Life!

Maryanne was hors du combat at the beginning of the month having done her knee in so she was unable to do any walking - just as my ankle was beginning to get better.  So we decided to meet in Denham for lunch so that Mike could cycle out to Denham and meet us at the pub (still in training for his cycle ride to Paris).  I took Suki for a walk along the canal first - up one side and back the other. We had a lovely lunch - it was a scorching hot day and we sat in the garden where Mike's bike drew a lot of attention. St Mary Barnes were having a new web site set up in WordPress and I went along to an afternoon's training session by the hosting company.  However I since managed to get rid of all the Barnes web site stuff on to Trisha - who is absolutely addicted to it and happy to do it all.  The hosting company is a lady who buys a large amount of server space from "Heart" and then sells it on as hosting.  As well as paying her to set up the site Barnes will pay a...

The Majorca trip was a sudden suggestion from Amanda who wanted to visit and see her friends again before the baby is born (due end-May).  The first weekend in April was the best one for me so within a few days we had booked flights and hotel (just 4 nights) and she had organised child care and we were off. Our flight out was 7.30 pm from Stanstead on Saturday 2nd April, and the plane was full – but it was otherwise ok and I had a gin and tonic to get in to the holiday mood.  We were met at Palma Airport by one of Amanda’s friends.  As we left the airport I went to put something in my purse and couldn't find it.  I turned my bag out in the car and it definitely wasn't there.  I felt sick!  Her friend dropped us off at the hotel about 11.45 pm and we checked in – we were lucky to be at the far end of the corridor on the first floor so well away from the noise of the reception area (if not of the bars on the Strip!).  My ankle was very swollen after t...

At the beginning of the month it was Carolyn's birthday and we all met up for dinner at a pub/restaurant in Kennington.  We were booked in for 5 pm as we had been told that we would have to leave by 7 as we had children with us, but actually they let us stay as long as we wanted.  We all met at Carolyn's flat first and then travelled together.  Mike couldn't make it as he was out ringing all day and couldn't get back for the early eating time.  We had a great evening and I had a really lovely steak.  Carolyn and I did a lot of laughing!  I had found the instructions for building the shed - which Carolyn had annotated as we had built it - and we howled with laughter all over again when we read it out. A lovely steak! Family group - trust the birthday girl to be hiding! A surprise cake! Mike and I went to lunch at the Leander Club on 20th March to celebrate Ian Schofield's 60th birthday - interestingly it was exactly the same attendees who had ...

31st Jan - I had a good trip back from Devon - I was lucky because I planned to call in at Haldon Woods just outside Exeter to give Suki a walk on the way home and it was heaving with people, in fact it was difficult to find a car parking space.  When I got to the pay and display machine there was a small notice indicating that the forest was going to be closed at midday because of the weather.  It was by then 1 pm and it was heaving with people enjoying themselves and they were piling in and paying their £3 to park.  So I paid and went for my walk, but when I got back to the car an hour later they had indeed shut the entry gate (exit was still possible) and there was bedlam outside with cars which had turned up and couldn't get in - many with bikes on top.  I don't know where I would have gone if I hadn't been able to get in there because it is 15 miles from Bovey and Suki needed a walk and I like it to be somewhere with toilets so that I can not worry about that ...

Fri 22nd.   I shouldn't have had that kebab last night! It laid heavily on my stomach all night.Got up at 6.30 and had shower then took dog out.  Made breakfast and cleared away, dressed Mike's back and packed the new car.  Ready to go at 8.55-to avoid parking charges.  Couldn't get audible to play through bluetooth so listened on headphones.   Satnav said no maps found.  Screamed in frustration!  Then enjoyed three and a half hours drive to Bovey.  New car absolutely lovely.  Sat at 70 on cruise control most of the way.   Someone rang me while I was driving and I was able to answer the phone through the bluetooth which was great.  I also have something called Emergency Assist when my phone is connected – if I have a crash my phone will automatically contact the emergency services!  Wet and dirty weather so car a mess when we arrived!  By the time I got to Bovey sun was shining and it was quite warm - 14 degrees....

The car outside our house Fri 15th Jan    I bought a new car today! !  Rang handbells in Twickenham in the morning.  Lots of Cambridge Royal practice.  Joan Hooton died.  Judy sparling dropped in for cup of tea. Amanda and Sam arrived back in the afternoon after lunch with Lorraine and suggested going with me to Ford to look at cars.  So took suki for a walk and then we went off.  Two hours later I was the proud owner of a 5 door fiesta titanium  1 year old with 3000 on the clock.  It is classified as a used car, but is an ex-demo model and only has 3000 miles on the clock.  It is a black, 5-door Fiesta Titanium with all the bells and whistles that bigger cars have, plus the DAB radio with bluetooth and voice recognition. It is also turbo-charged and eco-friendly - to the extent that it is exempt from road tax!  Amanda and Sam sat in the back for the test drive and they thought it was great too.  The three of us went...

I had a back up for this month from the diary - it ended on 27th January so catch-ups will be a lot shorter with a lot less detail after this!  Hooray do I hear you say?? New Year's Day Stepped on scales this morning with fear and trepidation and found I hadn't put on any weight over the Christmas break.  Overjoyed.   Made a great start to  the year.  Several resolutions made - one of which is to have lost weight by the time Jayne comes home in April. (Some of which never got off the ground and all of which except that one didn't last very long!)   Went walking with Maryanne,  Mary and Steve on a walk from their (very old) walk book which started at St Peter's Wootton.  Very very muddy especially in gateways.  Two dogs latched on to us for miles and we didn't know how to get rid of them - I kept swearing at them and shouting but that didn't seem to work!  Then just before we got to the pub, one of them got stuck in a field and sta...