Uneventful times

On Monday I spoke to Pete, and phoned Robert. Mas and I did our usual things, watched a 'Monk' in the afternoon for a break, and a 'Wallender' during the evening.

On Tuesday I walked down to Edgware to drop off a request for a prescription for Mas, and then persuaded the dispenser at Boots to give me some of the pills in advance for Mas. I got some shopping, and came back on the bus. Later Mas went to the doctors as his prescription was ready, and was surprised to see Heather, who we met at Marion's party, is now working as a receptionist there.

On Wednesday I walked to Edgware again, and got a refund in the prescription, and got some shopping. The surveyor from the glass company was supposed to come round and measure up for our broken conservatory roof panel, but he did not come!
We watched a Pie in the Sky in the evening, and had a candlelit dinner, listening to one of Toby's relaxing jazz CDs, and relaxed. We seem to be feeling better now.

Living Crafts at Hatfield House and dinner too!

Yesterday after doing our usual chores we went swimming at Copthall, and came home feeling quite virtuous. I spoke to Pete too, catching up our news. In the evening we watched the X Files and The Bill, then I went off to listen to some cheerful music while I did the washing up.

Today we had breakfast, and then went to collect Tania from St. Albans. The three of us drove off to historic Hatfield House to look at The Living Crafts show. http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/

The weather was extremely windy all day and mostly grey and overcast, but luckily there were only occasional showers. As we went on a Friday there were not too many crowds, and the weather had probably put some people off as well.















This jazz quartet, The Franklin Street New Orleans jazz band is usually playing to a large surrounding crowd of enthusiastic people, but today they were cold and almost being blown away and could only be distinctly heard down wind, but they were all being cheerful still.

Tania was interested in the weaving and felt making guilds, and may visit them later. She bought a small hand loom in the meantime to get started and to try it out. I was interested in the silk painting section.



















Beautiful Barn Owl being shown in aid of owl protection.

Prise winning angora sheep; there were lots of hand spun and woven items for sale.

We saw lots of work by some of the craftspeople that we admire. There was a group of children doing maypole dancing, but as most of the children were at school there was not a Punch and Judy show, or Morris dancing which we have usually seen. We stayed till the end, but it all became empty quickly, lots of people being intimidated by the high winds. Let us hope for the exhibitors sake that the weather improves for the weekend.

We drove Tania home, and admired the spring flowers in the garden including black tulips. Mas was feeling very tired, but we found that Tania had phoned Robert earlier and asked him to put the roast into the oven, which he had done. This unexpected meal was delicious and we really enjoyed it.

Later I drove us home, and we watched a NCIS before going off to bed.

Nice evening listening to relaxed jazz, disappointing pub interlude

On Thursday I had to return to the hospital to talk with the specialist nurse as planned, and this was very useful and I came away feeling cheerful. The weather was warm, and people were sitting outside at the pavement cafes in Belsize Park.

Pete came over in the evening and we had a nice time sitting around and talking while listening to the good jazz compilations that Tobe made for me. Pete also bought lots of CDs to watch and we saw a couple of Frasiers before going off to bed.

The next day we had a relaxed breakfast, and a surprise package was delivered which came from Romy and Tobe and was filled with all manner of intriguing things including some birch knitting needles (as I had lost my other ones in hospital), Japanese wool and some hand dyed wool which it turns out is partly made from seaweed. Also a game called Carcasonne which is being played in Ontario and looks very intriguing.

We went to lunch at our pub in Stanmore, but were disappointed as the food was not good and the place seemed to be full of unpleasant people which was unusual, but I expect it will be a long time before we try it again.

Pete volunteered to do the vacuuming, and we all had a quick rest before having tea and I walked with Pete down to the station as he was off to meet a pal in Hampstead.

In the evening Mas and I watched some more I Claudius and some Frasiers as there was nothing of interest on TV.

Sickness at Christmas.

After we recovered from our trip we caught up with friends and relatives, and got back to doing the usual things in preparation for Christmas. The weather was very cold and frosty, but got warmer as Christmas approached. Peter had asked us if we would like to spend Christmas with him. We wanted to do this, but Mas got increasingly tired until he came down with a virus and became ill, and had an awful cough.

I made a brief foray to Brent Cross shopping centre, which was like a descent into hell ( I hate shopping at the best of times), and finished my Christmas shopping, as usual resolving to do next year's Christmas shopping in February. By this time Mas had lost his voice (unbelievable!), and one of our neighbours visited, and left shocked when he tried to talk to her.

Pete came to stay with us on Christmas Eve, and ominously he was feeling very tired too. In short order he came down with the same kind of illness as Mas. Despite all this illness, we had a cosy time, eating by candlelight and watching TV around the fire. I did get the feeling sometimes that I was running a kind of gourmet hospital, and from time to time, if I thought my throat seemed sore I would sip some neat, strong, rum to sterilise my throat (if it had not been medicinal I would have had a G & T), and it seemed to work. We cheered ourselves up listening to some of the jazz compilations Toby had put together a year or so ago, and the one we kept repeating was the Hi de Hi song by Cab Calloway.

Things continued in this way until Mas began to feel a bit better, and Pete returned home despite still feeling ill, on my birthday, December the 30th. Maheena called in with a present and card,(her son has his birthday on the same day), and later Diane and then Toby phoned telling me of his recent trip to Belize.