Pretty Average......

 
Just like his father....... when Son heard there was some tree tidying happening he was here to help, with his own long loppers, steps and chain saw etc. 

Then any excuse to climb up inside. 

They do work well together and I kept getting invited outside to give shaping advice. They didn't need my advice but it was nice to be asked. 

We had stayed available for dog sitting this week as Daughter and O were away, however as it's half term holiday here and R wasn't working and M was doing less teaching, so after last Friday they managed without us. Which meant I actually went out with Hubby two days running..... but nothing exciting hahaha. 

He's been looking for his preferred fish food but they haven't got the big tubs in yet locally so we drove to Capel Nurseries (only about 15 mins away) but they didn't have any either. While there I did manage to find three little plants to use as part of a gift. On the way home we stopped at Tesco and in their baby section I completed the gift before all the grocery shopping. 

He then ordered the fish food online. 

Next day I had the pleasure of a visit with him to the tip! Back seats down and my car had been completely full, mostly garden rubbish. Then onto Iceland as since the freezer had been run low to defrost and then some space loaned to a neighbour while their freezer was replaced it was looking very empty, not efficient use! It isn't empty any more. 

Out with our usual friendsM&P Wednesday night and the four of us managed to find a week in April we can all do for our next Spain holiday. FriendM will book the flights and hire car and we use her apartment. Looking forward to that. 

Hubby got called over to help Daughter with a plumbing conundrum. Just back from her holiday she immediately loaded the washing mashing and discovered when the cycle started by filling up the toilet upstairs overflowed! 😳 it made us laugh a lot, then Hubby got serious went over and fixed it as she knew he would. 

Hubby has scrubbed out this planter that we want for the water feature, but it needs a bit more prep before it can be used. 

So good to see the colours returning to the garden. 

And a lovely surprise Friday afternoon when Daughter, R and the dog arrived, having walked over. They couldn't stay long as R has work to do but it was lovely to have a cuppa and catchup before Hubby drove them home. 

Nothing planned for our weekend so let's see what happens. 

Enjoy yours whatever you do.

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Hearts and Hounds........

 
Our week started with dog sitting for Daughter and a bit of taxi service for O but other than that a relatively quiet weekend. 

Certainly not quiet Monday morning as we had to find extra chairs and jiggle for space round the table as there were 13 noisy neighbours here for coffee morning. Some telling me again how they really love our weekly get together. 

Shrove Tuesday and we enjoyed a pancake lunch cooked for us by O and Daughter. 

I made two cards for Wednesday as Hubby's birthday is Valentine's day so he gets two cards and a prezzie. I don't go to the shops alone these days so that would look odd and if Hubby goes out he tends to take my car so I can't sneak out then, hence his present was bought online and making his cards rather than buying! 

Thankfully he told me what he wanted, more boys toys.

No sooner the rain had stopped mid-morning there was a little trail of debris round the garden where he's been playing with his new hand chain saw. 

As it was a Wednesday we still had dinner out with friendsM&P, however we upgraded to The Belstead Brook Hotel food was really good (my calamari was a little chewy but not too bad). M&P came back for coffee afterwards and M had a surprise message that her daughter had gone into labour. This was a worry as very very premature. I took my phone up to bed (which I wouldn't normally) and got the message about 12:30am baby girl delivered and a first photo. 

Thursday and Friday Daughter was having her radiators flushed through and a new boiler fitted and the dog didn't take kindly to four strangers arriving and going from room to room so she came here some of the time. 

Thursday afternoon friendHBW had us over for a ladies afternoon tea, just four of us so easy to chat. She put on a lovely spread and we each came away with a little gift. 

Then Thursday evening we had Son's dog as they went for a meal and an event with Professor Brian Cox in Ipswich. They said it was really interesting. 

Friday Daughter and O headed to Derbyshire for their annual hostel week with friends. Remember how R and the dog used to just move in here, well now R works full time but they are closed this week as it's half term and she may arrange stuff with her friends, so it's been left to M to drop the dog here and pick her up as and when we are needed. We were needed all day Friday but we will stay flexible till Daughter is back next Wednesday. 

Heard from friendM her very premature Granddaughter is still in neo natal but doing really well. Another valentine's birthday. 

With love from me bye for now.

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Some Out Mostly In.........

 
Early start on Saturday, I'm always up early but this was a be up, wide awake and ready by 8am early. Son arrived with his b-i-l to collect our treadmill. Hubby and Son had moved it into the shed when we cleared the office to put the sofa bed in there over a year ago. Now it's in the cabin in his garden which he is making into a gym.

Lovely late lunch with friendsL&K (friendsL&M should have been with us but L is in hospital, I'm checking on her and she's improving daily). L&K had been to the Russell Watson performance in Lavenham the night before and raved about him and moaned a bit about a few audience members and the failings of the hotel where they stayed overnight. 

I nearly got a beautiful sunset picture while we were driving home but didn't get my phone out quick enough before the amazing colours hid behind a road lined with trees. 

Now it's pruning tidy up season, so steps, long saw and long loppers are out till the brown bin is full. 

And then he added to some of the neighbour's brown bins. 

All is fair as we are loaning freezer space to a neighbour who had to empty theirs and take delivery of a new one. 

Other than that there's been nothing else worth mentioning, oh apart from getting 46 out of 50 in our usual Thursday night YouTube quiz, which is our best score since hubby and I have been doing it alone..... definitely worth mentioning. 

Have a good weekend.

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Homework and Helping Hand........

 
Six of us are now booked for a Northumberland holiday in June, staying in the village of Seahouses near Bamburgh and saying we must visit Lindisfarne while we are there.  FriendLW and friendLL are telling me how they were drawn to the area by a series of books and a film. I've homework to do! 

Had a good read Sunday and this author does paint a vivid picture, although story line is a bit predictable. Finished Holy Island Thursday. I'll leave the second book till next week. 

Dark history with lots of shouting, sword waving and dead bodies. I lost interest in it quite quickly, Hubby watched it through and said it was ok (yeah just ok). 

R was working from home on Monday but finding it hard to concentrate so she changed venue and set herself up here upstairs. Even our very noisy coffee morning wasn't a problem. She came down for lunch and we had a lovely chat, then reluctantly she went back upstairs till Daughter arrived around 5pm when we all had tea before they headed home. 

Surprise visit Tuesday morning from friendKK. I love it when people know they can just drop in, and she didn't care I hadn't showered or got dressed yet hahaha. 

Daughter had mentioned to her local friends we had the water feature to give away and one of her friends really wanted it. She doesn't have a big car and it's concrete and very heavy so to save her suspension she took one part and the plastic reservoir on Tuesday and the second part and the pump on Wednesday. Pleased it will be used and not thrown away. 

Daughter came over too, later Tuesday afternoon as she needed car light bulbs replaced which Hubby always does for her. 

So not much reading done Tuesday. 

Sadly a lot of my time has been punctuated with messaging back and forth about my friend with the delusional mental illness. Still no confirmed diagnosis and allowed home each time she had been in hospital (we think she was discharging herself) which had made her worse. Thankfully at the moment she is back in one hospital department waiting for a bed in the right department but told she can't leave, so we are all praying she gets the treatment she needs to get better. A huge stress on the whole family and making matters worse when she was in hospital last time two family members got parking fines when the machines said no payment required! 

Also heard friendLL has been taken into hospital and will be there all weekend, so we won't see them Saturday as planned. 

It's supermarket daffodil season again, don't they cheer up very chilly days with their promise that spring is on its way. 

Have a good weekend.

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