5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

Frith

Pleasures for today (Thursday)

1) Took ages to go to sleep but then had a few hours.

2) Got up in the night to show smaller son a video. I had put the Ring doorbell on the patio and a fox came right up and snuffled in the camera! He then had a bit of cat food then ancient cat absolutely bombed out of the garage and saw him off down the garden!

3) Did some online training for invigilation. It is a series of tests and I keep getting 19/20 then 18/20, over and over...

4) Another long phone call to British Gas. I have lived here 9 months and they have not yet managed to put my name on the bills, or give me a customer reference number so I am unable to set up an online account or a direct debit. I have probably received 20 bills and the final low was receiving 3 on the SAME DAY last week, all with different totals they wanted me to pay! 

Finally today I got a proper bill and a reference number AND a letter saying their legal team would take my bill into collections. I paid £100 as a bank transfer last month but there is no record of that at all, so that was the second complaint raised today. However, after an hour, Mr British Gas and I managed to set up a direct debit, put smaller son as a priority customer and I supplied today's meter readings. 

5) I found out about the local Repair Cafe so hopefully I can take my curtains there to be shortened. 

6) Also signed up for MeetUp and found there are Arabic talker's afternoons that are within a sensible distance! 

7) Did some research about my trip to my University city tomorrow! My brother is going to watch the cricket so I shall have a look around. I haven't been for at least 5 years. 

8) Making a pheasant casserole for tea then might make a loaf of bread and some salads to take tomorrow. Also want to make some shortbread. 

I meant to start cleaning all the woodwork today ready for glossing in a few weeks but it has been too hot. 

Highdays

Hello again.

Oh, mhagster, your dad sounds a wonderful and sentmental man, how very special it is to have had these people in our lives.

I am sad today - thank you for your condolences everyone - that I will be unable to attend my uncle's funeral. I really wanted to support my cousin as she has lost her mum, two brothers and now her dad so is the only one of their family left, though she is married with two daughters. I have some lovely memories of my uncle from when I was a child that she won't know about as she was too young. I will write to her next week but would very much have liked to pay my repects to a lovely man.

Anyway, some pleasures:

1) Stayed close to home the lasty couple of days, my favourite place when feeling somewhat vulnerable. Lots of love and comfort here.

2) Glorious weather continued today, hubby cut the grass and we sat outside in the sunshine this afternoon to admire his handiwork.

3) A walk and talk with my bairn, more a stroll really as it was very warm, but good to be outside and moving and the company was excellent!

4) Got a text saying I needed to book a blood test, booked very easily online, sorted within a minute of the text pinging in.

5) Easy tea cobbled together from the fridge and freezer. Found some stem ginger biscuits in the freezer that I had made for our holiday but deemed them to be a bit too spicy for general consumption. Just right for me and hubby though so a couple of those later with a cuppa for pudding. Sorted, with minimal effort.

Hope you are getting this lovely weather where you are.

DundeeDoll

pheasant casserole sounds yummy frith
aw mhags your dad's box such lovely memories to have but so sad to lose him so soon after your marriage
I am absolutely zonked so typing this with my eyes shut and will correct after
1) good meetings over coffee and I got a free one with my loyalty card
2) a lift down town for an important meeting - my colleague has a very nice car - shame we couldn't have gone for a spin instead cos the sun had come out by then 
3) received official announcement of being one of the 2 Chancellor's Award recipients this year - it's the University's highest award for teaching and I am extremely chuffed - i get the award at graduation, my gbf says is it like a Mutley medal
4) a wonderful distance learning forum - I handed over cochair to a young colleague from law - she is very keen and able and I need to shed some jobs!
5) chaired the GWSE AGM. We've struggled a bit to get back on track after covid but tonight was an excellent meeting. I started with some quotes a former phd student had collected from interviewing female surgeons, colleagues and patients. As I'd hoped it would be, it was a really good ice-breaker and refocussed us. 

weenancyinAmerica

Congratulations @DundeeDoll. 

@Frith - I am in awe of people who can do more than one language, having been asked not to speak French by my French teacher and not to speak German by my German teacher. It is wonderful that you have found a group to speak with in Arabic. Impressed.

LaineyT

Oh Mhags, the description of all your Dad’s treasures was perfect and what wonderful memories, but yes ooft!
Many congratulations DD, the Mutley comment made me smile.

For yesterday,

Another warm, sunny day, anything that wasn’t nailed down has been washed and dried outside this week.

The Postie came with some more plant tags so sticks removed and proper labels done, let’s hope I’ve remembered what was what.

My pony sleepy in the sunshine, she had diligently replaced all the dirt that the previous days bath had removed, oh well, keeps her mum busy.

Nice chat in yard tea room with pals, it’s such a friendly yard.

Evening walk with small dog, not a long one as it was still warm and we stayed mainly in the shade. Capt S at late meeting but turned up just as tea was ready so we could eat together, he’s preparing for audit which starts in a couple of weeks so is tad stressed bless him.

VJsmum

Aww congrats DD
Thanks for that, Mhags, I had to look up my wedding album.  We were soooo thin!! 🤣

Pleasures for Wednesday and Thursday

1. A day out with OH - not quite what was planned due to having to drop DS at a different station.  But some EH and NT places covered.  A lovely day.
2. Washing dried on the line 
3. marking batch done
4. some nice food.
5. warm sunshine - AT LAST

Enjoy your day

mhagster

What a beautiful day it’s been .

Up early.

Went in to town. Dropped off a bag at charity shop, reunited a mummy cat ornament with her kittens which made me smile. 

Went to nice post office where all the staff are friendly. Posted off something to a friend as a wee surprise. It was my granny’s . It’s beautiful but I’ll never use it and friend should appreciate it! 

M&S for some nice bits!

Then straight home…oh I gave a chap the last 30 minutes of my carpark ticket. 

Upstairs to do a bit of packing procrastination…went through the rest of the wooden box that threw me yesterday! Less emotional today!
Took some photos of some of the things and texted them to appropriate relatives. Now the box is in a box!

Pup was dropped off mid morning. I forgot he was coming a bit earlier today. Usually after lunch on a Friday. 

Sat in garden for a bit. Friend called so ended up coming in as it was too warm for me. Chatted for blooming ages! 

Then out to the garage and did a bit of sorting. Put some things on local page so 3/5 have new homes. Which is good ! Then the huge collection of electronic stuff is also being rehomed. My husband made effects pedals for guitars ( amongst other things) in a workshop in our garage in Melbourne and all the stuff was brought back here and had languished in the garage here  for almost 7 years
Son ( who had wanted it kept at the time ) happy for me to move it on and it’s one of our good friends that’s taking it to distribute amongst her colleagues so I know my husband would be happy with that…and whether he would or wouldn’t shouldn’t really matter now but it kind of does! I just don’t want it! Again I’ve asked for a donation to be made to food bank. This is a tremendous BIG TICK ✅ off the list! 

And talking of lists I sat in the garden earlier and wrote a huge list of all the things still to do! 

Pup was collected. 

Cleared a worktop of stuff…me saying thanks to the caffetiere that was a wedding gift…neither my husband or I drank coffee at the time ( though he did laterally) but I would bring it out when friends came over when we first got married! It’s been in a cupboard never used since I got back here ( almost 7 years ago) and so it’s now in a bag for charity shop along with some other random stuff! 

All big drawers (6) which I will truly miss have been emptied hoovered & washed. 

Bubble wrapped some pictures. 

Sat back out in garden with doggy, 

And heading to bed sometime soon!

Tomorrow is another day! 

Frith

Pleasures for today (Friday)

1) Not a bad sleep, despite being quite warm.

2) Up early to go to Nottingham with my brother! Good journey over there. 

3) Both drove past my old house then brother went to Trent Bridge and I carried on.

4) Went to the Art History department (I did a few modules there) and saw the Boots exhibition, which was great. Had a cup of tea in the cafe there,

5) Walked past the piano practice rooms, where I spent much of my time. 

6) Off to the SU building. Wandered around. Tried to find my old department. Got lost, Walked round again. Eventually found that only the stone steps remain and now they lead nowhere as everything has been demolished!!! 

7) Swished into the city centre on a tram. 

8) Walked to the army surplus place (always a favourite). Met my brother there and we walked to the river to eat our sandwiches.

9 Walked round the city centre. Got lost because Broadmarsh has been demolished! All bearings were gone for a while. Did the charity shops but bought nothing.

10) Went to a Middle Eastern cafe (force of habit, even when I have no gentleman with me) and had a pot of tea.

11) Walked to Rock City and felt a bit sad. 

12) Back up to the University and I sat under a tree and waited for my brother. 

13) Directed him all through Nottingham with a diversion off the A52 when half of his exhaust fell off !!!

14) Made arrangements to see MrM tomorrow.

15) Just back from Tesco. Emergency sausage rolls in the oven.

16) Will phone my school friend just now. 

Purple_kitten

1 Absolutely devouring a book called One Medicine.

2 Prepared to get to a wedding tomorrow.

3 Returning some Trinny make up,  thankfully easy process.

4 Listed a few items for sale, a pleasure to have got on with it, but nothing but time wasters so far.

5 Didn’t get to see the northern lights tonight, hope to see it tomorrow.

LaineyT

For yesterday,

Changed the towels, cleaned the kitchen and other things relating to sloggus domesticus.

Into BuryStEd to visit Mr Sparks for new bras, pleasantly surprised as the shop was SO much better than when I visited a while back so maybe someone new in charge! Anyways found what I wanted and had a cuppa in the cafe.

Did a diversion and surprised the pony with an earlier visit, she was dozing in her stable with a big old bottom lip wobbling as it does. Gave her a groom and some more hay then left her to it, she goes out later when it’s cooler and not so much sugar in the grass.

All of which meant I had a rare afternoon to myself so lunch in the garden, followed by a bit of pottering and then indoors as too warm, watched an old Marple snuggled up with small dog.

Lasagne and salad for tea then TOTP and Gogglebox, oh and the first Pimms of the summer ☺️