Sunday matinee

SUNDAY, 7th August, 2011

Simple Woman's Daybook: 7th August

Outside My Window ... Dark clouds, we have had some heavy downpours, much needed by the garden. Also, will wash away some of the dust from the building projects around here.

Yesterday evening we had double rainbows,

not very clear but views from the front of our house.

 

From the learning rooms ... Maths. What else? Ian has registered for M208 for next year, I said it sounded like a radio station not a study course.

I am thankful ... for friendship. On Thursday went to Hertfordshire to see friend, we used to share a house many years ago, have stayed friends. Took a toy for her dog, she chewed it to pieces in well under an hour. Haven't a picture of the destruction but here is the instigator.

From the kitchen ... Nothing much, lunch included home grown runner beans, stewed apples of which some were windfalls and garden blackberries.

 

I am wearing ... Cotton rich natural colour trousers, pink & white striped overshirt and my blue socks that I knitted. Also wearing friendship bracelet, one of the pair I bought Martha and myself from www.poppysparkles.co.uk. Go and look at the lovely jewellery.

 
I am creating ... well on with second pink sock, nearly at the toes as I knitted a lot on all the trains on Thursday, at the doctor's surgery and waiting in the chemist on Friday.

I am reading ... The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. First time reading group has read a non fiction book, it is fascinating and so much better than the Twilight book.

I am hoping ... no more mozzie bites. The prayer and meditation group on Tuesday sat in a garden (the Vicar had double booked the church) and I came back with rather itchy legs. Should have gone to pharmacy earlier, left it till Friday so sent to doctors. By then swelling down a little, so just ointment but as usual brilliant liaison between practice nurse and GP to check my medications.

Around the house ... we have bought new lamps for the lounge, pictured below.

One of my favourite things ... probably said this before, but I appreciate my Freedom Pass so much, and the Senior Rail card. Anything better than driving on the M25, a chance to read, knit and people watch.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... nothing special, although have emailed a couple of people to see about meeting up so Ian can study uninterrupted. Feel I must make the effort, otherwise I could be quite a recluse as happy with my own company. At least I escape the building noise if I go out. View belong taken from back bedroom window, our kitchen Dutch blind can be seen to give some perspective.

 

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ... of the new lamps, seem to have lost the top of the lamp but the large picture is really too big. You can see the nearly completed sock on the cushion too.

 

Give us our daily bread.

Never quite sure what to say here, think I will return to the template of Simple Woman's daybook although maybe not using all the categories. Whilst writing this blog I am making a couple of loaves so if all goes well you may see the final result.

Outside my window ... from the front of the house whether we look to the left or to the right we can see building materials. The house next door is being extended; next door but one the other way the property is being altered, rewired and replumbed. Skips are us.

I am thinking ... about Norway. How could this have been avoided? Probably couldn't but just hope somehow some good will come of this. What a way to learn about this tiny nation with a total population less than half that of London.

From the learning rooms ... Ian has sent his third TMA (Tutor marked assignment) to be marked. Quite a relief, I understand question 5 gave him, and other students, some difficulty.

From the kitchen ... bread is in tins, proving for the second time. Will be scampering downstairs to light the gas oven soon. Recipe for a Half and Half loaf is from Taste of Health, a BBC cookery book from 1985. Update: the loaves are baked, didn't stick when I removed them from the tins. That is always my fear in spite of oiling the tins well.

I am wearing ... M & S cream trousers, sort of chino style with a Boden black and cream striped top.

I am creating ... socks, on second pink one, nearly at the heel.

Also working on cardigan but that needs total concentration. Earlier in the week sat in the garden and made much progress but cannot follow complicated pattern if anyone else around.

I am reading ... waiting for reading group book, it will be The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. From what I have gleaned on line it looks good.

I am hearing ... fridge humming. How exciting is my life?

One of my favourite things ... well not things, but place. It is the Royal Academy of which Ian is a Friend. Met up with him after his day school (morning only) and after a light lunch we saw just a few of 1000+ works of the Summer Exhibition. Didn't see anything I wanted to buy, most prices were out of our reach just as the sizes of the works would be in our suburban semi! There were a few I liked, my tastes are uncomplicated, I like interiors or street scenes that look realistic and also are calming. 

As I have worked in an art gallery quite often many modern works make me think of the Emperor's New Clothes. Good that everyone has a different viewpoint about art. We hope to return to see a few more of the works before the exhibition closes.

A few plans for the rest of the week ... BLF Breathe Easy group tomorrow, the last meeting for the development officer who is off to Oz, there has been no communication about the meeting. As I missed the last one, and development person has not responded to me, not sure what is happening. We shall see.

To tempt parishioners to come to the gardening party on Saturday vicar was promoting the joys of a new mower. It is a ride on one, now I've never driven one of these and have a mind to turn up and have a go. Will I need my driving licence? So different from our traditional push along hand one, bought second hand some 32 years ago for £5.00 and still going well.

A picture thought I am sharing ...

Photograph of one of the many and varied sunflowers in our front garden. Picture taken by Martha with her phone. Must take more pictures of these lovely flowers, some grown from last year's sunflowers. Those were from seeds given away at Hampton Court flower show.

100 posts later

Well I have spent much of this afternoon attempting to learn how to transfer photos taken with my iPad onto this blog. So, have decided to chat away and then, using my laptop, will add some pictures. That means there may be not be a picture of the broken Knit Pro needles with the second pink sock on them. Second time these needles have broken, Ian attempted to repair the first ones but they are so fine, 2.5mm so repairs didn't quite work.

These are the needles that broke,I was pulling the yarn very tight so there is no ladder where I switch from one needle to the other. Having looked at Ravelry I gather this is a common problem with this size needle.

Dear daughter couldn't work out either how to use the pictures I have taken with my iPod, she set up Flikr and Tumblr for me. No success there either. Am giving up as if daughter with IT background cannot fathom this, no one can.

Have switched to my trusty old lap top now so you will have some pictures, but firstly I cannot resist posting this about Anchorage Public library. http://www.muni.org/Departments/library/Events/Documents/hats%20off.pdf

Readers have been asked to knit or crochet hats to put on the busts and statues of authors to celebrate 25 years of Loussac library. The hats will go to charity afterwards, what a lovely idea.

Whilst we were away I was thinking about the whole business of packing up and going away even for just a few days. Sometimes is it worth it? Finding and deciding which cases to use; what to take and what to wear; domestic planning involving food whereby one runs down fresh stores but leaves enough for a meal on return. Then there is house security, especially with all the building work going on around us.

In the past we have frequently forgotten important items, when we went annually to Solihull the visit to John Lewis was not only because we liked that branch of the store but because we'd omitted to pack something. This time we forgot to pick up the vouchers for our prepaid newspaper so frantic texting to daughter asking her to use them so we could catch up on our return. We do have the paper downloaded onto iPad but the articles are selective, especially at weekends.

This time nothing else as such was left out but I didn't feel Ian had chosen the right shirts for a party, they were well enough, not garish, not old or the wrong colours but just not right. Think office wear, safe and boring. So a trip to the shops, fortunately Austin Reed had a sale so we came away with two shirts, one long sleeved and one short, a jumper and two pairs of colourful socks. Beautifully made shirts, I like the short sleeved one, firm fabric with good facings too. Haven't a picture of himself wearing it but will try.

Another factor about going away by car is that we always leave far later than we intended. This time we were  away on the Friday, I would have preferred to pack the preceding evening but was advised it would be better in the morning. It wasn't, even if we had a more up to date weather forecast. No discipline of a check in meant an unpleasant journey down M3, heavy traffic and gusty winds.

It was worth it this time, the party was very good and so was the hotel so we ate and slept well, met up with other relations on our way home but once home there was unpacking and laundry piling up. No other trips away are planned, happy about that, I love our home and we are so near the tourist hot spots.

Just in case you were wondering, we stayed in room 9 at Wood Lodge Hotel in Bournemouth.  Recommended.http://www.woodlodgehotel.co.uk/

Not a usual blog, just my thoughts on stuff in July, realise that we are all so different. Seem to have stopped taking pictures, must do so even if it is just our view of the building works next door. this was the view on 12th July.