Solstice

Today is the Winter Solstice... sunrise is the latest in the morning, and sunset is the earliest in the afternoon.  Despite all of the "hype" the day still has 24 hours. I was up before the sun, not emerging for my coffee until 07:35. It was pouring with rain, much to Jasper's disgust. Once Diane pottered downstairs, I provided her with liquid sustenance, dressed, and prepared for my call with the cousins.

The call followed the usual pattern of laughter and banter before we all wished each other Happy Christmas and signed off. Zoe brought Ellie around as the call finished. She was clearly a lot more sparkly than she had been for the past few days. We ended up playing chess, bingo, and even Monopoly with her throughout the day.

I managed to get out for a walk. Diane needed her meds collecting from the local pharmacy. I plugged my book into my ears and headed out into the wilds. I had dressed in my head-to-toe waterproofs... only to find they were superfluous. The rain had stopped and despite the local forecast, did not start again. By the time I got home, I was beginning to overheat. My waterproofs are lined for icy weather and were too warm for today.

The afternoon has seen us cocooned in front of the TV. Ellie had played another game of chess against the computer and decided she had had enough for the day. I just hope she maintains and builds on this level of interest.

Stop Press! Ellie has just rushed in to show me that she has just beaten the computer. I checked it all and could confirm that she had achieved a very good checkmate.

Late News

 I have just realised that I forgot to comment on the momentous arrival of Eloise Danielle into the world. Paul sent me a message from Connecticut late one night this week to inform me of the arrival and to provide some first-day photos of the beautiful little bundle snuggling up to Cathy. Micael and Emily (the parents) are doing well, and the grandparents are just moving into overdrive (which will last for years)! We are so pleased for them all.

I set a wakeup alarm this morning. Our plan was to complete yesterday's shopping before Sainsbury's got busy and before Ellie was due to be dropped off. We walked in the door at 08:00 and the shop was almost deserted. We were able to whizz around and collect everything that was left on our list from yesterday. By 09:00 we were back in the car and heading home.

Ellie was dropped off mid-morning. She is clearly a lot better. She had colour back in her cheeks and was full of beans. During the morning she helped Diane finish off some of the decorations and watched a lot of YouTube junk. At lunchtime, she settled down and asked if she could play chess with me. I was delighted that she wanted to play, but nervous because I hadn't played since my early teens. Could I even remember the rules?

The game went well and it took me about an hour to beat her, but in so doing, I showed her various moves that she could make to damage my attack. She took it all in and started to think independently. It was very much cat and mouse. When we finished, I went back to check some of the rules... (which I admitted during the game, had not been clear to me). Next time we play, we will adhere to the rules that I had missed... and no doubt, she will beat me. What a shame I have lost contact with Carl Spencer (Deep Blue); he would trounce me and teach Ellie properly.

This afternoon Ellie went and played with Maddie. We had some Kindle time until Diane had to take Jasper to the vet. 

With Ellie back here, we have just finished dinner and, if it stops raining, plan to go to the Salvation Army Carol Concert just along the road.

It stopped raining, so we strolled along to the next road and joined in the carols with the Salvation Army brass band, who had set up on someone's driveway.

We stayed out singing carols for about 45 minutes. Though there was quite a gathering, very few seemed to be joining in with the singing. We did our bit but seemed to be lone voices in the dark.

It was a nice little event and it provided an opportunity for the neighbours to get together.

Lightning Raid

 `it was a slow start again as Zoe didn't have to be at work until 11, so Ellie would be dropped off mid-morning. I did, however, have to deal with both of our bins (refuse and recycling) and Chris and Maureen's now that they are cruising through the Bay of Biscay on their way to the Canaries for Christmas. It was bright and sunny, but remarkably chilly first thing.

Diane had an appointment at the hairdresser during the morning. (The result is even more lovely). I stayed put as Ellie was due. She had had a bit of a setback and was very pale and suffering from a sore throat when she arrived. I let her go and chill out in front of the TV while I worked on a rough menu plan for the next 10 days... with emphasis on what would be suitable for Ellie as she is likely to be here a great deal. Then, having done a meal plan I completed the shopping list for a raid on Sainsbury's.

After lunch, I left Ellie with Di and headed for Sainsbury's to wade through the list. It went smoothly, since everything was available, but it failed because my trolley was full long before my list was empty. I paid the bill (with a hefty contribution from the accumulated Nectar points) and headed home. It took ages to squirrel everything away... and I am now worried there will be nowhere to put the remainder of the items from the list that we will have to get in the next day or so.

We are expecting the local charity Santa run and collection tonight, so hopefully they will arrive before Ellie collapses.

That didn't quite go to plan. 

Santa, it appears, has broken down just around the corner. We had to get dressed up and head out into the chilly evening to go and see him. At least Ellie had a one-on-one with him while his Elves wandered around the estate explaining to people that Rudolf had a blowout in his hoof and was waiting for the AA.

At least it happened tonight, and Santra has time to get it fixed before the production run on Christmas eve when he has to visit all the kids across the world.

Ward 12

There was no need to get up early. Ellie was not going to school and Zoe was not due to start until 10:00. Diane had cancelled Pilates but did meet with the girls to exchange cards and gifts. Ellie stayed home with me. We played several board games and she finished writing Xmas cards for her friends. She seems a lot brighter today and the antibiotics seem to be working.

After I had made lunch, Ellie and I started working on a jigsaw. I say "started" because she only lasted about 10 minutes and then left it to Grandpa. To be fair, it was quite a complex picture with many similarities across the image - just to make it more difficult.

When Nana got home, Ellie swooped onto her coattails and followed her like a shadow for most of the afternoon. They went out for a while to hand deliver the Xmas cards for the neighbours... I carried on with the jigsaw.

I did have some fun with the new "Image Playground" feature on the MacBook (and iPad). I generated AI representations of the family members. To save embarrassment I will only show the image of me.

Diane has gone back out this evening. She is meeting up with Kim in Southsea to see Anton du Beke at the King's Theatre.

Bulletin

 It was nearly one o'clock before Diane, Zoe and Ellie returned from the hospital. It appears that Ellie has a chest infection and has been given some antibiotics. By the time they got home, Ellie was asleep and it was 10 o'clock this morning before she woke up. She has started on the medication regime and will hopefully recover quickly. Clearly, she did not go to school today and is unlikely to return before the end of term on Thursday.

Despite the very late night, I was awake at the usual time but did manage to stay put until nearly 7:30. It was another hour or so before Diane emerged.

The morning was spent finishing off all of the Christmas cards (both real and virtual). It did mean, however, that I had to raid Sainsbury's for an extra box of cards. As I left the house, I found that Yodel had left a package on our doorstep. It was a 35kg box containing our new bookcase. I slid it (I couldn't lift it) into the hall and then headed out.

Back home, with the extra Xmas cards, and tank full of petrol, I set about the assembly of the bookcase. The instructions were not as good as some recent items we have bought, but with a bit of thought it became obvious what needed to be done and the the unit was soon complete. 

Diane came to my rescue when it came to finding the optimum location for the bookcase. It is now under the lounge window and contains all of my blogs.

Trimmed

 We were up early for Ellie's drop-off. She was bubbly as usual and ready for breakfast. I left her in Di's capable hands and went up for my shower. We walked Ellie to school and I then peeled off for my morning walk.

Diane was going out to meet a friend for coffee. I stayed put and made a start on the Christmas cards (a bit late, you may well say). Cards were a mix of atoms (physical cards) and bits (eCards). We haven't finished the list yet, but we are nearly finished.  

I did manage to sneak out for a walk and to get my hair cut before lunch. There was no time for Kindles today so we continued with the cards until it was time to collect Ellie from school.

When Ellie came out from class, she was very pale and hadn't been feeling well. The school (claimed) they had tried to call Zoe, but there was no "missed call" on either of her phones and Diane and I had been available all day and could have been at the school within 5 minutes if needed.

Zoe collected Ellie and we have just heard that she has been on the phone with 111. They want Ellie seen by a clinician, so we await the outcome. The phone rang. It was Zoe. They want Ellie to be taken to A&E. Nana has grabbed the keys, her Kindle, a battery charger and her phone, and disappeared in a cloud of dust to collect Zoe and Ellie. She will keep me updated; meanwhile, I will slump in an armchair a read my Kindle.

Santa Run

 There was no frantic hurry to get going this morning. Despite this, I was up before seven. Ellie and Diane followed me down after a while and started on breakfast. The important thing was for Diane to avoid the overnight news, Facebook, and the radio. We hadn't seen the "Strictly" final and she wanted to watch it without knowing the winner.

Once everyone was ready, we loaded the car and headed off towards Newbury. We were meeting with Denise, Dom, and Becky at The Craven Arms for lunch. Ellie was sitting on her booster seat watching the iPad. I had managed to connect the device to the Skoda's WiFi hotspot so that she could watch whatever took her fancy... meanwhile, we listened to music from my iPhone to make sure we didn't inadvertently hear a news report revealing last night's winner. We had an excellent run to the restaurant, arriving at the same time as Denise, Dom, and Becky. 

We were shown to our table in the TeePee. During previous meals in the teepee, we had been cold so we came prepared. It wasn't necessary. The teepee was cosy and warm. The menu was much the same as on previous trips (though chicken had been replaced with turkey for the festive season). We all chose roast dinners - Di had lamb, Dom and Becky had beef, Denise and I had turkey, and Ellie had some chicken nuggets. The food was excellent though we did struggle to finish our portions.

Between courses, Ellie went outside to play on the swings and the slides. We also played a Christmas Bingo board game while waiting for our sweets. This was fun and kept Ellie (and the rest of us) entertained.

We exchanged presents and cards and said our goodbyes as it was starting to get dark and headed back home. Again, we had a good run, though we did get re-routed through Winchester for some reason.

We dropped Ellie off at Zoe's and then pottered back to settle down for a quiet evening so Di could watch the Strictly final.

Decked

 I was so pleased to be woken by ~Ellie at 6:30. "Grandpa, my TV is all snowy", I was informed. I staggered across the landing and pressed 2 buttons (the same two I had shown her before) and the TV burst into life. I returned to bed, but I was now awake. I managed to force another 20 minutes in bed before the call of a caffeine infusion became too much and I went downstairs

I had my usual call with the cousins at 9:00. It was an interesting mish-mash of facts and fun. When it was over I grabbed the keys and opened up the garage. It was time to retrieve the Christmas Decorations and allow Diane to "do her thing". 

Once all of the boxes were ensconced in the Orangery and I had erected the Christmas tree, I went around to Zoe's so that we could do the booze cruise around the islands of Sainsbury's. It was fairly frantic in the store but walking around with the Deputy Manager meant that staff were very eager to go and get things for us. This was particularly helpful when we reached the wine aisle and wanted cases rather than bottles.

Back home, I unpacked the fruits of our raid on the shop and then returned to the decorations. Diane and Ellie had made a good start on the Christmas tree, and I knew that I was only trusted with the external lights. I grabbed the step ladder and set up the lights around the bay window and then through the shrubbery. everything was triggered to start soon after 16:00 and would run for 6 hours before switching off.

We are meeting with Denise, Dom, and Becky tomorrow and Ellie is coming with us. I managed to set up the WiFi hotspot in the car so that she could get Internet coverage while we travel. Hopefully, this will keep her entertained on the journey.

Ellie is staying with us overnight tonight.

It's a Cracker

 We had another leisurely start to the day. It was somewhat ruined by me waking up just after six and only managing to stay still until seven. Once up and caffeinated, I went to wash and dress. Unfortunately, my electric razor seems to have developed a flaw, and I managed to scratch my face and draw blood.

I went to Zoe's and collected her and Ellie for the walk to school. Once Ellie was safely in class, I headed off for my morning walk. Diane had Cardiac Rehab this morning and was going straight onward to the Vet for Jasper's meds. Once home, I settled down for my breakfast and to read the news. Once breakfast was finished, I returned to the accounting spreadsheet for next year. I spent a while checking various aspects of it but determined that it was correct as it was.

After lunch, we relaxed with some Kindle time before I picked Ellie up from school. Ellie is staying with us overnight since Zoe has an early start tomorrow. She’s been a real delight since we got home and just finished her dinner (Toad in the Hole with sweetcorn). Meanwhile, Di and I had our own (Southern Fried Chicken, chips, and a mix of onions, bacon bits, red peppers, and baked beans).

After dinner, I gave Ellie the jokes from the Christmas Crackers we had last night. I had saved 8 of them for her. I’m not sure how often we’ll hear them, but she’s already gone through all of them once. (If last year is anything to go by, we’ll hear them hundreds more times before she gets bored).

Jingle Bells

 We had a lazy start to the day. There was no need for any alarm clocks. After the statutory coffee, I headed to Zoe's and joined the walk to school. The kids all seemed a bit subdued this morning, though Ellie was fine. After they filed into class, I headed off for my walk. The weather was decidedly grey and damp and the temperature was hovering around 4C. I started a new Michael Connelly audiobook during the walk and I'm sure this will entertain me as much as the last few during my daily rambles.

Back home, I finished my breakfast just as Lottie arrived to do the cleaning. She was focussing on the downstairs this week, so Di and I headed up to our respective workrooms so that we didn't get in the way. I spent much of the morning refining the accounts spreadsheet for next year.

After lunch, we managed some Kindle time before I headed back to the school to collect Ellie. She was staying with us until Zoe collected her after she finished at seven. Ellie changed into her PJs and settled in the lounge until I prepared dinner. This was pasta for both her and Di. I would be eating later

Soon after six, I drove into LA and parked by the Windmill Complex. I took the opportunity to have a short walk up and down the riverside where I noticed this Lifeboat decorated for the season. 

I dropped into "Mussell Row". This was the venue for this year's Arun Ambler Christmas Social and I was soon rubbing shoulders with plenty of old footballing friends and a few new ones. I settled down for a chat with Jack and was soon joined by Ron (who never stopped moaning) and David.

We had a lovely meal which began with a lovely chowder and was followed by the traditional turkey with all the trimmings, and finally a crumble. It was way too much and I am embarrassed to say that I failed to clean my plates.

After a brief speech from David thanking the staff and the club, I said my goodbyes and headed back into the night. I was home before ten, but it still seemed very late to me!

Doorbell

 We had a lazy start to the day, Zoe was off so Ellie was leaving from home. I was up, however, at seven and enjoying my first coffee when the doorbell rang. I answered the door in my PJs to find the Postman standing there with a package that wasn't due until this afternoon. The package contained some new saucepans to replace the old John Lewis set that was rapidly deteriorating.

Once showered and dressed, I headed to Zoe's and joined the walk to school before heading out for my walk. This followed my usual route, but I added an extra 500m to the route as I was within a few minutes of the end of my audiobook and was desperate to hear the end.

Once home, I had breakfast and headed out to Sainsbury's for our weekly shop. Our usual list was enhanced with some stuff for Zoe. Sainsbury's seemed remarkably busy for a Wednesday, but somehow I managed to retain my equanimity.

After lunch, we enjoyed some Kindle time before Diane went to meet with Zoe and collect Ellie.

Bookcase

 Diane was feeling under the weather with symptoms of a cold. I was up early for Ellie's drop-off. We completed the usual daily pre-school protocol and I marched off to school with Ellie at the appropriate time. I didn't have to insist that Diane stayed behind. she had already declared she wasn't leaving the house. After dropping Ellie, I headed off for my usual walk.

Back home, I grabbed breakfast and Di went back up to bed. I had a quiet morning working on next year's accounting spreadsheet. When that was done, I retrieved the Xmas card list and performed the first set of updates for this year. I also went through my "E-Card" account to update the various email addresses that had changed this year and to update the group lists.

Di hadn't managed to sleep but did rest throughout the morning. She pottered downstairs and after a cup of tea, I started on some soup for lunch and when we were finished, we settled down for some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie.

Diane had managed to find a suitable bookcase online. We debated whether it would fit and address our storage issue. It isn't perfect, but it is the best option we have found. I went ahead and placed an order. Hopefully, this will be delivered early next week.

Nurse!

 I was up early to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling well and her school attendance was touch and go, today! After a cuddle with Grandpa, she went up to see Nana (who was also feeling a bit rough). As the early morning procedures continued, it became clear that school was not going to work. 

Diane had plans for the morning - she was meeting Pauline for lunch in Arundel. I stayed put so that I could look after Ellie. We completed her homework, and then she read 4 books to me. With that complete, she started on her Times Tables. Soon after she was finished, Zoe turned up to collect her and take her home. I grabbed my coat and headed out for a walk. It was well-needed, and I should have walked further but bladder pressure provided a certain impetus to head home.

After some lunch, I settled down for some Kindle time before returning to my quandary over the bookshelves. Emails had come back from suppliers showing the weight limits for the shelf supports. Unfortunately, they were clearly not suitable for the weight of the books we have (currently 26kgs).

Diane got back from Arundel late in the afternoon and suggested a different solution for the books. I have called it Plan "D" and that will have to be the subject of another day's research.

Adminisphere

 I had a dreadful night's sleep, but, being retired and having no important commitments, I didn't care. I got up soon after seven and treated myself to the day's first caffeine infusion as I read the overnight news.

Once the household was awake and breakfast was done, I set about the annual task of building the accounts spreadsheet for next year. This took me most of the morning. Not because the spreadsheet was complex (which it is) but because there were plenty of changes to the annual expenditure between this year and next. I am familiar enough with this process not to assume it is complete, but I feel it is a long way to being ready for use.

With the spreadsheet done, I returned to the search for suitable glass shelves and their supports for my photobooks and printed blogs. I feel that I am narrowing the choice down, but really need to speak to someone and be convinced that the shelf supports will manage the weight of the books.

Diane spent much of the afternoon "sorting out" her study. I think mine would require the intervention of a tornado to make sense of it.

I didn't walk today. The wind was still pounding the south coast and rain clattered through at random intervals. I used the time to snuggle up to my Kindle.

Gusty

 I had a very leisurely start to the day. It was 07:15 before I emerged and went searching for a fresh coffee. Storm Darragh was barrelling towards us and I ducked outside to move the garden furniture to a sheltered spot. In Wales, wind gusts are expected at 85mph - that's Hurrican Force. Even here, we expect 50-60mph winds.  Satisfied that I had taken sensible precautions, I then settled down with the overnight news and my caffeine infusion.

I had my call with the cousins at 09:00. The Aussie contingent was smugly pointing to their thermometers which read 40+ degrees. I pointed out that the measurement could be in Fahrenheit for all we knew.... and that was similar to the temperature here.

After the call, I settled down to consider the Christmas menus. I expect we will be hosting at least one "do" but more likely, two. I started to review the online offerings from M&S and Sainsbury's. Then I decided that despite the weather, I wanted to go and look at some of the offerings. I headed to Sainsbury's and looked at their turkey, gammon, and salmon. The offering looked good, but some had a "Best Before" date the week before Christmas. I bumped into Zoe and she said it would be best to wait until the 19th of the month when the "fresh" deliveries for Christmas would arrive. With some firm ideas, I left the store, crossed the road to M&S, and checked what they had.  I now have some firm ideas and can relax for a week or so.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time. Storm Darragh seemed to be fizzling out and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon before I prepared dinner.

While in Sidmouth, I bought a milk pan from my favourite kitchen shop. I have been so impressed by the quality that I have just ordered a set of saucepans to replace our old John Lewis set. These old pans have not really lasted well - one was thrown away because it leaked, and others are losing their finish. Hopefully, these Swiss-made pans will last much longer.

Shelved

 There was no hurry to get up this morning. Zoe had a late start. Despite this, we had a call from Zoe to say Ellie had decided she wanted a different dress for her "mufti" day... so she came around for the alternative offering soon after seven. Ellie is clearly a fashionista... with very clear ideas.

After the school run, I went for my usual walk as Diane went to the community centre for her Cardiac Recovery session. When I finished my walk, I had breakfast and then started on admin. I was flummoxed by the NS&I website that wouldn't let me buy bonds for Ellie. It kept claiming that I was pressing the "back" button - which I clearly was not. Ultimately, I went up to my study and used the iMac. This worked perfectly. It really is a dreadful website.

Most of the morning was spent looking for a suitable solution for storing my printed journals. I want to mount them on glass shelves with invisible fittings and edge lighting. Sounds feasible, doesn't it? Well, the problem is that the books weigh nearly 50 kg. Most "invisible" fittings are limited to 18kg. I have a lot more research to do! I have shelved it until tomorrow.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time before it was time to collect Ellie. Collecting Ellie from class we queued for the school's Christmas Fair. This was well subscribed. In fact, it reminded me of trying to get onto a tube train during the rush hour. We didn't stay for too long, and Pete arrived to collect Ellie soon after we got home.

Filing

I was up early to greet Ellie. It was raining when she arrived but had stopped by the time we had to walk to school. After the school run, Di headed home to go for a blood test to check the calibration of her home testing machine. I went for my pre-breakfast walk.

Lottie turned up soon after Diane arrived back home. She headed upstairs to clean through. Di started to wade through a pile of ironing, and I headed for the study. I had a couple of months of photos that needed to be filed in my master library along with the correct facial recognition where relevant.

After lunch, we had some Kondle time before I went to collect Ellie from school. She was full of beans and eager to have a snack, and then do some colouring. Zoe collected Ellie, and then Di sat down for a phonecall with Denise before dinner.

Lofty Heights

 There was no need to get up early... but I was still wandering down the stairs with the natural grace of a mountain walrus, at a few minutes to seven. Tea was brewed, and I started preparing a casserole for tonight's dinner. Chicken, red peppers, carrots, parsnips, baby potatoes, celery, garlic, mushroom, and chicken stock filled the slow cooker, and it was powered on. That was it, nothing else to do until this evening.

I went to Zoe's for the school run and then had my pre-breakfast walk. By the time I returned, Di was just going out to Pilates. I settled down for some porridge and then finished a few domestic chores before heading out on another walk. I didn't walk as far as usual as I had a little gastric discomfort... and didn't dare stray too far from home. Despite this, I was out for about an hour.

After lunch, I went to Zoe's to help her put some items up into the loft. She had stored some clothes and bedding in several vacuum bags but didn't like the loft, so Dad had to help.

Most of the afternoon was spent with my Kindle.

We have just finished our casserole but have sufficient leftovers for tomorrow's dinner.

Catching Up

 We were up early again. Ellie was dropped off and was excited that today was the first proper performance of the school's Christmas play. She trundled off to school with us and dashed into class as the doors opened. Diane headed home for breakfast while I went for my morning walk.

Back home, I finished my breakfast and then completed the shopping list. We had some catching up, and Sainsbury's was bracing itself for our arrival. It took us longer than usual but we eventually squeezed everything into the boot and went home to unpack.

I made up some soup for lunch and then we had 30 minutes of relaxation before heading back to school for the afternoon's performance. We managed to get a seat in the second row and had a fairly good view of Ellie whenever she was on stage. As Mary, she was on stage for quite a lot of the show even though she only had a few lines. The show was very good and was quite a funny twist on the traditional Nativity story.

We brought Ellie back home and gave her dinner before Zoe collected her and prepared to take her back to school for the evening performance. (Pete is due to come across to watch the performance - which will really please Ellie).

Our dinner this evening saw me prepare some pork loin chops in paprika and accompany them with linguine in a white wine and cream sauce containing onions, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper. It was a great success and was a dish I will certainly make again.

Back in the Saddle

 We were up early for Ellie's drop-off. It was lovely to see her as she burst into the house and ran to give me a cuddle. Then she raced upstairs to see Nana. She was Diane's shadow until it was time for school. We dropped her at the classroom door and Diane headed home while I went out for a walk.

Once home, with breakfast finished I spent some time bringing the accounts spreadsheet up to date after our recent break. With that tucked away, we headed to Sidlesham to collect Jasper from the cat whisperer. He was all ready for us and even gave Diane a huge chocolate cake for her birthday before handing Jasper over to us. Jasper yowled the whole way home (and most of the afternoon). While we were there, we booked Jasper in for next year's trip at the same time next year.

After some lunch, I walked to the local convenience store for some milk and fruit so that we could defer a big shop until tomorrow. It was warm enough to settle in the Orangery for some Kindle time until it was time to go and collect Ellie from school. She had played the part of Mary in the school's Christmas play. Today was a performance for the young children... tomorrow we will attend the performance for the parents.

Heading Home

 We finished our packing before heading down for breakfast. I made several trips to the car to load the boot (having remembered overnight that the rear seats slide forward to make more luggage space. This was necessary as we have contributed so heavily to the local economy that the local Chamber of Commerce is debating whether to give us the key to the town.

After a hearty breakfast, we finished loading the car and said our goodbyes. We were on the road soon after 10:00. In complete contrast to our journey down on Wednesday, we had a trouble-free run home. We stopped for a quick comfort break at Rownhams Services on the M27, then powered on homewards. We arrived back just after 13:00, unloaded the car and unpacked the suitcases.

We had an immensely quiet afternoon with our Kindles, followed by a frozen pasta bake for dinner, and a quiet night catching up on some recorded TV.

St Andrew's Day

 After a pretty poor night's sleep, I managed to get up just after seven and having written yesterday‘s blog I went for a walk. It seemed very warm. It was about 13°, quite muggy, and the clouds were drifting down over the hills almost obliterating the view to the east of the town, as I walked up via Jacob’s Ladder and walked back round the Millennium Walkway. 

They were launching the lifeboat as walked along below the cliff. I spoke to the tractor driver and asked if it was just an exercise or if it was a real shout. Apparently, it was a real shout and they had to go down the coast to actually check something.  Whether that means there’d been another cliff fall or whether there’s someone or something in the sea, I don’t know but let’s just hope everything works out okay.

Back at the hotel, we met for breakfast. Our waiter, having entered into the spirit of last night's rock and roll joke, brought in photos of the eventful evening the rock had enjoyed after we left. Apparently, his parents were rock-sitting during his shift today.

We decided to head for Lyme Regis. That was an interesting drive as we headed up into the clouds and travelled the whole way through thick mist. We parked up above the town and walked down the river walk, past the mill, and onto the High Street.

After a quick consultation, we walked along the promenade towards The Cobb, stopping on the way to watch some youngsters strip off to their swimming costumes and charge into the sea. We walked out along the top of the Cobb. There was a stiff breeze and we were getting hit with spray from the sea, so turned back just before the end.

On the way back we stopped at a small beach cafe and enjoyed a coffee as we sat and watched the world spin by. 

Back in the High Street, we raided several shops. Jane and Trevor bought more of their local gin, and we investigated a shop that dealt in fossils - getting a lovely example to take home for Ellie.

Comfortably back in Sidmouth, with Jane and Trevor dropped off for some shopping, and we returned to our room for some Kindle time. We went to the lounge in time for afternoon tea (well you have to indulge at least once).

The evening followed the usual format. We met in the bar for some drinks and discussed the holiday. We immediately went to reception and booked a return trip for this time next year. Then, with the deposit paid, we settled into the restaurant for our final dinner.  Our waiter, Dev, was probably overawed by the discussion of "rock" yesterday evening. Tonight, we concluded that wrapping might be more appropriate for him... so I presented him with some wrapping paper. He entered into the spirit once again and presented me with a J-Cloth on the assumption that I would like the Blues. We had to take a farewell photo and include him in the group shot.

We returned to our room earlier than on previous nights. We had to start on the packing, ready for our departure in the morning.

Pottering

There had obviously been some high winds overnight and though we weren't affected on this corner of the hotel, the view from our room looked a bit bleak when we got up. Low clouds swept away the view of the cliffs to the east and it looked decidedly murky. There was no hurry to get going as there was no firm plan for the day.

We joined up for breakfast and the girls decided they would attend a local Quilt Show during the morning. Trevor had contemplated a morning in the Spa or the lounge, but in the end, decided to come out for a walk with me.  As we set off for our various destinations, there was a fine misty drizzle in the air, but fortunately, it wafted away after a few minutes.

We walked eastwards to the end of the Esplanade and then turned inland, walking along the banks of the River Sid. We crossed the ford (via the bridge), and then crossed into The Byes. This is an extensive park that runs on either side of the river. We walked as far as we could, then crossed to the other side of the river to walk back. ("No Photos!" you say... true, it was just too murky to get any good shots).

We walked back through the town, stopping at a couple of shops on the way. Then we dropped to the promenade and headed along the Millennium Walkway. By this time, and with a stiff onshore breeze, it was less murky.

We stopped at the foot of Jacob's Ladder so that Trevor could take a phone call. I wandered off and took this photo of the latest cliff fall, which had left a house perched within a few yards of the edge.

We returned to the hotel and waited for the girls to return before grabbing a light lunch. After, Jane and Trevor headed off to meet with a local artist and speak about a commission. Diane and I went back to town to raid a small jewellery store where I saw some nice pearl earrings. Di had been wanting some pearl earrings to wear with a necklace that she has. This seemed like an ideal chance to choose what she wanted and tuck it away for Christmas.

The evening followed the usual template... bar followed by the restaurant, followed by the lounge. I was pleased, however, to display my latest still life, while in the restaurant, I call it "Rock and Roll".

Private Function

I had a poor night's sleep - as I often do on our first night away. I was up and about by 6:30, showered, blogged for yesterday, and ready for a walk. The temperature was hovering around 5C, so I put on my biggest sweater and my jacket and headed out into the burgeoning dawn. 

I started by walking up Peak Hill to the Connaught Gardens, then through the archway onto the overlook above the beach, then marched down the hill via the slipway to the walk under the cliffs, back towards the town. This is called the Millennium Walkway.

At the far end of the Millennium Walkway, I picked up the Esplanade. There was a stiff breeze, which made it quite bracing. My AirPods chatted away in my head as I walked to the end then turned to retrace my steps. It was a good start to the day.

We met up with Jane and Trevor over breakfast. They had planned an outing to Powderham Castle and invited us to join them. We thought it would be a nice trip, particularly as we had a tenuous link to the estate. Alan's stepfather used to be the church chaplain in the grounds and had his accommodation there. We went to Emma's Christening there back in the 80s. We set off and made good time. Our plans were thwarted, however, when we arrived to find a sign saying it was closed today for a private function. (There was no mention of this on the website). Plans were rapidly changed and we headed back to the M5 and up towards Tiverton.

Much of Tiverton grew up around the manufacture of lace. The industry was brought to the town from the Midlands when Mr Heathcote relocated his workforce and machines after industrial unrest at the introduction of mechanisation. His nephew built a magnificent house called Knightshayes, overlooking Tiverton. We parked up and then made our way to the restaurant for a coffee before starting our visit to the house and grounds.

For a change, the National Trust allowed (non-flash) photography in the house, which was beautifully decorated for a Victorian Christmas. 

As we entered the main hall we were greeted by a huge Christmas tree, and there were others in virtually every room we visited.

The most astonishing aspect of Knightshayes is the decorated panels that make up the ceilings. These had been covered by false ceilings within a few years of the house being completed but were rediscovered when a workman broke through during renovations.

It was a homely house, and though given to the NT in 1972, Lady Heathcote-Amory continued to live there until she died in 1997. (Having said it was homely - I wouldn't like to pay the heating bills.

From the house, we strolled out into the gardens. It was still quite chilly, but not uncomfortable. After a circuit of the woodland walk, we headed back, via the NT shop, to the restaurant for a cup of tea before returning to Sidmouth.

Back at the hotel, Trevor went for a Spa treatment, Diane and Jane went to the shops, and I went for another walk. The breeze had picked up to the point that the AirPods were in danger of being whipped away. I walked with just the sound of the wind and the waves. It was perfect.

We met up for a drink in the bar before going in for dinner. As usual, the food and service were excellent and when we finished we retired to the lounge to sit and chat before bed.

Home from home

I was up early. There was a lot to do. We had to finish our packing, doublecheck our lists, have breakfast (but only one cup of tea - no coffee), and load the car. All the while it was pouring with rain - continuing from the overnight deluge that had battered the house. Fortunately, as the clock ticked around, the rain stopped. We both walked around to Zoe's to escort Ellie to school and to take the opportunity to see the work she had been doing in the classroom - with both her maths and English workbooks on display. It was clear that she was getting on very well.

Back home, we settled ourselves into the car and headed out onto the King's highways. Our usual 3  and a bit hours should get us to Sidmouth just after midday. Apparently, nobody had told the gods who control the road network. Traffic around Chichester was as bad as ever, roadworks around Portsmouth delayed that stretch of the journey, roadworks and an abnormal load delayed us as we headed past Southampton, and a road crash closed the A31 near Canford Bottom. What joy! In the end, our journey had taken 4 and a quarter hours.

Trevor and Jane were already at the hotel and had a pint of Doom Bar waiting for me. It was most welcome. We sat and enjoyed a light lunch before taking our luggage to the room and unpacking. Then, meeting up in Reception, we headed out for a walk into Sidmouth. 

We walked up to the end of the Esplanade, then looped back into town where the girls managed to get lost in Sea Salt as Trevor and I raided Crew Clothing.  

Several hours later, when the girls emerged, Trevor and Jane split off to visit an art shop they know, while Diane and I wandered back to the hotel.

We had a quiet hour in our room before heading to the bar for pre-dinner drinks. The hotel is very crowded - there is obviously a coach party of barely alive guests in residence. The faint odour of lavender and formaldehyde announces their proximity as they shuffle around. We stayed clear and went to dinner before them.

After dinner, we sat and chatted in the lounge while listening to a quiz in the background. We called it a day around 10 pm and headed for bed. 

Ton Up

 Another good night's sleep, though I did hear some overnight thunder to accompany the heavy rain. This had cleared up by the time I came down for coffee. As soon as the coffee was pulsing through my veins I started preparing vegetables for a slow-cooked chicken casserole that would bubble slowly throughout the day.

I wandered around to Zoe's for Ellie's school drop-off. They were very chirpy this morning as we walked around to the classroom. I left Zoe at the gates and headed off for my early walk. The clouds finally gave up and went to hide as the sun gained ascendance and took control of the sky for the rest of the day.

Di had an appointment at the hairdresser. I finished my breakfast and then started on domestic chores before grabbing the suitcases and preparing to pack for our short break. When Di returned she joined the fray and slowly both cases filled. When finished, I headed out for a second walk. I was out for about an hour and realised when I got home, that I have now covered 100 miles this month.

Mid-afternoon, we had to go to the hospital. Di had another check-up scheduled. We arrived in plenty of time and she was soon within 15 minutes of the scheduled time. When we left, we were in the middle of rush hour, so it took a while to get home. Fortunately, the casserole was ready for us and we got home so there was no need to start worrying about dinner.

Just Stuff

 I slept remarkably well last night. I wandered downstairs soon after 7:00, I let Jasper out, made my first coffee and settled down with the news. After going around to Zoe's I walked Ellie to school and then headed out for my pre-breakfast walk. As I walked, the clouds melted away and the sun cut through the gloom.

During the morning, we had to capture Jasper and take him to the Cattery. He will be enjoying his spa break with Mark for the next week.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time until the chap arrived to refit our blackout blind in the bedroom. Once he had finished, I headed out for another walk. Once home, Di was pottering and I dug out the suitcases so that we will be able  pack tomorrow.

Girls

for some unknown reason, I was wide awake at 02:30 this morning. This wasn't a good time to start the day, so I tried to lie still and doze for the rest of the night.

The main event for the day was lunch. Kim was joining us (Jon had a prior engagement in Portsmouth), and Zoe and Ellie would also be coming. This was the family celebration for Diane's birthday a couple of days ago. I prepared roast pork with roast spuds, parsnips and various vegetables. More to the point I used some of the pork rind that I had got from the Farm Shop. After blanching it in boiling water and salting it, I used the air fryer. It was a great success and every morsel was consumed. I still have a huge amount of the pork rind nestling in the freezer for future meals.

It was lovely to have all my girls together for lunch. They are special times that make my heart soar and make me thankful for, and proud of my family.

They had left us by the time it was getting dark, so we settled down for a quiet evening.

Cousins

 The theme for today has been cousins. After breakfast, I had my regular call with my second cousins, the Empsons. Chris was over from Turkey and staying in Leicester, Cate called in from Craigellechie in a snowy Scotland, and the rest called from their disparate homes. Nobody had been too badly affected by the weather, but there were warnings for this weekend.

After the call, we got ready to head out.  We planned to meet with Jane and Trevor (not cousins), and Ellen (first cousin) for lunch at The Refectory. Ellen was over from Canada and scheduled to talk at a conference in London. She had come early so that she could see us all.

It was 2016 when we last saw her, though we had chatted with her prior to Di's heart operation last year. She is the MD of Heart Valve Voice (Canada), an organisation which helps support, educate and advocate on behalf of people with heart valve disease. It was so nice to catch up and relate Di's experience and her recovery. It was also nice to catch up on all of the family news... with Sarah now living in New York, and Matthew down in Miami. She was able to share some recent photos of them with their partners and of Michael and Laura, who are expecting their first baby in the next few weeks.

Unfortunately, it was all over too soon. Ellen had to get up to Canary Wharf and register for the conference during the afternoon. We said our collective goodbyes and she headed off with Jane and Trevor to pick up the train in Richmond (stopping to see Mark on the way). We headed back down to the coast for a quiet afternoon. We'll see Jane and Trevor again on Wednesday... down in Sidmouth.

Blinds

 Zoe had a 9 a.m. start so there was no hurry to get up. I wandered down for coffee and then, when the clock ticked around, I wandered to Zoe's and joined the walk to school. As soon as Ellie wandered into class, I set out for my pre-breakfast walk. As I started on my second loop, Diane drove past on her way to Cardiac Rehab.

Once back home, I grabbed breakfast and then got on with some admin. I was just finishing when Di arrived home. We shared a coffee and a chat before I headed back out for another walk and to collect some meds from the pharmacy en route.

Back home again, the sun had warmed up the Orangery nicely. We had some lunch, then retired to the Orangery for some Kindle time. At the appropriate time, Diane went to collect Ellie from school and I waited in for a chp to arrive and try to fix a blackout blind in our bedroom. It took him a while to work out how it was strung and, in the end, he took the blind away to work on in his workshop. He phoned me back early evening to confirm that he had fixed the blind and should be able to come and fix it on Monday afternoon.

An Auspicious Day

We were up early to greet Ellie as she was dropped off. When we got up and opened the blinds, it was clear that it had been cold but dry. Ellie was dropped off and sat with Nana as she opened her mountain of Birthday cards and presents. It was, after all, a very special day.

By the time the presents and cards were opened, the weather had changed and it was snowing outside. (Well, it's unlikely to snow inside, is it?).

I insisted that the birthday girl stay in the warm as Ellie and I got togged up for the short walk to school. By this point, the snow had turned to sleet and it was quite slushy outside. I dropped Ellie off without any mishaps and headed straight home. There would be no walk before breakfast today, it was too slippery.

Back home, we finished breakfast and read the overnight news, then grabbed our shopping list for the weekly shopping trip. Though we arrived long before the Zombie bus, there seemed to be a lot of morons in the store, all vying for ways to irritate each other and everyone else. I arrived in the "milk" aisle and stood to one side to allow a caravan of morons to shuffle by. As the last one passed me, one of the staff dropped a carton of milk from the top shelf. It exploded as it hit the floor and I was collateral damage as milk dripped off my jacket, my face and glasses, and our trolley which had several new sweaters on top. Oops! The chap was very apologetic and grabbed the sweaters to replace them and to get help. It was at that point that Zoe turned up. She got on her headset and marshalled the clean-up crew, explaining what had happened and that a "customer had been splattered... and what is worse, it was my Dad". Staff arrived from everywhere to sort things out. I wandered off to continue my shopping.

When we arrived home and unpacked the shopping, we had a quick chat with Lottie, who was cleaning upstairs for us, and then leapt in the car to go and celebrate Diane's birthday at a local restaurant.

We went to the Bear Inn at Pagham. It's only 3 miles from here and we had heard good reports on the food. It was clearly a popular pub with a very extensive menu. It was a bit cool in the restaurant wing, but we had come prepared. We both started with smoked salmon on homemade savoury scones. This was quite delicious. Then Diane chose a rump of Southdown lamb with mashed potatoes, and I selected the Chimichurri Chicken burger. The food was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Our review, as we drove away was that the food was good, but in general, the Inn was "nothing special".

We drove home via the Runcton Farm Shop. The butcher was good to his word and had saved me a slab of pork rind from which I could make some crackling. It must weigh a couple of kg., but only cost me £3. That seemed like a good deal.

When we got home, we were about to settle down for some Kindle time when the doorbell rang and Trudy and Ian were at the door. They came in for a cup of tea and we chatted about their first week in the new house. It sounds as if they started to get things straight, but have a way to go yet.

The snow had melted away, the rain had stopped and the paths were drying up. We settled for some Kindle time before Diane went to collect Ellie from school and take her home to await Zoe's return from work. 

We had a quiet evening.

Strolling along

 There was no hurry to get up today as Zoe had a day off. I wandered down for a coffee and started on the overnight news. It had been cold overnight and we had our first frost of the season. The house was very comfortable, however. The changes to the heating had obviously made a difference.

I wrapped up warmly and walked around to Zoe's to escort Ellie to school and then continued for my usual pre-breakfast walk. It was a lovely morning for walking. The sky was blue, the air was crisp and cold, and the sun elevated the day to "glorious". Once home, I made my breakfast as Diane prepared to go to Pilates in Angmering. 

After I had finished some domestic chores, I grabbed my coat and headed back out. I caught the bus to Bognor and then walked down to the Esplanade. To make a change from last week, I turned westwards and walked up past the pier and on towards West Park.

It was very quiet along the front. There were people about, but not many. I turned around when I reached the West Park Cafe.

Walking back past the pier I went as far as Butlins before turning back and heading to the bus stop.

The bus company really need to get their act together. There was no bus waiting for me. The information said there was a 9 minute wait. I hung around for a few minutes and found the information still said the bus was due in 9 minutes. I pocketed my bus pass and decided to walk home. By the time I walked in the door, I had walked 10 km.

After lunch, we had a quiet hour before it was time to collect Ellie. Immediately after collection time, Zoe and Di had a parent's session with Ellie's teacher. It went very well and Ellie is clearly a well-loved student in the class and is doing very well.

Ribbit

 After an interruption from Jasper, as he deposited his supper on our bedroom floor just after 03:00 this morning, we had a fitful end to our night's sleep. I was started when the alarm went off and I had to leap down the stairs to greet Ellie as she was dropped off. She was wonderfully chirpy as she burst into the house. Again, she was all ready; she was washed, dressed, her hair was done, and she had finished her breakfast. All we had to do was entertain her until it was time for school. Whereas some of the country was under an onslaught of snow, we just had some light rain. 

After dropping Ellie off, I headed out for my pre-breakfast walk. I did a couple of large loops of the estate and then headed home for breakfast.

I had some admin to clear before I got down to anything else. We hope the kids come for lunch on Sunday, so I have been considering the possible menus. I think I have decided on pork... and that means crackling. We love crackling and there may not be sufficient on the joint so I contacted a local butcher, however, he couldn't provide any rind. I headed to our local farm shop and spoke to the butcher there. He said they process the pigs on Wednesday morning - and suggested I ring them and ask them to put some rind aside and collect it tomorrow or Thursday.

While I was at the farm shop, I asked about beef short ribs. The butcher explained that he had some that had been prepared for a customer who never turned up to collect them. I leapt at the chance and bought a couple of kg of these ribs to put in the freezer.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie.

Beating the Rain

It was an early start this morning. Ellie was dropped off and was already dressed, her hair was done, and she had had breakfast. There was little for us to do besides keep her entertained until it was time to head to school. We dropped her at the classroom and then I headed off for a walk as Diane headed home. I managed a couple of miles before heading back for breakfast.

After some breakfast and consuming the overnight news, I did some domestic admin and then, seeing that rain was due in an an hour or so, I headed out for another walk. This was longer than the earlier effort and took in a couple of roads that I hadn't previously walked along. I was out for about an hour and arrived home before the rain started... but only just. The rain, though not heavy, has continued all afternoon.

I dug out the soup maker. We tend to use it a lot during the winter months. Today seemed like the ideal time to start. I chopped onion, sweet potato, red pepper, carrot, garlic, and parsnip. I added a handful of lentils, then topped it up with vegetable stock.  Twenty-five minutes later we had a lovely thick, creamy soup.

After lunch, we retired to the lounge with our Kindles. We had numerous interrupts as various deliveries arrived at the door and as the clock ticked towards 16:00, Diane went to collect Ellie from school and take her home.

Gallery

 For some bizarre but unknown reason, I had a dreadful night's sleep. As a result, I was up early to recharge my caffeine stream. Diane shuffled down some time later and we had a quiet breakfast. I prepared vegetables and some chicken thighs so that they could snuggle in the base of the slow cooker for the day. A casserole would make a nice change from the usual Sunday roast.

Diane did some pottering in the garden before the weather breaks (tomorrow). I took the opportunity to go for a walk but didn't manage to go as far as planned as my coffee intake clearly surpassed my bladder's ability to retain it.

Zoe called. She wanted some help putting up a gallery wall of photos. She had already done much of the work but wanted help and advice for some differently-sized pictures. I popped home to get my double-sided nano-tape. It is far easier to use and get the positioning right than using clips or screws. 

Back home we settled down for some Kindle time in the Orangery for the rest of the afternoon.

Oldies who Lunch

 I checked my watch.  It was 06:30. I turned over, intending to have another 15 or 20 minutes in bed. At ten to the hour, I got up and wandered downstairs to make coffee. It was remarkably light and that was when I checked my watch and saw that my 15 or 20 minutes had turned into an hour and 20 minutes. That was a result!

I had my usual call with the cousins. The chat was typically wide-ranging and fun. We covered everything from Butlins to the rules that forced pregnant women out of the Navy in the early 70's. With the call over, I managed a quick walk before Diane and I hopped in the car and headed up to the barren wastes of Surrey. We were due to meet with Jan and John at "The Refectory", on the outskirts of Godalming.

We had a very pleasant journey up through the countryside, marvelling at the autumn colours and surprised by how little traffic there was. We arrived early and settled in with a coffee before Jan and John arrived. We went through the usual "organ recital" (discussion of aches, pains, health conditions, and so forth) before moving on to the latest news from the respective families. The food was excellent. Di and I both started with the parsnip and apple soup (accompanied by delicious sourdough bread). Di then chose a steak sandwich from the "Lite Bites" menu. This was a misnomer as it was large enough to feed a family and had to be wheeled to us on a trolley. (No it didn't). I chose the fish pie which was served with peas and beans and was delightful. We are due back at the restaurant, next weekend to meet up with cousin Ellen.

We had a good. journey home - the only brief delay was for a wedding party in Petworth. (We hadn't brought a present, so we didn't stop). Once home, we settled down with a cup of tea and our Kindles and enjoyed a quiet evening reading and watching TV.

Charity Walk

 Ellie was awake at 06:30 and came in to check that it was ok to switch on her devices (the Wifi is scheduled to reactivate for her devices at 06:30). That gave us another 20 minutes in bed. We were all up soon after as Diane had to get Ellie ready and get ready herself for Cardiac Rehab. 

Ellie could wear her own clothes (as opposed to her school uniform) today. It was "Children in Need" day. We dropped her at the classroom and wished her good luck. She had a sponsored walk around the school playground scheduled for mid-morning. She seemed a little apprehensive, but we had no doubt she would do well. 

Diane headed home so that she could drive to the Community Centre for her Rehab session. I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk. Back home, I finished breakfast and then set about my mid-month habit of checking all of the utility meters. I then updated the accounts and then got on with some domestic chores. Once Di was back, I had made her a cup of tea and we discussed her session, I headed out for another walk with the intention of posting a Birthday card and picking up a card for Di's forthcoming Birthday. I was out for about an hour and thought how lucky we had been for the past few weeks of dry weather. I see that the weather is expected to break by the end of the weekend.

After lunch, there was Kindle time until it was time to collect Ellie from school. I stopped off at the park so Ellie could let off some more steam. It turns out that she managed 11 laps in her first walk, but then did another walk where she managed 19 laps. I'll have to raid the bank to pay the sponsorship.

Back home, Zoe joined us and we all had dinner together. They have just left.

Grandpa's Curry

There was no hurry to get up this morning. In fact, I managed to lie in until 07:10. By then, however, coffee was singing its siren song. When the time came, I wandered around to Zoe's for the school walk and then set off for my pre-breakfast exercise.

Back home, with breakfast finished, I completed the week's shopping list and, when Di was ready, we headed to Sainsbury's. Considering the time, I was expecting it to be busy, but I suspect there was a problem with the Zombie bus as the aisles seemed free of the usual shuffling imbeciles that arrive mid-morning on Thursdays.

Home and unpacked, we grabbed some lunch before retiring to the Orangery for some reading. I read for about an hour, then set off for another walk in the bright November sunshine. I've started a new audiobook, but am not convinced that I will stick with it. I'll give a few more sessions before I decide.

By the time I arrived home, it was time to collect Ellie from the after-school Craft Club. She came home and started to tell us about fossils, crystals, and volcanoes. Meanwhile, I was preparing what she calls "Grandpa's Curry" for her dinner. Once that was underway, I started on our sticky chicken pieces with sweet potato fries and beans. I think we all ate our fill.

Ellie is staying with us overnight.

Beaches

 It was another day where there was no need to get up early Despite this, I was making my first coffee before seven. As school time approached, I walked around to Zoe's to participate in the walk to school. Once Ellie was safely in class, I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk.

Diane headed off to Angmering for her Pilates session. I finished my porridge and reading the news then decided that the weather was looking quite promising. I grabbed my jacket and my bus pass and caught the bus to Bognor Regis.

I walked down to the beach and then turned eastwards. Though people were walking along the promenade, it was not busy. My biggest issue was that  I could not get my AirPods to play my Audiobook. I walked on in silence.

I headed up past Butlins, The Lobster Pot, and the Sommerly Estate. There, I turned back and headed back towards the town.

I stopped at The Lobster Pot and sat down with a coffee. I enjoyed the peace as I watched the world go by.

I finally stirred myself and continued the walk back to the bus stop and then rode home.

Diane arrived back soon after me. I grabbed some lunch and then settled in the Orangery for some Kindle time.

Cat food

We were up early to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. She was perky despite the cold and cough she was fighting. It was a lovely bright and clear morning as we walked Ellie to school. Diane went home and I headed off for a short walk before returning for breakfast.

I had some admin to clear after breakfast. Diane was heading to the shops to pick up various clothing items appropriate for the cooling weather. I was still finishing my admin when Lottie arrived to do some cleaning for us. I left her to it and headed off for a walk. I paused at the village and popped into the barbershop for a trim. With my hair scattered across the barbershop floor, I headed back out to continue my walk.

As it was so bright and sunny, the Orangery warmed up nicely. We settled down for some Kindle time until it was time to collect Ellie. I left Di in the warm and went to the school. It may have been chilly, and the North wind was quite cutting, but Ellie wasn't interested in wearing a coat. As soon as we arrived home, she raided the fridge. 

After an incident at the store, Zoe was delayed leaving work. In the end, Ellie was getting worried that her kitten, Bo, wasn't being fed on time. Di walked her home so Ellie could attend to the cat.

All Change

 A fairly usual start to the day, but thankfully not an early one. After coffee and overnight news, I wandered around to Zoe's to join the walk to school. After the drop-off, I continued for my pre-breakfast walk.

After breakfast, most of the morning was spent bringing the accounts up to date and then returning to the research I started yesterday regarding home printers for Zoe. In the end, I think I found the ideal solution... so that is Christmas sorted!

It is a case of "all change" today. Our neighbours, Trudy and Ian, moved out and new neighbours moved in. Needless to say, it didn't go smoothly. Though the exchange was due to happen at lunchtime, it was late afternoon before the conveyancer condescended to tell them the money had been exchanged. Because of the delay, we invited Trudy and Ian in for coffee while they waited. They went back to wait in the shell that was their house, and we settled down for some Kindle time.

Late in the afternoon, I headed out for a second walk of the day. I wasn't really in the mood for it, but I'm glad I forced myself. As I returned home I met our new neighbours - Sandra and Laurie. They seemed very nice and I gave them a bottle of Prosecco to welcome them.

A Quiet Sunday

 There was no need to get up early and I managed to stay in bed until 07:45. It had been cool overnight, but the house was comfortable warm as I settled down in my pj's to drink my first coffee and read the overnight news. Diane came down a little while later and we enjoyed a very leisurely breakfast.

I spent an hour or so doing some research into printers and iPad keyboards. I have an excellent iPad keyboard, but Diane's one is clunky and sub-optimal. I would like to get one the same as mine, but they have been "Sold Out" for months now.  As for the printer, I was looking for an alternative device for ~Zoe as hers is, frankly, useless. For both the keyboard and printer, I have narrowed it down (with the help of AI) but still need to make the final choice.

Diane cracked on with a pile of ironing. 

I headed out for a walk. I had no specific route in mind but found myself on the old highway to Shripney. As usual, with the exception of crossing the bypass, it was delightfully quiet and I was able to become engrossed in my latest audiobook. This book is an early offering from Ian Rankin (who wrote the Rebus novels - though this isn't related to Rebus).

It was a very pleasant hour or so.

After getting home and having some lunch, we settled in the orangery for some Kindle time.

Having finished dinner, we just checked "SeeSaw" to find that Ellie's Volcano Project has earned 25 house points and the teacher commented that she can't wait to show the video to the class. That will put her in a good standing for the upcoming "Parents' Evening".

Piccadilly Circus

 I was awake early, even though getting up was unnecessary. By seven, I was downstairs making coffee and settling down with the overnight emails and news. I had my usual call with the cousins which included various discussions of remote islands and volcanoes. This was triggered by my mention of Ellie's volcano project.

When the call was finished I returned to the MacBook and continued with the compilation and editing of Ellie's video. It took several passes to get it right and to mute some of the background comments from myself and Diane. My thought of adding background music was vetoed. Eventually, it was finished and uploaded to Google Drive; the file was too big to be uploaded to the school's "SeeSaw" system, but I could upload a link to the Google Drive instance. With that done, I sent a copy of the link to Zoe, Kim, Pete, and Jane.

After a bite to eat, I had to go to the shops and get more cat litter. The traffic when exiting the shopping centre was dreadful and what should have been a quick round trip took a surprising 30 minutes. When I arrived home, I quickly changed and headed out for a short walk. We were expecting ~Kim, so I couldn't be out for too long.

Kim stopped in on her way home from having her Covid jab. We had a lovely hour or so with her, hearing about her course, her commute, and even her iPad. I gave her a hand to get the Apple Pencil working so that she could use it for drawing diagrams. Sue and Trevor Taylor dropped by while Kim was still with us, though she didn't stay for much longer. They had been to Southampton to see Alan who was doing another drumming residency on P&O's Iona. We heard all of their latest news. Jean is enjoying herself at the care home; Kevin has remarried and they attended the wedding; their caravan holiday doing the North Coast 500; and, of course, no conversation in our age group can be completed without the health update (or Organ Recital, as I recently heard it described). Just as Sue and Trevor were preparing to leave, Zoe turned up. The afternoon had been like Piccadilly Circus.

As soon as everyone had left, I got on with dinner and, when that was done, Di settled down with "Strictly" as I wrote this.

Lights, Camera, Action!

 There was no need to get up too early, Ellie was leaving from home this morning. After my first coffee and a quick spin through the news, I grabbed the videos that I had recorded yesterday showing Ellie describing how to make a volcano. I needed to start editing them down to a consumable length and it is so long since I have edited video that I needed a bit of a refresher and some practise.

I went around to Zoe's and walked with them to school then headed out for a walk before returning for breakfast. A removals van was sitting outside our house as Trudy and Ian started the move that will complete on Monday. 

Diane went to her Cardiac Rehab and while she was gone, I returned to the video editing. It took me an hour or two, but the unfinished video stream is looking good. It still required additional video clips to show the eventual eruption of the video, but that would have to wait until Ellie finished school.

After lunch, I took a walk to the village to return some of additional devices EE had sent. Once home we had some Kindle time before collecting Ellie from school.

With Ellie back home with us, we returned to the volcano project. I filmed as Ellie explained how the mixture of bicarbonate, washing up liquid, and water was poured into the volcano. Then we made a mixture of red food colouring and white vinegar. This was poured into the volcano and we stood back as the chemical reaction began and "lava" bubbled out of the crater and down the sides of the volcano. It was very successful, and now I just need to splice the video onto this morning's video and then go through and tidy it up... and maybe add some background music.

G-Force

I was up early ready for Zoe to drop Ellie off. Ellie wasn't well, so she wasn't going to school. G-Force would be in charge for the day.

Diane had an appointment at the hairdresser, so Grandpa took the lead. Ellie and I decided to spend the morning making a volcano for her school project. Grandpa started with some sheets of A3 paper to develop a prototype. Once I had seen how it could work we set up with sheets of card and Ellie created a series of videos to talk through each stage of the build. There is still some more work to be done, but we have to wait until the paint has dried on the slopes of the volcano. We will return to this tomorrow.

When Di got back, we had some lunch before I took the opportunity to go for a walk. Soon after I got back, Zoe arrived and took Ellie home. I think she is well enough to go back to school tomorrow.

Off Sick

We were up early this morning so the deli could be dropped off on Zoe‘s way to work. Ellie had woken up with a sore throat and was feeling a bit sorry for herself. She’d had some medicine and was ready to go to school but we wrote a note for the teacher so that she could contact us if Ellie needed to come home.

I went for a walk before coming home for breakfast while Di came straight back so that she could get ready to go off to Pilates. After breakfast, I decided to move the smart Wi-Fi hub that I installed yesterday and put it in Ellie‘s bedroom on top of the wardrobe. This was a major piece of work because the wardrobe needed to be moved so that I could find a plug socket it took a lot of shifting and shoving, but eventually, it was all done and the smart Wi-Fi Unit is now providing a strong signal across Ellie‘s bedroom and indeed all of upstairs.

I had ordered some new pyjamas from Marks & Spencer, and they would be delivered to the Shripney store at lunchtime. I packaged up the old broken smart Wi-Fi unit, set off to the post office to return it, and then walked up into Shripney to collect my new pyjamas and some chicken pieces for the freezer. What with the walk after school and the walk to Shripney and back by lunchtime I had covered well over 10 km. and that has brought my total so far for November to over 25 miles.

After lunch I settled down in the Orangery to read for a while within about half an hour, I received a call from the school to say that Ellie really needed to come home so I went to collect her and we looked after her until Zoe finished work and she went home.

In the evening, we joined up with the Sonning Crew (plus Ken) and took the bus into Chichester. It was the end of an era as Trudy and Ian would be moving on Monday so it was the last time that we would have a chance to get together for a meal. We went to the Turkish restaurant Reina Kitchen. I think from previous experience people had learnt the lesson, the best dishes at the restaurant were from the grill. I must say that the food was excellent. I had their special which included sheesh lamb, chicken, and Adana. Di chose the lamb chops which were the best she’d ever had. Again from experience, we knew that we had to get the 9 o’clock bus home if we missed that the next one wouldn’t be for another hour. We timed it just right. For old people like us, 9 o’clock is plenty late enough.