Today I have been mainly Vol. 6

I did my housework this morning, GC arrived after lunch and took two minutes to turn the house upside down. Juice spilt from breakfast bar managed to splash almost every inch of my long kitchen. Things got better when everyone was chased out into the garden to play, DH got the job of heaving the garden furniture from the garage and assembling the table that we did not realise was flat pack, made his day

Gardening!!!!!
A combination of neglect last year (DH in hospital then the rubbish summer) and the long winter, meant we lost a lot of plants from our herbaceous border and it was overrun with weeds so after 3 weeks of weeding on my knees clearing it inch by inch, I took DH to our local nursery to choose LOTS of perennials in the hope of denying the weeds a chance to ever come back! These were deliverd on Friday when we were in Birmingham so today I got out there and 7 hours later finished (more) weeding and planting up I think 30 perennials! It is looking good and once they "bed in" and start growing and spreading out I think it will be lovely and a job well done. I am aching all over, but it was worth it. DH wanted this herbaceous border 3 years ago and I had my reservations then as I suspected he would not be able to cope with it. I was right, of course, so then it was a choice between turfing it over or me having a go! Personally I would have liked a few (small) shrubs and may yet persuade him to go along with that - as I am doing all the work!! But he likes the idea of a "cottage garden" herbaceous border so I am doing my best.
A certain feeling of satisfaction!!!

Oh, Galen, I had a lovely picture in my head of you drying your waxing outside!

Washing!!!
Also, my church visitor brought me communion so we had it outside in the sunshine,
I'm now sunburnt!

Did the waxing and dried it outdoors
Arranged to visit Slimbridge tomorrow morning with dd DGD and sil. We meet at 9.45. This means I have to get up early
But, looking forward to seeing them.

, nanaej!

OMG: playing HORSES not Hores!!!

Today has been a good day! Mainly sunny too. bought a new lawn mower in the hope it will turn the grass area to a lawn! DD2 and her girls came for lunch as her OH is away fitting a kitchen for his brother. DD1 and her boys came over larter..skipping, swingball, playing hores, turning the swingball pole into a maypole... trying to persuade DGS2 to crawl. Altogether a fun afternoon!

Marelli we made the trip by train to Mallaig from Berwick two years ago - it was in march and there was still a lot of snow around, quite spectacular. I had Cullen Skink for the first time in the pub in Mallaig [yummy emoticon]
Lovely day today - the morning in my garden, in the afternoon went with my neighbour to Blagdon Hall, the family seat of the Ridleys where the gardens were open in aid of the North Northumberland Hospice Support group. Interesting to see a stately home which is still lived in and hasn't had a National Trust-type makeover.
Then tonight DD2 and DSiL came for dinner - Cajun Chicken with mango and avocado salsa, followed by Pannacotta with pears roasted in Amaretto

Ariadne what a nice thread this is. I've had a lovely day as well. Some friends invited me out as DH is away. We drove deep into the Alentejo,deserted roads,rolling countryside covered with masses of wildflowers,the rockroses so tall this year it looked as if there was a sprinkling of snow covering the hills. Stopped to look at a Buddist Monastery with banners flying against a blue sky,storks nesting on every electricity pole,with fuzzy baby storks peeping out. We were heading for a small market town for the last day of their medieval festival. Lunch of sea bass and home grown vegetables, a jug of wine and a coffee each cost us 10 euros a head! Very lazily meander round the moorish stalls,still uncrowded,plenty of sunshine and different route home again.

I've had a fairly productive day. Did some ironing and quickly refreshed all the summer clothes I'd put out in the wardrobe.
Two lots of washing on the line and dried in the wind. Cleared my tiny front garden of still more dead leaves and watered pots, then my dil phoned and invited me round for a BBQ, with her parents too.
We had a lovely time, lots of good food, and laughter.

Woke up to DGS (aged 10) who spent the night with us (he's staying again tonight too). Then we all drove to DD2's where all my children(3) and GC (6) were congregated and had a lovely day in the sunshine together.

DGS has returned with us again to spend the night. He loves it - he lives in a small flat with his two younger siblings and he loves the space and the peace from the younger ones here - and the chance to be treated as a grown-up - he really appreciates it. And we love to have him.

I am starving after 're potting all indoor plants and your lamb sounds divine! I also looked at the weeds then sat down with a magazine and fell asleep in the sun!

Coughed a lot.
Stayed at home whilst husband went off to church reunion.
Coughed some more.
Had a visit from my lovely in laws - husband made soup lunch.
Coughed again.
Had a very brief visit from daughter and her family.
Coughed a lot more.
Washed up a few dishes whilst waiting for kettle to boil.
Sucked lots of cough sweets (keeping the throat moist reduces coughing).
Haven't moved from couch/blanket except for brief forays to the loo or to make a cup of tea when husband was out.

Gazed at some weeds, put out some washing,thought about weeding,made a fry up brunch, looked at the weeds again,lay down for a bit,did some sewing ,wondered if DH might like to weed,did a stir fry and decided to clear up the left over wine as my good deed of the day, brought in the washing . Lovely day. And no weeding made it better.

Ariadne Lovely to see this thread resurrected. Sounds like you had a great day.

Concreting a rotary clothes dryer into the ground. What fun....

Kittylester, we had the lamb with anchovy, garlic and rosemary the other day. Was it Heston's recipe? Delicious we thought; we made a spicy flatbread with it.
Our day has been the usual hard labour Cleaning house from top to bottom for me and more turf cutting and raised-bed building for OH. Five beds of spuds in now and seeds planted. Day off tomorrow to prepare for barbecue party.
Dinner was spicy barbecued pork chops with salad and a choc-ice to follow.

In that case anno, the large slice of quiche would have 4 calories

Marelli, I have always wanted to do that train journey. I've used the 'good morning' thread to report what I did today. Luckily it wasn't a 'fast' day because the only veggie dish in the National Trust restaurant was a rather large slice of quiche which didn't come in half portions. But I did have a side salad with it.

kittylister how about renaming your room the snug it sounds so very comfortable and cosy,we too had a playroom/nursery for quite a few years and where at a loss when it became redundant it's a sign our little one's are fleeing the nest I'm affraid but what a good job we have done with them.

That sounds really lovely, Ariadne! Today I am recovering from yesterday's 18-hour train trip (Scottish Railway Preservation Society) from our village all the way to Mallaig and back . My body felt as if it had changed its shape completely: flattened 'numb bum', fat feet and bent knees. This from sitting most of the time, eating lovely food, drinking (one) beer and gazing out of the train window at deer on Rannoch Moor and then over the Glenfinnan Viaduct. At various stops on the way home passengers left the train (old diesel engine and carriages) looking like 'half-shut knives'! Really rather tired today, but worth every minute.

ariadne I also had a lovely day.

Lie in, got dressed up, met son and DIL-to-be, walked along the canal from where they live, ate fancy and lovely food in trendy restaurant, waited on by smiling young men in long aprons, then walked back to the house where they changed into their gardening gear and we left them at their newly acquired allotment to the sound of birdsong and the welcoming comments from their allotment friends, they're the youngest people there by about 40 years. Top day today.

I like this thread too Ariadne and you sound as though you have had a lovely day.

On the other hand, we are starting to redo the 'playroom' - new curtains, sofa, carpet, shelving etc and a new name if someone comes up with one we can cope with after 40 odd years of having had a 'playroom',

Dinner was lovely though after the stress of choosing curtains and then 'matchpotting' to find an appropriate colour. Anyone need any damson/raspberry type matchpots?

For dinner we had lamb, roasted with garlic, rosemary and anchovy, served with Jersey Royals, honey roasted carrots, peas and a bowl of Delia's orange, mint and redcurrant sauce. We might also have had a or as we felt we deserved it!