Today I shall be Mainly...

[Stanley]

I caught up on sleep yesterday. Today is the wedding and I have to be scrubbed up and in my finery by noon. I shall do very little this morning beyond Jack maintenance and reading. My mate Philip is looking after Jack from noon onwards, he and Jack are big mates! Nice to have friends who are genuinely glad to help you...... It looks as though I shall be back by about ten tonight...... I will be knackered it's going to be a big day!

[Sue]

Have a great day Stanley and the weather looks fit to please everyone. First thing I thought when I woke to tbe sun this morning

I shall be helping my friend do a little more unpacking after the move, 5 large boxes to go. We have set up one bedroom as her art and craft room and I think she will be using that quite a lot. Her hubby has another as a library and office, leaving two bedrooms...theirs ( with ensuite) and a spare. Downstairs there is a lounge dining room and a large conservatory which is now furnished and awaiting the homely addition of Wendys paintings, plus the biggest kitchen Wendy has ever had, and a downstairs loo. On the whole they are satisfied that they have gained from their enforced move, and are just hoping they don’t have to do it again.

[Marilyn]

So how did the Wedding go, Stanley? And what time did they pour you back through your back door and roll you in to bed?
Are you having a quiet day today?

We found some time to look at new ovens, cooktops, range hoods and dishwashers yesterday afternoon. Febby went a bit grey at the prices. No decisions made. (I'm sure they only showed us the expensive stuff... ) we don't all need kitchens that look like they belong in glossy magazines and big ticket names don't impress me much...though we have friends who are a bit snobby when it comes to brand names and they will be very disappointed when they eventually come and do their white glove tour. I can see their mouths turning down at the corners already! Tough!

[Stanley]

Tell Dave everything is expensive these days Maz including a woman like you!
I was back home at 21:00 and in bed for 22:00. Jack was fine, my friend Philip had looked after him. The rest of them went on to dance and have supper and I suspect it would be the wee small hours before they stopped. There was a large Kenyan contingent, Maasai tribe (the spellcheck tells me this is the wrong spelling but that's how they spell it). Lots of ululating, singing and impromptu dancing and some fine looking people especially the women! They all agreed I was the best dressed man there and as part of the evening inducted me into the tribe as a warrior complete with personal blanket and drinking horn so I want a bit of respect from hereon in!
The wedding was fine, enlivened by lots of kids in all colours and hair styles! The meal was good and all told it was an absolutely splendid occasion but I have to say the Kenyans stole the show!
Today I shall have a quiet day with lots of quiet and rest!



Here I am with all the grandchildren...... As you can see it was wall to wall sunshine all day and everyone spent most of the time outside.

[Wendyf]

Pleased you had a good day and that everything went well. Lucky with the weather!!

[Sue]

So pleased it went well, I commented to Bob frequently on the luck of the beautiful day. I spent the morning at Wendys, we actually spent the time preparing todays art class as her watercolours and paper have just surfaced. I did some sewing in the afternoon and yoga in the evening. I am beginning to benefit from the yoga, regaining some of the flexibility I lost after my back problem a few years ago. Pilates and yoga complement each other well.

Today is art, lunch out and an evening with feet up as Bob is out at his model engineering club. Actually early evening I am expecting a visit from a young woman, new to sewing, who has bought my dressmakers mannekin. I have treated myself to a new one on wheels....much easier to move. This new one can also be used to fit trousers which my other didn’t. My old one had more flexibilty on different body measurements, eg position of the waist, but as I am Miss Average such extras are superfluous .

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

I suspect another easy day. I think I am recovering from the excitements of the week..... The shed is calling me!

[Wendyf]

Taking things as easy as possible, I'm full of cold and suffering from aches and pains after a heavy fall on Tuesday. I fell flat on my back but it hurt my chest, every muscle I didn't know I had hurts!!

[PanBiker]

I feel for you Wendy, I did that coming off Penyghent once on hard frosted ground. Proper shakes you up and knocks the wind out of you. I ended up with a couple of cracked ribs, you stand half a chance if you fall forwards but backwards is no fun at all.

[Wendyf]

I slipped on wet flags even though I knew they were slippy and was taking great care! The immediate intense pain across my chest really frightened me! I dont think I've cracked anything, as the pain is all on the surface. It's weird finding out what affects those muscles, I can muck out the stables (carefully) and push a wheelbarrow, but undoing the clips of a plastic "clip it" box causes agony!
As Colin has discovered to his cost, I am not in the mood for any suggestions of a chest rub!!

[PanBiker]

Shouldn't laugh.

[Wendyf]

Can't laugh! Sneezing and coughing aren't fun either. To add to my woes, I went to the dentist on Tuesday morning for a filling in a tooth that wasnt giving me any bother at all....i've had toothache ever since.

[Big Kev]

...cleaning the kitchen. The steam cleaner has been in action on the hob, oven and sink. I've just connected the mop attachment and done the floor, all is clean and shiny again. Time for a brew.

Put your feet up Wendy and have a rest, it should work wonders.

[Marilyn]

Oh Dear...
( I would have given a "chest rub" by hubby short shift too. I recently upset the old fracture site in my upper arm whilst polishing the car...it progressed its usual ache path to underarm, left chest wall/rib area and, finally, left breast. He offered a "rub" too. Get lost!!! I know this discomfort too well. It resolves itself in a few days without interference. )

[Marilyn]

Mind you, if hubby had steam cleaned the kitchen.....well... ....I may benefit from a slight massage...
( I know...I am SO shallow... )

[Stanley]

Sorry to hear that Wendy. The symptoms you describe are very similar to a cracked rib (I've had a lot of them.....), particularly when they crack in the elastic bit where they all join together in your chest. I once had the same symptoms but simply from a blow to the chest. I ignored it but in the end I had to go and see Arthur Morrison and he told me I had a 'click rib', a crack in the cartilage where the ribs join. It took eight weeks..... Sorry! All you can do is allow it to heal by itself if that's what it is. The other thing he told me once about cracked ribs was that the quickest route to recovery was to break it properly, a break heals faster than a crack. Hope that's useful.



I got back in the shed for an hour yesterday, I think I am recovering from the wedding. I shall be in there again today.....

[Sue]

Having a few days in Northumberland this week, revisiting old haunts. The forecast is not too bad so should get a bit of walking in.

Yesterday was very wet at Lytham where I spent a fun couple of hours with Erin, Claire and their little dog Bobby. The dog is about 15 weeks old, it was his longest trip in the car and the longest time out and about. He also sat very quietly under the table in a cafe whilst we ate lunch. A successful outing

[Stanley]

I like the fact that the dog was allowed in the cafe.....

[Sue]

I like the fact that the dog was allowed in the cafe.....

I was impressed too Stanley. There were no go areas on the beach May 1 st to September 30 th, but ok yesterday. He loved the puddles

[Sue]

Just arrived at the lovely air BnB cottage, after a nostalgic drive up. Two hours in Durham, where Bob and I met , and where I spent a lot of my teenage years, an hour in Chester-le-Street where I used to live. We drove passed my old home (1957-1968, )and took photos of my old schools. It is 50 years since I last walked down that school drive. Everything seemed so much smaller than I remember, thats what happens when you move from a small town to a big metropolis like Greater Manchester. I feel very nostalgic tonight and a little sad. I never really appreciated just how nice it was there. There have been many changes and improvements , mainly of the road system, all for the better I think, but the parts that I lived in are much the same.

Happy times.

[Stanley]

I know what you mean Sue, I keep thinking I'd like Mick or Susan to take me on a drive round my old haunts at Stockport.... I think it's good to re-visit these places, it reminds you of you roots and they are important.
Yesterday I had my usual washing and veggie cooking fest and did another job that's needed attending to for a while. The Beef Dripping in my fryer needed ditching and renewing with new. I had just emptied a five litre container that had bleach in it so I melted the fat and when it was cool enough poured it into the container, labelled it and put it in the rubbish. I now have a clean fryer with fresh dripping.
I overslept this morning but reminded myself I am retired and there was no need to catch up on my routine. So the shed might suffer again......

[Sue]

Thinking of a trip to the Farne Islands. Conditions are perfect. Its ususlly a howling gale when we are up here. Its a bit expensive though

[Stanley]

Calm weather Sue, Go for it!!

[Stanley]

I feel guilty about the shed......