One of the nicer things about here is the garden
This year we got 16 pounds of gooseberries. Now if you havn't tried gooseberries from the bush then you have not really lived.
Likewise peas, you can keep your birds eye fresh as the day stuff. Straight from the plant and raw is the only way.
We have been buried in courgettes and tomatoes. Management says we have saved a fortune but really it is the quality that does it, far better than anything you could get in the shops.
Gout has not helped at all, for much of what feels like forever I have had horrible gout, been unable to drive the fire engine, unable to use spanners - it has been terrible.
I went to the most fantastic steam fair and instead of taking part I had to watch.
Monday though we are off to Brittany I hope the nice weather will drive it away.
Today, someone offered me a barn - for nothing, my sort of price.
So maybe things are imrooving.
I hope so.
I havn't even felt like writing, - not me at all.
R
;
Thursday, 29 July 2010
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
A rain of fear....
How we wish this was a more normal year.
A few years back we would be in Brittany by now, settling in for a month.
Now we are still over here being rained on.
I am supposed to be going away for the weekend but my gout is hovering and a tentative drive out in the fire engine ended in pain, in generous helpings.
Today though we had a meeting in Daycastle a 120 mile blast up the motorway through plenty of precipitation
The trip home turned all interesting as something fell to bits inside the drive of the windscreen wipers meaning wiperS became wiper.
Management could see what was going on sat on the passengers side, me, I was navigating the car using the force. She was a great help though, I could tell by the whimpers and looks if things were getting a bit exciting in front of the car.
We got home OK though and she has rediscovered her faith...
R
A few years back we would be in Brittany by now, settling in for a month.
Now we are still over here being rained on.
I am supposed to be going away for the weekend but my gout is hovering and a tentative drive out in the fire engine ended in pain, in generous helpings.
Today though we had a meeting in Daycastle a 120 mile blast up the motorway through plenty of precipitation
The trip home turned all interesting as something fell to bits inside the drive of the windscreen wipers meaning wiperS became wiper.
Management could see what was going on sat on the passengers side, me, I was navigating the car using the force. She was a great help though, I could tell by the whimpers and looks if things were getting a bit exciting in front of the car.
We got home OK though and she has rediscovered her faith...
R
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Welcome to the house of pain......
There comes a point where work catches up with you.
Yesterday the tarmac team cracked into action. Trailers were filled shovels were waved rakes raked and over 100 feet of tarmac drive layed. It has been Talimacadamed, a real 17 year old slave driver pushing everyone and everything to the limit.
Today, there is a degree of unenthusiasm Branwen has entered a groanathon and management is decidedly stiff and slow.
Taliesin departed for work saying he will expect to do another 30 feet when he comes home.
I think we will all be out, mind you, Serenity is dropping her kids off soon and I dare say we will all want to be "out " for a little while.
Worrying though, My wrists are not good and I am supposed to be driving a fire engine several hundred miles this week.
R
.
Yesterday the tarmac team cracked into action. Trailers were filled shovels were waved rakes raked and over 100 feet of tarmac drive layed. It has been Talimacadamed, a real 17 year old slave driver pushing everyone and everything to the limit.
Today, there is a degree of unenthusiasm Branwen has entered a groanathon and management is decidedly stiff and slow.
Taliesin departed for work saying he will expect to do another 30 feet when he comes home.
I think we will all be out, mind you, Serenity is dropping her kids off soon and I dare say we will all want to be "out " for a little while.
Worrying though, My wrists are not good and I am supposed to be driving a fire engine several hundred miles this week.
R
.
Friday, 16 July 2010
Schooling and education
Years seem to fly by,.
It was but a little time ago, or so it seems that Bethan started her full time education at the little school in the valley. Now she is downstairs filling in job applications and her youngest brother Gwion is at his very last day at the same valley school
For 14 years, every school day one or both of us has been outside the gate of that school morning and afternoon, today that ends.
It feels a bit sad really.
R
It was but a little time ago, or so it seems that Bethan started her full time education at the little school in the valley. Now she is downstairs filling in job applications and her youngest brother Gwion is at his very last day at the same valley school
For 14 years, every school day one or both of us has been outside the gate of that school morning and afternoon, today that ends.
It feels a bit sad really.
R
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Time runs by...
S'funny, when you are not 100 percent you lose the will to be sarcastic and cynical.
So I have been all quiet untill today when, I admit I feel a good deal better.
That of course being relative, the weekend was some weekend, another spent at the musci festival but with the rider that this time the people working for me were really good.
It was an utter delight to get to 9 pm on Friday night and have a bunch of staff who took over running the show so I could go and see some bands. Amongst others I saw a band called Kismet who are a brilliant live band.
Saturday likewise I was just there to supervise and got to see even more bands.
It does all add up though and by Sunday I was a bit tired to put it mildly and every part of my body was aching - this was formation pain.
The trip home in an 806 with a caravan dangling off the end stopped a bit short of fun.
The kids though had all had a great time and bedtime and sleep were not big arguing issues.
In fact the house was in dead silence at 9 am yesterday morning. Altogether a nicer state of affairs.
We eventually got dragged from slumber by the builder who had arrived to finish putting in windows at the back of the house.
Today has been a nicer day again,playing errr working hard sorting out a green goddess then attacked the woodpile with the chainsaw all full of energy following the fitment of a new chain.
Now though it's rain stopped play so I might as well fill in a bit of space on here, waiting for inspiration of the sarcastic cynical kind..
R
So I have been all quiet untill today when, I admit I feel a good deal better.
That of course being relative, the weekend was some weekend, another spent at the musci festival but with the rider that this time the people working for me were really good.
It was an utter delight to get to 9 pm on Friday night and have a bunch of staff who took over running the show so I could go and see some bands. Amongst others I saw a band called Kismet who are a brilliant live band.
Saturday likewise I was just there to supervise and got to see even more bands.
It does all add up though and by Sunday I was a bit tired to put it mildly and every part of my body was aching - this was formation pain.
The trip home in an 806 with a caravan dangling off the end stopped a bit short of fun.
The kids though had all had a great time and bedtime and sleep were not big arguing issues.
In fact the house was in dead silence at 9 am yesterday morning. Altogether a nicer state of affairs.
We eventually got dragged from slumber by the builder who had arrived to finish putting in windows at the back of the house.
Today has been a nicer day again,
Now though it's rain stopped play so I might as well fill in a bit of space on here, waiting for inspiration of the sarcastic cynical kind..
R
Monday, 5 July 2010
How green wood you be.
Sort of getting back on my feet after the horrid gout episode that really sidelined me.
Off today to the woodyard and dragging trailer loads of wood back here whilst pretending I do not know what the maximum load for an 806 is.
Guessed it was a bit loaded though when I met Bethan coming up the drive on driving lesson bent at a point where it was either reverse 500 m with the trailer on the back or drive down through the field.Some very odd creaks and groans from the 806 as I crossed a few ruts.
Then to compound it all met Bethan again coming the other way, did she slow down, did she give way, Is she her mothers daughter.....
Instructor and I both took cover, Bethan just steamed on missing the trailer by microns, that was either skill or something else.
At least the management is a little happier, this conferencing thing demands a bit of respectability, not quite morning suit but a bit tidy nonetheless.
Management was decidedly perturbed, she seems a lot happier now I am getting to look a bit more disheveled.
R
Off today to the woodyard and dragging trailer loads of wood back here whilst pretending I do not know what the maximum load for an 806 is.
Guessed it was a bit loaded though when I met Bethan coming up the drive on driving lesson bent at a point where it was either reverse 500 m with the trailer on the back or drive down through the field.Some very odd creaks and groans from the 806 as I crossed a few ruts.
Then to compound it all met Bethan again coming the other way, did she slow down, did she give way, Is she her mothers daughter.....
Instructor and I both took cover, Bethan just steamed on missing the trailer by microns, that was either skill or something else.
At least the management is a little happier, this conferencing thing demands a bit of respectability, not quite morning suit but a bit tidy nonetheless.
Management was decidedly perturbed, she seems a lot happier now I am getting to look a bit more disheveled.
R
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Danger UXB!!!!
It has been another of those quiet weeks I seem to have every so often. A jolly little drive to Hatfield for a conference, co presenting a paper no less. Really had to reconfigure brane so as to give the illusion of intelligence. Think we fooled them...
Then back home to the unfolding crisis, UXB, that in second world war talk was unexploded bomb something that could liven up your whole day. Here it's the same only diferent.
The management has been elderflowering briskly these last few weeks and we have had to resort to isolating the bottles. Opening one produces a 4 foot jet and the fear is the bottles might let go under the pressure.
Still, on the positive side we have lots of new windows and doors fitted.
We have also come up with one of our occasional financial schemes that loks like we might be in a bit of a better financial position in a little while.
Could save us a fortune over the next few years.
R
Then back home to the unfolding crisis, UXB, that in second world war talk was unexploded bomb something that could liven up your whole day. Here it's the same only diferent.
The management has been elderflowering briskly these last few weeks and we have had to resort to isolating the bottles. Opening one produces a 4 foot jet and the fear is the bottles might let go under the pressure.
Still, on the positive side we have lots of new windows and doors fitted.
We have also come up with one of our occasional financial schemes that loks like we might be in a bit of a better financial position in a little while.
Could save us a fortune over the next few years.
R
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