Lunch with Robert and car boot sale

On Saturday we went to St. Albans and had lunch at Sazio's with Robert; unusually, the waiters recognise us, and when I entered the restaurant they told me that our friend was waiting for us, and told me which table he was sitting at. Tania could not come as she was busy today. We had a really nice lunch and lots of chat over a mellow bottle of red wine (or perhaps we were mellow).

On Sunday I walked over to the car boot sale that they hold in some local fields. It was fun, but I did not buy anything. I did notice that the blackberries were looking healthy, so I will definitely come back to collect lots later in the year. I think later we should also make rose hip syrup as it is very nice poured over yogurt, and full of vitamin C, so I was looking at the wild roses too.


In the afternoon I gardened, cutting back, tidying up and clearing things. The garden has been looking very colourful with clematis, roses and rhododendron flowers, and in the conservatory the Amaryllis is flowering.

St.Albans visits, and Tania's return

Saturday, and we drove off to St.Albans to get shopping, and meet Robert at Sazios for lunch.
Robert had bought me some of the lovely business cards he had made for me, now all I need is the business. It is quite evident that Robert is missing Tania, but thankfully from his point of view she will be coming back tomorrow.

The fruit and vegetables in the market seemed rather expensive today, so we did not stock up with much. It still makes Mas laugh to hear all the market traders shouting out their wares for sale; they must be hoarse by the time they return home in the evenings.

On Sunday morning Wynford came round and gave us an enormous collection of videos, mostly Sherlock Holmes, Poirots and Agatha Christies. They have replaced these as they do not have a video player now. This will cause Mas to go through his collection, weeding some out so that the new ones can be put away, in the meantime they are stacked up in the sitting room.

We then drove up to Robert's house, and before long we were headed off to the airport to meet Tania as she arrived. Once at the airport we had a pizza snack and drink while we chatted until Tania arrived. Robert drove back home, and we stayed for a chat and tea. Tania has bought a karaoke machine which she wants Robert to set up for her. She showed pictures of her family which seemed to be full of laughing children and sunshine.

We left before too long, thinking how devastatingly tired Tania must feel after such a long journey, although she did not really seem as tired as we had expected. By the time we got home it was 8.30pm. We watched one of the new videos called the Fifteen Streets starring Sean Bean,
but I am not really a fan of gritty northern realism.

All's well that ends well

We had breakfast, with the sun shining for a change. Salty was particularly happy as he could pounce on, and watch the small rainbows that came from the hanging crystal.

We arranged to meet Tania and Robert at Sazios for lunch. Just before we left, I realised that I had written down the date for our visit to the theatre in the wrong month in my diary, and that we had missed the show by four days! I was so mad I felt like stabbing myself, especially as this was a gift from Romy and Toby.

We drove off to St.Albans, and had a really nice lunch with Tania and Robert, and I told them about some of my pictures being used on television. As I was driving back home the weather got colder, and it began to snow, and we thought how lucky we had been with our timing, getting lots of fruit and vegetables from the market before the snow came.

In the evening we watched an NCIS, and then I left Mas watching TV while I listened to my new Nocturnes CD and did some knitting for a change, but kept thinking about our missed theatre outing. We had eaten so much at lunch that we did not bother to have an evening meal.

We had breakfast with a snow shower, and this gradually changed to rain. Mas phoned up about the theatre tickets, and they were very nice saying we could go on another day, but to return the tickets. I felt so relieved.

I called Jean in Devon and talked to her for a long time; there was a lot to catch up on as we had not seen each other for years. I felt really happy to talk to her, and will try to call her more often.

I discovered that my pictures had already been shown on the BBC, on Click Bits on Friday, and L J Rich the presenter thought they had looked lovely on screen. Toby called to talk, and Pete too, so it was a great day for communications.

Buying, not selling

I called Pat as it was her birthday today and arranged to meet later in the week. I also spoke to Diane who is off to France tomorrow on the Eurostar.

I walked down to Edgware with the idea of selling a few books I did not want, but ended by buying 'My family and other animals', which is a favourite book; I had given it to someone to read in hospital years ago, but it had not been returned, so now I will have the treat of reading it again.

Today on the spur of the moment we went off to St. Albans to get some fresh fruit and vegetables, and we had lunch at Sazio's. The drive was lovely, very colourful because the leaves are all changing colour on the trees.

In the evening, hearing shouting, we discovered the police were visiting our neighbour, so we will have to see if this escalates!

Poodling around and photos from Argentina

We went off to St.Albans, got lots of shopping from the market and had a nice lunch at Sazio's. We did not meet up with Tania and Robert as they could not make it today. Both of us felt really tired , so we went home without wandering around as we like to do, looking at things.

We watched an NCIS in the evening; our video recorder does not work at the moment, so we do not have too many choices. It is nice being able to listen to my choice of music on Spotify while I do things upstairs, so I am being more productive.

Mas went off to a DIY shop this morning, and I decided to give my hair a treat by mashing up an over ripe avocado pear, and massaging it all into my hair...what a messy business. I kept it on for half an hour and just rinsed it off when Monika phoned. She was worried in case Milan had Swine Flu as he was ill, and they were flying off tomorrow.

I went over the road to Poppy, and she phoned Monika back and it was decided he did not have the flu. I was surprised to see that Poppy and Ben had acquired a lovely white poodle puppy; they collected it yesterday, but she seemed completely settled in already and was obviously happy with her new family and home.

We did some gardening, and I cut the grass and Mas tied back the roses round the window which we had untied for the glass men. Toby phoned and talked of his holiday in Argentina which sounded wonderful, and he sent lots of photos too.

In the evening we watched The no.1 Ladies Detective Agency and a film called Mermaid with Cher in it which was interesting, but made me feel like shaking Cher's character and that of her daughter from time to time.

Lunch with Tania and Robert, swimming the next day.

I after the usual chores we drove off to St. Albans in lovely weather. We met Tania and Robert at Sazio’s for lunch; Tania is really enjoying her new job. We had a nice lunch, then wandered about the market, and got some shopping before we drove home.

Today I did some gardening, and we went swimming in the afternoon. I asked the life guard if he ever had to give the kiss of life or resuscitate any of the swimmers as the water was so cold, and he was joking about it, but did say that the temperature never reached 27°, which is the agreed minimum in the manifesto of the group that operates the leisure centre.

Mas went for a coffee with one of the neighbours, and I tried to catch up with my emails. Later I watched Last of the Summer Wine; how nice to escape for half an hour to a fantasy place where people are never rude or violent, and have lots of time for silliness and jokes.

Clear scan and verdant countryside

Yesterday was my turn to go to the Royal Free hospital where I had a blood test, and was told that my recent scan was clear. While I was at the hospital Mas took Salty to the vets to have his stitches out; Salty did his best to shred Mason's jacket sleeve clawing through the side of his carrying box.

Toby phoned in the evening which was nice, and we watched John Nettles in one of the Midsomer Murders; it is lucky we live in the suburbs as the countryside is obviously much too dangerous!

Today we drove off to St. Albans and met Tania and Robert in Sazio's for lunch and got our usual shopping before driving home. The countryside is looking lovely now in full leaf, with lots of horse chestnut trees in flower and yellow fields of oil seed rape in bloom.

Gardening and gormandising

Tuesday was another fine day so Mas cut the hedges. After I did the injection and reading my book for an hour, I dug all the dandelions out of the front lawn, and did some weeding. Mas also watered the garden, despite the dissaproval of the cat who then spent the rest of the day sleeping in my attic studio.


Diane phoned and we talked for a while, catching up as we have not seen each other for a while.
We watched one of the X-files, but forgot to see The Beiderbeck Affair (a series written in 1985 by Alan Plater).


Today Robert phoned to say that they could not meet us for lunch as usual because Tania was not feeling well.

I had to go to the dentist early, and my crown was fitted at last, which is always painful in the money area. Afterwards we went to St. Albans and were pleased to see how the countryside is greening up again.


We had an excellent lunch at Sazio's, and some red wine, and were soon feeling really relaxed, despite the restaurant being crowded because of the school holidays. Afterwards we got our fruit and vegetables and went home.

Later we saw another X-file and The Bill while eating grapes, then I did the washing up and played with the cat.

No ginger beer at The Boot Inn

As usual we drove up to St.Albans and had lunch at Sazio's, after having an emergency ginger beer at the Fleur de Lys, the Boot Inn sadly did not have any ginger beer. Our friends could not meet us as Robert has another exam tomorrow. After lunch we got our usual shopping from the market, and loaded it into the car.

This is the view from the car park roof.


















Once home and rested I spoke to Diane and Pete.

Hospital foot massage and French Market in St. Albans

Yesterday I went off to hospital bright and early and had another chemo. session. As usual everyone was helpful and pleasant, and I also had a complimentary foot massage while I was having my treatment and the lady who was doing it was very interesting to talk to as well.

At the end of the afternoon I went home and Mas collected me from the station. I felt tired and was having lots of weird sensations, and after dinner and watching a Frasier I took myself off to bed early, and Mas soon came up to bed too.

Today I woke feeling much better and we decided to go off to St. Albans as usual and get shopping and to meet Tania and Robert in Sazio's for lunch. Mas bought a really comfortable pair of shoes. As it will be Robert's birthday soon he bought a bottle of wine for us to celebrate the occasion with. Afterwards we walked through a French Market which visits St. Albans now and then and looked at the different soaps and dried and preserved fruits.

Pete phoned from Guernsey; he had been doing all the usual familiar things in St. Martin's, and while he phoned was waiting for the bus to take him to Town to meet up with Poppy and Ben.

Mas went off to get a little more shopping and we had a relaxed evening.