5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

mhagster

Hello. Quietish day. 

Son went out at 3am ( to drive up north to mountains for first time in months) so I heard him rumbling about . Not that he was particularly noisy more I’m a very light sleeper. Beautiful sunrise.

was awake for a bit then dozed off and then it was 9am which is far too late! 

Absolutely lashing with rain though we’d a couple of dry hours late afternoon. Rain back on.
Supermarket with DD2 ( which always costs more) and got mums list too which we then dropped off. 

Had a chat with next door but one neighbour. 

Letter from DD1 

Chilli beef for tea. 

DundeeDoll

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth said:

Emergency PM2DD
Raffles is failing us!

Indeed, from which point it just got worse and worse. Now watching MOTD. Quite a few goals all round.
1) Survived Tabata Ultra - I can now do burpees
2) then a fry-up bop would be proud of
3) super long walk up to Balgay then across the daffodil bridge into the cemetry. Thought i recognised someone at a distance - it was mum. So said hello :-:smile:
4) managed to get my washing dry and in and then the skies opened so wrapped myself in a blanket and watched Les Blancs. 
5) ys finest fish pie (from the freezer) for tea then off to mr t. needed some new sheets and they had some nice ones half price. 

Frith

Pleasures for today (Saturday)

1) A lie in.
2) Bigger son went for a cycle ride with his friend and they took various films on camera and drone.
3) A local FB group lady was giving away melon plants so I picked up some for me and for my parents. I wasn't expecting to get 8 or 9 in each little tray!
4) My brother popped round for a cup of tea in the garden (are we allowed in each other's houses yet? Can we turn left from our house and actually go for a drive into Wales?!)
5) Got plenty of washing done, cleaned the sink and the cupboard fronts. Cleaned the fridge out.
6) Bits from the freezer for tea - HM fish cakes for smaller son, HM beanburgers for bigger son and me. We had them with HM wedges and baked beans. Never did get round to making any pudding.
7) Went to the allotment to plant the melons. Had a few wild strawberries.
8) Bigger son and I did the virtual pub quiz.

LaineyT

For yesterday,

Lazy start and sat talking at breakfast table until nearly 10am.

Grey, blustery kind of day, went to see girlie and checked on her wound. Reapplied sudocrem and gave her a fuss.

Laboured for beloved removing the clippings as he cut the hedge around the car port, no more being showered with raindrops as I get in car!

Watching the Swifts as they did aerial acrobatics around the house.

Tea was HM burgers with salsa, too full for afters but enjoyed a couple of squares of chocolate later.

villagelife

1. Visited a friends garden. It is looking great.
2. Had a coffee and long chat.
3. Watched, from the safety of the greenhouse, the beekeeper remove the bees. They were virtually all in one made and he cut it off the rose they were clinging too and dropped it into a box and then left it for a few hours to let any bees that were foraging to get bacj.
4. Planted out my last squash plant.
5. Had fish and chips for tea.

villagelife

1. Visited a friends garden. It is looking great.
2. Had a coffee and long chat.
3. Watched, from the safety of the greenhouse, the beekeeper remove the bees. They were virtually all in one made and he cut it off the rose they were clinging too and dropped it into a box and then left it for a few hours to let any bees that were foraging to get bacj.
4. Planted out my last squash plant.
5. Had fish and chips for tea.

DigForVictory

What ho midears! Nearly three weeks? And then as I'd got two hours of love & appreciation down, I got called out & when I next got a quiet moment some little cherub has switched off the PC. (*Always* save your work, unless you think a second draft from scratch will be better. A lesson I was teaching, ooh four decades ago so trust me, it stings when you re-learn the hard way.) - heh "Body is 1675 characters too long." Right - catch-up first pleasures second

Happycas - Jail mint - in it's place it's a wonderful herb, everywhere else it's a weed. A static caravan with a short walk to see the sea. <must remember my house & garden have their own beauty & safe appeal!> It is such a delight to see & hear children so pleased to be at school! Bubblewands absolutely raw fun. (I don't take children's photos without some & usually have a small tub in bag at weddings - bubbles bring smiles! Much smitten with "standing there like tripe at fourpence!"

Purple kitten - haircutting has become the new-must learn skill in the last 3 months! Blast evil curtain hooks, but wow lovely roast dinner. To have the option of air con - pleasure indeed! Detectorists - does it matter if you are late to something that wonderful? Hope DH & ferret recovering. Your food sounds wonderful & hurrah line drying.

mhagster - laughter is wonderful. Not trusting strawberries is very funny.... Sometimes you need to loose your temper. At least rain spares watering can duties. Still standing - and we stand with you. Oh Haggis. Corned beef roll sounds just the ticket. Lashing rain means that bit less watering & full butts.

Frith - a zoom lecture on stained glass - awed! Sorting "smaller son's solicitor" may the powers that be finally wake up & get shifting. Hurrah on a hot birthday, meals prepared by others & some most impressive gifts! Argh uncalled for emergency freezer defrost, with bonus extra towel wash... Glastonbury is a special pleasure. !freshly picked cherries, raspberries and a bag of pasta sound wonderful. New hens - fingers crossed for you & them! Is this crazy time actually better for getting replies from solicitor, County, MP etc?  Hurrah tax refund. Awed at drone photos. (Love brew while droning!) Miword Parkin season already? Is it warm enough to grown melons now?

villagelife - cherries, raspberries and strawberries <covet> Retirement in these times is not quite the celebration it should be, but a garden is a challenge & reward. Shirt material scrubs sound blissful comfortable but I fear the rest of PPE rather less so.  Picking & podding peas is a very special pleasure. Mussels for tea - yum! Sissinghurst (even not deadheaded) is still inspirational, I hope? It is Superb Parenting to have taught offspring Poker. (So good for their maths, and appreciation of odds.) Knowing the accounts are done is a very special pleasure - worth that extra push. Paella for lunch - yum! Wonderful to treat shielding neighbour & fuel prices brilliantly low. Watching beekeepers at work is riveting stuff.

LaineyT - ah grazing in hand, Aw,dog and paddling pools. Some days, bread & cheese are exactly right. Damp then dust bowled - imagination charmed even as the effort acknowledged. Share your hope the Boss will tour again. A Glasto singalong sounds great! Love the idea of bunny sentries. Planning for seed banking - & poppies too... Hurrah peekaboo - it's a classic. Firsts for DSSs, so one raced spaniel for ball?! Golly, wobbleades. Well done with the spotting & the sudocrem & happy hairdressing! Swifts just fly with a gleeful disregard for the 3G loops - stunning.

PaulieHerts - work nearly finished?! (reaches for bunting!) Had to google zero gravity chair but wow! The first takeaway is amazing, isn't it?! Chinese with friends in the garden - yum! (Aren't fruit canes supposed to have the first year just growing?)

VJsmum - "little tiny buds on some of my tomatoes" <covet> Got DD out of house! Woodpecker purposeful amongst jittering household. Hm veggie curry from freezer by OH & 'well done!' wine - vicariously so proud of you both! Hurrah yoga - limber in body as well as mind. Outpsyched by cows? It happens, and exercise is good for you. Finally settling? Congratulations.

Cranky - treatboxes are a very special pleasure & to give, truly wondrous. Thankyou for donating to hogs - rescues struggle to meet food bills. Teachers are (rightly) going back up in public regard! 

BoP - Grimsby cod <drools slightly> I can recognise (an applaud) a banjo. What please is squirty egg? "Not every day has to be a biscuit" - well, I agree even if certain of this household may not. Refrigerator for wobbleades - but absolutely. Buzzard! My lot have twigged cakes of Jaffa but foolish one left a pack in the sun! Strange but still tasty! Would not Dream of going to the local on Saturday. Full of idiots. "eua de faucet" what's wrong with eau de tap? Real cricket, not canned, to return (happydance.) Hurrah, snorkers! Minted chocolates? Cor! (Raffles may not be producing the Yellow Stuff but actually I am very grateful.)

mhagster - yikes, falling, but ooh baby sparrow. Doorstep delivered cupcakes - a very special pleasure to the happy recipients! A quiet day can give your back a rest. Masks & glasses are tricksy things, but repay practice. Hurrah Gousto & son & voucher combo!

ampersand - what a wonderful song! (& a splendid extension to my achtung spitfire vocab range, ahem.) Bother toxic ones but hurrah beautiful garden photos, prayers offered for Spits and oh, birds! Gurgling with laughter at the pool...

Mrs SD -  cake & gin fizzes in the garden, and a party bag of hg raspberries. What a Wonderful DSis!

missychrissy - three hanging tomato plants! EDF seen the light? Incoming family, hurrah!

mrs motivated - the price of not being at work is the email inbox awaiting but happy birthday times! I love the rain & a cuppa, and looking at all the things I do not have to water. Winter shelving only sensible. Online Pilates - respect! Yikes redundancy - but you are absolutely right to get planning now. Hurrah Mr M finding something to keep him going.

bala - amidst these crazy times, look after yourself & if that includes feeding birds, do it! Awed at your father & time is most unsporting when it comes to windows. Happy to hear Flo & fluffy are thriving. "feel that I haven't done enough"?!  There are days it is very hard to just accept "that'll do", but hug Tiggy? If the Fates have thrown £30 to you, spend it on acts of kindness? Including to yourself? So right to skip rough park & enjoy other areas & admire gardens & their gardeners. Aww flying visit from Flo! Cherries  & more lovely gardens - excellent.

Suffolksue - I just so wish I could reach out & give you a hug. Or magic you to a rugby match & back.

Nargleblast - 11 days off - hurrah! Line dried laundry & choccy crack - wow! Some anniversaries are very hard, birthdays & teas & mangetout!.Targeting blackberry bushes - that's shrewd planning!

DundeeDoll - family con spaniels to Aberdeen. Belated happy birthday MrPiano & blimey circuits & bumps to keep the distances! The joy of pets at zoom meetings is huge!  If only llama at farm was more cooperative, I might try to introduce him... Awed at what you pack into a day And piano practice, but please be very careful of pub?Phone convo with dad as lap Botanics - wonderful. Awed you can do burpees & will mention to son about T sheet sales.

Jazee - seedplanting is a special act of hope. Little mini crumbles sound delish & of course a little quality control is only sensible.

DigForVictory

OS Pleasures recently (almost 3 weeks worth, ahem)

I have gardened by remote & singularly unsatisfying it is, for both me & poor beleaguered under gardener. We have even moved a berry bush to facilitate wheelbarrow access, Himself not having noticed there was a row of berry bushes as 4 are all about 2’ tall & unobtrusive. Still, now, 8 new plants & 2 migrants have been shifted, & the axe throwing target taken down. A proud day for jam futures, a mild source of sorrow for our neighbours who watch my attempts to learn knife throwing with amused incredulity.

Middleson prepared, taped, papered & painted the window frame, sill & wall of the arched window & it looks wonderful &, when he has cleared all the associated tins cloths & other tackle, I can be Very Proud of him. [He has moved onto an adjoining bookcase & the formidable assortment of partially complete board games has been Ruthlessly relocated. Still waiting to be proud, as floor still heaped.] 

Miword you know your son is concerned when he tries to chaperone you downstairs lest you inadvertently damage yourself further. [I ricked my knee & am still limping.] He’s a sweetie...

I am surrounded by stepped on tins still containing seeds. The great tidying has repacked two tins but more are sought (I paid too much for some Christmas biscuits with just this future use in mind. So can’t find the blinking tin!)

Himself flat refuses to try to get the broccoli seeds we’ve found growing - they do not belong amongst the herbs, they “lack the aesthetic” (that he doesn’t like broccoli may be more significant). Anyway the big stash of seeds in three stomped tins have now been transferred into 5 new unstomped lidded tins. All this After my week’s leave!

Dear heavens how the right thing can make you feel amazing! I needed a rather specific mouse for work, & today the correct kit, brand new & working arrived & I feel appreciated & cared for & ready to do a month of 10 hour days! (I won’t, probably, but right now feel dangerously cooperative.)

Fell asleep to sound of rain, awoke to realise no watering can duty required. Must get a water butt...

Very wrong of me to gurgle with laughter as I hear bins emptied. Just next door’s has a lot of glass bottles.

Online study of how work things have gone gruesome wrong made less agonising by youngest bringing me a cup of tea unasked. When I removed the headset, further noises off indicated other son was using the Hoover to clear up (after painting) & restore the area to mostly civilised. So proud of my lads! [Ahem. Still some reservations!]

Clive Andersen fed bere barley bannock on Orkney & my husband slopes off to the kitchen & gets cooking. Gosh, warm bannock is delicious.

Another team’s leader posted “gripped by spring clean & DIY zealotry, the mood never lasts long so taking Friday & Monday as leave to get it out of my system & get the house sorted”. My such moments wear off in Minutes not days, or maybe I’m deficient in zeal.

A thud. Enquiring yells. Feet thudding up stairs. I emerge to hear the whole excitement was “dad dropping a pork pie”. We had over a decade of training that has not wholly faded yet, but that we turned out  for a pork pie is wonderfully ridiculous! 

A colleague appears to be developing epilepsy - the one pleasure is that I can vouch for it being largely manageable & reassure him about the diagnostic process & techniques. The flip side being we both know it can be fatal, but more commonly in juvenile onset, which he is not.

I was late picking up the phone & having apologised for leaping from the shower, my mother chirped, “bright & beautiful?” - “well, clean & pink...” 

The google doodle assured me it’s summer. The “soft refreshing” rain underlines this reminder.

For those pondering the loss of the sense of smell, it turns out there is “physio for the nose”. As a not fully anosmic (woodsmoke, healthy cow dung & cooking bacon all register, and I think I smell jasmine & honeysuckle when I see them) I wonder if I should read up further?!

More gardening! I managed to scatter plant food pellets, Middleson diligently covered the evidence with compost, well patted into place. Didn’t attack bindweed but nurtured the fruit canes & cuttings. Now I can sprawl & await the rain. [Hurrah & thank you Raffles!]

Sisterly love includes reading 16 photos of credit card agreement to make sure sis isn’t leaping into a financial shredder. Still, with online shopping, Not Using a Credit card seems wildly unsafe. [It’s arrived! Signed, activated, app installed - consumer legislation for beginners imparted.]

Drove son in his car so he could donate platelets & this morning am upbraided, in muffled yelling whisper, that I have done Horrible Things to his telematics score... That joyful sharing of Tom Lehrer (both of us happily singing along) on the way there was an unexpected treat.

My hold out cash stash has resurfaced! Blimey the rewards of mucking out the cupboard of coats & fleeces. (If I hadn’t been accurate on what I’d stashed my esteemed spouse would have pocketed it, having done all the hard work. I really should hand it over.)

Middleson just appeared at my side, Bearing Tea! Can he have heard my Peans of Joy (and Surprise) when youngest pulls the same trick? Colleagues awed then amused then wry. I love working with raving cynics - I appear Such an ingenue occasionally.

I’m all for this solstice - just I recall Flanders & Swann on Stonehenge “I’ll help you shovel the snow off”.... (Found them live on YouTube & desperately trying not to roar with laughter, or sing along, as the menfolk are still asleep.)

Ye gods, Joyce Grenfell also on YouTube & simply brilliant. All done by observation without any crudity. Quite awe inspiring.

First fish & chips of lockdown. We haven’t eaten takeaway for weeks & I was startled by the plastic wall with a rabbit-hutch hatch to dispense food & receive cash. Just sat in the shade in the garden, munching, with no cooking & no washing up & everyone blissed-out was glorious. No wonder we had fallen into shameful habits.

Husband, near frantic, took the clippers to his hair & paged me unwitting for the last areas he couldn’t get at. Then youngest paged equally unwitting “Bizarro rectangle makes sense if there’s two of them?” Seems Sir didn’t quite like my (first ever) attempt at a neckline...

Handed a digestive “mum, finish this would you? It’s not fitting in the packet.” In this heat, how do you check a teen for fever? 

Did a Costco run, eeeh the peace of mind & Middleson trained in driving sunny motorway & motorway whilst Laden.

Had sundry Disney showtunes as background & got Chitwetel Ejiofor’s “Be Prepared” - absolutely not what Baden Powell had in mind (& no wonder Disney didn’t screen it without severe modifications).... 

If you should ever see someone gesturing wildly at their steering wheel while parked at a supermarket, they may be on a zoom call with family. While my husband foraged for cream buns, I zoomed my folk & the end-of-meeting waving did get gawked at....

You know the family have tired of the news when they watch Al Jazeera, and whoop with laughter at a very well performed mick take on Trump. (Very funny, exquisitely timed.)

Sudden panic as Middleson’s insurance sent him an “all over in 7 days” email but I sat in as teddy bear on the “eh?” phone call & it was just lack of photos of V5 & driving licence. Watching son unclench as the simplicity of solution unfolded was a joy. (I now have high resolution images of his V5 & licence stashed in the prepping folder.) His motorway driving in calm & in rain are now recently checked as OK. [Just as well, traffic volume has trebled from our weekend practice.]

When tasked with trying on a hat, it is a good idea to remove the glasses shoved up out of the way first. My husband laughed so hard a lad tucked a head round the door to check all was well...

My utterly lovely son used his length & nimble agility to fetch me a second decanter. I can get through more than one in a day in the office (& it adds Such an ”Eh?!” to zoom meetings!) All of water...

Forgive me for delighting in the rain? I have newly planted fruit canes that are gulping! The potted things are also all the better for rainwater. Even got to tuck two shop bought tomato plants into grow bags but have been Ordered to source trellis. 

Youngest helped me make the bed. As usual, the bedding is not entirely dry but only when presented with a hand caressing  his cheek did he appreciate “it is kind of moist”. 

Biggest pleasure The Lad’s Tree is coming! I could almost dance. He never wanted a fuss & isn’t getting a huge one, just a carefully chosen tree & a few grave goods that could only be his. Plus a little memory card with photos & the eulogy, all of which can rest peacefully under his tree. Soon, I’ll want Raffles to snooze, nibble on a newt & let the rain fall, settling the tree into the new location. We’ll water it too, but rainwater is what’s needed. [It's In, and is getting - Thank You Raffles & sorry to all who had sunnier hopes.]

To say late to the party is to understate the situation, more like arrived at Felixstowe to find vessel docking in Novosibirsk at lunchtime but ye gods Fleabag, with bonus awe for Kristin Scott Thomas. (Who cheerfully adores the French, as they regard older women as matured & improved, rather than the Beaujolais nouveau of womanhood demanded by Hollywood etc)

Youngest at last has been shorn. No longer looking like a Beatle in America but enough chopped off to make a tennis ball look slightly underfed. Velvety smooth to stroke....

Jumped back into software I have not touched in, ahem, months & found I could still paddle about perfectly competently. Phew!

Family zoom interrupted by colleague needing help with tech for reclaiming money spent - as I am a keen user of the code, I was able to ease him through & my family quizzed me - “spiritual guidance” (well we avoided extra blasphemy!)

Eldest son is still part of family life - his blanket is scattered with pipe bowl shavings & youngest's hair clippings & so wrapped round me (slightly cool this morning) rather carefully, but warmly.

Right. Health, strength, love, courage to all as have need & I believe I am to hustle to Screwfix to get a specific angle grinder... Onwards!

mrs_motivated

A lovely breezy but sunny day here...perfect washing drying weather to take advantage of.  pleasures for yesterday and today.

1.  Must be something in th air as I see a number of you have had fish and chips over the last couple of days and so did we, blooming lovely they were too.
2.  Baked a couple of lemon drizzle cakes yesterday one for us and one for my neighbour who gave me a black currant plant and loads of strawberries.
3.  Fruit and veg growing nicely all except the purple sprouting broccoli which is looking very sad, got a bit of a glut of romaine lettuce though, happens every year and I still forget to stagger planting.
4.  Bird feeders, emptied, sanitized and re-stocked, bird bath scrubbed and re-filled. Not getting as many birds at the moment, I’m guessing because nature is providing.
5.  A tree surgeon arrived next door to prune a tree, so pleased as it overhangs the end of my garden and was getting a bit out of control, but it has a tree preservation order on it so can’t cut it down completely and tbh I wouldn’t want it gone completely.

balabooberlies

D4V........it goes without saying that your posts are amazing ................so I won't say it.  Tee-hee

x