Cobbles

 I was, needlessly, awake early and downstairs making coffee before 7:00. Diane emerged a bit later and I went to perform my morning ablutions. As I was dressing, I heard Di talking and assumed she was on the phone with Zoe. She wasn't, Kim had been to surgery for a blood test and called in to see us on the way home. She was with us for about an hour and we had a lovely chat, catching up on the trials and tribulations of the night duties she had worked this week.

Once she was gone, I got on with some admin and a few chores before Diane went to the vet to pick up some meds for Jasper, and I went for a walk, stopping at the pharmacy for some meds for Diane. It was a lovely warm, cloudless day and I was quite hot by the time I arrived home.

We have a bit of a family gathering planned for next Friday, so we spent some time looking at our catering options. Eventually, we concluded that the easiest solution was to prepare everything ourselves. I started to develop a menu for the day.

After lunch, we settled down in the Orangery for some Kindle time. Mid-afternoon, Zoe and Ellie turned up (with Ellie's friend Natalie in tow) so that Ellie could give us a hug before going to Pete's for the next week. It was lovely to see her bouncy and well again after the illness at the start of the week.

After dinner, Wickes arrived with the cobbles we had ordered yesterday. The chappie offloaded them and took them around to the back garden for us. He has had a long day, starting at 07:00 he has reloaded his van 4 times and still has deliveries in Lancing, Worthing, and Midhurst this evening.

Plan B

 I woke naturally and pottered down for coffee just before 7:00. Di followed me down soon after, she had an appointment at the Doctor's at 9:00. SHe had her breakfast and headed to the Surgery, I got on with some chores before stopping for breakfast. There was no early walk this morning.

Back for the Surgery, Di updated me, had a coffee, and we headed to Sainsbury's. We stopped at Wickes on the way. Di wanted some Scottish cobbles for the rill. We checked what they had and ordered 8 bags for delivery tomorrow. This triggered a return to the discussion we had earlier in the week. Wouldn't it be easier to shift things around if we had a sack barrow? Yes was the unanimous answer... we would stop at Screwfix on the way home, but first, we had to raid Sainsbury's. We had timed it badly, arriving just after the Zombie bus disgorged its cargo. The first few aisles were in a state of chaos, but as I powered through, I got ahead of the crowd and the rest of the shopping was trouble-free.

We stopped at Screwfix and collected a sack barrow which only took about 10 minutes to assemble (well, all I had to do was put the wheels on!)

I went out for a walk. I explored another route today. It was just a variation of one of my usual routes, but I explored a road I hadn't previously been down. It's nice to see how they all link up. I received a phone call from Zoe while walking. Could I help her dismantle the legs of her old table? I stopped off to see what was needed and agreed to return with tools after I had been home for lunch.

To dismantle the legs required a spanner of the right size to fit in a small recess and loosen a nut that would only turn about one-eighth of a turn at a time. Plan A was to bring my spanners, but Plan B was to bring my power saw. I returned to Zoe's and took one more look at the legs and the nut. Forget Plan A, Plan B it was! The saw made quick work of the legs and they have now been cut down into short lengths that can fit in the car for disposal.

Back home, brushing off sawdust, I settled in the Orangery and finished another book (that's 44 for the year so far).

Catching Up

 We had a lazy start to the morning. There was no imperative that demanded an early rise. I languished in bed until nearly 7:30 before stumbling downstairs for my first coffee. Once Diane emerged, I went to shower and then took a walk before breakfast. Several clouds disturbed the cerulean sky, and there was a chilly nip in the air despite the sun's attempt to warm things up.

Back home, I enjoyed my porridge while reading the overnight news and social media. With breakfast out of the way, it was down to work. I had a list of admin I wanted to clear during the morning. One by one, each task was ticked off my list, which took all morning.

As I was eating lunch, the doorbell rang. It was the delivery of the jumpers and shoes I had ordered on Monday.  I was impressed by the speed of the delivery as they had suggested 4-5 days - and it was here in 2.

After lunch I settled down in the Orangery with my Kindle, soon to be joined by Diane. We had a quiet couple of hours before Di went around to Zoe's to see how Ellie was coping and if she was feeling any better. (She was). When she arrived back, she reported that it was still nippy in the shade, despite the sun's attempts at warmth.

Tut, tut

 We were up early - we had a day out planned. Unfortunately, while we were getting ourselves ready, we heard from Zoe that Ellie was not well (serious hayfever and its side-effects) and she really wasn't well enough to come. It was a shame, I had planned for the start of the Easter holiday, as a day out in London. We wished her better, and decided that we would go anyway.

We boarded the 8:26 from Bognor Regis as it chugged up to Victoria. It was a quiet and pleasant trip until we arrived at Gatwick and then Croydon, where the train filled up with immensely noisy people. At Victoria, we dropped down to the District Line and eastwards to Whitechapel, where we changed onto the Elizabeth Line. Two stops later, we were at Custom House where we wandered down to the waterfront. The views across the Victoria Dock towards Canary Wharf and the O2 were quite impressive in the bright spring sunshine.

We had some time to spare, so we settled down at a waterfront cafe for some coffee and a pain au raisin. We then took a walk all along the side of the ExCel building by the dock. By the time we had returned to our starting point, we were spot-on for our timed entry to the Tutankhamun Exhibition Experience.

The exhibition really was an experience. It led us through the history of Egypt and the basic family tree of Tutankhamun and his short reign.

It then took us through the archaeological story that led to the discovery of his tomb and the treasure therein. There were contemporary photos from the discovery and the newspaper stories of the time. 

There was also a room containing replicas of some of the artifacts found in the tomb, including the famous mask and the sarcophagus. 

From there, we moved on to more historical context and then a 30-minute immersive video in a large 360-degree theatre. The images came alive all around us, telling the story of Egypt and King Tutankhamun. The graphics were quite stunning, and though I took some video clips, they hardly scratch the surface.

Leaving the theatre, we then moved on to a holographic presentation showing the mummification process and then on to a Virtual Reality (complete with headsets) that revealed some of the religious beliefs of the Pharaoh's journey into the afterlife. It was stunning. Fortunately, we were firmly seated during this, so there was no significant disorientation.

The last major immersive exhibit was another Virtual Reality. This was more adventurous as we had to move around in a virtual universe that was the Valley of the Kings. As we walked (Diane was tightly holding on to me), we were able to plunge down into the tombs, walk through Howard Carter's encampment, stride across the landscape and peer at all of the tombs that had been discovered. It was an incredible, if somewhat disorientating, experience.

Overall, we had been in the exhibition for over 2 hours. I had taken about 70 photos and videos. It had been well worth the money and was both entertaining and educational. It's a shame Ellie couldn't come with us.

We were hungry. We stopped at Tapa Tapa on our way back to Custom House. We enjoyed a few plates of tapas and a beer, then headed back across town to Victoria and the train home. We got in at 18:30. It had been a brilliant day.

Oops, I did it again

We had a quiet start to the day. After my first coffee and ablutions, I headed out for a walk (I hadn't managed any actual exercise during the weekend). There was a slight nip in the air, but it was bright, sunny, and cloud-free. By the time I arrived home, it was warming up nicely.

After some breakfast, we grabbed our gear and walked to the bus stop for a trip to Chichester. I had called Kim and she resolved to meet us in town at some point. We wandered along examining the various shops. One plane was to visit the recently opened WoolOvers shop. This turned out to be a bit of a damp squib for me. The shop only stocked ladies' clothes. Leaving there I took Di across the road to Clinkard's to look at some shoes that had caught my eye last week. I received the royal seal of approval and now have a very smart pair of shoes. We met up with Kim and continued to browse. We stopped at Hotter where I had rejected a pair of trainer-style shoes last week. I looked at them again and received the royal seal once more. They should be delivered at the end of the week.

We stopped at Crispin's for lunch. As usual,  there was a wide selection of fresh, tasty, and hearty food. We all chose well and enjoyed our lunch before moving on. Diane wanted to raid H&M for some clothes for Ellie, so we left there clutching armfuls of bargains. We bade Kim, adieu, and caught the bus home.

The afternoon was spent with our Kindles, in the warmth and comfort of the Orangery.

My phone pinged. It was Trevor. The new brochure for SAGA river cruises is out. He suggested we might like to look at a cruise along the Moselle for next year. Thirty minutes later it was booked and a deposit paid.

Attorney

We had a brilliant evening last night. Kim had recommended a show called "Last One Laughing". We thought we would give one episode a try and ended up watching the whole series back-to-back. It was probably the best Saturday evening's entertainment for many months.

We woke without external stimulus. For me, that meant 7:15, and for Di, it was closer to 8:00. There was no imperative that would drive us, but Di had an appointment with Zoe and Ellie to go shopping late morning.

I spent the morning and part of the afternoon dealing with some admin. We had to face facts and acknowledge that we are getting older and may not always have all of our marbles. To that end, there is a construct called a "Lasting Power of Attorney" that permits others to make decisions on our behalf, should we be unable to do so. There are two flavours of this, one that has access to financial and property affairs, and one that deals with health and care. I spent the morning and part of the afternoon preparing one of each each for Di, and another set for me. It went fairly smoothly, and I now have to get the various trusted parties to provide their signatures on the documents.

Zoe called. She wanted some muscle to help her move some plant pots to the front garden. I wandered around the corner and helped. Diane also wanted a shrub cut down and some of our own planters moved. That was soon accommodated.

Finally, we managed to sit down and enjoy the warm afternoon sunshine in a sheltered corner of the garden, before I returned to the kitchen to prepare a nice beef top rump roast for our dinner.

Pumping

Ellie slept through. Indeed, I was up, breakfasted, showered and had completed my call with the cousins before she emerged. Clearly, she was in need of a solid night's sleep. So that I didn't wake anyone, I skipped my morning Nespresso (the machine is noisy) for a coffee bag brew, and after my breakfast and shower, I took the cousins' call on the MacBook in the Orangery and garden, rather than my study. The sky was clear, and it was already pleasantly warm and quite comfortable sitting in the garden.

I had some admin to clear while Diane and Ellie started to review the various toys that had accumulated in the garage. While they were doing that, Kim and Jon arrived. Jon had brought an industrial wet vacuum cleaner with him. This was plugged in and switched on. In a couple of minutes, the rill was almost empty. It took a little while to scoop out the last remnants of water and debris, but the rill was finally clear. We left it for the afternoon, refilled it with clean water, and started the recirculating pump. Crystal clear water is now cycling through the rill.

I had cooked a batch of sausages and bacon. We gathered at the garden table and tucked into bacon and sausage baps, soaking up the warm spring sunshine as we chatted. Zoe turned up to collect Ellie just after we finished.

Kim had brought her MacBook. She wanted me to read and (if necessary) edit the essay she has to submit at the end of the week. I was very impressed with the style and content and, frankly, could add no further value. I think she has done well.

By the end of the afternoon, we were on our own again. I shuffled indoors to cook a curry and prepare Diane's salmon. It had been a lovely day.

Writing

I was up early for Ellie's drop-off. She burst into the house, full of the joys of spring, and after giving me some breakfast instructions, charged upstairs to see Nana. Her chirpy mood lasted, and we deposited her at the classroom, eager to enjoy another day of school. Diane headed home for breakfast, and I went for my walk.

After breakfast, I set about some admin tasks. I have started to develop a document "Oh Shit, I'm Dead". This will, hopefully, provide the family with all they need to know to handle matters when I shuffle off this mortal coil. (Not that I'm planning on leaving anytime soon). The first task was to create a template that I could fill in over time. Then I had to try and dig out the details of the contacts that need to be informed at IBM and our pensions administrators. Emails were sent, and I await the response. Further sections and sub-sections were defined and embellished. It will take a while to finish it (and get it right).

While this was going on, Diane was on the phone to Pauline. I offered to bring her lunch, an evening meal, and even a duvet and pillow as time would demand. She declined but gave in when I offered tea. I made myself some lunch and went out for another walk. It was delightfully warm, and the sky was punctuated by a few high clouds. I didn't go far, but it was nice to get out and stretch my legs.

Back home, I settled down in the Orangery with my Kindle - soon to be joined by Diane. It was very hot in there - just as she likes it, but a little too warm for me. I managed to consume all but the last chapter of my latest book before we had to go and collect Ellie.

It will come as no surprise that we stopped at the park for her to run about, and then we headed home for a snack and drink before Zoe collected her. She will be back later as she is staying with us overnight to accommodate Zoe's early start tomorrow.

A Bit of a Change

 There was a bit of a change to the day's typical agenda. There was no need for an early start, but I did get up and clear the bathroom by a few minutes past seven. Diane had an early appointment with the hairdresser and I had agreed to provide the transport there and back. This meant that I would not be a participant in the school run. Despite that, I still found that I had to walk around to Zoes's to drop off some bits for Ellie's packed lunch.

I ran Diane to the hairdresser and came home for breakfast. Then I dug down into the admin that was required for the day - focussed on the data needed for the development of the latest Will. I also used the time to scan and file the data received from Saga regarding the river cruise.

Di called. She was finished at the hairdresser. I picked her up and went straight to Sainsbury's to complete the weekly shop. By midday, we were home and soon after, everything was stowed away. After lunch, I set out on a walk (after all, I had missed my usual morning ramble). Then, back home, I settled down for some Kindle time until Zoe, Ellie, and Diane returned from the school pickup.

Late in the afternoon, I sent copies of various documents to the legal consultant dealing with our Will. All of today's planned admin was complete, so I started on dinner while Di phoned and chatted with Denise.

Trust

Zoe had today off so there was no need for me to get up early. It was well after seven before I sprang out of bed and greeted the day. It was another cloudless morning, but the sun was still hiding beneath the rooftops. After some coffee, I wandered around to Zoe's for the morning trek to school and having left Ellie in class, set off for my morning walk.

Back home, I managed to finish breakfast before Zoe summoned me. She had a couple of trellises that she wanted mounted in the garden. I grabbed my drill, some screws, and saw and presented myself at the door. The trellis frames were too long, so I cut them down to the right size and then mounted them in the bottom corner of the garden. Then I helped Zoe move her desk back into the living room (we had moved it for Ellie's party).

We had a legal consultant call to see us at lunchtime. It was time to ensure our Wills were up to date and addressed our requirements. He was with us for a couple of hours but we received some excellent advice and have started the process of a major update to our Wills and Trusts.

Diane needed some meds from the pharmacy so I took this as an excuse to squeeze in another walk. By the time I arrived home, Diane had gone to collect Ellie with Zoe. I settled down with my Kindle for about fifteen minutes before they all trooped back and quiet time was at an end.

We have a river cruise scheduled in a few weeks. It was nice to receive all the boarding documents and itinerary through the post today. It starts the countdown.

Cured

 I was up early to greet Ellie as she was dropped off at 6:40. It was a crystal clear morning but the sun hadn't quite arrived at work yet. Ellie was looking sorry for herself and Zoe explained that she was complaining of a tummy ache (and had been since last night). Though I had prepared her breakfast, she wasn't interested and went upstairs to see Nana. It was a very quiet couple of hours but Nana had convinced her to try going to school. We walked her to the classroom and explained how she was feeling to the teacher and that we could be contacted if needed. 

Diane headed home and I set out for my morning walk. My accompaniment is a Jonathan Kellerman book featuring Alex Delaware. The book chatted away in my ear as I followed my usual morning route around the developments. Forty-five minutes later I arrived home and set about making some breakfast and reading the overnight news. By now, the sun was in full swing but a breeze prevented the temperature from climbing too high.

With a new month starting, I updated the accounts. I then returned to the installation task I had tried yesterday. The software package was installed, but some of its features (and ease of use) are still eluding me. Unlike yesterday, I have left it installed and will return to it later.

I went for another walk to clear my head and then returned for some lunch and to enjoy an hour with my Kindle before we collected Ellie. She had perked up during the day and bounced out of class asking if we could stop at the park on the way home. I think the school day distracted her and things have settled down.

Cloudless

It has been a cloudless day, and the spring sunshine has made it pleasantly warm.  Ellie was dropped off at the usual time, and we followed the usual morning procedure except for the addition of preparing Ellie's packed lunch. (She usually has cooked lunch, but this week she is opting for packed lunches). We walked her to school, and I set off on my morning walk. After yesterday's crash landing, walking was a little sore, but I ignited the discomfort.

Back home, we enjoyed breakfast, and Diane started hanging out the washing to dry in the sunshine. She had woken up with a sore throat, so I went for another walk to collect some throat lozenges for her. 

After lunch, we had some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie. We (obviously) stopped at the park on the way back, but once home, she sat and read with Nana. While they were reading, I tried to install a combined software package on the MacBook. This was installed, but not in the way I wanted. I couldn't be bothered to faff about, and I didn't want to leave it partly installed. I deleted the package and reset the software before starting the preparation of dinner.

Clocks and Mothers

The clocks leapt forward overnight. We are now basking in British Summer Time instead of Greenwich Meantime. With a late night last night, we decided on a late start to the day. Well, it was virtually late since I got up at 8:00 BST (which was really 7:00 GMT), but I fooled myself into believing it was a lie-in. We lingered over breakfast and the news. 

I was just preparing to go out for a walk when Kim and Jon turned up. They had come to wish Diane a Happy Mothering Sunday and, while Jon and I kept Diane talking in the kitchen, Kim assembled a magical tea party in the orangery.

We settled down for a chat while drooling over the little cakes on the elaborate cake stand. We heard all about the proposed expansion of the business where Jon works and some of the projects they have on the go. They seem to be doing really well, and Jon is clearly loving it.

We migrated into the garden where we discussed the cleaning of the rill. Jon volunteered to borrow an industrial wet-and-dry vacuum from work and come along to help us drain the rill and clean it. It will certainly be a lot easier than using the hand pump we tried this week.

I went out for a walk when Kim and Jon had left and then settled down for some Kindle time alongside the preparation of the Sunday roast.

Zoe and Ellie dropped in to wish Nana a happy Mothering Sunday. Ellie was in a bit of a strop and was hiding in the footwell of the car. Grandpa went out to chat with her and calm her down. It didn't take long before she had returned to normal, and I sent her in to tell Nana and Mummy how much she loved them. Crisis averted.

I dozed off with my legs crossed. I was sitting in the kitchen. When I woke, I tried to stand up but hadn't realised my leg had gone to sleep. Ooops. I crashed to the floor in spectacular fashion and now feel as if I have bruised my hip and find it hard to walk upstairs. Stupid idiot.

Brighton

Today was Ellie's 8th birthday. She's with Pete this weekend, and I believe the plan was for him to take her to an adventure park called Knockhatch, somewhere near Hailsham. 

It was a bright, cloud-free start to the day.  I had my usual call with the cousins to start the morning, and it was nice to see Cate calling in from Kylesku in the far north of Scotland. The call followed the usual pattern, with suitable abuse being shared among all participants.

The rest of the morning was quiet, but immediately after lunch we hopped in the car and set off for Brighton. The SatNav had warned us of various delays and I selected one of its suggested routes. Almost as soon as we left, the SatNav recommended a change to the route and seemed to guide us into every tailback and set of roadworks that it could find in West Sussex. It even guided us into a dead-end street at one point.

We arrived at Trevor and Sue's just after 2 p.m., and after a quick chat, we walked the 150 yards to the care home where Jean now lives. I was amazed by how close it was. We were given the full tour of the facility and must admit that it was more like a top-class hotel than a car home. The facilities were stunning and included several lounges on each floor, several dining rooms, a coffee bar, a small shop, and even a hairdresser. It is clearly well run, and whilst expensive, it is a comfortable home with a family atmosphere for its residents.

Jean, who is now almost totally blind, walked back to S&T's with us and we settled down for some tea and a good chinwag. Sue spoke (ad nauseam) about their grandchildren and their progress at school and with their other activities. We also heard about their recent (somewhat disappointing) trip to Morrocco and their planned river cruise up the Danube.  

Time ticked by, and we piled into the car and drove around to the village (Patcham), where we had a table booked at "La Tana", their local Italian restaurant. I must say that considering it was tucked away, off the main areas of Brighton, it was superb. The decor was nice, the ambience was cosy, and the staff were delightful. Diane had some fresh sea bass in cream and lemon sauce, and I had some "Penne al pollo" (pasta cooked with chicken, peppers, garlic, onions, with cream and tomato sauce). We could not fault the food (not that we were trying to), it was excellent.

We drove Jean back to the care home and then settled down with Sue and Trevor for some more gossip before finally heading home. In contrast to the journey to Patcham, we had a fabulous run home, where we were greeted by Jasper, who had eaten all of the dinner that we had left out for him.

A Visit

It was raining when Ellie was dropped off this morning. The forecast for the morning suggested it would remain wet. We went through the usual morning rituals and as Ellie was ready early, she sat down and read to me for a while before we had to walk to school. Despite the forecast, the rain had almost stopped, and there was just a soft drizzle as we walked the 250m to school.

Leaving Ellie at the classroom (clutching a bag full of sweets for her classmates to celebrate her birthday), we wandered home for breakfast. (I was not walking this morning).

A few weeks back, I ordered some shoes from a store in Chichester. They phoned yesterday to say they had arrived. Originally, Di had volunteered to come in with me but was not in the mood this morning. I plugged Carl Sagan into my ears and waited for the bus. In Chichester, I zig-zagged to the shoe shop where I tried on the shoes. They were immensely comfortable, but the colour was a dreadful deep chocolate brown, which I don't think I would wear. I rejected the shoes, and they processed a refund. I moved on to several other shoe shops. There were some lovely shoes in one of them, but the wear-surface on the heel looked very thin, and my shoes take quite a battering. Another shop had some more suitable shoes, but they didn't fit well, or they were too flat (I like a proper heel). Trying several other stores, I made my way to the bus stop empty-handed. It had been an abortive trip.

After lunch, we had some Kindle time until Kim arrived. It was the last day of her recent University placement in the community, and she had managed to finish early. She wanted to come along and surprise Ellie at the school pick-up. Also, she had some birthday presents for her. We all had a lovely afternoon, and it was good to hear about Kim's progress at uni.

Zoe came to collect Ellie and get her home in time for Pete to collect her for the weekend.

A Normal Day

 It has been a very normal day. There has been little to report since I rolled out of bed at 6:30 to ensure I was ready to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. She was in a chirpy mood this morning and managed her ablutions without intervention or supervision from Nana. She even did her hair.

We dropped her at school, and Diane went home while I had a shorter walk than usual (only doing a single loop of my usual route). Back home, I finished breakfast and the usual review of overnight news, and then we drove into Shripney to do the weekly shopping. Lottie was finishing the cleaning when we got home, so we stowed the shopping quickly and made ourselves scarce.

After lunch, I went out for another walk, making sure I looped through the village so that I could collect Diane's meds from the Chemist as I passed. Then, back home, I managed an hour of Kindle time before we went to collect Ellie from school. She was just bursting with energy, so we stopped at the village green for her to run around and let off steam with her friends Bonnie and Edie.

Zoe collected Ellie soon after 16:30.

Replaced

It was a gentle start to the day. After some coffee, a wander through the press, and a shower, I walked to Zoe's to join the walk to school. Zoe took the opportunity to go into class to review Ellie's work (like we did yesterday). I left her to it and headed off for my morning walk. I added an extra loop into the route so that I could get some more of the Carl Sagan book. finished. I only wish I could remember a small fraction of what I have heard.

Back home, after a peek at social media, I started on a bit of research regarding the latest and greatest Linux distros. I chose Ubuntu (again) and started the download to create a bootable image. With the image clutched in my eager fingers, I tried to reset the book sequence for Siane's old laptop (Osprey). I tried everything, having resorted to looking up the process on Google. Nothing seemed to work. I did realise, however, that I already had a Linux image on the old laptop. I still wish to change it and install Ubuntu, but it can wait. I have no immediate need for it.

FedEx rang the doorbell. They delivered the replacement pool vacuum. I put it together and took it into the garden to try out. This one worked, though I'm not sure how effective it will be as it stirred up a lot of the detritus I was trying to vacuum up. I needed to wait for everything to settle to see how successful it was.

After some Kindle time, I went to meet Zoe at the school gates. We had a Parent/Teacher consultation scheduled. We settled down in the class (the seats are too low for an old bloke like me), and Ellie's teacher proceeded to tell us about her progress in English (reading, writing, and comprehension) and Maths. It is clear that Ellie is doing very well. I used the audio notes feature of my iPhone to record the whole session - this kept the audio but also transcribed the meeting. This was a lot easier than taking notes and meant that I could share it with Diane when I got home. (If you haven't tried this feature yet, it is well worth giving it a whirl to record important meetings).

Backups

There was a gentle start to the day (unlike yesterday). I went downstairs for some coffee and an initial trawl through the papers. When Diane emerged, I got dressed and headed off to Zoe's to take Ellie to school. There was no early morning walk, as Ellie had insisted on bringing her scooter to school. This meant that I had to take it back home for the day.

I settled down for breakfast and a more thorough reading of the overnight news. I then finally headed out for my walk. I chose a different route, heading to Shripney via the "Pre-14th Century Highwayway from Berstead to Shripney and the North". It is one of my favourite routes, and today, I only passed one other person and two cars in all the time I was out.

Back home, I retired to the study. (Diane was on the phone with her friend Marilyn). I spent some time researching several legal matters and contacting some providers of legal services. It is time that we updated our Wills and registered some Lasting Powers of Attorney. The process has started, and now I await contact.

With that done, I returned to the master photo library. I needed to update the automatic backup settings for the new year. (The overall library is tens of gigabytes, and checking the whole library every night would be stupid, so I just check the last two years each day for any changes I might have applied). This didn't take long, but it was good to know that it was now operational). On reviewing the backups, I realised my 5th copy of the master file was several years out of date. I manually applied all the missing updates. I must look into automating this for the future, but that can wait for another day.

We went to collect Ellie from school. As the class finished, we were able to go in and review the classwork that she had been doing during the year. It is clear that she is doing very well, but she really must improve her handwriting.

Communication Breakdown

There was a communication breakdown. The work rota Zoe had sent us said she was starting at 09:00... she wasn't, she had changed it and forgot to tell us. I was awake but lying in bed pondering the meaning of life and the universe when I heard a car pull up outside. The next thing I knew, Ellie was trying to come through the front door. I exploded out of bed and ran downstairs to unlock the door and get things going. Oh well, I can have a lie-in tomorrow.

I took Ellie to school and left her as she strode into class. I tapped my watch, screwed my AirPods into my ears, said "Good Morning" to Carl Sagan and set out on my pre-breakfast walk.

Back home, I finished breakfast and read the news before phoning the supplier of the device for cleaning the rill. Their operative took me through their checklist and exhausted the suggestions she had to hand. (In fact, I had tried every one of them). She took my phone number and said she would call back after talking to someone in the warehouse. An hour or so later, she called me back. They are flummoxed and will send out a replacement. That is a perfectly acceptable way to respond to our problem. Well done.

I buried myself in the study. I wanted to update my master photo library with all the photos taken since the last update. This did not go smoothly, and I was worried my code was the source of the problem (photos were being misfiled against the wrong dates). I went and grabbed some lunch so I could think it over. I re-read my code, and the logic seemed sound. I deleted all of the photos I had updated during the morning and then reapplied them in small batches so I could quickly check each batch. Everything ran perfectly, and the library is now intact. Tomorrow, I will check the backup rules to ensure 2025 photos are replicated in my other storage locations.

There was limited Kindle time this afternoon before we went to collect Zoe from school. She was with us for a while and started on her homework. Zoe has collected her, and she can finish the work at home.

Dull

After the last 10 days or so, today's weather seemed particularly autumnal. It was dull, grey, and damp. We had a quiet morning. After breakfast and a wander through the news and social media sites, I went upstairs to my study. It had occurred to me that it was a long time since I had updated my master photo library.  On checking, it was at the beginning of December that I last performed the update. 

I downloaded all of the photos that had accumulated and started the import program. Several hundred were filed away, and a few were liusted as problematic. I will have to return and deal with these at a later date - I think I have found the common feature that caused the problem - it occurred to photos where I had used the AI features to remove an unwanted blemish or feature from the original.

We wandered around to Zoe's. I had to help her get the furniture back into the living room. This didn't take too long, but as always, handling large items of furniture was difficult. Once that was done, we let Ellie open the few presents we had brought with us. She was clearly tired from last night's sleep-over, but rallied at the thought of a few more presents.

We left Zoe and ellie to a quiet afternoon. Indeed, Zoe sent us a photo of Ellie asleep at the table, and later on the sofa. We had a bite of lunch and some Kindle time before I started preparation for tonight's dinner.

(As an aside, I opened a new email account with Proton Mail. This provided end to end security and is based in Switzerland (rather than the USA). I'm not sure how much use I will make of it, but thought it would be an interesting experiment).

Celebration Day

I was sitting in the kitchen, enjoying my morning coffee and debating whether I should go and get washed and dressed, yet. The iPad rang. It was Ellie; "Grandpa can you come around and help mummy empty the lounge ready for my party?" I guess that made my decision. I finished my coffee, completed my ablutions and walked around the corner. It didn't take too long, but we shifted the two parts of the sofa, the footstool, and the desk in the garage. Ellie vacuumed the detritus that had accumulated under the sofa, and I showed Zoe how to extend the dining table (which had been ours until recently).

I returned home for breakfast and then connected to the weekly Zoom call. This followed the usual mishmash of banter and news. One subject of interest was a recent BBC segment discussing Margate Football Club, which included clips of Francis (Uncle Frankie, as he's known at the club), Maggie, and Sharon.

DPD delivered a device that Di had ordered. This is similar to a huge bicycle pub and should create a vacuum to draw water from the rill and filter it. It was a bit of a devil to put together but looked "feasible" when complete. I took it out to the garden to try it. It didn't seem to work. The plunger went up and down as expected, but it didn't seem to create sufficient vacuum to draw the water in. I fiddled, I re-read the instructions, I took it apart, I reassembled it, I tried again. Nada. I followed this procedure again and again had no luck. On the instruction leaflet, there was a phone number to call. I called. Nada. They are closed at the weekend. It will have to wait until Monday.

With rain forecast over the next 24 hours, I took the opportunity to dig out the leaf vacuum and clear up all of the fallen leaves that had lingered on throughout the winter.  I managed to get two huge bags full in about 15 minutes. 

After some lunch and some Kindle time, we went around to Zoe's. A table had been booked at "Smith and Western" for her birthday treat. We had to take two cars to get us, Zoe, Ellie and her friends to Chichester. We were greeted by the cacophony of a busy "country and western" styled restaurant packed with various parties, all trying to be heard over the music. As birthday treats were delivered to various tables, the staff jangled triangles and beat tambourines while singing Happy Birthday. I should have brought ear defenders!

Despite the apparent chaos and noise, the food was very good. The girls all chose burgers or hot dogs from the children's menu. Zoe chose a New York burger, Diane had a club sandwich, and I had a rack of ribs. The helpings were generous, and the food was delicious. It was not "fine dining," but it was very good. I suspect that a lunchtime visit during the week would be a little less chaotic.

We all headed back to Zoe's to cut the cake and ensure everyone was sorted. It was almost noisier there than at the restaurant.

The girls put on their PJs and their special robes, and then Zoe cut the cake. Like the decorations, the theme for the cake was Wicked. This meant that half was green and half was pink. There was some debate over who wanted a slice of which colour. Nana and Grandpa headed home clutching slices of green cake!

Walking in our front door, we were greeted by Jasper. He had to wait. I was not doing anything until I had a glass of wine, and my ears had stopped ringing!

Equinox

Having had a brilliant day yesterday, with temperature in the high teens or low twenties, the equinox has turned out to be a bit "meh". It has been overcast throughout the day, and there has been a cool breeze. The forecast kept threatening rain, but it never amounted to anything.

We were up early for Ellie to be dropped off. It was "Red Nose Day", so the kids were able to go to school in their own clothes. Ellie was already dressed and had finished her breakfast before being dropped off. She was excited and eager to get to school. At least she was until she realised her new trainers were too tight and her jacket was mucky. We walked back to her house, and she selected different footwear and a denim jacket. All was well. We were ready for the day.

I didn't go for an early walk. My knees and hips had been a bit uncomfortable overnight, so I decided to wait until I had been moving about for a while before venturing off. We headed home for breakfast and when that was finished, I got on with some admin and then some research. The Obsidian note-taking platform was performing differently on the iPad from the way it runs on the MacBook. It was bugging me. A few YouTube videos later, I had the problem under control.

After lunch, we had the usual Kindle time before walking to school to collect Ellie. After a brief stop at the park, she came back for a snack and waited for Zoe to collect her.

Today is Kim and Jon's Wedding Anniversary - they've both been working so probably haven't had much opportunity to celebrate - but hopefully, they will make up for it over the weekend.

Tne Big Sing

 Ellie was dropped off at 07:40. She was already dressed, her hair was done, and she had finished breakfast. All she needed to do was clean her teeth. She was wired. Today, the class went to the local secondary school to participate in "The Big Sing", along with all of the other junior schools in the area. Ellie's class had been practising three songs which they would perform during the day. She couldn't wait to get going and kept coming into the kitchen to check the time to make sure we left as soon as it was feasible.

Dropping Ellie at class, we headed home for breakfast (I didn't have an early walk today). With breakfast done, we raided Sainsbiry's and M&S. We were much too early for the zombies, so we rattled around the store in no time. The reason for the early start was that Di had an appointment for a blood test and we wanted to ensure everything was done in plenty of time.

With Diane driving off to the surgery for her blood test, I waited to see Lottie leave and then went for my walk. The route had to include the village so that I could collect Diane's latest batch of meds. After lunch, we settled in the Orangery for some Kindle time. The sun was beating down, and I had opened the bi-fold doors so that we didn't overheat. With the equinox tomorrow, this bodes well for spring.

We collected Ellie from school, and it was clear that she had really enjoyed The Big Sing. We stopped off at the park on the way home so that she could let off some steam, and then headed home to give her a snack and Wait for Zoe to collect her.

Spring Sunshine

 Ellie didn't wake until 07:30, by which time I had been pottering around in the kitchen for half an hour. Coffee was made, her breakfast was made, and Diane's tea was ready. Zoe had forgotten to rest Ellie's alarm at home, so she woke unnecessarily early and knocked at the door well before 08:00. We walked Ellie to school and then, as Zoe headed home, I set off on my morning walk.

I had a few chores to clear when I had finished breakfast, the most important of which was to go and fetch some cat litter from the pet store. With that done, I settled down for a few bits of research and started arranging my next Band of Brothers lunch. The date was narrowed down after some activity on WhatsApp, and with a date set, I emailed the restaurant. I also emailed the full address list of the Brothers to get the date in the diaries and request their RSVPs.

Diane was summoned by Zoe and wandered around the corner to see what she wanted. I didn't expect her back for a while, so I set off for another walk to make the most of the cloudless sky and gentle spring warmth. Carl Sagan chatted away in my ears as I walked one of my familiar routes.

I grabbed some lunch when I got home, then settled down in the Orangery with my Kindle to enjoy a few hours of reading. Diane arrived back soon after I sat down, and once I had made her some tea and she had a snack, she joined me in the Orangery.

Tip

 It had been another cold night, but again the front of the house saw no frost, but the Orangery had a crystalline coating when I first came down. The sky was clear and as the sun ripped itself from its overnight blankets the temperature rose enough to dispatch the frost.

Zoe had a late start today, which meant we didn't need the early morning wake-up alarm. I was still up before seven, but it was out of choice rather than necessity. When I wandered to Zoe's, I was clutching some more printing for her and a copy of Ellie's family tree, going back 5 generations. (I could obviously go a lot further than that but limited it to a small print run).

After the school run, I headed off for my usual walk before returning home for breakfast. The first chore of the morning was an update to the accounts (they are always at their busiest at this time of the month). With the accounts out of the way, I decided to deal with the old printer, a very old computer, and other detritus that had been accumulating. I tried to book a slot at the local tip, but the website was down. In the end, I had to call West Sussex County Council to book a slot. The car was duly loaded, and I drove to the tip. The various operatives were immensely helpful, directing me to the correct containers and, in many cases, relieving me of the junk and taking it themselves.

After lunch, I took the opportunity to make the most of the glorious spring day and go out for another walk, and then we both settled down in the Orangery to read. There was no need to collect Ellie today. She was collected with a friend and taken to her house for a playdate. She is, however, staying with us overnight as Zoe wouldn't finish until 21:00.

Bits and Bobs

We had an early start so that Ellie could be dropped off. She was full of the joys of Spring and eager to remind us that it would be her birthday party this coming weekend. (Just like her mother!). We went through the usual morning rituals and then walked her to school, 

 After the drop-off, Dinae headed home for breakfast, and I set off for my early morning walk. The further I got in the Carl Sagan "Cosmos" audiobook, the more engrossed I became. This is a book for anyone with an inquiring mind and an interest in history, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, and the "Cosmic fugue".  I have noticed that the original episodes of the TV series are available on YouTube and I will squirrel those away for a rainy day.

Back home, fully caffeinated and replete with the finest porridge oats, I set about an update to the accounts. While in an administrative frame of mind, I set about requesting the recycling run for our coffee pods. This process has improved significantly since my last request.

Having received the new tabletop protectors for our kitchen table, I had the opportunity to repurpose the old table protector, This was cut down into 6 placemats and a couple of mats for serving dishes. It all looks rather good. With that done and the clock ticking towards midday, I headed out for another short walk. i did a couple of loops of the estate, ticking off a few more kilometres.

After lunch, we settled down for a quiet hour with our Kindles before going to collect Ellie. Fortunately, she wasn't;t interested in going to the park today (it was a bit cold). She came out of class clutching another Start of the Week certificate,,, this one was for her enthusiasm and participation in mathematics, I asked her what she had been doing, and she explained they had been creating sequences of numbers and trying to determine the patterns in the sequences. Once she had given me an example, I realised they were discussing arithmetic progressions and took the opportunity to show her an example in a graph. She was genuinely interested, which made me very proud. (Maybe I should get her onto Carl Sagan and `Richard Feynman!)

Just Visiting

It had been very cold overnight, but there was no sign of frost out the front of the house. The Orangery roof, however, was white with the fractal patterns of ice crystals that form so readily on glass. We enjoyed a quiet breakfast and then prepared for a day out.

With Jaspers food-timers set, we hit the highways. The sky was blue, with the occasional daub of cloud to give depth to the picture. Traffic was light and we had a delightful drive up to Odiham to see Jan and John. It was still bright when we arrived, but there was more cloud hovering over North East Hampshire. We settled down for a coffee and some biscuits and started the usual organ recital and news update. It was good to hear that John was feeling a lot better and felt as if he had turned a corner in his recovery.

At lunchtime, we hopped into the car and drove to Hazeley Heath (near the Police College, at Hartly Wintney). We parked up and claimed our pre-booked table at "The Mutton", a gastro-pub that has just been the recipient of a prestigious award for dining in Hampshire. Being Sunday, we concentrated on the "roasts"; Diane and John both chose the lamb, and I had the beef. Jan decided on fish and chips. The food was delightful, and the service was exceptional. Whether it was worth the final total might be up for debate, but it was worth the opportunity to try it.

We returned to Jan and John's and sat back down with a cup of tea and some apple pie. We chatted for the rest of the afternoon, predominantly about family news. We left around 17:30 and, again, had a lovely and uneventful drive home.

Printing

 We had a leisurely start to the day. I had expected a hard overnight frost, but it didn't materialise. I sat down with my coffee and waited until I heard Diane stirring before making her tea and then heading up for my shower.

I had the usual call with my cousins, and was quick to tell Red Tim that I thought his man, Starmer, had played a blinder over the last couple of weeks. We also had to congratulate Sarah on her 50th Wedding Anniversary.

With the call over, I returned to the problem of Zoe's printing. In the end I concluded that Acrobat Reader Pro was the only certain way to achieve what I wanted. I downloaded the software on a 7-day free trial, but set it up so I could pay a monthly fee (which could be cancelled at any time). I don't have much use for this tiled poster printing so I suspect I will terminate the free trial before the cut-off. After several paper jams, the printing was completed and I rolled it up ready to take to Zoe.

 I plugged my AirPods into my ears and continued my education from Carl Sagan as I walked to Sainsbury's with the printing. I called for Zoe when I arrived and she took me up to the offices where I could lay out the printed sheets for her to tape together. With the printing delivered, I left Sainsbury's and walked to Bognor Regis railway station. I collected the tickets for our trip to London to see King Tut in April. I then took a quiet walk home. Overall it was a nice 5 mile circuit.

After some lunch, we settled down with our Kindles. I finished my current book and started the next. Zoe popped in briefly to collect a parcel, left with us by the postman knowing Zoe was at work.

Replaced

There was a very hard frost overnight.

Zoe called. Ellie was unwell and would not be going to school. She was dropped off with us soon after eight, and would stay with us until Pete could collect her - but he was at work this morning. It didn't really affect our plans as Diane had already decided not to go to Cardiac Rehab this week.

As I was looking through Facebook, I saw an advertisement for the Tutankhamen Experience, an exhibition being held for 14 weeks starting at the end of March. It seemed like an interesting event, so I have booked tickets for early April, so we can take Ellie up with us during the Easter holiday.

I took the opportunity to go for a walk. My new audiobook is "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan. I suspect this will accompany me for several weeks as I wander the highways and byways. I stopped in the village to return an Amazon parcel, then picked up Diane's meds from the pharmacy. I then headed home. I had hoped to take another walk after in the day, but didn't get the opportunity. I did, however, end up playing "snakes and ladders" and another board game (I can't remember the name) with Ellie.

Pete finished work at 14:00 and was here to collect Ellie before 15:00. She is staying with him for the weekend.

I had ordered a new A3 printer to replace the old Brother unit. This was delivered as I cooked dinner. It has a smaller footprint than the Brother, but it weighs several metric tonnes. It was an absolute beast to get out of the box and carry upstairs to install in the study. The setup was fairly easy. It connects to the home network via WiFi (not Ethernet cable) and once the ink cartridges were installed and the paper trays filled, everything burst into life. That is where the next problem arose.

The printing that Zoe had asked me to do was originally A0-size. In theory, you can print a large PDF file by tiling it over a number of sheets. (This is referred to as "Poster" printing). The problem is that this option seems to have disappeared from MacOS Preview... and indeed every other print facility I had. Apparently, Adobe had moved this from the standard Acrobat tools to the "Pro" tools and it was therefore deprecated in "Preview". I wouldn't be doing Zoe's printing tonight!

Lethargy and Clarity

 I was awake at 4:40 this morning. Though I didn't get up, I was wide awake and somehow managed to stay fairly still until 6:30 when I had to get up to be ready for Ellie. The temperature had dropped; it was a lot colder than the last week or so. Whilst the sun was shining its spotlight from the east, the west looked like the storm clouds of Mordor gathering, Ellie was dropped off and, after breakfast and her ablutions, came down to read to Grandpa before school.

We dropped her off at the classroom and headed home. There was no walk for me this morning; my excuse was the threatening weather and the need to complete our shop in time for me to collect my new glasses - (though laziness might be equally to blame). Back home, with more coffee and breakfast tucked away, I entered the week's shopping list onto the phone and we headed off to Sainsbury's. The shopping didn't take too long and I had time to stash it away in the car before returning to Specsavers to collect my new glasses. Considering the miniscule change in my prescription, I'm surprised by how much difference the new glasses have made. Things seem a lot clearer.

Once home, with the shopping stashed away, we made ourselves scarce while Lottie finished the cleaning downstairs. I took the opportunity to de-install the old Brother A3 printer. In case anyone was interested, I photographed the unit and advertised it on a local Facebook page. I'll give it a few days; if there is no interest, I'll take it to the recycling centre.

This afternoon saw some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie. Despite the cold, she insisted we stop at the park on the way home. Once I had dragged her away from her friends, we headed back home where she enjoyed a snack before reading to Nana for a while.

Quiet,m So Quiet

It’s been a quiet day today. We didn’t have to get up early. Zoe had a day off, consequently I could go along and join the walk school after I had finished several coffees and read the newspapers. After the school walk, I headed off for my pre-breakfast walk as usual. I covered about 3 miles and by the time I got home I was ready for my porridge and another cup of coffee.

The morning was spent on inconsequentials: a little bit of admin, a few chores, but nothing serious. Around lunchtime, Diane set off for an appointment at the local doctors' surgery. When she returned, we had lunch and settled down in the Orangery to spend some time with our Kindles. I also finished my latest audiobook because I had got to the stage where I couldn’t leave it any longer to find out what had actually happened. We weren’t involved in Ellie‘s end of school pick up today. Zoe managed that and then took her into Bognor Regis to get some new shoes. 

Diane had a long telephone chat with Denise. It would appear that all is not sweetness and light in Buckingham at present. We have offered support, if required.

Ink

 Zoe was working from 9-6 today, so there was no imperative forcing me to get up early. That lulled me into a false sense of security lethargy, and so it was that 8:10 I was still in my PJs, reading the news. I realised the time and shot upstairs with the elegance and grace of a SpaceX(*) rocket. I completed my ablutions, dressed, and was out the door in 15 minutes. Ellie was in a strop when I arrived. She had wanted to wear her shorts, but today was too cold for that. Apparently, that was Mummy's fault... it is Spring, after all! She finally snapped out of it when we got her to school.

I headed off for my morning walk, then looped back home for breakfast. The morning was spent on a number of inconsequential tasks, and finishing the pile of ironing that Diane had started on yesterday.  As I sat back down, the phone rang, "This is (mumbled name) from HR at (mumbled company); please add my number to your WhatsApp so that I can talk to you about an opportunity" Click. I rang off.

The phone rang again. This time it was Zoe. "Da, could you print something for us on your big (A3) printer?" Mmmm, thinks I. I haven't fired that up for a year or so. Will it still have any usable ink? Does it work from the iMac running Sequoia? I went up to the study. The printer burst into life. It was visible to the iMac, but the ink had clearly dried up. New ink cartridges have been ordered and Sainsbury's will have to wait.

After lunch we had some Kindle time before I went off to collect Ellie from school. As usual, we stopped off at the park for a while and then she came home to tell Nana about her day, eat a snack, and read to Nana. I prepared an early dinner so she could go off with Ariana for a playdate. Zoe will collect her from Ariana's.

(*) Several of the recent SpaceX launches have blown up or ended in failure

Just ticking over

There was not a lot to report today. It was a bit grey when we got up to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. The cloud was high, and thin, but managed to keep the sun obscured for much of the early part of the day. Ellie was her usual chirpy self and at 8:30 we set off for school.

With Ellie delivered to the classroom door, Diane headed home and I set out for my walk. My audiobook was chatting away in my ears as I completed my usual circuits of the estate. I covered a fraction under 3 miles and went home for breakfast.

Diane spent much of the morning demolishing a pile of ironing. I got on with various chores and also ordered a further tabletop protector for our kitchen table. (We will have one for the table in its usual state, and another for when it is fully expanded).

I took a circuitous walk into the village, stopping to get my flowing locks trimmed. Then leaving the barbershop, I walked the long way home to get some more miles under my belt.

After lunch we had some Kindle time before I went to collect Ellie from school. We dropped her school bag in the kitchen and then went back out so she could have some time in the park.

Zoe came to collect Ellie at 16:30... leaving us time to get ready for the evening's Sonning Crew get together.

The Sonning Crew get together didn't quite work out. While we were getting ready, Diane was struck with some further gastric discomfort. Discretion, being the better part of valour, dictated that she didn't venture too far and so it was they she stayed home watching the TV while I went to celebrate Maureen's birthday with the rest of the Crew. We took the bus into Chichester, then settled down in the Giggling Squid for a very pleasant meal. We didn't linger long, and managed to grab a bus as soon as we left the restaurant. 

Hopefully, Di's problem will settle overnight.

Waxing, Not Waning

We had a very leisurely start to the day. I cascaded down the stairs at 7:20, and Diane joined me about an hour later. Coffee had been consumed, and the overnight news ingested. After a shower, I returned for breakfast and the "socials". 

When we finally stirred from the breakfast table, I stripped the protective cloth from the surface and opened the table to its full extent. I then used wood soap (I had never previously heard of wood soap) to give the table a deep clean. With the table clean, I then applied a beeswax polish to protect the surface. This took an hour or so as I applied it to the fully extended table and the supporting base. I was pleased when the job was done, but have to recognise this will be needed several times a year. We had to find a suitable surface protector for the table when it was both compressed and when it was expanded. I spent a stupid amount of time online trying to find suitable table protectors. I have managed to find what we need and ordered a cover for the fully extended table... the condensed table may need a "bespoke" solution, so I await a response from my email.

With the table done, I was about to head off for a walk, but we received a phone call from Zoe. She was having trouble pruning a plant in her front garden. I diverted from my initial route and sorted out the problem. (She hadn't understood the concept of a ratchet on the loppers.) Problem solved, I left her and went for my walk. My audiobook (a Jonathan Kellerman "Alex Delaware" novel) provided a running commentary as I wandered the neighbourhood.

Once home, my “to-do" list included moving our old kitchen table to Zoe's. It had already been disassembled. It was just a matter of transport and reassembly. With some help from Zoe, this was soon over and done with. The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting in the sun in the garden (and then the Orangery) before switching to Master Chef mode and preparing dinner.

Half a Rock

We had a (welcome) lazy start to the morning. I wandered down for a coffee and to read the overnight news. Some time later, Diane came down. This was the trigger for me to complete my morning ablutions and make myself look beautiful for the morning Zoom call.

The call followed the usual pattern, though the Orange Moron, Trump, seemed to feature on and off. I ended up reading a quote I had seen during the week:

"This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore.

A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong.

And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want."

(This was from Hannah Arendt, German historian and philosopher).

Somehow, this seemed so appropriate to the state of US politics at present (and in no small way, our own, too).

The rest of the morning was spent doing a few chores and searching for a new pair of shoes. My current Clark's shoes are badly wearing at the heel and as it is a welded heel, cannot easily be repaired. I eventually found a pair that looked okay. I have ordered for them to be delivered to the local outlet in Chichester. I'll try them on there, and if I'm not happy, I'll get a refund.

Diane made the most of the gorgeous weather and spent a chunk of the day pottering and tidying in the garden.

I purchased a ticket for today's football match between Bognor Regis FC (The Rocks) and Folkestone Invicta. I walked along to the ground and grabbed a beer. (Note to self: do not ever order a "Neck Oil" IPA again). I managed a few mouthfuls, then left it on the bar.

I took my seat in the stands and watched the end of the warm-up, then there was a minute's silence in memory of a recently deceased fan, and the young girl from Cumbria who was hit by a car while on the training ground. Everybody stood still and bowed their heads. You could have heard a pin drop. It was most impressive and a lesson for many of the venues.

The game kicked off and Bognor went on the offensive immediately. They were soon pinned back, though and conceded a goal in the 13th minute. The conceded a second, straight from a corner a little while later. They finally clawed one back just before half-time. I left at half-time and walked home. The game was scrappy and I couldn't see there being much change. I was proved right. When I checked the final score, it had remained 1-2.

Mild

It was a mild night compared with the last week or so. I woke early to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. She was in a very chirpy mood and bounced into the house, said hello, then charged upstairs to see Nana. Grandpa was left to prepare her smoothie and her breakfast! When "the girls" came downstairs, I headed up for my shower and when I emerged I was informed that Ellie had forgotten her skin cream, and her books. Grandpa had to go fetch them! Meanwhile, Ellie completed her ablutions and got dressed. Then Grandpa was enlisted to listen while she read from her current books. I dropped her at school and then headed out for my usual walk. As I moved from circuit one to circuit two, Diane drove past on her way to Cardiac Rehab.

Back home I had breakfast and then captured the shopping list on the phone for later. When Diane got back, we headed off to Sainsbury's. It was just as well - we were out of milk, out of snacks for Ellie, and out of fruit. It seemed very busy today, but we had an opportunity to meet the new store manager, Jason, and the RSD, Natalie. It was a big shop today, big enough that we each took a trolley. This worked well, and we may employ the same approach again.

Once home, with everything put away, and lunch over, we settled for an hour in the Orangery with our Kindles. It started to rain just as we prepared to collect Ellie from school, but actually dried up by the time we left the house.

Zoe picked Ellie up at 16:30. She is off to a sleep-over with her "friend" Natalie this evening. This gives Zoe a quiet evening by herself... which is probably well overdue.

Book day

 We had an early start again this morning. It was foggy again, but the forecast expected it to lift during the morning. Ellie was dropped off and everything clicked into gear. The usual PE kit was not required this Thursday. It is World Book Day and like most schools, Ellie's class were entering into the spirit of the day by dressing as a character from a book or comic.

Most of her classmates seemed to plump for Harry Potter characters. Ellie was more traditional with a Little Red Riding Hood outfit. She looked as cute as a button.

We walked her to school, where her teacher was dressed as Wonder Woman, and as Diane headed home, I set off on my morning walk.

Some 45 minutes later I arrived home for my breakfast and then set about manipulating old tables and spreadsheets to import them to my new Ninox database. This was interrupted when we walked over to Chris and Maureen's for a coffee.

We settled down with some good coffee and chatted for an hour or two. We were updated on their family and we reciprocated, then we talked about holidays, before finally turning our attention to their new home security system. As we are their emergency contact, we had to be aware of how to arm and disarm the system, and how to respond if the monitoring company calls. It all seemed fairly straightforward.

Back home, we grabbed some lunch before spending a quiet hour in the Orangery with our Kindles. I headed off to collect Ellie but was caught out by the high cloud that blocked the sun. The temperature dropped by several degrees and I regretted not wearing a jacket (or a thicker sweater).

We didn't manage to get our shopping today, so that will have to happen tomorrow.

Play Misty for me

There was no need for an early alarm this morning as Zoe had a day off. I was surprised when I opened the shutters to find it was really foggy outside. It was quite cool also, being only 4C. After my coffee and initial trawl through the overnight news, I went on around to Zoe's and joined the walk to school. The teacher took Zoe to one side to warn her that there had been some unpleasant online material involving some of Ellie's older friends. Zoe had also seen this and blocked them from all of Ellie's devices. It was good, however, that the school had been alert and warned us.

I headed off for my early walk before returning home for breakfast and to say goodbye to Di as she drove off to Angmering for Pilates. I spent the first part of the morning doing some admin, and reading up further on some database technology. I had to scratch the itch. Using Ninox, I started to populate a table with text from my household maintenance blog. I was pleased with the results and will now reflect on any further development.

I plugged my AirPods into my ears and set off for another walk. The fog was lifting, and by the time I approached home, the sun was out and it was getting quite warm.

After lunch we settled in the warmth of the Orangery with our Kindles for a while. Di then went to join Zoe and collect Ellie from school. I returned to the MacBook and continued to import small tracts of data into the Ninox database. If (and I do mean if) I decide to compel the household log, then I have a lot of work to do in order to get the existing data into a standard format that will allow me to do a bulk import.

Mining

It was another glorious start to the day. Crystal clear skies were glowing gold as the sun heaved itself above the eastern horizon. Ellie was dropped off as usual and we began the daily pre-school protocol. Once breakfast, ablutions, and the day's outfit were complete, Grandap had to participate in "let's play teachers". This involved randomly providing French translations of English words, counting in French, and identifying a French phrase Ellie had (mis)remembered from school. With that "class" done, we then went on to practise handwriting. This would have been particularly useful if it had been Ellie practising, but no, she was dictating and Grandpa had to practise.

Dropping her at school, I set off for my usual walk - starting a new audiobook as I went. Once home, I grabbed some breakfast and then headed off to get the bus into Chichester. As I stood at the bus stop, there was a honk of a horn, and Chris and Maureen pulled up alongside me to offer a lift. I arrived in Chichester earlier than expected and headed for the dentist. I settled down in the waiting room and dug out my Kindle. (Experience has taught me the hygienist is always running late). I was eventually called in, strapped to the chair, my glasses were removed, and she switched on her miners' lamp and various power tools. I assume she was in a bad mood today because she was absolutely brutal. Jabbing away at my gums with a pick, she seemed amazed that they started to bleed. I felt like pointing out that if she jabbed any part of my body like that, that too would bleed. Eventually, having auditioned for a remake of Marathon Man, I was released.

While I was being held hostage by the hygienist, Diane had taken Jasper to the vet to get his claws clipped. She arrived home just before me. She has been suffering a bit of discomfort and contacted the surgery. They could not accommodate her, so suggested she visit the Minor Injuries Unit at the Bognor War Memorial Hospital. I dropped her at the entrance and went home (not knowing how long she would be, I needed to be available to collect Ellie). As it happened, it was after 5 o'clock before Di called to say she was ready. We stopped off at the pharmacy on the way home, so she could start her course of tablets immediately.

Bits and Pieces

It had been a very cold night and the lawns and all the cars were covered in frost when I opened the shutters this morning. It was early and Ellie was still in her PJs when she was dropped off. Ellie dumped her stuff in the kitchen and charged upstairs to see Nana. Normal service had resumed and the usual morning protocols were followed.

With Ellie dropped at school, I headed out for my walk. I added an extra section to the usual route, enabling me to arrive home just as my audiobook finished. I had timed it to perfection. After some breakfast (and another coffee), I started on my list for the day. I had to clean stains, left by Jasper, on several carpets. This didn't take too long, and successfully returned the carpets to their normal colour. Next, I had to check and if necessary, re-pressurise the water tank for the central heating. The check was done quickly, and there was no further action required.

Diane had spent much of the weekend having a clear-out in her sewing room. Several large piles of books appeared at the bottom of the stairs, along with some large sacks of other odds and ends. I loaded them into the car and we took them to the charity shop. They were delighted with our donations, particularly as Diane had sorted the books by subject (craft) area.

Returning home, I updated the accounts and then returned to my education on Obsidian. I delved and played for several hours, but feel that I have got to grips with the tool and will certainly use it as an adjunct to my use of Apple Notes. When I finished educating myself, I managed about 30 minutes of Kindle time before leaving to collect Ellie from school. The sun was shining, completely unhindered by clouds, and whilst cool (9C) it was a glorious afternoon. I took Ellie to the park so she could let off some steam before coming home.

Zoe came along to collect Ellie soon after four o'clock.

Map

 I was awake before seven, but quite happy to lie still and allow my brain to reach working speed. I finally stirred when Jasper leapt onto the bed at seven-fifteen. As usual, coffee was the first order of the day, accompanied by a review of the overnight news. I was delighted to see the opprobrium that was heaped up on the moron Trump from all quarters. The guy is, however, a sociopath and immune to the criticism from others.

After breakfast, I headed out for a walk. The AirPods chatted away in my ears for an hour or so, getting to the climax of the current book. Even though I was out for well over an hour, there is still more of the story to be revealed. I may have to add an extra circuit to my morning walk tomorrow!

Back home, I delved further in Obsidian, the note-taking app I was looking at yesterday. The further I delve, the more impressed I am. I was particularly taken with the ability to "mind map" within the app. I only wish it had been available when I was still working and could really have exploited its power. I dug deeper, watching loads of relevant YouTube videos. The day was beginning to run away with me. I closed the MacBook and retired to the Orangery with my Kindle (soon to be joined by Diane). It was glorious outside, so the Orangery was very warm and cosy as we sat and read.

The alarm on my watch rang. It was time to start on dinner. This weekend saw me cook a pork joint (with crackling) with roasted carrots and roasted potatoes, along with green beans.

Take Note

We had a lazy start to the day. As I opened up the shutters, it was clear that it had been a very cold night. Frost covered the grass opposite, and cars were white with the icy crystals. It was 07:00 and that was a pleasant lie-in for me. Coffee was soon brewed, and I settled down with the news. It was, of course, dominated by the White House mugging of Zelensky by the moron Trump and his attack dog Vance. I have never been so embarrassed by the behaviour of a world leader. I feel deeply sorry for the many decent Americans who are equally appalled by their President. He is a bully and a thug, and has no understanding of what is going on in Ukraine. Thank God our Prime Minister is meeting with Zelensky today and can reinforce our support for his country in their defense of the invaders.

I had my usual call with the cousins.  The conversation ranged across several subjects, but obviously settled on the moron Trump. Nobody had a good word, or even a polite word for him. He is a pariah and may he be damned in the history books.

The rest of the morning was spent with some admin, and then a superficial attempt to tidy my study. Actually, the tidying didn't take too long and has made quite a difference... but I still have not found my spare pair of glasses.

Trudy and Ian knocked. They had come to collect a misdirected parcel. I couldn't invite them in as Diane was still in her nightwear. We did have a chat, however, and it was nice to see them. When they left, I went out for a walk. I had to collect Diane's meds on the way through, but that was a brief interruption to the audiobook and the walking route.

Much of the rest of the day was spent investigating a note-taking app called Obsidian. This looks immensely powerful, but is not, at first look, very intuitive. Several YouTube videos convinced me to persevere, and I eventually got it working and syncing between my iMac, iPad, and iPhone. Despite investing so much effort, I am still not sure how much I will use it, but there is a facility that would allow me to import (or backup) all of my Apple Notes into the app. I will probably play with it some more before deciding whether to keep it. What I do like is the ability to build and use tables more dynamically than Apple Notes, and also its internal cross-referencing and the graphic representation of the personal knowledge map that the notes represent.

Pattern

There really is a pattern to our days. I was up early to greet Ellie when she was dropped off. She burst into the house like a tiny tornado and, dumping her stuff in the kitchen, charged upstairs to see Nana. Grandpa was left in the kitchen to prepare her smoothie and her breakfast.

Diane was feeling a little fragile. She had some slight gastric discomfort. Though I was happy for her to help Ellie get washed and dressed, I insisted she stayed at home when it was time for the school run. Leaving Ellie at the classroom, I headed for my pre-breakfast walk in the bright sunshine. (It might have been bright and sunny, but there was a definite nip in the air.)

Diane would normally have gone to the cardiac rehab session on Friday. Today, that was not going to be an option. We stayed put and both got on with our admin during the morning. (Meanwhile, Zoe collected Ellie from school and took her to her appointment at the hospital for an ultrasound scan.)

After lunch, we settled in the warmth of the Orangery with our books until it was time to collect Ellie. Again, Diane stayed put while I went on the school run. We didn't spend too long at the park today. Pete was scheduled to collect Ellie, so I had to get her back for Zoe to collect and take home.

On Spec

We were up early for Ellie's drop-off. She was full of the joys of (the impending) Spring, and bounced into the house ready for some breakfast.  Once she was fed, washed, and dressed, we took her to school then headed home. I didn't take my early walk as I was going back out as soon as I had finished breakfast.

Diane had an appointment at the hairdresser, she was desperate to get her hair cut. I was going to the optician. I have been experiencing a few anomalies with my eyes recently. It was nothing serious, but I seemed to have trouble with fine focus, particularly first thing in the morning. I wanted it checked. With my AirPods screwed into my ears I walked to Sainsbury's (where SpecSavers have an implant). 

The opticians were very thorough and I had all of the usual tests, including the eye scan (which examines the back of the eye). We went through the results and I was given a clean bill of health. I do have incipient cataracts, but they have not changed since last year and there is no need to consider any intervention. My lens prescription had, however, changed. My short sight (which I have had since I was 11) seems to be improving! When the consultation was over, I chose a new frame to accommodate the new lenses prescribed by the optician. The appointment had lasted nearly an hour, but I felt relieved that they had not detected any problems and pleased with the care and attention I had received. I plugged my AirPods back in and walked home via a longer route.

The afternoon started in the wonderfully warm Orangery. The sun had been shining since first thing, and the Orangery was delightfully cosy. I consumed about half of another book before heading off to collect Ellie. (I left Diane in the peace, quiet, and warmth of the Orangery). Collecting Ellie, we headed for the park so that she could have a run around for a while. I sat chatting to one of the mums - a Canadian, by birth. As you would expect of a Canadian, she was charming.

Zoe collected Ellie at 16:30. We will see her again early in the morning.

Ink

There was no need for an alarm this morning. With Ellie staying overnight, we could get up a bit later. I was up first and sitting down with a coffee by the time Ellie and Diane stirred. We went through the usual morning procedure, though Zoe arrived in time to walk to school with us.

It was very wet. Though the dawn had been golden and bright, it was clear that rain was not far off. Indeed, by the time we left school, it was just starting. I had already decided that I wouldn't take my early morning walk, and it was just as well. Within a few minutes of getting home, the heavens opened. 

Diane had decided that after yesterday evening's jaunt to see Giovanni, she was not in the mood for Pilates today. As we both have appointments tomorrow morning, we completed the week's shopping list and raided Sainsbury's

Last night, Ellie asked me to print some song lyrics. The printer decided it didn't want to. The problem lay with the black ink cartridge, but it wasn't empty. The Canon printer will not eject a cartridge until it registers as empty. I gave up last night and resolved to return to the problem this morning. After watching a few YouTube videos, I found a workaround. The black cartridge has now been replaced, and everything seems to be working again. That was a relief.

It looks as if my cousin Liz's email address has been compromised. I received a strange email message from her. The text just didn't seem like her style, and on checking, the "Reply-to" address was wrong. I warned Jane (it turned out that she, too, had received the email) and contacted Liz's son, Rick. He was visiting Liz, so resolved to send out a warning email and get things fixed.

We settled down after lunch for some Kindle time. I should have gone for a walk, but it had started to rain again. It did clear up, but by then, I had lost the impetus, finished another book, and started yet another.

Another Journal

 It was foul, first thing. The rain was heavy, and as there was little or no wind, it just seemed to fall in sheets. We were up early so that Ellie could be dropped off. She was in a very chirpy mood and was eager to get back to school after the half-term break. We dropped her off at the usual time and headed straight home - I wasn't going walking while it was that wet!

Back home, I opened up the package that Zoe had brought around. It was the latest journal to add to our collection. I poured over the book as I was eating breakfast, and I must say that I am very pleased with the results.

With breakfast done, I delved into some admin tasks that had not been addressed while we were away. By the time the admin was cleared, the rain had stopped, and it was brightening up outside. I grabbed my fleece and my AirPods and headed out for a walk. I was only gone for about 45 minutes, but the third coffee I had consumed with breakfast was acting as an impetus to return home earlier than planned!

We had our usual Kindle time after lunch and then went to collect Ellie from school She wasn't very pleased when I said we would not be stopping at the park (despite the warm sunshine). Diane, Kim, and Zoe are going out to see Giovanni Pernice in Southsea this evening. I had to get back from school to prepare dinner for Diane and Zoe before they went to collect Kim. Diane, meanwhile, wanted to wash her hair and get ready for the outing.

Ellie is staying with us overnight and will obviously be Grandpa-sitting this evening.

Inset

I was up early, this time out of necessity, as Ellie was being dropped off on Zoe's way to work. So, at 6:45, Ellie burst into the house and ran straight upstairs to get into bed with Nana. I sat downstairs with my coffee, reading the news.

It is an INSET day. This means the kids don't go to school because the teachers are training, strategising, and preparing for the oncoming onslaught as the children return. It also means that grandparents have to step in and look after the children.

Ellie was very good and entertained herself for much of the morning. Once my bladder was under control, I went for a walk to collect Diane's medication from the pharmacy. With that tucked away, we all went to Sainsbury's to stock up on what we would need for the remainder of the week. We weren't there for too long, but we did manage to touch base with Zoe.

Back home, with some lunch sorted for each of us, Ellie then contacted a friend so they could go out and play during the afternoon. (Monitored by her GPS Watch, of course). I also headed back out. There was a card to post and some cream and chorizo to pick up (I had forgotten them earlier at Sainsbury's). The weather had dried up nicely, and it was too warm for my big leather jacket. By the time I got home at the end of my route, I was really quite warm.

Zoe collected Ellie at 16:30, and we settled down to dinner (salmon and prawn in a cream sauce with linguine).

Home

I was up early, as usual. Opening the curtains, I was presented with a pink, calm morning. This was not destined to last but was a super start to the day. 

Once Di was up and about we started to pack the last few items into our cases. I made a couple of trips to load the luggage into the car and grab the hotel bill.

We met up with Jane and Trevor over breakfast and sat chatting as the restaurant filled around us, and then started to empty again. Maybe it was time to move on.

We finished loading the car and instead of saying our goodbyes, we agreed to meet up at Mudeford Quay for a short walk before the drive home. It was only a 10-minute drive from the hotel.

By the time we arrived at Mudeford Quay, the sun had hidden itself behind high grey clouds and a stiff breeze was blowing along the coast. We walked away from the Quay to start with and then after about a kilometre, turned back on ourselves and this time walked down onto the quay from which we could see across the channel where Christchurch Harbour empties into the sea, across to the end of Mudeford Spit. As you can see from the photo, it was a bit bleak!

We said our goodbyes and headed off. We cut through the New Forest and picked up the Motorway. We were home in about 90 minutes.

Having unpacked, we had a quiet hour in the lounge before heading back out to collect Jasper from Mark (the Cat Whisperer). Mark insisted that we should not pay for this stay as Jasper is such a regular guest at the Cattery. We tried to argue, but he was having none of it.