Hedge and tree lopping day

Three generations.  That's the middle one apparently sitting on the hedge - just above the car

Old friends

Old friends dropped in for coffee.
L to R : Joy, Hannah, (Margaret's granddaughter), David ( Margaret's SIL), Margaret, Sara (Margaret's daughter,) Jackie (Joy's daughter).

Job done!

 

Alice said:

 

"I read on your blog about grandpa's office - how fantastic you've been able

to sort through! I've probably only been in there a handful of times, and only when I was younger

I  can just picture all the boxes!! They seemed to tower over me, although I was probably quite a bit smaller at the time!!"



Job done

A bleak moment.






That's more like it.

 

Something to look forward to.

 

For the last six months my main task has been to get MTL’s study into working order.  He could make sense of the chaos but it was something of a nightmare for anyone else.  I didn’t count the cardboard boxes full of files going back – roughly - 40 years – in triplicate.  Suffice to say you would never know that the carpet was a deep peacock colour.

 

Nevertheless it made sense to him and I was only too happy to hand any complicated paper work over to him.

 ‘Do I have to do anything about this darling?’

‘No – just hand it over and I’ll deal with it.’

I miss that.

 I’ve had to get used to dealing with my pet allergies: income tax, insurance, car stuff etc whilst that part of my brain has been on a glorious vacation for 30 odd years.  I suppose lessons could be learned from this but it’s a bit late for this poor cow.

Whilst we are at it – another thing I miss is the ‘Guess what darling…’syndrome.

Having learnt a spicy bit of news – only relevant to the two of us, and he’s not there to guess.

 

After countless evenings tearing up A4s - I didn’t fancy a shredder - and a hilarious bonfire experience with our French son I felt it was safe to book Mick and Mandy to transform the room with their wall washing , painting and decorating.  Thank goodness I decided to stick with the original colours because once the room was empty and freshly decorated there was no sign of MTL.  A bleak moment.

 Ironically my next task was to do my utmost to get it back to what it was – without the chaos.  When I’ve finished titivating I’ll attempt to post a photo.  I hope he would approve.

 Oh – something to look forward to; I’ve booked a cruise for next May – just me.  Something we never did and a place we’ve never visited: the Norwegian Fjords with – I believe - beautiful mountains and lakes – that he would love.

 I had a phone call this morning from a distant land asking to speak to my husband.

‘You can’t – he’s dead!’

‘May I have your Christian name Madam?’

 Flu’ jab today.  Do get it done if it is relevant to you.

A thank you.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions but I’m the one who needs fixing today.

Probably a mild reaction from my trip on Tuesday

In the end I did as I always but did a smaller amount.  It’s worked for me.

Have a good weekendJ

 

My last day in Wiltshire

Inevitably Morris Dancers

An amazing street artiste

Shop full of fascinating people and guitars

Doing his bit for charity

Next to the railway station.  The two birds didn't realise they were meant to take off in a flock when they heard  us -  for a photie

My last day in Wiltshire

The streets of Bath


One of the beautiful old buildings

He sounded great in the open air.

Borrowed from Mike

Ann


Mike and Pat taken before we ambled down the lane for lunch.

Sea glass necklaces

Inspired by Leah Simone Namour's beautiful necklace on Face Book which she made from a piece of glass from Brighton beach and crochet wire- I dug out the above.  MTL and I found the green stone on Aphrodite's beach in Cyprus.  Not as gifted as Leah I took it to our jeweller and asked him to mount it so I  could wear it on a chain.  He looked quite horrified and insisted it was ' just a piece of glass Mrs Mackay.'  No imagination:)
Wouldn't it be fun if they were both part of the same bottle?

More lovely bloggers.

 

 Actually Mike is the blogger but they are very much a couple (married 50 years) and that’s how I think of them.  First I ’met’ their daughter Nea

 http://ne-angle.blogspot.co.uk/

who lives in Sweden and has been a helpful blogging friend over the years.  Then I ‘met’ Mike and Ann through Mike’s blog. http://www.blogger.com/profile/07558857315748815249

.

I thought there was little chance of actually meeting them as they live the other side of the country so I was delighted to hear they were contemplating a visit to the SW and hoped to see me – actually invited me out to lunch.

 

We fixed a date and then I went to stay with my Wiltshire family when everything went out of my head except the date.  I had forgotten that I had given Ann my address so was expecting to hear from them to give directions.  By Saturday I thought I had better give them a ring.  No answer.  It is a difficult journey and I felt a little worried – a weakness of mine.  I just hoped I hadn’t made a ghastly mistake and thought that they had perhaps changed their plans.

 

Monday morning Nea commented that she would be thinking of us so I thanked Heaven I had put some make- up on and was only 5 minutes away from fit for purpose.  Then I got a phone call from Ann – they were at the bottom of the lane and by 12 noon we were united.  After a cup of coffee and a natter they were like old friends.

 

We wandered down the lane to the Bistro – sadly the owner Kim wasn’t there but the lunch was good – comfort food Mike called it and for the first time ever I had a threesome with the pudding.  Our waitress, who was somewhat impassive, didn’t turn a hair.  Time flew – they are delightful company and such a shame they don’t live closer.  After a last cuppa we said goodbye.  Unusually for me I was so absorbed I didn’t take my camera.  These last few days we have had ultra pleasant weather –altogether one can’t grumble.

Like the gentleman he is Mike apologised profusely for not phoning again but it really was my forgetting what we had arranged.  Mea Culpa

My new quilt

The pictures are wrong, the lamp is wrong and the cushions are wrong - but it is so like my Grandma's ancient handkerchief case - I had to have it.

Warminster

Syd - after S Barrett.

Both cats endlessly groom themselves

Zoot - under his brother's thumb

He knows his place

Syd plotting his next move.  He disappeared as we were leaving the house causing great consternation.
Then he snook back in when we were in the car but his master spotted him.

The rowan trees were glowing

Even golden rod blended with autumnal hues

The Weymouth Hotel  served excellent food. I like the impressionist feel to this.



I had Bayley's creme brulee.  The splodges were the perfect accompaniment.