During one of the weekend showers I noticed that not everyone was keen to keep dry!

A bank holiday weekend at home.

Just us, we decided not to go away as it is so busy on bank holidays and the weather was not going to be so good. So we have gardened, washed cars, wandered round Bescot market, cooked at home and walked in the park. We have dashed in and out a fair few times to avoid the rain showers too.
Today we went to a car boot sale in Measham with Lesley and Rob. Darsh acquired another two glass teapots, and yet another drill, in his quest to repair his broken one that he can't bear to throw away as it was a wedding present! How many teapots and drills does one man need?
On Saturday he was mending a chest of drawers that Charlotte brought home with her. I just had to laugh at Joe's attempt to be as close to dad as possible, regardless of just how much he was in the way.

There's a strange smell around the house....

.....it is strongest around the dog basket, and I can smell it as I sit in my study- just before I realise that the dog has followed me into the room.
Yup! we have been in the park, and yup! he found a something nasty to roll in.
I don't want to bath him, again, and his hairdresser is coming next week so that would be 3 baths in just over a week. His coat isn't dirty, he is white, clean and all fluffy, but he just smells. So I sprayed my perfume onto his brush and gave him a good brush, which he loves, gave him a blow-dry with the hairdryer-[even though he was dry]which he loves even more, and now he smells beautiful..... problem solved.
Because I didn't smell him I thought he had gone downstairs,so I moved my chair and squashed his paw under it. Sorry Joe, [he cried so loudly.]

Dad has been cooking, goodness knows what, there is this awful smell, it's in the kitchen and the rest of the house. I've looked at my hairdryer and at my perfume...honestly I feel like putting his foot under my chair and sitting on it very HARD.

Charlotte lost her bag.

She rang me last night to say she arrived in Newcastle, but her bag didn't, she found it was gone as she went to get off the train, she didn't have as much as a clean pair of knickers to wear. She rang home with a couple of numbers to call, and no credit on her phone. I rang around this morning and eventually found out that a brown suitcase had been left at Darlington station. Matt's dad drove her ALL the way back to Darlington and when she got there it was her/my bag, minus a camera and remote control,but her new dresses and interview clothes still there intact.

I am so pleased that she decided to leave her new laptop at home, otherwise that would have been in the bag with the camera.

Sal rang today they are coming over next weekend for Dave's birthday AND they have finally managed to sell the house. I am relly pleased that they will finally be able to go over and live in France, but sad that it will be so easy to loose touch when they no longer live in this country.

BBQ night at Irene's house.

Selina and Pete were here for the weekend and so all 5 of us went to join Irene and Rob. It was good to see everyone and catch up with the last 6 months events. We managed to stay outside all evening even though it poured down at one point and the gazebo suddenly sprang a very large leak! Of course we all sat round the fire basket watching it getting dark, Irene read us a story and sang a song helped, surprisingly, by Sel and Ch - so we don't wonder why it rained.

Guess where we went to....

The Black Country Museum......and guess who came with us this time. Of course we had a bag of chips and a wander around looking at bits we hadn't seen before. Then came home for tea at Simon's

I can manage a photograph, but how am I supposed to make Charlotte stand the right way up in the video? John, Sara help !!!!!!

The baby blog hog is back!

She has been so busy on the computer all week it has been nearly impossible to get near it, and early morning, when she is asleep is no good either, as dad gets up early to do his e-mails etc.



Managed a weekend away last weekend. First stop was Tewksbury, found a site right in the middle of town behind the abbey. We walked along the river bank as it started getting dark, sat eating chips and watching the world go by.
Carried onto Bristol to see balloon festival, Fri was windy, Sat too wet, but Sunday night all the balloons went up and across the valley over the house. Joe went crazy as he suddenly saw them, but so did every other dog in the city then as quickly as they started they were gone and it was all quiet again.

A Knight at the pictures

Just got back from the pictures, went to see Knight and Day, the new Tom Cruise/Cameron Diaz. Its a cross between James Bond and Charlie's Angels, very realistic not. Then we went to McD's for a burger and now back home and dad is polishing off last nights Chinese in front of the telly.
Good Luck for Ch's interview tomorrow, will give her a text later, dont want to ring in case she is still busy preparing.
Spent the afternoon walking in Sutton Park with the dog, it was a beautiful afternoon, sat on the bench eating ice-cream watching folk go by. Saw 3 gorgeous puppies, 1 was a baby Rags, 1a baby Cassie and baby Harry from next door, out in the sun shine with John. Can you ever imagine Darsh thinking of taking Joe out in the park on his own? If dad ever gets free time he is either in his phone or swilling beer with idiots!
Just spoke to Sara, after not hearing from her for ages, she seems ok, hoping to get over to Dublin if Ch. ever gets herself home long enough to dog and house sit.....

A weekend by ourselves!

Darsh just HAD to go to London, there was some vehicle he wanted to bring back here to repair, sell, park on our drive to rot.... the reasons (excuses) came out thick and fast, his plans changed every few minutes as usual he didn't know whether he was coming or going. In the end he went on the train, but left it so late he had to drive to town cos I was too slow, and he would have missed the train!

After all the upheaval it was lovely to have a quiet weekend gardening, sewing and just sat enjoying the peace of the garden. Got the printer to work, yippee, managed to get some good photos from it, in colour and without stripy heads. John was right, we needed to put proper ink in it, not the cheap rubbish from Tesco. Now I have got several layouts half made and a craft room that even the dog can't squeeze into----not that he cares, he just stands on everything and parks his bottom where ever he fancies.

We have some lovely evenings, so have been going onto Sutton park and enjoying longer evening strolls. At bed time last night I asked Joe if he wanted to go out, he lowered himself gently off the settee and FOLLOWED me to the back door. Normally he throws himself onto the carpet and charges to the door before me - maybe that walk was a bit too far for such an old dog? However he still wanted to go again tonight and didn't really fancy going back to the car afterwards. Now he is flat out on the settee again I can just see his ears sticking out from the cushions. If he gets too exhausted he dreams in the night and I can hear him moaning and wailing in his basket. But Charlotte is still away, so he has taken full advantage of a king size luxury Vi-sprung all to himself, I must change the sheets before she returns and comments on that doggy smell to her bedroom.

A long weekend, I hate map reading.

Spent the weekend doing a touring drive around the Cherwell valley in the camper van. Stayed on 2 lovely sites, neither of them with the caravan club. Banbury was lovely, lots of boats coming and going, and a high street of independant shops to wander round. Diddington was very old fashioned and quaint, stopped to watch a wedding coming out of the church. Large antique shop belonging to the woman off "the real deal" she had a mirror the same as Charlotte's ( £1.95 from a charity shop in Newcastle ) she wanted £95 for it. Hope Ch's is wrapped up somewhere nicely!
Sunday- we went to Woodstock, it was bright and warm, and we enjoyed wandering around the beautiful little town. Was surprised to see that Blenheim palace was right in the town, I expected it to be out on its own, certainly not surrounded by neighbours. Didn't go in, saved it for a whole day, and the ticket can be gift aided to use for a whole year. Visited, briefly, a shabby car boot sale and then onto the duck decoy. A National Trust property set in a lovely forest walk through the trees, right up Joe's street.
Fancied a Thai for supper so back to Banbury-closed or silly prices. Warwick (the favourite) closed on Sunday, couldn't find anywhere we fancied, ended up in Ladypool at a new place, eat as much as you can which wasn't very much at all. Even Darsh only managed seconds, it was mega greasy, not very fresh, and very noisy- kids running and screaming-an Indian wedding- say no more.
Home to a very dry garden indeed, but at least it has rained today for the first time in a long while.

Photos of the duck decoy lake, just can't get them to go in the right place - with the relevant writing round them, I guess I can always move them at a later date!