5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

Frith

That sounds good, Ampersand. I am teaching GCSE maths for the next month, in extremely short and tense bursts to a year 11 student who is not far from me as I type.... :-/ He says they have spent 2 years chatting in class. We have done algebra so far and will tackle trigonometry next. My theory is, if you can answer every possible question in those 2 topics, you have passed GCSE maths as the rest is common sense...


I will also be teaching English Literature, which is hard going as I haven't actually read the Sign of 4 yet! And a bit of History. Science he will have to manage himself and we have decided to write off French. I should think he has done 2 hours of revision altogether so far and he thinks that is too much.


It has been a week of teenagers being demanding, then the teenager not demanding anything at that particular second whining about the other one getting too much attention.


Anyway, pleasures for today:


1) Not a bad sleep.


2) Smaller son had a day off today (I can't imagine having 5 minutes to myself ever again at the moment). We've written a witness statement about the bullying he gets at lunchtime, purely for being a pupil in a communication centre within a mainstream school. Meeting about it tomorrow.


3) Tried to sort smaller son's former Child Trust Fund out again (it's the 10 Labours of Hercules). Drove nearly to Birmingham this time, with marriage certificate, divorce certificate and deed poll as it is in my married name and they won't close it until they have changed my name. (Then it will go in Halifax's child ISA for more interest). Nice man looked at all my documents. Now it has to go to their head office and they will look at it for 10 working days before sending it back with my new name on. Then I can apply for a statement. Then I can take the statement to Halifax!


4) Had a sneaky Subway for lunch.


5) Sons had their hair cut.


6) Watched the last episode of Mutiny with bigger son.


7) In bed with 1hwb and might watch Holby now.


8) Used my plant pot maker to form 30 little pots from newspaper for my courgettes and pumpkins.

ampersand

Frith - yet again, all admiration to you. All you post is another brimful Shirley Hughes illustrated volume :-), less so sometimes for you living it, than for we readers.

May & be around long enough for those sons to utterly recognise what a brilliant upbringing you've given them.

Frith

Some more good news - local bridge is up and running.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-39729952

mhagster

& another one to add to the don't undersell your skills brigade. DD1 helps 2 local boys with their homework once a week and is paid handsomely...and occasionally with eggs too! She is 'cheap at half the price' a properly qualified teacher would be but their mum is happy with the service she gives and it all just kind of makes sense to the boys ,how she teaches them.

It's Friday , hurrah and all that. Work was quiet....gah! I don't like quiet. The owner was in and he bought me a latte....didn't have the heart to tell him I don't like either coffee or milk! It was a very kind gesture though! He was showing me photos of his son and his very pretty wife. He moved to Australia 4 years ago from Shangai.


Sunflowers were the choice of flower for me this week. In my bedroom.

Popped in to the op shop next to florist and came away with a pair of jeans ( having just got rid of a bag of trousers last week) , a lovely jumper and a channelling my inner granny , but it's rather chilly in the shop first thing, orange fleece gilet.

Dog walk. Chats with neighbour and 'neighbour' who works across the road.

Nice text from our pain doctor .She had been up on our ward and had seen the music therapist with his guitar and just wanted to let me know she was thinking of both OH & I. 8 weeks have just so quickly passed. I did try and aim for being a bit more focused this week but don't think I'm quite ready yet! I realise, though, I am still achieving to keep on top of paperwork, continued form filling ,responding to emails of business variety. I'm managing to be nice to people for 3 hours each day at work and being paid to do so. My children are fed and clean clothed. My dog is walked and loved. So maybe that's just enough for now.

Everyone at various times ( including the dog) piled on my bed chatting as I reclined! Amongst other things talking about donating OH's many clothes ( he did like his clothes) to the homeless charity that the house which DD2 is in at school supports. They have a winter clothes drive and I'm sure ( having had chats with OH before) they will be of benefit to others rather than lying in a chest of drawers. We would rather someone was warm and dry over winter . It's not happening right now but will be coming up soon and gives us the chance to help others.

Birthday chats with friend's daughter first thing her morning back home. Much excitement about her gifts.

Tea will be fridge leftovers.

Have a good day x

LaineyT

Some pleasures for the last few days,

Lovely garage in village fitted new battery same day after Mac the mini refused to start.

Cold, sleety weather in EA, pleasure of switching heating on when required and watching the dogs cosying up to the radiator.

Snowing? no apple blossom blowing across lawn.

So route of Tour of Britain will pass by bottom of our drive, my darling Dad was keen amateur cyclist and Lainey was brought up on exploits of Mr E Merckx et al so excitement at this news.

DN has been accepted as apprentice at local football club, immense pride in his tunnel vision determination since small boy, it's been his only dream. Suspect heart will burst with pride to see him run onto pitch at the club we as a family have supported for years.

Capt S's birthday yesterday so delicious lunch out at pub in nearby village followed by afternoon of Yahtzee, did I let him win because of the day.....

& we have been enjoying the P Temple play currently on R4x so also caught the M Ryland
program, inspiring to hear, am sure you will excel in own endeavours.

side saddle DFV never tried but always wanted to, darling equine pal had broad enough back but lacked the elegance needed to pull it off :rotfl: will be interested to hear how you get on.
No hugs Frith but as always admiration in your parenting skills.

Skint_yet_Again

mhagster wrote: »

I did try and aim for being a bit more focused this week but don't think I'm quite ready yet! I realise, though, I am still achieving to keep on top of paperwork, continued form filling ,responding to emails of business variety. I'm managing to be nice to people for 3 hours each day at work and being paid to do so. My children are fed and clean clothed. My dog is walked and loved. So maybe that's just enough for now.

Mhags I think you are managing amazingly well. Be kind to yourself, no one is expecting you to be superwoman .... but you are a supermum x



Frith ... another supermum, I bet you now wonder how you ever had time to go to work


Pleasures for Thursday


1. last day at work till next tuesday
2. covered my car and no need to scrape frost of the windscreen in the morning
3. afternoon snooze (had been awake since 4.10am ! )
4. night out with friends lovely chat and laughter
5. curry night at wertherspoons cheap and cheerful nom nom

mhagster

frith just wondering if you've set up special provisions for number one son to do his exams? Will school be accomodating?

I'm trying not to pull my hair out ( as I need it!) but slightly frustrated at bureaucracy.

I'd informed UK bank that OH had died 4 weeks ago...it seems they have a duty of care to see if I still want an overdraft (nah) and have lettered me 2 weeks ago. As post takes ages to come here it will be another week or so before that arrives, anyway, spoke to a very nice chap , from the bereavement team ( unlike the nasties out here!) who has dealt with it and account should go to being joint to single by start of next week.

Have emailed all the pension companies involved ( there are far too blooming many....even though OH only had 2 main jobs with various promotions over the years, the companies would change hands and introduce a new pension scheme each time or pension company has been swallowed up by another company. I just want to know all my very personal documents got there in one piece.

Sigh! Anyway, enough for the day!

ETA : thanks skint mrs LW. I just feel my days lack the focus that they did and I kind of just drift along , rather aimlessly at times. I don't know what to expect at this stage...never done it before! I don't have high expectations , I know I could not be dealing with full time work right now , I'm fortunate that by being canny I can afford to just be doing very part time for now. X

[Deleted User]

My goodness Mhags, you're an absolute inspiration to all of us at just how well you've dealt with the past couple of years, let alone the past eight weeks. Just enough M'dear? Oh so much more than that you are AMAZING!!!

1) Big old apple tree on the front lawn is just beginning to think about coming into bloom, hopefully the next few days will be warm enough to tempt out the bees too so giving us a reasonable harvest come the autumn.

2) I'm making 'bendy veg' soup on the hob to use up the last odds and bods that were in the fridge drawer, smells beautifully savoury.

3) The polytunnel is 28 degrees if you go and stand in there.....sometimes it's the only warm place on the planet.....so I DO!

4) Going swimming when He Who Knows gets back from the allotment.

5) Have lost another half kilo, weight is now slow to creep off BUT still going gradually HOORAH!

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

5 Yesterday as you are aware, BoP gave it max at the Dentist. Well his next appointment has come through. You’ll not see me until mid-November at the earliest. Now as I mentioned on the parish to steer clear of the foamed drinks. This is what happens when you eat and drink properly. Got It? I’ll just get my fruit out, proper food, have my cup of tea and a cake of Jaffa. Not that syrup up glucose coffee cake with foamed coffee. That is how you can stay healthy just like good old BoP. Proof inn the puddings! Please do not forget to send the old fivers to BoP before 5th May. I will liquidate them for you.

4 And on proper foods, tonight is HoSoMing Chinese Prawns again. Proper food, not the benny type rice that has been protected from the atmosphere for eons, we will have fresh egg fried rice. And here is the recipe for HoSoMing Prawns.

Also rice is of the long grain variety not that bascarpi type. That has to be one of the biggest rip offs ever, as it is only partially of that carp rice and mostly long grain as well. And they charge you a fortune for it, just like the saffron rice. Avoid.

This week the prawns will be battered, using proper fresh batter, 1 medium egg, 3oz of plain flour and 5 fl oz of fresh milk. Prawns will be fresh, not them pink ones you see inn the emporiums. Drain and washed. Place prawn inn bath of flour, mustard powder, English not that Djoin carp, and a bit of hot chilli powder. When dusted, wash in batter. Put on open flame stove, never more than 13/3 full of oil, a suitable pan. Fry the prawns until golden. Drain and put in to big plate.

While doing that, boil proper rice in hot water, drain and wash with hot water. In pan, mix egg and milk together. Place egg into pan and scramble, until soft. Take off heat. In other pan use left over bits, such as the bottom of the fridge bits, likes of finely chopped onions, toms, peas and mushroom. Add soy sauce, little, mix up and then add rice. Toss quickly and add scramble egg. Whip out onto plate next to the prawns.

HoSoMing Sauce
OK bit of cheat here, and it is on offer as well. Sauce such as sweet and sour! Usual BoP rules, make sure it is on offer! Otherwise, two limes, squirted, bit of jam, non strawberry, to colour. Add flakes of chili, garlic and two tablespoon of soy sauce. Got it. Now the bottom of fridge bits all chopped, toenail style. Put into red hot pan, Toss around a bit. Add little soy sauce. When wilted, toss on sauce.

Please note this dish only Serves 1 as it is far tooooooooo good to share! Also if you add spinach, one of your five a day and rich sauce of iron, Think PopEye!, certainly gives it a jolly good whack! Now you know how BoP stays so beach ready as well.

3 Still at mill all hours of the day. See posts in parish passim. Don’t you not love the tax man! Fortunately he can take a flying leap for his money until Sunday. I’ll take the extra in interest at the bank. Remember the old fivers. BoP needs these wobbleade chits now!

2 Nite. I am thinking live games night, we has not had one for a while. Good news is that BoPsie is now only one win away from the chance of going for two on the bounce. More later!

And at last my comrade in arms, Marine A is free. A thing lost in the transcript was
‘Does anyone here want to give this idiot first aid’
I’ll leave the answer to you thoughts.
Note to Mods, this is what was heard in the video regarding Marine A. It was after the fire fight. Not some after thought days later. Hence the use of the word idiot. That person would had taken one or maybe more of our men out without a care.

VJsmum

Not getting drawn on Marine A - that's all....


Mhags - remember what Ampersand said, Face Accept Float and Let Time pass (FAFL, I believe). I guess you're at Float, 8 weeks is NOTHING, I know that from when mum went. You, and your children, are amazing

Hello from ICT


Yesterday's pleasures

1. OH's hangover not too bad, and he had remembered our wedding anniversary. 26 years :T I got flowers
2. we went out for lunch - he had to go to choir practice (he can only miss a certain number) but that was fine.
3. DS seems in a better mood - he has given up sugar and it was making him grumpy
4. Watched episode 2 of Hinterland - I am beginning to think that ICT and environs are rather dangerous :rotfl:. Like living in Midsomer
5. THe birds have finally found my nuts

off for a walk by the beach. have a lovely day.