Ladybirds (by alaric)

Sitting at my desk working, I found a spider in my hair. So I went and opened the window to put it out.

This is, the big office window's not been opened for a while. As I opened it, lots of stuff rained down on me. And when I looked I realised I was covered in ladybirds.

Seems they're attempting to hibernate in the gap between the window and the frame - except now they're all disturbed. So I shook them off of me, and left them to collect together so I can decide what to do with them.

I took some pictures as they started forming good clusters:

But there's plenty more than that still making their way into the clusters... and I opened the other side of the window as they were crawling into the gap from the inside (and I don't want them inside), which caused a whole load more to shower down.

Wish me luck.

Well… (by sarah)

Yesturday I asked Inga one of the gardeners about the climbing plant on our garage/electronics workshop, I was pruning it like every two weeks - but the last month and a half I haven't and I was worried that it was on the phone line and stuff. Plus Barbara always moans when I prune it so I wondered if I was being too heavy handed - No apparently it needs pruning every two weeks to keep it in check.

Inga then begain pruning it for me - She cleared up and went and the internet wasn't working. This ment that in order for Alaric to get what needed to be done done we had to go to Aviator and use their free WiFi. This was with a Jean full of sugar from a birthday party :/

Al contacted BT and they texted saying an Engineer would be coming out today.

Al's meeting had also been rearranged so he had to be off early this morning to get to Reading for said meeting - becuase we had got in just after Jean's bed time I put her straight to be with only tooth brushing - this ment I was hair wahing and bathing her this morning to get pink glitter from the party out of her hair and the face paints off of her cheek.

But I got her ready and was heading out of the door when to my supprise a BT van appeared - I ushered Jean back inside to deal with him.

The line was cut - I assume from the pruning :/ So in trying to stop the line being damaged and breaking I had succeeded in garenteeing that it was broken 🙁 Also this a chargable repair - fair enough but I feel like everytime I try and make things better this happens - I have no idea how much it will cost either :'(.

Still the engineer was nice and did all the house stuff quickly so I could go to the school. Jean ran most of the way bless her. I had my stick and was attempting to motor up the hill - but I was the slow one of the two of us 🙁

We got to the school in 10 minutes! Just as they were going through the door. People then gave me letters and things and I dropped my stick and fumbled and then realised I was the only perant left in the playground.

Aching I set off for home - but the frantic walk up had just hurt me too much and I had to stop and sit on the verge by the allotments. I just couldn't walk any furthure - this is getting rediculous but its not a constant thing - August I did the whole boundary walk and was only like this right at the end.

Anyway I was feeling a bit frustrated by it all especially as yesturday my back was so bad I wasn't able to get up out of the bed - I'd had chronic hip pain the whole night and had to space myself on pain killers so thinking is a bit fugy at the moment :/

Now I have to leave to get the bean from school - I'm so tired from these walks I'm not getting any tidying or sorting done which is starting to worry me - I'm hoping it will improove - this was not a good time to have a flare up.

The Cat that Thought She was a Shoe (by sarah)

Dad went to the shoe rack in the kitchen to change into his slippers to go upstairs and read to Jean when he noticed that I had a new pair of fluffy black boots that I had inconsideratly placed upon his slippers.

He grabbed hold of said boots to shift them only to find he had a hand full of a very miffed Mini. To make things worse - he had hold of the the bit with teeth in it!

It made him jump and go 'arg!' and Mini retreated further into the shoe rack where she still remains pretending to be a shoe! Albeit a very cross shoe.

And a Horde Descends (by sarah)

30 cubs and 18 odd scouts descended on us for their end of term BBQ and backwoods cooking!

Jean thought this was great 🙂

Edam sponsored the event and provided these great chiefs hats which I sort of made everyone including dad wear 🙂

I had to include this picture of JEan and Al - Alaric was marching along trying to get everything ready and Jean took up his perposful stride 🙂

The only issue with the event was that obviously there were alot of cars involved and so we were on the watch to make sure Barbara's lawn wasn't ripped up with manuvours.

Barbara’s 75th Birthday (by sarah)

Barbara has turned 75! three quarters of a centry so we baked her cake and made some sandwitches and told her to invite some people to dinner.

The cake was chocolate cake with lots of topping as she had said she likes lots of topping! I also put chocolate chips and things on it 🙂 It was obviously a 75 - Barbara confessed she was scared I'd made a watering can or something tacky like that :/

The cake went down well even if Barbara had phoned Mary in a panic and got her to bring a cake round as I had planned to make the cake Sunday morning so it would be nice and fresh and as there was no obvious finished cake Sunday morning Barbara was panicking she'd have nothing to feed her guests.

(we were at a Wedding the night before in London!)

Barbara's friend Hanna brought a balloon round for Jean which was an instant hit!

And then it was presant time!

The Dutera is a pretty plant but came with a warning that it has poisonous bits so to watch Jean.

It seemed to go very well.