5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

Frith

Pleasures for today (Tuesday)

1) Not a bad sleep.

2) Dropped the car off for its MOT before 9 but they had had a rush so said it wouldn't be done until 4.30. Haven't heard anything so will walk down tomorrow morning. It is 21 years old so I am expecting a huge bill or even to have to scrap it. 

3) Walked into town and around and about and back again. Did 7 miles.

4) Went round all the charity shops (very spread out) but bought nothing. 

5) Went to Sainsburys to look at the local adverts (seems to be the best place for that). More on that later...

6) Had a bacon rasher for lunch with fried tomato, an egg and sliced avocado. Very nice. Had some LO chicken thighs for tea with the other half an avocado, grated carrot, tomato and pickled beetroot. 

7) Had a pig of a job this afternoon contacting Eon, British Gas and checking and adjusting all direct debits. Took probably 2 hours. Done now.

8) Set to with the photographs I took of adverts whilst I was in Sainsburys. One is for a very basic photography class (6 sessions with a cup of tea) in a local art place I have never been to. £10 a week so I will have to think about that. The other adverts are for helping in the local hospital league of friends cafe, where we have spent a lot of time over the years and also at a foodshare place that looks great. It is a food bank but they also do proper meals and make their own preserves when they get a glut. AND I might volunteer to do a litter pick this Saturday, meeting in the park! 

9) Got on top of the washing up, cleaned the kitchen, tidied the garden a bit and put the rubbish out. All looking OK now.

10) Played a few games of chess online and watched the 3rd episode of Freddie Flintoff. 

In less good news, I think the ancient cat may be nearing her end. I hope if I tell you all, she will immediately bounce back to health to make me look silly. She is clingy and doesn't know what to do with herself (usually an outside cat and very self contained) and sometimes stares into space and has got lost in our neighbours garden or scratched at her window for ages, instead of ours. She is 19 so has done well up until this point. 

And our family friend is stuck on holiday with a broken pelvis while they sort out a private place to fly her home!

mhagster

Hello…and today was indeed another day ( of which I’m thankful tomorrow is another!) 

Sighs very deeply! 

Anyway wide awake through middle of night. So actually didn’t re awake until 7am which is very late for me. 

Down to caravan, had a nice walk  did more painting , dog vomited big style , poor thing trying to get out ( obviously can’t as it’s not the back garden) and I had a pot of paint and a brush in hand. Vom bomb on doormat ( which I didn’t like anyway ) so it’s in the bin! Was rather unsalvageable. So he’s on chicken and rice. 

Had a nice walk before we left…the actual sun in the sky had popped out ( it’s been very much a lesser spotted creature) 

And then an idiot driving way too quickly at the tiniest mini roundabout almost ploughed into me. I’d to do emergency stop, dog got thrown on back seat ( did have harness on) I jerked my neck slightly. I’d to pull in to check dog, guy just kept on zooming. I think when you can actually see the whites of someone’s eyes they are probably too close. So he was loudly sworn at! 

Stopped at supermarket for things for tea and got an airfryer that was RTC half price. It will be for the caravan. However I shall use it at home meantime. Met friend so had chat.

Then out to car and saw that the very overfilled charity bin was being emptied and I had 4 bags in garage. So thought I’ll drop them off in the morning. However got home and realised I’d forgotten chicken for dog so thought I’ll take them now and get chicken. Well the chap was a tad disdainful! And they don’t take cushions since covid …not sure the difference to a cushion to a pair of curtains. This bag has a throw in …rips bag open at the bottom …me…great you’ve ripped it ( didn’t want the cushions in it) I can give you another one…well done surely that’s not the point, maybe don’t rip it in the first place. He then had a moan …that I didn’t really want to listen to . Anyway some of the stuff has been deposited.

Home…oh I know I’ll sit down for 5. 

And then the house stuff started! Ended up calling solicitor ( nice one) and things are happening, will have answers in 2 days. Spoke to sister. 

Made Tuesday Tea. Had fajitas, with little RTC garlicky potatoes that you’re supposed to microwave, I dint have a microwave ( well I don’t really have anything at the moment…but don’t own a MW) …but I own a brand new airfryer! So used that. With salad too. Strawbs with a Tunnocks  tea cake for pud. Chatter and laughter and a lovely bunch of roses.

Chat to DD2. 

Just done a quick hoover ( before the other hairy labrador comes tomorrow) 

DundeeDoll

happy birthday to me
1) lovely cards from mum and gbf, now up in my hotel room and birthday greetings from lots of friends both online and at the conference
2) very funny convo with alumni from Thailand - they want us to do a workshop when we're over there in December and within 5 minutes it had grown from 1 day for 20 people to 3 days for 75 🤣 I think we have settled for 2 days for 70 with a folllow-up online 6 months later.
3) our workshop went very well - long chat with the students afterwards (it was on student voice and very pleased mix of students and faculty)
4) drinks and nibbles on the roof terrace of a prof who invited us over, the us being me and my colleague and two ex-colleagues (the Dundee four), one now in the US plus someone from Canada.
5) then the Dundee four went for Italian - we had water to drink! A lovely lovely way to spend a birthday. 

Purple_kitten

Happy Birthday, DD.

Frith, lots of cat snuggles, I hope it works that way.

1 Had a bath soak, and face pack, feel like I’m presentable.

2 Sat in the garden and started reading an amazingly well written book.

3 The food planning is going well.

4 This week is the week for Fuse things, so I emailed the vet to check next steps, desperately hoping the umpteenth course of antibiotics has helped him, it completes this week.

5 Saving this for now.

mhagster

Belated birthday wishes DD …another later than normal start to my day…dog and I had a wander round the garden at 1am…just us and the snails 🐌 

LaineyT

Belated birthday wishes to DD 🎉
Hope Haggis dog is feeling a tad better and a gentle hug for elderly cat.

For yesterday,

Quick trip into horsey town for a food shop, we are hosting a family get together soon and a few extra bits went in for that.

Busy morning baking bread, catching up on washing etc, it was a warm, sunny day with a decent breeze so three loads were dried outside including small dog’s bedding after we had a whoopsie moment during the night. Worryingly there was a small puddle of water near the machine after the 4th load so checked filter but that was clear, might need to pull the machine out to check connection behind but aware it’s nearly 10 years old now.

A pleasant couple of hours spent at the stables, sorted my girl and then watched my friend working her mare. We have a resident red kite that regularly flies above the paddocks, big birds.

Picked some tomatoes & courgettes whilst watering and these went in the oven with a slab of feta to be made into a sauce for linguine.

Its just about dark by 8.30 now, definitely not a pleasure but it was a warm evening with lots of clear skies so a bit of star watching.

DigForVictory

Frith - broccoli is one of the few veg I actually enjoy as 'healthy' food. All the best with the fig tree! Having a good Monday can definitely be confusing. Intrigued by local adverts & hoping cat does perk up with online recognition!

mhagster - a cheese scone contaminated with chives?! Grrr. New week of goodness, I hope! Oooh, nightlight & lots of games! Yikes idiot driver & then worse charity shop assistant, but hurrah air dryer!

DundeeDoll - making 4000 new friends at once?! Will research pamper pack bits for Christmas - they sound a wonderful occasional treat! Is seconds of salad sinful? Or just fun healthy eating? Three rousing cheeses on your birthday!

LaineyT - Love how small dog Let you sleep. You weren't fazed by the accents in Sherwood? My Bank Holiday is swamped in a weeks leave & then lost further by being the day before a job application. Still got a couple of plants repotted. Covet line drying!

Happycas - DH may find a high protein diet is easier to stay on? However, just two weeks... Good luck!

Purple kitten - my experience of diets has been thinking far too much about food. As no matter how much you plan, it still doesn't feel enough somehow. sharing your hopes for antibiotics for Fuse!

Highdays - what a splendid chap & what rotten luck for the young but hurrah to have a sensible head steering them. US or Canada? Oooh, choices choices!

OS Pleasures recently

Family tree climbing & there’s an ancestor rejoicing in the name Champion Francis Charles. His parents were openly delighted in a son At Last! One of his descendants went in for quantity: 19 between two wives. Those women must have been logistics wizards!

Next time my sisters give me cause to count backwards from 100 in Latin, I shall think affectionately of at least three loving daughters who (born in England) died in New Zealand, Canada & Spain. I love it how one chick doesn’t just fly the nest but the whole blinking country.

Trying to sort stuff: it is already thick winter coat season at the local charity shop & they’re happy to have them.

Old sewing bee & the military chap keeping his language severely restrained versus chiffon. You can all too clearly sense that going for someone shooting an SMG at you is familiar, & relatively reasonable, in comparison.

Happily boggling at an old sewing bee, as they Make Kilts! Some of me cheering, some horrified & some full on phwoar... (I do wish my sons would wear a kilt occasionally - they have the shoulders & knees for it.)

How long does it take two daughters to change their mother’s utilities supplier? Nearly an hour. Done though & now email saying house insurance due & has doubled. Joys.

Wow, cracking wardrobe at the Proms. Makes sewing bee look the cheerful amateurs they are (fiend talent, but not quite that Westwood wild.)

My plans to put laundry on the line curbed as “ cloud of corrosive and acidic gas” due today. (Volcano in Iceland let rip) Indeed I may not venture out but than am an idle so&so.

My brother-in-law is turning 60 so I’ve sent a modest lump over for birthday fizz or whatever as he’s a honeybunch who’d catch my eye & grin reassuringly as the family we married into could be unexpected.

Son has saved car insurance putting me on (like I’ll be allowed to drive it!) and we found my old speeding points have lapsed hurrah!

The chef has complained I buy too many parsnips. He’s not realised I’m buying them in the pack as they’re not on sale loose… He’s stumped off, but all should be well. (Blimey he’s money saving. Things I thought we needed he reckons we’ve enough of. Phew, I think.)

Lingerie week in sewing bee? As stern a test of not roaring with laughter as that VAT tribunal on nouri vegan truffles.(Treat yourself. Not all VAT Tribunal judgements are arid. https://financeandtax.decisions.tribunals.gov.uk/judgmentfiles/j11529/TC07570.pdf)

More reading & swearing over job application. Middleson bracing “does it matter?” Er. Sort of, so I don’t beat myself up daily for the next decades…. Knitting in buzzwords, bah.

Dropped car off for MOT, now awaiting knight in shining armour (& old schoolmate of Middleson) to come rescue me from the wilds as handed car over. What a Bank Holiday circus!

The tattoo! All those pipes & drums! So of course the aerial goes wibble. Iplayer Ho….

Only Connect & "those who had a favourite chair in the school library" - how does she Know?!

I say! Found my old phone under my bed, wrong end to where I thought it was. Splendid, always good to have a backup. (It’s sim free but can find wifi.)

“Well, good luck & remember, it doesn’t matter” gods Middleson is So pragmatic about this job application! Which is now in & I should stop fretting.

Watching met forecast - hoping to do a laundry bash & line dry it this weekend!

Health Strength Love & Courage to all as have need, plus any luck sloshing around!

weenancyinAmerica

@DigForVictory - My brother in law, his sons and at least two of his grandsons have been seen wearing kilts in my family - and they live in Los Angeles County, California. Kilts are plain grey as they are Irish - not Scots. Don't know where they are wearing them to - but they have posted pictures on FaceBook. Look good in them too.

mhagster

Hello. A day of all the weathers…unfortunately I was out wearing sandals during the heavy rain part!,


Up through the night with a doggy. Usual non specific stuff just not right. 

Pup dropped off.

Walked up to local shop ( 15 minutes away ) to send something off for Vinted. Usual meet someone and blethering blethering 

Went long way back and went in to see mums NDN. Had a good catch up. And then the rain ( which was not forecast at that time) absolutely lashed…was offered a lift home but declined though borrowed a brolly and got soggy toes! 

Had a roll and slice for lunch…oh airfryer I have missed you! 

Then had a snooze on the sofa sitting upright with a dog on my knee. It’s been nice to spend the day at home,

Did a bit of garden pruning. Garden bin day tomorrow.

Then the smoke alarm started beeping. It’s a mains one however it has a back up battery. Daughter has  my ladders and I took the stool down to the caravan so had to try standing on a chair. Couldn’t get it off so asked a friends husband if he could pop in. So job done. 

However my poor doggy was traumatised by the beeping. And getting really distressed. That he was choosing to be outside in the rain rather than inside. But it’s stopped. 

And just had toast and the biggest banana ever for my very late tea. 

Frith

Pleasures for yesterday (Wednesday)

1) Not a bad sleep.

2) The MOT place phoned and said the car had failed on.... the fog light bulb! When I went to collect it, they had taken the fog light bulb out, tried screwing it in again, and it worked! So affordable this year. 

3) Walked into town as I had no car and had a pot of tea in Sainsburys.

4) Hummus and salad for lunch, chicken thighs and salad for tea.

5) Went to the free bread house and the lady was just parking her car. I had a chat with her to say thank you. 

6) Went on a survey with my brother near Hereford. Saw lots of bats. 

7) The cat is still here though no longer eating any real quantity.