is going to lend me £100 so DD and I can go to New Wine in the summer!!

9. The picture of Beth the gorgeous doggie put a smile on my face

10. Leftovers for dinner, yum yum.

CCP

Afternoon all.

ampersand - it sounds like you had a really interesting weekend; it's a part of the world I would love to visit and really will get round to eventually.

mcculloch - oh, what a lovely dog! I want to reach through the screen and ruffle those gorgeous ears. :happyhear

BoP - I'm glad everything turned out to be OK.

PK - your weekend sounds great, too.

I had a rather annoying day today: I got up early as an engineer was coming to do an urgent gas safety check, which turned out to be so 'urgent' that he didn't bother turning up, or phoning to say he wasn't coming. :mad: Despite that:
1) Giant yellow thing here, too.

2) Saw the first butterfly of the year in the garden.

3) Took the specialist cat food I bought last week back to the vet for a refund, and dropped off the normal food in a collection for a local animal rescue place. Obviously in many ways that's not a pleasure at all, but it will be of more use there than sitting in my kitchen cupboard.

3b) The vet nurse's kind words about Moggett: everyone who met him ended up being very fond of him.

4) Made a whisky and ginger cake using a pack of RTC cake mix and a mini bottle of whisky that belonged to my late grandmother; I couldn't bring myself to just pour it away when she died, but I'm not fond enough of whisky to drink it myself, so I'm pleased I've finally found a good use for it.

5) Pub quiz tonight, which I'm hoping will help me shake off my rather low mood. It's not really surprising that I'm feeling a bit sad, but it would be nice to cheer myself up for a while.

Have a good evening, everyone.

Chickenopolis

Good evening all !

Ampersand - the wanderer returns . The piece of glass sounds intriguing - is it Swedish art glass ?? Clearly not Medina as you would know it in an instant. It sounds as if you were actually within a mile or two from my home , where you would be most welcome at any time .

Mcculloch - I love Beth , she is sooo pretty.

BoP - you scoff yourself senseless- you and the Harris deserve it I would draw the line at 99p horselasagne.

5 for today

1. Work was ok - busy , yet bitty and I sense that in the not too distant future the management structure will implode - as no bu**er makes any decisions.

2. Out on a site visit tomorrow -thank goodness, although the subject matter will be difficult for the company to swallow.

3.Beautiful day here Shame I had to go to work.

4. Terrier was abducted by OH and was waiting for me in my house when I got in from work.

5.Fakeaway prawn satay for tea - with cheapo peanut butter and half a tin of coconut milk which has been lurking in the fridge that is probably older than I am :rotfl:

Have a lovely evening all !







.

Purple_kitten

Ampersand: Wow that sounds like quite an art exhibit, and an amazing amount raised. This time last year I was spending the weekend right by the Royal Military Canal, Rye was beautiful there is also a little hidden gem of an eat in fish and chip shop there in the high street which is recommended. I love Dungeness I think it’s got amazing character but a lot of people seem to dislike it.
Mucollouch: A lovely photo.
Chicken: Hope you survive dinner:rotfl:

The Easter break and today has made both DH and I realise we need a proper break rather soon. We have booked one in today for June, staying in the UK but away from it all, something to look forward to thou.

1.Booked in a break away in June.:j
2.Worked from home and it was work.:(
3.Butcher bacon off cuts and last of the salad sandwich for lunch for DH and I.:p
4.DH working on the “Old Gold Van”
5.The MSE seeds arrived and I swear DH is more excited than me, thou there appear to be rather a lot.:cool:
6.Received tickets to a steam fair weekend in May.:D
7.The animals are being all cuddly.
8.Signed and sent off my work extension.
9. Topped and tailed our very tiny bathroom. It’s the length of a bath and 6ft across but still nice it’s clean now.:cool:
10. Couple of washing loads done and the birds/wildlife are re-stocked, swear they were watching me do it as they found it in mins.

Frith

McC - what a lovely dog!

Ampersand - glad you are back but your time away was very exciting. I have only ever been to Sussex once, back in 1995. I stayed in Pevensey and worked on a dig at the castle. I didn't have a car and we only had one day off in the fortnight we were there and we spent that day in Brighton :-)

Glad BoP is OK.

Here are my pleasures for today so far. Another busy one without children!

1) Woke at about 10. :-)

2) Think bigger son's bus pass has come in the post but it has his name on the envelope so I shall wait for him to open it.

3) Went into Worcester with my sister. Did the second hand shops (well, I did, she doesn't really like them). Got 3 t shirts, nice weighty cotton ones. I've noticed I wear a bit of a uniform of trousers, sensible T shirts and woolly jumpers. Can't wear anything that isn't cotton or has rustly flouncy bits *shudder* Also got a thick cardigan.

Had lunch there - a bowl of soup and a sandwich for £5.

4) Popped to mum and dad's to borrow a chisel.

5) Came back and started to get the reclaimed bricks for the forthcoming re-pointing. What a horrible job. And standing in the snow as well! The bricks come from an old outhouse down the field and today each brick was taking about 10 minutes to come loose from what is left of the wall there. I only got 10 good ones and need about 30 altogether.

6) Phoned sons and they are happy.

7) Very tasty tea. Baked 2 sweet potatoes in the oven and did a pile of mushroom goulash. Remembered to get some smoked paprika while I was out, rather than the ordinary stuff.

8) Mended the pipe that had come loose outside the kitchen window. Yesterday all the washing machine water went across the patio instead of down the drain. At least it washed some of the snow away.

9) Beautiful weather this evening. I had all the windows open til about 7.30.

10) Have cleaned all the floors and tidied up.

11) Just lit the stove and am sitting by it waiting for Holby. :-)

villagelife

Mine for the past couple of days.

1.Good day at work - got loads of little bits done.

2. DS2 started a job for a week before going back to uni.

3. DS2 bedroom almost finished.

4. Some decluttering done.

5. Some mending done.

Skint_yet_Again

1. wow I'm loving reading all your pleasures, the adventures of ampersand & even about BoP's 'arris

Mcculloch - your daughters springer is delightful

2. managed to get the weekly shop without too much trouble with leg but felt exhausted when got home. Managed to come in under budget though

3. afternoon nap ....not how I had imagined spending easter week off work but I obviously needed it

4. chocolate digestives .... 2 jumped in my mouth after I awoke from my nap

5. jacket potatoes and beans for tea when DS gets back from his driving lesson. I can smell them baking now... nom nom