5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

DigForVictory

house elf - may you feel All Better soon & hurrah Lego Birmingham! Good to hear these medicinal Costas are beginning to make a dent on your malaise. Replaced battery? Well done! <must get mine booked> Without casting any nasturtiums at Mr.Southgate, there are not many folk who can wear a waistcoat whereas a good pinny is a joy.
Frith - awed at all your works to the house & environs & aghast at the Bad Spell case on elder sons transportation. Awed at your chaps creativity. Reassured you can misplace decorations & charmed to think of strings plural of lights. All good luck with smaller son's college place.
Purple kitten - real chicken stock yum, & hurrah happy animals settling & playing! Migods yes wrap when you find. (I have a drawer of good intentions that should empty into stockings. It's the sundry bags that are doing for me.)
villagelife - hang onto DS2 gf, anyone who scrapes the car clear should be cherished. Impressive lights show followed by stunning moonlight - that'll do nicely. Aww DH thinking you should have a new bag! Occasional strategic days off are a needful thing especially when having to prepare to adapt. Rugby is wonderful but it can do appalling things to the circulation.
LaineyT - cards written? <slinks off, guiltily> Yowch sinuses but hurrah the right stuff on site.
BoP - your exciting travels, smashing food & robust good health are inspirational. Says she contemplating further snorkers & eagerly awaiting definitive guide on What To Do With Mushrooms.
VJSmum - it is a special pleasure seeing presents go out of the door & thinking - can forget til new year.
mhagster - very happy to think of you not working there anymore - you have endured bad work places before & it wasn't good even in Australia, so please find an employer worthy of you? Please enjoy the koala, echidna, kangaroo and wombat instead?! Hurrah surviving the no-show-snow. Aww, mince pies with DD1. I do love an 'our thing'.
Mrs SD that sounds like an amazing meal at Portcullis House & hurrah Not Having To Go Out Saturday.
ampersand - Christingle, and real marmalade & needing some heft up front at rugby (what has become of Muscular Christianity & how do we revive it?) - these are serious pleasures! Glad Spits still tottering along, just wish the travel & the admin were less urgh for you!
MandM90 - well done on all this CrossFit & yippee a backless green velvet dress because you can. (You do have a dinner jacket for later on, yes? These sensational garments can let the cold in a bit.)

OS Pleasures recently
Reloading workbag with nonessential essentials like nice sachet coffee & nice teabags.

Colleague grousing that the light in the Ladies is most unforgiving - I had to grin a bit. Others have other difficulties & their view most politely translated to "change the bulb then"..

Some military documentary incorrectly identified as Grimm after it name checked German military commando units & I just heard it...

Star Wars a new hope - first of the saga released, first I saw & first I agitated to be allowed to (as we were the last children in our primary school to see it). Loads of good moments, including the "sheesh he's Tall" of Chewbacca.

Son has brought me a bowl of soup. "It's 'country vegetable', which implies the other stuff is urban vegetable" - can't fault the Logic.

Got daylight at one end of the work day. Not sunlight - this is Manchester after all, but daylight is novel.

Cheerful young scout changing name on the IT system. The Church is making much of the flexibility of its liturgy - my scouts are quietly bomb proofing the paperwork while upholding the individual.

Intrigued by repeated "death & nightingales" references - I have to say the online information is limited at best but happily absolutely bizarre. Splendid, I foresee an alternative to the traditional Christmas viewing...

Ah, home made chilli at work. Again I take bows on behalf of him indoors who is the head chef of the household.

Greeted home by son with "No I do not wish to become a Mormon, thank you" so I handed him a start on food storage Anyway. [Which he promptly stored, onboard.... Boychicks.]

Ah, the sweet tlock of a Kilner lid sealing. Four big jars & one & a half little ones of home made mango chutney cooling tranquilly by the stove. Plus four lidded mugs of stew cooling to provide me with meals at work.

Did a fragment of meritorious litter picking and acquired one more bean towards a millionaire latte, a vice I only indulge in when I have earned it. (Ironic that no millionaire I've ever met would consider McDonald's. I think they may be missing out.)

Beaming as colleagues equip another lass with pool car, car park key & general Sorting Out so she can get to a team thing in Liverpool & get back safely. Our wonderful dragons.

Yell to "get over here!", so I jumped. No first aid kit, just jumped. To be hustled to the back door to see a glorious blue & red sky as the sun rose. My colleagues know a good thing & share it when they can.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that delivery folk arrive when you have just got into the bath. So today I'm starting work late covering Himself's hoped-to-be restful time in hot water.

The hazards of helping son set up whizzy new laptop include being kneed in the skull. Tech support is hazardous.

Chaps cheering an old Robot Wars where the armed forces had a go at each other. The RAF (the guys in ties) won, but it was a storming scrap & we remain awed at the sheer physical height of one of their team. He'll not fit in any standard seat - needs head and leg room!

Sons have demonstrated their unique individual styles sorting little presents for gran. The garden centre employee is bringing a sumptuous wreath (& door hook), the youngest has played the stuffed toy card again with a gorgeous spaniel pup & the eldest's token is gracefully swathed in mystery. [Alas Gran misjudged the weather & is now sporting a plaster of paris gauntlet - we will go & see her, bearing gifts, tomorrow.]

Ah. Misjudged son's hm pizza and burned my bottom lip slightly. Now getting teased for resemblance to Padme Amidala's "scar of remembrance" (Star Wars ref, Mother of geeks & largely proud of it most days)

Watching Click (technology news update) & hugely enjoying dutifully-robed Persian girls cheerfully building efficient robots. Their biggest challenges lie mostly with being female in a patriarchal environment but they glow on western TV.

"Whoo-sniggit-buddah" - someone has slipped in the bath (& apparently recovered) but the chorus of "eh?" & "y'all right?" is from two floors.

The joy of endorphins is offset next day by the muscle-group-by-muscle-group reminder that a proper warmup is a really good idea. Still, endorphins are worth it!

I am to wear "social trousers & socks that match" to get the shopping. My family can be So Judgemental.

Aw, brass band playing carols - Real Music to shop to! Donated all my spare change (ahem sadly all copper) but also many thanks.

I think I saw Capella in the sky on route to work!

Right, all health, strength, love, courage, yaktraks, wrapping paper, sellotape & eager buyers for such as have need and may the festive season pass leaving happy memories in so far as we are able.

Blackbeard_of_Perranporth

Oh looks & is back with gallons of marmalade. Good on yer!
LT. You need to rub vic into your chest like your nanna used to!
Frith! Hen Pecked!
MHags: Yous tell ‘em lass! Mind yous we has a spare shovel in the boiler room!

V Raffles really did thinks it was his birthday yesterday! The creamy mushroom sauce and chicken, well he has to have the left over bits. He was so sated, he was not rushing for his breakfast crunchies this morning. So good and filling as well. Nows yous all wants to know the recipe.

2 rashes of best back, chopped
I small onion, chopped, but not toe nail style.
½lb of mushrooms, chopped.
Salt and pepper to taste
Fry in the pan with knob of butter.
When onions are browned, add ¼ pint of single cream, stir.
Spoon over your thighs, chicken thighs!
Approved by Raffles and BoPsie!
Far better than some marmalade I know!

4 Back at the mill for the damping down of the furnaces this week. We will hardly get into a sweat.

3 The lunch box, packed again with proper foods, and only last weak I had to tell yous how good proper foods are! Today we has the last chicken thigh, toms and cucumber. Cheese. Slime jelly with oranges, strawbs and berries. Proper digestives and a club. Good for you!

2 Nite BoP is getting ready for the beach in the gym. Well need to after yesterdays chicken thighs and creamy mushroom sauce! That will be ready for San Francisco soon. Had to pay for it on FryDay, it hurt. Wobbelade consoled BoP! Far too much money went this month! Far too much, but ifs yous budget like BoP then …

Not having one today, thank you! Though if yous has been affected by Slime Jelly, just remember that actually it is lime flavoured!

And there you go, on your way!

mhagster

Bedtime. It's been a busy day.

Was down at church for 9am to help with sorting out toy donations.

Quick charity shop visit. I now have 5 new to me jumpers! All half price.

Then went and helped at a local charity for a few hours by wrapping their donations.

Visited a friend. Then whilst there got a text inviting me to another friend this evening...she had an empty! Took Haggis down with me ( was his old lady dog friend).

Home and sorted out all the leftover carrier bags. So have a pile for recycling and a pile for food bank if they want them ( waiting to hear back) and a few for under my sink!

Had chicken pasta for tea...with carrots. DD2 had chopped lots of them!

Frith

Pleasures for today (Monday).


1) Smaller son has not said much about his day at school so it must have been OK. Double PE after lunch, which he always enjoys.


2) Bigger son worked about 6 hours at the garage. He came back saying a f1 driver had taken his car in (his own personal car, not an f1 car). Apparently this driver is well known but retired but bigger son can't remember his name! This is driving us all mad and we've been through names and photos online of every driver we can think of! It is a garage for high spec (?) racing cars and they do have old f1 cars in there from time to time.


3) A lady from the local carers group emailed me to ask what support I would like (I was given their details after a local SEND meeting the other week). Well, I don't know! I've asked for a carer's card first (so if something happens to me, the authorities will know smaller son is waiting at school or wherever). I don't know sort of thing to ask for advice on.


4) The museum where I want to volunteer phoned and they will sort out my induction in the new year.


5) I had a letter from BT that my contract is ending so I negotiated from I think £45 at present down to £26 per month. I can't get it cheaper or with another company because it is a tiny local exchange. Thought I don't know what difference that makes.


6) Spent an hour on the allotment so all 4 hens could be let out of the pen/shed and spend time wandering about together. Put them all in the big pen temporarily, thinking to catch Suzy - and the other 3 were pecking her again before I even had chance to pick her up! So she had to go back in the shed. :-( It is not ideal.


7) Cleaned the windows outside.


8) My brother came after tea and we had 3 games of Settlers of Catan and 1 game of Rummikub.


9) Just speaking to my sister online and she is having a buffet at her house on Christmas Eve and we will open our presents to each other then. It will be nice to see 3 year old niece open hers.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Sunday pleasures

Mostly dry day
Hm Swedish buns (similar to brioche) from one of our neighbours
Hm cottage pie for dinner - :drool:
Mini doughnuts for afters

Monday pleasures

Dry bright day with some rain
Hm soup & hm croutons for my lunch - yummy 🤤
Lo onion pasta from freezer for DH & DSis - pleasure is getting some wiggle room in the freezer
Received my December Premium Bond winnings today
Thank you call from BFF - she received her birthday flowers & Teddy

MrsSD

ampersand

& is on substitute coach>London. Substitute driver woken 0520h from his Chatteris bed - could he oblige? Collect another company's bus from Haddenham? Parker's Piece dep. 0605h? Impossible but -

1. & very glad of this. 3 miles of new 20mph roadworks + cameras 😠 so, not worth risk.... En bref, & is lucky, arriving 0620@Trumpy. Interesting older driver's non- xenophobic chat: many National Express drivers are Polish. They go back for crimbo. NE known as mean/non-planning employer, hence today's driver and non-NE vehicle. Happens every crimbo/Easter. He was called to a late Heathrow run y'day.

2. 5kg sugar now sitting in 5kgs of 1st boil+ cool marmalade. 5kgs free quinces also dealt with, stage 1 boil+o/n cool.

3. Early dental appt. Far village, since move to converted chapel last year. Well done &! Just like MOT pass and same great feeling:-). It is lovely, relieving, to receive old lady, (all her own)toothy/gummy health praise, gives a lift to day, so, on to

4. Scotsdales, Trumpy and lucky timing+vouchers. Have special snowdrops via advice from recognised world authority(international speaker), also known via totally other regular mtg.
And there was 🍰, plural, top notch, organic everything, in-house bakery. 2x carrot, 1x Jamaican ginger, rtc 99p, no longer £7.99 each. Now in no.2 freezer
£23 spent, rtc from £144. Felt like lucky continuation from good dentist news:-)

5. Several x 10,000 steps yesterday! Later, in Town of Gown, Grand Arcade, senior emporium of Mr Lewis and enjoyable exchanges with peeps re: board games. Bought:-). Then, last 16"sq cake board at Lakeland, but no Magic Balls left. Look them up, brilliant things:-)

6. Playing new2& 50p CDs in car and loving the Agnus Dei from Faur!'s Requiem. Excuse for more Big Singing and conducting during traffic crawls, red lights. It's ok, you're not with me, embarrassment factor NUL😁

7. Catch-up osps read on PnR bus and laughed out loud twice.:rotfl:. Update: real time traffic crawl, still on M11. Aware this is now dangerously long and lose-able, but hope sufficiently distant from notspot... On verra.

8. Will separately attach pics of cards that made & laugh in Town of Gown oxfam. Always seem to find a.n.other is there doing same.

9. Final royal icings on crimbo cakes and heel of hand polished. True.

10. Just arriving Stratford. Thinking, like vjm :-), of our preferred countdown - only 3 days until they start lengthening🌅🌄🌇.
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