Mint Balls!!!

Just come upstairs after doing the crosswords for the afternoon, and on the way I pinched one of Vin's Uncle Joe's Mint Balls. Of course he comes in the room and says accusingly "I can smell mint!"..Owned up then, and he says they're not too strong for you are they/ Not on your life, I used to buy them from the local sweet shop when I was a kid. They would come in tins, and the woman would put them in a white paper bag, shaped like a cone, and they would all stick together in your pocket. You would end up prising them apart.. Aah Nostalgia. I used to love things like sherbet lemons, which used to cut your tongue sometimes, or pineapple cubes which used to make your eyes water..Spangles which came in tons of different flavours including the sour acid drop. Lemonade crystals which you would get in little paper cones you would dip your finger in and lick the crystals off!!1p Arrow bars that were pure toffee in lots of flavours, and the little scented violet cachous that you would get hundreds of because they were light I suppose..like eating perfume chunks.There is a sweet shop in Ormskirk which sells all these nostalgic sweets..I daren't go in there..Everton mints with their black and white stripes and toffee centres, and triangular humbugs that would stick together.
No wonder our teeth were bad.
Disturbed night last night, must have been something we had eaten, Vin reckons it was the Goats Cheese tarts..must have been something because he has a constitution like an ox as they say. But we are fine today, but tired of course because of the disturbed sleep. Still these thing shappen.
Big coach over the road this morning, and according to the woman in the paper shop who is the fount of all knowledge it is a trip to the races. Chester I presume which isn't too far away. Not a bad day, but coolish here and a tiny bit drizzly, it was much nicer yesterday.
Crosswords were tricky today, mine had a theme of Mathematics, which I know nothing about. Hated Maths at school, my teacher Mr Moran used to teach the boys, and would face them when teaching. I can do the numbers on Countdown though, but nowhere near as good as Rachel Riley. Gorgeous girl that, so pretty and smiley and a figure to die for, and totally brilliant with her numbers as well.
All I can remember doing at school is Sines and Cosines and Logarithms..what a waste of time..never ever used them in the whole of my 65 years!
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with our tomato sauce
Peppers fopr Vin and Courgette for moi, pineapple and sausage meatfree one.
Potato and egg salad
Potato salad fpr mi and pasta salad for Vin.

a>

Moving On...

Again..Jane rang up a couple of days ago to say she was going to have a look at a house Didsbury I think still, but a bit further out. She was interested in this one because it had an en suite and was a nice house. So off she went to meet one of the housemates, funnily enough another Jane. She said it was a nice house, good lounge and kitchen and her room was on the ground floor with its own bathroom. Cheaper than where she is now and the bills were cheaper also, shared between three rather than two where she is at present. She had to meet the other housemate which she did today, and she rang up at lunchtime to say that they approved of her, and if she wanted it the room was hers. So, she will be moving again in a few weeks. Her present housemate Rachel is moving out of Manchester, so she will be going as well. They have been together for a number of years, so it will be a wrench I think for her, but won't do any harm. Glad it's a nice house though.She has had some truly horrible house rents in her student days, some parents would be horrified if they knew where their children ended up..But still, it's character building.
Beautiful sunny summer day today, sat outside this afternoon, and the new neighbour was banging away at next door putting in a new bath, there wasn't one before, only a large shower. I wouldn't like to do without my bath, love my bath and book and candles.
Vin went out to Maghull this morning, he had a few things to get,and he came back with a book from the animal rescue stall which is there every week. It is a diary kind of book about a Liverpool man in the wartime, so he should enjoy that. He reads non-fiction types of books, i prefer novels. I have just started a new one last night by Derek Longden called "The cat Who Came In From The Cold", really enjoying that so far..it's a very "catty persons" book..lovely. I think vin might enjoy that too he is a cat person..very much so.
Little Rusty seems a bit better today, she has been off colour for the last couple of days and we were getting worried, but she is perkier today, thank goodness.

She is such an adorable little sweetheart, we get worried when she is off colour. Perfect little cat, never does anything wrong, and so loyal and affectionate. Gorgeous.

Tonight we are having:
A M&S Meal Deal for £10, so we are having:
Goats cheese en croute..the vegetarian option,
Peas, beans and courgettes in a minted butter,
potato croquettes.
Cheesecake slice but we might not eat that yet,
Bottle of Chardonnay and we might save that for Christmas..we don't drink much wine at all these days.

Bank of Mum and Dad..

On banking duties today, had to pay £300 in for Janes rent until Wednesday. So it was either a case of going to Formby and the expensive Waitrose, or Crosby and the tiny Sainsbury or Ormskirk and Morrisons. We opted for the latter, so went over there. It's a nice run anyway, quite rural and quiet. Went to the bank first, and then to Holland and Barratts where we wanted to get some of their fishless fingers, but they didn't have any. Why on earth do shops always sell out of the very things we need. Why don't they order more? So they lost a sale and we came out without buying anything. Went to my usual shops and I bought a top in the Bon Marche, reduced in the sale so well pleased. Superdrug for my night anti wrinkle cream which doesn't work!!! but we try. Maybe i should have a face lift like lollipop Lulu..no perhaps not.
M&S for a few salads, and they were doing a meal deal for £10 so got that for Saturday night as a treat. Main course, veggie side dish pudding and a bottle of wine..a good deal.
Morrisons for coffee and a break. Very pleasant cafe, cheap but excellent coffee and cafe buzzing. Really makes a dofference when the kids are off. Must be so expensive for parents these days keeping them amused.
Got all our weekend things and time was getting on so hurried home a bit later than usual.
Vin is in the garden this afternoon pottering. Lovely word that..pottering. The new neighbour next door is laying flags in their garden which has been covered in gravel for quite some time. They have lived in flats apparently so I suppose a garden is a novelty.
Tonight we are having:
Crispy fillets
A few chips 200grms between us
Small tin of something tomatoey. Common tea tonight!!

Bang Bang in Stereo!!

Woke up this morning to loud banging from the house on the other side..the one where our neighbour had to move. Apparently there was a plasterer removing some of the wall in the bedroom where there was a damp patch. This is directly adjoining our wall where our bed is.
Just long enough to annoy us, or rather me, and then he went, presumably to come back another day to do the plastering! I was listening to Steve Wright on his radio show the other day talking to Chris Moyles. He has an early morning show on something, and was saying how he hates getting up in the morning. He says he has six or seven alarm clocks, one that turns music on in his bedroom..his producer rings him up early to get ready, and his duvet is like a concrete overcoat. I know what he means. I wish I was one of these people who open their eyes and jump out of bed..not me at all.Never have been. Not a morning person at all really.
Jane rang up again at lunchtime on the borrow again..she needs money to cover her rent until Wednesday when her cheque clears. She has finally, after about four years got her compensation through after her accident at work, at least that is done and dusted ,, so maybe we will have a rest from "What the solicitor said" for a bit.
Little Rusty is better today, she was off colour yesterday, and didn't move much, we were getting worried, but she seem ok today. Bobby is playing weather vanes at the moment. She is outside on top of their hut, and as soon as she feels a drop of rain she jumps down and sits inside it. Really cute.

At least cats don't keep ringing yu up asking for money all the time. She is a good kid though, it could be a lot worse.
Tonight we are having:
Cheesey kievs
The remaining baby potatoes
Carrots green beans and broccoli..

Out for Chicken...

Tragedy, the cats didn't have any chicken! Since they assemble in the kitchen every day at about1-30 for their daily dose of finely chopped chicken and we forgot to get some yesterday, we thought we would go out to get some this morning.
Lovely day today, really nice and pleasant but not too hot either, so we thought we would go to the garden centre and have our July free coffee. Vin wanted to get some new hanging basket brackets so he had a look for those. On offer, 2 for £5 ot £3.99 each, so not a bad deal. Had a look at a couple of nice benches, the type made for two with a table in the middle, one straight and one angled a bit. Round about £150 each with cushions. Vin has decided that he is going to do up our patio area and smarten it up. So maybe it is a good time to get rid of our older cast iron green table and chairs which are as hard as the hobs of hell to sit on. Funny thing, the new neighbour from next door has arrived to lay a new patio in their garden. What is it with these men and Patio's now?

One hanging basket of which we have two, but...somebody has ideas of a row of them now.
Had a lovely cup of coffee in their cafe, which is full of grandparents who have had kids dumped on them by the looks of things. Got me thinking, about the money that grandparents have to stump up on these minding jobs. Sure they don't mind though.
Home to find another appointment letter from Aintree, for an Ultrasound. One of those where you have to drink pints of water before you go, and it is to check the kidney's are performing properly. Better make sure Vin knows the smoothest route there!!!
Tonight we are having:
pasta verde with a little parmesan and
A small amount of garlic bread.

Men At Work...

The day started with the banging again this morning. Our neighbours builders were there doing more to her roof. Why does all building work involve banging I wonder?
Vin started doing the wall outside the kitchen which has needed doing for a long time. In fact I don't remember when it was last done. Looks good when it is done too. We were trying to think what paint was last used on it, thinking it was Snowcem. This would account for its flaking off which it did one particularly hard winter. Vin had a look on the Net to see what was recommended for problem walls and came down and said Sandtex..that was the name I had been struggling to find in my mind, just couldn't get the name out. He said Snowcem leaves a film and it is that which flakes off, so maybe we will go for Sandtex this time, see if it sticks better.

Here is my beautiful Orchid resplendent in her purple pot which matches perfectly. I knew it would. I could see Vin thinkink when I bought it, what does she need another plant pot for..but there she is, looking absolutely gorgeous. I o9nly wish I looked half as glamorous.

"Look" she is saying "How beautiful I am!"

I don't think she has ever looked so good. Definitely the Maralyn Monroe of plants this one. This is the second flowering of the year too, and the more luxuriant too.Vin fussed and faffed over taking these photos, and we had a spat over the camera. He said no-one told him how to work it meaning that if I wanted a photo do it myself. Trouble is the features aren't easy to see, not that simple when you are looking through a net curtain either. We don't argue very often, very little actually..but he can be so stubborn..I can see where Jane gets it from!

Gorgeous sunny day today, but not too warm, very pleasant really. He is now cementing the wall where the mortar has worn out, so that will keep him quiet for a bit.
Tonight we are having:
Quorn sausage rolls,
Small tin of something saucey in tomato
Vegetables
Potato croquettes.

In which Vin gets a refund and Jenny has a Wobble!!

Firstly Vin asks me which shop I want to get the veggies from, knowing full well that he wants to go to Formby to the Homebase to get his refund. He had been on their price promise website and found that the ladders he had bought were ten pounds cheaper in Argos. So off he trots to Homebase to get his money back, after ringing them up first. Parks outside their front wall.Leaves me in the car listening to Radio Two and counting the bricks in the wall. 30 across and 40 up !! Back after quite a while because he had a dealing with the woman at the counter. Eventually sent for the manager who agreed that Vin was right and refunded the money. So he is a happy bunny now.
Onwards to Waitrose. Surprisingly quiet even though there were children about. Got some lovely veggies there, they do have nice veggies do Waitrose, and home in time for coffee. The wobble bit is to do with my new tablets I think. They lower the blood sugar, and it was 2.3 which is very low for me. Quick sugar glucose drink that Vin keeps in the fridge and recovered eventually.
Total pain in the neck this Diabetes, horrible things happen to the body, like bad eyesight, kidney damage and feet problems to say the least. never mind, plenty worse off.
Our next door neighbour, the one who is always having things done, is having her flat roof redone, so we had banging from early this morning. They rang the doorbell to say they had disturbed a wasps nest so watch out at the back of the house, with some angry wasps flying about. Oh what fun! hasn't stopped intrepid Vin from getting his ladders to start his painting at the back of the house though. Well Done Vinny XX
Musings on our postal system. We got our post today at 2 O'Clock !! I remember the days when we used to get our post on the mat when we came down in the morning,,Huh..no longer. And, we used to get a mid-day post as well. Some Progress. I thought all this technology was supposed to make things better, and we get our p[ost mid afternoon nowadays.
News still full of Norway..what a terrible thing to happen, all those poor families. And, Amy Winehouse, the latest pictures show the flowers etc left outside her flat where she died. Plus..bottles of Vodka and Cigarettes.!! wHAT ON EARTH IS THAT ABOUT? dON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL. nOT REALLY INTO THESE SHRINES, BUT THIS ONE SEEMS TO BE GOING TOO FAR.

tONIGHT WE ARE HAVING:
gRUYERE CHEESE ESCALOPE
mUSHROOM SAUCE
vEGETABLES, CARROTS GREEN BEANS AND SQUASH
bABY POTATOES BAKED.

Sunday Sunday..

And our usual routine things t do. Vin went out quite early because he has the do-it-yourself bug since he got his new ladders! he has decided that the back of the house needs doing up. so off he went to get some materials.

There is quite a lot of white at the back of the house but it looks lovely when it is done. he says it is the summer holidays so it is a good time to do it. Good for him.
Jane rang up at lunchtime, after some more money I think..talk about the bank of Mum and Dad!! this time it is for deposit on a new property for rent. She is looking to rent in a house, where you get a room and share kitchen and living room etc and the buills are included. Dead money I always think, but plenty do it these days. Can't help thinking that our neighbour who moved very recently had been buying she woyuldn't have been stuck at a terrible time in her life. Still they must have had their reasons for renting.
I keep telling Jane I am an old pensioner, but she thinks I have secret stasghes of money hidden away!! Huh...
Crosswords not too bad today,just about to finish the big Sunday Mail one.
Terribly sad news about Amy Winehouse, she had a fantastic voice I thought, and some of her music was fantastic. Troubled soul though battled with drink and drugs, and wouldn't let her poor father help her. Joined the "27 Club" all those who have died young, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin Jimi Hendrix etc., seems to be a critical age for pop /rock stars. Tragedy here though, and not unexpected really. I so feel for her family, especially her father who tried so hard to help her.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with portobello mushrooms and our tomato sauce
Egg and potato salad and avocado
Potato salad for me and pasta salad for Vin.

Tis The Weekend..

Again, they come round with monotonous regularity, no sooner have we got our shopping done on a Friday than it is Saturday again. Very little doing here at the moment. The owners of the house next door have gone on holiday on a boat somewhere for two weeks, and the new tenants haven't been here recently. I suppose they are packing up their old property. That is something I have never done in the whole of my life. I have always lived in this house, since I was about three about 62 years ago. It has changed a bit over the years but essentially it is the same house, and a happy one. I always think that the house next door isn't a happy house, quite a few troubled relationships in its history. Not a house I would like to live in really.
lovely sunny day today, not too hot so after lunch we took our coffee outside and sat there for a long while having a nice conversation about this and that.

When I went outside to wait for Vin to join me, I sat on the chair, and little Bobby who was at the other end of our small garden came running down the garden to me, Then sh gave a big miaow of greeting. I thought that was lovely. She jumped up on the bed very early this morning as she does, and crawled up towards me, caught my lip with her claw, but didn't do any real damage, and she didn't mean it.
The only trouble with sitting out there is that the chairs we have which are green cast iron ones are so hard!!! so after a while the posterior gets a bit achy. We must have a look for something more comfortable, maybe a double bench with a table in the middle. i saw a nice one in Dobbies a while back might have another look at that.
Terrible scenes coming from Norway..how on Earth can one man do so much damage, death toll in the nineties and rising. The poor families what a dreadful thing to happen to them. Doesn't seem that it is a terrorist attack, just one strange man. The other thing in the news is the killing of patients in a hospital in Stockport. They have arrested a nurse for that and I suppose more will come out later.

Tonight we are having:
Chinese spring rolls
1/2 a packet of fried rice
Stir-fry vegetables
Sweet and sour sauce.

School's Out...

Well they are round here anyway. The next six weeks of the summer break are upon us. We went over to Walton to Sainsbury's for our weekend things and we pass a number of schools on the way. Some obviously already finished others finishing today in this area. I remember them well, the first couple of weeks getting relaxed after the stresses and strains of the term, then a couple of weeks holiday, then a couple of weeks getting everything done ready for going back. The last week or so spent trying to cram everything in.
Since being retired, ten unbelievable years now,the summer holidays don't mean as much any more, neither do the half terms. In fact I find myself saying that teachers get too many holidays now!!!
Got all our things for the weekend and the bill came to around £58 Vin was annoyed that we hadn't spent £60 because he would have got 10p a litre off petrol..He blamed me of course because I was wilting a bit, I think it was the newish tablets that I am on which are a bit dodgy, but never mind, I'm sure he will save the money somewhere else the way he is going these days.
Came home..still expecting the little ginger cat to come out and greet us at the gate when the car drove up. Aaah..I do hope he is really happy where he is and has found some lovely sunny spot in their garden somewhere.
Instead we had our Bobby to greet us. Vin had gone to open the door and then we have a porch door as well, and Bobby's little face was pressed against the bottom right corner looking at us. Aah, I love our cats. They are such company.
Tonight we are having:
Cheese and onion Pasties from Waitrose,
Green beans Baked tomatoes.
Maybe rice pudding or an ice cream in a cornet!!

T'was on a Thursday Morning...

A gas man came to call...not exactly, but that is how the song goes. Vin decideed to change our gas supplier over from British Gas to a firm called EBICO. I haven't heard of these either, but they are a non profit supplier, and their gas is half the price of British Gas. Excellent for low users like us. So he contacted them this morning and got it arranged. Clever Boy..saved some money there.
Then he decided to use his ladders and have a look at the outside bay window which he has been meaning to do for a while now. Lo and behold he finds that the wooden piece under the flat roof of the bay window is a bit rotten at one end. So, he contemplates whether to use a wood filler kit or replace the whole strip. In the end the decision was made to get a new strip, so off he went to get that after lunch. It is a man thing this do-it-yourself. He tootled off to Saisbury's Homebase but their wood was quite dear, so he went to Terry's Timber just up the road in Formby and got it there, and the man cuts it up to your measurement and it was half the price. Well Done Vin 10/10 today.

Our little house with the bay window at the front. Only small but we love it.

Just said on the news that the space shuttle has landed bringing to the end the thirty year space programme. Gosh, seems ages since a man walked on the moon. It was such a wonderful thing at the time, a man actually walking on the moon! R I P the fourteen people who lost their lives on space missions.

Tonight we are having@
Pasta with a tomato and mascarpone sauce,
Green vegetable mixture and a little bit of garllic bread.

Is It A Man Thing?

Vin went out this morning to get some ladders for the loft. We have step ladders, but they are too short for that job, and we have large ladders for outside work but they aren't for the house. So off he went to check various places to ccompare them. So he ended up in Homebase and got what he wanted there. He rang me up to tell me all about them..Bless!They are Abro make I think which is a good make apparently, not that that means much to me really. Now if he had been discussing Lulu Guiness handbags it would be different. Anyway, he is as pleased as punch with his ladders..Aaah.

This is one of his hanging baskets. really good this year.
Then he spent the rest of the morning looking at saving money on our gas bill. This is proving to be a nightmare or a minefield. He did a comparison on the net, but...it is all in the small print. We are very low users, our consumption doesn't gop above600 units even in the coldest weather like all the snows of January. We only use gas for cooking and for a small heater in the extension and one gas fore in the front room which is used in the coldest of weathers. So savings are really for those who have central heating, and use a lot of gas. It seems as if we will be buying our gas from the electric company and our electric from british Gas. Stupid... He is going to have a look at some of the eco friendly companies, they might be better for low users. he will sort it out anyway, he's good with figures.
Watched a very interesting programme on Harry Nilsson last night on BBC1. What a roller coaster ride of a life that man had! I didn't know he had been married three times, or had so many children. Fantastic voice, and a real shame how his voice went in the latter years. His "Everybody's Talking" and "Without Her" are my favourite records of all time. I have an old cassette tape of his labum Nilsson Schmilsson which I must dig out again. It will be very well worn, maybe I ought to buy the CD of uit. Some lovely songs on that. There is a gorgeous little one called New York City which is a real treat. Didn't realise he was so friendly with John Lennon, or that he was so heavily into drink and drugs. Killed him in the end I suppose.Very well done programme actually.
Tonight we are having:
Spinach and cheese bake
Mixed vegetables
Little potatoes sliced and sauteed.

Why are They so Cold??

Vin needed petrol today and we needed veggies for the rest of the week so we went off Formby way. He had a voucher for £5 off petrol at a BP Garage so we went to the one on the By-Pass. Paid our (my) £40 and he went to pay at the shop, only to find that they didn't take the vouchers. Vin wasn't best pleased at this, bit much when you have bought the petrol to find they don't accept the voucher, so he has sent a cross email to the firm,
Went to Waitrose because that is the nearest shop, drizzy with rain byut not enough to get wet. Needed veggies for the next few days so got those, and went round the chilled food cabinet to get some stuff. hence today's title! Talk about chilly..cold even..arctic even..it was perishing going round those chilled cabinets. Even Vin was complaining and he doesn't feel the cold, not like I do anyway.Do they have to be quite so cold. I had a top on and a jacket and was still chilled and it stops you from lingering which maybe is a good thing. We were in the end quite glad to come out for a warm, It reminded me of the stores in Florida which were so air-conditioned that they were freezing, and often they would prop the doors open to let some warm air in! We would go round those and then nip outside to warm up in the heat..
The media is full of the Murdochs being interviewed by the MPs today, I do have to say that I cannot raise up any interest in the whole thing really. Doesn't bother me that celebrities and footballers have their phones "hacked", not very nice that the Milly Dowler phone was, but I can't help feeling that they are being used at the mmoment as sort of "Kodak Moments" It is good to be seen apoklogosong to them. Never ever bought the News of The World so won't miss it,no doubt it will rise again as some other paper.
It will all die down in time like the MPs expenses scandal..disappear off into the mists of time.
Last night we had:
All cooked by my lovely Vin,
Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
Asparagus spears, green beans and mushrooms
A lovely little garlic bread.
Absolutely beautiful

Tonight we are having:
lemon and black pepper escalope
bread sauce
Little potatoes
green beans and baby carrots.

Happy Birthday to Me...

A big 65 today, Where did all the years go i wonder? Can't believe it really, mind you I look at the wrinkles in the mirror and know!! Not having had a face lift like the celebrities.
Absolutely horrible day today. very wet and windy, and pouring with rain, although by mid afternoon as I am writing this it has cleared up a bit and the wind has dropped somewhat. Had to put lights on all over the house this morning it was so dark, and I had a heater on also. Typical Midsummer's day..wouldn't like to be on holiday in this. I actually had the electric blanket on last night since it was so chilly. Apparently it is the same temperature as where my brother is in Perth..and it is their mid winter!!!

Bobby keeping dry..
Got a lovely bunch of mixed roses from Vin and a card from him and one from the cats with little cats all over it with silver whiskers..Aaah.No word from Jane..she has probably forgotten, and no card either but that doesn't surprise me. Got a lovely sister card from John and Ann with a beautiful glass ornament of a rooster which is beautifully done, a fridge magnet and a closet bar it is called which makes your wardrobe scented, but not too much. That arrived on Saturday..puts Jane to shame really. Never mind.
Vin is cooking the tea tonight. He went to Waitrose yesterday and came back with a big bag which is in the fridge and I can't look. There is a pudding though..hooray..that;s a treat in itself, since we don't often have puddings.
So, Tonight we are having:
A Surprise!!

Brrr...Summer...What Summer?

It is absolutely freezing today. Pouring with rain and the trees are blowing a glae as the saying goes. Very nasty. The little cats have barely been outside. Bobby who absolutely loves going out sat by the back door waiting for me to open it. There is a cat flap, but she likes the door opened for her!! Anyway, I said you don't want to go out there and she did. She ran out, straight down to their hut and sat in there for a long while, before coming back in.
Vin went out to various places this morning, he says he doesn't mind the rain he likes the fresh air. Not me..I like being warm. He came back with..some vouchers off the price of the Sunday Mail for the next four weeks..A free pot of porridge from Londis which was a coupon in the paper.. A free litre of milk from Sainsburys which was a voucher in their magazineso he was well pleased.
He also came back with a beautiful bunch of tricolour roses with a scent for my birthday whicgh was lovely. I do love flowers but don't like the posh bunches that florists do, they go off too quickly. These roses are gorgeous.
Did the crosswords quite easily this afternoon, i do have to say that it is cold. We are sitting there without a heater which is stupid because if it was september you would have one on, but because it is the middle of July you kid yourself that it is warm when the truth is that it is really cold.
I for one will be putting my electric blanket on tonight!
I hope little ginger boy (Biscuit) is nice and warm and inside out of the cold. he was outside in some terrible weathers poor little cat. We had a phone call the other day from a man who had seen the card in the Post Office window and rang up because it said urgent. lovely of him to ring.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with our tomato sauce, portpbel;lo mushrooms, courgette and pepper
Egg and potato salad with avocado
Potato salad for moi and pasta salad for Vin

He came in with a bag from Waitrose and said I mustn't look inside..it is my tea tomorrow night. Ooooh can't wait. And there is a pudding!!!!! Now that's a treat..

Showers and Sunshine...

What an odd country this one is. You never know where you are with the weather. This morning it was very dark when we woke up, you would have thought it was at least Autumn, then it started absolutely pouring down. Bobby, who loves being outwside, ran out through the cat flap, and straight into the hut. She did come back after a while soaking wet.
Bobby is a real little sun baby and will spend hours in her garden sitting in the sunny spots, or on top of one of the plant pots. She isn't happy when it rains.


Vin went out to Maghull complete with his umbrella. I wonder why men's umbrellas are so unweildly? really awkward things to carry and get in the way of everyone and everything. I bought him a nice fold up one but he doesn't use it..don't understand it.
Got a parcel from John and Ann in Australia this morning, with a nice long letter in it. They have moved back to Beverley a town outside Perth, and Ann has been in Perth having a skin cancer removed from her foot. She was supposed to be in hospital about 5 or 6 days but was kicked out after 24 hours because they needed the beds.. Doesn't sound much different from here!! She stayed at her daughters in Perth so she could get dressings done, and then went home to beverley a few days later. They then use a video link to the big hospital in Perth to check progress! I don't think we have any idea of the land that is involved here. john was saying that he had to get a new fire brick for the stove they had just bought, and if he couldn't get one locally it would involve a round trip of 170 miles !!!! Imagine!!!
He was talking about "Men's Sheds" they have there. Places where men go to discuss things, play pook, and be with friends. The one he goes to has about 40 members. I don't thi k we have any at all locally, but I do recall seeing an item on the Northwest News about one in I think it was Manchester and they were interviewing some of the men. One was a chap who had lost his wife and it enabled him to get ut and have someone to talk to. Great idea there should be more of them.
John and Ann seem to have a wonderful liife over there. They went as £10 Pomms in the sixties, originally to brisbane. Came back after a few years, then went back to Perth, 4 children and umpteen grandchildren there are more of the family line over there that ever was here. They seem to have friends everywhere..I'm very envious, must be lovely to have a wide social circle.
Vin is in the garden now trying to trim the ivy that is creeping over our fence. Someone a long whikle ago planted it, and it is a real nuisance creeping over the top of the fence. It is actually our fence and it is getting in between the slats..pesky stuff. So while the house is empty he is getting some of it down.
Tonight we are having:
Chinese spring rolls
1/2 a packet of fried rice
Stir fry vegetables and a sauce of some sort.

just Imagine...

What you would do with £163 Million Pounds..that amount of money is unbelievable but a couple from Falkirk have won it on the Euro Lottery. Thelargest amount ever won in a Lottery. What a life changing thing to happen for them. I hope they enjoy it, they have been married for 30 years and say they were not fazed by their win, and are looking forward to some fun. Buy a lot of fun that would.Apparently they are just underneath The Beckhams on the rich list!!!
We actually had a phone call about the little ginger cat today, we only had the one, if he hadn't been rehomed he would be in the animal rescue by now. I wonder how he is getting on, I hope he has settled in and is having a lovely time over there on The Wirral.
We went over to Ormskirk this morning. Nice day so we thought it would make a change. I got a bit wobbly walking round to start with, but I think it was the new tablets which I am getting used to. What a pain, but Vin had some glucose tablets which acted quickly so picked up after a bit. Went into my usual shops and got another nice top from Bon Marche in their sale for half price. More of an Autumn top so will store that away for then. Beautiful day today, but getting a bit cloudy now and the weather girl said it will be rainy tomorrow. Typical that.
I suppose the schools will be breaking up next week, they were still in in Ormskirk because we pass a couple of schools and the kids were playing outside. We pass a farm set up called Farmer Ted's on the way to Ormskirk which is very popular, and there were loads of buses outside, must be school trip season. They take the kids on a little tractor ride round the field, and they were waving..sweet.
Got our shopping at Morrisons, I do love Morrisons, it is so nice and ordinary, not poncey at all and good value. Few things in M&S first but their sell by dates are very short and you do have to watch them, especially on salads.

Here is my beautiful orchid which has flowered again in time for my birthday which is nice. We thought when it flowered on Decemver the first that it would die down and not flower again for some time. But, lo and behold it produced another stalk with bloosoms on. Gorgeous.

Tonight we are having:
Vegetable pasties from Waitrose, Vins favourite
Rice pudding..ditto.. Lovely east tea and as good as a take away.

Neighbours...Everybody needs good Neighbours...

What a lovely day to...Saw a door in half!!. It started with 6the girl in the end house who has had a new front door fitted. Vinsaid one day that he liked the stained glass oval panel that was in it, so she said when the door was fitted he could have it. So we ended up with a front door in our front garden which Vin sawed in half this morning ready to take to the tip.
Then the people from the rented house who were working on the property said they were going to the tip and would take it for him. So that saved a journey to the tip.
Good neighbours..
Seem to be being plagued with phone calls from people with very strong Indian accent asking me to answer questions about all manner of things. Pain in the neck. Jane when she was home and young used to answer the phone and say I'll just go and get my Dad, he is in the West Wing and leave them hanging up... some of them get quite cross and can be quite arrogant with you. I do have a problem with phones anyway and an accent is very difficult for me to get. I know it is their job..but gosh they are annoying.
Tonight we are having:
Kiev with some small potatoes
Cranberry sauce ( if there is any left!) Vin put sojme on his brioche this morning instead of blackcurrant jam!!!
Carrots and beans.

Blooming Lovely..

A little trip to Dobbies today, mainly because Vin had coupons for free coffees, and he wanted to get some stuff for the gardenm compost etc. So we had a bit of a look round, I look at frippery things, and he goes off to look at plants and composts etc. I think it's a man thing, looking at composts!!
We met up for our coffee after about a few minutes, and he dispatched me over to the naughty corner, right in the far corner of the restraunt bit, which was quite nicve actually because there was a large fish tank and the fish are really cvalming to watch. I'd love a fish tank if we had the space, they are so relaxing to watch.
He then went off to get his compost stuff and I went round the food hall. Got some lovely little meringue cases for our bumper crop of so far one strawberry.. and some after dinner mints.And a new pot for my beloved orchid..in guess what colour..PURPLE.. Well the orchid is purple so it is now very smartly colour co-ordinated.
At this point I was trying to post a picture of my orchid but can't seem to retreive them.. the computer won't do what I want it to as usual. Anyway Vin bought it for my birthday almost exactly two years ago and it flowered for weeks and weeks. Expected it to flower again the next year but it didn't until December the 1st !! which was strange. and it stayed in flower till March the first.. Then it flowered again on July 1st this year and it is in full bloom again. What a strange plant..beautiful to look at though, it was a great birthday present.
Looks like we are getting new neighbours again. Last night the landlord showed a couple around and apparently they are taking it. He is a plumber/electricial/handyman and she is working. So all change again next door. Hope they are ok.
Tonight we are having:
Pasta with a tomato sauce and a bit of garlic bread
Mixed green vegetables.

Bang..Bang..

From next door! It seems that everyone who comes to the house does something else to it. The worst was "Tudor style" wall beams that one owner put in there. We heard every blow and bang of the hammer as they were attached. It looked like the inside of a refurbished pub when it was finished. The landlord and his wife are there at the moment, and seem to be removing fitted wardrobes from the front bedroom. That would be quite a big job since they were all on one wall..so hence the Bang Bang..
There have been a lot of people in that house..never really been a totally happy house, there have been separations, divorces..temporary residents, all manner of folk with their trials and tribulations of life and death too. No murders or suicides though so not as bad as Midsomer Murders!
I have lived in my house for around 62 years, so have seen all sorts come and go in the little row of terraced houses incomers like to call "Cottages". My house isn't a cottage though..it is just a little terraced house, and nothing wrong with that.
Vin took himself off to Formby to get a hair cut this morning. He said if there was a queue he wasn't bothering, but when he came back he said there was one man in front of him so he waited. The baarber was very chatty apparently, so kept him waiting, which would annoy him a bit..but...he gave him Senior Citizens rate for his hair cut, so he saved £1.50..so he was best pleased with that. He nipped into Waitrose for a couple of things for me that I had forgotten yesterday, and was back quite quickly.
Meanwhile back at the ranch I did our bedding..the Egyptian cotton bedding that need to be ironed quite firmly. What you need with this bedding is one of those steam presses, that would make it a lot easier..but no matter. I do quite enjoy ironing, I like getting everything crease free.
Tonight we are having:
Toad in the hole with quorn sausages
Mushroom gravy
Mixed vegetables.

Gone Again into Cyberspace Somewhere...

Went to press the submit button last night after completing a really long post, only to find that it had totally disappeared. Managed to retrievee half of it in the draft section, but goodness knows where the rest had gone.
never mind..
Quite busy day today,we went ontp Crpsby to get our things for the week, milk and veggies, potatoes etc., and I had an appointment over at the GPs surgery to have my blood pressure checked. This is as a result of the good Doctor last week changing my prescription to another type of blood pressure tablet. The one I am on now is a cute little heart shaped one, and goes with the Amlodopine which I have been taking for a long time. These seem to be ok, and my BP was 100/58 which has gone down dramatically really. Now if someone could produce an energy pill that works..that would be good.
The Jazz concert has been and gone, and you wouldn't know anything had happened there. Sunday saw some clearing up and that was it. We thought the music wasn't quite as good as last year, they had a girl singer last year who was excellent, and one of the men did some singing also. This year it seemed to be more instrumental on the whole, with a bigger interval in the middle. Judging by the chunnering we could hear, everyone seemed to be enjoying it. The worst part was the lighting of the barbecue, our house smelled like the runway at Manchester Airport...horrible, but it went off reasonably soon.
Jane rang up yesterday to say she had been to an advertising do in Warwickshire. It was for an obnline Bingo company and they were doing an advert with some characters, and Barbara Windsor was there. She sent some lovely photos of her and Miss Windsor, and when I figure it out I'll put some on. Meanwhile she sent one titled.."I met a Monkey"
Her Dad said..Who is the Monkey? which didn't best please her.

Since she shies away from photos this is a miracle one.. She said Barbara Windsor was really lovely and posed with everybody and was really nice all day walking around in quite a heavy costume. Jane said she is 74 next week and I wish I knew what she was on!!

Tonight we are having:
Escalope with a mushroom sauce
Baby potatoes sliced and sauteed
Carrots caukliflower and broccoli
Cranberry sauce.

A Line of Washing...

Turned out to be quite a nice day today, so Vin hung out the washing on the line. Can't help thinking of our neighbour next door in her flat without a washing line now. She would always have her washing hung out at the weekend, and you would see it blowing in the breeze. How our lives change. I do have two sets of bedding, proper Egyptian cotton linen, so if it isn't dry no matter it can be finished off in the dryer. Not actually a huge amount of sunshine today really, although quite a pleasant day.
The Jazz Concert last night proved to be different from last year. Loads of people on "The Plot" about a hundred someone said, and you could hear the chunnering from our garden, plus the aroma for want of a better word of barbecued burgers..

Meet "Biscuit"...

The owners of the property next door which is now totally empty were there this morning. She was titivating the front garden up somewhat, with some begonias etc. She spent about an hour or so on it and made a real difference. Vinsaid it loks really nice now. He went down as usual to get the Saturday papers so had a chat with her. She said that the lady who took him was very pleased with him, and he was settling down nicely. She has called him "Biscuit" which is quite nice i think, I wonder if it is something to do with gingernut biscuits? She is going to send a photo of him next week which will be nice. We were both thrilled with that news.

I hope you have a lovely sunny spot to lie in little Biscuit.

We also got a lovely card from our neighbour who has moved to a flat in Southport, and it seems she is settling in too. The Yankee candle we gave her is now in her bathroom, and she is finally box free she says.
What a trooper that woman is. It was lovely to see her children helping her the last couple of weeks, and her sister, husband and son all the way from Chichester helping her move last weekend. They were lovely neighbours, we wiill miss them.
Lo and behold at about lunchtime a woman, an older woman and two children were looking round next door, maybe tenants of the future. We shall have to wait and see.
Beautiful day here today, cloudy to start with then turning sunny. Should be lovely for the concert tonight. We will have a Jazz accompaniment to our meal tonight i think. Saw bald heads going over the top of our back door this morning, really funny, felt like throwing something at it, like on a fairground stall.
Smells like they are firing up the barbecue, you know the petroly smell when it is first lit up..horrible, at least it is still nice for them.
Tonight we are having:
Chinese..either goujons or dippers
sauce

The Tent is Up...

Ready for tomorrows jazz concert. Hope the weather warms up for them because I think it is quite cool and rainy today. Not the sort of weather to be standing outside in the open air with your glass of wine and nibbles. Maybe it will warm up tomorrow.
Went to Sainsbury's in Walton this morning to get the weekend things, it's a great store, so easy to get round. Vin goes in with his list, and I just grab what I fancy! Totally different type of shoppers we are, I buy a lot on impulse, while he tends to stick to what is on the list.
Huge big car park there so we found a nice spot for our coffees. Early out for some reason, I think it is because you get around quickly and no hold ups.
Listening to the Jeremy Vine show on the radio while we were in the car, and he was discussing the demise of the News of the World. Can't say I'll miss it, I don't think I have ever read it in my life actually, or The Sun for that matter. We have always had The Daily Mail or Daily Express, sometimes The Times, but that had too much reading in it so we gave that up when we first married. Don't like the politics of The Mail and Express, but I do like some of the writers like Liz Jones, and the magazines on Sunday are good..then there are the crosswords of course. The weekends wouldn't be the same without the crosswords, and the Liz Jones page about her life and cats.
No doubt the Murdoch empire will bring out a new paper instead of it, Time will Tell.
Tonight we are having:
Fishless fingers and Chips! 200 grms
Green beans for moi and mushy peas for Vin
Tartare sauce.

Odd Day..

Weatherwise..first the skies are grey and overcast, then the sun comes out, then it pours with rain. We have a plot of land at the back of all our houses which belongs to the dentists two doors down. It cannot be accessed by cars so lovely and quiet, and the cats often go and have a mooch on it. Last year it was used for the tennis club to have a Jazz Concert n it round about this time of the year, and we sat outside and had a free listen. Very good they were too, apparently they are players from the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra who do a bit of moonlighting, so not amateurs.
Anyway, some men were there this morning putting the tent up, just as the Heavens opened. Typical.I hope it's nice for them on Saturday though.
Vin still expects to see the little ginger cat when he fgoes down for the paper and at night when he posts his letters. i suppose it will take a long time before you get used to that. It followed him down and back again, lovely to watch. Oh i do hope he is happy with his new owner. Maybe he will have a new name now, next doors used to call it "Cat" which is a bit impersonal I think, but there must have been a reason.
Our two are quite tired today for some reason, sleeping a lot, although Bobby did go out, then straight into the hut for shelter when it rained.

Queen of all she surveys...

Tonight we are having:
Cheesey kiev
Little baked roasted potatoes with a crispy coating
carrots and beans
Bread sauce to go with.

Beige As Far As The Eye Can See!!

Went out to Dobbies this morning, for a bit of fresh air, and a look round, but mainly because Vin had spotted a voucher for free coffee for there in our free newspapers. So you can't beat that, free paper and free coffee. he is never one to turn down a free coffee so off we went.
When we arrived so had a coach of ladies, don't think there were any men..why aren't there any men? and they were all lined up in a sort of group outside the entrance having a photo taken. It was a sea of beige jackets and anoraks, and grey perms. Somebody must be making a fortune out of beige coats and grey perms, mind you they all looked very chatty and friendly. I wonder what the little men from Mars would make of it all!
Trouble was they filled up the coffee area, so Vin wasn't best pleased, anyway we wandered round a bit and the queue went down. Very sunny in Dobbies, I found a table that was quite shaded, but there was one at the side of us that was in full sunshine, and three people came and sat down then moved. really funny watching people in cafe areas.
I bought a hat!! I very very rarely buy hats , don't think I have a hat face..but this was a large brimmed straw type with a row of beads round the brim part. Vin said it looked stylish!!!! so I got it, only £8.99 and it fits beautifully. Could even wear it to go out in when the weather is sunny. I do have trouble with the sunshine, and bright lights so might help.
We have been wondering how our little ginger friend has been getting on, I hope he is settling in, and maybe has found a warm spot to sit in the sunshine.


I so deserves a nice home...
Vin has just been talking to one of our neighbours the other side who have been on a cruise up the Norwegian Fjords. He said it was very nice. but they wouldn't go again, he said it was very cold there. The ship they were on was the one where they dropped a woman earlier in the year, while tranferring her to hospital. She was dropped in the sea water, and later sadly died in hospital. Anyhow, they are fine, and no doubt had a good time.
Tonight we are having:
Fillet in a sauce with mushrooms
1/2 a packet of rice
Carrots and beans.

Postscript..to last post...

just to add that it is now a quarter to five, and the little cat has just fone. Vin and the owner of the house got it into the basket and he has gone off with his little bag and anote about it.
Vin had two goes at getting it into the basket because it isn't used to cat baskets but he had strong gloves on and it went in with a bit of hissing. Who can blame hime really..

Enjoy the rest of your life little ginger (Boy)

Every Day Begins with a Small Step...

So the saying goes. Today our little ginger boy is going to a new home. Vin has packed his bowls which our neighbour gave us, and has written a page or two about his likes and dislimes and general information. We know it will be the very best thing for him, but we will still miss him nevertheless.


The chap from over the line who owns the house is coming at about a quarter to five with a cat basket to take it to where the new owner works.Then it will be quite a long journey through the Mersey tunnel to his new home. Don't envy her that..he will probably miaow all the way if it is anything like ours!

Just behind where he is sitting there in our front garden there is a hole in the shrubbery where it used to spend hours curled up asleep. loves it in there. I expect he will find new places where he is going.
Mundane morning otherwise, I did a pile of ironing which i quite enjoy doing, Vin did a bit of his money management, trying to get a better interest rate on his money..very difficult these days.
Started the new blood pressure tablet that the good doctor prescribed yesterday, and so far (touch wood) no side effects. Not like the last ones, they knocked me out by lunchtime!
News of the day today, was the closure of Bombardier a firm which makes trains in Derby. A huge cntract has been given to a German firm so 1400 jobs will go. Yet another iconic transport firm going, dreadful news for their families to. Some of the Victorian engineers must be turning over in their gravves!!
Our little house from where the ginger boy would come to greet our car..I don't know how it does that, it doesn't do it to anyone elses car just ours. I will appear as our car drives up, and run to our path...Aaaah1
God Speed little cat.


Tonight we are having:
freezer fodder, what ever takes our fancy,
Baby new potatoes sliced and fried
carrots and beans.

Good News!!!

Very good news actually..An eleventh hour reprieve for our little Ginger (boy) from next door. Vin got a phone call last night from our (ex) neighbours landlord to say that they had got someone to give the cat a home. His daughters wanted it but they have two already, but his wife got in touch with a friend of theirs over on The Wirral who as soon as she heard the story wanted him. She has a farm apparently on a quiet road and has two othert cats already so sounds absolutely ideal. We had been telling ourselves that a place in the rescue centre would have been good, but in reality it would have hated that. it is very much an outdoor cat and just loves sitting in our front garden watching people go by to the shop. So Vin was thrilled with that. I know he would have been really upset taking it to the Rescue centre as good as they are there.
Gorgeous day today, bright and sunny almost too warm. it is odd to think that only a few months ago we weresort of up to our necks in snow. Mind you both of the weather firls at lunchtime were saying that it won't last and we will have rain tomorrow. Doesn't look like it now though.
Went quickly to Sainsburys this morning for our weekly veggies etc, and were back very quick, it was too warm to wander round much. Nice to see everyone in summer dresses and T-shirts.
Got a phone call when I got back from our new surgery, 9the one we had to change to after sixty years with the old one!) They wanted me to go for a medication review, and offered me an appointment with a Dr, Albert Doerr at 3.30. he turned out to be very pleasant german I think, with excellent English so a good experience. He went over my medicatins of which |I have loads, and I told him that I had stopped taking one particular one because it made me very lkight headed and I couldn't cope with it. He didn't tell me off and said that we would try another one instead. So yet another name to put on the list.
Blip in the light when we got home. and next doors burglar alarm started going off. Horrible noise, piercing, so Vin rang the landlord and left a message. He said it had gone off but would start again shortoly. i can see why it drives people mad when they go off all the time.
Looking forward to a new series pf new tricks tonight, we really enjoy those, such good acting. And. a new serioes of Nurse jackie tomorrow night on Sky Atlantic too. We got into watching those on BBC2 but obviously Sky have jumped in. The ASky Atlantic channel have been showing some terrific shows, their Boeardwalk Empire series was very good, and there is a wonderful series at the moment with Kate Winslett called Mildred Pierce. Definitely worth watching.

Tonight we are having:
Escalope of some sort,
Little new potatoes
mixed vegetableswith a white sauce.

Hotting Up!

Definitely getting warmer today. The skies are blue and the sun is shining, really a very nice July day.
Our neighbour next door is finally getting herself up and out today, and has family with her helping her move. What an upheaval for her. we went in to say a final goodbye, quite emotional really everything that has happened. I hope she finds some rest time next week and in her new life.
Vin is taking the cat tomorrow, so at least she doesn't have to worry about that.

Wimbledon men's finals proved to be a bit of an anticlimax again, at least I thought so. nadal I was rooting for but he was well outclassed today. he did pull back from two sets down to take the third but that was it, the other bloke, Djokivic was by far the better player. So that's it for another year.
Crosswords were quite easy today and we got them done fairly quickly, not much of a challenge today.
Tonight we are having:
Pizza with our tomato sauce,
Salad with avocado
Potato salad for moi and cous cous for Vin

Moving On...

Not us but our neighbour who has moved house today. The removal firm was here quite early this morning about half past eight, David halsall and Son and Daughter..isn't that nice! They seemed to pack up quite quickly and were all gone by about elevenish.
She came wwith the paperwork for Ginger Girl who surprise surprise turns out to be a ginger BOY..we got that wrong. i would have sworn it was a girl, and here's me saying hello pretty every time I saw it!!
Vin rang the Animal rescue where it came from this morning and they said they would ring back which they did in the afternoon. They said there was no problem since it had come from there originally and we had the adoption paperwork. Seems a terrible shame butat least it will stand a chance of being rehomed. Vin and I will really miss it..it is always in our garden, in fact it is there now, and he has looked after it a lot especially at Christmas when they were away, and for nine weeks last christmas when her husband was so ill when on holiday down south.
What a time that poor woman has had, I hope she gets a bit of rest and peace on her new journey in life.
She was too upset to deal with the cat, so Vin will take it to them on Monday, for the next few days it is ok outside the front, it is used to being out so it isn't a hardship.
Ladies singles finals this afternoon, a bit of an anticlimax I thought, everyone was expecting Sharapova to win, but she lost in straight sets to petra kvitova, a relatively unknown player so far. Wonder if Nadal will win tomorrow? Hope so.
Tonight we are having:
green Thai curry with quorn pieces and mushrooms
1/2 a packet of rice
Stir fry vegetables.

To The Coast...

Southport way today to the ASDA store there. Very busy today too the car park was quite full. Vin wanted to go to the Range shop to get some plumbing stuff..he has really been bitten by the bug! but apparently they have stopped selling plumbing gear, so I expect it will be Homebase.he seems to be spending a lot of time up in the l9oft..i wonder what he is doing up there? Probably sitting reading old motor cycling magazines, not that there are any really. We have never used the loft for storing stuff in, not like other people do. So, apart from the things that have been obviously used for lagging purposes there isn't anything up there. maybe Vin has got his eye on the flat surfaces up there HaHa..
Got all our weekend things at ASDA when we eventually found things, they have a tendency to move things around which is a bit of a pain and time consumiing, but we get there in the end.I had a bit of a look round at the clothing but not impressed at all, very flimsy and not made to last. I do buy clothing that I wear for a short time maybe round the house and then get rid, but their clothing isn't even good for that really I don't think anyway. I don't mind so much what I wear around the house but I am picky when i go out anywhere.
Our neighbour next door is moving tomorrow. We will miss them, they have been good neighbours, and we have had plenty of neighbours over the years, some good some not so good. they were lovely quiet people, and i feel so sorry for her over what has happened since before Christmas. Vin was talking to her last night and she says she is mostly sorted, but can't bring herself to do anything about the cat. so Vin offered to take it to the Animal rescue for her. He is very attached to it, and it will be a wrench when it goes. It has a lovely little life in the front of our houses, and it won't understand. Terrible shame. But it is the circumstance nothing anyone can do. We did put a card in the window of our shop. but no phone calls.
We called in at Waitrose on the way home because I wanted some of their egg salads and Vin was keen to get their pasties for tea. guess what they didn't have, any egg salads so I had a crummy cheese sandwich for lunch while he had potato cakes and beans. Hmmm!!
Tonight we are having:
Vegetable pasties from Waitrose, with some gravy
Rice puddings from Waitrose..at least I'll have one treat today!