Memorandum Monday - Easter lesson

obligatory hat picture

It has been a quiet weekend here at Macey Towers. There was a plan for Dearest Daughter to cook dinner for us all here on Sunday but that nasty boomerang virus prevented that. We spent the whole weekend together doing not very much, oh except when Mr M went to Farm Foods with a list and now the freezer is totally full, no really, you couldn't get a tissue paper in there now.
I learnt something too. We have rats! Not deliberately I might add, no, they just scared the bejaysus out of Miss Boo and me the other afternoon. I had put washing out on the line - first time this year - and it was time to get it in before it got dark. I went down the steps into the garden and Miss Boo stayed in the house. The door was open so she stood by it to wait for me to come back up the steps. As I climbed something whizzed past her so she asked if I had thrown something. I shook my head, the steps requiring all my breath to climb them, and as I got to the door so the rat jumped out of the little shed and scurried underneath it. I screamed, which came as a surprise to her and me, she screamed, I jumped in through the door and shut and locked it.
"Grandpa, there was a HUGE rat" she told him the next morning when she popped in on her way to school, "You'll have to get poison or a gun"
He chose the poison because getting a gun would take such a long time and the forms to fill in are horrendous.
The instructions say that you put the stuff in a place where pets can't get it, check, you make sure you don't get it on your hands CHECK, you should monitor it and if, after seven to ten days it has gane you should put down more.
We monitored it after 24 hours and the container was empty. We refilled it and after 24 hours it was empty. We have refilled it. We are now convinced that the rat has told all his relatives and every rat in a radius of five miles is heading for the new restaurant on our yard. I just hope they don't all go in my cellar to die.
My thanks to Sian at FromHighInTheSky for inventing this little meme to keep me writing

Our new Baby

My Grandpa is the right shape for sleeping on

 A marvellous visit from Eldest Son and lovely Daughter-in-law just to introduce us to the latest addition to the family. She was born on 14th February. Miss Boo has fallen completely under her spell and was so thrilled when Aunty Jane let her hold her new cousin.

Miss Boo loves her Aunty Jane and her new cousin

 When not holding sweet Sarah Boo was busy taking pictures. For those that are interested in such technical stuff Boo uses a DSLR things with all sorts of whistles and bells and when her Daddy says something about ISO button and changing something else she knows what he means and does it!! I will get some of her pictures and show you another time. She is good.

Waiting for the burp

Uncle Michael was great with Boo too. He held sweet Sarah and patted her back while Boo just helped a bit.
I love to look at their faces and to see the similarities. To see which dimple she has inherited from her 2x great grandfather, to note that the shape of her head is from her Momma's side of the family so she has inherited all the really good stuff and will be breaking hearts before we can even think..
I did get to hold her a lot but those pictures are on Boo's camera.
What a marvellous day.

Memorandum Monday - healthy again

missed this the first time so did a circuit of the roundabout

I went out of the house for the first time in two and a half weeks on Saturday. First there was the tummy bug and then the cold that struck me down so I spent a lot of time sleeping in my chair with my quilts over me.
We went to Jo's for breakfast. I have mentioned this place before. They do an excellent breakfast and in the corner they have a bookshelf where you can choose a book or three and donate something to one of the charity boxes. This time I took them two boxes of books, all registered with Bookcrossing.com. I kept the stacks of books in my house that I had still to read and I didn't look to see what they had on the shelf. I was proud of myself.
Then we went on towards Ross where we stopped in Labels and bought me a fleecy jacket from Bon Marche. It is pink and even though it is a large size to go around me the sleeves do not dangle past my ankles. Why do clothes manufacturers believe that if you are .... rotund ... that you have arms like an Orang Utan.
Then we continued up the road and decided that we would go towards Ledbury because we didn't want to go on the M50 as that is the longest motorway in the world.
We went to Clive's Fruit Farm because they have a real butcher there who cuts things how you want them. We bought a carrier bag full of juicy, red, poisoned apples ( we once heard a little boy in the super market ask his mother if she was going to buy any juicy, red, poisoned apples so all red apples bear that title for us now) some pork chops 12 breakfasts worth of bacon and a neck of lamb for the stewpot. We had a cuppa while we were there - because we could and then continued to wend our way through the countryside. We did a circular tour of Tewkesbury and had a late lunch in the Wheatpieces - a Hungry Horse pub. Mr M had the Nachos and I had a tuna/mayo jacket potato.
Then we avoided the M50 at the other end and headed towards Brecon - yes, I know a very wending way. We didn't stop at Oakchurch and we gave a cheer when we drove past the little timber-framed cottage that has been falling to bits for years because it is being saved!
Home in time to put the stuff into the freezer and then to elevate the legs while knitting a cowl/hood for Lady Bluefunnel.
Went to Dinner on top of the hill with Admiral and Lady B on Sunday. I finished the cowl in time. We haven't seen them for weeks because of illness and holidays so we spent a marvellous evening catching up on all the news.
Did I learn anything new? Well, Mr M doesn't forget things that are important. He might not hear what I say every time because his ears switch off, but if I mention something in passing like "oh, isn't that where the wooden horses are on the roundabout? The ones I forgot to photograph last time?" he knows how to get from where we are to where I mention and he does it without a word.
I love our special us time
My Thanks to Sian at FromHighInTheSky for inventing this meme and keeping me writing

Birthday Holiday - Day 7

Friday 12 Feb

Weather: Cold, dull, drizzly COLD

Went to the Donkey Sanctuary for breakfast, very nice too. Then we did a little trip down towards Exmouth to find a NOT Tesco petrol station. We refuse to aid them in their quest for world domination.

Stopped in Sidmouth Garden Centre for a cuppa and a scone. Saw a really good mini greenhouse thingy for an excellent price but they only had the display one left - waiting for more stock. We decided to go to our local Wyevale to get one.

Waves are still huge

 Went through Budleigh Salterton and slowed down to get a couple of shots of the waves and the amount of sand churned up by the power of said waves. Not a day for a dip methinks

See how the sand is churned up?

 Saw a good roadsign that had arrows in two directions for one road. That one is for the signs album

One for the sign album

Went to Pecorama. The carpark was full and when we did find a space we couldn't find the way into the place. The signage was not followable. They shut parts of the place for winter and we understand that but they should have winter signage so people know where to go to get in through the doors - so although they were technically open they might as well have been SHUT.

Went to The Dolphin for dinner. Very nice too. and not too expensive.

Hector had Megrim sole with mushrooms and prawns with chips and broccoli. Horace had Haddock - all fresh and all delicious. Then we both had icecream, locally made and really lovely.

Back to the barn and packing.

Saturday 13 Feb.

Weather: Yes, cold - ooh cold, rain spitting but COLD.

Up at 6.30am paked, cleaned, checked for forgotten stuff, ate a giant crumpet, put the key in the keysafe and headed for home.

Stopped at the Super Mare for brunch.

Home by 2pm all unloaded. The shower room has had a makeover while we were away.

Horace likes the colour so that's a relief. He saw all the stuff from in there out in the breakfast room when we came home secretly on Sunday so I told him it was a surprise. It looks so fresh and clean and has been done in a beautiful duck-egg blue/green. So much lighter.

Birthday Holiday - Day 6

Thursday 11 Feb

Weather: Dry, sunny but cold, dry, did I say that before? DRY

Happy Birthday Horace!

Went to Lyme Regis because we figured that we could find somewhere to park in February. We were right. Bought some bread pudding and a pasty for Horace's tea. Found some excellent Christmas gifts for the Bluefunnels and a birthday card for Michael G

Fearless photographer Horace in Lyme Regis

 Thought about a cup of coffee but decided to defer that to Axminster.
Hector had a wobbly moment in a carpark in Axminster when Horace leaned the back of the car against a wall - not hard but the noise was enough to throw all her switches into panic mode and all sorts of gibberish fell from her lips. Not all of it was swearing, thank goodness.
The result was a circular tour of the town centre eventually finding a place in a different carpark that seemed a little closer to the object of our trip there.

River Cottage Canteen

 River Cottage Canteen.
Oh yes, Horace was having a birthday treat. They gave him a menu because it has the date on it. We spent a happy hour and a half enjoying superb food and great service. Horace had starters then Lyme Regis Lemon Sole followed by icecream.
Hector had Beef shin and kidney pie with buttered greens and herby potatoes followed by cholcolate mousse-cake with walnut cream.
They had wifi so Hector could get onto Facebook and announce to her world where she was.

Hector was too slow to picture the puddings.

Came back via Seaton where we thought we would park by the Wall and then look out at the sea. How wrong we were. The sun had come out so the world and his wife were out and filling all the parking spaces, so we came back to the barn and sleazed while Horace ate his pasty

Birthday Holiday - Day 5

Wednesday 10th Feb

Weather: Dryish, windy, COLD

cute sixteen sided house - hence A La Ronde

 Did not sleep well last night - either of us. Hector got up at 4am and knitted for a while. Horace had a warm drink and took pain killers then went back to bed. Today Hector feels homesick. She has been away from home for four full days and this is perfectly normal. Being away loses all its fun and she just wants to go home. When she is distracted she forgets this and is fine. She'll be better tomorrow.

tickets for the timed tour

 Went to A La Ronde, just outside Exeter. Fabulous place! Ellen was our guide and she was great. We spent an hour going through what is a really small property - oh, oh the tea room is where the kitchen used to be and you have to go through the keyhole to get in there. Did Hector take a picture? Of course not.
Because A La Ronde is on a little lane - Summer Lane -we had to see where it led. we passed the commando training base and then turned left for Topsham. We saw Dart's Farm Shop and went in for a look. Lunch in the restaurant was very nice. Horace had the special breakfast, Hector had the Steak Sandwich. There was free wifi that worked!

Obligatory hat picture

Back to the barn through the lanes - lovely - we went through the flood and this time Hector got pictures. Strolled to the village shop for bread and milk. We intended going to the Dolphin for food but we just couldn't be ar*ed.