Anniversary and Sports Day

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, the 24th! I spent most of the day gardening and doing a belated spring clean, and Mas went out to see a friend. Pete called and chatted which was nice.

Today Mas was busy, so when Oktay called round I left Mas for the day and went off to Cheshunt with Oktay. Monika had prepared an excellent lunch, and one of her friends had come round with her two little children too.
Afterwards we sped off to see Milan's school sports day; the weather was very hot.









I think we saw everyone in the school race, including a brave boy who seemed to be wearing leg irons, but all the parents gave him applause and lots of clapping, so he looked quite pleased with himself.



















When we got home again Milan was still full of energy and springing about in the garden; Monika showed me her white currant bush and gooseberry bush too, and a beautiful peony, and we had the chance to chat for a while.

Oktay cooked a really nice BBQ, using his new garden barbecue, which we enjoyed. Later Monika and I took the boys off to the local park, to the playground, and at one point Milan and I were climbing a tree together, and Monika remarked that it was a good thing Mason could not see what I was doing.

Milan asked if I could sleep over and read him some stories, but I told him that Mas would be lonely on his own. Eventually it was time to go home, Talu was tired so Monkia was going to put him to bed. Milan came for the ride too, but before long he was fast asleep in the car. It had been a really nice memorable day, but very tiring too!

Christmas Day

Today the weather was bright but very cold, and Maheena's birthday too! At 2.00 Oktay, as planned, picked us up and then drove off to pick up his niece and nephew as well. We arrived safely at Cheshunt where we were greeted by Monika who said that Milan had hardly been able to wait for all of us to arrive.

Monika had laid the table which looked beautiful; she said it was the best one she had done. It was at this point I found I had forgotten to bring my camera! There were eleven of us, and Monika made a splendid Czech meal for all (last year she made a Turkish meal), that consisted of lots of different courses and many colourful platters of food, including one with lots of different small sweets that had been home made in a traditional way.

We spent a long time eating and talking, and had a large shot of gluvine made from plum brandy before we started; for medicinal purposes of course. Afterwards, some of the more stalwart of us went for a walk in the snow with the children, looking at the splendid decorations that were displayed by some of the people in the neighbourhood. It is amazing how easily Monika's mother Olga and I can communicate, neither of us having a word of the other's language.

We sat around talking and eating more than we should while the children played upstairs. Little Milan and a friend's daughter decided that they would get married when they grew up (they are presently only five years old). When it was time to go home Oktay took his nephew and niece home, and then drove back to Edgware with us, luckily there was not much traffic on the roads. We arrived home about 1.30am, only to find that the cat had almost finished packing his bags as he thought we had left home for good as we had been out so long. We then went tiredly to bed. It had been another nice day though!

Unfair fine and a sociable day

Today Mason went to Edgware to collect his medication, and I went off to Hampstead to meet Diane. Luckily neither of us had to go to the hospital which was nice but unusual. We went to the Flask Pub in Flask Walk and had caught up with each others' news and had a drink. Last year I thirsted for ginger beer, and this summer it seems to be shandy.

We had a bit of a walk around, and decided to get a packed lunch deal from Tesco's as an economy measure. Mas and I had just got a fine for driving across the bus lane, which you have to do, to get into the car mechanics, there is no other way to do it, and there is no way of appealing against it and if you do not pay it immediately the fine doubles! That is a fair system!

We ate our lunch in the sunshine talking and admiring the local architecture. Diane is making plans to go and live in Normandy for a year for a change. Afterwards we went and had a coffee
at Carluccios before walking down to Belsize Park and taking the tube home. I walked back feeling tired, and with a stiff neck.

As soon as I got home Mas told me that Monika, Oktay and the children were coming over immediately as Oktay was visiting his doctor. Mas had been shopping and had organised a meal for them all. In ten minutes they arrived, and I was amazed to see how much Talu had grown since we saw him last. Our cat Salty ran away from them with a lot of meows and stayed upstairs which surprised me as he is used to the children.

Milan and I were talking a made up language together, which was funny, but the difficult part was that I had to tell him what he had said, in English, and what I had replied. Mas had bought some trout for dinner which he had asked the fishmonger to fillet; he had made a poor job of this, so I tried to do it while Milan was singing to me in his made up language and waiting for translations of each verse.

We all had dinner together and I got all the news of their recent holiday in Czech. Mas had bought some fancy cream cakes for dessert so we ate these. Monika had made a rhubarb crumble which she gave us (this was much nicer than the cakes which Mas and I found out the following day).

Salty began to show himself timidly just before they all went home. It was lovely to see them, but I felt tired as it had been rather a full day.

Lunch out, and surprise visit.

Mas and I are feeling better today. Ben called round this morning to say that as there is an atrocious weather forecast for Saturday they have decided to postpone their BBQ.
Mas and I drove off to Stanmore to get shopping, mostly cat food, and then had lunch in the Man in the Moon.

We drove home, unloaded the car, and Mas went off to get more from Burnt Oak. Monika phoned, and said that they were close by, and could they visit. It was really nice to see Monika and Oktay, and Milan and baby Talu. Monika had done well with her exams recently, which is an achievement with two little children.
Milan conversationally told me he can speak three languages, which is true; Czech, Turkish and English, and he has not started primary school yet. They have recently come back from Turkey and will soon go on holiday to Czech for a few weeks. I wish Mas and I could find out where the children get all their energy from so we could get some too!

When we went to bed salty hid behind the bathroom door, and when I looked later he was waiting at the top of the stairs. Before I had gone to sleep I heard the other cat come up the stairs, and they both ran out of the house. I am not quite sure whether the tabby cat is stalking Salty, or whether they are friends.

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.

Looking like a cat

Today I had a phone call from Monika who was walking and going to pick up her son from nursery.

She told me that her mother had visited a hairdresser who had cut her hair very short( she has had long hair for years), styled it,and coloured it in a lighter colour. In Czech there is an expression that is used when someone looks pretty, they say "she looks like a cat."

Monika's mother had phoned and told them of the hair style, but when she spoke to her grandson, little Milan, she told him she had changed and looked like a cat. Milan began to cry, and said he wanted her the same as before; very confusing for a little chap that loves fairy stories!

I spoke to Diane who was just about to go to her cycle club, and Pete called too.

Mason had been shopping, and was trying to get another lock for the door when he realised that the lock measurements were now in metric measurements and that is why nothing would fit properly. Very frustrating! In the evening we watched a rerun of a TV series, Pie in the Sky.