Saturday: Day 25

Firstly, just want to reassure my few readers that Ian and I are still feeling great, we potter along, we read the papers, attempt the crossword and sudokus, Ian has been gardening, I crochet, we sleep well and long, at least eight hours.

 Just now Ian made two palm crosses, we used the leaves from a palm type tree, the stems grow over our front fence from the neighbour's garden, we used to put the fallen leaves back over the fence as the law commands, we were told not to do so.  The crosses are for tomorrow’s Palm Sunday service which will be streamed on Facebook, a tutorial was posted on the church’s FB page for those who didn’t know or had forgotten how the make the crosses. It was planned that those who wished could join the residents of the care  home opposite the church building to make crosses, it is always a riotous and jolly occasion.

Last Monday we joined the WhatsApp group for our road, well it is an avenue, in name and fact as it is tree lined, we joined in the clapping on Thursday, today it was suggested we have afternoon tea at 3pm out the front of our properties.

Garden table and chairs with hidden crochet cushions, on tray teapot with Earl Grey loose tea, Emma Bridgewater mugs, coconut slices, serviettes and cake forks. These in honour of 4 year old grandson who insists on using one when cake is served, at least in our house. All this on the driveway outside garage doors!

I’d made the cake earlier in the day, old fashioned creaming method to produce this:-

As we will not be going away for some time I have decided to use up the contents of the tiny travel bottles, we have many small size toothpaste tubes, shower gel,  hand cream which is much need as the backs of my hands are sore with all the hand washing.

Earlier in the day we had a delivery from the small local greengrocer,  the dozen eggs in brown paper bags had been removed before the photo was taken.

Even the post arrives early, I think it was around 9am, perhaps before but so much better than around 2 pm which has been the norm for some time here. 

Catchup

Simple Woman's Daybook: 22nd September 2011

Outside My Window ... bit cloudy, slight breeze.

From the learning rooms ... revision, revision, revision for M121.

I am thankful ... that I received a letter from the Breast Screening Unit today telling me that my x-rays showed no signs of cancer. Great relief, although this was a standard screening and I had no reason to think anything would be amiss.

I am wearing ... dark blue straight length jeans, striped Thomas pink blouse and navy heavy cotton cardigan.

I am creating ... hexipuffs, have reached 25, yesterday was the first time I have used two different yarns, didn't think I had enough of each to complete the whole. The pale blue yarn came from The Wool Bar, a yarn shop in Worthing. There has been enough to make three and a half hexipuffs, the cost has been a donation to the local hospice as this was the end of a ball. Chose blue to represent the sea, even though it was a grey sea on Saturday.

I was in Worthing driving Martha around to find a suitable house to share. Pleased to announce that she appears to have found somewhere to lay her head, so all is settled. Long time since I had been in that part of the world, as the A24 had been blocked on way down due to an oil spillage we drove back via A29 and north avoiding the motorways. English countryside through both Sussex and Surrey looked beautiful. Couldn't take pictures as I was driving.

I am going ... to plant the strawberry plants, these were collected from a local garden after I had seen them advertised on Freecycle. The gardeners were trying to sell plants from their garden too but I thought they were expensive, may have been ok if it were for charity.

I am reading ... well have read, The diary of an ordinary woman by Margaret Forster. Had read it before as I'd spotted it when working at the library but had forgotten much of the detail. Been a while since a book took preference over other activities. Enjoyed the novel, not sure I agree with the online criticisms that some readers hadn't realised it was fiction.

I am hearing ... noise of builders. Not just the actual building noises, but the shouting of the workman, why do they have to speak so loudly and shout to each other? Even worse in other languages.

Around the house ... beautifully clean and tidy, our Treasure came today so the homestead looks good.

One of my favourite things ... is the idea of unintended consequences. Ian and I decided we would like fish for supper (Martha is out so we can). Rather than spend time and/or money going to Twickenham we would walk to Whitton High Street - 5 - 10 minutes at most - and purchase a well known brand of non breaded fish at Iceland. We diverted to call at a friend's house to drop something off, then set off for shops before meeting another friend. He invited us back to his house for tea, we'd just passed it, (his house, not teatime) but we agreed. Sat, chatted, drank tea, ate cake then left, reached Iceland which is the other end of High Street, ambled back. The builder supervising the work at next-door-but-one spoke to us, long chat ensued about construction, wiring, chimneys, house prices before we were released by his phone. When we reached home Ian asked if I realised that we had been out for over two hours - unintended consequences of dropping something off at a friend's house and buying fish.

Shows the benefits of not moving away on retirement and of not jumping in the car but walking around this suburban village. Although the High Street is not as good as it was once when one never needed to shop anywhere else, it looks a bit scruffy, unfortunately the proximity to Hounslow has brought Asian brashness with cheap pile it high tat. However, there are now coffee shops, I remember my mother saying she would have liked to open a tea shop in the High Street for in the 1960s there was nowhere for tea.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... haven't been to the Local studies this week so will try and  
volunteer tomorrow. My get up and go has gone.

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

Thirty one years

Outside my window...sunshine with a breeze

I am thinking...of the past 31 years today I have been married to Ian

I am thankful for...Ian, so pleased that I have been able to make him happy, give him peace and support him through difficult times and to share and enjoy the fun and happiness together

From the learning rooms...silence, Ian hasn't worked on his OU maths today although he has received emails from other students.

From the kitchen...nothing. We need to empty the dishwasher and add salt and possibly rinse aid.

I am wearing...blue nightdress and pink checked housecoat.

I am going... well we are going to Brown's Hotel, Albemarle Street, London for afternoon tea at 4pm to celebrate our wedding anniversary today. This tea was our Christmas gift from our son and daughter and we chose the date to use it.

I am reading...the Daily Telegraph and have yet to start Conan Doyle's Sign of Four which is the reading group's book this month.

I am hoping...the upheavals caused by the damp wall in the bathroom are finally over. It is a pleasure that the shower is working again.

I am hearing...Ian walking about upstairs and the clocks ticking.

Around the house...bit untidy. Tools in the hall as Ian is still working on son and daughter in law's house before they return from their Canadian honeymoon.

One of my favourite things...going to London

A few plans for the rest of the week: meeting daughter for late night shopping tomorrow evening
Here is picture of daughter taken at another wedding, welcoming the honeymooners back at Heathrow Airport


Many thanks to the person who started this idea -
  http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com 


Would be interested to know if anyone read this blog, please let me know, you don't have to leave a comment per se. Thanks PixieMum