25/09/2009 by Aileen.

Right! I’ve been to the dump, charity shop, T****co’s, and had my ultrasound (Nothing wrong with my heart as far as radiographer can see), and we’re just waiting for the family to arrive. It’s so peaceful!

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24/09/2009 by Aileen.

My birthday’s been and gone with scarcely a ripple. We were in Scunthorpe on Tuesday, but I didn’t know what I wanted, and wasn’t in the mood for shopping really. (We were there as John had to see a doctor about putting in a claim for the car accident. No one seems interested in me, but I’m not the Motability client, and it’s Motability who are pushing this. Anyway, we’re both fine, so probably no compensation.)

Wednesday was my birthday and I celebrated it by going Birding to Filey. A good time was had by all, on a dull but calm day.

Wheatear

John suggested going to the Harry Potter film, but it started at 10pm. Erm! No thank you!

We had a shopbought prawn cocktail, and cream horn, and in the middle (!) we had a green thai chicken curry that I made. Plus a shiraz.

The family are coming to celebrate this weekend, so I’m looking forward to that. Fiona is still doing well. The obstetrician (or whatever) let slip the male pronoun a few times, and although Martin didn’t want to know what the Bump was, he asked, and it is a boy.

BTW, their birthday card to me was signed Martin, Fiona and the Bump, so it’s a card I’ll have to keep. (I’ve just been going through carrier bags of old cards, throwing away a lot some.

Also, I’ve decided what John can buy me for my birthday. I was thinking macro lens, but have changed to getting this electronic pen that plays bird calls and songs when you scan the barcode of the bird. (Birds listed in a little notebook)

http://gadgetspy.co.uk/gadgets/206-bird-song-identifier-turns-you-into-a-bird-song-expert/1400

BTW, don’t think I mentioned it, but I got 80% for my Open University Digital Photography course. That seems about right. I’m good, but not very good. Not distinction material. I got feedback through the post today, which was unexpected. It seems my creative eye is better than my technical ability, as although I got ‘well achieved’ for both, the marker pointed out some technical things I could have done better. That makes sense. I can’t be bothered with detail. I’m INFP on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, with a a really high N side (taking in information intuitively) and a low S mark (sensing - taking in imformation with the senses.)

Oh don’t get me started on Myers-Briggs and the Enneagram. I just love all this psychology stuff.

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21/09/2009 by Aileen.

We’re not going out until tomorrow. John has to go to Scunthorpe tomorrow so we’re combining it. That means a day of pottering.  Super.

Then this evening I have Viewfinders. I’m talking about the website to start with, as people need to send me photos. Then we’re having a session on learning how to mount photos. This is in preparation for our exhibition next month. I missed last year’s as John was in hospital.

He is so much better since he’s changed his  painkillers.He’s sorting out his CDs at the moment. I’m about to do some paperwork, then might do the garden this afters.

Emil came round this morning. He’s this fantastically talented Bulgarian, who does a lot of work for us. We first got him when we moved in and needed a cat flap in the front door. Since then he has done so much work for us, from cleaning the guttering to revamping the London flat.

We’ve given him a list of things to do. Guttering again, new rad and showerhead in ‘family’ bathroom,wallmounted fire in sitting room plus redecorate it. (This involves skimming the artex ceiling)

Anyway,  back to my paperwork. Bye.

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21/09/2009 by Aileen.

John’s taking me shopping as it’s my birthday on Wednesday. 65 years young. I was in Hull on Friday for a haircut, and don’t feel like going there again. I suppose we could go to Leeds. Trouble is I don’t want or need anything. Well, maybe a macro lens, but I need to research that, and it prolly wouldn’t be available in the shops. I would like a set of tea, coffee, sugar, bread and biscuit containers, but that’s for the house. I’ve looked all over Hull and the York Designer Centre, and can’t find what I want. I think Ikea might be the best choice. I wonder where we’ll end up?

I’m thinking of the Third World now. Fancy wanting matching containers for food. In some countries they are just glad to get food. I could go on. The problem seems insurmountable.

I paid over £50 for my hair at Tony and Guys on Friday. Do I really need to do this? Then again, Nick, the manager, has a lovely wife and little girl. If daft people like me didn’t support his salon he’d be out of a job, and so would all his staff. Economics is so complicated. So is ethics. (Or should that be so are economics and ethics?) Oh everything is complicated today.Even what I want for my birthday.

Family coming this weekend to help me celebrate. That’s all six of them, plus the half that’s going to be born in February. We should have a great time.

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17/09/2009 by Aileen.

We had a good four mile walk this morning, with lots of interesting chat. I had to listen mostly, as I’m not so ‘up’ on things literary. Anyway, when I talked I got breathless.  I checked with the others at the pub, and they hadn’t felt out of breath, which I was pleased with in case what I was experiencing was normal and I was making a fuss over nothing.

Did some gardening this afternoon, and took a photo of the ‘landing strip.’ Hopefully the grasses will look good all winter. I thought - too late - that grasses aren’t particularly good for wild life, so I will have to compensate elsewhere.

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17/09/2009 by Aileen.

Monday, can’t remember. Gardening I think.

Tuesday, Doctor, Dentist, Funeral.

Wedneday. Gardening and Safeguarding Officer interview.

This morning, I’m off for a walk with OU friends.

Doctor said I will have an ultrasound as I still have heart murmur and am breathless after little exertion. (Spirometry showed I have a lung age of 74 (eek) but inhaler made no difference to my breathing.)

I parted with £25 for one minute in the dental chair, to be told my teeth are fine.

Funeral was Frank’s. Getting on for 95 years old. Lovely ‘perfect gentleman’ from Viewfinders. He always greeted me with a kiss. He was very talented artistically. Even made his own guitar.

Some one (ex-Viewfinder) brought along a photo of Frank with his guitar for display during the cremation. I asked him afterwards if I could have a digital copy for for the Viewfinder website, and he held his hand out for money. Wanker.

Off to shower now. Bye.

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14/09/2009 by Aileen.

Can’t wait until 11am. We’ve done so much in the garden this weekend. Since John’s got his new painkillers there’s no stopping him. There’s a corner of the garden I haven’t named yet. It’s terraced, and a cul-de-sac. At the moment there’s a plastic plant pot at the end, but it’s crying out for a little statue or single seat. Anyway, it was covered in my friends, the nettles, so John cut them down, then I loosened the soil and he’s got the roots out. Unfortunately he can’t reach all of them, so he will either have to get out of the wheelchair or I will have to do it. And I’m not really strong enough as the soil is quite compacted.

However, I managed all four bits of grass. I hadn’t done the bottom bits since the accident, and the longer I left it, the worse it looked. In the end, it wasn’t too bad at all, but it all looks in really bad condition.

Anyway, while I was meditating this morning I had a great idea for a story. (Yes, I know this is a distraction, and I did try to dismiss it, but it kept coming back). It’s about a photographer woman who gets stranded by the tide and is rescued by a weirdo birder who rows her to the island he is living on for the summer. So she’s captive. Lots of logistics to work out, but I like it. Great chance for descriptions of island, plus character development. And suspense. Can’t wait.

Oh well, back to housework now. I need to go to the dump to get rid of yesterday’s weeds (too many for our two compost bins). John has two clients today, but we’re hoping to do some more gardening.

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09/09/2009 by Aileen.

Well, I give posh names to bits of the garden. Better than the place in North Cave Wetlands that I call Weewee Corner.

This is where I have just planted 6 ornamental grasses. (There are some there already. Will put an up to date photo on when I’ve cleared the foxgloves etc.)

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09/09/2009 by Aileen.

Can’t believe it, but I went to the WI last night. (Have to use the abbreviation as I don’t know if it’s Woman or Women, and where the apostrophe goes.)

There was a really interesting talk by one of the Boyes family. They run cheap shops oop North, selling haberdashery and all sorts. I thought they had one or two, but they have 35 with a couple more opening soon. Stephen illustrated his talk with loads of photos and artists’ impressions of the shops. For instance the first photo was of Scarborough with horses and carts on the sand, and you could just see a little white hut where the ‘first’ Boyes had a modest coffee outlet. The grandfather (????) started  150 years ago, selling remnants. At one stage, when a shop was burnt down, the assistants went round the streets selling stuff from wheelbarrows. You wouldn’t get that these days, I’m sure, and not just because of byelaws.

There were so many cakes there! At least 5 big ones. Also, scones and cupcakes of various descriptions.

I found the business section a bit boring, as I don’t know the people, and what’s going on, but I must admit it was brief and to the point.

Today, John has a client at 1pm, then we’re down to Oxford for a meal with M and F, as John has his Stoke Mandeville appointment tomorrow at 9.15. Poor Fiona is still feeling sick. She eighteen weeks pregnant tomorrow. Apparently she doesn’t mind cooking while feeling sick!

This morning I’m going to plant out some ornamental grasses on the narrow strip of bedding that borders the patio.  There are a couple of grasses there already, and they give all year round pleasure.

The garden is awful, but I’m getting keen again. I decided to work from what I can see to further away. Grass is cut, but needs feeding and weeding. I’ve pruned long strands of branches from a couple of rose bushes, leaving the hips for visual effect and the birds. Last year I saw a blackbird doing acrobatics trying to get to the hips. Hope he repeats the performance this year and I get a photo.

Bye all. It’s (over the) Humpday today, all you workers.

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06/09/2009 by Aileen.

Okay, I’m not working, I have no dependent kids, I’m a free agent. But I think I’m really busy next week. It’s like the new term is starting. On Monday I need to chauffeur John to Hull for counselling business. (Our courtesy car isn’t any good for him to drive) Before that I have the hygienist. John will have to wait outside. At 2pm I’m church cleaning, then there’s Viewfinders in the evening.

Tuesday is free during the day, so it’s housework and gardening. At 6pm I am being interviewed for the post of Child Protection Officer for our church (Safeguarding Officer). Then, about 7.15, Sharon from two doors away is going to call for me, as she’s invited me to the local WI meeting. (My God, I can  hardly believe it. The WI. ) If I’m free I’m going. I’ll try anything once.

Wednesday, we’re going down to Bucks, as John has his MRI at 9.15 on Thursday morning. We’ll see Martin and Fiona on both days hopefully. (Decided to stay in the Olympic Lodge (hospital acccommodation for the paraplympics) and not at M and F’s, as the appointment is so early.)

Back home on Thursday as I have the Spirometry test on Friday morning. (Blood test was fine, so we need to see why I get so breathless, even after a shower.) Unfortunately this clashes with a coffee morning at Pauline’s, (Creative Writing group) but I hope to catch the end of it.

At the weekend it’s Howden’s show or fair or something, and I really ought to stir myself to take some photos.I’ve missed out on lots this year. I got the bluebells, but missed butterflies at Kiplingcotes, ducklings in the back garden and wheat fields everywhere.

I think that’s it. Not a lot to people in the real world, but I live in this little cocoon in the middle of nowhere. Aka heaven.

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