Diary - Saturday 5th September

[Caw1]

Thought I'd make an early start as quite tired tonight...

Was woken with a start as heard loud voices shouting... not what you want at 7.15 on a Saturday morning.... couldn't get back to sleep so read for a while..
Once up I realised where the noise had come from... our neighbours Son and wife have been visiting from Germany and their car had gone so I guess it was them leaving...
Intended to have an early shower and hair wash but got very delayed... washing on as nice blowy day...
Decided that this iPad (7yrs old now) really needs updating as there are quite a few apps I can't use as softwear updates have now stopped ... spent morning checking out one... birthday coming up shortly so ordered one from Amazon... best price for what I was looking for... said I'd have it for Birthday & Christmas... OH said "well done for sorting your own pressie out!!!!"
I said I'd look through all the cards he'd sent me in the past and  let him choose and he can give one to me again... saves him having to go into a shop which he's not done... we do it with Xmas cards use same few over the years just write new messages in them!
I did, one year, take exception when he asked to look through all the cards I've made so he could pick one up give me.... that's the limit giving me one I've made...
Finally got round to shower and hair wash, by lunch time... very lazy morning...
Whilst I was doing that new valve got fitted to the hot tap, after he'd been up to neighbours to use his spanner, monkey wrench or what ever tool to loosen the old one.... now we can have the water on all the time and the tap doesn't drip... hooray!
Went to pick more veg... courgettes, raspberries andblue berries... loads of tomatoes going to be eating them with everything now... possibly not breakfast though!
After lunch I thought I'd go and finish off last lot of face coverings... now up to 139 this time round... Also made another for neighbour as she'd lost last one I'd made for her!
Daughter messaged to say they were home all safe and sound...
OH cooked dinner... steak, chips and vegs...
Whilst closing dining room curtains saw the hedgehog scuttling along, he lives under one of our water butts, not seen him/her for a while so pleased it's still around..
Watched couple episodes of Designated Survivor on Netflix ...
Whilst I'm typing this OH watching golf...
Off to bed now... hope others have had a good day..


Caroline

[Roobarb]

I'm sure you could have done without that early morning alarm call. I laughed at your card recycling tale! Also laughed at the picture conjured up of the tap fitting, complete with monkey wrench, reminds me of the PG Tips advert "Pass the monkey wrench!"  . Glad to hear it's all been done.

My day :

I too was woken from a deep sleep, it was my nice neighbours' dog barking, he likes to exercise his voice if someone comes to the door but doesn't usually go on at length. He's a softie, bless him, a voice promptly told him to shut up! Turns out it was NN's window cleaner that had caused the barking , didn't think the dog would be able to see him where he'd parked. No business coming at that time of the morning anyway .     I was still tired but didn't go back to sleep. Having difficulty dragging myself out of bed lately, looks like I'm going into hibernation mode already.

Was midday before I went for my walk, bright and breezy today. Not many around, must be finding other things to do. After lunch I cut the back lawn, it was quite windy. Did the usual deadheading and took some cuttings from the heuchera plant, the mature plants were £6.99 at the nurseries, I'm not paying that.

Came in for a cuppa and did some ironing. Phoned my friend L, we talked amongst other things about the spike in cases in the nearest big town and the possibility of a local lockdown there. An increase here too, the local newspaper typically has wildly different numbers in two reports.

My cousin sent me a photo of what seems to be either a large old wooden case or a chest of drawers with a name and local address painted on top. Apparently someone bought it in Cumbria and was trying to trace its roots. The surname was that of my cousin and my mother's maiden name. I soon tracked down the name and address in the 1939 Register, trying to follow up and see if it's a distant relation. A bit of interest to break the day up.

Coated a chicken breast in piri piri seasoning for tea with jacket potato, peas, cherry tomatoes and cucumber. And a glass of Chardonnay.

[Annette7]

Slept late but felt refreshed.   A mixture of sunshine and cloud today and felt a bit warmer.   Sat outside for a little while and then decided to tidy up the edge around the car park.   Started at the back and got as far as halfway down one side.   Looks much better if I say so myself and can only hope I'll be able to complete it during the coming week.   This evening I'm aching in places I'd forgotten I had.

Tomorrow meeting sister and friends for a coffee at a different garden centre to the last one we went to.   Hopefully will continue with the edging when I get back.   Think downstairs neighbour might help me too.  We had a chat for a while and later I had a chat with the chap in Flat 5 who I hadn't seen all week.   Says he hates the cold and as it was chilly, wet and windy for much of the past week he decided he'd stay indoors.   

My regular fish and chips tonight followed by jelly and custard with a glass of rose wine.

Watched some repeats of Death in Paradise, some soduko and knitting.   Earlier in the day I'd helped someone on Facebook (Suffolk Family History Group) - was able to trace back the problem female which took quite some time.  Her parents married 1881, and they had two children by 1891, and then in 1901 and 1911 she was living as 'wife' to another man by whom she had quite a few more children.   They were never married - in 1912 he finally married but not to her!   He married her cousin instead.   I lose her after then so don't know where/when she died or if she took up with someone else.

Night, everyone.

Annette     

[carol80]

Well, I guess you are all tucked up nicely in bed as I write.
 I too am amazed at the amount of face covering's Caroline is doing. A great effort. Well done.

Yesterday I was going to scan photo's onto my laptop. I got off to a bad start. My computer was telling me it could not find a connection. Half an hour I tried to work out what my problem was. Nice little words were coming out of my mouth but the computer and scanner were not listening. Finally found the problem. It helps if you turn the scanner on. Scanned 6 photo's and gave up. Couldn't believe I didn't turn it on. Will leave that job for another day.
Sounds like your weather is like ours, not sure what season it should be. Nice Sunny days but the temperature still a bit on the cold side and then an overcast day like today. When the wind comes up it can be quite cold.
My strawberry plants have been replanted for the new season, some with flowers on already, so have pulled them off. Don't want the fruit too early. My grapevine is springing into life with new leaves and I have one pansy in flower, a deep mauve colour.
At night at about 10.30pm I sit out on my deck if the weather is fine. My children called it Mum's time. I have done it for years. Just sitting and listening to all the noises. ( sometimes with a nice wine)
During the lockdown, it was really quiet, just a few birds calling out in the peace of the night. As we moved down our levels you could start hearing the traffic, at first just one or two cars, then the noise of trucks and now traffic as normal.

Steak,veg and potatoes for tea. Not much on T.V. so watched a repeat of who do you think you are?
Fell asleep and woke up about 1 am so took myself off to bed.

Hope the sun shines for you in the morning and you all have a great day.

Carol

[radstockjeff]

Friday and Saturday
Eldest son Mark and his wife Erica came down from London on Friday. Arrived lunchtime so we went to the local hostelry for lunch.
They then proceeded to do some work in the garden which OH and me have not been able to do recently, and other odd jobs.
Seal the garage roof leak
Weed and clear the top end of the garden behind the shed
Paint the shed
Clear around the other end of the shed and put down a weed membrane and gravel.
Cut back some overgrowing bushes and generally tidy up.
What a pair; it made me feel quite tired just watching them.

Bless them both.  "We'll be back again soon to do some more!"

More lovely cards and messages and flowers and visitors to comfort us.
Just locking up last evening and our local butcher , Brian, out for a walk with the dog brought another card and we had a very comforting chat. People are so kind and put themselves out for others. This is a very friendly community.

The coming week is going to be busy with arrangements for Nick's funeral. PM done and DC on its way. Just hope that Andrew can get clearance from the Authorities in Oz to travel back for his brother's funeral. So the final date has not been set; we are trying to get all the ducks in a row.

No doubt it will all turn out for the best, but it is a long wait.

[Roobarb]

Annette, well done tidying around the car park, hope you're not too stiff today. What a convoluted relationship the people in your research had!

Carol, I was definitely in the land of nod when you wrote your post. Infuriating when you can't get the technology to work and even more so when you find out you didn't turn it on.

Jeff, what a lot of work your son and his wife did, good to have it all done. That time up to the funeral always seems like you're in limbo and that must be even harder for you when you're waiting to see if Andrew can be there. Hope he does manage it.