HAPPY NEW WEEK!
Last week's Chat thread is here.
Annette: I thought I'd go ahead and start this week's thread. I don't mind at all. When my next freelance project comes in, you (or someone else) can do it if you want to.
Everyone have a great week!
Well, I'm back.......
Picked up Cousin from Other sis-in-laws, where they had spent a lot of time on the pc trying to order something which could then be sent to someone in Canada, but ordered from here, and then paid for by sis-in-law but who would be reimbursed later..... don't ask, its too complicated. Also they ran up a large phone bill ringing British Airways to find out if they are going to charge for the suitcases on the way home. This of course, is out of our hands and will not be changed anyway, so when she reaches the airport she will just have to pay up ~ surely no need to spend half an hour and a lot of money just ringing them about it!
We took her to the pub: there were only the three of us in the end, and others had made excuses, also as Other sis-in-law had had enough and wanted to lie down in a darkened room for a couple of days, so we took her on our own. There were three choices of plate size at the Carvery today, so we all chose Medium sized and I had a large glass of white wine! The meats looked wonderful, so I had the Turkey and the other two had one of each of Pork, Turkey and Beef. Then we helped ourselves to the biggest Yorkshire puddings - as big as my fist! plus all kinds of nice veg. Enjoyed our meal and lingered after but no pud as all too full. Anyway, I had cake ready, more of that later.
Then we drove through our lovely county to find a place called The Anderton Boat Lift. This is a famous lift on a canal, which takes the narrowboats between the canal and a nearby river, allowing for the difference in height - hence the lift, built in the 1820's, I think. It is the only one of its kind in UK. We took photos of it so I will show those later. We were lucky and several narrowboats came through whilst we were there. We also stopped in the Visitor centre to see the display and a film of how it all worked. That filled a couple of hours, after admiring some of the quaint small villages nearby.
We returned to sis-in-laws for a cup of tea and some of the cake I had bought on the way: yummy Victoria Sponge, Iced Lemon, Coffee & Walnut and Chocolate. The shop sells a selection made so that you can buy a quarter of a full cake in each flavour for variety. Each quarter makes three slices. We scoffed this down in a way you would not think we had not long had such a big lunch, LOL!!
Then bade farewell to Cousin, who my OH will take to the airport on Tuesday morning but I have declined accompanying him. Tomorrow I think there are more visits from relatives whilst she starts packing (hooray!)
Rita: Nice to see a long post from you and hear all your news: good that you are now recovering from the knee op, it is a tricky one I know and you sound as if you are one of the lucky ones. So good that you can enjoy your gardening again, now.
Sorry to hear about your daughter, these things you never know do you? - but it can't always be helped. Hope its relatively pain free for all of them when it gets sorted out.
Love the Acer tree, I have several and they look great at this time of year.
So much water has passed under the bridge since I last posted that I cannot manage to answer everybody but would like to say a few things -
Margo - Lovely to see your posts, glad you enjoyed your steak dinner and also the concert with dancing!(some time ago now). You are so fortunate to have little Billie who is so devoted to you, I loved Lindybird's poem about her, beautiful.
OG - I am sorry to hear of your bad news, hope it will be sorted out for you at your local hospital swiftly and satisfactorily. Glad to hear that your grandaughter has got into the County Youth Orchestra, I am sure that she will really enjoy that.
Clare - So sorry to hear about Limpy's mother, a very sad time for you, my thoughts are with you.
Lindybird - I have so enjoyed all your photos of the Flower show and also the Wedding, glad it all went off well but sorry that you have not been feeling too well since. Agree with you entirely about 'Lists of things to do' , Mine gets longer, every time I tick something off, on go more things at the bottom!
Dibnlib - enjoyed the photos of your holiday and also loved the photo of dog and cat inside the dog's lampshade!!!
Diane - The recipe for mashed potato salad sounds very interesting, I am definitely going to try it.
Rosie - A rather belated welcome from me , sorry - I have not been posting on here recently. I am English but have lived in the North of Scotland for 45 years now and love it . I live with a whippet and five tortoises but also have three grown up children and seven grandchildren all living in different parts of England. You might gather from my previous post that I have had a total knee replacement just recently and am busy getting back to normal activities now.
Will have to go now, Amber is asking for her dinner and I want to fit mine in before 'Strictly'. I am really enjoying it this year and agree with others who have said that the standard of dancing is very high so far this year. I also watch 'Downton Abbey' and enjoy that .
Mowing finished - the man done well! Just had lamb for dinner - yummy; we all like lamb and get such good meat off the local hills.
Oh, LINDA, what a silly game with that person! But I expect the rest of you will be laughing about it once she is well away! How often does she come?
RITA - you just reminded me about Strictly results - pleased to say it is recorded, so will watch it with evening coffee!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
LINDY hopefully you will look back and laugh. Tues can't come soon enough.
OG hope the church issue is resolved, "Cosi fan Tutte" was superb. We had a lovley afternoon with friends and a delish lunch, pear and roquefort salad to start. then roast pork and apricot stuffing, we thought we were finishing off with summer fruit pavlova but in fact there was more to come.They served up some different cheeses from our local Connage Dairy.
Tomorrow we have friends arriving from Fife so do hope the weather is fine for a couple of walks.
Lindybird: Very good of you to take on OH's cousin for lunch and then a tour around the area, though it doesn't sound long enough for Other SiL. I imagine they could've checked the BA web site too for info re suitcases (but wouldn't she have noticed their policy on the flight to the UK?). I'm sure (well, I hope) that she appreciates all your efforts. As we say here: Fish and house guests smell after three days.
DIBNLIB - we used to buy Scottish cheeses from Connage at Ardersier when we visited, but last time we found they are stocking many different foreign cheeses. We like a lot of them, but it is so overcrowded - and they all smell of the strongest examples! They have also opened a wee café where you can sample cheese platters to taste some that they have to offer. Have a good time with your Fife friends.
Annette so love the " fish and house guests" will quote that forever!!!
Have so enjoyed the chat!
We had lamb, also,OG. Now watching Antiques Road show which is from my home town :-) Then Downton Abbey. Also re-reading a Jack Higgins novel, 'Night of the Fox' and talking on the phone to various offspring. Multi tasking or what?
Ah, you be from Plymouth, Heather ;-))) You couldn't have travelled much further away from it.