Life!

And so the pressure builds - cards to write, newsletter to finish off and print out, presents to buy and wrap!  At the end of November I felt quietly confident I had it all under control, but ever since the beginning of December I have just felt a rising sense of panic! When I got back from Butlins the place was in upheaval - after 28 years we have had to say goodbye to our wonderful, reliable Potterton boiler and have a new one.  We are also being obliged to have a thermostat and new heating controls!  The plumber had already removed the old boiler and installed the new one - which had entailed destroying the cupboard and surround that the people building the extension had put in.  They hadn't really envisaged a time when the boiler would be changed so had made the cupboard an integral part of the wall!  So now we will need a plasterer and possibly a carpenter to make good the damage.  Sounds like a Flanders and Swann song! The whole process took 3 day...

This was held at Butlin's Skegness 4th-6th December.  Lorraine and I were booked in for the 3 nights but as Lorraine was working on Friday until 8.30 pm we decided to drive down to Skegness on the Saturday morning and just have 2 nights there.  The big draw for me was Steeleye Span, but it was also on my bucket list to go to a music festival, and this seemed more civilised than the tents and wellies in rain and mud version. We set off at 8.30 hoping to arrive about midday - but unfortunately we had a slight navigational error with the Google Map instructions when we came off the M1 and were nearly at Oxford before  realised we were going in the wrong direction.  So we had to retrace our steps some 20 miles back again.  Otherwise it was a hassle-free journey and we arrived about 1.30.  We checked in and found we had been upgraded from a Silver room to a Silver apartment - it was lovely, with a small kitchenette and living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom....

1 December - went to Forever Fit class, but it wasn't very aerobic and spent a lot of time using stretchy bands which hurt my wrists. In the afternoon prepared my Christmas card labels and they printed out perfectly first time which is very rare. Also prepared a secondary e-card using photos of Suki which came out well. Went swimming in the evening.  Earlier I had bought a pink swimming cap which was very easy to put on and did manage to cover all my hair - and it matched my costume nicely. Decided to swim until I got cramp or needed a wee. Cramp came first after 40 mins - managed 44 lengths including one of crawl (well my version of crawl).  When Mike came in later Suki jumped off his knee and ran after a fox. I could hear Mike whistling her way down the road so I went downstairs to try and help with a squeaker, and Suki was in the hall looking out of the wide open front door with a puzzled look on her face! So it was Mike I had to go and find! Went over to Keith's on Wedne...

The end of November was a challenge for Mike's voice with the Chiswick Choir concert on the Saturday, Messiah Part 1 with St Nicholas Church Choir on Advent Sunday, and Berlioz Grande Messes des Morts at the Royal Albert Hall with Goldsmith's Choral Union on Monday. On the Saturday Mike was persuaded (pressured) into going and judging the Oxford DG striking competition in the morning - going straight to the rehearsal at St M&AA for 2.30.  He only came in from the rehearsal at 5.50 pm - I'm glad I wasn't in the choir as I would have felt very pressured being that late.  What with the extra long rehearsal, and a number of panicky emails to the choir email list during the week from the chairman about everyone doing more homework, I thought the concert might be rather hit and miss but actually it was very good and the choir made a really good sound and were certainly watching the conductor much more than they used to do.  It was a programme of French music, most of wh...

Got back to London about 4 pm - having avoided a 70 minute delay on the M4, which was showing on the gantries and on my satnav, by going round the M25 to the M40.  Unpacked the car and immediately took Suki out for a short walk as it was getting dark.  Lorraine was in and she told me that my computer had packed up when she tried to use it - stuck in a "startup repair was unable to repair this computer" loop. Mike came in from ringing QPs about 6 pm and told me that the Dice clock had gone haywire and had become extremely temperamental.  Seemed like gremlins had moved in while I had been away!! Then the next morning the heating failed to come on - tried all the usual things but it sounded like the pump had stopped working.  Weather was freezing  and Cantanti people coming to lunch!  We managed to keep the living room reasonably warm with the gas fire in the front bit and the electric heater in the back bit, and having the oven on from 11 am also helped. ...

Realised that this trip I will have to order Christmas turkey etc as next time it will be Christmas.  Can't believe it - where does the time go? 12th - Saw Mike off to work, took suki for a short walk, had a shower and set off just after 9.30 - arriving at 1 pm.  I had fruit medley, banana and sandwiches with me which kept me going and off the sweets.  Spent a couple of hours doing the post whilst having a cup of tea.  Opened my birthday present from Jayne and promptly burst into tears.  Another beautiful horse, a brilliant picture which looked just like suki, and another fleece. Such thoughtful presents - and I was already feeling a bit sad that she was not here.  Had to put all the clocks back.  Then went up to the moor for a shortish walk from the small car park, and called in to see Mary afterwards - so felt I had achieved a lot! Expected Bill King in the evening to do the cupboards but he didn't turn up.  After text communications w...

I was so enthused with the handbell successes last month that I decided to be uber keen and told Tim I was available any lunchtime, any evening except Mondays and Thursdays and all day Saturday and Sunday.  In response I was put down for Fri evening and Sunday evening, neither of which were to attempt a peal!  It felt a bit like a slap in the face, but at least it left me free to fix up the other stuff I wanted to do such as visit Lee and Emma, go to Exeter, meet up with Jackie, get Bill King in to do cupboards etc etc. 1st - Mike walked Suki in the afternoon which allowed me to get right up to date with this blog.  I decided not to go and sing in the choir at the All Souls Service in the evening as I had a cold but I went along to the service and lit a candle when Dad's name was read out.  The sermon by Andrew was very moving.  We had a handbell practice afterwards in the hall.  Then home and to bed for a nice early night. 2nd - tried out the Zumba tod...