5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

Purple_kitten

1 A re jig of my cooking plans, so today becomes boiled egg for lunch, and a pasta bake for tea.

2 The kits have progressed from sleeping on the floor from choice to sleeping in a bed, and I got kisses, we opened their world up from the hallway, landing and bedroom, to include the run where they have spent a lot of time snorkeling up and down the water trough rescuing jingly balls.

3 Bare minimum cleaning and tidying.

4 There’s been rain, we thought it would be a good time to garden.

Frith

Pleasures for today (Tuesday)

1) Not a bad sleep.

2) Went to volunteer at the cinema. The other volunteers were an engineer and a carpenter so I was rather limited in what I could do. I did dust and polish some spotlights (for the theatre productions - the whole row of them can be lowered from the roof on chains). Then I painted a corridor! 

3) Made two rather tense admin phone calls.

4) From about 4pm I pulled up all the broken slabs that had been under the shed (taken down last week). Carried them all round the side of the house. Dug the space over where it can now be another little flower bed. Moved some ridiculously heavy concrete "edging" which had been holding the shed level but can now form the sides of the new bed. That is the only thing I couldn't finish as I was too heavy for me to lift and slot into place. Emptied out the 2 old Belfast sinks and put some of the plants in the new bed. Listed the sinks on Freecycle. 

5) Went with smaller son to watch the football. 1-2 today, though they had plenty of chances. It was almost exciting when it started raining properly during the game! 

DundeeDoll

Bouncing in again, apologies for radio silence, life has been busy and didn't log on while in Durham. what a roller coaster of a week. and i too have Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine on my bookshelf so will read that next (just finished The Polish Detective, set in Dundee, they drank at my #2 pub The Phoenix)
1) quick update on DD1 - many thanks for all your good wishes. She's seen the liver consultant yesterday, very early stages of cirrhosis (good), onto beta blockers for her varices (also good), echo showed liquid on abdomen not a worry (also good), thinks autoimmune hepatitis (not sure if that's good), biopsy Friday (apparently that's good but makes me a bag of nerves again). talked to DD1 today - she seems very upbeat (and no signs of jaundice also good)
2) ds arrived with gf and cat Thursday so that's him left Aberdeen - ds and dd2 and i left for Durham Friday morning leaving his gf to look after the animals till mum arrived from London
3) family wedding - fabulous - haven't met any of them since the divorce but no awkwardness at all, they are all so lovely and to be honest cannot see why xoh ditched me cos i am fabulous . friday night was informal drinks and a great time to catch up with the in-laws (are they out-laws after a divorce?) 
Saturday was the wedding, brilliant day all round, bil and one of niece's bf huge brentford fans so big smiles for them, not so good for the hatters and the foxes.
4) sunday morning more informal drinks (tea and coffee this time) groom's side all notts forest fans and bride's brother spurs fan so football shirts were worn. but before the matches we left for the train station then went our separate ways by - xoh back to liverpool, dd2 to edinburgh to see her bf, me to sunny dundee and ds to loughborough for his new job on monday
5) and tonight (i can hear you sighing quite rightly) after vestry pub with Dr M - we had a lovely evening and are back tomorrow. As one of you posted he's a strange one. perhaps that's why we get on so well ;-)

LaineyT

Hugs Highdays, after we lost Mum I felt completely cast adrift for months, with Dad it was a tad easier as I still had Mum to care for but this was totally different and it took a long time to come to terms with it, in fact I think that in many ways I’m still trying to?

For yesterday,

Finally cool enough to get a bit of housework done, it’s been a good excuse!

Over to see the ponio, just a good groom as mindful she might still be a bit sore, saw a pal on the way out and arrangements confirmed for a meet up next month.

Well my friends I now know what you mean about Eleanor Oliphant, I sat down after lunch, just to do a chapter or two you understand, but 3 hours later I was still reading! nearly finished it in one day and I’m already thinking about when I can do that today…

Tasty tea, pork kebabs with lemon courgettes followed by blueberries & cream.

Watched the Alan Carr programme about Agatha Christie, entertaining and I now have a desire to go back to Devon.

Highdays

Good evening, everyone.

DundeeDoll - so far so good for your daughter, hope Friday brings reassuring news, I've been thinking about you.

Lainey - thank you so much for your message, you've totally hit the nail on the head. Cast adrift is absolutely how I feel. I really appreciate your honesty, there will be no quick fix. I can't tell you how much reading your message helped me this morning so a massive thank you.

Pleasures for today:

1) New friends here.

2) Having a break today from the emotions of it all, tomorrow is another day.

3) Out for tea and cake and feeding the fish with youngest grandson, his take on life is a breath of fresh air.

4) Tea in front of the telly for us tonight, we got back late yesterday so a relaxing evening is on the cards and an early night with my book.

5) Looking at a newspaper cutting from 1952 about the house my dad built when I was a baby. Actually I think they formed one of the first self-build co-operatives in the country - there were eight of them, two bricklayers, 2 joiners, a plumber, an electrician (my dad), a plasterer and a clerk/accountant and they built eight houses between them. They all did this in addition to working full-time and having young families. We lived with my grandparents and moved in the year after I was born. I don't remember, obviously, but have fond memories of living there until I was eight.

Right, jarmers and tea beckon, have a peaceful evening.

Purple_kitten

1 Up very early, 4 wash loads done by 9am. I had hoovered, mop cleaned, changed our bedding, and quite frankly sleepy again by 9am.

2 I am being quite ruthless with clothes that have faded won’t fit as too tight / to big mostly, going to try and sell a couple of quality items. Started, but just doing a bit at a time now. Then I also set to and threw some sheets and pillowcases also.

3 We went out, a lot later than planned as the caravan battery was being delivered early afternoon, given the price of it we didn’t want to risk it being mislaid, but it also bumped back plans again, but it doesn’t really impact things, there honestly wasn’t a lot in the shops, spaced out shelving very noticeable, but we got what we needed over various shops. Also returned our car battery to costco as it was under a 4 year warranty and it's died 3 years 8 months in, we had all the paperwork, and they kindly refunded us, also safe to say they don't offer 4 year warrantys any more... But now we have to find another battery, which will this time on be a lot more expensive.

4 Popped a parcel into the post office to send a top back, already refunded.

5 Ordered in a takeaway.

6 The faint contented snoring of a ferret behind the sofa.

mhagster

Hello. My day has not gone to plan. Sigh. I do believe tomorrow is another day! 

Started well with a doggy walk. All 13.5 minutes of it. Posted a letter to cousin with family  stuff in it. 

Booked a tip appointment…meanwhile DD2 had an asthma attack and we needed an ambulance. Who were very prompt and very kind. However I felt quite ‘triggered’ dialling 999 and speaking to emergency call handler. In a way I wasn’t expecting because of when  mum died. Anyway she was dealt with and is better but exhausted.

Meanwhile I’ve rearranged tip appointment, got green plant goo on my jeans ( update on declutter thread 😆 ) dropped keys off to estate agent, went to M&S ( very disappointed my very favourite crisps in the whole wide world were not available) dropped stuff off at charity shop. Came home! 

Then round to mums to clean. This was not a me job. However I’ve done every blooming else haven’t I! Was let down at weekend there by cleaner and don’t have time to book someone else in as need it done by end of this week before photographer comes. Two hours of my life I won’t get any credit for! 

Was just home and the door went…a lesser spotted brother. Read declutter thread he’s not worth writing about twice 😆

Friend phoned for an hour of chatter. 

Nice walk to and from mums. Did a bit of gardening and blew up the lawnmower ( was kind of like the icing on the cake of today! ) 

Popped into NDN for half an hour! I’ll miss our chatters. 

But it’s been a dry day, warm ( not hot) at times. And my dog is good company when I’ve been in! And he’s a good nurse to DD2 when I’ve been out. 

Frith

DD - that sounds ok so far and I hope there is good news on Friday. 

I have read Elinor Oliphant and enjoyed it. Bigger son (not an avid reader) took it with him to Nepal and read it then swapped it with another British person! 

Pleasures for today (Wednesday)

1) Not a bad sleep.

2) Back to the cinema. I started off painting but was then needed to help take the wall spotlights down. Once down, they needed hoovering and polishing. They are just too heavy to carry around easily so the engineer guy went up the ladder and I had to pass them up whilst keeping a foot on the base of the ladder and keeping the hoisting up rope taut with the other hand! I had cups of tea made for me and was given a slice of cake. 

3) Left the cinema at 3ish and popped to Tesco for bits and a cheating lasagne for tea.

4) Spent another couple of hours working in the garden. I managed to sidle the stupidly heavy concrete thingies to make a new edging strip. Also dug out the bricks that line the edges of the paving slab path and set them in again (just on sand). Dug it over. Put a few plants in. Also went round the garden looking for self seeded plants and replanted 5 hollyhocks, feverfew, lemon balm and a tiny golden fennel seedling, almost as thin as a hair! The freecycle lady did not turn up to collect the Belfast sinks. 

5) Today was the first induction day at the special needs college (indeed, the only special needs college that is within 40 miles). Smaller son could not manage any of the requirements i.e he will only wear one pair of trainers, owns 3 pairs of identical trousers etc. I emailed to say this and was told these are all compulsory and he won't be able to attend otherwise. "Inaction is an action" as the saying goes, so my inaction in getting him to the induction day today means the end of his education is one step closer. I don't seem to have the strength to take the decision once and for all! GCSE results next week... one would be nice, two would be a bonus and all 3 would be a shock. 

6) Fortified by my lasagne for tea, I contacted the local asylum seekers support group and have offered to join the English "teaching" team. There are 2 hotels housing asylum seekers (one where bigger son had his waiter job, years ago) with various football/computing/forestry schemes in place. I think it is mainly going to the hotels and chatting so people can practise. 

7) I bought bigger son and his girlfriend a book on all the camper van sites and wild camping spots across Europe and it arrived today. They are leaving at the start of September. I've also bought the Haynes guide for the van. 

8) In bed now and will find something to watch on the laptop. 

Frith

Mhags - sorry I missed your paragraph about your daughter. Hope she's ok now. 

LaineyT

Hope your DD is feeling much better today Mhags

For yesterday,

Set myself a list of chores to do before I could sit down and finish my book, bathrooms cleaned, cottage hoovered and stairs washed down.

Made myself a cuppa and settled down to read, have to admit to a tear or two at the end.

Then it was a bit of a rush to get out and meet my bf for lunch, warm enough to sit outside and even though we had a few spots of rain the very black clouds on the horizon stayed away. We have known each other for 36 years.

Home and small dog pleased to see her Mum.

Baked cannelloni for tea, watched a bit of the 100 but just can’t seem to get into it this year, enjoyed Shetland though.