The OS Doorstep - a helpful and supportive thread in these tough times

amber03

NuttyP sounds like you had a perfect day yesterday.

Pooky hope fluffy kitten improves, I know how worrying it can be when your pets are ill,fingers crossed.

Kidcat hope you enjoyed your strawberries, I,ve not got any tomatoes growing yet but have'nt given up hope yet.

Ds3's birthday today had a quiet day just lazying in the sun and then went out for tea. Now relaxing again witha glass of wine.x

Possession

Mrs C what a gorgeous view.
Perfect day today, spent with friends watching a British Wimbledon champion with a delicious BBQ. Heaven.

elona

Kidcat

Some years ago my dad decided to take the rockery stones in our garden to the tip. I then got dh to come with me to retrieve then and replace them. Standing in the bottom of a skip passing the paving stones up to DH was not much fun - and even DH said "are we being petty?"

My trenchant comment was "It is our house - our garden and our decision what we do and if anyone does not like that then tough!"
If someone wants to be helpful and asks us about something then that is fine but if someone rides roughshod over our home and property then that is not fine!!!

I have an entire day in Durham tomorrow - mainly because dd goes on holiday in just over two weeks and her passport has just expired. We have an appointment at noon for a fast track passport and should get home after 7p.m. if we are lucky.

She wants to see the cathedral and I will treat her to lunch and a bit of a mooch around. Annoying that if she had the sense to check when she actually booked the holiday a couple of weeks ago we could have sorted things much easier and cheaper and would not be travelling on one of the hottest days of the year.

As we still don't have our car back after the "person" drove into the back of us a week ago - it is - a bus - the train- a taxi and then the same back home.

kidcat

elona- yep thats about the way we are currently feeling

hope tomorrow goes smoothly for you and isnt too hot

savingqueen

Mrs Chip - what a glorious view, a beautiful blue jewel.

Nutty - your day out sounded so lovely, glad you had a relaxing time with your OH. I know the windmill you mean - I visited it a couple of years ago with my mum and boys before they put the sails on. My parents live only a few miles away from you. I nod along sometimes when you mention places and guess where some of them are or roughly anyway. I haven't said so before because of all the upset with my family but I'm glad you live in such a peaceful part of the world. Maybe our paths will cross one day!

Too hot for me today so other than hanging out a couple of loads of washing I have stayed in. I have to be out and about lots over the next couple of weeks and will just have to put up with the heat and not grumble.

DH took DS9 out with him for a quick jog, a first for DS and a long time since DH took official exercise! Boys had fun with water pistols to cool down outside. Shame we can't have a pool but I can't find a hose fitting anywhere that fits our weird, old kitchen taps and filling by bucket is a no no with our various dodgy body parts. I know kids were a bit disappointed I didn't do anything with them today but doing the odds and ends I needed to was enough for me.

DH and I spent a couple of hours this morning holiday planning, still a way to go. We don't have a printer and no wifi at the holiday cottage so need to organise now and DH can print off maps and info at work.

Plans so far include a boat trip round Farne Islands to see the grey seals and seabirds including puffins; train trip to Edinburgh (and maybe Newcastle or Durham); Alnwick Castle and a walk along the Derwent/old railway where my Dad used to work including a stop off at my grandma's village and the church where I was christened. Amble, Bamburgh and Hexham maybe as well. Possibly a walk along some of Hadrian's Wall and a walk across to Holy Island and probably rest of time local beach and countryside adventures. Alnwick near where we are staying looks very nice and quite picturesque. I am as excited as the kids now!! Still haven't thought about what to pack or take as self catering so need to start with lists next. There is a Liddly we can drive to so that has made me feel less panicky about the cost of buying our food.

sorry to ramble about our holiday, it's our first decent holiday as a family and means a lot

sq:)

monnagran

Hi,

Phew! What a scorcher. Mrs C. That view is gorgeous. I have a bit of a view like that from my bedroom window and it is wonderful on a day like today to pull back the curtains and gaze at blue sky, blue sea and little yachts dotted about.

Hope you all enjoyed the tennis. I saw the first bit but had to listen to most of it on the radio as I doled out Food Bank stuff. Actually I missed most of it because people wanted to talk but very pleased Murray won.

I have been feeling pretty OK today - perhaps the Kelp is kicking in, but tonight I feel drained and tired so am puttting myself to bed.
Hope it's not too hot and you can all get some sleep.

x

kidcat

SQ - It sounds brilliant and I hope you all enjoy it

dont forget you can usually get free internet and cheap printing at libraries so if you find the nearest library you can always pop in for more info

kidcat

SQ - we have lived with odd taps before finally moving here and have always managed to get by with one of these

http://www.wilko.com/hose-pipes+sprinklers/wilko-tap-adapter-multi-teal/invt/0298812?VBMST=tap%20hose%20connector

we had the yellow branded version as wilks didnt sell their own when we bought them but they are almost identical to ours

savingqueen

kidcat wrote: »

SQ - we have lived with odd taps before finally moving here and have always managed to get by with one of these

http://www.wilko.com/hose-pipes+sprinklers/wilko-tap-adapter-multi-teal/invt/0298812?VBMST=tap%20hose%20connector

we had the yellow branded version as wilks didnt sell their own when we bought them but they are almost identical to ours

thanks will try those, have tried other adaptors from DIY stores and nothing fit. worth another try especially as we have a hose already.

thanks for the library tip too x

sq

VJsmum

savingqueen wrote: »

DH and I spent a couple of hours this morning holiday planning, still a way to go. We don't have a printer and no wifi at the holiday cottage so need to organise now and DH can print off maps and info at work.

Plans so far include a boat trip round Farne Islands to see the grey seals and seabirds including puffins; train trip to Edinburgh (and maybe Newcastle or Durham); Alnwick Castle and a walk along the Derwent/old railway where my Dad used to work including a stop off at my grandma's village and the church where I was christened. Amble, Bamburgh and Hexham maybe as well. Possibly a walk along some of Hadrian's Wall and a walk across to Holy Island and probably rest of time local beach and countryside adventures. Alnwick near where we are staying looks very nice and quite picturesque. I am as excited as the kids now!! Still haven't thought about what to pack or take as self catering so need to start with lists next. There is a Liddly we can drive to so that has made me feel less panicky about the cost of buying our food.

sorry to ramble about our holiday, it's our first decent holiday as a family and means a lot

sq:)

Hi, we had a holiday up in those parts a couple of years ago - we stayed at Haltwhistle in our caravan and it was one of those weeks where we didn't have to spend barely anything. We went on the train at Alston - the s. Tynedale railway and we cycled along the path there too. We cycled at Kielder water (though you can do some lovely walks and water activities), walked Hadrian's wall, went to Newcastle (where my sister lived) - there is a free science museum there, there is a nice swimming pool in Hexham, and we went to a lovely National Trust at Cragside (probably one of the best NT's we have been to). Might give you some ideas - though we were more southerner than you will be

Well, what an eventful day yesterday was. OH and I went into Brum as we had some stuff to sort, had lunch in one of the smaller railway stations where they have a faux 1930's caf! just as a steam train came through. I picked up a dress and t shirt in a sale in a favourite shop. Then we came home and cheered on Andy :T

Just as that finished I saw on FB that my best friend's middle daughter had broken her arm, so I rang the other two who were at home and offered them tea. It ended up with us cooking a barbecue for 9 - good job I am a prepper as it meant I could dig stuff out of freezer, fridge and cupboards to make a decent looking spread. Failed on the pud front though as I hadn't baked and there was a scrape of ice cream, that's all.

I have to take DS to the dentist today - he is having a crown on his front tooth he chipped a few years ago. He is very anxious about it so I said we'd do it this morning - it means he misses school for a couple of hours but I think it's done ASAP (and before anyone at school can give him horror stories about what will happen and how much it will hurt!)

Enjoy the lovely weather, all