Computer conundrums and French film fun.

I caught up with e-mails and correspondence today, but my computer began behaving strangely so I called Pete and tried to sort it out with him until his nerves became jangly. I did some therapeutic housework and gardening, and in the evening we watched a stylish Poirot.

The next day I managed to get my computer working enough to back up my files, so saving all the images of my paintings, which was a relief.

Things continued quietly over the weekend, but on Monday Mason got spammed with hundreds of e-mails, and spent a long time sorting all that out. As the weather was really warm and sunny, for a change, I pruned all the roses in the front garden without lacerating myself too much. Diane and Florence called and chatted later.

Mas then had a look at our TV and managed to sort the system out enough so that we can watch our CDs again. We watched Pete's film Les Goût des Autres which I really enjoyed, and Mas did not, but we agreed to differ on this.

Defragmenting and entertaining

On Wednesday I had computer problems , and Mas spent a long time defragmenting and doing other magical things to it. I spoke to Toby for a while hearing about the vatious stresses that they have been coping with; luckily these should be resolved now. Pete phoned and is worried that his small cat is ill as it is sneezing a lot.

Mas and I watched The Bill and had dinner before going off to bed early as I was feeling tired.

Today my computer was still playing up and Mas had gone off to see the bank manager, so I tidied up as we were expecting Robert and possibly Tania to call in for dinner.

Monika phoned and asked if she could come over briefly as they were going to be in the neighbourhood. It was lovely to see them, and they all looked very healthy after their long holiday. The baby Radovan has grown very fast, and is busy trying to walk although he is only seven months old, and Milan had made me a coaster mat of little beads that had to be clipped together, no doubt using up the last of his patience. Monika had bought all kinds of Turkish treats with her; exotic sweet and savoury pastries, a pineapple, pomegranates and fruit drinks that tasted of bubble gum.

In the meantime Mas had prepared dinner, and Robert arrived. Sadly Monika and Oktay had to leave and we will have to wait till next time to get all the news. We had a nice dinner with Robert who has passed the exam. he has recently taken, but has to do another exam next week!
After dinner Robert and Mas put the world to rights, and by the time they had finished I could barely totter off to bed.

Love Apple Island and headless nanny goat ghost

Mas and I had breakfast out in Stanmore before collecting some shopping, and going to the bank. I did lots of tidying up as I go to the hospital tomorrow, and I managed to finish one of the Skelly pictures for Pete which I sent him. I was relieved that he liked it, and will try to do another soon. Calliope the kitten seems to be settling in happily with Pete.

On Tuesday I went off to the hospital early, had blood tests and my treatment which took all day. Luckily I had saved half of my good book, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, to read during this time so the time passed fairly quickly. My medication has been reduced again as my blood levels were still quite low, so I felt well enough to go home under my own steam, and walked from the station home.

I had a nice surprise when I reached home as Betty had sent me a long letter and another book about Guernsey called The Love Apple Island; this one seems to be more of a biography with lots of photographs. I am looking forward to reading that, and will save it for the hospital again.
Betty had written clues for a charity walk near her home which she sent to me to see where they walked. Some of the clues were funny, and she sent them down a supposedly haunted lane that runs between grassy banks; as it was a sunny evening the ghost of the headless nanny goat was not seen.

Mas and I had dinner and watched the customary Pie in the Sky.

Autum car boot sale and a new kitten

Here are three types of fungi that are in our garden, a sure sign that autumn is here now.

It was a nice sunny day, and we did a little gardening and I went for a walk and got a brace for Mas to wear on his hand to stop him bending it in while he is asleep, and so straining his elbow. then we spent the rest of the day doing our usual things until we watched CSI in the evening.

On Sunday, after breakfast, we walked off to a car boot sale being held in Arches field, it was a huge affair and seemed to stretch over three fields. People were buying bagfuls of things, and looking pleased with themselves as they carried them home. I got two jazz CDs, one with Miles Davis and the other with John Coltraine, hoping they would be alright.

After lunch Pete phoned saying that he had collected a kitten with Lorraine and it was now settled in his home and asleep, and he gave me a full description of the kitten before putting the phone down. He called back in about two minutes for me to hear it meow and purr over the phone, which I could!

We watched a new series on TV called Merlin, and an Agatha Christy's Poirot with David Suchet before bedtime.

Visits from friends, and various cheerful plants

Photograph of Joan's cheerful sunflowers, just the right picture for a depressing rainy day!

On Tuesday, as planned, our neighbour Glen paid us a visit, and we sat talking, eating biscuits and drinking tea for a few hours catching up with world events. I managed to do some gardening, and some of the usual chores. I spoke to Pete for a while, and in the evening Mas and I watched watched our usual TV programme Pie in the Sky.

As usual on Wednesday we went off to St.Albans, had lunch at the Thai Restaurant and chatted to our friend there before going off to collect our fruit and vegetables from the market. Lately we have been driving back on a slightly different route through picturesque fields with farm animals on them. The countryside was looking nice as the sun had come out.

Today Mason had an appointment with the doctor which resulted in him being told he has tennis elbow, despite Mason not being able to think of anything that he could have done to hurt his arm.

Pat came over to see us travelling from the other end of the Northern Line, which is quite a journey, the last time this was planned I was too ill and it had to be put off, so it was really nice to see her this time. We have been friends for many years, and used to work in Euston together. She bought me an interesting outdoors plant, it is a Salvia called Hot Lips.



















This plant spreads for three feet, so I will have to find a spot in the garden where it will be happy. Pat has given me several plants for the garden, lots of small roses.

We had a leisurely lunch together and caught up with all her family news as she now has two grandchildren, but she forgot to bring the photos. Before it got too late I walked down to Edgware with her she had lost her way coming to visit us as the cinema that used to mark the turning has been replaced. I was quite sad to see her leave, and we had spent a nice afternoon together.

Ticking over as usual

We went off to Stanmore and did a few chores before we went to the Man in the Moon for an early lunch and then picked up some groceries. As it was not raining we did some gardening, and I cut the grass. Later I began painting the Skellie pictures for Pete while listening to the radio.

On Sunday Mas was busy with his website, and I walked down to Edgware as a French Market was being held there today. I resisted the cakes that were on display, but did buy some soap.
Later I phoned Monika and Pat, who arranged to visit us on Thursday.In the evening we watched an old 'Poirot' detective story with David Suchet; they are so stylish.

On Monday Glen, our neighbour called round just after breakfast with some flowers, cheerful yellow Chrysanthemums which lit up our dining room, what a nice surprise! Mas and I did our usual things all day, but had a break to watch 'Diagnosis Murder,' and then in the evening watched a rerun of 'New Tricks' before going off to bed.

Red Admiral butterflies and a happy visiter.

The weather changed and became sunny and as we were having breakfast we noticed a flock (swarm?) of Red Admiral butterflies in the garden. Mas would have said it was a slew of butterflies, and we went out and watched them feasting on the nectar of various plants, especially the ivy which is in flower now.



















We went out and watched them for a while as butterflies seem to have been in short supply this year.

I spent some time gardening, trying to get a good quota of vitamin D before going indoors and doing all the usual things.

On Friday I went for a walk in the afternoon as the weather was still nice. Later I seemed to spend a lot of time searching for misplaced things and mentioned to Mas that I seem to have a few screws loose lately, and he said I was the most screwed together person he knew ( screwed up?), which I took as a compliment.

Manu called round in the evening, and chatted over a glass of wine. As he left, he skipped down the passage saying he was completely happy now as I looked so well, which made me feel happy too.

Breakfast with Pete

We had a long breakfast, Mas talking about films which was making Pete laugh with Mason's descriptions and turn of phrase. Pete and I talked about the Skelly picture a bit, and I read some of the story which Pete had sent me earlier, but most had not been shown in the first download. I hope I can get Skelly right, and do justice to the story.

We took Pete off to the station just before lunch, and we went off and got some shopping before coming home again. Mas phoned Robert for a chat, and I called Diane, and Manu phoned too.

We watched Ghost Whisperer in the evening, the story line has got much more sinister and ended before the story was complete, which was a bit annoying.

Autumn flowers.

A lunch time feast with friends and visit from Pete

On Monday I heard from Poppy and Florence, and I tried to paint the right kind of skeleton face for Peter, but somehow he turned out too sinister. Mas went to the doctors with a list of things to discuss with him; it is hard to get an appointment so it is important not to miss anything. Despite the list Mas forgot to mention the most important thing, his hurting arm and leg, so another appointment will have to be made. I suggested it would be useful to give the list to the doctor in case anything was missed again.

On Tuesday we were invited by John and Margaret for lunch. Christiane and Eddie were invited too, having returned from France, and it was nice to see everyone. Margaret had prepared a really lovely lunch, lovely to look at as it was so well presented, and very tasty as lots of the vegetables were home grown. For dessert a colourful display of seven kinds of fruit were put in front of us, and there was a home made apple pie too. A variety of different cheeses were served with the coffee. We were very touched at how much thought and effort had gone into this meal, especially as it had only been arranged the evening before! Mason and I will obviously have to pull our socks up in the entertainment area!

Pete arrived around four as planned, and we spent a long time sitting in the conservatory which was warm and bright despite it being a rainy day as usual and talking and drinking tea. Mas showed Pete some of my pictures which have been framed, and look much improved by exactly the right framing and mounting; it seems to me that the framing is just as important as the picture in making the end result.

We had a leisurely dinner and lurked around for a while before going off to bed rather early as we were all a bit tired.

Lost in Austen and happy in Havana

On Wednesday as usual we went off to St.Albans, and got our shopping at the market and had lunch at Sazios. We did not meet up with Tania and Robert as he was swatting up for an exam tomorrow. We had lunch, and left feeling a bit too sazio (satisfied) and a bit uncomfortably full, but had enjoyed a very cheerful lunch. We decided just to eat some fruit for dinner later.

Later we watched a new production on TV called 'Lost in Austen', about a modern young woman who finds herself living in Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice'. We found it really irritating on several counts and will not watch the rest of the series which is a shame as there is so little that is interesting to watch lately.

On Thursday we did a little local shopping which seemed to take a long time. We committed the sin of watching daytime TV; 'Diagnosis Murder' which at least has a cheerful looking Dick Van Dyke in it. Later I blended and froze lots of strawberries and raspberries that we had bought from the market yesterday.

On Friday it was raining as usual, I seemed to spend most of the day phoning and e-mailing friends and family. We feel really lucky that we are not being inundated by floods, but the weather is so grey all the time it is depressing, and it is too wet to do any gardening.

On Saturday the weather is still terrible; one area had 6" of rain in twenty four hours, and there is terrible flooding and destruction; two people were drowned. this of course is nothing to what is happening in other places around the world.

Mas and I watched a really confusing sci-fi film called 'The 13th Floor', and by the time it finished we were still confused, and felt it would be reassuring to watch something really predictable afterwards!

On Sunday I spoke to Pete and then Toby. I had been trying to paint the skeleton picture for Pete, but without much success, Skelly is proving very elusive. For escapism I watched the old film 'Our Man in Havana' with Alec Guiness. It is nice when there are happy endings!

Potato Peel Pie Society and Pie in the Sky

Mas gave me a lift to the station and I took the tube to Belsize Park and walked to the hospital. I had the usual blood test and found my platelets have recovered enough for me to have my treatment today. Mason in the meantime collected some nice wood to make a cabinet for the video machine.

I took the book I had been saving, to read during the four hour treatment: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. I was soon lost in the book and was surprised how quickly the time went by, I did not even hear the alarm bleep on my drip when it was empty! It is an interesting and sometimes funny book.

As I had been given a reduced amount of medication I felt quite well enough to go home on the train and Mas collected me from the station. After dinner we watched our customary Pie in the Sky and Ghost Whisperer before going to bed.

Skeleton pictures and encounter with dentist not in disguise

On Monday morning I spoke to Diane and Pete, and commenced trying to do the skeleton picture for Pete, I did two rough drawings and sent them to him to see if they were along the right lines.

Mas went off to Edgware as he had an appointment at the bank, and because he had to wait for a while he went into the cafe opposite for a coffee. Our dentist was having lunch there and Mas had a chance to apologise. Recently Mas went to the cafe, and this pleasant man who Mas recognised, but could not place, came over and asked how we were, and Mason later asked the owner who he was, and when he said he was a dentist Mas immediately knew he was ours! When Mason explained to the dentist, the dentist said it was because he didn't have his white coat on!