5 OS Pleasures in your Day Today part 2

DigForVictory

RL manic. I do hope summer holidays mean we can all slow down a bit. Father off driving for a bit (fell off a table [decluttering can be perilous]), Mother in surgery (again [needs more metal in ankle as previous bit cracked within days]), eldest starting fortnight's Work experience (old folks home - I worry for them [and him, but them more]), middleson on National Citizenship Service (& loving it), youngest on school trip to Blackpool (*odd* reward for virtue, I'd've thought but he's pleased [& clutching my emergency tenner, dashit]) I'm back from travelling like a demented thing - Birmingham, Carlisle, Doncaster. My driving licence photo expired (ahem years ago) & the replacement has gone AWOL in the post, we have the funds to get the shower fixed (at last!) but it's so filthy no stranger may look on it & yet noone is cleaning it. Bah - onto your pleasures

Frith - hoping tooth better/fixed/at the very least Not Too Painful
Mhagster - so sorry DD2 has Wrong Man trouble amidst everything else, but hallelujah Haggis!
VJsmum - am kermit green with envy. Still, if I really wanted I could save up for passport & plane ticket - just aiming for sidesaddle lesson first.
dundeedoll - am awed at your universe where work happens and travel happens & glorious food happens - suspect am not seeing a lot of paddling underneath!
laineyT - most female owners of spaniels have a slightly harassed look unless critter on short leash & cooperating for treats - or have I misunderstood spaniels (let alone their owners) shamefully?
& appalled at what is being done to Spits but suspect fire (3rd time, frankly suspect arson) at Camden will bump both stalls and visitors.
kittikins - a donkey foal is a very special treat.
BoP - five egg omlette?! Which bird? Ortolan or Emu?!
Mrs LW - did He How Knows *catch* the salmon for supper or just enjoy a day fishing (ah peaceful coolth) then swing by the appropriate vendor to assure ongoing entente cordiale?
house elf - the lads love Will Smith too, but in the whopteedo forgot the Fourth. (Instead I am to sort a Poldark-fest so they can all catch up together?!)
MandM90 - be welcome to come & enjoy MI3, 4 & 5 chez Dig - the lads love a bit of daft fun & MI is high up their menu for same!
mila - double shot margaritas & water guns sound a blissful summer. May all the remodelling come in one eventual time, under budget & be worth all the effort!
To anyone not yet mentioned, my apologies but see grouch about RL above.

OS Pleasures in the last fortnight?!
Real Chatham hemp rope *smells*. But it makes splendid slow match. (Yes, we did buy it to burn it, amongst other hobbies. The length of manilla is hanging in a tree in the back garden though.)

Anticipate orderly queues at IKEA & Lidl now Which? have vouched for their rechargeable Ladda & disposable Aerocell batteries... [Have been told firmly we have enough & still doubt!]

Blimey some days you just can't leave a charity shop empty handed! Son looking heroically martyred as handed the car keys & a big box of wrapped china. [He's now safe in the library, shrewd lad.]

Once again, when a cream cake is needed, the youngest has a sharp eye. "It's a bit pretentious" he opined (Belgian chocolate, fudge and double cream, yes, but yellow stickered & full of vital restorative carbohydrates!)

A new bag for life design at Tesco, in the same style as Spag Bol & Victoria sponge, chicken Caesar salad - pleasingly green!

In this house, when a child pads past with a jar of unidentified goo, you either muster up nerve to ask "what's that?" Or you smile encouragingly & nail your imagination to the floor. It's a bit fraught. This morning, in the bird chirping largely sleeping coolth, son turned out to be carrying linseed oil & riffled the rag bin for suitable sized pieces to rub the handles of tools he's been working on. Relief, pride & tea are a good mix to start the day on!

Heh. Turns out scout beads, YouTube & a fearsome spike *can* splice a hefty chunk of rope. I have since unraveled several metres of sisal to whip the manila monster, & am enjoying the young heaving & cursing (in turn, ahem) over the whipping.... I still want tea rather than grog.

New design of Waitrose bags for life due in nearby emporium soon - I look forward to seeing the new patterns! (I have blissful Simple pleasures some days!) [A reprint of the seagull & capsicum design, ah well.]

Son is valeting Mum's Taxi that I do not shame him shuttling his harem around. [For a very finite value of valeting, harrumph!]

It's true - you do regret the things you Didn't do. Two (Mormon) Elders, leaving Tesco & I could have invited then to join me for a cup of herb tea & talk of food storage & I just didn't get the nerve together. Dashit. [The Costa had closed anyway. Perhaps this was not meant to be at this time.]

Waved hullo to tailor! I am indeed working odd hours but then Training always was a bit odd.

Argh - 11 PCs to reach 12 trainees - but after the hair tearing setup, one trainee never showed up! Everyone diligent so far. Us trainers included.

Watching a small Chinese boy, out for a meal with his family, fascinated by the way his napkin unfolded, getting larger & larger & more fun with every curious investigative nudge.

Golly! Steamed liquid gold buns - a sort of sweet dim sum with an amazing inside of salted custard - astonishing & delicious!

Back in my hills with livestock around me & the breeze in my hair - gods it is *good* to be home. Tomorrow I'll journey again, but with the family not solo & for the raw fun of it.

Hugely enjoying the "circus minimus" at Carlisle awaiting the Roman cavalry exhibition. Oh my word, what a show is this Turma! Just *brilliant* stuff! I do love history & horses & this had Loads of Both.

"I am not upset" "Well, doesn't that take all the fun out of cruelty?" - truly the Master gets all the best lines. [Dr.Who]

Having one of those lateral Mondays - just can't park straight so left them my keys & respects!

Sunburn from watching cavalry has my forehead stiff! Odd feeling. [and now peeling, despite unguents, bah!]

Team bonding trip turned out brilliantly - only our half of the team there & thus gleeful chirps and deeply satisfying thunks as we had a go with crossbows! No management, no "team building exercises" & the report will be an heroic work of fiction - which I get to write! Any resemblance to the truth will be largely coincidental...

High-fiving the guy in the carpark, an approaching father held up his hand - so I high-fived him, his (about) 5 year old son & behind them, a former manager (!) amongst much goodwill & laughter.

Lovely teacher at school has found several photos of son & emailed them to me, including the legendary Cornetto in the rain on Geog field trip shot. Bless the dear woman, she absolutely *gets* parents need photos sometimes...

The "awk!" of frustration when a slightly too small cork is not snagged by the corkscrew and gets shoved into the earthenware bottle. I'm scrupulously not giggling, as it turns out the thin plastic bag trick Works!

Brodsworth hall hosted a Victorian Gymkhana and it was glorious - better still, one of the horses was a Turma performer!

Miword - one of the unexpected challenges of motherhood - explaining what a femme fatale is to enquiring teenage male. Phew Wikipedia, though have left him to research "stock character"!

Spotted a Burger King voucher panel in the Metro (mother of teenagers) & also that many were still on the stack - passed both nuggets on to small animal rescue colleague (who tidies stray newspaper away for comforting said small animals) & found she'd carefully clipped & left the vouchers for me (& my thumping great teenagers)!

Right. Whether you neeed a parasol or a brolly, hwbs or a reliable breeze, a nice hot cuppa or a long cold Pimms, or all of the above, may they be near to hand and the very best of British Luck to all.

[Deleted User]

Sadly not D for V, I only wish there was a river here where you could even 'see' a salmon let alone catch one! He catches crucian carp, tench, roach and once a catfish and puts them back into the lake to live another day but on the plus side I did once get a phone call and pictures of a water vole sitting on his left boot eating some greenery while he was fishing and he gets kingfishers, damsel flies, dragonflies etc and lovely fresh air, what's not to like? Chatham Hemp Rope.....when I left school my very first job was re-victualing at Chatham Dockyard and we were walked round every inch of it including along the rope walk, my first office was actually in the Mould Loft where the Victory was designed, fab memories!

1) He Who Knows caught 23 carp, 6 roach and 3 tench this morning and is going back this evening not to fish but to help the Bailiff cut and clear lake weed, super stuff!

2) Many YS bargains at the Co Op this morning including roast beef offcuts and haddock and cheese fishcakes AND Buffalo Mozzarella for 69p!

3) It's cooled down thank goodness, just after lunch I really thought melting might be a possibility.

4) Wimbledon!

5) Home made soup.

MandM90

1. Treated ourselves to a fancy iced latte yesterday at Heathrow whilst waiting for MIL+FIL - rather than taxi-ing we did their airport runs for their Kenya trip this month, and they will repay us when we go to Spain next month - but obviously it was £££ so not something I want to repeat often. This morning I made a cafetiere of v. strong coffee, decanted into 5 clean jam jars and added soya milk, a squeeze of syrup, drops of vanilla and SHOOK, then chilled. Delish. And v. cheap.




2. Working from home today. Radio 3 on, no inane chatter in background (do love my colleagues but am a grumpy introvert) and ability to do Very Important Things whilst wearing no bra and sporting v. fetching onion-like bun on top of head.
3. Grocery shop this weekend only came to £15. And we walked. Felt very angelic in both money saving and environmental ways. Then of course drove my 2.0l 4X4 to Heathrow and back. Can't win 'em all, eh?
4. House is super clean and tidy because the valuer came on Friday and I decided to pretend that we live like they do in the magazines. Our home still resembles strange non-mucky shiny magazine people and so I am trying to streeeetch this glorious time out. I give it 3 more days before house is covered in bike muck (must get shed built) and dirty laundry.
5. GOING TO HAVE A PATIO PUT IN THIS WEEEEEEK. No more mudpit for garden. We will be super fancy people with a super fancy sandstone patio (thank you, eBay!). Can't wait to drink Pinterest cocktails out of jam jars with my little finger in the air. Currently spend weekends sunbathing in middle of lumpy, weedy unlandscaped garden, feeling like Onslow and Daisy from Keeping Up Appearances.

DundeeDoll

Hmm Dfv not sure if I should comment on my spaniels always coming to heel when called, no treats involved, just in case they have an mse account and take this as a challenge!
Must have switched alarm to snooze. Totally slept through, and so...
1) I can get washed (albeit cold water brrrr) and dressed and out the door in 5 minutes which meant I just squeaked me lift
2) thank goodness for toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant and porridge stashed at work (though sadly no chanel no. 5 so had to go without that essential)
3) Met friend for lunch. Yummy green lentil salad from union shop (no time obvs to pack lunch!)
4) shaved 10 mins off google maps suggested time of 45 mins (last week was 8 minutes off)
5) lovely evening at mum's with dd2. Scrummy supper and Wimbledon.
Mr piano has made me Moroccan couscous and steak for tomorrow. I suspect a very very long day as doing final going through PhD student's thesis before submission. Can you see my legs madly swimming dfv?

Frith

Pleasures for today (Monday)

1) Learning that the dozens of Severn Trent tankers ploughing past for 4 days have in fact been filling a tiny underground reservoir down the road as we haven't been connected to the mains since last week as a huge pipe had burst several miles away! We knew the water had been off intermittently and had very low pressure but not that the whole village had been using what was being brought in by lorry. (We get supply interruptions frequently as the pump that sends it up the hill is always breaking).

2) Smaller son OK at school. Bigger son went out with his friends on his bike all day.

3) No water from 9-1 today so went to mum and dad's for a cup of tea.

4) Hens OK.

5) Tidied the garden, swept up and watered pots.

6) Did various admin jobs, washing, hoovering, cleaned car out again.

7) When bigger son came home we went down to the Severn and he swam across. Not something he would recommend as the current is very strong. It is OK (for him) at the moment as it is not more than 6 feet deep at any point so you can just put your feet down if you are being swept away.

8) Going to listen to I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue now.

Purple_kitten

I am about to have a good ol read and catch up on here in the meantime..
1 We are back from one of the best breaks in the UK.
2 Weather was wonderful throughout and the few days of overcast showers were a welcome break.
3 Reconnected with nature, butterflies everywhere, when falling asleep the sound of the birds chatting. Kites, Buzzards and being able to see a few kingfishers my favourite.
4 Back safe and sound with the animals going loopy in the rather overgrown garden.
5 Just about to hang out a second load on the line.

ampersand

1>big numbers, as many as you decide. Just in from wonderful, in-all-things-glorious, Spookymen's Chorale night concert. Just as well, as memory bank goodies will be likely overdrawn after day of considerable pooh, last bit severe.

2. 6 bells this mor...no, now yesterday...made 4 jars of excellent lemon curd from the reliable old enzed Edmonds recipe: zest and juice of 4 large lemons. [Like mhags these days, &'s used to having big Meyer lemon trees over-productive in every back yard or front lawn] 4eggs, lightly beaten. 500g butter. 500g sugar. All in a bowl over hot water, stirring until thick. Cover jars when cold.
Extremely lemony and lush.

3. This time tmrw, should be at Dover. Thinking about it is the osp. Nothing done/ready yet, but not remotely concerned, which is another osp.

4. Mowing just done as 6 large, but half-hearted, raindrops fell late-ish arvo. Enzed hometown friends reported back. Town of gown Mr T shut its doors with sudden flooding, asked peeps to remain within as rain was so strong. Knowing friends and our general upbringing/attitudes toward such things, & accepts it was absolutely crazy. They could not leave store, such was force of downpour. Not at &squat, under 10 miles away.

5. Very sorry about Rafa, but hope result ultimately helps Andy. Didn't catch score until Concert's end, when something else happened. There is ever a 'loathe to depart' lingering foyerful post-spookies. All of a sudden came one voice, Spookmeister Stephen's fine one[kiwi, of course], sonorous, low, then others, then the complete SMC treatment, impromptu, of Beach Boys' 'In My Room'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV-dWhYklqE
and they pulled all of us, maybe a dozen, into their circle of singing and beautiful harmonies. Something special happened, a real communion. Beyond lucky. Gracenotes out of nowhere. & will feed on this, recorded on mob., which wasn't crass to do.
#
bop - they hit Stroud ce soir :-). but think you are gone.

They also recorded in one of our Churches today!!! Couldn't believe what I was hearing. & bought a gouache in there yesterday, a keeper, being last Open Studio afternoon for this year in that venue. They also recorded in the Ely Lady Chapel, for a music mag. called 'Sound on Sound'?, so Spookyman thought.
#
Other things, but ça suffit for such an hour as this.
#
Have to close on this, though:
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jul/10/primary-school-children-lose-marks-in-sats-tests-for-mis-shaped-commas

Special treat for all of us, that one :-)
Loved this comment from severnboar, surely bop's grauniad persiflage:
severnboar
I must admit that I spend a lot of time constructing my semi colons. In fact, my question marks have been described as "especially delightful" and have won several prizes, which makes it all seem worthwhile.

~
&edantic bonne nuit, with Chanel no.5, dd. Undressed without, although Tr!sor, or White Linen or Zen sometimes take the strain.

juliettet

Thank you M&M90 for the iced coffee recipe. What syrup did you use?

My 5 for today,
1. Enjoying reading all your posts.
2. Having an hour to myself this morning to look at MSE. Will be called on at lunch to make small talk with International Big Wigs. I know my place!
3. Eating lovely Scandinavian cookies from nice Big Wig.
4. Garden looking good after a couple of hours deadheading and clipping last night.
5. Niece coming for tea tonight. Requested trifle - I will be using tinned custard and I don't care.

BOP, I was an office junior at Lawson & Stockdales and worked there until closure. It was like Grace Brothers. I was not allowed to use the lift and spent the first two years absolutely terrified. Looking back it was a really good place to start and they were terrific when I had to have a long time off ill. The food hall was amazing.Enjoy Steels.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Ok, so last day at mill we tore up some erks cv. Not that I want to, as noted passim, we has just lost a stoker from the boiler room and we need to find another willing slave to take their place. Hot work.
But the grad, after years of education has a relevant background of using all the correct tools, such as pick axe, shovel and oil can. They even managed to get themselves farmed out to a chain gang one summer, where, from reading they were very good at paining white lines! Very good, but what project did you work on, what did you do and more importantly, what did you learn about painting white lines.

Now that is what I interpreted from his introduction. I could want to see him?

But he also worked at an emporium. He goes on how much they enjoyed stacking shelves and working in some dairy department. Fantastic, this filled half your cv, but it was not relevant to much about what we do in the boiler room. Painting white lines could be relevant to the work we do, but you forgot. You have adopted a mailshot approach in the hope that one of us chief stokers manages to see through your disguise.

But you missed out one thing that could have swung it in your favour. You stacked shelves, Good for you. But not speaking to customers , learning to deal with other people, an assisting them is making choices, you blew it.

That cv is now on the bonfire!

Rant over! So except is yous offs to continue schooling, please remember that if you do some work while at school, note the benefits it has taught you.

5 With that, big run of cotton at the mill yesterday, and no. Not really ! Do we paint white lines and use pick axes?, but we make cloth! Well the machine ran to a point unattended! But memory limit was reached. Adjustments are going to have to be made if we are to get the result!

4 BoPsie got some plants yesterday, redcurrant bushes. She is now in the yards sorting them out.

3 As BoPsie got some plants yesterday, we had to nip out to the builders yard to get some compost. While there, BoPsie shot off like a rocket to get some bird seed. I just do not get it, bird seed. I did not realise that she was encouraging the flighty ones inn the yard when Raffles is still an active hunter! In fact, as BoPsie whips out of bed bright and early to get things neat and

2 Night I am in my new pink tutu down the gym in my beach ready body. On that my beach ready body, I was on the look for new briefs to wear on the sands, and saw that the day of crime amaz0n has arrived. Well I has checked out the cost of Lycra and can tell you now, forget it. Its aint cheaper than it was yesterday. Avoid! Standard rules of BoP! Oh, and as for waste, its Tuesday and we hope to see the cheese on toast delivery man on his bike again!

One thing leads to another

Purple_kitten

The front garden was a field of colour as we arrived home, it seems to have gone right this year, but the weather is somewhere between drizzling and downright wet here.
I also got 4 loads of washing sorted and out to dry before much needed bed, thing is the rain caught it before awaking.
The problem with overpacking clothes is you must tidy them away again.

1 I topped and tailed the fridge.:D
2 Dh helped me put our clean bedding on.:p
3 I started on dead heading and weeding but it is bit slow, but the weed killer I put down before we went on the patio does seem to have worked thankfully, but now it’s out there as dead weed to be cleared. :rotfl:
4 When we were away I had a result with CS clothes, thing is they are in my old size and I am 2 sizes smaller, I will still wear them as they are just baggy, but today I was sent an offer for a skirt I had been watching but couldn’t justify at £40 down to £10 I am going to try it in a size 12 and see.
5 Enough leftovers in to not worry about heading shopping until tomorrow, lunch was leftover takeaway bought back, tonight will be veg loaded turkey mince with turmeric brown rice with enough left over available for wraps for tomorrows lunch simmering away as I type.:)
6 The animals are being absolute loons, they were away with us, but love having the relative space and freedom of the house, but one little gal curled up at our feet for a few hours in bed.:cool: