Friday, April 04, 2008
4th April Springtime for the day.
The weather here has been teasing us into thinking that Winter is over.
It has been delightful - quite warm and pleasant. The house doors and windows have been open.
We went out without jackets or coats - but we certainly shouldn't pack them away; the met. office website predicts heavy snow showers for Crawley on Monday night and temperatures across the country below zero.
Bill went off to the dump early this morning and called in at Homebase (a horrible DIY shop we find). He wanted a new blade for the mower and they didn't have one. I guess they would prefer that we buy a new lawn mower.
But he did come home with a couple of trays of plants - some little pansies and some bellis daisies.
He then attacked the front lawns, first with the strimmer and then with the blunt edged blade on the mower.
The amount of grass is really not very big - and he gets paid for one third of it, keeping neat the front garden of the house that is let out next door to us. If only the owner would care for the house as well as Bill cares for the garden.
Our weeping tree in the front garden is looking superb just now. It has deep pink blossom, followed by red leaves and later on there is much red fruit, which the blackbirds love. Stupidly we can't now remember of it is a flowering apple or cherry - we must check the fruits in the autumn.
This is almost exactly the view through our dining room window - the view I get as I sit and tap the computer keyboard. The picture will go much bigger with a click.
I spent time this morning going through boxes of toys and books that I am sure will never be taken back to the shop and so certainly will be on a car boot sale stall later on. I decided to make a start on preparing the things so that they have neat price tickets which suit the sort of prices appropriate for a car boot sale. I look forward to selling these things on.
That's me - as soon as an episode or chapter of life seems to be over I want to be done with it.
But the Rocking Horse chapter will take a few months to really draw to a close.
After lunch we went to the Three Bridges Tescos - another horrible shop. I don't object to all Tescos but this one always seems to tense me up.
First they didn't have a copy of the Delia Smith cook book. Maybe they had sold out of course, but Morrisons had a pile last week.
Then Bill looked for blank video tapes to check out our old video player better than the very old and well recorded tapes that we have at home - and no, they didn't have any.
And so we went downstairs to buy our food.
I did buy a huge organic chicken with a use by date for tomorrow. That's OK - that is when I was going to cook it. It's the size of a small turkey so will be providing meals for a while yet.
But did they have packets of the rice crisps that I have found in Tescos over at Hookwood? NO!!!!! And I love them and I can eat them!
Never mind Morrisons in Reigate had them too. We could easily go there after the hospital appointments on Monday.
We did buy something interesting - a breakfast cereal. It is flakes of corn, rice (alright for me so far) and spelt. What on earth is spelt we wondered.
What is Spelt?
Spelt is an ancient grain that preceded wheat and has a higher nutritional value and mineral content - high in protein and Vitamins B and E. It is also digestible by some people with wheat allergies.Spelt flour is not gluten-free.
Apparently it is a must have foodstuff in the celebrity world.
I wonder if us ordinary mortals will think it special. I am not sure if I will try.
I phoned Ashley and, as she often does, Katya answered the phone. "Well," she said in a typical Grandma sort of way "I have had such a tiring day"..... Ashley had taken her to the indoor play area in Llanberis.
Tiring for him too - just sitting there for some hours with books whilst she played.
Jamie has added things to all his blogs this week.
One is about Hobnob biscuits. Having received some fig rolls from a visitor, 2 packs of Hobnobs turned up on his desk last Sunday.
There are more pictures of the children and the new car on the jjjj site.
Time now for a bit of relaxation and resting of weary muscles for Bill and me. I have been lugging boxes about and of course he has been working in the garden.
If the weather holds (and it should) we will head south tomorrow for a lunchtime car boot sale at Plumpton.
If it seems to be quite good it might be worth considering for us to sell at later in the summer.
Have a good weekend.
It has been delightful - quite warm and pleasant. The house doors and windows have been open.
We went out without jackets or coats - but we certainly shouldn't pack them away; the met. office website predicts heavy snow showers for Crawley on Monday night and temperatures across the country below zero.
Bill went off to the dump early this morning and called in at Homebase (a horrible DIY shop we find). He wanted a new blade for the mower and they didn't have one. I guess they would prefer that we buy a new lawn mower.
But he did come home with a couple of trays of plants - some little pansies and some bellis daisies.
He then attacked the front lawns, first with the strimmer and then with the blunt edged blade on the mower.
The amount of grass is really not very big - and he gets paid for one third of it, keeping neat the front garden of the house that is let out next door to us. If only the owner would care for the house as well as Bill cares for the garden.
Our weeping tree in the front garden is looking superb just now. It has deep pink blossom, followed by red leaves and later on there is much red fruit, which the blackbirds love. Stupidly we can't now remember of it is a flowering apple or cherry - we must check the fruits in the autumn.
This is almost exactly the view through our dining room window - the view I get as I sit and tap the computer keyboard. The picture will go much bigger with a click.
I spent time this morning going through boxes of toys and books that I am sure will never be taken back to the shop and so certainly will be on a car boot sale stall later on. I decided to make a start on preparing the things so that they have neat price tickets which suit the sort of prices appropriate for a car boot sale. I look forward to selling these things on.
That's me - as soon as an episode or chapter of life seems to be over I want to be done with it.
But the Rocking Horse chapter will take a few months to really draw to a close.
After lunch we went to the Three Bridges Tescos - another horrible shop. I don't object to all Tescos but this one always seems to tense me up.
First they didn't have a copy of the Delia Smith cook book. Maybe they had sold out of course, but Morrisons had a pile last week.
Then Bill looked for blank video tapes to check out our old video player better than the very old and well recorded tapes that we have at home - and no, they didn't have any.
And so we went downstairs to buy our food.
I did buy a huge organic chicken with a use by date for tomorrow. That's OK - that is when I was going to cook it. It's the size of a small turkey so will be providing meals for a while yet.
But did they have packets of the rice crisps that I have found in Tescos over at Hookwood? NO!!!!! And I love them and I can eat them!
Never mind Morrisons in Reigate had them too. We could easily go there after the hospital appointments on Monday.
We did buy something interesting - a breakfast cereal. It is flakes of corn, rice (alright for me so far) and spelt. What on earth is spelt we wondered.
What is Spelt?
Spelt is an ancient grain that preceded wheat and has a higher nutritional value and mineral content - high in protein and Vitamins B and E. It is also digestible by some people with wheat allergies.Spelt flour is not gluten-free.
Apparently it is a must have foodstuff in the celebrity world.
I wonder if us ordinary mortals will think it special. I am not sure if I will try.
I phoned Ashley and, as she often does, Katya answered the phone. "Well," she said in a typical Grandma sort of way "I have had such a tiring day"..... Ashley had taken her to the indoor play area in Llanberis.
Tiring for him too - just sitting there for some hours with books whilst she played.
Jamie has added things to all his blogs this week.
One is about Hobnob biscuits. Having received some fig rolls from a visitor, 2 packs of Hobnobs turned up on his desk last Sunday.
There are more pictures of the children and the new car on the jjjj site.
Time now for a bit of relaxation and resting of weary muscles for Bill and me. I have been lugging boxes about and of course he has been working in the garden.
If the weather holds (and it should) we will head south tomorrow for a lunchtime car boot sale at Plumpton.
If it seems to be quite good it might be worth considering for us to sell at later in the summer.
Have a good weekend.
