Car Booty & Priya and Penny Depart

Sunday. Since Mike’s phone said thunderstorms today and mine said very overcast, both for the same area we felt justified in going out in short sleeved shirts and lightweight jackets. We were not disappointed. Maybe we didn’t tempt fate by putting the top of the car down but we did travel mainly with the windows fully down. Very handy too when Mike’s stomach isn’t up to much. We traveled into sunny Cheshire to the hidden ( shopping) village of Blakemere for a car boot sale. It may not have been as big as our local one at Rhuddlan or even the Countess of Chester Hospital one we went to last week but this was Cheshire and the goodies on offer were good. There were a couple of things I’d love to have got for Reuben if only they hadn’t been PINK, his father wouldn’t have approved at all. But I did manage to get a great pop-up tent and also a crawl through tunnel that also fitted onto the tent.

For myself I found a wooden hand which could hold a candle but also ( and this is what I’ll use it for) an incense cone, a wooden box with a Buddhistic image in gold on the lid. I paid £2 for the latter item and later saw them on sale at £12.99 in the shops at Blakemere. I also bought two nice ( and expensive) tapestries at £1 each. I got a really nice CD/Radio player that Mike wanted for just £4. All in all a very productive morning. I also found but didn’t buy a game called Scrabble Trickster which allows players to get cards which lets them among other things, spell a word backwords, put a word on the board wherever they want, turn a tile over and use it as a blank and steal the previous player’s last score. What a game that could be. I’ll have to think about it though I’m actually half regretting not getting it now.

 

Scrabble Trickster

 

 

 

 

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Naturally our first stop after the car boot was the cafe scratch that, loo, after which came the cafe. A nice cuppa revived us for a walk round the shops. Two fantastic shops which sell imported items, mainly wooden from Indonesia and Thailand, 2 antique shops, a craft place, a huge pet shop, complete with some pets, I think there’s a baby shop( though I’m fairly certain you can’t buy or sell babies there) and then an attractive courtyard filled with shops with gifts, a tea room, an ice cream place, sweets and various gift places. It’s a great place to visit though I aim that more at the ladies than the gents, Mike says I must be more in touch with me feminine side but the sarky beggar forgets it was his idea to go the last twice.

It took an hour to get back home and on to lunch at The Ivy. Yes, today I remembered the chocolates. Shella was back at work after hurting her back and we had a nice chat. Angie was there and Mike put a smile on her face with a Terry’s chocolate Orange I got yesterday. The meal was lovely, though very filling. My first ever panini which was filled with road beef, fried onions and mushrooms and a dish with coleslaw,( I didn’t have the cheese and the horseradish sauce Mike had) , a small side salad and some chips. I didn’t know paninis were so big. Neither of us could manage lemon meringue pie which was perhaps as well since by the time we’d let our belts out a notch there was just one piece left and I’m not noble ( or daft) enough to say “After you bro”. I did leave there disappointed though. Oh, not because I didn’t get my hugs, there was no problem on that score. Yesterday I’d asked Tariq if he could put some glass into a picture that Yvonne had bought me and which had been damaged for some time. Tariq does all his own framing so has a lot of glass about. He made me shake hands that he wouldn’t argue about accepting the money for lunch (YAY) on the understanding that I only paid him for materials and not for his labour. Reluctantly I agreed after getting agreement he would take payment. After the job was done he told me the charge was 55p which is probably about 35c U.S. The man is a horse trader. I shall think of some way of getting a gift.

Mike ran me home and disappeared quite quickly. ( I have that effect on people) giving me the chance to catch up on the 132 messages in my box. That took a while and it was nearly 6.00 pm when I went through t wash up from this morning and then to watch an episode of Midsomer Murders for relaxation. At 8.00pm I came back through to start again.

Monday. Not every day starts with good news. I’ve heard from Jo, one of my wonderful nieces that Penny and Priya (pictured) have departed to join Ju so they can play inside her dressing gown again. You’ll remember no doubt that Jo took over looking after all four of our special girls after Ju passed away. Amy and my beautiful Bernie passed away a while ago  so now the last two have gone to join them. So sad.

Priya enjoying her morning cuppa Tea. R.I.P

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Feeling unwell today I went back to bed after doing my mail and then carrying out kitchen duties. I was woken by a knock on the door, not that I knew that’s what it was at the time. Only when I sat up and my mind began to work ( despite what A C Flory says) did my mind begin to twig some poor soul was stood on the doorstep. It was my nephew David ( do I really have a nephew approaching 50?) and there he stood despite me telling him just to walk in. He’d brought a batch of Sheet Music dating from around 1905 for me to see. There was only one that meant anything to me by Gen. Lew Wallace , the theme tune to the book he wrote ‘Ben Hur’. It had a very frameable cover as did some of the others. I wasn’t able to help him really as I know nothing of music other than some I like, some I don’t. I suggested taking it to a specialist music shop as they may be interested in displaying it or even playing it.During the time we were chatting David reminded me he’s promised last week to buy me lunch today and despite my saying there was no need he went off to the sandwich shop for some filled baps. He also went shopping for me to Pauline’s. As soon as he mentioned the brand and his Uncle ‘Dave'(I hate it) she knew who it was and just said “100?”.   David was taking one of Ju’s prized horse figures today for himself but I also found some old jewellery boxes filled with costume jewellery he could take for the stall. I finally got dressed !

David was due to be home for 1.00 pm but while we were talking about car boots I’d told him of the two tapestries I go yesterday and he asked where I was putting them. I explained where and why and that I’d bought a pole to put them on as well. He offered to do the job there and then. I refused as it was already 12.25 pm but he said it took no more than 20 minutes to drive home.(They haven’t invented a car that fast yet except in F1). We did the job regardless and I’m afraid i was 1.00 pm before he left so I hope the motor mechanic at his end was a patient man.

I came back to the computer to clear what I could and was forced to go to my chair at 2.45 pm. I had my lunch but by 3.45 I was asleep again. I woke just in time for my 4.30 pm Antique show and then came back to mail at 5.15 until 6.00 pm. I’ve managed to stay pretty much abreast of it today somehow. I watched TV from 6.00 to 8.00 pm and then came through for the night sessions. I’d had a text from Mike to say he’s been granted an exchange on his flat so he’s moving as we speak and won’t be down this weekend. That will be good in a way as he’ll be with his son for Father’s Day. If he does finish moving early, he and his son will be going to Manchester to fix his Dad’s washing machine, otherwise it could be the next weekend and I’ll have two very quiet weekends. At least he won’t be moaning I’m getting him up in the middle of the night for shopping.I won’t get any done. I’ll still be going to the Ivy though for my Father’s Day treat.

Tuesday. After finishing my mail this morning I became tired and nodded off in my chair in the lounge. That was about 6.30 am and I didn’t wake until almost 9.00 am. I doubt I’d have moved if it hadn’t been for the repeat prescription request lying in front of me on the coffee table. I got washed and dressed before dropping it off with the chemist and went straight back home as I wasn’t going to Yvonne’s today. The air had revived me enough to stay awake long enough to catch up on the mail again. Four messages suspending my online account with Santander. Do these moronic con men think I’m more likely to believe a message if I read it more often? The postman came with a new batch of keyring blanks for me and I was able to make up nice ones for my nieces.

By 11.00 am I was tired again and back to the chair I went. Zonk, I was out till 12.00 pm and though I didn’t feel like lunch I made something anyway. There was a made for TV film on at half past which I watched till it ended at 2.20 pm when I thought I’d better make serious inroads into the mail or I wouldn’t see my Antiques Show at 4.30 pm. I made it by the skin of my teeth. In a repeat of last night I went back to the computer at 5.15 pm till 6.00 pm and then TV until I called it a night at 8.00 pm. I’m following a couple of items on ebay at the moment so I checked up  on those before doing a few searches for things I like, walking sticks for one. After that I spent time concentrating on the mail again which included a further two notifications that Santander don’t love me any more. If I actually had an account with them no doubt I’d be heartbroken.

Wednesday. Such a major disappointment this morning to find in my mail box 5 separate messages directing me how to get back into my suspended Santander account. If they can’t get me with threats they’ll try to get me by being helpful. I also had 3 messages of love which was a surprise since as usual I’ve never met the ladies (?) in question. There was also a message with just one word…Hello. That went the way of the others. I suppose I shouldn’t complain too much as at least Mystic Myfanwy hasn’t been predicting my future fortunes again.

I had to get dressed and go out this morning though just as far as the corner shop. The sun was shining and it was really quite warm despite a breeze. We’re officially into Summer now so maybe this is it. Back home I decided to stay up and stay dressed in case my drugs were delivered ( they weren’t). I also decided to put a bid in on a game of Scrabble Trickster due to end this evening. The rules sound just about crazy enough to be a good laugh. While doing my post I came across a problem I’ve had before where my ISP suddenly decides not to send messages to any hotmail addresses. Everything I tried was getting returned as undeliverable and the steam was starting to seep out of my ears. In the end the only thing to do was create a new email address with gmail so now I have the same post going to both places and confusing me. Gmail breaks mail down into type, Social and Promotions and each is held as a separate list. The contacts list isn’t in an obvious place either. Somehow I managed to clear all the mail I save like payments to ebay until the goods arrive. Plonker.

I slept a good deal  of the afternoon though I did keep going to the computer when ever I was awake for more than 30 secs. At 4.30 pmm I went to enjoy my antiques programme and found I’d missed two messages on my mobile. Mike to tell me the move is going well but he won’t be here this weekend. Lee James to say he can’t make it tonight. A shame. At 5.45 pm though the door opened and Dil and Matt arrived. I made drinks as the Scrabble was set up. I don’t know why I bothered. It was a slaughter in the first game- Matt, and a massacre in the second game-Dil. I was demolished in the Nomination Whist-Dil again but I did win the cribbage so didn’t need a new pack of tissues. There’s a lot of humour expended on these games nights and I love them for that reason. We could be playing Snap  for all I care ( as long as I’m winning of course). They left as usual at 9.30 pm and after washing the pots and having a quick tidy round I came through to start the assault course of mail again. Now it’s time to go to bed and have a short read before witching hour is upon us.

Thursday. I won the Scrabble Trickster last night. Let’s see them beat me next week. If it comes early I’m memorising the rules.That should last all of half an hour. I’m still working out the differences in gmail but there are some definite pitfalls for me. I can’t find a way to  change the font style or size and two people I write to I layer the mail. They write a one line answer to my part of the message underneath mine, and I do the same to theirs. That seems to be a major faff. Currently I’m running between programmes dependant upon the message.

Since I put my prescription request in on Tuesday morning I the drugs back yesterday. It didn’t happen so when I went for bread this morning I stuck my head in the chemist. I let them know I needed a full spiriva kit and not just refills and that my gliclizide had run out. I was told they’d be here this afternoon. They weren’t and I’m not best pleased. This has happened before where they didn’t deliver because one item was missing. That’s not much good to me when I’ve run out of a drug. I shall have to pay another visit in the morning. There’s been a lot of mail today for some reason so a lot of time has been spent in here. With the heat I’ve been wanting to nod off more than once. I’ve been very good, and waited until a programme I wanted to watch came on TV. Then the rafters reverberated to my Zzzz’s. I did manage to see my new Big Bang Theory tonight though.

It’s been a funny day though. A message from Yvonne about Sunday. Ugo has to go away and needs to catch a coach so they’ll be with me from about 10.00 am Sunday till 1.00 pm. Not great but I can cope. I tried to tell her not to bother and save themselves the dash but NO, they were coming. Now a new message to say they’ll be here after all as his trip is put off by a week. If all those Nigerian con mails start again I’m going to get very suspicious. The window cleaner came and yes, I’d nodded of. I’ve decided never to clean the insides again so he can’t see me sleeping and think I do it all day .

Right, I’m off to bed. Sleep well all  !.

Friday. I’m really struggling with this gmail account. Not only do all my emails not arrive there, I don’t have the option of how to answer them ie. as layered answers, I write a line or two and then the recipient writes a line or two on top. Instead I have to write at the bottom of a long list of ongoing messages between us and scroll back up everytime I want to make sure I haven’t missed something. Within the last ten minutes I have at least discovered how to change the font, size and the colour. Yay.

After the usual morning jobs ( like waking up and dressing) I went to the chemist to find out what had happened to my drug delivery yesterday. At first I got some very blank looks like I hadn’t put the request in at all but eventually I was told they’d do what they could and bring my stuff round. Fair enough about an hour later Dawn arrived at the house with a bag. I asked her to hang on for a minute while I checked it in case I’d been given just the refill capsules for the spiriva. I hadn’t. In fact the spiriva wasn’t there in any form so I had to query that with Dawn. It wasn’t even sowing on the bag as an item owed. She said she’s go back and check for me and I’m sure she doubted I’d ordered it.  At least I had the now three drugs I’d run out of and I hadn’t run out of the spiriva. Just as well really as she didn’t return with it for me. And before you ask, I know I ordered it as I wrote on the request that I needed the full kit. The senility hasn’t hit quite that bad yet.

Yesterday I trawled through all Julia’s crafting stuff to find a machine I’d promised Yvonne. It took a while to find all the different plates that fit it it but eventually I managed it and prepared two big bags for her on Sunday. Picture if you will a wall. From right to left are a five drawer chest of drawers, a slight gap, another 5 drawer chest then a set of three plastic drawers full of craft material. Righto, got that? I need to get rid of the 3 drawer craft set so that I can move the left hand chest to the left  ( change partners do se do) so that there is now a larger gap in the middle. I want to fill that gap with a set of bookshelves which ebay kindly furnished me with this morning. 4 shelves high that fold down and the sides fold in over them. Amazing value at £23.99 and I had the option of free home delivery or delivery to an Argos shop for collection. I took the home delivery option and they should be here by Tuesday. With any luck that”s the day the game will arrive too.

There have been a lot of messages today. Only one from Santander to say my sign in is now blocked but one from Barclays again to say they’re having problems paying money into my account. I suggest they gather cash and send me that instead. I don’t mind if they close a non-existent account really. Regretfully there have been no declarations of love or offers of marriage today so during a gap between Antique Road Trips I took a shower. I removed the shampoos and bodywashes from the seat and used that to sit on this time. I still had to bend over to keep my arms from being above my head since there’s no Mike to scream for. It’s been along day and I expect a fairly long weekend but he does have a life of his own out there as well. I hope the weather stays nice and you all have a Great Weekend.

Cheese String Thing with cheese string

 

The laundryboy

Mucky Face

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday. Dawn came sneaking round a corner this morning and crept up behind me with a hammer. Dame Aurora can be a devil like that, one minute a headache, next minute the sun is glaring down saying get your lazy arse out of bed. I complied yet it was no later than 5.00 am. I wasn’t actually in bed anyway which is how the sun caught me. I’d been sleeping in my chair after sleep and I had an altercation in the bedroom. Sleep wanted to plague my rest with dreams and I’m like the BBC- no adverts. I returned to the bedroom where at least the sun wouldn’t bother me. It would take more than that to get through my curtains.

I turned on the computer, opened both my email programmes since the new one doesn’t seem to bring all my mail over and because some I prefer to answer in the format I use on TalkTalk. I was heartbroken to see that Barclay’s have also decided to suspend my sigh in but even worse, the Halifax are now saying they have problems with my account. This is getting so bad that yesterday I deleted a message from Paypal about a refund to my account before I realised  it might be genuine. Once I checked with Paypal it was. Another beggar has reused to honour the ebay agreement to supply goods after an auction and after I’ve paid. This lot haven’t even had the manners to respond to messages. Ebay raised a case, gave them 5 days to respond and then refunded me. I’d much rather have had the goods though as it was a lovely mirror clock with the Welsh Dragon at the centre. Last week I had a similar problem with a case for my phone. I’m waiting patiently like an idiot until I realise nothing is coming. The firm did initiate a refund very quickly but no apology or explanation of why they didn’t send it. I had to start again with another firm which firstly sent the wrong one and quickly corrected it. Once before I bought something, paid for it and waited. The seller marked it as dispatched. Three weeks later she admitted it hadn’t been sent an d she wasn’t going to as she didn’t like the price she got. Put a bloody reserve on it in that case!

I had breakfast and then put all the bins and rubbish bags out. At 7.30 am I went out for the bus. At the supermarket just up the hill ( one of two…Supermarkets, not hills) I got cash from the machine. I could almost hear it say “The Bank Manager- He say YES” and I considered shouting “I’ve won” but it was still quite early. I grabbed a  shopping trolley, loaded my sticks aboard and set off. The vases at home weren’t looking too bad but they were perhaps a little crowded and all four contained the same plants. I was bound to be able to weed some dead stuff out so I bought a nice bouquet of mixed flowers and a bunch of carnations. Then I edged up the vegetable  aisle, and note this….I stopped. I bought lettuce, tomato, cucumber and some Jersey potatoes. All bets are off if it rains though !! Baps next, cakes ( for my neighbour who is always taking in parcels for me or returning my bin from wherever the binmen leave it),a rhubarb pie, butter, milk, ( I considered cream but decided not), yoghurts, round the corner for bacon and lemon meringue pie. Then I needed biscuits, crisps, sweets and a bottle of beer. Somehow I managed to forget coleslaw and pickled beetroot.  The girl on the till waited until I had my bags set out in the trolley before ringing the goods through which was a great help. Then I got cigarettes from my friend who called me a taxi…No, she didn’t say “You’re a Taxi”, she made a phone call to get me one. He arrived a couple of minutes later and I was home for 8.30 am.

It didn’t take too long to unpack and put away the shopping but it took forever to get rid of some of the old flowers, trim the others and arrange the new ones so it didn’t look like I’d just bunged the bunches in a vase. I had to get very arty-farty. Mike usually does it so he must be more in touch with his feminine side than me. I knew I’d need the coleslaw for lunchtime so I went to Pauline’s, forgot the beetroot and bought more cigarettes instead. I think my mind might be elsewhere.  Perhaps a little worried about tomorrow? Back at home I laid into the mail again and by lunchtime was back up to date. I ate lunch watching an old film but don’t ask me what as I’ve no idea now. After lunch I just zonked out anyway.

When I woke I knew for sure I’d been out an hour and the mail would be there again, I had another catch up session. As long as I was free for 5.00 pm s there was a Miss Marple I haven’t seen. After that a Jack Black film was due to start. I managed less than ten minutes before I had to turn it off or bang my head against a few walls. So, I came through and I’ve been keeping pace with mail ever since.

I wish you all a wonderful week.

A killer smile

First Nursery photo

 

Funny Monster

Sticky fingers

Hamunex and Zorba the Greek’s Dance.

Sunday. My usual Sunday morning treat is reading the responses to last night’s blog and thanking you for commenting. It’s a Sunday and it’s sacrosanct. I was therefore paralysed with shock this morning when Mike’s alarm went off at 7.00 am on a SUNDAY !!!!!  The feeling did return to my limbs and the blood start flowing round my brains again when there had been no movement for a quarter hour other than to switch it off. For a few moments I thought he’d taken himself and the impetuous offer of a car boot seriously. My laughter rang from a rafter (  just practising the poetry there and it seems I need to ).  I followed my usual timetable and chatted to the fish for a few moments, sharing with them the reason for the hilarity. I took my coffee through to carry on with the mail and saw no reason to wash and dress just yet. I’d settled down into a nice little rhythm when I heard the unbelievable sound of movement and it wasn’t even half past nine. I checked, and yes, his bed was definitely empty, I didn’t hear crying so a) he hadn’t fallen out of bed or b) he didn’t know the time. I heard the loo flush so I ran ( OK, my estimation of a run) to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Mike would say it didn’t suit me so I put it sown again and plugged it in. He was in his chair when I brought his coffee through and I stayed there for a few minutes. As there were no insults forthcoming I knew he wasn’t truly awake so I went back to clear my screen and get dressed.

As his human side emerged, and to be fair it does have a long way to come, the insults started about the volume of my snoring last night.According to Mike, it’s only the fact his bed is wider than the doorway that stops it being pulled out as I draw in breath. He didn’t complain about anything I’d said in the blog so I assumed he saw only the glowing compliments I usually put. Maybe that’s why he told me he was only up so early for my benefit. I confess I did choke slightly on the use of the word early but as his slitted eyes were glaring at me with a definite red tinge I hid it behind a hand and innocently asked what he meant. “Why, the car boot I promised if you want” he told me. I told him how kind a thought it was and I’d love to go to a car boot ( to help them clear the pitch after the cars had gone) and by 10.00 am we were on our way.

To be fair to Mike there were still  two cars there when we arrived so we had a liesurely stroll round them. I picked up a little stand that displays the suit in play at cards for Whist and Bridge. That should help on a Wednesday night. I saw a rocking hose activity centre on one car site and decided to think about it. Big mistake, By the time I’d decided to get it , it was no longer there.I forebore from mentioning the benefits of getting to a car boot sale early using the more common definition of that word. Anyway, from there we decided to hear home via Flint so Mike could exchange a non-working remote control for a TV he bought a couple of weeks ago. That was done quite quickly so we decided to have a coffee. Today it was Trudie and Sian behind the counter and Mike was having a great time laughing and joking with them both. Time was getting on so we decided to go straight to lunch. We’re a mile down the road and still arguing about where to go until we’d passed the entrance to the Blossoms. Mike put the hood down on the car so we could enjoy the unusual spring sunshine and with chattering teeth I reminded him I’d no sweets to take to the Ivy but as he staccatoed back, it was OK as I’d taken a tin yesterday.

The Ivy car park was full. As we’d drawn up a young couple had just been going in. By the time we’d parked and walked to the door they were just coming out again saying there wasn’t an empty table. We thanked them but went in anyway. I nipped to the loo and as I came out again Mike was just settling down in our usual seats and the couple that had been there were just leaving. I suppose he smiled at them which is enough to scare anyone off. Tariq came to say hello before bustling off to serve someone. Helen came flying out to say hello and give a hug and Angie waved saying she’d be there in a minute. She came to take our order and as my gums were still thawing out I asked for cfffee and what sounded like Hamunex but she knew what I wanted anyway, she also knew what Mike wanted anyway but luckily for her she has a husband. Mike had a Salmon Burger I think and now I could feel my teeth again my order would have been translated as ham and eggs  ( with thick cut chips and peas). We allowed a couple of brave cyclists to share our table and Mike chatted about their ride today. They’d come quite a way but they said it was worth it for the hot chocolate. Our lunches came and the lady cyclist accepted a chunky chip from me. The meal was as nice as it had been yesterday and the Ivy was doing a roaring trade. I was glad, except it meant we had little chance to chat to Tariq. We did see Shella and manage a few words though which was great. I really must try and see if I can get some of our favourite pork pies for her.

Mike dropped me at home and went off to his Dad’s. I ploughed straight into work until about 4.30 when I found my eyelids needed some study from the inside. I turned on the TV for the Tomorrow People and away I went. There was  afilm due to start when I woke up so I turned over. It didn’t last long. Not my kind of film at all so I turned to repeats of Big Bang Theory and saw one I must have missed. At 8.00 pm I turned off and came to attack the mail. I finished that just before 11.00 pm in time to do this and have a little read. Just had a text to say Mike home safely and will be up late on Friday.

Monday. I got up at 3.00 am but after a cigarette didn’t feel like work so just lay in bed. I was tempted again at 5.00 am but after hitting myself a few times went back to bed and even nodded off. It was just gone 7.00 am before I decided I was awake enough. The fish got fed early just to confuse them and I had my meds and made a coffee to bring back to my room. It was almost half seven before I turned the monitor on today.  There was a heavy mail bag but just as it has been recently there were a lot more comments on the two posts I’d been notified of. I should be jealous at the number of comments they got but one was a serious issue that deserved comments and the other was a momentous birthday in a woman’s life and many people wanted to reassure her life wasn’t over. So, completely unstressed I took my time and didn’t even get dressed until 10.30 am. After all, no plans to open the door today. Knock, Knock, “Who’s there?” It was just the postman with a small packet to be signed for. Just as well I had got dressed after all or the whole village would know what a devil-may-care life I lead.

I lunched on a lamb shank with colcannon potatoes. Afterwards I felt bloated as in reality it’s only my fingers getting any exercise today and even they look fat now. I did have a diet strawberry yoghurt afterwards though. Most of the afternoon I spent washing down my waste bin and brushing dust under the carpets. I almost set the washing machine going but managed to restrain myself until there’s a full load. I haven’t totally surrendered to domesticity yet. I watched a bit of TV and even managed 40 winks despite the late morning. My head is not sitting straight at the moment and I can’t settle to anything. There was an hour back with mail again before Law and Order came on and then another show that just didn’t penetrate my eyeballs before I came and started on mail again. A few blog posts to read an comment on, a few I could think of nothing to say so just ‘liked’ them. A message from Lis to say Charlie’s friend has been told the pancreatic cancer is inoperable and it will be chemo and palliative care only. I hope he didn’t go to see the oncologist alone. That must be the worst information in the world to hear. I can’t tell you how sorry I feel for him , his family and his friends right now.

I’ve finished the mail early and don’t feel like refreshing any more tonight so after I sign off here I’m going to do some reading if I can. Tomorrow I have to try and go to Chester to see Yvonne and Reuben so I’ll need to be on the ball. I think I’ll lay off the chips too after having them twice this weekend. Maybe they’ll have a couple of scallops instead ( thin slices of par-boiled potato deep fried in batter). I must remember to pick up some baps as well, remind me while I’m out will you.  Hugs.

Tuesday. A 4.10 am start on my mail this morning ensured I was bright eyed and bushy tailed at 7.00 when I was able to get dressed after getting momentarily up to date. I had seen to the fish, taken tabs, filled my outside container and made myself a coffee well before it was time to go out. I dressed in ( upper layers only you nosy beggars) black and white checked shirt, silver trousers, a blue grey cardie ( mistake) and a black & white dogtooth jacket. As the sun was shining I felt good as I stepped out at 8.00 am to go to the bus stop. I’d steeled myself to  take the 8.10 bus despite the number of schoolchildren at the stop. I wanted a slightly longer time with Yvonne and Reuben. I took the single disabled seat ( no the seat wasn’t disabled, it was for disabled people), shut my eyes and had an undisturbed journey. They were waiting at the bus stop  as I arrived. Reuben was asleep and he stayed that way during our coffee stop when I had two rounds of toast with strawberry jam. I had no conscience about not saving him any.

I managed to find myself a light grey cardie is the sales so I don’t wear this blue/grey one again. Also in the sales I managed to get Yvonne a dressing table mirror that opens to reveal a jewellery cabinet, a cap and a onesie for Reuben and a nice shirt for Ugo. I also got Ugo a block of chocolate as he hasn’t given that up for lent this year for a change. We stopped on the way home for another coffee as I get very dry these days. Yvonne took the chance to nip to the loo again as she seems to be waterlogged these days. Reuben just tried to pinch her herbal tea so that she ended up feeding it to him from  a teaspoon. He certainly seemed to enjoy it. Back at their house Yvonne made me a baked potato for lunch with baked beans while she ate some rabbit food as per her diet sheet. We watched a film in the afternoon as we waited for Ugo to get home from work. Concentration was difficult as Reuben was doing the dance from Zorba the Greek in my lap. I may sing soprano before long.

When Ugo did arrive home we readied ourselves for leaving and our Tuesday night treat of dinner together. Yvonne had to carry her own diet meal as per weightwatchers. Ugo stopped off to allow me to buy some baps then drew in outside the chip shop to get our meal. I was just having chips. I was enjoying them with a couple of my baps and Yvonne started feeding Reuben a little of my malt bread. He took to it like a duck to water. Next week I start hiding it. They left at about 8.00 pm so I came straight through to clear the 130 ( plus 20 on refresh) that had accumulated while I was out. I finished 10 minutes ago and now at 11.45 pm I’ve just about done with this post and want my bed.

Wednesday. A 5.00 am start with a 6.30 am finish when I sent myself back to bed today. I didn’t surface again until dead on 8.00 am and I’m sure that was only because the fish were sending mental messages out about me shifting my arse. I shifted it and gave them some light and food. As soon as I’d taken my meds it was back into battle with a coffee in my hand, or to be more accurate in my mug which was in my hand. I find it leaks otherwise. There was nothing stressful in the post, no marriage proposals, unfortunately no offers of rampant sex with a goddess who’d devote herself to me no strings attached. I was glad of that as I hate being a puppet. There was one message from Burkina Faso telling me about the money I was due, one message from the tax man(or woman) saying I’d overpaid last year and they’d like to put the refund in my bank account -yeah right. There was one message from London that said I’d been given a lucky number in February and would I like to ring and check what the prize is @ £1.63 per minute with a minimum ten minute call (in the tiniest writing possible) and one last interesting message to ask if I’d like to invest in a short film for which I’d receive various treats according to the size of my donation, I think the last of which was a ticket for the premiere at about £25,000.00. That one was genuine but a little outside my income. This latter type of message for funding of things is becoming more prevalent these days.

I was kept busy and entertained all morning by some great posts on some of the blogs I follow but on a few blogs I checked I found that poetry has changed beyond all recognition since I was at school. They don’t have to rhyme anymore and there are haikus that I have a problem understanding. At lunchtime I broke off for some braised beef and was very good in doing without a pudding afterwards. I sort of drifted into a film during lunch so I stayed and saw it out before going back to my desk. I wanted to be sure I was out by 3.15 pm to watch something. I was and I did, even managing to stay awake for it all until it finished just before 5.00 pm. I quickly had a tin of pineapple chunks and then dashed to do a few more messages before the clan arrived. Another message from Lee that he couldn’t make it.

Somehow I was up to date for 5.45 and was able to get back to the lounge before the door went. I was in the kitchen making drinks before they reached the lounge but not before we’d done our Walton family imitations as they walked up the hall. Hello, hello, hello, hello. I thought there was an echo. As always we huddled down behind the card table ready to slaughter each other at Scrabble and the games start in earnest ( That’s a smaller village just behind Greenfield). Despite the obvious cheating of Dil looking at Matt’s letters the minute he was otherwise occupied, and helping Matt in order to block me, I drew first blood. It looked like it would be my game next too but somehow Dil pulled ahead with a 7 letter word which he swore were the droppings of a water buffalo used for fuel in a tiny mountainous region of Kenya. Somehow the scrabble dictionary had gone missing and this strange word with 3 Z’s couldn’t be challenged. It’s not that I don’t trust my brother but he does bear watching on occasion.

Next was Nomination whist and I was able to bring out the little toy I’d bought on Sunday to show what suit we were having as trumps each hand. It proved quite useful. Matt asked if he could do the scoring in case he ever joined MI5 as a code breaker. I didn’t mind as I saw he scored Dil 10 points even if he got a call worth more. There was a slightly blue tinge to the air when Dil found out and I don’t think it was from Matt’s cigarette smoke. The insults flew so thick and fast that they were gaining air miles and there was much laughter which stopped the minute Dil won by a large margin. Personally I think Matt just scored him 10 every game so he didn’t end up walking home. Our last game was Crazy 8’s which started great. My score was pathetically low and Dil was breaking records in the other direction. Again the laughter started and I was enjoying very much Dil’s score being over 200 after just three hands, almost as much as I enjoyed Matt’s score at 50 something and me down on 33. It came to what would be the last hand and Dil played a three, I played a three and Matt played a 2 . Dil played another 3 calling last card, I played a 2, Matt played another 3 and I thought Dil was sure to pick up the 16 cards accumulated but no, the evil beggar had another 2 in his hand which he laid down to go out. There was cackling galore as I was forced to pick up 18 cards and count the points to go on my score. Matt finished on 50+, Dil on 217 and I shot straight up to 202. Matt was the winner. I went and sulked in the bedroom leaving them to tidy up the mugs, cards and the table. They left smirking and saying they’d see me next week. I think I’m moving before then.

That was at 9.45 and it’s now 12.15am. I’m as up to date as I can be for tonight so I’ll have half an hour with my book before sleep. G’night all.

Thursday.I worked hard this morning to get as much post as possible cleared for 8.00 am so I could spend time doing my drugs for the week but only after the fish had been fed of course. By 8.30 am I was back at my desk with a coffee smiling at the sunshine even though I was now in a darkened room. A few more messages and I decided to get washed and dressed. Today I was coming out of seclusion……….admittedly only as far as the corner shop to stock up on baps, cigarettes and renew my lottery tickets that had proved a big let down ( again ) on last night’s draw. Someone has to win it and I see no reason that someone shouldn’t be me. As their pithy little slogan says. ‘You’ve got to be in it, to win it.’

By 9.15 the messages were down enough to take a walk. The parents on school runs should have vacated the shop now and left something for me. They had. I got the last packet of baps and the last 100 cigarettes ( of my brand ), my TV mag, the lottery and I thought I’d chance 3 scratch cards that Ju used to like.I headed back home. I’d just unpacked and put the stuff away when the postman came. He was delivering a card case in aluminium designed to stop people scanning credit cards as they walk past. Unfortunately he was supposed to be delivering two so I had to get on to the ebay seller who promises to send out the other one first class post. The scratch cards gave me £3 which is what I’d paid so nothing lost nothing gained. I’m not sure if hat was a message from Ju to lay off. On my way home I’d seen some lovely little jonquils coming up so here’s a spring picture for you……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Jonquils ( I think) or maybe just mini-daffs.

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By 10.30 I’d finished the mail and gone to sit in the lounge. I’d just nodded off in the sunlight coming through the window when there was a knock at the door. There was a Council Van parked close by doing some replanting and for some reason I thought it might be them. I opened the front door and went into shock. I must have looked like a goldfish as I was backing away my mouth opening and closing as one of the two people there introduced himself as from the Jehovah’s Witnesses. There was a time many moons ago I may have invited them indoors for a debate and maybe a glass of water. I managed not to hide but took rather a long time stuttering out my inability to talk to strangers ( and there was I talking to strangers) as I slowly closed the door in their faces. He did apologise and say he understood.  Now awake I went and sat on m bed for a while to calm down. It may be a while before I open the door again. Eventually I went back to work which kept me going until lunchtime.

Lunch was two ham baps which I ate in front of the TV half watching some old film or other which always seem to be on around that time. I nodded off again and must have had at least an hour as it was a totally different programme when I woke up. I though I was having problems with the plot. I was very lazy the whole afternoon and only returned to work at 4.00 pm so that I’d be free at 6.00 pm for Law and Order. I wasn’t, and only caught the last half so I watched an episode of NCIS as well. Back in here at 8.00 pm I’ve watched and listened to a bit of music on Youtube caught up on mail and managed the blog post. Youtube has gone down so maybe I’ll find a dedication song tomorrow. For now it’s a case of wishing you all a very good night.

Friday. Hurray  Youtube is back on. So, before I forget here are my dedications this week.

http://youtu.be/WANNqr-vcx0    White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane to Meeks at  http://acflory.wordpress.com/ for the little change in luck this week. Always Hugs.

http://youtu.be/wJVpihgwE18   We gotta Get out of this place by The Animals to Sherie Sprague  at http://sjsprague.weebly.com/ In case she ever considers the move.

http://youtu.be/4bniEbKXt6M  Born to be wild by Steppenwolf  to my friend Laurie at http://laurie27wsmith.wordpress.com/ A little reminder of the biking past.

And two for Mike  ‘cos I like his stories   http://youtu.be/ulvauWJxaV4 Love Wars by Womack and Womack ( Classic) and http://youtu.be/PJDrLVAjgd8 which is Love Ressurection by Alison moyet. I understand the resurrection isn’t a problem though bro????

It was an early start this morning but quite easy as nothing difficult in the mail. Not a single proposal of any kind, marriage, larceny or even a sexual advance in my direction. Has the world suddenly recovered it’s eyesight? I saw to the fish a little earlier than usual just to confuse them a bit. It’s an odd life when a tank of fish find you predictable. I was washed and dressed for 9.00 am but I’ve no idea why as I’d no plans to go anywhere. I stayed on the computer as I was having a good run on the family tree. Sometimes things just fall into place but I’m not sure Father in Law to Great Grand Aunt is anything to be getting too excited about.

At 10.00 am there was a knock on the door and I went towards it expecting the postman with my missing card-case. Yesterday’s experience pulled me up short of opening the door so I called out “Who is it please?” and then couldn’t help but chuckle about a joke I heard many years ago where the next line was “It’s the gasman I’ve come to read your meter.” That wouldn’t be too funny after my recent hiccups with British Gas . As it happened I received a response.” It’s the warden David, checking to see if you completed your form.” That would be an Oops really as I stuck it in my waste paper recycling. Luckily I hadn’t shredded it. I opened the door and it was a warden I knew and managed to stammer that I hadn’t done it yet. “That’s OK” she told me, “I’ll collect it next week.” Smiling and nodding agreement I closed the door. First stop the waste paper bag. I found it and it wasn’t too creased. It’s now completed and on my table ready for pick up.

I had a tin of pea and ham soup for lunch as I wanted to save the last two baps for the gannet when he arrives and didn’t want to go to the shop. I’m not saying what I had for pudding since I’ve found out I can hear ( some) Australians shout from here when they don’t approve. A subtle hint though, they were round, quite dark and very crunchy. Mike arrived mid-afternoon as I was watching a movie that I think was the one Noah watched on his cruise. It was called Went the Day Well and was from a Graham Greene story where a village in England was taken over by the Germans prior to an invasion. It was OK but I was glad when it was over so Mike stopped asking questions about what was happening and making me miss same.

At teatime I fed him cheese and branston baps with tinned peaches to follow. I had the peaches too ( not the same ones obviously or there would have been a fight) and followed up with, erm well , something, and so did Mike. What a hog. Having said that though he did do the washing up afterwards which was great and I only had to direct him to the kitchen once too. We were due a quiz at 6.00 pm so I had half an hour on the computer. Mike made me a coffee ( yes, he remembered the way) and put it on the lounge table for me. I managed to finish the mail and get through in time for the quiz and a still hot drink. At 7.00pm my kind generous bro washed my hair for me before I showered. I went back to the lounge for another quiz which was sports and even got some right . Mike asked where his bro was and what I’d done with him. As a rule I’m good at quizzes unless they ask a sports question or a car related one. We had the next episode of Jonathon Creek which was passable but when they said the series is on DVD at the end I said no thanks and came through. Mike went off to watch TV from bed in his room. I’m up to date on mail and now with the blog too. Still time for a read so that’s my next plan. Hope you’re all going to have a nice Weekend which starts tonight.

Saturday. Before you ask it was 4.50 am today. I ploughed into the mailbox straight away and kept getting annoyed with Microsoft Security Essentials telling me of a threat that needed cleaning and hen when I removed it, saying I had to restart. It’s a pain constantly signing in. After the third time it became annoying so the last re-start order is still sitting there untouched. The first batch of post finished just after 6.30 am so I went to the kitchen and took my tabs, put stuff in Mike’s mug, made myself a coffee and went to sit with the family tree for a while. The most observant of you might have noticed an accidental break in routine at this point.

Mike’s alarm went off at 7.00 am so I made him a coffee and took it through, called him and went back to work. About 15 minuted later there was a shout of “Good Morning.” Amazingly he was awake and drinking. I carried on working until I heard him dash to the loo. I checked his mug and he’d finished the drink so I made another one for him. I passed the loo as I took the coffee through to his bedroom. I could hear some atrocious noises but alas I’ve heard him try to sing before. I went and got dressed then carried on working again. It was just before 7.45 when I heard a shout from the lounge. I must have missed hearing Mike move around. He asked how long he had to wait before I was ready. I put my shoes and jacket on and went through. Cheeky beggar didn’t have his coat on and hadn’t finished his drink. I had him out and about right away.

Despite a cocky remark about being at the store by 8.00 am, we weren’t. Though I will say it wasn’t far off. We picked the potatoes first and then started on our usual route. Passing the ladies clothing section we saw Sale rails and heavens, it was gents stuff. I will admit a couple of shirts fell into the trolley but so did a pair of trousers that were miraculously Mike’s size everything at £3 each. We headed towards the gent’s department for a quick peep and there was sale stuff there too. A jacket I’d previously liked from £40 down to £20 which when Mike asked was now at £10. It accidentally fell in my trolley too. Eventually I had to put food in so we headed off there and passed a shelf with reduced bedding. I got a great fitted sheet for a ridiculous sum and an even cheaper book on Welsh names. I live in hope…………………….. .As we left there after a drink Mike headed for the expressway home and I didn’t understand when he swung off on the Chester road. He bypassed Chester and drove through Cheshire to Blakemere village. Regular readers may recall a visit I made there last year. As a confirmed shopaholic this is a perfect place for me.  http://www.blakemerevillage.com/   it’s well worth a look or a visit if you’re in the area. We had lunch there and didn’t leave until  4.00 pm.

At home again we unpacked and put away the shopping from this morning and I dashed off to see how many messages I’d missed. At 86 it wasn’t as bad as I ‘d feared. At 6.00 pm I left it as Mike called me to watch Field of Dreams with him.I made some tea to eat while we watched it and an essential component was the egg custards. It’s a fantastic film and I find it catches me in the throat a few times. I must interject here for the sake of a friend to say that though HALF A TIN of sweets was consumed during the watching of this film but not a one passed my lips. Once the film was over there was something else for an hour then an episode of Endevour which I had to leave at 10.00 pm in order to come to do the blog and anymore outstanding mail. Mike went to bed to watch the rest of it then catch up with Match of the Day. My post is just up to date and I managed to get this post finished with the obligatory pictures. Without further ado, here they are………………………………………………………………….

 

Messy eater !

 

Hoodie in good humour..

 

Park life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a Great Sunday and a beautiful week to come.

Weird spam or Still a Babe Magnet

Sunday. It’s 5 am and I know I slept but it can’t have been for long as I read until 1 am before I turned the light out. I’m not sure if Michael talking in his sleep disturbed me but he has a tendency to ask questions and yet he always denies it. One day I’m going to tape him as proof but as the tape machine is in his bedroom and I’m too lazy to go get it, I just stay where I am and answer him as best I can. I’m actually feeling quite chipper since turning the computer on as there have been quite a few responses to last night’s blog and some of them are even sensible-Well Done you lot. But the real reason for my chipperness are three totally unrelated emails which prove I’m still a hot property. I’ve still got that certain ‘je ne sais quoi’, I’m on fire man!  I mean, just look at the quality of this sample and this is just one of them lusting after me. Huh, I’ve still got it haven’t I? The thing is, I hope it’s not catching whatever it is because I have the idea if I really get down and dirty and respond, I’ll probably find it’s really a 25 st lorry driver with nothing better to do.I think maybe I’ll just forward it on to Michael.                                                                                                                                                                                                               You see, I spotted you online and could not help texting you. I’d like to get closer to you.Have a look at my profile with new crazy vids and let me know how you find me!Drop me a line http://mqatklg.cupidonlinespot.in/?eotfttl                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Speaking of whom, it was 9.45 before he showed any signs of life. Or to rephrase that, he was halfway down the first coffee at 10 am before he started to look human.As usual he denies talking in his sleep and tells me my snoring kept him awake. As if ! He asks what I’d like to do this morning as if there’s much morning left ! I’m a bit off colour and tell him I don’t mind and no decision is made as we go to our respective rooms to get dressed. In the end we drive out to one of those places full of discount shops selling last year’s stock at twice the price you’d pay for anything you wanted this year.It’s been a long time since either of us has been there and boy has it changed. It’s so big now, and building still going on, to have it’s own roads leading off to towns now. There’s a huge Christmas tree that people can go inside to have photographs taken and there are lots of little Christmas shops setup around the edges of the car parks. Being the big spender I am I purchase a book for £1.99 before we go to lunch. Half an hour is spent deciding where until we settle on a Harry Ramsden’s, probably the biggest name in Fish and Chips in the UK. Just about passable today so I think the Christmas crowds are getting to them. After eating we head back to the car and head home where Michael pops his bags in the car and heads off to his father’s and I find myself nodding off over the computer. I spend the rest of the afternoon on emails then go through to watch an episode of Morse followed by one of Lewis. Hard to believe I’m still such a Babe Magnet eh ?

Monday. Apart from the obvious joys of reading my mail ( no naughty ones today), and reading the blogs of my friends ( yes, I mean you) today has been pretty boring. I made one ten minute foray into the cold and damp to get some bread and that’s it. I’ve been able to watch the TV programmes I enjoy and since there’s no-one here to stop me I had a chip buttie at lunchtime, oh what a renegade eh? Bed at 11.30 pm where I managed to finish the Conn Iggulden book my Sister in Law loaned me. I’m lucky that she has a taste for historical novels and a good selection to hand. Light off about 1. am

Tuesday. Light on again about 4.10 am Not that I was happy about it but I was wide awake again. Still, it gave me chance to get up to date with my mail before going out and tweeting an interview I did yesterday. This wasn’t an interview that made me happy as most do since for the first time ever I was interviewing the character from a book and to put it mildly he’s a nasty piece of work. Also, not being a character of mine where I know enough to select questions, this time I had nothing to go on and I didn’t fancy getting on his wrong side. Judging by the lack of comments I think a few of you must have felt the same way.                                                                                                      At 7.50 am I was washed, dressed and had partaken of my first coffee. I nipped for a final wee before going to the bus stop. As I depressed the plunger on the soap dispenser ( all the mod cons here you know) the bloody soap shot out at the speed of light in a straight line and landed on the crotch area of my trousers. I couldn’t walk round with a green blob so it was time to strip off and find another pair to wear. It’s been years since I moved so fast. Probably the last time I ran out of cigarettes and texted Ju to bring me a new packet on her way home from riding. I saw her coming and was at the front door before she was. Anyway, new trousers on I had to dash as the bus was due at ten past the hour. Ploughing my way through the horde of waiting schoolchildren I made it. I had to sit at the back today, leaning slightly forward because of the backpack I was wearing I donned the headphones to my MP3 player and prepared to try and ignore the world. My nutter magnet must have been on and lo and behold on the seat opposite me appeared a young man who sat cross-legged and tried to engage me in conversation. I plead ignorance as I pretended to close my eyes and sway with the music like a demented cobra. It didn’t work as proved by the tap on my knee. I tried to look surprised and removed the headphones only for him to tell me I had egg on my chin. I started to rub until the light bulb finally clicked and I realised two things. 1. I haven’t eaten an egg, and 2 It’s a euphemism for My flies are undone. Not wishing to be seen to be fiddling with that area of my anatomy with someone facing me, I thanked him and proceeded to pull my coat a little lower until there was no audience. I suppose I was safe really in the knowledge that dead birds don’t fall out of the nest but why take chances. Three or four stops later I was able to adjust myself before upsetting the good women of Chester and finding myself in the stocks.                                                                                                                                                                                Yvonne and I had a great day shopping with Reuben. Not that you could see him of course since he was hidden by parcels most of the time. There were many compliments throughout the day about the pram but I wonder if people just thought it was a de-luxe shopping trolley. When we stopped for lunch or coffee and uncovered him, Reuben’s fan club gathered round as usual. We went back to Yvonne’s where Ugo would pick me up after work to run me home. It was quite dark but I still had to make a dash for the car as I’m sure they’ve never repealed the law against Welshmen being in Chester after nightfall. At home I worked from 7.00 pm until 8.55 pm on mail (122) from during the day before watching the exciting new episode ( No 5) of The Mentalist, and then back to it. For some reason Google isn’t opening all my WordPress mail again. Bed around midnight. Judging by my waistline, I just missed the full transformation to pumpkin.

Wednesday. The Emails this morning were in the main predictable. Two different psychics know my future yet it doesn’t appear to be the same one. One of them could help me with the winning lottery numbers which begs the question why doesn’t she use them so she can stop asking people like me for money we haven’t got? I keep offering to pay after the win has been confirmed, or at least send a postcard from some Island paradise. A message that did catch my eye though was from a friend asking whether I’d received a letter from Google about being book partners. Short answer No, and I don’t know what it’s about. Now many of you may be au fait with this but for those that aren’t, you can add your books to a Google database and they will advertise them free of charge Worldwide with links to your site if the books can be bought there. I thought this sounded interesting and went to place my first book on there with it’s picture of the cover. From that point on I began to feel like a five year old just starting school. I’m not thick ( shut up you at the back) but I just could not get my head round things like sharing sections of the book and getting other books on. It just defeated me completely. If you want the dictionary definition of technophobe- it’s ME !                                                                                                                                                                          Just gone 9.00am I went to the Post Office to send my abroad Christmas cards. It might seem early but I son’t trust the Postal Service very much. Anyway, it was meant to be a quick trip in case I was due any mail but once there I found myself the only person in the queue. The Postmistress who is also a local Councillor ( and a good one) has just got back from holiday and naturally I asked how it had gone. She had a fantastic time but told me how desperately poor Cuba and it’s people are. I also got to see pictures of the cars there which are amazing 1950’s models cherished, cleaned and repaired within an inch of their life. I know it wouldn’t do the manufacturers much good but I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be if we held onto and looked after our things as well as they do.                                                                                                                Dilwyn and Matthew came for games night (snigger). We had two games of Scrabble and I won both this week. Then Dil and I taught Matthew how to play a card game we’ve played since Adam was a lad. Most people will know it but perhaps not under the name we use which is Crazy 8’S or Friendly Enemies. Yes, I won that one too so my humiliation of two weeks ago is hereby forgotten ( or else). Maybe next week we’ll teach him Chase The Lady or Deadly Enemies which many of you will know as Hearts on the computer. If so, the insults will fly thick and fast.

Thursday. Post done and a trip to the paper shop for my lottery ticket ( I’m assured it’s the winning one but please carry on buying them to increase my prize. I’ll buy teas all round). At just after ten Mujo arrived and I saw to drinks as we chatted about our week since I last saw them. I learned I have a niece who’s a stalker and follows them round shops tapping them on the shoulder. She tells them she knows just how to make me behave at Christmas. I know too, she just has to tell me and I’m scared enough to do it. Just like Yvonne she has me running scared even though I love them both expensively  dearly. At 11.45 we head out as I have a retinopathy appointment at 12.05. I told them to drop me off and go for lunch but they wouldn’t hear of it. Forty minutes later I’ll bet they regretted that though John did tell me he’d eaten a pasty so he could take his pre- lunch tablets. We went to the Chippie ( my third chip meal of the week so far) where he still ate a full lunch and half Muriel’s chips. Somehow when he gets his Christmas present I have doubts about it fitting now.                                                                                                                                                                                                             After lunch we decided to go to Abakhan, a fabric mill with craft areas which opened a new cafe and gift shop today. They’ d received a 20% off voucher for anything they bought today. When we got there, everything was 20% off anyway. The new gift shop had been opened in the same building as the cafe. The goods were really nice but I was disappointed that it was same stock- different place and the prices were still very high. We bought nothing which for me must be a first. The cafe building is very nice and has some nice seating areas. I have no idea what the food is like but it would be fair to say I hope it better than it was in the old building. MuJo had cold drinks but being thirsty I asked for tea. There were some very tiny pots which Mu said must be small water jugs, but no they were teapots to fill thimbles. We had to look for teabags and then get hot water from a machine. To be absolutely fair, it was the nicest cuppa I’ve had in ages and to top it off a member of staff brought round mince pies to apologise for anyone having had to wait in the queue. Lovely gesture. After tea we had a quick look in the fabric section and the craft section I spent so many hours in with Ju. We headed home where I entered a competition for John on the computer before they went to visit his mother. I’d left myself little notes everywhere today so I remembered to watch my new episode of The Big Bang Theory before coming through to catch up on the last of my messages. Now it’s time for bed and another taste of Pratchett with Snuff. I’m enjoying the re-reads.

Friday. I awoke this morning to lost of post about Black Friday. Far from the disaster it sounds there were actually plenty of interesting and tempting deals. Of course you all know me so you can be sure my wallet didn’t get opened, my card did not get posted anywhere and I sat here perfectly calm, without twitching once, safe in the knowledge I don’t like shopping- as if !! I took a walk to the Post Office to buy my Christmas stamps, yes, I know I should have done it yesterday but I forgot, it’s an age thing. For lunch I had a cottage pie and I’m not sure the cottage had been demolished properly in parts, there’s every chance I was chewing on the chimney at one point I’m really going to have to learn the difference between minutes and seconds on the microwave.                                                                                                                                                          A few more messages dealt with in the afternoon, the women have stopped being coy now and are threatening to visit, I’m having maps mimeographed as soon as possible. I settled in front of the TV for a snooze when Mike and Rose arrived. No chance now, the peace is broken and Mike’s no better. I asked him id he’d driven legally and he replied that any answer might incriminate him .We watched an episode of The Mentalist and relaxed. Teatime came and Rose decided on some rice pudding while Mike and I, diet conscious as ever settle on bacon rolls. Mike washed my hair and I had a shower and changed into my dressing gown. The evening passed in gentle insults until it was suddenly 11.00pm and time for my last assault on any messages. I wished them both good night and came through.                                                                                       I’d not been here but a few minutes when I realised something wasn’t right. I didn’t feel at all well. Mike popped in and suggested I felt cold when I actually felt hot, no, change that to cold. He went back to his TV. Within moments the race was on and I just made it to the loo in time for a technicolour yawn , and, more, and more, and yet more. I was not on top form kneeling down and waiting for the floor to steady. Mike came in behind me and soothed my fevered brow, by which I mean he ran a flannel under the cold tap and slapped it dripping on my neck. Moments later the miracle cure I was back on my feet. Granted it was because I was trying to clout him with the back brush but at least it was from the right angle now. I did feel better and ‘My elder’ packed me off to bed while he cleaned up behind me. Ah, I’m sure few are the people who would do that for me. Thanks Brother of another Mother. Throughout my ordeal Rose had slept oblivious to the battlefield horrors around her.

Saturday. I was up at 5.00am ready to do battle with the remnants of last night’s mail and anything from early this morning. There was apparently no rush as Mike decided to totally ignore his 7.00 am alarm. I would have offered some assistance had Rose not been sleeping peacefully next to him. I didn’t want her to get wet too. By 7.30 they’d both risen and while they had their drinks I put the bins out. By 8.15 Mike and I were on our way. I’d heard one Supermarket was doing selection boxes at BOGTF ( Buy One Get Two Free) and as I needed selection boxes for Christmas, that’s where we headed. I paid for two and left with six which was a great bargain.We finished the Supermarket and I decided against breakfast so we headed for home to collect Rose. Mike wondered if there was anywhere we hadn’t been for a while and I suggested a little place in Cheshire. I know it’s over the border but thought I’d take a chance, maybe the reward posters had gone now. As it happened he’d never heard of it before and Rose hasn’t visited this part of the country previously anyway. It’s really not very far and we were there in less than an hour. The place is called Blakemere for anyone interested ( near Northwich). I don’t suggest my American friends should visit as you’d never make it in a day. It’s like a wonderful little village just where you wouldn’t expect it. Antique shops, various craft shops, a specialist ice cream shop, sweet shop, gift shop, wedding products, housewares and a Falconry Centre too. We had a whale of a time going round the wonderful shops as well as having lunch in one cafe and afternoon tea in another. We came away quite weary and it was getting quite dark. They made me leave even though I hadn’t seem Santa.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  At home there were exactly 100 messages to deal with which I managed in record time. My neighbour brought a parcel he’d taken in for me which are some great slippers I was expecting. We had a light tea and settled to watch Foyle’s War for 2 hours before it was time to come through and start the blog. It’s now five to midnight and I’m ready to call it a day. I can’t as it’s a night really ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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I wish you all a happy end to Movember and a brilliant start to December. Hugs all round.xxxxxx