Diary > Monday 10th May.

[Mowsehowse]

Morning All. Nothing very exciting to report.
Rushed around early to do the weekly grocery shop, though a neighbour enquired why we bother as most people have it delivered these days, which was a fair question, especially as we discovered H had his car keyed somewhere. Either in the complex car park, or at the supermarket, which seems less likely given there were so few early risers.
I reckon from the positioning it has to have been a deliberate act of vandalism. We have our suspects, elderly small minded bullies, and that is somewhat depressing!
Out for two walks. Very strong South winds, so not too cold, and missed any showers. I did carry a brolly, which I wouldn't have been able to use in those winds.
Spent another few hours on some research for my friend, who amused me by sending a message to the effect that she had "gone on MyHeritage and in 2 minutes had 23 names"...... Though she is clearly confused as to who is who..... well it took me many hours to sort out 3 generations with the same names, so I am not surprised. But I have to be amused how easy she found it to get so much information, and that she feels the job is now done!!

[pharmaT]

I had work today, was way too hot so my feet were extra sore because they were a bit swollen at the end of the day. 

Upset social work because I couldn't give them information about a person whom I'd never met and wasn't even a patient in the hospital.  They were unable to tell me how I was supposed to do that.

Had cakes in the afternoon as it was a colleague's birthday.

[Caw1]

MH - so sorry to hear you feel someone has deliberately damaged your OH’s car... gives one such a sick feeling in the stomach...
Maybe home deliveries could have saved you the angst of early morning dashes!
I’m sure your friend doesn’t quite understand how family history works if she thinks it’s that easy 😂😂.

PharmaT- sounds like a bit of a mystery person! Always nice to have cake in celebration of a birthday...

My day

Decided despite the threatening skies I’d get some washing out! I do wonder sometimes if the forecasters ever look out of the window!
In between the often torrential showers we managed to plant out some geraniums I’d bought sometime ago into two pots, one out by the front door and one by the conservatory... they have a deep magenta flower so will look lovely when fully grown filling the tubs.
OH planted out his leeks and thinned the beetroot which seem to have shot up.
Other than that it was a relaxed day... I’m reading a good book and it’s hard to put down and the conservatory was lovely and warm, dry and no wind...
OH has finally returned to bread baking and the house was full of that wonderful smell of baking bread...delicious...
Dinner was pork loin rolled in herbed breadcrumbs and oats... first covered in plum jam to help the crumbs to stick and keep moist, baked in the oven with small pieces of potatoes, green veg to accompany.
We started watching ‘The Unforgotten’ got quite hooked on it and watched several episodes!

Not the most enlightening day but the good news from the PM is that we are allowed to give family hugs... messages from my daughter quite excited about that... we shall, but being careful at the same time and keep faces away...so looking forward to my trip down to them next week...

Hope others are felling more upbeat too...
Caroline

[Roobarb]

MH, how awful to find that the car has been keyed and particularly when you suspect that the perpetrator is someone you know.
At least your friend didn't tell you as a result of her family history research that she's descended from royalty! Mind you, there was a lady last night on a programme about the queen's cousins who had spent years exploring some links but couldn't prove that she had royal connections, they got Ancestry on to it and turns out she's the queen's 13th cousin once removed! She's connected in several ways.

PharmaT, hope the cakes made up for the earlier frustration.

Hope your geraniums do well Caroline, lovely to have the home grown veg growing too. Fantastic to have your trip to your daughter's to look forward to.

My day:

Woke early again, I tend to do that at this time of year, in the autumn I go into hibernation mode. Went out wearing a jacket and it wasn't long before I had it tied around my waist, it was pleasantly warm, a bit breezy. Went a little way down the narrow path in the woods but I'd forgotten how much rain we've had, there were muddy bits and I was only wearing trainers so I turned back halfway along as there's not much room to skirt around those bits. Crossed over the railway and walked back up the path at that side, there were large muddy puddles there but at least there was space to walk around them. Walked across the bridge and over the field to come full circle.

Wasn't in the mood to do any gardening, I realised that I'd forgotten to put my tomato plant back in the garage overnight but it seemed okay. I'll just leave it outside now.  Did a bit to my portrait and read for a while. Ordered some paperbacks for bathtime reading from the website that Annette recommended.
Just after 4pm the heavens opened, the rain was absolutely bouncing. After ten minutes or so it stopped and the skies cleared, then an hour later it did the same again but this time there were also hailstones as big as golf balls. Well not quite but they were large. Cleared out again for an hour then the same once again. Weird weather we're having, we seem to be getting April weather in May.

It's strange reading that we're allowed to hug people from Monday. In the unlikely event that I was to hug someone then it would be 429 days since I hugged anyone. Still counting. 

[pharmaT]

MH - so sorry to hear you feel someone has deliberately damaged your OH’s car... gives one such a sick feeling in the stomach...
Maybe home deliveries could have saved you the angst of early morning dashes!
I’m sure your friend doesn’t quite understand how family history works if she thinks it’s that easy 😂😂.

PharmaT- sounds like a bit of a mystery person! Always nice to have cake in celebration of a birthday...

My day

Decided despite the threatening skies I’d get some washing out! I do wonder sometimes if the forecasters ever look out of the window!
In between the often torrential showers we managed to plant out some geraniums I’d bought sometime ago into two pots, one out by the front door and one by the conservatory... they have a deep magenta flower so will look lovely when fully grown filling the tubs.
OH planted out his leeks and thinned the beetroot which seem to have shot up.
Other than that it was a relaxed day... I’m reading a good book and it’s hard to put down and the conservatory was lovely and warm, dry and no wind...
OH has finally returned to bread baking and the house was full of that wonderful smell of baking bread...delicious...
Dinner was pork loin rolled in herbed breadcrumbs and oats... first covered in plum jam to help the crumbs to stick and keep moist, baked in the oven with small pieces of potatoes, green veg to accompany.
We started watching ‘The Unforgotten’ got quite hooked on it and watched several episodes!

Not the most enlightening day but the good news from the PM is that we are allowed to give family hugs... messages from my daughter quite excited about that... we shall, but being careful at the same time and keep faces away...so looking forward to my trip down to them next week...

Hope others are felling more upbeat too...
Caroline

That pork recipe sounds lovely,will need to try it one day.

[Mowsehowse]

Would like to know what you ladies are reading?
Caroline, how idyllic to be sitting in the conservatory reading a good book with bread baking scents wafting around you, and looking forward to your trip next week.
What a contrast to Roobarb, still counting such a long time since a hug and huge hail storms.
Hard to believe we are all in the same, comparatively small island.
Cake for Pharma. Yummy.
Less early morning dashing might be good, Caroline, but I do tend to wake early-ish, and I don't really feel I should be requiring deliveries just yet, as we do have a lift in the building, although I have encouraged others, with troubled mobility, (or life situation,) to use such a service.
The car damage is upsetting, but I suspect H will make his feelings apparent at some stage, he is vastly more subtle and intelligent than the suspects!

[Roobarb]

I've just this minute finished Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson, a Swedish author. I'd downloaded it in 2013 and instead of starting the most recently downloaded books I decided to have a look at the early ones. I'm pleased in this case that I did. If you like crime novels I recommend this one.

I've found your comments about the supermarket shopping interesting, when I had the last but one delivery I commented to the driver that having to wait while people transfer their shopping into bags must be slowing them down, he said not really as they don't have as many deliveries now. I suppose things like that depend on the demographic of the area, I know that the south coast attracts many retirees to live there so I suppose that as people get older and potentially less able they will depend more on deliveries. Personally, I hate supermarket shopping so I'm a convert to deliveries now. Apart from an occasional trip to M&S food for treats!

[Mowsehowse]

I am fiercely independent and pig headed too Roobarb. Shall not go down without a fight!!

[Roobarb]

Fill your boots!