5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

DundeeDoll

Having tested -ve (no symptoms you understand, just felt polite to do so with DD1's health condition) am now packing. well clearly not, am on OS dfv I went out with a lovely Egyptian guy long time ago - he would look up to the moon and say how it made him feel connected to his mum back in Egypt. I will look up at the moon and think of you and your lovely family. And of course all our mse friends and family, whether they be near or far. 
And now to pack (dreamt of course last night I missed my flight because I got the #649 rather than the #22 in Dundee and ended up somewhere totally different and I hadn't arranged with mum for a lift to Edinburgh which is of course daft cos I'm here with her in Venice and I'm catching the 11:21 Alilaguna for which I already have my ticket, and even if i miss that one I still have plenty of time cos my flight isn't till 3pm. I am a nervous traveller right up till I'm through to the platform for trains / through security for planes

Highdays

Hi everyone

Another lovely autumn day, the car windscreen was 'huffed up' this morning so we have definitely seen the back of summer for this year.

DFV - my thoughts will be with you and your mum on Friday. I'm sure you'll do a wonderful job of the John Donne, massive respect for doing a reading, your mum and your boys will be proud of you and we will all be willing you on.

Pleasures for the last couple of days:

1) Reading of holidays and travel plans here, for a while I was transported to Venice again(one of my favourite places) and also remembered my mum and dad's trip to Australia - the holiday of a lifetime for them, to see my uncle who emigrated and settled in Brisbane over 50 years ago and my grandma (mum's mum) who moved over there is her eighties after making some wonderful friends on her previous visits.

2) Did a massive tidy up and clean of my bedroom and bathroom. I'd dumped a lot of my mum's stuff in there which all needed sorting. Had planned to do that but then carried on and did a clean and sort out of my stuff too so all now feels more organised and calm, maybe that'll help me sleep a bit better.

3) Went to the kitchen flooring shop with my bairn, his kitchen needs a temporary floor covering until the building work starts next year. We amalgamated half of his kitchen into our annexe so for the last two years, since our building work started, his kitchen has had a huge hole in the floor right down to the earth under the house and two acrow props holding up his upstairs. Not ideal with three boys running around and his sink unit was balanced on four breeze blocks.The props have now been moved nearer the wall and he has joined the joists together and put a floor down and rearranged the units.  A very temporary solution but still needed a floor covering in the interim. Found just the right thing at a good price.

4) Watched the procession of the Queen's coffin to Westminster Hall this afternoon, nobody does ceremonial like we do. Found it very moving and so sorry for her four children, they are having to cope with their grief in such a public arena. Not a pleasure for them but she will soon be at rest now.

5) A beautiful sunset, the sky is the palest blue with streaks of cloud in blush pink and apricot with touches of slate grey. Looking forward to the amazing sunsets of autumn and winter.

Right, tea and telly for us tonight, there is much pleasure to be had in the mundane.

Have a good evening.

Frith

Hope everything goes well for those flying all over the globe! And for DfV. 

Day 3 of the BSD today, so intensely grumpy...

Pleasures (or ponderings) for today (Tuesday)

1) Not a bad sleep,

2) Went to my voluntary job briefly and got the fob for the door/alarm and a name lanyard thingy. Also did my DBS (I already have one that renews automatically but they wanted to do their own - don't know why). A few nice ladies working in the office.

3) Went to lovely Ludlow afterwards and did the charity shops. Bought nothing. As I drove in (people think it is pedestrianised, but it isn't!) some teachers stopped the traffic to let a bus load of primary school children cross the road. The teachers said, "Thank you", and put their hands up, then 30+ children all waved at me and shouted over dramatic Thank YOOOOUUUs !

4) My MOT bill came so I paid that. Could have been worse. Annoyingly, I have been trying to set up a birthday surprise for bigger son but I think he is going to reach that particular country before I can sort it. That has made me cross today. The company sorting it are insisting on posting me the invoice (?!) instead of just giving me their bank details so I can pay instantly. This is not the Swiss efficiency we expect!

5) So tetchy after lunch that I drove to floody city to save mithering smaller son. Did the charity shops there and got 3 CDs for £3 plus a Mistral top. Went to Waitrose for a cup of tea.

6) Will catch up with GBBO in a bit. Going to make myself clean the bathroom first.

mhagster

Morning 😆 from Melbourne 🇦🇺

Longest ever journey to get here. Flights take forever plus a 9 hour stopover in Dubai. 

Nice chats on the plane. 

I am here. First thing I noticed when I came out for airport were the gum trees. 

Have not missed Melbourne traffic, my lovely friend came and picked me up. 

Hotel is nice. Amazing view. The Yarra River is in front and I can see the sea! 

Just going downstairs  to meet DD1 for breakfast! 

Catch up later 😎

topsyturphy

Pleasures for Wednesday 

1. 3 mile walk with the pupster
2. Made crab apple jelly
3. Found the new dog lead on walk that ds2 lost whilst walking the pupster on the previous evening, someone had hung it on a fence post. Had to go and meet ds2 with the old half chewed lead in the rain on the previous evening so was not amused.
4. Made it up to Lancashire eventually, part of M6 closed off - managed to get lost whilst trying to follow diversion near Wigan.
5. All fancy dress items arrived for my 80’s weekend with my friends.

carolbee

mhagster said:

Morning 😆 from Melbourne 🇦🇺

Longest ever journey to get here. Flights take forever plus a 9 hour stopover in Dubai. 

Nice chats on the plane. 

I am here. First thing I noticed when I came out for airport were the gum trees. 

Have not missed Melbourne traffic, my lovely friend came and picked me up. 

Hotel is nice. Amazing view. The Yarra River is in front and I can see the sea! 

Just going downstairs  to meet DD1 for breakfast! 

Catch up later 😎

I love that moment when you walk out of Melbourne airport and can smell Australia! Enjoy your trip.

villagelife

1. Line manager unexpectedly asked how I was and could she do anything to help. I think she was encouraged to ask me but she did it. Perhaps there may be hope. 

2. Day at work was very long but pleasure was I left on time.

3. DS1 rang so had a  chat.

4.  A glass of wine with tea.

5. An early night with a book.

LaineyT

For yesterday,

Busy morning with errands, another rug dropped off to be cleaned & re proofed, winter boots left at cobblers, TK Maximus for an autumn candle for hearth and picked up a parcel.

Washed the big bath mat from the main bathroom and got it dried on the line.

Pork in the SC then over to see equine girlie, took her into the school for a good look around, lots of snorting and sniffing but apart from a spook when a grain lorry let off its air brakes no drama. She’s settling in so well.
Nice chat with another owner, she’s been at the yard for 13 years which is testament to how good it is.

Home, tasty tea of pulled pork in BBQ sauce, caught up on the emotional coverage of HM being taken to Westminster Hall. 

New candle it and watched the last episode of Shetland.

mhagster

Hello from the middle of the night and jet lag wide awake -ness.

So for my Thursday pleasures( I’m now Friday but very early Friday) 

Friend kindly picked me up at airport. So lovely to see her as I walked through the arrival gates. 

I’m staying in a hotel apartment right in the city, which is what I wanted so I’m absolutely central to everywhere I want to go. Son arrived here ( hotel ) on Monday. He’s staying with me till he gets his own place sorted. Anyway it was a quick hello and goodbye as he was off to work. 

Had a shower. Got dressed. So thankful to be out of my traveling clothes. 

Then DD1 met me for breakfast downstairs. The biggest squeeze given. Enjoyed breakfast of sourdough toast and jam, a bit of bacon and hash browns. And some melon. She had pancakes with blueberry compote. We both took an apple for later.  

Then we went a wander. Years ago when we could come out here to see my lovely husband who was out here working we stayed in the city so we were very familiar with it. The kids and I would go exploring whilst he was at work. ( this is before we emigrated) . So we retraced our steps the way we used to walk everyday then . And it honestly felt as I’ve I’d just been here days before and not five years ago. Five years ago last week I’d walked these very steps as I was meeting friends to say say farewell. And I’ll be meeting up with them again this next week. Five years feels like five minutes. 

Anyway we sat on the steps at Fed Square like we used to and had a callipo like we used to ( though it really wasn’t warm enough for an ice lolly but we did it for old time sake!) sat and chattered and laughed and people watched. 

Then went in to the Cathedral, like I always used to whenever I went into the city. Sat and had a bit of pray, a bit of a cry. Then we went and lit candles. I would always light one for my dad, then laterally one for my husband and now had to light one for my mum. However one change since I was last here…you can now tap your bank card to pay for your candles ( $5) slight eyebrow raise at that 🤨

Then we went back to hotel, getting a couple of provisions at supermarket ( but a city supermarket so a bit more expensive) but I was a bit like waaaah at the prices. I drink Diet Coke and it was $13.99 for 10 which is £8 UK when  it would cost about £4 in UK. Anyway it is what it is. Hoping I can find caffeine free DC somewhere. 

Back to hotel and BAM jet lag  just hit me. So I went to lie down for an hour and then we went swimming. Hotel chosen as it has a pool. And as I don’t like swimming out my depth, didn’t learn to swim till I was adult and don’t like not being able to touch the bottom of pool with my feet. And pool is only 1.2m deep all the way so I was able to swim in lengths rather than breadths which I would normally do. I plan to swim everyday. DD1 swims every week anyway. Kids all swim like fish. We did swimming lessons for years every Saturday morning. As I didn’t want them to be unconfident in water like I am. 

Nice chat with a mother and her young girl in the pool…are you mother and daughter or just friends she asked. Mother and daughter…and friends too I replied. 

Then back upstairs. She had a shower then we walked back to the train station, said goodbye and see you tomorrow! I walked back and son was in from work. So chatted with him for  a bit  and then he was going out to meet friends. ( old and new, he’s rekindled his connection to his uni outdoors club ) 

Then I watched the sunsetting across the buildings over the river from the me. Melbourne city is built up at either side of The River Yarra. Known as the muddy Yarra as it’s yep…brown and muddy looking! So I’m at one side overlooking the river and can see the sea from my living room window ( way up high!) so the reflection on skyscrapers on other side was spectacular. And as the sun went down and then down some more the buildings were lit up first with the sunshine then with their lights as it was darkening then the glow out to sea was stunning too. And then the big ships  I could see were all a twinkling with their lights. 

Phoned my sister and chatted. 

Then oooft it was bam and jet lag tired so off to bed which is huge and very comfortable. But I’ve slept for an hour at a time then wide awake! Slept/  wide awake . Repeat times about 5 so far! 


Right I better try and sleep again. 

Purple_kitten

1 The hospital can’t put a drain in the way it is now, and I don’t want them to, I think the second course of antibiotics is hopefully doing something, just in the nic of time phew definitely a pleasure. Also, I'm heating the area now, a heat pack against a bandage.

2 I made a big chicken salad for us for lunch and ate way too much of it and theres enough leftover for lunch tomorrow.

3 DH had a burst of energy while I was up at hospital and jet washed the animal run and all of the contents, then set to on the outside of the house, he cleared the gutters which badly needed doing, and then washed them and soffits, cleaned and checked the security cameras and did all the upstairs windows and sills. It looks so much better.

4 I got a couple of washing loads done, a lot of clearing, trying to be ruthless, where jumpers would normally have a ferret bedding lifecycle, I am donating instead as what happens is I forget and then the jumper gets washed etc.. 2 big bin bags full of stuff loaded into the car, I am aiming for 4 or 5 bags. The space I have cleared, for now, will be storage for some things I inherited and would like to keep.

5 I got some writing done.