5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

DundeeDoll

fingers crossed pk1
1) cleaner had left vacuum charging so I borrowed it to vacuum up where I dropped a plant yesterday then replugged vacuum in
2) friend's retirement do - had a cake
3) then had packed supper
4) then choir rehearsal - I am singing tenor - great fun
5) just as I was almost home met a neighbour walking other way - she and husband off to mennies for a drink so I did a 180 degree turn (having checked I would be welcome) - a very pleasant 2 hours over a pint
and now home with doggie and the archers

LaineyT

For yesterday,

Feeling better and more energised, we are away to Norfolk for a week tomorrow and I like to leave a clean house so went through upstairs, will do down today.

Sat down with a cuppa and phoned my bf for a catch up.

At the yard and thought my pony looked a long way away, she had got into the field next door! For her the grass is really greener 🙈 

A mini midweek roast with chicken, maple roast parsnips and red cabbage.

Watched the first episode of Murder before Evensong, love the books by Rev R Coles and enjoyed the adaptation.

PaulieHerts

Morning all 😊

Recent pleasures:
The beautiful moon
The Autumn leaves on the cherry blossom tree outside my window and on the trees in the local park and when driving along the main road
Swimming, feel it does me good as I can’t walk much
Lunch in the cafe in the park, Brie and cranberry panini

We’re going to see Simply Red at the O2 tonight. OH has planned an “easy” journey, drive to tube station and only 1 change, so I hope it is easy as I struggle.  We’re going to eat locally first so should be good, although I’ve got a headache and cough ☹️
have a good day everyone 😊

mhagster

Watching a beautiful sky just now. A very gentle sunset .

Atrocious sleep as DD1 was messaging me through the night and the pings woke me up. 

Anyway up at up time. 

Chat to friend this morning on phone. 

Then we headed off to CP. was drizzling on the way there but was dry when we got there. Had a nice walk and a chat to a swimming pal! 

Then popped over to see other swimming pal and had a lovely chat! All caught up 😆

Cuppa soup for lunch and a wee snooze on the sofa! 

Then home mid afternoon. Sun had appeared. Sky turned blue and it’s been a lovely afternoon/evening. 

Emptied car of a gazillion bags for life. And assorted CDs and dog blankets and at least half a dog’s worth of hair! Met mums NDN when I was out at driveway so had a nice catch up. 

Hoovered upstairs. Cleaned bathrooms. 

Had fried eggs on toast for tea! I had bought RTC eggs at the weekend ( for making meringues) so trying to use them up within dates. 

DigForVictory

Purple kitten - run out of brandy Already?! Well done playing Amazon at their game & not buying at their highest prices. Stepping out of comfort zone always developmental if not at all comfortable. Hoping all comes right for poorly ferret.

mhagster - argh laundry in the rain, So Frustrating. Hurrah sticking to your budget re car! Very right to swap clothes & unleash someone who cares about cars. Hospital, then stovies - aw, comfort food! Haggis happy even if laundry wettened. Is DD well that she has forgotten the time lag? Oh good not just me with many bags for life.

Frith - "dug up the stump of an old tree that was annoyingly in the middle of the badminton court" - you have a badminton court, or were getting in some exercise for the general good? Collaborative rose painting, novel! New lawnmower blades? Frankly awed.

LaineyT - bacon butties & broad bean futures... Aw exclusion zone around apple tree! A coldy day and Witnesses? Bah! What's the difference between Evensong & Vespers (other than a few hundred years?) Looking forward to reading it.

BoP - floorless kitchen?! Yegods that takes a Lot of moving. Not sure if I feel envy or pity for your manager, but Educational.

DundeeDoll - ugh 585 emails - the price of escape comes high! The classic poses for mammog but oh the peace of mind. How do you find singing tenor? Fun or hindbrain wanting to try other lines?

Highdays - I hadn't quite realised ladybirds could bite humans - which makes that strange invasion for a few days even more bewildering. Not all proper ladybirds, some of these strange harlequin bugs are like spotted amber!

PaulieHerts - Brie and cranberry panini, then Simply Red live- wow!

OS Pleasures recently

Watching QI again, delighted to hear little children believe birthday parties cause them to age, not anything like the calendar & logical arithmetic. As I make my birthday playmobil figure to adorn the birthday cream bun (a Dig family tradition, toy on cheaper cake), I shall channel my inner three year old…

Yeay the Roses! Impressive.

Son has an empty box of “Lucky Buddha enlightened beer” & I have questions. Starting with how much did that enlighten your wallet, who gets the luck & would that be before during or after consumption of said beer…. [He got it for the drinking glasses which are surviving & thus clearly relatively lucky.]

The laying of the new flooring at mum’s has not gone to plan. It seems I am expected to lug furniture next I go see mum. This is not what I anticipated. Things we do for love… (No lugging but my poor son, cooking!)

Much amused at the light moisturiser on Middleson’s kitchen table alongside the nitrile gloves. Basic skin care against concrete seemingly.

Youngest’s phone has been giving interesting gyp, lovely to hear brother sorting out brother…. Without contusions! (So far) [Ah. Youngest has passwords galore.]

Out of curiosity I’ve seen over 21 thousand days which according to Youngest’s interpretation of Copernicus makes me 777 years. (He opines this makes a lot of sense.) Makes my rotations round the sun look puny. (We still had chocolate cake.)

Oh I am in disgrace for doing an on-line jigsaw & not watching a Coen brothers film Properly. Just the lead cop (pregnant) didn’t walk right, & the amazing Steve Buscemi put me in mind of a bad tempered Freddy Mercury, so I wasn’t giving the nuanced dark humour my full attention.

Lovely colleague mentioned air-fried fish fingers in a sandwich & while it’s taken me three weeks to back Youngest into trying, he is now convinced! And I am delighted.

Prodding my work phone (an Apple device) my defaults-to-android colleague mentioned I could move Outlook & Teams to the bottom bar if I wanted so they were Always Handy. I hasn’t realised you could! All now more ergonomically set up, I just need a case with a crossbody strap so I can work hands free. [Oh how I Need that strap!]

Had to list pills I’m on & remembered the statin as Atora-statin (as it’s fighting suet). Bar a v, it’s right & my pharmacist beams at me as I made her chuckle.

Oh my. Colleague preparing for Yom Kippur, 25 hours fasting & diligent prayer, trying to sort out the last year so judgement day is just the inspection of accounts. [In Manchester. He’s fine, just appalled.]

I am to use a hire car for work next week & am being coached not just in the paperwork but how to walk around & video, the after action report (on the car) and possibly how to get it to play music from my phone. Frankly I think this latter step one too many & would rather have a small folder of CDs or depend on the radio, but having a techie reputation means I am expected to try!

Scouts! Chittering & flittering & eventually able to focus on what they enjoy so we can add chunks to the program. They all want to camp, which is very rewarding. And also play swing the sock (which bores me rigid, but happy scouts are worth it).

Youngest, cleansed & purified as only a young man in sole occupation of the house can be, willingly submitted to me ruffling his hair where his headset had flattened it. He looks adorable all ruffled… (Kindly, I didn’t point this out.)

Called out on a special visit & told wear the logo’ed stuff, so have a smart new work waterproof. Declined the hat which was hilarious & ridiculous (but probably very weatherproof - I may regret that, but have my own hi vis beanie.) Colleague accompanying also kitted, so we’re clearly on the same team, just dressed differently.

Colleague on another team came over & asked for a hug. (I do so admire her courage.) So of course I hugged her. Seemingly we broadcast oxytocin as no one looked startled just benevolent.

Mum engrossed by Good Housekeeping is a reliable pleasure, although she muttered “wild sex” which had me checking - ah, a theatrical headline, defer judgement.

Just found “litany for being centred through pain” by jo Walton. Odd what can help.

Met nearly 7’ of strapping hairy bearded chap (think young Hagrid) around whom everyone in a 5 metre radius was cautious/avoiding, so I beamed happily & crooned “great T shirt!” (can’t go wrong with Iron Maiden, really) & got an absolutely cute little boy grin of being appreciated. On we go, both slightly happier with the day.

Re-reading Jingo (Terry Pratchett) & much enjoying ideas like “several palms short of an oasis” amongst other gems. 

Ah, loving motherly texts “ Where's your sharp knife? Xxxx” “ Next trip, clean the blighter and sharpen it xxxxx” & “hm. Me now with blood trail playing hunt the sticky plasters & can't mention pie no longer strictly vegan.” Still, all well mostly. [Vegans ate up & took all the leftovers.]

I have wound up the grandfather clock. This is a quiet satisfaction at keeping a beautiful old clock rolling.

The way the wind is picking up, I foresee several bins on speed awareness courses…

Researching how to watch the  Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe horse race. Streaming tv I think.

The weather so severe, sis out walking her dogs was landed on by a squirrel! We are (of course) spattering her with squirrel memes ….

Apparently it’s National vodka day. (4/10) eavesdropping on sisters pattern bombing job applications make me think I need a pint of tea…

Ye gods, mum’s book club read has mentioned bondage trousers, so Google image search ho & mum peering at loops of belt “don’t they fall over”? Sis, outraged, “should we be vetting our mother reading?!” All Far Too Late…

I have (jointly) dosed the cat. Sis persuaded the animal to settle on her & then made attempts to leave as I strolled up with the little tube of goo ineffective. Cat huffed mightily for about 10 minutes but ate his filled bowl & decided to come back for cuddles. (Apparently I am to do this pretty much every visit. Not sure who us less enchanted by this, the cat or I.)

Shifted mum’s email to gmail & at last can now shunt some of the dafter stuff into a “to read later” folder and delete the flagrant junk onto a tool we can use easily.

Poor Youngest has cooked heroically in a kitchen where 95% of the essentials are packed, and still produced delicious meals. His sponge cake was not a success, but at least he has a proper sprung cake tin to continue his researches. He learned the food processor is an unreliable ally in the search for sponge, too.

What is it about my family that they translate “good at” as “marketable skill”?! Youngest is a good cook, (healthy, nourishing, tasty) but they all ask about jobs! No, I think he wouldn’t enjoy cooking for 10 (& I’d hate to wash up after him) let alone do it to order at strange hours. All the good cooks I’ve known have been involved in making people happy, the chef from the acclaimed restaurant was driven for stars & applause, not that warm cared-for sigh of repletion.

I am not vegan but several of the extended family are, so I cook my one vegan dish whenever they’re due. Sis messaged me requiring the Waitrose vegan cake & while I was appalled at the price, it did taste good. However if you have to pay that much, And eschew bacon, I’m out.

Ah sibling civil war. I escape mine & walk into the lads’! As if one empty bottle of Newcastle brown justifies asking any questions…

Mum has already clicked on something & copied her soul to Microsoft so we’ve got an extra year of security updates before windows 11 Has to happen. (Eyeing assorted boxes I am in charge of, my enthusiasm winces but also shrugs.)

My newly won, newly washed White Company bedlinen has embroidery! Now pegged to dry and me boggling like a pirate examining booty, pleased but a little uncertain as to worth! (Oh the RRP was crazy, I want to find how it feels on the bed, against the skin.)

Ye gods, the Arc! What a blinking finish! 

I switched! Quite how you extract a meter read from a smart meter I don’t know but have a week to figure. (I Googled two devices to get instructions to take two readings…. Now all submitted & frankly awaiting explosions as the numbers seem tiny to me.)

Ah, Youngest. Not only brings me a cup of tea as I zoom but starts up to wash up & supervise my work trousers into the drier so I have clean clothing for the office tomorrow.

Tomorrow I drive a hire car so have studied how to start stop & steer, had a furtle with the radio & now realise I gave no idea if it has sat nav. [Still, easy to decant from my own car.] {Simple & effective - all this ‘you just plug your phone in’ Didn’t Work}

I return to find a note “getting eggs” & the kitchen in the middle of creation with a power drill, gaffer tape & an egg beater. Seemingly meringues are the devil’s handiwork. I suggested that they were amenable to the right technique & heard the snarl “so he’d heard….” Not counting on Eton mess any time soon.

I have an early start tomorrow but the creativity at work means I will just have to shrug at a late supper. Then fall on it ravenously. (Delicious!)

After said long day, wolfed & gulped & felt the inevitable call of the porcelain. There’s something very satisfying about at last using a proper loo.

Youngest has not quite sussed the idea of sponge cake. His doesn’t float. But layered on its density are double cream and fresh strawberries(!) - it seems nothing short of ungrateful to criticise. Really can’t argue & certainly not mentioning meringue…

“torch songs demand passion dialled up to eleven” - really can’t argue. Why I wasn’t terribly good at them at uni & swerved to songbook stuff. Now, my lungs aren’t up to holding a note for long enough to convey much more than pitch, let alone passion. Truly youth is wasted on the young!

Been getting the sort of headache that isn’t to do with thirst, or (I think) stress, but wearing my hair hauled back & braided. Try life in a low pony for a couple of days, see if the ache creeps back.

Sis remembered I’m after quinces to make jelly & a neighbour up the road is giving them away - fingers crossed for the hope becoming jars of solidly set joy! (Mum’s road has a WhatsApp channel, we may get those high-up cooking apples into appreciative hands yet.) Will sis remember? [Bless her, the dear lady Delivered, a big bag to mum who (slightly bewildered) has put it in the room I use. Me utterly delighted & anticipatory & scheming to try to hatch some of the seeds as well as cook.]

I am slowly picking up snippets of Italian, as one of the versions (Adelaide) of ‘back in your arms’ is subtitled. In relatively elegant Italian (or so it translates), but the heart is still bang on - clearly the translator has a very clear shared understanding of life’s missteps…

Sons working on stopping washing machine error - many wet towels & now reading box of cleaning chemistry…. [Some days you do wonder if this literacy lark has installed correctly. I ended up suggesting he read the instructions on the packet…] {I refuse to go check he’s got it right}

Scouts and pets night! Ye gods. Three collies, (!) a rescue Staffie, a therapy dog in training, a springer cross, a chowchow & a vintage Yorkie plus a pet rock, photos of cats, stuffed toy lizards & a vivacious account of a pet corn snake which is fed frozen dead mice. (That had awed & rapt attention!) Then the animals were removed & the scouts got joyfully in touch with their inner spirit animals. Ah well, hopes for recruiting parents as leaders crumbled a bit.

What an absolute stunner of a Supermoon!

Lured by Amazon prime sale, having a firm word with myself & not clicking through. Wants & bargains are not Needs. 

Apparently when the little treats “aren’t enough”, you need to anticipate them, schedule them even! Seems thin ice to walk but dopamine is a funny thing. I am glad my capacity to enjoy the little things is doing well.

Eyeing the Myrtle cuttings. Several still alive with leaves on, a couple less hopeful. I love this bit of gardening, it really is all about hope!

Ah, Springsteen just superb paying his respects to Prince live in Brooklyn back in April 2016 - & unleashing the power of Nils Lofgren who just laid down the music and let the emotions pour out. I don’t listen to it often but every time, it moves me.

“Mum did you see that really big flashing lorry?” My utter blank look was a clue. “There it is again!” Looking like a budget cola Christmas special, it is sincerely lost. If I see it a third time I shall send Youngest out with a torch to help it find & navigate the right corner I think it’s looking for.

Cheering a colleague on, out on a “multiagency” visit. Bookkeeping is not invariably boring when there are a delight of uniformed police alongside you.

Health strength love & courage to all as have need and thermal & windproof layers quant suff likewise.

Frith

Pleasures for today (Thursday)

1) Not a bad sleep. 

2) Tidied the garden and garage. 

3) Had some porridge. 

4) Had a cup of tea in Sainsbury's cafe with smaller son.

5) Watched the England v Wales game. 

LaineyT

For yesterday, a very social day!

First off a quick food shop ahead of our holiday and a coffee with my friend.

Whizzed around with a hoover and oh the labrador dog hair, C dog’s coat seems to be less dense than my choccie lab so doesn’t clump but drops hair by individual hair, she’s obviously worth it though.

My lovely nephew came over for lunch, he is off his travels in December which will include the 5th Ashes test in Australia, me jealous? Obviously.

Quick trip over to see my horse who was already in, groomed, fussed. Then back to take C dog for her latest V E T visit, despite daily rinses and steroid drops her ear is still gunky so swab taken for further investigation. More and more I believe that this was the reason she was dumped but as I said before their loss is our gain because she is a smashing dog who deserves to be cared for.

Home, then eldest DSS arrived and we all went down to the village pub for tea. He is still enjoying his football coaching abroad and has no plans to return, proud of him.

Frith

Pleasures for today (Friday)

1) Not a bad sleep. 

2) Walked to coffee morning and we did the crossword puzzle in record breaking time then had a game of chess. 

3) Shift one of four completed at work. 

4) Did my tannoy announcement about reductions then could see 3 managers standing talking and looking perplexed at me. I gave them a little wave. Then one of my former managers said only 3 people ever use the tannoy and he hasn't yet - in 30 years! It's like playing the piano. I'd rather do that for 1000 people than just one!

5) Sainsbury order arrived. 

6) Watched television all night. 

Highdays

Morning all.

Another glorious day here, blue skies all the way.

 Went to our favourite gardens yesterday but couldn't stay, we were absolutely plagued by ladybirds, all over our clothes and literally flying at us. It was there that hubby got his nasty ladybird bite last year so very wary. We thought we'd brushed them all off us before we got back in the car but kept finding them all the way home and another few in the house in the evening that we must have brought back with us. Spooky!

Recent pleasures:

1) Back to normal life after our childcare duties. It was lovely but very full on, made us realise we are no longer the spring chickens we thought we were!

2) Lovely gentle golden days, some warmth in the sunshine still but the feeling of nature starting to tuck itself up for the winter.

3) Crispy golden leaves for walking through.

4) THE cake is made, boozed up and tucked away in its many wrappings.

5) Another trip away booked in the diary for next year. Some lovely things to look forward to and plan through the winter  months.

Another dqy of not too much happening here - for me, anyway. Just looked round and hubby has started the ironing. Good man, he does a much better job of it than I do. Best go make him a coffee!

Happy Sunday, hope you have a good one.

mhagster

Three days to catch up on! I hadn’t charged my iPad! 

For Friday.

Up early and out in silly rush hour traffic to catch up with niece. Whatever way I went would have been busy. Had a nice catch up at garden centre and had a wander round afterwards. They have a chestnut tree in the grounds so we were like a pair of kids finding conkers! Got some crackers! They were huge! 

Then back home for an hour to then head out. 

Had a quick chat to DD1 .
Friend picked me up. I went for flu jag and then we went for lunch. 

And was just home when I got a call to say new car was ready. So went to pick it up. And that’s all I did. Drove it home! 

Didn’t need tea as I’d eaten out. 

Saturday. Up early as that’s what I do! DD2 picked me and we went to beach town ( near where I’d hope to have moved to, I’ve not been in a long time) had a mooch round charity shops but not really overly impressed. Usually this town has good stuff but not so much yesterday. Had a walk up to seafront. Tide was out and smelled very ‘seasidy /seaweedy. 

Popped into supermarket for some soup and bread. Went home to get dogs then drove to CP. Gave them a good walk/run. Then soup for lunch. Then I sat and read and she had a wee nap. Home about 5pm. 

Strictly. Then bed. 

Sunday so far. Woke up from a bad dream. That had bits of the book I’m reading woven through it. It’s a thriller which is not my usual! Although it’s certainly a page turner. 

Anyway we were out walking at 5am. Just us and the birds. Very peaceful and gentle. 

Had a wee snooze when I got in then I had to go and get petrol for new car. 

Then in to supermarket. Where I was a bit annoyed. We have recently got new self service trolley tills ( already have the small basket tills. Chap who works there sitting on his backside doing nothing…whilst I have to put my own shopping through. He’s getting paid…and I’m paying! It actually annoyed me. I don’t usually mind if I have a few things but this was a trolley of shopping. Anyway rant over!

And then as I was walking back from dropping trolley back a same car as me pulled in beside me so I said oooh hello, can I ask you a favour! So he helped me with something I wasn’t quite sure about!! 

And home and wrote a list of chores to do. Which all the downstairs ones are done. Floors hoovered and washed. Downstairs loo is clean. Made 2 lots of soup. DD2 and Chap popped in for their portions! I’m not a big soupy eater. Will have a bowl later. I don’t know how to make a small pot though! ( obviously I could but I’m more used to making big pots) so they are more than happy to come and get and it’s their work lunches for next couple of days.) 

Been reading page turning book in between! 

Just did a bit of pruning in the garden. Today is dry in a kind of damp way. Was drizzling earlier on ( car chap showed me how to put my wipers to auto!) 

Just a nice quiet Sunday. I’ve had a few work free days which has been nice but back at it tomorrow with a new family to get in touch with. It’s good when I can get a few days to kind of reset when I’ve been working with a few services/families at one time.