18/09/2011 by Aileen.

Well, today was good. Lovely inspiring Mass, followed by quite a lazy day, but ate all the crackling off the roast pork and I’m feeling like a little piggy.

Last week -  out at camera club and birding. Did some gardening at last. Started cleaning kitchen cupboards, just a bit every day. John recovering well from bone graft. (this is all back to front) Here are some  photos from birding - a bat, a marsh frog and a wasps’ nest. Yes, Iknow it’s birding, and we actually saw a black necked grebe (just missed the osprey) but Michael knows all about all flora and fauna.

The week before - exciting. Martin, Fiona, Alexander and Olivia came for a few days. (’ll need to think of a collective noun for them. The Oxford contingent? Bit too formal) It was so so lovely to get to know our first grand-daughter. She reached her seventh week while she was with us, and although they were only here for a few days I swear she changed before our eyes. Her smiles got more and more frequent as the days passed. Alexander was his usual happy self. He is so like Martin when he was a baby. ‘Little friend of all the world’.

Poor John had a bone graft just before they came. He doesn’t want to wear dentures, and the bone in his top jaw was too soft to hold implants, so he had bone  from his lower jar grafted on. The bruising stretched from his neck down to his chest, and the pain was really bad, but as he says - it was self-inflicted. I should have taken a photo! Instead, here is a photo of Olivia the Lovely.Actually, there are three as the first one was when she was one day old.

One day, we went to Hornsea (minus John as he was suffering, and also had a TMA overdue) Alexander loved the sea, but our visit was curtailed when he fell in the waves and got soaked. He’s only 17 months, and still a little unsteady on his feet.

I can’t remember anything further back than that.

For the coming week - The Scottish contingent (!) are coming to stay with us on Thursday, and on Saturday we are all going to Oxford for the christening on Sunday. We’ve all got into the same hotel, as M and F’s house will be full. Looking forward to it!

I’m writing this on Sunday evening as I don’t want an excuse to open the laptop tomorrow. I intend to WORK. Bye.

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07/07/2011 by Aileen.

Busy day today getting ready for Ali, Eric and the boys who are arriving very late tonight. A & E staying until Sunday and we have Liam and Kieran until next Saturday. So - beds to get ready, shopping to do, and for some reason I feel impelled to get the house spick and span. Probably so at least I start from a good base!

Got my replacement iPad yesterday, this time straight from Apple. I got a full refund from the firm who sent me a used ‘new’ one.  Birding yesterday was good. Saw spoonbills, egrets, herons and various wader. (So guess what habitat we were at!) I forgot to send Micahel some photos for his blog.

http://www.eybirdwatching.blogspot.com/

I might put some on here, but might be a bit busy all week! Best photo, not technically, but amusing, was a heron being mobbed by gulls.

Bye, peeps. Shower calls and it’s gone 8.30am.

Oh, nearly forgot. John had his first assignment for OU course back. 85%! Well done that man.

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01/07/2011 by Aileen.

Nothing to say about it,

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jun/30/mother-in-law-email-viral

but thought the heading might boost my viewings

Well, I’m on the side of the poor daughter-in-law. Yes, she seems like an uncouth and selfish woman, but blimey, what a hostess from hell is the mother-in-law. (Or future MIL - if Heidi has any sense she’ll get out quickly.)

Anyway, John’s birthday today, and he’s feeling much better. I deserted him for my Creative Writing class this morning, and it was up to its usual great quality. Then we had lunch at The Nag’s Head, Preston, and met up with some former members of the class. Tuna jacket for me.

I made a detour to Waitrose on the way homeand bought readymade crab starter, chicken main dish with potato rosti, and Eden Mess for afters. Wolf Blass Cavernet Sauvignon wine as we don’t care that white wine should be drunk with fish/chicken. I’m about to start ‘cooking’ and have had a sherry (just to finish the bottle you understand)

I got a full refund for my ‘new’ iPad so have ordered another one, this time from Apple themselves. It’s not in stock yet, but I’m happy to wait for up to a fortnight. Hope it comes sooner.

Martin is coming to stay overnight on Sunday as he has a meeting in Doncaster. They all skyped earlier and Alexander was waving to us, looking puzzled at how small we were.

Ali and family skyped John earlier, but I was out. Everyone is well. All’s right with the world. Well, it’s not, but our little world is fine.

Thank God.

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26/06/2011 by Aileen.

Martin rang me on Thursday morning and asked what I was doing for the next few days. I said only Creative Writing on Friday morning, thinking they were invitining us down to them, or they wanted to come up to us. But no, Fiona wasn’t well. She hadn’t felt the baby move all Wednesday morning, had developed a stitch in her side, and couldn’t lift Alexander. They went to the hospital, and the baby’s heart rate was strong, so they sent her home, but Martin needed to get to work and she still couldn’t lift Alexander. She’s still getting sick too. So off I toddled, and spent Thursday to Saturday there having a great time bonding with Alexander. He can point to various animals and objects in books and is toddling around really well now. I brought all my camera gear, and can’t believe I didn’t take any photos.

John coped fine when I was away. Luckily the fridge and freezer were full. On Thursday night he reheated some leftover chicken curry and dipped bread in it. Then he made himself muesli, strawberries and icecream. On Friday he cooked sausages and chips. For lunch each day he had cheese and ryvita. He said he was a bit tired of cheese when I came home, but he could have had tinned salmon, crab or tuna. If he’d remembered the crab he would have had that.

I came home and developed a really bad mood in the evening. John wanted a take-away but I had been stuffing myself at M and F’s and wanted an omelette. We had a pizza from the freezer in the end. Then, owing to a misunderstanding, John finished all the muesli which left me none for breakfast this morning. I went to bed in a right mood.

This morning, it’s the First Communions. One of the reasons I’m out of sorts is that one family have not shown much commitment at all., and the boy is not well prepared. I saw him after school last week, and did two catchup sessions very rapidly. He was supposed to come on the Sunday, but the father rang to say ‘they had changed their plans’ (FOOTBALL I GUESS) so he has missed that last session. The father was supposed to ring to arrange a catchup session during the week, but didn’t ring, of course. (John would have picked up the message)So this morning the poor kid is going to receive Hoy Communion this morning having never tasted the host or practised holding the chalice. He will probably have a quick practice before Mass this morning, but sheesh (as they say)

After Mass I need to pop into the Coop for some meat for today and a topup of salad stuff, then I’m FREE. I need to cut the grass as sod’s law - I texted the gardeners to do it on Friday but their lawn mower was broken. Anyway, they did lots. Trimmed hedges and weeded, so now I can see the lavatera that Sandy and Joy gave us when they stayed last year. I had forgotten it was there, and it has really grown, albeit a bit long and lanky as it was struggling for daylight.

Anyway, bye diary, I need to have a shower and get ready for the day ahead.

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18/04/2011 by Aileen.

Not sure about that, but I’m having a change today. No Monday housework. I need to finish reading Mortal Engines and get on with my TMA. I’ve lots of notes under the headings of the three books I’ve chosen, but I need to cut and paste them into a beautifully crafted essay. By the way, here is the title of the TMA

 Rachel Falconer states that ‘it is important that the books and films [young people] read and watch should address the reality of their lives’ (Reader 1, p. 375). Is this view borne out by contemporary writing for children? Discuss with particular reference to three of the Set Books in Block 6.

So. No housework today. Finish the book this moring. Write this afternoon. (Might have to skip Viewfinders) Finish it tomorrow. That leaves Wednesday for putting in all the bl**dy referencing, which takes me a day, believe me. Then, into cyberspace on Thursday, which is the day it’s due in. I’ve never left it so late.

But then, the Easter Triduum from Thursday evening to Sunday morning and off to Scotland on Sunday for a few days for a family get-together.

Bye.

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16/04/2011 by Aileen.

And I just don’t get headaches. Never. ‘Wot, never? No, never.’ Well hardly ever. But it’s been a beautiful day and I’ve been stuck in studying. Up at 5.58 this morning, as I had been awake since before 5.30. John was awake too, so we had breakfast very early. Then I began studying. At about 9am I went down to the shops for the paper, milk, and meat for the weekend. Oh this is so boring. Think I’ll give up this blog. Do I really want to remember what I did today in twenty years’ time when I’m 86? Anyway, I have been getting to grips with a 2,000 word essay on whether children’s books should reflect the society of today. We need to refer to three books. I’ve chosen Junk (Melvyn Burgess) The Other Side of Truth (Beverley Naidoo) and Mortal Engines (Philip Reeve) It’s ages since I read Mortal Engines, so I am re-reading it when I’m tired of writing. Really miss the fresh air, but I finish studying in May, and then I’ll have a BA (Hons) Lit. I will continue to study with the OU, but just do short 10 pointer courses for interest.

John has just signed up for an OU course - Exploring Fear and Sadness. It starts in May, so I’ll try to learn alongside him, and choose a course for myself next October.

He’s talking about going to New York for a week this year. Not sure if I want to make the effort.  No place like home. Except I wish I had got out today. Not New York. More North Cave Wetlands.

M and F skyped us today. Alexander is growing so big. We’re meeting up at Ali’s next week for Easter. Can’t wait.

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11/04/2011 by Aileen.

I think that’s the expression. Anyway, we had a great week with the grandchildren. I know I’m biased, but they are so good. They really entertain each other. Giggles all round. We have two three seater settees in the Swinton (don’t ask) and we put them close together facing each other. Three big blankets and they had a camp. Or an office sometimes. I thought their best memory would be The Deep, as they were fascinated by the sea creatures. But when we met mum and dad on Saturday they said the best bit was seeing Hop (film about the Easter Bunny) and the chinese in Mr Chu’s afterwards.

For the handover we met at the Rheged Centre, Penrith.

http://rheged.com/

Had a surprisingly good meal there, and sat in the sun while the kids played in the adventure playground. The previous week, we met in The Black Swan,

http://www.blackswanculgaith.co.uk/

and I was treated to a slapup meal for Mother’s Day. Life is good.

Monday now, and I have my usual New Week’s Resolutions. But this time I have a serious intention to slim. So has John. I’m just under 11st 7 and it’s too fat. I’m living in stretchy trousers. A while ago I went through all my clothes and put away the ones I can’t get in to. Well, I’m going to get into them soon. I don’t intend to buy a whole lot of new summer clothes when I have some perfectly good ones hanging up in the spare bedroom.

Still haven’t bought my sandals. Think I mentioned that the ones I live in are coming unstitched, so I’m having to wear smarter ones when going out in case they break. I did look for a replacement in Sheffield, but I don’t know the town well enough and couldn’t find a good shoe shop. In the end I bought a quite high pair of open toed heels, but I still need SANDALS. So that’s on my list, but probably not for this week.

John has ten clients this week. Think that’s the highest ever. He has two a day, so we can’t ‘do’ anything together. Well, I mean we can’t go out anywhere. Gardening is high on the agenda. At last I’ve got myself psyched up for it. I’ve cut all four grass sections and wed and fed them. John’s powerwashed the top patio, and weeded this section along the north side of the house that we never use, so are inclined to forget about it. The side along the south is used as garden access, and I have my eye on it. There’s a narrow strip of earth there, and there are some violets growing again, but the hebes seem to be dead. Nettles doing well though!

The gardeners have cleared one of the three slopes out the back, and I’ve gone for a yellow and red theme there. That’s cos there are orangey daylilies there already, also alstoemaria if it comes back, and I think some irises. A lovely creamy rose too. And at the back is a wisteria, so hopefully that will survive. There’s lots of muscari out at the moment. Daffodils on their last legs, but some nice tulips (although I don’t like tulips particularly) Anyway, when I said I’m going for a yellow and red theme I mean to have little bits of blue there too, as a contrast. I’ve bought and put in some baby daylilies in a gold colour, yellow potentilla and doronicum, and orange geums. Still need to put in some pulsillata and a white rock plant whose name escaped me at the moment.

This woman who’s meant to have really unusual plants in her nursery came round, and is meant to be bringing round ten to twelve shrubs to put in (she said perennials were hard work) but she hasn’t been back and that was well over a week ago, so she’s toast. I’ll get my own ordinary shrubs.

Well, yesterday I finally planted up two large tubs for outside the french windows. Centrepiece of butterfly plant (for the butterflies!) surrounded by three pinks (for the smell) and three trailing ivies. Think I might have crammed too much in. We shall see. Today, I need to finish weeding the veg plot (started it with the kids last week) and put in my King Edwards and Charlottes. Hope they behave better than Basil and Rosemary when they shared a bed.

Bye, foks. Will upload some photos soon.

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01/04/2011 by Aileen.

The shock shock was that I got another 90% for my TMA. The question seemed straightforward, and I answered it without too much trouble, but I felt something was missing. It had no sparkle. I just seemed to be regurgitating the course material, and had put nothing of myself in it.(Can’t remember the question, but we had to talk about Peter Rabbit and Voices in the Park. Something about the best picture books have something intangible and invisible to them). This was my favourite part of the course so far. The bit we’re doing at the moment is about do books reflect or influence society as far as I can see. Tutor says it allows us to give an overview of the course (instruction/delight, intertextuality and stuff) The books are realist fiction. (Junk by Melvyn Burgess, The Other Side of Truth, by Beverley Naidoo, and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve). The latter is a sort of science fiction, about London on wheels eating up the surrounding towns, but it related back to Colonialism. Yes, it does. Really it does. And there’s lots in it that relates to life today. I could have chosen Coram Boy - a historical book  - but I’m saving time and skipping it as we only need to refer to three books. We’ve done a fair amount of historical books, but no science fiction, and many people on the forum say it’s a bit boring.

The horror horror was when I idly looked at the church website on John’s Mac. I had designed it on my laptop, which has a large screen for a laptop, and tested it in various browsers, and it looked fine. But on John’s Mac the background image stopped half way down, and the colours looked completely different. A few other things wrong too. So I have spent ages putting the site right, and now it looks okay I hope.

www.sacredheartstjoseph.org.uk

Peace and quiet today. The grandkids (not Alexander!) are coming tomorrow for a week, so ‘let the rumpus begin.’ I’m about to whip off the ivory ironed bedlinen on their bed and replace it with unironed coloured sheets. Not wasting all that ironing on kids! We’re meeting up tomorrow at a pub near Penrith, and Ali is treating me to a Mother’s Day meal.Looking forward to i, but disappointed it clashes with an OU get-together in Manchester. I wish I had insisted we pick up the kids on Sunday, but Saturday suited Ali better. Can’t remember why. They’re probably doing something on Sunday.

Anyway, bye bye. Have a good weekedn.

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14/03/2011 by Aileen.

Woke up full of the joys of spring, overshadowed of course by the catastrophe in Japan. Now another explosion. Surely nuclear power is dangerous. And costly. I know I’m a bear of little brain, but why can’t we harness wave power? The sea is always there. Yes, I know we need to be careful about where we position things, but this seems to be a resource we just haven’t made the most of. And I think windfarms look beautiful, so there!

Anyway, I have a new way of getting organised. A way I used in the 70s come to think of it. It’s just writing a list on a sheet of paper, and highlighting the item when it’s done. I tried this last week, but made the mistake of writing things down that would happen anyway, like driving Fr Neville to hospital. But I found I did all the other things, except for one, and that’s because I am waiting for information on it. So this week - great plans. A lot of them are church based, but that’s just coincidence. Next week it could be other stuff, maybe gardening, or sorting out stuff in my office. Here’s this week’s list

• Link all Chrn’s Liturgy people by email group
• Design and print application forms for First Holy Communion
• Design and prepare instructions for correct way to iron altar linen
• Fine tune and print off Stations of the Cross
• Prepare chrn’s liturgy
• Prepare FHC session 3
• Do Creative Writing homework
• Sweep garden paths

Right, some of this I would do anyway in the course of the week, but seeing it written down will hopefully stop me from leaving it until the last minute.

Another thing to do. My TMA is due in on Thursday. I’ve done the work and made lots of notes, but have never left it so late. It looks a straightforward one, so hopefully it will just flow. Marks so far - 80%   90%   95%   90% Can’t believe it. I just love this course and my tutor.

Anyway, today. It’s sunny, and a female blackbird is outside finishing off the seed I put out for the ducks yesterday. Our three cats were looking longingly from behind the French windows. Housework this morning, Hopefully I’ll sweep the paths as it’s such a lovely day. TMA this afternoon, then Viewfinders this evening. We’re doing portraits by candlelight.

Family news - Fiona had her twenty week scan last Tuesday, on her birthday. The baby is in the top percentile for size, and they couldn’t see if it was a girl or a boy, but as nothing showed they are guessing a girl. So a buxom Irish lass then. Can’t wait. Fiona is still being sick, and all three of them have had horrible viral throat and chest infections.

All of us are descending (ascending) on Ali and family for Easter. Or Easter Sunday to Easter Wednesday as Liam and Kieran are otherwise engaged before this, and Ali and Eric are out on Holy Saturday. Should be a good break. I’m bringing up the boys’ Christmas presents from Kevin and Mag!

Our lovely Rachel (Niall’s daughter - see main website) is getting married in July. We met Ian at Alexander’s christening, and he’s super. It’s funny, at the christening Rachel wasn’t drinking, and some of us were wondering if she was pregnant. All sorts of questions about who’s driving etc. did not elicit any information from her, but the following week she had her first scan and told us all she was pregnant. She now has a little boy, brother for Kieya who is about 12. They sent us a most organised and thoughtful package with the wedding invitation in.

• Beautiful homemade invitation
• Details of two nearby hotels
• Card for us to fill in with dietary requirements
• An RSVP card for us to fill in
• Maps to the church and reception venue
• Stamped addressed envelope
• Little poem saying they had everything so pressie could be Thomas Cook vouchers for a family holiday

Rachel takes after her mother, Sue, who is really artistic.

Well I’ve spent far too long on the computer, but at least I haven’t been idly surfing.

Weyhay! There are three greylag geese on the pond. Hope they nest on our land.

Bye all. Be good.

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10/02/2011 by Aileen.

No, nothing’s happening, but I like Thursdays. Nothing to do. I’ve done my housework at the beginning of the week, Camera Club, Birding and Creative Writing are on other days, this Tuesday past was WI, so today is FREE. Going to potter this morning, then get stuck in to my TMA this afternoon. John is going to try to keep Thursdays free  now the good weather might be (!) coming, so we can go out somewhere.

John’s had cellulitis - he went to bed last Thursday and noticed his leg all red, shiny abnd puffy. The next morning on the phone the doctor mentioned hospitalisation, but John wouldn’t hear of it. He’s had cellulitis before, at the time he did his tandem parachute jump. But it did stop him going to Alexander’s first birthday  party, which was a shame.

We had a great time there, although Alexander was really under the weather and listless. Met up with my brothers and their wives, a nephew and niece, lots of Fiona’s relatives plus friends of both Martin and Fiona. I only stayed overnight as John was unwell. Actually, he felt fine in himself, but you know what I mean. Coming home on Sunday morning I parked to ring John and a tyre really hit the kerb. A few miles on, just before the M40, I got a flat. Rang the RAC, and then rang Martin who came out in a flash and changed the tyre, so I cancelled said RAC. I did change a tyre by myself, once in my life. It was just approaching the gyratory system in North London. Couldn’t have been a busier place.But this was 1967, and I was young and healthy. On Sunday I opened the boot to get out the spare, and then said to myself, ‘Nah!’

I didn’t take many photos at the birthday party as I was chatting too much, and Alexander wasn’t at his best. Here are a few.

I have more photos to upload, birds and flowers, but I’m just procrastinating, and need to get dressed. See y’all.

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