The Big Clean!

Vin and I are not tidy people..that is a fact. We don't have that many visitors either, so when we do it is a bit of an occasion requiring a clear up..major spit and polishas it were.
We got an email the other night which he didn't tell me about before we went to bed from a man who used to live in the house two doors down from us for donkey's years. All through his childhood in fact, and his University years. Anyhow, he is now an esteemed Professor in the University of Texas. He is coming to Britain and wants to visit again a week on Sunday.
Vin and I were in hysterics last night because the last time he came we had spent the week cleaning everywhere, gathering up books, papers and belongings and stowing them away. Vin was saying he still hasn't located some stuff he moved from last time!! What a scream. Mind you Vin said that it would do for Christmas now HaHa. The trouble is we do have a fair amount of clutter and two hairy cats plus we need a new vacuum cleaner that picks up cat hair properly. So we prepare for the Royal Visit!!
Didn't go out today, weather not really very nice, we sorted out the kitchen floor, and Vin wrote his holiday diary in his proper diary. he keeps a diary every day of his life..isn't that wonderful..and he was filling in the holiday that we took to new England. It was lovely remembering what we did on that holiday..our visit to the Shaker museum which was fantastic, and all the other things that we did.


The second one os one of the wood stores for the winter. Gorgeous place.

Tonight we are having:
Anescalope with mushroom sauce
Baby potatoes squashed
Any veggies we have left over.

Have Car Will travel...

Since his car was in good nick, and the MOT was passed without any problems,we decidid to go and get a bit of fresh air. Just as we were leaving the house, the rain started..poured down. Vin got a bit annoyed because he said it would be wearing his new wiper blades out!! My sandals had to go away, and the shoes and socks on again. Hope this isn't a sign of an early Autumn. Mind you I do love Autumn it's really my favourite time of the year.

Oh to be in New England when Autumn is here..

We went over to the M&S at Aintree, because we haven't been there for ages, and Vin wanted a look at the Men's stuff. I had given him a gift card for his birthday, so he could get what he wanted. he didn't see anything though. Must admit we were very disappointed with the store, i don't think the clothing is as good a quality as it used to be, and quite expensive for what you get. Disappointed with the vegetarian foods too..same old same old, never anything new or exciting.
I bought a new pair of slippers that was all. didn't see anything else that I fancied, prefer the Cheshire Oaks outlet store really. Vin was looking for some of his Woodspice after shave cream, but they didn't have that either. Just one of those days that you don't see anything that you want. Ah well saved some money anyway.
Ear worms!!!! This is the name given to a song that gets into your brain and won't shift. There is a new song on at the moment being played a lot, especially on Radio 2 by Glen Cambell. it is called Ghost on a canvas. But...the other day we heard someone on the radio say they were going to play the Goat on a Camp Bed song..so now everytime that you hear it that's all you get..Goat on a Camp bed. It's a bit like the Celine Dion version of the Titanic song..My heart Will Go ON..someone once said they would play the Hot Dogs song..so that is all you listen for when you hear the song.
Anyhow, I normally never have any trouble with getting to sleep, but last night I had this song ( the Glen Campbell one) in my brain, and couldn't get off. A real pain.
Tonight we are having:
Pasta with a spinach and ricotta sauce,
A tiny bit of garlic bread,
Mixed green vegetables
Parmesan cheese to go with..just a bit!!

M.O.T..and Things..

We were about reasonably early for our morning coffee today, because Vin had arranged for his car to go for it's MOT later in the morning. However, the phone went fairly early around nineish, from the garage to say that the man who does the tests has hurt his hand and has gone to hospital. The bloke who is the back up is on holiday, so Vin said he would ring again later. Well i was thinking if the man had hurt his hand badly enough to go to hospital, he wouldn't be going back to work would he, but Vin was ever hopeful.
Funny thing was, that the second he put the phone down from speaking to the garage Jane rang..she was on her way to College to get her timetable, meet the groups etc. She said it was pouring down there, but it always rains in Manchester. She is quite excited about going back, I hope it goes well for her this year.
At lunchtime, after a morning of sorting out his paperwork and bits and pieces..(I did a pile of ironing) he decided to give the garage a ring..No the man wasn't coming back..Could have told him that! So he rang the other garage in Formby that he used to use, but is more awkward to get to..and they could fit him in at 4O'Clock. So that is where he is now.I hope it goes well..he loves his car and really looks after it.

He told me a joke the other night..
A woman came home one evening to find her Mother on the floor and her husband sitting at his desk. She says "What happened?" He replies "I think she's had a heart attack" So she asks.."What are you doing?" He answers..."Writing for an ambulance!" Well he told me this as I was going to sleep, really made me laugh. I like silly jokes like that.
Tonight we are having:
Not altogether sure actually.
Maybe some little sliced potatoes done in the fry light,
Something from the freezer to go with,
Vegetables.

Vin has just rung to say that it has passed the MOT and he is on his way home, so that is good news for him.

peace and Quiet...

Out and about today, it was really quiet. It is amazing how much difference it makes when the children go back to school. Sainsbury's car park was lovely and quiet, and the shop was pleasantly child free. Makes me think of going back to school when I was teaching. it is now 10 years since i finished work..I retired early because of eye problems, and you would have another year stretching before you until the next Summer break. The holidays are good in teaching, and I think teachers are well paid actually. there is plenty of money in education, it's whether schools use it correctly. Rather too many heads of this and heads of that, and Assistant heads etc., teacher in charge of drugs and whatever.. Silly jobs that take people away from the chalk face. Then there was the paperwork..profiles and assessments..targets and initiatives..horrible. kenneth Baker of the Thatcher Government had a lot to answer for..
Lovely day today, nice and sunny but a breeze to cool everywhere down. Bobby is outside in the garden on top of her hut, and Rusty is inside on the bed in Jane's room all curled up. They look so peaceful when they are asleep, very calming.
Vin has been titivating his car up because it is going in for it's MOT tomorrow. He has had the tyres renewed and the wipers changed, and put a new licence plate on etc., This afternoon he was out doing the black plastic and polishing it up. Very smart it looks too. he has had it from new, and knows everything about it. it's a really good car actually, and worth taking care of.
Jane rang up just before lunch this morning. She was in Tesco buying batteries for her alarm clock. She is back at College tomorrow, to do her science course. She has to have this so she can do the Radiography course next September. Fingers crossed that she gets through this course without any hiccups. I think she will because she realises it is pretty much her last chance to get somewhere. I sent her a Lottery ticket for her birthday in her card, just as an extra, with four lines on it. Didn't win a bean..story of our life really. We do all these competitions every week and never win anything..the most we ever won was £1000 once which we used on our holiday to New England. but we keep hoping!
Tonight we are having:
Cheesey Kievs
Little baked potatoes
Portobellini mushrooms
mixed vegetables.

Left It Late Today...

I usually do this in the afternoons, often after we have had our lunch, and I have an hour or two sometimes to catch up on life on the web. Today we were a bit late starting, because Jane rang up for a chat before she went into work, so we were late getting going with our crosswords. We do three every Sunday between us. Vin does the Sunday Express magazine general knowledge one, I do the Mail on Sunday You magazine one which is another type of more wordy general knowledge. Then we do the Big Sunday general Knowledge one which is in the Mail on Sunday paper. This is the one which often gets the brain cells going, and can be taxing sometimes. Today though all of them were a bit tricky, and sio we took a while to complete them. We have never left one unfinished though which isn't bad.
Vin went out into the hall to get something and came back saying "there's a leaflet come for you, it's a Slimming World one!!!!!2 What a cheek!! After his remark about Pudding basin hair dos the other week..he'd better watch it.
Very nice day today, the clothes hung on the line till late afternoon when it started drizzling, now it's gone dull and overcast and going cooler. Getting ready for ourPizza and Joy of Joys a Coronation Street tonight. We do love Corrie...mostly..it's the Northern Humour thing I think, and there are some wonderful characters in it. never watch Eastenders..far too much doom and gloom and shouting in it.
We enjoyed watching the last of the series of Timothy Spalls Back at Sea which has been a lovely series to follow.

Tonight we are having:
Pizza with portobellini mushrooms our tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese
potato and egg salad with avocado and baby golden plum tomatoes
potato salad for moi and a pasta salad for Vin.

Friday..and another Weekend looms...

Started the day with our usual chat over the cup of coffee that Vin brings up. He has a good size mug, and I have a tiny cup and we both have a "cow" biscuit. he started chatting about water tanks,and a myriad of other topics that interest him. He has a bit of a butterfly mind, and can flit from one topic to another in seconds. Very pleasant time of the day actually.
We decidid to go to the ASDA this morning for our weekend things. It's a bit of a trip because it is in Southport, but it makes a change. Could do with one nearer actually because they are quite cheap for a lot of things compared to Waitrose and Sainsburys anyway. I always feel that when we come out of ASDA that I have got a lot for my money compared to the others.
Good car park..and it was quite busy, you would think that it was the Bank Holiday weekend again, thank goodness it isn't!. Still a fair number of kids around so I imagine they are back next week, seems to be quite late this year. Some getting last minute school things which makes it busier.
We got two big bags of things and then stopped for a coffee at the back of their car park. Really pleasant day today, warm through the glass windscreen. Came home along the coast road where there were a fair number of people enjoying the September weather. It usually is nice in September, I remember that from going back to school.The dreaded year stretching ahead of you.All the things that you were going to do in the holidays and not really got round to..save them up for the next year.It's ten years since I retired, can't believe it.

Just wanted to add a nice bright Autumn picture. I feel a touch of Autumn coming on especially with the cooler nights.This was just around the corner from the hotel we were staying in, and you would come round the bend and get the most fantastc shades of yellows and oranges.
I thought ASDA would have had the Halloween things out, but not yet. They're slipping!
Tonight we are having:
Vins favourite pasties,
A pack of butternut squash and other veg from Waitrose,
Rice Puddings for a treat. Well he's worked hard this week. XX

"What a Morning"!!

Appointment with the Nursey over the road at the Drs for a Diabetic check up. This is the nursey who talks away to the computer, so I have to keep reminding her to look at me when she is speaking and to speak clearly . Same old same old really.
We arrived at spot on ten past ten which was my appointment time and waited for about fifteen minutes. Then she came and whispered my name and if Vin hadn't been there I wouldn't have heard her. Never mind... She did the blood pressure about three times and asked all the usual questions. Nothing new. Then she did my feet, and said she was a bit concerned that my ankles were a bit swollen so would I see a Dr about that, in case the medication needs altering. So the Dr had one patient waiting then she could see me ..just wait in the waiting room. About thirty minutes after that I eventually got in to the Dr. In there about two minutes and she said Do they bother you? I say No..she says well leave well alone then!!!! We had been over there well over an hour and seen all sorts come and go.
Vin reckons it is the 1st of September and they are on their targets for the month..He said you will have ticked about a dozen boxes for them today..Funny !! poor man, he is the one who has to wait around.
Went frpm there to Waitrose to get some of his favourite pasties for tomorrow night, and a couple of other things, then home.
Had a bit of a go on the computer when the phone went..Hello it's Lauren from the Nat West bank. Wanted to ask me all sorts of questions about my money. Lovely sounding chirpy girly girl, and everything was "Great" at the end of every sentence. Didn't get very far with me though.. No debts, no mortgage..never had one, and I wouldn't put any of my money in any other account. I think it is a pl;ot to get me today!
Hares and Rabbits by the way..anothe4r month started and a bit nearer Christmas.
Tonight we are having:
Kiev,
potato croquettes
Carrots beans and a few peas.
mushroom sauce.