Your day (apart from gardening) what took place ? 2024

Thanks @Michael Hewett. It seems he has an infection in his trachea and bronchi, hence the coughing. He also has some cardiac arrhythmia which may be the cause of the consequence so he's on meds for 10 days. If everything clears up with no probs that's fine. If not he'll need an ECG.

Fingers crossed. He did hoover up his meds which I hid in a tin of cat food......

 

My hubby, who knows next to nothing about gardening, has obviously been listening to me wittering on. Looking at a recently planted trachelospermum jasminoides he said “how long have you had that Amelanchier?”
Progress of a sort

 

Hand washing garments and thinking of England.

No, not in that way, my eyes were open all the time

Anyways, since we are moving soon I decided to hand wash the delicate stuff before packing it up. The frock department is easy, there's just the "black tie one, also useful for posh funerals or coronations, should the invitation come"- one, the one I actually like, the "going out top" and the one that is great but would make even the most hardened highlander conscious of bra straps. Apparently I don't get out that much.

And then there was the pile of woollen socks.

When I first moved abroad in 1998 I was inundated with cheese slicers as apparently this wonderful Finnish invention was unknown in the foreign lands. I finally convinced my dear family that as 1) the local cheese is not compatible with the slicer and 2) the local IKEA has plenty of them, we really don't need any more. I have five.

Woollen socks are a different story.

When I announced our move into the UK in 2008, The Family raked their brains with what they knew about the country. OK, there's the Queen, Five o'clock tea, Margaret Thatcher... and cold houses!

And the influx of woollen socks began. Older generation knitted them, younger ones hoarded Christmas markets and here we are, with a large basketful of wonderful woollen socks that must be hand washed with a special detergent.

There's nothing more reassuring in the life than a pair of knitted woollen socks I think.

Anyways, my party garments and woollen socks are now clean and dry and my hands have a tinge of "raw and red from the toils" which I try to preserve until next week so that I can brag and boast at work

 

I went to my 'learn how to draw portraits' group this morning.
The instructor wanted us to do him in pastels.
Since I've never done portraits in my life until last week, and never used pastels before either, I felt a bit out of my depth, but he said have a go and see how it turns out.
He gave me a green sheet of paper to do it on so I chose some green pastels, and at the end he said it looked 'cool' but it was unfortunate that I'd given him a green face
I felt quite pleased with my effort

Then this afternoon I thought I'd go out for a cup of coffee but when I got to the cafe I found I'd left my wallet at home

 

Cleaned the conservatory roof (I wonder if my wife will notice? Perhaps in a couple of weeks - when I will be reprimanded for going up the ladder without anyone being around).

Tried my suits on. We've been invited to a small private lunch at the House of Lords next month, and dress code is smart. I've put on more than 20lbs since I stopped working, and my suits were made to measure.
I need to lose weight, although I can just about squeeze into one of them.
Wife is excited!!

 

Well done for having a go @Michael Hewett. Not always easy to step outisde your comfort zone.

I should think your wife is very excited @RowlandsCastle. Some serious dieting for you then but stay healthy!

Full day at patchwork etc club today with committee meeting this morning and workshop this pm. One committee member is resigning ahead of her term as she has too many other commitments at the mo but we've identified a replacement and she's agreed so that's OK. Sorted out next year's programme too and then a jolly afternoon with the ladies.

Home now with dinner to cook and a quiet evening as it is raining. Set to continue for the next 5 days ending with thunderstorms so, apart from physio and checking seedlings, 5 days of pathcwork homework for me so I can teach the next class on the 27th.

 

I'm feeling sad - two of my lovely neighbours are having end of life care. It has made me feel very sad.

 

Better than not having it and being left alone @Michael Hewett tho I understand it's sad for people who care about them and for them.

 

I'm not feeling sad because they're having the care, it's good that there is such a thing. It's the fact that their lives are coming to an end is what makes me feel sad, especially since they are nice people. It also reminds me of times when my own family went through the same thing. It's sad.
Yes I know all the things people may say about it - it's good that there is the care, it's part of life, they had good long lives etc etc, but I just find it sad when someone dies.

One of the ladies was a keen gardener, and always talked to me about her garden. She lives 3 houses down the hill from me and I used to wave to her over the garden fences. I gave her several cuttings etc over the years. She's over 90 now but tended her garden and greenhouse right up until last year.

 

Got up and cleaned another two panels of the conservatory - this time, with my wife watching on. And criticising!!
I'm a bit deaf these days. Selectively!!

 

Stayed up until The Child was fast asleep and then prepared the traditional Birthday morning surprise. I refuse to buy wrapping paper so have had to learn alternative gift wrapping habits over the past years.

The Child (now 23) was very happy with her much needed present but said it didn't quite take very long to figure out what the present was



Anyways, the wellies are apparently comfortable and the sweets and treats hidden inside were spot on.

Happy Mum too

 

The art group I belong to have joined with two other towns, to hold an exhibition of people's work, and it's being held in the library of the nearest town to me.

I was roped in to help them hang the paintings on the walls last Saturday, and I was roped in to 'man' the exhibition this morning.
And I've been roped in to do the same on Wednesday afternoon.
I've never been so busy in my life !
(... well I have actually, that was just a joke ! )

 

This was yesterday, and I instantly thought of sharing it here. For four years now, in addition to translations, I've been teaching English as a foreign language at a secondary school in Sofia.
And this is how one of my students presented one of Shakespeare's plays when I asked about a brief summary of the plotline.


If you wonder what this 'organic-molecule formula' means, here is the clue:

There are two sets of lovers (to-be), G1 (Girl 1) and M1 (Man 1), and G2 (Girl 2) and M2 (Man 2).
F (G1's father) objects to her marrying M1, which makes them escape to the Forest. G2 and M2 follow them, each for their individual reasons.
There are two fairies dwelling in the Forest, F1 and F2, which, in their intention 'to make things right', mess with the direction of the arrows in the upper block of the diagram, ultimately causing M1 and M2 to challenge each other to a duel over one of the girls.
Fs (the Fairy servant) is ordered to undo the magic in order to prevent the men from fighting.

After the first student went back to his seat,
another one volunteered to write the names next to the letters:


Crystal clear, isn't it?
'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
Except that the 'rude mechanicals' fail to appear in the scheme..., but that's a minor issue.
I enjoyed it, honestly!

 

I like it! (I've always thought MND was Shakespeare's silliest play, though I'm sure it went down a treat with audiences at the time, deprived as they were of essentials such as Netflix! )

 

We had a short power cut early Monday morning. Our Kenwood midi system lost the time display and all the radio settings. Tried all sorts and no go. Looked at the manual, no help. Tried the internet and one suggestion was to turn the power off. Strange as while it was connected it wasn't turned on. But did what they said and .......BRILLIANT. We have the settings all back. Amazing. The midi was bought in 1989.