5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

balabooberlies

Lovely Happycas (you were named right !) thank you and the feeling is very mutual.

Am so happy.  My youngest brother (I have 3) is like my son.  2 People in my life were shocked when I said this but you love who you love.........and I don't believe in measuring love.  Had the most fabulous aunty and uncle whom I loved no less than my own parents.  I have just been lucky in life to have so many to love.

The Handmaiden's Tale..............read the book and watched the series.  Loved both.  The visual imagery, the colours create their own narrative that you don't get in the book.  The characters are far more fleshed out and compelling.  Well worth watching.  Agree with Mrs Salad..............

No wildlife today...........yet !

Pasta tonight with prawns...........yes...........and tuna............

Bought 2 cookery books yesterday.  Need some new ideas.

Had wonderful phone call from cousin.  Her grandchildren have her massive beautiful eyes.  And the lashes !

VL ..........happy holidays.

X 

mhagster

Hello. Not done very much today. Just been quiet which has been fine. 

Made omelette for tea. Guest did dishes. 

Been dry. 

Watched first series of The Handmaids Tale

DigForVictory

OhDearHeavens. Far Too Long. Sorry, all. Yes sure RL carried on but you managed to post & I, well, didn't Must Try Harder!

DundeeDoll - ooh! Smackerels! Yikes church service & then MrPiano with yegodsoclock flight Back to Alabama (Is he allowed to vote?) Then Stonehaven & you heroic to the rescue. Home mixed spice mix for fajitas? Would you share details that hungry chaps may give it a whirl? Your conversations with your hairdresser sound amazing - what will mum do when she sees her lad in full beekeeping rig "that the new covid rig?"

Frith - not wholly up to date & anyway council nut you are in my thoughts. Also great.aunty. So hot even bigger son wilting... Good hens settling (I've missed too much). An EHCP solo - owch. The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies - the penalties of looking different are severe. Bigger son driving requires extra maternal courage - sending all I can to you! You amazing friend to go clean a friend's house. In these strange times, some of the polite social veneer is slipping & we see both angels & devils.

mhagster - hoping a bit quiet was restorative? Graduation fun at a castle! All best with foot... Work is good but on painkillers less so. "a vintage coffee set that was purchased for Melbourne life" - wow! Such a busy day the dog took himself to bed - aww! Yowch tin lid vs finger but awed at fresh veg exchange! Hurrah good cs haul - and do not keep that stunning green dress waiting but plan a party for it? The love & laughter are rightly still with you - big hugs to reinforce The Handmaids Tale - persevere, I think, unless really too uncomfortable. Quiet days are needed sometimes.

villagelife - tears of laughter are wonderful! "still seems like an adventure to go out" - yep, in Northern Lock Two just diving lad to platelet donation feels a bit wild! Ooooh, Chartwell <trying not to go green with envy but over 4 hour drive> Gardens are amazing for mood. It is frustrating when pandemic victims include logic. Always good to have a car in lashing rain! Boss passed out - well, good place even if bad time. Holiday begins! Best of luck!

Happycas - awed at all the tomatoes! Gosh yes holidays mean laundry and rain means Still More Weeding. After market lugging - effortful but rewarding! I have things to post that are getting on for a month now, thank you for the reminder! Sugarsoap a vital part of painting, we were taught. (Darn good exercise as well.) Big Clarks queues likely as they've a new shoes when outgrown promotion, so long as you attend & have the shoe fitted in person. Shrewd call but tough on other shoppers! Not-Christmas bags are more re-usable the other 11 months of the year - you can always tie a bauble to the handle...

PaulieHerts - "windfall apples and foraged blackberries" are Absolute Yum! "change the hot tub water" - just wow.

LaineyT - "far too hot to hoover" - absolutely yes! windfalls & light rain - blissful. Dead right to plan self care. Tinned mackerel stir fry - maybe not as planned but sounds yum. How wonderful to have a  family catchup - we only tend to gather at weddings...  Love that unshod is going native & hurrah Lancashire map! Stunning PopMaster score - very well done & great fun. Always good to see wildlife living.

BoP - Cats League so right. <mops sniffle> The emporium still doing Sunday papers - good, a treat to plan for. You eat shop bought pizza too - the relief... Dripping for chips <head ponders happily as hips curve a bit more> Added shrimps to buzzard curry? <whimpers, hungrily> Darn but that Richard Tracy oeuvre is fun!

bala  - Hoomanwatch includes fox in audience?! Your brother in in the right place for all the love & support & encouragement (let alone haircut!) Slow doggy walks are where you see the animals that haven't yet realised your garden buffet awaits. The other crows may be obscuring her, but Flo and her brood are still in amongst them. Invite your brother to track one? A good cs haul is a delight. The cooling mats are strangely popular with colleagues! Love is a wonderful thing. 

Nargleblast - a lie in sounds wonderful. A "lavender-scented dog" has me chuckling

VJsmum - logging - the workout plan that keeps on giving! Botherations food poisoning & absolutely hurrah digital distractions.Clean bedding & keep up with the resting? Is having gastroenteritis better? (well, less self-recrimination, I hope?) Have you seen 'the Detectorists' - Mackenzie Crook & Toby Jones lead? Very pleased to hear OH managing to justabout fill your shoes. Eye opening for him?

Purple_kitten - owch loosing a long post! "lovely lummox big male" I must get nametapes made up with that, add them to various garments, & wait for the "eh?!"s... Hoping lummox & lady get the idea soon.

Ampersand - 'X-ray now' plus all three sorts of lightning, past glorious frilly cyclamen, to early tip slot so can transport person & large live fish. Awed!

Mrs SaladDodger - oh good - not just me thinking Ms Atwood repays effort.

SuffolkSue - I keep almost sending messages, but don't want to interrupt anything

Special mentions to those who also haven't posted for a while and may be coaxed back: Broomstick, sparrer, mculloch, Cranky, C J, missychrissy, mrs motivated, Jazee, baggins, Shropshirelass, procrastinator, Skint yet again, juliettet, even Mrs LurcherWalker (who might need to rebuild an ID but ...)

OS Pleasures in the last, at least, two weeks [it's Mostly chronological]

There’s another flower on my courgette plant! It must be baffled - where’d yesterday’s sunshine go?!

Finally watching the last season of Game of Thrones & blinking at how many strong women there are! I’d forgotten.... [still 3 episodes to go, well over a week later - it may be dreadful but I want to form my own view]

“In no other tomb in Egypt” declares the TV. “Is Chilli kebab in naan” grins irreverent son. Yes, the pharaohs had grain & beer, but that particular hangover staple, likely not.

Someone has cleaned his biking gear - rucksack gloves & trainers left in the shower cube. Makes me wonder just what at he stepped into the shower wearing... (The joys of offspring include Wild Speculation.)

Guy Martin having a go at tractor pulling on a vehicle with two airplane engines. Then playing with the JCB designers. Covet that tech!

In a moment of weakness, I have ordered yet more Kilner jars, as they are strawberry & orange styled. At £1.99 each from The Range, they’re not as expensive as other providers (ahem big river) but I suspect the chaps may be inclined to roll eyes! [Yes, but startling tolerant overall, so long as I make the strawberry jam Soon.] 

Charity shop run (well, optometrist’s appointment called us from the nest) and yippee! Six Denby Colonial blue teacups & saucers.

When did you last jump out & “boo!” at someone? Asks she, still chuckling at Middleson’s oath on being thus surprised by his father. Lovely family game, if your heart’s up to it.

“Mine was lemonade, so unless you’re some kind of Poundland Jesus” - child retrieving an abandoned mug with unspecified contents.

Chatting with sis about the joys of migrating data from one iPhone to another, ending the call & realising the last message I sent the lad was reassurance & praise about the thankyou letters. Some days technology is wonderful. [As are the absorbent handkerchiefs.]

Stunning cousin who runs for fun & fundraising has become granny twice over on one day! So amazed & pleased & just tickled by the timing. 

Can it be a good idea to combine call centre training packages with listening to Dillie Keane? There may some inappropriate guffaws in my future, ooops, but really this training is monumentally hard work. Mind “another day to be the butt of God’s great joke” may not be wholly inappropriate. [Alas, somewhat justified, still we do our best Anyway.]

Oh, boychicks. “Off for a bike ride.” “Want supper?” “Course.” “So back when?” “Dunno.” Blimey, someone just volunteered for All the Washing Up....

Across two courgette plants, six flowers! My plant, feed & abandon technique appears to be working. [I have courgettes! One about 6” & several more diligently growing.]

Some advert sent me to Google la passeggiata & I recognised it from Spain, where newborns’ prams foam with lace, tulle & gender appropriate ribbons & their parents try to stroll nonchalantly & elegantly in the early evening, stopping for a glass & gossip here & there. (As cavers, we were Far too scruffy to dare interrupt!)

Affordable black & decker bench top sourced from local market stall, & we’ll go collect Wednesday. Reward for a 7 am Teams meeting! (Dear gods, why me?!) [The dear chap had two! Himself developed  a certain glint, planning, so we got them both.]

Curled up enjoying a lazy weekend with a good read - wearing ear defenders as in the same room as power tools & dust extractor, which combine to very loud as well as a bit permanent to wood. Himself seems happy with the toys through!

Even the peas have flowered! My limping past clutching a refilled 2 litre distilled water tank to cosset the courgettes must have inspired them to try & catch my eye & maybe water?! I do mutter the gardeners incantation “grow, you blighters” but I never thought it was This Effective. Son witheringly reminds me sunlight powers photosynthesis & my mutterings are just mutterings. 

Reading this & lamenting missed opportunities, sort of.

[laser sounds]

[dinosaur sounds]

[enraged death screech]

Me: What were you doing?

7yo: Taking a bath

Son trying to reset lark body clock to nights is having more changes of plan than a tourist on the London Underground...

Youngest bearing tea was warmly welcomed til he said “tea for the unwashed masses”. By then having a solid grip on the mug, I denied being an unwashed mass & returned to my laptop.  

Middleson does his first night shift tonight & the house is strangely quiet & I’m trying not to worry too much. Lads are meant to move out & do things, just, well, it didn’t work out quite out as planned last time. He promises  he’ll sleep in the car park if he feels too tired.

Neighbour has 9 week old black lab puppy - utterly cute! Scrupulous distancing means cannot cuddle but the croon was understood by pup & proud owner.

Middleson came home late but fine & then the whole house had to behave like the Reading Room until (when challenged) he agreed he was now awake. Hurrah! Miword when my phone calls go live he may get to appreciate what we did. [No sign of it.]

Youngest brought me tea. Silently. Repeatedly. Big happy-Labrador grins exchanged!

Youngest has his results & has been urged to appeal one of them but is otherwise tranquil. We dragged him grocery shopping (egad, the Unending Excitement of our lives) & ensured a few “ooh!” items went in. (That he added some cookies & didn’t beep them meant we had to rescan Everything at the end, undermining my “quick & safe” billing but in sh’Allah) - we were then headed to another supermarket for the evening pizza (promises should be delivered on)! [Then, after the storm, the calm. All is well. Remaining challenges are Covid-related.]

Today it has been clarified that I will not be taking phone calls (Phew) but doing web chats instead. Initially. Oh my! We’ll see how Monday goes, but my colleagues are pleased with me, which is warming. Plus our team meetings (albeit we only get 10 minutes) are booked in & secure - whether they’re sanity savers or just a safe space to whimper we’ll find out - could be both. (If anyone says being a civil servant & taking phone calls is no biggie, suggest they do the “how to handle incoming suicidal phone calls” training & let me know if that changes the relevant mind.)

“Green to green Red to red Perfect safety Go ahead” advice for steering round ships by light. Marine navigation lighting is fun!

Some days I want a Conservative party canvasser to come to the door. Some days I have kneecap massacre fantasies. The pleasure is thinking about it and not actually going for some poor soul who picked a bad day to go leafleting.

Husband chortling over advert for “unisex frying pan” - I think predictive text may have mangled ultralight....

My esteemed father has not quite grasped the latest comms tech “ Do Lib Dems use womble or Twitter ?” A phrase that will come to haunt him, I think.

Lovely end of day chat with phone boss, who was utterly charmed to hear of cups of tea being delivered to my desk - I suggested that at 10 & 12, I thought it possible that his children could be trained, & heard a string of ponderings start!

Now to go do the mummy thing with the engineer & coach him in checking oil & water levels.... to find he’s swep’ off to a pal now. My mummy approval ratings reach a new low, but he’s not using his head or his Haynes.

Told I may not deliver Training while taking business critical calls. This despite my call manager saying “sure” & the fact I am one of 17 trainers on this software nationally & 1 of 2 north of Birmingham. (Digitally it shouldn’t make a scrap of difference, but locked down in the north our classes are easier to schedule.) The pleasure is that at least the folk calling, (so far), think I’m wonderful!

The police helicopter is out & about, loudly. There is a school of thought that wants to see the floodlight deployed for maximum cinematic effect. Several others are just opining the police are looking for me in relation to assorted criminal activities. (There are other candidates for master criminal but the lads find me the funniest target. Ponders alternative retirement activities...] 

As one sister is in a tent & another is awaiting a Sky engineer, I get to Zoom with my parents exclusively! We idly ponder trying to make a habit of this but the family zooms are important for maintaining routine.

Finally got to read the Obama transcript - well, while he completely put a truck through not badmouthing the incumbent tradition, it’s a stunning speech & makes me want to cheer. Vote. Weep. He really is a superb speaker. (His lady is as good, but fascinatingly different.)

Wrathfully pursuing youngest around pool table armed with slice of carefully sawn timber & both of us laughing - we quit when I was gasping but had had more exercise in three minutes than I have in a week & hugged as we got our breaths back. No, that doesn’t read quite right but it was So Funny, at the time. Weekend has definitely begun!

Right. Health, strength, love, & courage to all as have need, longing to meet the new BoP feline incumbent, and beginning to understand better why those with productive gardens are so pleased by that new tomato, or courgette! These are frankly strange times, but with your company, it feels less impossible to face. Onwards!

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

DfV it took me over a year to watch the final season - I kept hoping the book would come out. Overall impression was favourable. Hope you enjoy it.

Frith

Good to see you, DD.

Pleasures for today (Saturday)

1) A lie in.
2) Got 2 bags of muck from the farm then went to see the hens.
3) The owner of the farm that my allotment is on came to say hello and I had a chat with her (and gave her a courgette), all the time trying to hide what I can only call Poo Trouser Leg as I hadn't realised how grubby and wet the sacks of muck were as I dragged them out of the car!
4) Bigger son went out with a friend from college.
5) Bigger son also has an interview next week (not a job of his choice but never mind) and there might be a job going where he used to work, at Go Ape...
6) Met a friend and she was the first person to come into my house since March! She is also going through a difficult time (what IS it about this year?) but we had a chat then went to see the hens and there was a spectacular double rainbow overhead. 
7) Smaller son and I worked on his desktop computer for 4 hours and between us (mainly him) managed to add RAM, a new motherboard, a new CPU, fans and something else that I've forgotten. It is now humming with colour changing bits you can see through the case and he is very chuffed indeed. 
8) In bed now and might watch Casualty. 

balabooberlies

Phew !

D4V..............your posts are well worth waiting for.  

X

LaineyT

For yesterday,

Tidied up and sorted out the windfalls, our bumper harvest is diminishing fast.

Rest of morning spent with equine girlie, gave her a pamper including a mane & tail tidy and then went for a walk / graze in hand. I am fascinated by which bits of vegetation she chooses over others. Feet are holding up well and work can start again tomorrow.

Saw my pal at the yard and caught up on each other’s lives, from a safe distance of course.

Bit of a lazy afternoon, beloved has never watched Life on Mars so we watched first two episodes, chuckled over fashion etc but sexism was eye watering.

Typical saturday tea of blue cheese steak burgers with SP fries and salad.

villagelife

Love your posts DFV 
1. On my holidays.
Still awaiting results of Covid test results - the negative one I had on Monday doesn't count as too long ago and the post one which we took on Wednesday and the one at the airport n we neither result back yet. Have a food pack- sandwiches and wine so can survive for a bit !onger!
2. Lovely villa we are staying in - DS1 is joining as later.
3. Warm and sunny
4. Views of the sea.
5. Lots of hills so will keep fit!!

PaulieHerts

Recent pleasures:
DfV post and a mention!😊
2 lunches, 1 breakfast (only a bacon roll) and one dinner out this week! What a difference from the last 5 months! Catching up with friends and 2 of the meals on the special deal. All felt very safe.
Ex husband popped in with some of his own grown sausages and beef - yum.
Celebrated 18 years with OH in the hot tub with a glass of bubbly and later an Indian takeaway.
Managed some gardening in between heavy rain and have now harvested potatoes, runner beans, apples and the first small tomato 🍅 
😊😘

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Feast yers IIIIII!

No feline, she is waiting, so here's a moggies for you! Raffles was required upstairs!
DfV, curved hips! Proper Chips. Grown snorkers, ?? Jenny pops a<3 to the needy! and to VJ mom, keep off the carp foods!

Now for some BoPs!

Watched the cricket the yesterday and did we do well. Top 5th wicket partnership for Buttler and Crawley. Well done, but disappointed that P got into the game and out of it at the same time.

PM2DD #UTM Ollie has bin busy and the thirst of teh friendlies ended very well. Top team. Now for some real stuff in a few days! BoPise has pencilled in the rust town at xmas! All looks good, as it does every year pre season!

Cleaned the ensuite bathroom today, after I groomed me beard, shaved and crimped me toes nails! That is how BoP stays cool. Well, the ship style after shave sorts it out!

We recorded the Ride Again 2 flix the other day, but fortunately on the flixnet thing, Ride Along 1 was available. So we watched that last night! Wobbleades and cheeses were consumed, with some nuts! Then some The Grand Tour to finish up with.

Still catless, but replacement should be off the treatment tomorrow, so all looks good. Details soon!

So just hads our wheet biscuits inn ice chilled fresh milk, then some toasted bread with butter and jam, tea was drinked. We had to get a new kettle as old one had been lidded. the river had a deal on the replacement. Did pop to T as we has voucher, £2! But they were more expensive. Local electric shop, the guy retired last year before pandemic thing!

Done the stuffing, and wrapped bacon snorkers for dinner. Pork medallion, apple sauce and pan gravy. We has teh Collie-Flower with it today! Anbd we had the Spotted D i c k as well!

That is all!

Turning the wits today, on with the game now!