I've quite a busy day today so I was out early to the corner shop (aka as Waitrose) to pick up some bits and pieces including things for tomorrows dinner (gnocchi with mushrooms in a tarragon sauce). Since then I've cleaned the loos and done some knitting. I now need to have an early lunch as I'm off to our annual duck race in aid of charity this afternoon. It's held on the local river and should be fun if a tad chillier than ideal. This evening is the Eve of Waterloo ball that my friend spent so long and hard making a frock for me which should also be fun, in a very different way. All the dances are to the theme with titles such as Down with the French and Boney in the Dumps.
Last day of the community dig for me today - there'll be a bit of tidying up tomorrow, but I have to be back in work. It's been the most enormous fun, and made me feel like a proper archaeologist again!
Herefordshire County Council sent two professional archaeologists to oversee the dig, and everyone else was a volunteer. The site is known locally as Cusop Castle, but we haven't found much beyond the defensive banks to indicate that it was ever really used as a castle.
Back from our travels: really enjoyed the retreat although the centre was way out in the countryside and the grasses were in full flower. I've been struggling with the hay fever ever since and have an annoying dry cough with it.
I then headed off, leaving Mr Nen to cope with the work being done on the house. It hasn't gone well. I could feel trouble brewing as I left, two of them were wandering around sucking their teeth in the annoying way workmen have and saying things like, "Oh dear" and "It would be good if that dishwasher wasn't there." :rolleyes: Progress has been very slow - they were meant to finish on Thursday and are going to have to come back on Monday. Mr Nen seems pleased with the quality of work and is being generally far more patient and forbearing about it than I would be.
I, meanwhile, had a really lovely few days away: time out for myself and catching up with a friend as well. The public transport worked excellently.
This morning we had some friends call by for coffee and enjoyed showing them the house and garden. I've spent a bit of time in the garden today (in just the few days we were away it's starting to run away with itself) but can't be out there for too long at present because of the aforementioned hay fever.
The garden really needed work (Weed Ing mostly) but it would have been much too hot this afternoon, so we went for a potter this morning. I now intend to vegetate for the rest of the day.
A strong breeze has stopped it being too hot today, but it has stayed fine for the Town Fair
( stalls, choirs, dancers, not the fairground rides type).
I have been slowly catching up with some chores, but just have no energy, so not a lot achieved. Apart from tomorrow and Wednesday I have hardly anything in the diary this coming week, so will do a little each day. The days of cleaning the whole house in one morning are long gone.
Stir fry tonight.
Mrs Sioni packed me off to the steam railway while she cleaned and tidied our friend’s flat. Naturally I dropped in on second hand book - again- and bought another six books, bringing my total for the week to nine, for £24 AND they are worthwhile books, not the kind of books that well-meaning friends who know nothing about railways and your particular passion give you. Sorry, I’m being picky, petty and mean but I’m sure gardeners, enthusiastic cooks, musicians and artists feel the same at times.
The sounds they managed to get out of their instruments were quite amazing.
But did you enjoy them?
For the most part, yes; although there was a point where I thought the guitar had slipped out of tune, and I don't know enough about jazz to know if it was deliberate ...
Apart from choir practice this morning, I've had a very lazy day, as is Right and Proper for a Saturday.
I made cacio e pepe for supper, and imho got the pepper Just Right. Any actual Italians who may be reading this would probably be horrified that I added garlic and topped it with a few toasted almonds, but I think they made it even nicer.
Just after I'd finished eating, I heard the marching bands going past, and decided to have a little amble along the street and watch what was going on, which was nice (it's a beautiful evening).
I'm off work until Wednesday; we get Marches Day (the first Tuesday after the second Thursday of June*) as a stat holiday, and as nobody else seemed to want the Monday I decided to make a long weekend of it.
* no - I've no idea why it's worked out like that either.
I'm about to head off to bed as I'm sooo tired.
The duck race was very enjoyable and I put some of the ducks in the water which was fun. I'd been invited to go and have a look at the lock just upstream from where the race was and that was fascinating. I've opened a fair few locks manually in my time, but never pressed the buttons on an automated one before.
The ball was also good, but I left early as my hip obviously hasn't recovered from the ceilidh the other week and the acoustics are so bad I really struggled to hear people. It was lovely seeing people dance Recency dances in beautiful costumes in our very beautiful Regency ballroom.
There's the Annual Village Fête here in a couple of weeks' time which I believe involves a (plastic) duck race; we do live near a canal but the race happens on the local brook.
This reminds me I must call the number in the Parish Magazine and offer my services to the cake stall on the day. Mr Nen has already been asked to help both on the day and on the day before, to set up.
Bright and sunny here and it's one of the Sundays when there's a service in the little village church so I will be heading off shortly. I'll be meeting Mr Nen there; he has gone out to worship first at the Shrine Of Car Boot.
I was on the canalised bit of the River Trent in our town @Priscilla. We had to have the fire brigade put up a boom to stop the ducks from drifting under the bridge that leads into town. There were also people in canoes and standing on the stanchions (right word?) to scoop the ducks up.
So far this morning I have done some gardening and am about to do a bit more work on one of the upcoming speeches I'm making. The trouble is I can work them out in my head, it's writing them down that's tricky. Later I'm 'conducting' a number by one of the local concert bands at an event in the market square. I think I'll make a right idiot of myself, but I'm willing to give it a go. After that I'm going to recover by going to the evensong in our local church that @puzzler is singing at.
We drove to Lynton through Lynmouth, had a look around, back to Lynmouth, then up the cliff for another look around the rest of Lynton, down the cliff, a pootle round Lynmouth and drove back to Minehead along that switchback via Porlock from whence Coleridge’s person came.
The duck race does sound like fun!
Church has been churched; we had a "guest" organist today who's a stalwart of the local C of S church. I think she was a bit discombobulated by the movements of the Eucharist, but aside from that she played quite well.
Brunch, laundry and snoozage to follow. If the weather stays nice, I'll have a pootle down to Tessie's to stock up: I'm running out of WINE*.
A lazy morning, brushing up on the notes for this evening’s Evensong, a joint effort by the local choral society and parish church choir of @Sarasa ’s town. Setting off at 2.30 for rehearsal but I need to eat and iron my black shirt first. I hope to catch a glimpse of you conducting!
Our (notably big) village has its open gardens today and next Sunday. This year I managed to get Mr W to drug his hay fever into submission sufficiently to visit 3 gardens, and then did 2 more, plus the tennis and bowls clubs, alone. Lots of inspiration, and more for next weekend!
I caught up with @puzzler after Evensong where they sang one of my favourite hymns The Day Thou Gavest.
The conducting went fine. It was the Radesky March and though it seemed to go awry at one point I think the whole thing went OK and I enjoyed myself.
When I wasn't doing that I was watching the concert from one of my favourite cafes with my husband and a couple of friends.
We're off on holiday for a few days tomorrow and I'm looking forward to the rest.
An interesting random turn the thread took earlier . My favourite drag artist is Flamy Grant and my favourite song of hers is Esther, Ruth and Rahab.
I enjoyed our morning service. I asked Mr Nen afterwards what he thought of it and his response was, "I tried not to think." This didn't bode well and I didn't ask any more. And he didn't ask what I thought.
Various house-based necessaries for the rest of the day, culminating in a roast tea with WINE - we downed the whole bottle, because it's Sunday evening and there's no work tomorrow. Tomorrow, however, we do have the Return of the Workmen who should have finished last Thursday and didn't. I'm wondering where I can escape to .
The conducting went fine. It was the Radesky March ...
That's a fun piece; I played the bass drum in it many moons ago with the Orkney Orchestra (of which David and I were two-thirds of the percussion section at the time).
Expotition to Tessie's has been accomplished, and vital supplies replenished.
Supper was a very decent STEAK, with potato salad and veggies.
It's a super journey from ours to Bristol airport. 15 minutes through pleasant countryside. Unlike past trips from Manchester airport - a nightmare. You had to leave an extra hour just for that bit of the journey.
Off to visit my Enkelin and family.
Mr Boogs and my two sons are on a Big Bike Ride. 400km We are then meeting up for a family meal. A once-a-year occasion.
Wishing you ongoing safe travels and a wonderful time with your family @Boogie .
Hope you have a good and restful time away @Sarasa .
I am bracing myself for more work being done on the house today; it was supposed to be finished last Thursday and I took myself away last week to avoid it. Holes being drilled in walls and a power outage at some point... the stuff of which nightmares are made :rolleyes:
Hope the work gets finished today @Nenya.
Our hall is a departure lounge, of walking boots, coats and suitcases. We'll be setting off soon for our Lake District Adventure with local Ramblers.
Safe travels @Boogie. Sounds like you'll have a great time when you all meet up.
Great to catch up with @Sarasa after the service. A friend whose daughter was in the band sent me a video clip of your conducting. Well done! You looked very confident.
Best wishes to all setting off on your holidays. I have a quiet week ahead but I’m minded that I have lots of jobs to catch up on and it is all too easy to waste time. I’m not going to ban myself from social media but I need to spend less time online.
We have to come the opposite direction to Bristol airport. OK but not so good, with several possibilities for hold-ups.
At least Bristol isn’t so big as to be chaotic, grubby and inefficient like Gatwick. You usually spend as much time at the airport as in the air which indicates that airports need to get their act together. It’s just one reason Mrs Sioni and I prefer cruises.
We had a very busy weekend as we went to York on Saturday to move the Youngest into a new house. He and his girlfriend graduate from their Masters courses in the next few weeks and have rented a house together while they look for jobs. We got back just before midnight, having almost hit a deer on the A1 (we swerved to miss it in the fast lane having been pre warned of its presence by the swerving of the car ahead in the inside lane). Then on Sunday Mr Heavenly continued the decking before we headed in early to church to set up for the evening service. We don’t seem to have had a free weekend for a while.
The decking in front of my shoffice (recently acquired word for shed-like office) is finished and now looks homely with a garden chair and table but needs a pot of plants. Mr Heavenly needs to finish the side decking but that is probably half a day’s work.
I have now finished most of my work (I am only paid to teach my modules so just check in to mainly admin over the summer). I’ve had a lazy morning after checking my emails but I’m now going to go and make some bunting for my new seating area.
Safe travels to Boogie and Sarasa, and good luck with the renovations, Nenya.
Very lazy morning chez Piglet, although bedlinen is birling merrily in the washing-machine. I absolutely loathe changing sheets, and have to get myself psyched up and do it on a day when I haven't got much else to do!
At the moment it's quite a bonny day, but the forecast for tomorrow isn't looking so great. It'll be a shame if it rains on the Marches - it's such a fun parade if the sun shines!
A pleasant mostly Sun-Shiny day in Arkland the Happy, after a cloudy morning with a few sharp showers of Rain.
I was pleased on returning from Tess Coe (because Monday) - to be greeted on the track leading to the Ark by Arkland's resident family of Swans, which now consists of Sid (the cob), Penny (the pen), and their three new cygnets Baby, Kiwi, and Cinderella. Neighbour J's grandchildren have named the cygnets, though I'm not sure anyone (other than Sid and Penny) can tell which is which...
I had to drive round them in order to drop off my shopping bags close to the Ark. Sid watched me very carefully...
Ah, swan families. Many years ago we hired a boat on a local canal and bumbled up to the pub and back. On the way back Mrs Sioni was at the wheel and we came across Mummy Swan and her brood. An error occurred and our boat separated Mummy from cygnets! Oh my gosh! The noise was one thing and Mummy Swan attacked the boat! Mrs Sioni didn’t panic but cleared the scene as quick as possible and handed over the wheel. Not to me I hasten to add.
Here at Casa Nen all is Ominously Quiet for somewhere that's meant to be having Work Done.
Oh dear - "they" haven't gone off to another job, I hope.
I don't think so, I didn't go to check. Every so often I commented to Mr Nen about how quiet it all seemed.
However, things seem to have been accomplished and equipment seems to have been neatly installed. There are a few holes in the wall and some not-very-well finished plastering that I'd like to see sorted but apparently someone is coming back tomorrow, though more for the commissioning of the equipment than filling and plastering I think.
Glad the work is nearly finished @nenya.
We are here in the Lake District and it is all very nice and relaxed. The last bit of the journey along narrow twisty roads was anything but.
A gentle walk is on the cards tomorrow.
Although I was tempted to go out to enjoy the pleasant weather, I ploughed on through the chores. I even managed to locate two missing socks and thus complete two pairs.
One thing led to another and I disturbed an ants nest so had to deal with the little creatures. I didn’t complete my list but there are more days in this week than there were in the last. I also managed some paperwork- to be continued- but tomorrow I am going to go shopping first. I don’t actually need anything but my favourite store has a sale.
There are a few holes in the wall and some not-very-well finished plastering that I'd like to see sorted but apparently someone is coming back tomorrow, though more for the commissioning of the equipment than filling and plastering I think.
Someone whose agenda appears to be plastering has shown up this morning so this is good news.
A bitty day so far - Domestic Goddess in the kitchen first thing so some baking is achieved and a casserole for tea is bubbling away in the slow cooker, then a long catch up over the phone with a friend who's having a particularly hard time. House group this evening, only the third time we've gone since we've been here due to Date Clashes.
Overcast at present. I'd like to get in the garden but the hay fever has currently settled down and I'm worried about setting it off again .
Mostly Sun-Shiny again in Arkland the Arcadian, with a nice westerly breeze.
Pilates has been survived (quite a gruelling session today ), but worthwhile. Nothing planned for this afternoon, except Restage and Quaffage, with Lunch at some point. FISH CAKES beckon...
Comments
Herefordshire County Council sent two professional archaeologists to oversee the dig, and everyone else was a volunteer. The site is known locally as Cusop Castle, but we haven't found much beyond the defensive banks to indicate that it was ever really used as a castle.
I then headed off, leaving Mr Nen to cope with the work being done on the house. It hasn't gone well. I could feel trouble brewing as I left, two of them were wandering around sucking their teeth in the annoying way workmen have and saying things like, "Oh dear" and "It would be good if that dishwasher wasn't there." :rolleyes: Progress has been very slow - they were meant to finish on Thursday and are going to have to come back on Monday. Mr Nen seems pleased with the quality of work and is being generally far more patient and forbearing about it than I would be.
I, meanwhile, had a really lovely few days away: time out for myself and catching up with a friend as well. The public transport worked excellently.
This morning we had some friends call by for coffee and enjoyed showing them the house and garden. I've spent a bit of time in the garden today (in just the few days we were away it's starting to run away with itself) but can't be out there for too long at present because of the aforementioned hay fever.
Mr Boogs is away, so I've just mowed the lawn. I then had to lie down for 20 minutes with a wet flannel over my face. 🙄
The garden really needed work (Weed Ing mostly) but it would have been much too hot this afternoon, so we went for a potter this morning. I now intend to vegetate for the rest of the day.
More of the same, please...
CHICKEN CHOW MEIN for lunch (because use-by date).
( stalls, choirs, dancers, not the fairground rides type).
I have been slowly catching up with some chores, but just have no energy, so not a lot achieved. Apart from tomorrow and Wednesday I have hardly anything in the diary this coming week, so will do a little each day. The days of cleaning the whole house in one morning are long gone.
Stir fry tonight.
For the most part, yes; although there was a point where I thought the guitar had slipped out of tune, and I don't know enough about jazz to know if it was deliberate ...
Apart from choir practice this morning, I've had a very lazy day, as is Right and Proper for a Saturday.
I made cacio e pepe for supper, and imho got the pepper Just Right. Any actual Italians who may be reading this would probably be horrified that I added garlic and topped it with a few toasted almonds, but I think they made it even nicer.
Just after I'd finished eating, I heard the marching bands going past, and decided to have a little amble along the street and watch what was going on, which was nice (it's a beautiful evening).
I'm off work until Wednesday; we get Marches Day (the first Tuesday after the second Thursday of June*) as a stat holiday, and as nobody else seemed to want the Monday I decided to make a long weekend of it.
* no - I've no idea why it's worked out like that either.
The duck race was very enjoyable and I put some of the ducks in the water which was fun. I'd been invited to go and have a look at the lock just upstream from where the race was and that was fascinating. I've opened a fair few locks manually in my time, but never pressed the buttons on an automated one before.
The ball was also good, but I left early as my hip obviously hasn't recovered from the ceilidh the other week and the acoustics are so bad I really struggled to hear people. It was lovely seeing people dance Recency dances in beautiful costumes in our very beautiful Regency ballroom.
This reminds me I must call the number in the Parish Magazine and offer my services to the cake stall on the day. Mr Nen has already been asked to help both on the day and on the day before, to set up.
Bright and sunny here and it's one of the Sundays when there's a service in the little village church so I will be heading off shortly. I'll be meeting Mr Nen there; he has gone out to worship first at the Shrine Of Car Boot.
@Sarasa which canal?
So far this morning I have done some gardening and am about to do a bit more work on one of the upcoming speeches I'm making. The trouble is I can work them out in my head, it's writing them down that's tricky. Later I'm 'conducting' a number by one of the local concert bands at an event in the market square. I think I'll make a right idiot of myself, but I'm willing to give it a go. After that I'm going to recover by going to the evensong in our local church that @puzzler is singing at.
We drove to Lynton through Lynmouth, had a look around, back to Lynmouth, then up the cliff for another look around the rest of Lynton, down the cliff, a pootle round Lynmouth and drove back to Minehead along that switchback via Porlock from whence Coleridge’s person came.
Church has been churched; we had a "guest" organist today who's a stalwart of the local C of S church. I think she was a bit discombobulated by the movements of the Eucharist, but aside from that she played quite well.
Brunch, laundry and snoozage to follow. If the weather stays nice, I'll have a pootle down to Tessie's to stock up: I'm running out of WINE*.
* and food, but first things first ... 🍷
We missed the Minehead Ferret Race which sounds fun (except for the rabbit!)
This is peak hay fever season for me, I can only be in the garden for 10 minutes at the time. Grrrr!
Past tense and past participle of "drag" isn’t it?
If applying, and then removing, false eyelashes and boobs would make my husband feel better, I"m sure he'd do it at this point in the year!
The conducting went fine. It was the Radesky March and though it seemed to go awry at one point I think the whole thing went OK and I enjoyed myself.
When I wasn't doing that I was watching the concert from one of my favourite cafes with my husband and a couple of friends.
We're off on holiday for a few days tomorrow and I'm looking forward to the rest.
I enjoyed our morning service. I asked Mr Nen afterwards what he thought of it and his response was, "I tried not to think." This didn't bode well and I didn't ask any more. And he didn't ask what I thought.
Various house-based necessaries for the rest of the day, culminating in a roast tea with WINE - we downed the whole bottle, because it's Sunday evening and there's no work tomorrow. Tomorrow, however, we do have the Return of the Workmen who should have finished last Thursday and didn't. I'm wondering where I can escape to
Expotition to Tessie's has been accomplished, and vital supplies replenished.
Supper was a very decent STEAK, with potato salad and veggies.
It's a super journey from ours to Bristol airport. 15 minutes through pleasant countryside. Unlike past trips from Manchester airport - a nightmare. You had to leave an extra hour just for that bit of the journey.
Off to visit my Enkelin and family.
Mr Boogs and my two sons are on a Big Bike Ride. 400km We are then meeting up for a family meal. A once-a-year occasion.
Hope you have a good and restful time away @Sarasa .
I am bracing myself for more work being done on the house today; it was supposed to be finished last Thursday and I took myself away last week to avoid it. Holes being drilled in walls and a power outage at some point... the stuff of which nightmares are made :rolleyes:
Our hall is a departure lounge, of walking boots, coats and suitcases. We'll be setting off soon for our Lake District Adventure with local Ramblers.
Safe travels @Boogie. Sounds like you'll have a great time when you all meet up.
Best wishes to all setting off on your holidays. I have a quiet week ahead but I’m minded that I have lots of jobs to catch up on and it is all too easy to waste time. I’m not going to ban myself from social media but I need to spend less time online.
At least Bristol isn’t so big as to be chaotic, grubby and inefficient like Gatwick. You usually spend as much time at the airport as in the air which indicates that airports need to get their act together. It’s just one reason Mrs Sioni and I prefer cruises.
The decking in front of my shoffice (recently acquired word for shed-like office) is finished and now looks homely with a garden chair and table but needs a pot of plants. Mr Heavenly needs to finish the side decking but that is probably half a day’s work.
I have now finished most of my work (I am only paid to teach my modules so just check in to mainly admin over the summer). I’ve had a lazy morning after checking my emails but I’m now going to go and make some bunting for my new seating area.
Very lazy morning chez Piglet, although bedlinen is birling merrily in the washing-machine. I absolutely loathe changing sheets, and have to get myself psyched up and do it on a day when I haven't got much else to do!
At the moment it's quite a bonny day, but the forecast for tomorrow isn't looking so great. It'll be a shame if it rains on the Marches - it's such a fun parade if the sun shines!
I'm with you there. I could never run a guest house!
I'm now on the train from Munich and endeavouring to stay awake in order to alight at Mannheim to get the next train.
It's a long old journey. I got in the car this morning at 4am!
Car-bus-plane-train-train-train-walk.
I'm due to arrive at 5:30pm for a big hug with Enkelin and her Mum.
Grateful that nothing was late or cancelled. There are plenty of choices from Manheim to Ziegelhausen so I'm relaxed at last. 🙂
I was pleased on returning from Tess Coe (because Monday) - to be greeted on the track leading to the Ark by Arkland's resident family of Swans, which now consists of Sid (the cob), Penny (the pen), and their three new cygnets Baby, Kiwi, and Cinderella. Neighbour J's grandchildren have named the cygnets, though I'm not sure anyone (other than Sid and Penny) can tell which is which...
I had to drive round them in order to drop off my shopping bags close to the Ark. Sid watched me very carefully...
All the swans were ok.
I don't think so, I didn't go to check. Every so often I commented to Mr Nen about how quiet it all seemed.
However, things seem to have been accomplished and equipment seems to have been neatly installed. There are a few holes in the wall and some not-very-well finished plastering that I'd like to see sorted but apparently someone is coming back tomorrow, though more for the commissioning of the equipment than filling and plastering I think.
Enjoy your hugs @Boogie
We are here in the Lake District and it is all very nice and relaxed. The last bit of the journey along narrow twisty roads was anything but.
A gentle walk is on the cards tomorrow.
One thing led to another and I disturbed an ants nest so had to deal with the little creatures. I didn’t complete my list but there are more days in this week than there were in the last. I also managed some paperwork- to be continued- but tomorrow I am going to go shopping first. I don’t actually need anything but my favourite store has a sale.
Someone whose agenda appears to be plastering has shown up this morning so this is good news.
A bitty day so far - Domestic Goddess in the kitchen first thing so some baking is achieved and a casserole for tea is bubbling away in the slow cooker, then a long catch up over the phone with a friend who's having a particularly hard time. House group this evening, only the third time we've gone since we've been here due to Date Clashes.
Overcast at present. I'd like to get in the garden but the hay fever has currently settled down and I'm worried about setting it off again
Pilates has been survived (quite a gruelling session today