29/03/2010 by Aileen.

Yes, everything on my To Do list for Saturday was done. Must be a first. However, today is Monday and I have the blues. This is not like me at all, but I really don’t feel like doing anything. I ‘ve hoovered the guest room (for Saturday) Hall and Swinton (second living room) and now I’m having a cuppa. I don’t feel depressed. Just lethargic.

Anyway, I was watching the birds in the garden a while ago. Why don’t we get that many when it’s Bird Watch Weekend. I saw goldfinches, house sparrows, tree sparrows, a greenfinch, chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, blackbirds, starlings and a wood pigeon. I usually see a moorhen under the feeders, and there are often coal tits around.Twice recently I’ve seen a reed bunting on a feeder. Sharon regularly has a thrush perched on the top of one of her trees singing his heart out. Oh, and we have a g.s. woodpecker here quite often.

There’s been a lone swan on the pond recently. His mate was found dead on another pond. In the pond are mallard, coot, moorhens, tufted ducks and other occasional visitors. We had goosanders recently, and we’ve had Canadian geese, heron, kingfishers (three babies one year)

Can’t think of anything else offhand, but I keep a record at the back of a bird book, so I’ll check later.

Oh well, I suppose housework calls.  Tooth ache seems to be subsiding. I’m drinking tea now and only the teensiest bit of pain. Yippee.

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27/03/2010 by Aileen.

I planned a really productive Saturday, as you can see from the screen shot of my desktop….

However, the post has just been, and my new OU material has arrived. It’s ‘Design and the Web’ and promises to be a really enjoyable non-technical course. I just HAVE to look at the DVD now although the course doesn’t start until May.

Other news…

Dentist last Tuesday. Teeth were fine beforehand, but I’ve had a mild on and off toothache ever since. I went back to the dentist on Thursday, as I don’t want it flaring up over Easter, but the dentist couldn’t find anything wrong. Oh well. It does seem to be settling down.

Other health news. I discovered a lump! Me and my poor boobs. I went to the doctor, and she said it’s only small, and doesn’t seem anything serious, and as I have a checkup in Castle Hill in April I can leave it til then. If she makes a new appointment it might muddle up who sees me etc.

Good meal on Friday to ‘celebrate’ the end of term for Creative Writing. Nice to see old friends who have left the course owing to ill health.lots of travelling, and/or increased costs.

Looking forward to next week when all the family will be here, please God. First time we will number NINE, but I won’t have to cater forAlexander the Great.

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18/03/2010 by Aileen.

That’s the cats. Sugar and Spice have been ‘done’ with not too much hassle. Ellis is going today and, famous last words, she will be easy to catch. We’re a bit worried about her, as she is so thin under her fur, and she gets sick quite a lot, although perversely enough, she hasn’t lately. She’s fourteen.

Anyway, it’s a morning of gardening for me, vets in the afternoon, and then I’m doing a CRB form for someone who wants to do Chidlren’s Liturgy.

I’ve finished my OU TMA. 4 poems and a commentary. It’s not due in until Friday, so I am quite free today. Oh, I have to write a fantasy story for the writing group tomorrow.

My I Belong book is being revamped by Redemptorist Publications. New illustations. I hope they don’t change the text too much. I gave up all rights to it, so haven’t much say. I’ve asked if I can write an adult book to run alongside it, but I’ve suggested this before and told no, as I’m not ‘famous.’

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15/03/2010 by Aileen.

I did a 10 mile walk with my OU friends on Saturday. Well, just under ten miles, as we started from my house instead of the Village Hall. I’m still stiff on Monday morning.

Being Monday I’m on here typing getting my strength up for an onslaught on the house.

So to catch up on last week….

We had a great time at M, F and A’s from Sunday to Tuesday. I’ll stick some photos on the end of this post. We went down to them as John had a routine check up at Stoke Mandeville. Coincidentally, when we got home there was a message on the answering machine asking him to ringabout an appointment for his op. (Small procedure to do with his big op in 2008)

Anyway, he’s back down there on Easter Tuesday, and having the  op on the Wednesday. The only nuisance is Liam and Kieran will be staying with us for the week. The Scottish contingent, and the Oxford contingent are staying with us over Easter, so maybe M and F can drive John down on the Tuesday, and I’ll take Liam and Kieran down on the Wednesday to pick John up. It’s just that it’s a long time for the pair to be in a car, even with video games.

Well, back to last week. On Tuesday I went to the WI and saw an excellent slide show from a wild life photographer. His best photos were butterflies I think. He didn’t know the names of some of the birds. Said a wren was a dunnock. Still, very good photos.

Wednesday, we went birding to Blacktof Sands.Saw marsh harriers and others. Lovely day.

This week -

Monday

I have Viewfinders tonight - we’re listening to Andrew telling us how he set up his exhibition.

Tuesday

Dentist - nothing will need doing hopefully

Wednesday

last birding before Easter. Up in the wolds, which I love.

Thursday

I must book up the cats for the vets.

Friday

Creative Writing. We have to do a fantasy story which is right up my street. Also, my OU work has to be in. I’ve chosen the poetry option and  done a pantoum, villanelle and two sonnets. I still need to do a commentary,

Then it’s the weekend again. Doesn’t time fly.

I’ll just put up some photos, then get on with the week’s dusting and vacuuming (housework is probably the reason I’m procrastinating now. Procrastination is my middle name)

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06/03/2010 by Aileen.

Well, I had my hair cut yesterday, and John and I went into York Designer Outlet for Fiona’s birthday pressie. Can’t write what it is in case she reads this.

John bought some face cream (!) and I bought a  classic blue v-neck jumper in Next for £6. We also  bought a non-stick frying pan, as John has buggered up the old one by using kitchen cleaner on it. This new one better be good. It cost over £50.

We had fish and chips out for lunch, so I used the new pan for bacon butties in the evening. I didn’t see the protective plastic wrapper on the bottom, but the obnoxious burning smell alerted me to the problem, and I transferred the bacon to our old pan. Yes, I know I should have grilled it, but I wanted to use my new pan.

We got home, to find we had just missed a call from Martin. They had intended to go to Southend today (Sat) to see their best man, who is over from Japan. Then on Sunday morning, to see Rachel, Niall’s daughter, who lives in his old house. Then  return home in time to entertain us.

Anyway, Fiona was sick all day, and Martin still wanted to see their best man, who is flying back to Japan on Sunday, so he asked if we could come today and look after Fiona and Alexander while he was away.

Action stations. I got out our lovely new leather weekend bags - can’t wait to use them  - and we sorted out what we had to do and to cancel. (My First Communion session on Sunday)

Anyway (again) Fiona rang this morning, so say she is better, so they will all go to Southend. They might stay in a hotel overnight if they don’t feel like driving all the way there and back in one day.

So we have a spare day. That’s why I’m here writing now.

I’ve got my photos down to 10, 081 and I’ve tagged more. Doing really well, butI have 6,564 photos to go through and either tag or delete. I’ll get it down to 10,000 today easily. Just 81 to get rid of.

Anyway, duty calls. Bye all.

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05/03/2010 by Aileen.

Whatever I do I always feel slightly guilty. Must be my Catholic upbringing. (Sorry, nuns)

Yesterday I meditated, cycled,  washed curtains. The house was clean and tidy. But I spent a lot of time on the computer and I think the balance was wrong. Right, I need to sort out new computer, and delete a lot of the rubbish I brought in to it from thebackup. I also decided to sortmy photos. Some had lost their tags for some reason. Anyway, I focus on what I didn’t do. Didn’t ‘help’ anyone, didn’t do any gardening. Well the list could go on and on obviously. I didn’t climb Everest, for instance.

Cycling was good yesterday. John came too. It was a lovely spring day.

Today I’ve deleted and tagged photos. (Not the same ones obviously) I’m down to 10,226 now.  I have some that go back to 2001 (before that was film camera) and they are all organsised. I’m working backwards and forwards, and I’ve got back to December 2009. There’re a hell of a lot in between.

Looking forward to staying with M,F and A this weekend. Well, Sunday to Tuesday.  I’m having my hair cut in a minute, ready for some glamourous granny photos with Alexander. I’m never in photos, but I intend to remedy that now.

No Creative Writingthis morning, as poor Stella is ill. That’s why I’m writing on here. Windows cleaned and net curtains back up, but still wondering what am I doing with my life!

Well, it’s not that bad. I’m really happy. But should I be doing more? Like pressing on with my kid’s book. Or gardening. Oh hell.

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03/03/2010 by Aileen.

Oh I don’t seem to be writing here much. I’ll have lots to say after the weekend, as we are staying with M,F and Alexander the Great. He’ll be 4 weeks old and I’m gonna take lots of photos.

In the meantime, talking of photos  - Viewfinders was good on Monday. We had a project called ‘Numbers’ and people  brought along their interpretations. I left it too late to do any, but was really impressed by the ones we saw. Jane had photo’ed her dad’s collection of miniature vases, David L had some wonderful closeups of weathered wood andrusty bolts on the beach. There were others equally good. The next project is ‘What is it?’ and I am determined to do it this time.

Took lots of photos this morning. We birders went to Normanby Hall in Lincolnshire, and saw woodpeckers and others. The most spectacular were the peacocks who were displaying. Snowdrops everywhere. No nuthatches though, which we were hoping to see. And just a distant view of a jay, when there were several last time we came.

John’s out at a Councilling meeting, so I’d better start the casserole.I thought he would like that when he gets home around 7pm.

I’ll just upload some photos, then say goodbye.

Oh I forgot. My laptop packed up last week. (One reason why I haven’t been on here much) and I got a new one on Saturday. Toshiba Satellite A 500-1GL. It has a smaller screen than my Vaio had, only 16″, but will be easier to transport when we’re away. Also, it has a better specification for the Intel bit (whatever that is) The Vaio was duo something, this one is i3. It has Windows 7 on, and I love it already.

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