Oh my goodness Kathy S  -  what a truly delicious looking pablova (is that the right spelling?)  -  my absolute favourite.  Please come and stay with me lol !!!!!!!! Max x

Hi Jules,

Have had a very busy morning. Shopping follwed by taking Mrs B to get her warferin checked and once agian its spot on, Then off to see one of our woodclub members who has had to give up turning as he has balance problems. He has given me lots of small branches of yew which is just what I needed plus a lot of other bits and pieces. Have now got to unload my car and find a place to store them all. My son and granddaughter both won gold medals last Sunday at archery at a place called Newhaven which is on the coast (photo of my son looking happy and medal attached)

Its our next meeting this Wednesday evening so have paper work and printing to do before then. Hope your visit to your mother went well today. When we were shopping today, although the cheese biscuits were still on offer, I think Mrs B had phoned them to get them to empty the shelves for they were completely empty. This will make Kathys day ha ha..

Well had better go and unload the car before Mrs B see how much extra wood I have aquired. Take care, best wishes and kind thoughts sent your way, Brian

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Hi Steve,

I love this time of year when things are growing in the garden.  Mine is very very green at the moment as mostly laid to lawn and shrubs out the back though do have a Japanese maple and some large poppies currently give a contrast of colours.  The Spring blossom has all but blown away but I have planted bowls and some lavender in bloom.  I have a large area of day lilies and they will flower later. Am also trying to grow some of hubby's favourites - dahlias - though will be doing battle with the slugs and snails!

Lovely here just now (on my day off) though a bit too windy to sit outside.  Have today bought sand and accessories for the new sand/water table for the grandchildren to enjoy when the weather allows.Plonked it into my shopping trolly with small shop on top and trundled it home no problem (daughter had offered a lift but exercise is good).

Hope you and Anne have a peaceful week ahead.  Jules x

Hi Brian

What a lovely happy photo and well done to them both.

A shame that your woodclub mate cannot 'turn' any more but also nice that you now have some more yew to put to good use and am sure you will be able to squirrel them away (oh sorry that just nuts!).

Visit to Mum was not so good. She refused point blank to get out of bed, refused breakfast and her  medication and though I stayed for some time neither I or her carer could could change her mind. I will stay in touch and visit again next week (her birthday) and am hoping its an 'off day.  One of the other staff was popping up to see her as I left.  She says she can always get her to take her meds as she wears deaf aids and pretends she does not understand when Mum says no.  If all else fails they will call in the doctor (she has had to be re-hydrated in the past when  she did not drink enough though would have to be admitted to hospital) but she said she does not feel unwell just can't be bothered. I had taken a photo album for her to look at; maybe next time.

I did pick up a 15kg bag of sand and some 'sand play accessories' at the shop on the way home as have got a sand/water table for the grandchildren to have in the garden when the weather is good  enough and wanted everthing here by Saturday (their next visit) just in case it's a nice day.  My shopping trolley came in handy and I topped up at the supermarket before trundling home (as I said to Steve had the offer of a lift but managed quite well and the exercise is something I need to keep on top of).

Glad that Mrs B warferin levels were up to scratch and sending peaceful thoughts to you both. Take care  Jules x

Hi Max,
Yes the pav is my favourite too and yummy for brekkie.(lunch, tea, midnight snack....the list goes on but can assure you is never allowed to get old and be chucked out).  Going to try cheesy bacon balls soon.  Basically cold mash spuds with chopped up bacon and onion rolled into balls.  You put a cube of cheese in the middle, ( I hear Jules and Brian pricking up those ears), roll in breadcrumbs and fry or oven bake.  Result when you cut into them the melted cheese oooozes out.
Doggy sitting Sacha from next door for 2 days, will try and get a pic of little and large to post.  Heater on, 5 degrees, why didn't I emigrate to a warm climate haha.
Big hugs,
Kathy xx
 

Good morning Jules,

Hope you have dried out after your rainsoaked trip home. Have had to spend a couple of days tidying my garage and finding somewhere to store my new stock of timber. I was also giver another set of chuck jaws for my lathe so this has increased the size of timber I can use in my chuck. We had our new club member turn up plus we had one who used to be a member rejoin so good news on that front.

Hope you have time to organize you sand table for your grandchildrens visit. Before going to the woodclub I went to see my three grandchildren and the youngest one was the most excited. He had spent the day up in London seeing specialists about his speach problems. They have decided there is nothing  much they can do to improve things at the moment but have decided to try and get him to talk a bit slower as when he talks fast, it makes it much harder to understand him. Considering he was told he would never talk, I think he does amazingly well. It must be so frustrating for him when he cant get people to understand him.

I hope you get to enjoy your night out tonight; cant be long before they close. Have you found anything else to take its place yet Jules? I think we all need to have a hobby/ outside interest for life would get very mundane without them. At the wood club I had a couple of people who came and thanked me for organizing the club discount form various companies/shops as they got a very good discout for a quantity of fencing they wanted. So pleased to hear this is working and make the time I spent organizing it worthwhile.

I wish you a happy time with your family and a peaceful weekend, take care, Brian.

Hi Jules,

Hope you enjoyed your walk this morning is the lovely sunshine. Hope you didnt buy any naughties.  Bet you enjoyed the company of your grandchildren yesterday. Did you have a go on the swingball or were you too busy with the sand table? Only joking Jules. Loved your description of the sandman and the smurf. Pity your bingo club is closing for its not just bingo, it's a meeting place where people meet up and have fun. So many clubs are closing it's a great shame. It's the same with Pubs even though I never use them.

I had a cancer meeting yesterday for Macmillan and bought some chips on my way home for my dinner. I know they are not supposed to be good for us but the smell as I drove past was too good to ignore.

After clearing up my garage, This morning I have turned four mini bud vase's (2 yew, 1 holly and 1 labernum) and have then had to clean my garage up again. So much shavings from just four little vase's. It's a mugs game, ha ha. Photo attached. Tommorow I will have to contact my dentist as on Friday evening one of my back teeth had the filling come out and also a part of tooth broke away. I have a very sharp piece keeps catching the inside of my cheek and its getting very sore so wont get any turning done then in the afternoon Mrs B has to pick up her new glasses so will give her a lift to get them.

Have decided to use some of the ally framework from Mrs B's old broken washing line to make the jig and new tool post for my oval picture turning. I am really looking forward to the challenge of this as it's something none of our woodclub members have done as far as I can tell. I am aiming for the frames to 8 inches tall but only six inches wide and hope to have them both as wall hanging and freestanding versions.  So keeping fingers crossed my idea works in practise as I hate being beaten.

Take care, best wishes for a good week at workand hope you enjoy whats left of today, Brian.

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This is the labernum one and is all natural colours (sapwood and heartwood)

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Hi Brian

I did enjoy my walk on Sunday and bumped into one of the mums who used to live in my road (our kids would often play together and I used to help occasionally when she had twins (her eldest was about3 then). She had heard about my hubby's death, offered her condolences and we chatted (her poor husband standing patiently whilst we had a mini catch up).  She has divorced and remarried and retired and was sweek enough to offer me her company whenever I fancy a lunch out if I would like some company. Strange really, even before hubby passed away my weekend walks had always  been a part of my week (part of my normal routine in a way as when he worked away from home on business I had to have a social life both with the children (he began working abroad as well as in Britain when my youngest was around 3) and for myself). I dropped into the Artisan and Farmers' Market but stayed away from the cheese stall as still have a variety to work my way through from the weekend. I did pick up a couple of bits to go into my 'presents cupboard' for future use.

It is s shame that our bingo club is closing but its not for lack of attendance; just the freeholder reclaiming it for another use (the local residents had petitioned against the plans to no avail). My thoughts are with the staff, most of whom are being made redundant.  Will make the most of their big party night this week and will still see my friend for social chit chat on a reasonably regular basis (and I fear our phone bills will rise).

Hope your cancer meeting was interesting and no doubt constructive with your involvement and reckon you deserved the chips (usually I have these only as a fish and chip supper but can understand the need to 'follow your nose'). 

Your bud vase is very pretty and lovely to see the craft turn a piece of wood into something useful and  good on the eye.  I suspect you are now working towards your next show but in the meantime you and Mrs B get the benefit of having beautiful items as 'lodgers' in your home - I would find it hard to move them out!!

Regarding 'playing in the garden' would have loved to have got out there (Swingball rather than the sand and water table!) but left it to my children (reliving their younger days ha ha) to keep the little ones company whilst I caught up with my sister in law's news though she was not as upbeat about the Isle of Man on this visit and they are still living very much like 'campers in their own home' with so much still waiting to be done to make the house fully weatherproof.  I think they have found a lot more needed doing than they had realised and the slow pace of life they crave could be a while in coming bearing in mind they are doing a lot of the preparation work themselves. She is staying with her friend until next Monday and taking her 'shopping list goodies back with her - made me laugh when she told me no ! on the list was a man hole cover!

Well, this morning I am off to visit Mum and its her 89th birthday so have goodies to take with me(new clothes for her wardrobe as she only gives chocolates/flowers etc back to me or the staff and decided this would be difficult to do with personal clothing). I will also take in cake/biscuits for the residents and staff to have at tea time. Fingers crossed she will be feeling a little happier this week but I suppose inwardly I know she hates every birthday and this one is unlikely to be any different - I will put on my happy face and hope to see a smile.

My daughter and grandchildren popped in after school yesterday and we had a quick hour together. I had got a couple of raffle prizes together for the school summer fair and also she is having 'memory bears' made for the children(constructed from their grandad's suits) to help with the grieving process.  My eldest grandson has also asked for a sleepover so we have to find a night soon which is okay for all concerned.

My son and partner are 'gearing up' for their scuba diving holiday in 10 days time. They should have better weather than we are currently experiencing and will enjoy the company of other club members on this trip (Club organised - though they are both actively involved in making the Club tick, her Dad and herself both 'teachers of the sport' so will be taking 'lessons' as well as enjoying the diving).

Well had best stop rambling (hard to stop once you start; a side effect of living alone I guess).  All the very best to you and Mrs B. Regards Jules x

Good afternoon Jules,

Pleased you enjoyed your walk and met up with a mum you used to know and good that she offerd to met up with you for a meal. I used to like going for a long walk but Mrs B get tired so easily we only do short walks these days. We have just got back from a drive down to the coast. We both really enjoyed it as I had the roof light open and took the country route using narrow lanes. We could hear the birds singing and saw the young lambs prancing about in the fields so it was really enjoyable. We also had a look round a large garden centre and Mrs B saw some terific china owls; the only problem was the prices were very high.

My son has set three new club records for archery (Longbow) on his last three outings and visited my grandchildren last night and had to do my usual story telling duty with my youngest grandson. He was so pleased to see me. Have also mowed our lawns and as usual done our neighbours for her. She has gone on holiday to Dawlish this week so had pretty good weather.

Yesterday I cut up some on the Holly I was given last year. I looks like it's fairly dry but will give it a bit longer before I turn it. Hope you mother like her new clothes. Bet the staff enjoyed the cakes. I thought that was a lovely thing to have memory bears made for your grandchildren to remember their grandad.

Well, have got some more paper work to do for the woodclub so had better sign off for now.

Take care, Best wishes for tonights outing, Brian.