Today was Father's Day and my beloved's daughter wanted to make a surprise visit. How difficult do you think it would be to organise? Well I can tell you... very difficult indeed. I was away from Thursday til late last night, without a hope in hell of buying food so I had to get him to buy it. I thought my plan was extremely cunning. It went like this:
"We don't seem to have had much time together over the past few weeks, so let's plan for Sunday to be just for us. But the only problem is that I'm away so you'll have to get the food. And because I'm working all next week it would be really good if we could have a BBQ and cook loads of food and that way I can have leftovers for my lunch next week."
Then I had to get my step daughter to pretend to make a plan for a date to come over in July (I thought that would put him totally off the trail), and then to make sure she phoned first thing this morning to tell my beloved that he would get his card by Monday.
And it worked! The shocked look on his face when they arrived was a treat. We had such a lovely day, with of course the grandchild being the total focus of attention. The weather was great, which added to the pleasure, and the BBQ was fantastic... though not much left for me to take for lunch for the week.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Sib news
I know the smallest of the coffee plants is no more, but the sibs are doing quite well, with lots of new growth and healthy looking leaves. There are two bigger ones
and the three smalls
There are still some brown bits on a couple of leaves but I'm not so worried due to all the new growing that's going on. Given that the weather has been so awful I'm so pleased we splashed out on the growlamp, as I'm not at all sure what shape they would all have been in if they'd just been left on the windowsill to wait for the sun to make it's odd appearance.
However, rather strangely the other plants that seem to be growing well right now are the herbs that were planted a couple of weeks ago. The pot with parsley, coriander, thyme and chives is brimming over which is a bit odd given the awful weather we've been having recently. They seem to love it, which is more than I do. I'm sure that as I'm heading for London this weekend to be stuck inside working for two days the weather will be glorious. Bets anyone?
and the three smalls
There are still some brown bits on a couple of leaves but I'm not so worried due to all the new growing that's going on. Given that the weather has been so awful I'm so pleased we splashed out on the growlamp, as I'm not at all sure what shape they would all have been in if they'd just been left on the windowsill to wait for the sun to make it's odd appearance.
However, rather strangely the other plants that seem to be growing well right now are the herbs that were planted a couple of weeks ago. The pot with parsley, coriander, thyme and chives is brimming over which is a bit odd given the awful weather we've been having recently. They seem to love it, which is more than I do. I'm sure that as I'm heading for London this weekend to be stuck inside working for two days the weather will be glorious. Bets anyone?
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Thanks to the millions
Yesterday was my unbirthday. My real birthday was so awful I decided that I was going to celebrate it again 6 months on, so my friend Shirley joined me for lunch at The Outsider, which was lovely... that is until she found a hair in her food... she'd already eaten more than half so didn't want anything else. Still they didn't charge for it and we got free coffee's too, so not all bad.
Then as I was going to give her a lift back to hers before I had to go to a meeting (yes, I was working just for a couple of hours, even on my unbirthday), she came with me to my car and on the way we decided, as we were passing, to call in at the Apple shop and play with an iPad.
I've been saying that I would never get one, because frankly I didn't see the point. I've got an iPhone so why on earth would I get something the same but bigger that you can't even phone on. But after 2 minutes playing with it my mind was changed completely. It was just soooo unutterably cool. And of course, no-one could possibly need one, but as Shirley pointed out it's not about need it's about want.
I was on the point of being convinced that I should buy one, when the sales person told me that because they've sold in their millions there's now a waiting list. I'm so grateful to all of you who've bought one as it meant that my impulsive side was not pandered to and I walked away, not on a list and not buying one... well that's the story so far!
Then as I was going to give her a lift back to hers before I had to go to a meeting (yes, I was working just for a couple of hours, even on my unbirthday), she came with me to my car and on the way we decided, as we were passing, to call in at the Apple shop and play with an iPad.
I've been saying that I would never get one, because frankly I didn't see the point. I've got an iPhone so why on earth would I get something the same but bigger that you can't even phone on. But after 2 minutes playing with it my mind was changed completely. It was just soooo unutterably cool. And of course, no-one could possibly need one, but as Shirley pointed out it's not about need it's about want.
I was on the point of being convinced that I should buy one, when the sales person told me that because they've sold in their millions there's now a waiting list. I'm so grateful to all of you who've bought one as it meant that my impulsive side was not pandered to and I walked away, not on a list and not buying one... well that's the story so far!
Monday, 7 June 2010
The blessed dog
Yesterday, while my beloved was still away, the dog and I spent a pleasant day together walking, cleaning (well I can't say either of us enjoyed that bit that much, but it needed to be done), and watching the French Open.
Nell enjoyed the match quite a bit and was very relaxed about it as you can see. In the end, though I think Nadal played brilliantly, it was a bit boring as it was very one sided. So at the same time I enjoyed a Facebook conversation with my friend, Tracy, who is in Kathmandu right now.
The orange cord on Nell's collar is a blessing cord which Tracy sent all the way from India for Nell, and it was blessed by the Karmapa, so she is a very lucky dog indeed. I thought it would be nice for Tracy to see that her efforts to bless my dog were not in vain. Thanks Tracy!
Nell enjoyed the match quite a bit and was very relaxed about it as you can see. In the end, though I think Nadal played brilliantly, it was a bit boring as it was very one sided. So at the same time I enjoyed a Facebook conversation with my friend, Tracy, who is in Kathmandu right now.
The orange cord on Nell's collar is a blessing cord which Tracy sent all the way from India for Nell, and it was blessed by the Karmapa, so she is a very lucky dog indeed. I thought it would be nice for Tracy to see that her efforts to bless my dog were not in vain. Thanks Tracy!
Saturday, 5 June 2010
Sad news
It's with regret that I have to announce that the smallest of the coffee plants is no more... I really tried to do what I could to help it recover, but I think the last pruning was the final straw. I don't think it would have survived anyway, and I suppose at least I tried.
Still it feels sad. It must now be coming up five years since the coffee plants were first planted and in spite of expense, talking, feeding etc at the end of the day it wasn't to be.
I keep thinking of the dead parrot sketch for some strange reason, but am resisting the urge....
Still it feels sad. It must now be coming up five years since the coffee plants were first planted and in spite of expense, talking, feeding etc at the end of the day it wasn't to be.
I keep thinking of the dead parrot sketch for some strange reason, but am resisting the urge....
Friday, 4 June 2010
Change of plan
Last night I got a phone call from She Who Must Not Be Named to tell me that the photographer in the family had made a slight error and the course he was due to go on was not on this weekend.
So no visit, which means no tidying, which means I can go guilt free and enjoy the sunshine. The only slight fly in the ointment is that at this present moment there is no sunshine.
Maybe housework will get done after all.
So no visit, which means no tidying, which means I can go guilt free and enjoy the sunshine. The only slight fly in the ointment is that at this present moment there is no sunshine.
Maybe housework will get done after all.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Getting ready
Tomorrow we have a visit from She Who Must Not Be Named and the lovely R. He is on the way to a date with photographic destiny, while She Who Must Not Be Named and I take a visit to sites of previously discovered fab shoes in the big metropolis, Edinburgh. I feel my bank balance might take a knocking!
In the meantime of course the house needs a desperate tidy, but given that today has been just one of two fantastically sunny days this week, I'm afraid that any house work will have to wait so that I can bask in the last few hours of sun left today. It's one of the pains of being in paid employment that I rarely get home in time to enjoy the weather... still a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, and where there's spare time and sun, there must be sitting in it.
The house will just have to be a mess, and I'm sure after a glass or two of wine and a bbq, She Who Must Not Be Named and R won't be all that bothered... at least that's what I'm hoping. I'm only going to be around in the morning as I need to be at work for the afternoon, and the promise of good weather due tomorrow means that the only thing I can guarantee I shall be getting ready is my tan.
In the meantime of course the house needs a desperate tidy, but given that today has been just one of two fantastically sunny days this week, I'm afraid that any house work will have to wait so that I can bask in the last few hours of sun left today. It's one of the pains of being in paid employment that I rarely get home in time to enjoy the weather... still a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, and where there's spare time and sun, there must be sitting in it.
The house will just have to be a mess, and I'm sure after a glass or two of wine and a bbq, She Who Must Not Be Named and R won't be all that bothered... at least that's what I'm hoping. I'm only going to be around in the morning as I need to be at work for the afternoon, and the promise of good weather due tomorrow means that the only thing I can guarantee I shall be getting ready is my tan.
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