5 OS pleasures in your day today - part 3

ampersand

...and it seems &makes marmalade wherever she be :-)
This from Te Whiti (location:osp 2 above)
https://photos.app.goo.gl/tRLgarWFRKn5z4ke7

Also Lainey, re: your hawk spot, had forgotten that they are everywhere here, always circling, hovering as one drives along anywhere, as common as gulls in UK.

[Deleted User]

Lovely run down to DD2 and those grandpickles this morning, we left early and there was NO traffic, fab!
Littlest Grandpickles smile as he came out into the hall and saw us arriving.

Lovely woodsy walk with both of them sharing puddles with Oma, 'nother puddle, Oma jump too! so I did!

Back home for stilton and broccoli soup which was delicious and SIL made rhubarb crumble for pudding.....also delicious.

Being literally pulled two ways by older pickle saying 'Oma come and sit next to me' in one direction and smaller pickle pulling me by the other hand saying 'Oma come and play, find chickens' just as Mamma called 'lunch is on the table' from the dining room. Compromise was had by agreeing on place settings, capturing lego chickens who were allowed to sit on the table to watch and enjoying DDs lovely soup.....everyone happy!

VJsmum

Art'noon, and what a wet, miserable one it is

Pleasures for yesterday

1. OH did the garden - it's looking less like a football pitch and more like a garden. We dismantled DS's goal posts, put them on FB market place, sold and got rid of them in about 2 hours!:T DS appreciated the cash
2. Went to Lidl for a change, am very pleased with my new folding handsaw
3. DS and OH went the footie, DD was at work and I did a ton of writing, breaking the back of my theory
4. DS drove us into town to celebrate OH officially leaving his role, though he doesn't actually retire for 6 weeks. We began the evening with gin and beers and then went for a curry
5. The smell of the plum blossom on the trees nearby

have a good art'noon, ev'ning chaps

DigForVictory

LaineyT - imagining a "two pint screamer" <eyes cross slightly> A nice tonic is a lovesome thing. Festive mincemeat flapjack - yum! A clean bathroom is wonderful. A near asleep horse for farrier - a pleasure for him too I think?! Cottage sounds a complete gem. Hyssop is a hardworking herb - may you not need it but just enjoy it! Right with you antiques are more fun found than spotlit. One's own bed - oh yes. Happy birthday! ooh salmon with samphire - yum! Line drying is such a treat, isn't it?! Love the idea of Mama blackbird having a right old wash & brush up.
DundeeDoll - I've been using splitmyfare & it's wonderfully cheap but the wad of tickets can be a bit of a facer! Your boss makes you coffee - Awed! Hurrah mrpiano so helpful - chicken stew & Chopin sounds amazing. In my next life I want to be one of your dogs - amazing walks! "audition in alabama" ohmiword & very best of luck! Fingers crossed. Freeze hummus? Google says yes.
BoP - I think we've been enjoying the same dastardly films! Please keep plying Raffles with Buzzard - the Yellow Stuff is wonderful! Curries maturing - only chez BoP - my teenagers do not let the post cooking maturation happen unless inside them. Enjoy the Alcatraz trip! (says fan of the film The Rock.) Delighted you are still with us! Noone plays live scrabble like you. Many happy returns to Jenny! "It is the ones that are missing we watch out for." Oh yes. Rathbone - a man with the right skeleton for Holmes. Proper cocoa - yum! Delight of the Turk And the gym? Happy Anniversary! Take it steady with the model glue - it can catch you out.
VJsmum - we nearly went to a hedgelaying competition but the lads wimped out. A scratch for a win strikes me as good value even if coping with colleagues gawking can be wearisome. A Shrewsbury Shuffle sounds like a reliable minor abrasion of the soul. Whereas despite trepidation, at supervision you got soundly [& alas righteously?] beasted Eeep. Well done DS! Sounds like your SiL chose you even if you emphatically did not choose your MIL. (I support Wales. Bemuses my English colleagues what with me being half Scot half Cornish) Marylebone gin,eh? "juniper, lime flower, lemon balm, clove, liquorice, chamomile and grapefruit." whoo! I do hope "breaking the back of my theory" is positive.
mhagster - it is officially years. Yet you, daughters, son, dog - you’re still here, & that blinking bike was sorted too. Huge respects & I hope that beach pebble moment reached you [Er, you may need to see the raffle far below]. Ready stashed charity donations - canny scheming! "rush hour, dark and rainy" is an absolute beast to drive in but you made it. Loving the idea that roof tiles & wheelbarrows will find their way to new homes - the wheelbarrow seems to be migratory! You are training the niecelys well if even lurgied they come to help garden! Hurrah getting plants into beds but please recruit help shifting heavy pots? Aching muscles are ouchsome. Good luck DD2 - who passed theory! I do like a gate made by real people. Good neighbours are a blessing even if they appear at odd times, curious. Beer & smoke & fires - not ideal for the smart clothing but son & coz by fire is good. Toasted marshmallows - lovely. Children mock crocs & Haggis eyes them, uh-oh!
sparrer - A circus tent knocking on the door is amazing - happily populates kitchen with elephant snaffling buns, clowns sipping tea & lion laid down by a slowcooker with patient anticipation... Hurrah for family hurrahs even if dresscode includes thermals for outdoor wear. Hurrah the happy Christening, garden & ooh Pat Cal goodies - there's a lovely friendship!
Purple kitten - may health return & the skirt be absolutely all you hoped.[And it is!] Some people get on with Win10 (but by no means everyone.) All joy with painting! "Your last post reminded and inspired me to dig out the meatballs from the freezer." o my imagination... Getting lost in a book is wonderful! I never made camping & weddings work myself, but mum arranged a two hour use of shower & iron etc so I managed to appear tidy. A good film is a joy. Beeswax candles are a special treat. Costco, ah. Proper storage & you'll not need to buy another frying pan for Years. Vinegar is the answer to an Awful lot of cleaning questions.
Suffolksue - is it better to have the struggles and a change of scene & faces for you both? Or at least stick with the deal this time but figures what more you need for the next? Hurrah granddaughter & wishing you all the very best with the NHS.
Frith - “disgrace o’clock” is Wonderful & should become A Thing. Apprencticeships pay better & tend to have nicer working conditions in the longer term than climbing/outward bound teaching the latter can always be a hobby/interest side hustle. Eiffel tower always an eyecatcher on the fundraising front & easier for local press to sell... Ooooh parcel... I do like elder son's garage. Nepal, for three months? Oh, *huge* congratulations! Climb Everest - talk to Scouts - they have leaders who can perhaps help lifeline (plus bonus advertising & Scouts are a bit good at fundraising) & could sports centre 'donate' time, staff, security? Glad to hear smaller son making flapjacks. Whee greenhouse! Autism, and "the old shells" - a marathon not a sprint but some wonderful highlights. Some days the right tools are the answer. You play pool too?! Awed! Might old school lend wall for fundraising? Board games are good - they'll help in Nepal. Yeay smaller son football!
villagelife - awed you can iron & watch TV - my sons can, I can't! "DH agreed to throw away some of his Mum's stuff." How did you do this?! You saw the moon - I missed the main event being under a bowl of cloud. Line dried things have a special feel that the drier doesn't impart. All this fun in London! I must try harder... Time in the garden is good time (unless vs. bindweed)
Mrs SD - I should not covet that jacket but a good one is absolutely a joy.
plumduff55 - a family is to cherish even if it means a lot of travelling. Says she travelling more for work than I'd realised.
house elf - your bed sounds wonderful - House of Common lunch 'cancelled due to Brexit'? Dash. Cutty Sark & Russians at Buckingham Palace - just wow! Farrow & Ball names and blurbs leave me both amazed & giggling. So sorry DH had last goodbye with aunt. BBQ ribs on offer? Must see if Any left! aw, 'Dog stole food - Dog in disgrace.'
ampersand - welcome back & how typical you go straight to the important information! So glad time there is wonderful, painting being minded, airfreighting & planning another trip
hedgewytch13 - line drying is wonderful. Small folk back in school & the gladsome return of Routine! Sounds like balnkets plural may be called for?
Mrs LW - crocuses & rescue labs - the beauties. Duckling plans - oh wonderful. Jumble sale - ooh - how'd it go?! Oma jump in puddles - oh yes!
Flo61 - Accordion player and the sunshine - a wonderful mix!


OS Pleasures recently (as in the last few weeks, ahem)
Tree with no leaves & cluster of yellow apples. Truly Manchester has some strange flora.

Observing youngling colleague scrubbing out his mug - well trained! Mind, someone is really putting the effort in somewhere - a colleague not only listened to advice on internet florists & picked a very nice bouquet, discounted, for our off-sick manager. We applauded him vigorously to reinforce all the good work.

Lovely to sit & sip coffee as someone plays piano live. I mildly speculate the player hasn’t a piano of their own currently, but oh the rippling notes!

Even the trains are beginning to offer a discount on a hot drink if you bring your own cup! Remarkable how a good brew gets the day rolling, no matter how choppy the start.

Colleague who had surgery to remove skin cancer now sporting neat and slowly fading scars & is developing a *glorious* array of explanations. Attacked by a (previously juggling) otter, bitten by a badger & headbutting the hard sands after surfboarding all distracting class, colleagues and other audiences & I suspect this minor surgery will feature in his eulogy...

A cluster of cheerfully inebriated youths at the station had me a bit cautious til I heard another gust of laughter & realised they’d posed for a group photo taken by a lady at least a decade older & a great deal calmer than me. Lesson learned!

Admired the sartorial decisions of a young lady in a plastic cast “walker” boot & using a crutch. Sweater, leggings & a jodhpur boot - all easily pulled on & off with minimal fuss & disruption to the foot.

Interested to read Aldi are doing away with single use bags - their bags for life are passable and their longer use bags have charming designs. Cotton is not *that* environmentally friendly but easily washable.

On a train in earshot of a table full of split ticket enthusiasts & guard cheerful that it’s not much extra for him & that financially it makes loads of sense, just over the longer run you want to consider what pays better compensation in the event of delays. Riveting to hear that source give that perspective!

Young passenger playing what animal with relatives. Is it a carnivore? Huh? Would it eat a Big Mac? No. Later revealed as a lion - it wouldn’t eat a Big Mac? “No mum, they have Standards....” Disembarked in haste lest my snickering be noticed.

The young leave me breathless some days. Local panic room doing some magic situations, asked son to make them Wands. Not the Potter type, he says, turned, symmetrical & so will be using the lathe later.... (Got the gig as the panic room is run by his old maths teacher!) “Off Olivandering” now a family phrase warning you the floors will be covered in sawdust & wood clippings.

Spotted a young father herding a pushchair with one hand & a pizza with the other - and smiled at the panache displayed.

Son came back with a hearty portion of cake & while I enjoyed my bite, Himself is wolfing away happily, crooning over fluffy sponge & smooth buttercream. Boy knows how to make his father a happy man!

Had a lovely brew & blether with arty colleague & now can discuss screen printing with son & his art teachers. *Could* save us a bundle in inks, but suspect son likes the clean fuss free creativity of pure digital, up to point of iron into place.

There’s a mallard on a ledge by the river, squawking vigorously. I can’t tell if it’s stuck on the ledge (doubtful) or just disinclined to jump into the cold river (I’d agree!) but that’s one vehemently opinionated mallard. (There was a tiny splash of white suggesting a coot was nearby but in the water & being patient?)

I went to Costco for 3 things & only got 5, (and the spuds are Estima which hold a special place in the family affections) Hurrah!

Waved to tailor (gosh, haven’t seen him in Ages!)

Bullets beans & bandages - watching a historian try an amputation using the right tools albeit on a chunk of pig. He looked severely uncomfortable, whereas the trauma surgeons then had a focused bravura and impressive if disgusting speed. Give me a bloke in a hurry with the urge to keep folk alive if possible rather than a horrified historian every time!

Oh my scouts! Intrepid souls, who will try to carry a table taller & wider than themselves. Having assembled & stripped a Trangia cookset, & eaten pasta they cooked in the cold & dark - So Proud of them!

Checked cherry tree - it has the budlets but isn’t yet fattening with streaks of green. Only February [at the time] to be fair.

Official start of New Entrance to work building. They have the cuddly security folk at the right side & the grouchier sort on the "wrong" side - not sure how deliberate that is but took the sting out of the extra hike.

Tell you, this bring a Godly Matron (in training) can be hilarious. I forgot to bring a cloth or cloth like bag in & so hurtled around supermarkets - just bags for life, unable to cope with the sharp corners of life & so plunged into the dubious territory of the House of Fraser where a lovely assistant sold a handsome leather handbag to a subsequently rather less wealthy lady & then sold me a large paper handled bag & a huge plastic bag both with the name and “you’re coming home with me” slogan for ten pence. This will hold an assortment on nameplates (metal & laminated) which I shall lug to Leeds for the next team meeting, give my colleagues a chance to choose & then hand the rest over to a colleague who is a devout manservant of the Lord (I forget his formal title) & who knows that I will only have ventured into HofF Impelled by the Spirit. I look forward to seeing his face but I am hugely enjoying imagining it... Proof that Love (& her little sister Mischief) will find a way.

“My battery is low & it’s getting dark” so the scientists played Billie Holiday’s “I’ll be seeing you” which ends “I’ll find you in the morning sun and when the night is new. I’ll be looking at the moon but I’ll be seeing you.” Well, there goes my mental image of boffins in white coats, & also that it was just a machine.

Swung by Morrison’s as the mountain biking lads paused to refuel. Piles of bikes & a muddy spattered stack of young ‘uns - there were knots of folk clustered around the two cleanest, who had been sent in to get the doughnuts.

“Aw, she’s got both arms” - child recognised weather girl not his preferred & wonderful Lucy Martin. I do wonder about the boychicks some days. Mind apparently the weather system is “due to loose its integrity” which has my imagination happily doing laps.

Trying to persuade middleson to spend some of his 18th birthday money on a classic Sheffield knife blank. Before buying by post becomes illegal & so he has a glorious knife for life, finished by himself. Loving the family history (in laws were Sheffield metalworkers) & the vigorous debate over the shapes & styles.

Son, disturbed in bath, performed a deft flip-spin worthy of a flouncing mermaid. I’m his mother, but I do appreciate the Young Male dignity is delicate blossom.

I love the strange things I learn from my sons like the great emu war of Australia where despite machine guns, the emus won.

“Technically Godzilla is a pedestrian.” The finer points of road usage amongst other esoteric subjects debated on long drives. I really must find a nice heavy metal singalong CD...

Another time I will not let the intermittent epileptic take All his drugs anywhere. Mind, having left them at nan’s, he figured plural stashes himself as we drive to retrieve the meds!

I have a to do list & forgot to put charge workphone at the top. Will just have to enjoy a quiet cuppa listening to birds whootling & peeping & be patient!

Some little person is singing “Old MacDonald had a farm” despite a snuffly nose & it’s glorious. The commentary on the tractors & houses & the choo choo of the train is restful - all the delight and none of the food drink discipline chores.

Sister has invited us as family to her 50th & to my immense pride one son has already volunteered to impale himself on this social duty without me laying a finger on him!

Just wow. Real water chestnuts, fresh, do taste very different to the things in tins “sweet and nutty and tart all at once, like a cross between a coconut and an apple, with the texture of an Asian pear” - yep! And frankly, I won’t buy more tins (the menfolk won’t mind) but will try to get the real deal instead. Yum! I remain glad my Chinese friends aren’t here to be embarrassed by my desperate flailing attempts with chopsticks splattering sauces across the tablecloth <blush>.

The Keele cherry collection has begun to blossom, Already!

Just looking at Irregular Choice footwear. I cannot imagine walking in them but am awed at the beauty just the same.

Colleague wishing me a good evening with “knitting, Kindle and refreshing hot tea.” I’m not quite as delicate a flower as that seems but it feels like an excellent plan!

Boots I went to lacking even single use bags so popped next door to Millie’s cookies where charming assistant handed me a handsome handles paper bag completely free. I’ll advertise them for the convenience & the wow of my children!

Ah the Victory! Where Himself clouted his head resoundingly on a bean almost exactly where the Hero died. The dear lad, smitten with history, literally. Me, I puttered around without fuss being short.

Eldest has not been introduced to pangolin, so father delightedly introducing the idea. Son bemused but game.

Sat in sunlight, devouring a battered haggis & chips, when a senior gent called an approving encouragement in French - I managed a courteous reply in the same language & the chaps munched on as sundry courtesies (in at least French Italian & Russian) were exchanged. At which point he continued on his way & I had to fend off suggestions I have been moonlighting as a Russian secret agent all these years. If we cannot manage the courtesies, sat out in the sunshine, to a chap who may have omitted some of his pills but clearly means no harm then we are missing a lot of the good stuff.

“Sharing” a bottle of pop has consequences in this family. I lent my handkerchief to the offender that he might mop his face & hands.

Pebbles thrown into the sea intended to bring a moment’s salty breezy holiday calm to anyone short of same. Awed at the sizes, shapes, colours, beauty & vigorous variance yet all pebbles together.

Running an eye over a jewellers stock, I managed not to boggle audibly over “pink empowerment beads” at a mere £150 the string. If there are those who ‘believe’ I suppose £150 is reasonable, but that handful of sea pebbles named for as many forumites as I could remember felt significantly more powerful to me!

“Our grandson is driving this car” a very cheerful bumper sticker!

Son, just 18, has not only bought a round for his friends, but is planning to buy some fireworks, because he can...

Train rolling through early morning mist past unremarkable embankment vegetation when sudden flash of daffodils flare amidst the dark, an escaped bulb dancing colour amidst the drab.

There’s a quote my family are fond of “the temptation to do his duty was always strong, and when the task was disagreeable, all the stronger” - somehow some days that feels particularly accurate.

Oh gods. An enthusiast built a car out of bits of Mark 1 Bristol Blenheim & it was then restored to a full plane. Taking over 25 thousand man hours (that’s over 2 & a half years flat out) which leads me to think the chap had some Very Understanding Females.

Morrison’s have new bags for life, with a lovely picture of a tractor on. These little pleasures are as keen as some of the larger ones.

Son tripped on silly slippers & will be amazingly bruised & black eyed tomorrow but he’s reasonably cheerful - it could have been a seizure & wasn’t. [Two days later still a stunning black eye but healing clearly happening]

Took less than a minute to pick out new glasses & managed to find a pair that are covered wholly by his voucher so other than pain bruises & inconvenience, it hasn’t cost him. Hurrah!

Youngest wanders in blinking at the SF film running & on hearing which it is ”Ah, the sequel no one asked for.” We cackle but it’s accurate - it’s acceptable entertainment but not the best stuff.

Bird cheeping & my husband is hearing it opine the nest is not as draft-proof as hoped.

Son listening to & word accurate on sundry Johnny Cash songs - he says it's because he's a deep person (!) and anyway he can't sing high...

Right. Health strength love & courage to all as have need.
Onwards!

Frith

Pleasures for today (Sunday)


1) Not a bad sleep.


2) Did bits round the house.


3) Sausage and egg sandwich for lunch.


4) Went to date with Favourite Man who turned out to be Pernickety Man (though not in any way unpleasant). The air temperature fell about 3 degrees when he found out that I am not a vegetarian... He has emailed me already to say thanks, but no thanks!


Nothing from Village Man (now known as Rock God, because of his torso similarities to a young Robert Plant). Eco Man awaits...


5) Brother came up for board games and cards.


6) Power and water have been off only intermittently in this storm.

Purple_kitten

DfV your posts are epic, and only 5 things in Costco.:beer:

I’ve had a few days poorly, I ended up at hospital, apparently I should have gone sooner, I’m fine now, being referred to a rapid response chest pain clinic.

1 For today, I ended up cooking up mince not to eat but to make sure it didn’t go off, it will now be 2 portions of lasagne, and a wrap. Today from the very empty fridge it will be a stew as we had stew steak in the freezer and picked up a veg pack for pennies that needs using up, also cooking in with that lot are coconut flour brownies to try and satisfy sweet cravings, may as well use the same heat to cook it all.:o

2 Watched the house with a clock in its walls

3 Just had a brownie, lovely but moorish.

4 Washing load done.

5 A very lazy but warm day, with homemade comfort food.

DundeeDoll

dfv did not freeze hummus - see below
1) cleared out the small outhouse which has washing machine / tumble drier and gardening implements. much better
2) church fundraiser Saturday night for disabled access. over £6k raised!!!
3) made hummus soup - although recipe called for carrots and potatoes i also snuck in a lonely parsnip which had come in a rtc stew pack. the soup is amazing!
4) sorting freezer found the last of the christmas turkey, long forgotten. made it into turkey curry, half for tonight (gone) and half for tomorrow night
5) finished Salt Path - what a wonderful book, swapped at library for 2 more Peter May, now off to bed to finish the first.
PS mrpiano said audition / interview went well - not sure when he finds out

mhagster

And bedtime! It's been a long day!

DD2 had a rather horrid night out and I'd 6 missed calls from her at 1am ...phone was on silent! So had to deal with all of that. Then she crawled into my bed at 4am. So woke with that. Then we woke just before 8am ( very late for me but especially dog)

It's her birthday. All birthday gifts bought in sales. And a reminder that her 2 pairs of specs Dec/Jan were her main gifts!

Made cupcakes this morning. Tablet ( delicious ) and chocolate with cream eggs.

Then had to seriously dash! I'm now the 'owner' of 2 allotment plots and I'm so excited and mentally energised by it. It's in our castle grounds . It felt like walking into the secret garden. One plot is rougher than the other. Plan to go down tomorrow to make a start. See what weather brings.
(Currently lashing having been beautiful all day)

Mad dash home to get ready for guests arriving, friend and DD friend popped in. They'd made our favourite tray bake...not being shared with anyone else!

Then a friend from church popped in with flowers from church ( for OH anniversary )

Then my wise friend came round bearing daffodils. Good chat with her.

Then it was all systems go and got food cooked and table set. Guests came and had a lovely birthday tea.

Then aaaaaah they all went!

I've eaten too much 'rubbish' past couple of days so looking forward to not so much next few days. Whilst rubbish has tasted very nice it's too much.

Suffolksue

dfv I am in awe of you.
Sadly we pulled out of the planned end of March trip to Northumberland and Newcastle last week.
Am v sad but no way he would have coped with the journey ,he can't take his water tablets on a coach trip and his legs still haven't recovered from the last trip .
Suspect there will be no more holidays ,
Still have the memories though .
Quiet day today ,I hadn't realised just how much football there is on .!
Do hope DD2 ok Mhagster

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Long gap again since last posting

Seeing bright full moon & finding a new spot to see dozens of stars :T

Plenty of warm sunny days in February

Lovely walks by the docks - swans, Canada & Greylag & Egyptian Geese, coots, tufted ducks, cormorant, crested grebes, 2 types of seagull, mallards including 6 males surrounding a single female :eek: She was spoilt for choice :rotfl:

March - not so good so far rainy, breezy & chilly

Several tasty hm soups - none from recipes

Street light behaving itself - stays off all night :T

At least 2 foxes per night

Goldfinches & ring necked parakeets back in the garden

Nice chats with various neighbours

Enjoying ‘Endeavour’ but not a fan of the moustache :rotfl:

Won £25 on Premium Bonds

Catching up on everyone’s pleasures

Being back on OS Forums - my IP address was banned for several days :eek:

MrsSD