5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

CCP

Thanks all for the kind wishes for my sister - our parents are going to visit her in hospital today (the visit has been planned for weeks and was meant to be lunch and an exchange of Christmas presents, which obviously won't be happening now ) so I hope to know a bit more about what's happening soon.

VJsmum wrote: »

I can't write in ink. My handwriting looks shocking. It is OK in ballpoint though. Odd. A colleague described my writing as like a primary school teachers (sorry, Kittikins ) so maybe it isn't "script" enough.

Oh, me too! When I was at junior school they went through a stage of insisting that everyone wrote with a fountain pen - I was the only person in the class permitted to use a ballpoint pen instead as, no matter how hard I tried with a fountain pen, I just ended up covered in ink and with a smudged, unreadable mess on the page.

ampersand wrote: »

4. About to have slice of defrosted h/m carrot and walnut cake avec green tea.

I read your post on my phone and saw that as a HAM, carrot and walnut cake, which I can't say appealed to me!

sparrer

Hope the poorlies get well now, those who have gone AWOL will be able to return very soon.

CCP am saying prayers daily for a positive outcome for your sister.
mhags you get the pleasure of seeing DD2 in all her new finery - what better gift could you want from her?!
DD thanks to your DM there's an idea budding in my head for future celebrations. Loving her choice of gifts
DFV your choice of gift is also very novel, and bound to be very much appreciated
PK pleased the physio is going well, didn't want to comment on acupuncture before you experienced it as when I had it the practitioner was so involved in telling me about her rowing achievements she put the needles in the wrong hand/arm :eek:. Glad I wasn't paying!
Frith get well now. Meantime enjoy the comfort of bed, somewhere I never go in the daytime unless I'm not well, then it's wonderful
Broomstick everying x'ed for the allotment, you'll love growing your own and reaping the very tasty rewards.
vicky re skype - I'm going to install it so I can speak with my friend when she gets to NZ, sounds a wonderful system
ampersand whenever do you get time to read?! You'll always so on the go I imagine you dashing hither and thither with shopping basket in one hand and book in the other
Kittikins pleased you have a nice organised teacher next term. Well done DD on her two-handed achievement :T
VJsmum free pain au chocolat is the very tastiest kind
BoP re the waterman - on my first visit overseas when DF was based in Juffair the water boy had to carry huge containers up six flights of stairs to the apartment - had forgotten about that until you mentioned it. I was 13 and he was dark and intriguing - thanks for the memory....;)

1. Wednesday's fellowship social was attended by almost 50 people, tables were groaning with food to start with and cleared by the end of the evening. very gratifying that my chilli went first:)
2. New map of the world oilcloth tablecloth arrived on which I'll mark all the places I've visited in red and those yet to go to in gold.
3. a lovely peaceful afternoon yesterday with a very serene friend who makes all my concerns fade over a cup of EG, a piece of hm fruit cake and a beautiful little white feather-edged cyclamen. What a thoughtful lady
4. Surveys coming in thick and fast today, already earned £12 in Paypal payments
5. Did I mention DS is coming this evening for the weekend? So looking forward to seeing him, the last time was at his graduation in July, now he's on the road, literally, to a super career with the ambulance service. Proud mum

Have a sunny day whatever the weather

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Haradh. KSA. The water came in 5 gallon jerries. Ten at a time. Would last between 5 of us, three days.

Right, had a Hedgehog day and got all prickly. Now I am on a Turtle Day, swimming along nicely.

I am going to introduce a Sin Bin, next to the Heads I think. Anyone interested?

Tite, Apron ready. Here we go! Back the morrow with tales of wooooo

ampersand

ccp- THAT would be one of Mrs Doyle's for Father Ted, but googled and look:
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=836268
Missing ingredient:ham

vjm and ccp - I'm hopeless with skiddy-everywhere biro's. Equations do balance...
which also means I'll have your mushrooms, pk, if any are left over.

Gosh bop - is Raffles to patrol the sinbin? Scary prospect. Is the scale of charges up anywhere yet?

sparrer- you'll love skype.

broomstick - hope you turn your first allotment turves this year. In under a fortnight, you can think, 'ours, since last year...' as you plan and scan garden !!!!!! online. V. satisfying.

dfv - I've made this for years-and mse posted in 2008:o:
Potage Flamande(serves 4-6 minimum)
[a good seasonal one atm, from Delia's Frugal Food, recommend this book entirely]
3/4lb potatoes / 2 leeks/ 3/4lb brussels sprouts / 2oz butter / 3/4pt stock / 1pt milk / 2tbsps top milk or cream / salt / freshly milled black pepper / squeeze of lemon juice / 4 rashers streaky bacon, rinded and grilled crisp.

#Peel and slice potatoes.
#Halve leeks lengthwise, then chop crosswise in chunks, wash thoroughly.
#Trim and peel sprouts if necessary. Halve the small ones; quarter the large ones.
#Melt butter in a large saucepan.
#Add all the veges and stir, coating well in the melted butter.
#Cover and cook gently for 5mins, then add stock and milk.
#Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook gently for 20-25 mins, or until the potatoes are soft.
#Liquidise or sieve, add top of milk or cream, reheating very gently.
#Taste, season, add lemon juice, then crumble crispy bacon on each serving.

Cheap, sumptuous and sublime first course which also freezes well.
:hello: to all absentees.

CCP

I'll start with a late pleasure from last night, if I may - one of my pub quiz team-mates asked the subject of the essay I'm writing (or, more accurately, failing to write ), so I told him. The stunned face and mutter of "well, I did ask..." were suitably amusing! (My sister's opinion on Euripides, BTW, was "the problem is, even the happy bits are bl00dy miserable" - and she likes his plays! :rotfl:)

And for today:

1) I hadn't heard anything further about the present I received from a student's mother, so I decided to take that as permission to keep it. Just in case it wasn't, my colleagues and I disposed of the evidence - the chocolates are all eaten, and the fizzy wine is in my fridge waiting to be turned into buck's fizz for a luxury Sunday breakfast.

2) Managed to get up to town at lunchtime, to get some batteries for the lights on the office Christmas tree, and back inside before the drizzle turned into proper rain.

3) Had to turn the CH right down when I got home as it was far too warm in the flat - very :money:.

4) Nice OU tutor has given me another extension on my essay deadline as I'm getting nowhere fast with it, so I can have a lazy evening this evening before trying again tomorrow.

5) Decided I fancied pizza for dinner (tbh it's rare for me to not fancy pizza ), so I bought a couple of A$da ones on SO - much cheaper than a takeaway. :money:

Broomstick

Evening all.

Five pleasures for Friday:

1. Went outside this evening and the hooty owls were noisy so just as an experiment I tried hooting back and they replied, then I replied then they replied... I'm sure we were having a conversation. I didn't keep going very long because I didn't want a) to scare them off for good or b) to invite an amorous suitor over! but it made me laugh. I sense some research into Tawny Owl calls coming on.

2. My DSs gave me an ipod shuffle for my birthday a little while back and I've sorted out how to subscribe to podcasts. Very pleased with my technological self. :T

3. Ate a bowl of mystery veg soup #1 from the freezer for lunch. Quite exciting not knowing what it would be. Very tasty. Am baking all the remaining frozen fish fillets and cooking most of the oven chips and more frozen veg for supper ready for when DSs get back from the gym. Had to eat the final choc ice to free up a bit more space. Freezer's looking emptier.

4. Had a steady stream of wise men bearing gifts show up at the door this afternoon courtesy of most of the delivery vans in the area. Loads of parcels arrived and all the blokes were smiley, happy and chatty. How pleasant!

5. Managed to get through the whole day without having the heating on. Suspect I'll pop it on for a few hours when the DSs get back.

Sweet dreams
B x

VickyA_2

DigForVictory - my nearest Asda is 14 miles away but Tesco is just under a mile. I've got my eyes on booze for Christmas 2014... Or food.

sparrer - Skype really is amazing. I often have my cousin's little girls waving and wanting to show me their works of art.

Today has been the final day of my trampolining course so I am now qualified to teach basic trampolining in school. (no somersaults at this stage!)

So, my 5 for today:

1) Spent far too long on Pinterest, getting ideas for presents, food and general "stuff"! I love Pinterest...

2) DH is making Chicken Tagine for supper using a Hairy Dieters recipe! NOTE: DH and not me!!! :j :j I have gin.... and tonic!

3) More books sorted. I have a stack which I haven't looked at for the past couple of years, so I'll offer them to a friend before donating to a charity shop.

4) DH bought enough coriander for his recipe to sink a few ships. Just checking out recipes to use up the rest. I quite fancy just a simple Carrot and coriander soup to put in the freezer.

5) erm, to be honest I've had a teensy bit too much gin and tonic, so I'm going to flick through the Christmas Radio Times and circle what I want to watch (and then find so many clashes that I get depressed!).

Night all.

Kittikins

1. Yippee! I have now officially passed my first teaching placement, have the report to prove it


2. Lovely presents and card from my class and they liked their little gifts too


3. I didn't cry!


4. Lovely Christmas present from my favourite child (I can say that now I'm not teaching her, lol).


5. That lovely feeling, knowing that I don't have anything to plan this weekend!


6. NSD


7. An early night! Was tucked up in bed by 8pm and am nice and cosy

DundeeDoll

congrats kittikins on your pedagogical wings
sparrer dm glad to be of inspiration
lfs the joys of baths
vickya shall rename you tigger!
bop one quiz question was colour of triple word square
On the 13 th day of advent my dm gave to me a lindt father xmas wot i have now scoffed nom nom
1) after last night's office outing everyone else late in. I had a blissful hour of marking undisturbed
2) ran for bus (not easy in heels i have discovered!) and nice bus driver waited for me
3) meeting followed by very nice free lunch. Sarnies, green salad and sun dried tomatoes. Good chat with academics from abertay
4) lift back then 2 meetings. The 2nd was brill. He and i totally agree on characters of colleagues :-) ended up having a right giggle
5) unexpected lift home then walked dogs up to mum's who invited me for impromptu supper. She cooked while i took dawgs home, then back for food, wine and much laughter :-)

DigForVictory

DD - Your advent calendar still filled with delicious and intriguing surprises - well done both you & your mum! (My photo a day lark working, just, & pleasing Granny if not sons!) Hurrah your pub quiz went well! You have run in heels, enjoyed a free lunch, meetings with chuckles & then home cooking? Yippee!
mhagster - congrats on diary, fingers crossed fruit & veg shop say yes, & money burns young fingers, poor things!
lovefullshelves - short bath better than no bath. (Turmeric along incision?) Well done offspring letting you rest & you on getting ASDA to mop up after OH...!
CCP - Still holding sister (and you & now your parents) in my heart. Please chalk me onto the not really safe with a pen list - began poking a keyboard so young & both parents doctors... Lovely to watch faces change at classic Greek lit! Hide the evidence! Right alongside you for ASDA pizza...
sparrer - Hismelf is happy as a pig in mud at idea of shortsword blade. Hence wood & sheepskin researches! Map of the world tablecloth? Wonderful! Feather edged cyclamen? Sounds beautiful. Big hug to DS and his "big yellow taxi" from a small someone who appreciates his & his colleagues' work!
BoP - a turtle day sounds wonderful! (Desperate for a Hibernation day, m'self, but will take what I can get...)
ampersand - mug has arrived, bless you & thank you, and can shine by a row of bowls of leek & spud flamande a la ampersand!
Broomstick - by all means hoot to owls! I bleat to sheep, and when on form, can bemuse lambs as I have the interval correct... Hurrah for ipod skills, mystery soup & nice men bearing gifts!
VickyA - booze & food are good reasons to keep it local. Lugging the booty home over 14 miles takes serious effort. DH making chicken tangine?! Can I send my lads over for lessons? Must go through the RT and mark it up also (then cancel the subscript) - thank you for the reminder!
Kittikins - CONGRATULATIONS! Tuck up & enjoy the happy wooze of "Dunnit!"

OS Pleasures
Headed back into class more more vigorous mental exercise! Good teachers are worth their weight in rubies. (I gather that's even more expensive than gold.)

Some virtuous child has moved Costco block of loo roll to a more sensible location - bless him!

Son plying me with tea. Clearly two days hard in the classroom has left me looking in sore need of it! (Kittikins, you & your colleagues are wonderful people & much appreciated. Please don't take it wrong when, if in a stuffy classroom on a Friday, heads droop?!)

Lots of pretty Christmas cards! (OhGods, still need to do ours.) Still, pretty!

Happy bickering over what is wanted for Christmas. Weapons & models & paints & glues & books - boys are *blessedly* straightforward.


Great big hugs to all who need them, strong liquor/ decotions of ginger/ pots of tea for the rounding up & chasing out of pesky germs & not much longer to go, hallelujah.