One Royal Wedding & One Splendid Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday I watched as Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married at Westminster Abbey.  Fortunately the weather stayed dry for the day.  I say I watched the Royal Wedding, however I wasn't actually there in the Abbey, I saw the whole thing on TV.  It seems my invitation was lost in transit.  Never mind, these things happen, so I won't dwell on it.  Catherine's dress was beautiful.  It was simple, yet looked stunning. 

In the afternoon we went to our friend's house.  As it turns out, it was their wedding anniversary, so we toasted them and the newly-weds with a glass of champagne, before we started playing ten pin bowling on the new wii she got for her birthday.  It is very addictive, though I wasn't very good.  However, I did manage to get two strikes.  How about that!  If only I could manage to do that when playing darts or indoor bowls at our social club, then I would make a better team member.  But I'm won't talk about my humpty dumpty bowls or my darts that go everywhere except the dart board - not today.  Anyway, getting back to our friends, we all had a wonderful afternoon and evening.  The wine flowed and the time simply flew by.

We aren't doing anything today.  Simply having a quiet, sober day.

Hope your day turns out well.

Cheers!

A Better Day

Today is a better day! 

Or perhaps I should say, it's another day.  No matter how gloomy one day is, we know that it is only twenty-four hours of our lives.  Tomorrow is another day altogether and we should see it from a whole new perspective.  So I am looking at today wearing another hat.  A sunny hat with large bright coloured flowers and it has a big smiley on the front.  You will certainly recognise me if you see me in the street!

Having said all that, today could have been a bad day, because the water was turned off this morning.  It appears there is a leak somewhere down the road, so it is being repaired.  However, I decided that even the lack of water wasn't going to spoil the day.  Besides, it's a good excuse not to wash anything and to have a glass of wine! 

We went out into the town this morning, not because of the water thing, but because today is Thursday.  We go into town every Thursday.  It's a kind of ritual that we go to the post office, the bank, WH Smiths, the dress shop and the Garden Centre Coffee Shop on a Thursday.  I think I might have mentioned that sometime before - I tend to forget what I have already told you and say the same thing over again.   But I'm not going to concern myself over that, because I am wearing my sunny hat!

Tomorrow is the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.  The newspapers have been filled with the goings on for weeks and I gather people are flocking into London to see the procession to and from Westminster Abbey.  There are to be street parties galore around the country - there's even one being held in our social club, but we aren't going.  We're not into street parties.  Nevertheless, I shall watch the whole thing on television wearing another sunny hat and drink a toast to the happy couple.

Enjoy your day, it's only 24 hours long and won't come around again.

Cheers!

Oh Dear!

Today is not turning out to be a good day!!    

Firstly, it seems that the publisher isn't interested in my romantic novel after all. Despite rubbing my orange four-leaf clover like a maniac possessed, they have still given it the thumbs down.  Back to the drawing board on that one I think.  Life is so full of set backs, I sometimes wonder why I bother to get out of bed in the mornings.

Secondly, the mechanic came to look at my car today.  He took it for a drive around the block and confirmed that it was making terrible noises.  I bought it new in 2002, so, yes, it is getting on a bit, but I find it so handy for popping to the shops. Anyway, he took it away to check it out at the garage.  No doubt I will be hearing from him very soon.  However, if it is too costly to repair, I think I will have to call it a day.  I hope not, as I can't afford another one.  It would be a case of getting to grips with my husband's car, but as that is an automatic, I'm less than keen.  Therefore I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

You have got to be having a better day!

Cheers!

Postscript:  The mechanic has brought my car back. He has fixed it!  So something good has saved an otherwise bad day.  Hopefully I can go down to the shops without everyone on the street thinking that an invasion is imminent.  Well done that man. 
Now if I can just sort out another publisher.....
  

In a Nutshell

Added a little more to my novel today.  Things are starting to come to a head. Lucy, one of the characters, has decided she needs to assert herself, while Connie is spending the day with her ex-husband.  I am a little annoyed at Connie.  I didn't want her to do that, well yes I did, but not yet.  I wanted her to hang on for a bit, leave him dangling for a while longer, but no, she has gone ahead and done it anyway.  Sadie is running around with a new man, and as for Jenny, I have absolutely no idea what to do with her. These characters don't realise who is boss here!

I heard from a publisher today, they are going to let me know by Friday whether they are interested in reading any more of my romantic novel.  I hope they are, however, my luck being what it is at the moment, the chances are they will say, thanks, but no thanks.  I will keep you posted on that one.

So that is my day in a nutshell.  Nothing exciting at all.

What about your day?  Has the world changed its axis for you?

Cheers

Easter Monday!

Today hasn't started well!  I thought it was about time I cleaned out the en-suite.  Not the most exciting thing to be doing on Easter Monday.  While most folks were out there doing pleasurable things, there was I stuck with my head down the loo, holding a brush in my hand almost as though it was a wand.  Before that, I was scrubbing away inside the shower for all I was worth. (I must add here that I was using a different brush at that time).   The mind boggles at what I will be doing next.

One bit of good news today, I have found all five eggs in the Daily Mail hunt the egg competition.  I spent some time scouring every page with gusto - Sherlock Holmes would have been proud of me.  So here's hoping I win.  Now that would certainly make up for the dismal start to the day.  However, I doubt the Daily Mail read this, so I can't expect any sympathy from those quarters.

It's my friend's birthday today.  I gather she is having a lovely day opening presents.  I hope you will join me in wishing her a Happy Birthday!

I will add a postscript if something out of the ordinary happens.

YES! I have a postscript. 

1)  I have printed out a story to send to Take a Break.  It is all ready to post off tomorrow morning.

2)  I have contacted someone to come and check out why my car is making weird noises.  Whatever the noise is, you can bet that it is going to cost a small fortune to stop it.  Cars cost a fortune to buy, they cost a fortune to run - petrol, tax etc, and cost a fortune when something goes wrong, even if it is something minuscule.  However, I believe that this guy tells it how it is, so I'm going for it.

Hope your day is working out for the best.

Cheers!

Easter Day!

Happy Easter Everyone!

Today we went out for lunch with some lovely friends.  Though it is Easter Day, we were actually celebrating our friend's birthday, which isn't until tomorrow.  However, we couldn't wait, so we all went out today.  We had a lovely meal at the Cross Keys in Kelso.  This also means that her birthday celebrations are being spread over two days. 

Since we came home, we have lazed around because we are feeling a little over full and perhaps a little the worse for having too much wine.... On second thoughts, Is it possible to have too much wine?  That is something for you ponder over for the rest of the Bank Holiday. 

Personally speaking, I don't think you can, but who am I to judge?  If you read my blog yesterday, you will have learned that I went to the bottle bank with so many bottles, I couldn't keep them all in the very large bag and  they overspilled in the boot of the car.  So no, from my point of view, you can't have too much wine.  You can never have too much of a good thing.  What you can have, is too much of a bad thing.  But I'm not going down that road.  Today, I am staying cheerful, even if it kills me!

Tomorrow is my friend's birthday, so I hope you will join me in wishing her a very Happy Day, with lots more to come.

Enjoy your day, your wine or whatever else takes your fancy.

Cheers!

Empty Bottles!

Even empty bottles can cause some embarrassment!

Today i went to the bottle bank.  I usually try to go when I think no one is around, as I hate folks to see how many empty wine bottles I have!  However, it usually doesn't work out like that and today was no exception.  Yes, you've guessed it, I saw someone I knew.  Though he was also there to do his bit for the environment, he was recycling something much more respectable.  He had brought garden waste.  Anyway, having made the effort to go, I wasn't going to be put off, so I heaved the enormous bag of bottles out of the boot, but it was so full, several spilled out and rolled around inside the boot.  The embarrassing thing was, the chap came across to help scoop up the empty bottle of Brown Ale that was lurking behind my husband's wheelchair at the back of the car.   Ah well, you can't win them all!  And you have to admit that there are still some men out there willing to help a lady in distress.  Yes, I still consider myself a lady!

I would just like to add here, the empty bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale that was causing the problem, was one of the few bottles in the bag that wasn't mine!!  My taste is more civilised!

Next time, I'll go there at midnight! 

I hope your bottles are fewer and better behaved in public.

Cheers!

More Writing

Added quite a lot to my story novel yesterday.  However, Connie is beginning to rattle me, because she is doing things I don't want her to do - well not yet anyway.  That was supposed to come later, but she is way ahead of me.  I've really got to show her, who is in charge here!  I wouldn't care, but the others are aiding and abetting her.  Isn't there one person in this novel, who has any respect for my position?  I also re-edited my short story.  It is much tighter now, so hopefully a fiction editor of a magazine will approve.

Quite honestly, what with working on the novel and the short story, my head was buzzing by the time I went to the Border's Writer's Forum last night.  It was an interesting meeting, as one of the local printers had come along to talk about the technicalities of self-publishing.  Obviously, he could only talk about the printing side of it, nevertheless, he and his wife were able to point out the costs to anyone thinking of going down that road.  The whole thing sounds like a minefield, as you would probably have to pay someone to edit your manuscript first, which will add to the bill.  Thankfully, my novel, The Trojan Project, was traditionally published, so I didn't incur any costs at all.  And if my characters in Divorcees.com stop riling me, I might even get a foot in the door somewhere for that one, too!

Today is Good Friday.  I intend to have another go at my writing, before checking out The West Wing.  Apart from that I believe it is going to be another fairly quiet day.

I hope your day goes exactly as you want it to.

Cheers!

Sombre Thoughts

Late this afternoon I went to sit in our garden.  In the distance I could hear the rumbling of traffic. People were travelling  home from their place of work. I was immediately transported back to 1964 when my husband and I moved to London and rented a one bedroomed flat in Ladysmith Road.  Ladysmith Road is located off Dowsett Road, just off Tottenham High Street.

My husband worked for the BBC at this time, so he had to work shifts. On the nights he worked late, I would often stand on the balcony outside the flat and listen to the traffic, as it passed Bruce Grove. looking back, it seems like a lifetime ago.  Nevertheless, even today, hearing traffic in the distance still brings back so many memories. Sitting out in the garden today I recalled coming home to Ladysmith Road from work and seeing my next door neighbour waiting for me.  She had a telegram in her hand.  Back then phones weren't commonplace, so telegrams were used to take news quickly to relatives or friends.  That day it was really bad news.  My father had been taken to hospital with a brain haemorrhage.  Though I didn't realise it at the time, my lovely dad was never ever going to be the same again.  In fact some months later he died. He was fifty-two.

Okay, that was a long time ago and I have got over it.  But I will never forget my father.  He was one of the most lovely patient men I have ever met in my whole life.  I simply wanted to share that with you.

I must add here that my mother was a great Mum.  Up until her death, she was proud of her daughters and her granddaughter.  She had also been devoted to my father.  After his death, she never remarried.  I don't think there could ever have been anyone else for her.

This is a sad thing to talk about here, but it all came flooding back with the sound of the traffic...

I hope you have fond memories to cherish.

Cheers!

Another Hospital

Today we went to the hospital, as my husband had an appointment.  These appointments seem to be coming in thick and fast at the moment.  It was a lovely sunny morning, so it was a nice drive to Melrose.  We set off early, as parking at the hospital is horrendous.  Usually, we have to drive round and round the car-park looking for a space and then dash to it before someone else gets there first.  However, today we were lucky, as there was a space waiting for us.

As we were so early, we sat around in the main reception area for a while and I bought a card for my brother-in-law's birthday this week.  I'm not sure what he is going to make of it, as there is a picture resembling James Bond on the front.  Once the appointment was over, we shuttled off home only to find I had left my cardigan in the waiting room.  I have phoned and asked them to keep it until I pass the hospital again - I couldn't be bothered to go all the way back, look for somewhere to park all over again.

I must add here that the seats in the reception area of the Borders Hospital are much more comfortable than those at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.  They seem to have taken into account that people going to hospital for one thing, don't want to end up with poorly hips and sit-upons!

That, it seems, is going to be my day in a nutshell.

Hope your day works out better.

Cheers!

Dentist!

Today I went to the dentist!  This is something I used to hate and still do to a certain extent, but I suppose it is necessary.  If nothing else, it keeps someone in work.  Nevertheless, it's amazing to think that I actually pay money to have someone rattle a drill around in my mouth.  Now there's a thought.  A little man running around like a maniac inside my mouth with a drill in his hand.  Would it be necessary for him to wear goggles and ear muffs like the sort the men use when digging up the road?  If health and safety were involved, I guess he would, as bits of teeth could be flying at him from all directions.  Perish the thought!

This afternoon I added a little more to my novel and sent an email to a friend in the USA.  We have never met, it is only through networking that we got to know each other.  However, it is nice to keep in touch and learn what they have been up to across the pond. 

Someone came to put some weedkiller on our garden this morning,  I say garden, but it isn't really.  We have mostly gravel, as we don't want to have to look after it all the time.  However, try telling that to the weeds. For some reason they shoot up all over the place.  One of these days, I will have to explain that they aren't really welcome.

Hope the flowers in your garden are growing well.

Cheers!

Still Very Quiet

It seems that today is going to be another quiet day! 

However, I have changed the bedclothes and washed them, so I suppose that is something positive.  At the moment, they are hanging on the line taking in the sunshine.

I am adding a little more to my novel and earlier I began making changes to a short story that was rejected for some reason or another.  Not knowing the reason makes altering it difficult: I could be changing the wrong thing and making it worse in the eyes of a Fiction Editor.  Best I don't dwell on that.  My stars said I have to think positive, all my signs are in place for something good to happen so I'll plod on with the alterations and see how the story ends up.

Don't know why, but I read my stars every morning in the newspaper.  I guess I am hoping that one day, he is going to tell me something wonderful is going to happen.  Still you have to have something to clutch onto, so why not?

I wonder if it will be warm enough to sit in the swing this afternoon.  I doubt it. It wasn't too warm when I hung out the washing.  So I guess it's another case of wait and see.  My life seems to be full of 'wait and see'.  Wait and see if the lottery comes up, wait and see if an editor is going to buy my stories and beg for more, wait and see if the postman delivers something other than bills, wait and see if a publisher is going to publish my novel.  It must be lovely not to have to 'wait and see' all the time.  'Wait and see' seems to trip off my tongue effortlessly, I am so used to hearing it or saying it.  There I go - moaning again.

Yes, it's definitely going to be a quiet day!

Enjoy your day, quiet or otherwise,

Cheers!!

Quiet!

Things have been very quiet for the last couple of days - too quiet.  Is that a good sign or is it the lull before the storm? 

Unfortunately, we didn't make it to our friends house the other evening, as my husband wasn't feeling too well.  Nevertheless, I'm sure they all had a great evening.  I had a drink or three at home, as a sort of consolation prize.

Today Tesco are delivering my groceries.  Nothing very exciting about that, but I think it is going to be the highlight of my day, so I'll make the most of it.  I have already had two texts from Tesco informing me of the impending delivery, so that has got to count for something.  I have got to say, they do like to keep you up to date about what is going on, pity they weren't informing me that I had won something of infinite value, instead of extra points on my loyalty card.

Yesterday a friend called in to see how my husband was, as we hadn't gone to the gathering on Wednesday evening.  In the course of the conversation, we briefly mentioned our weight problems and how we would both like to lose a stone or two.  I suggested we got together and discussed it over a glass of Gin and a cream bun.  She heartily agreed that was the thing to do.  We might meet up next week!

My niece has just sent a text saying she would like to bring her boyfriend up to meet my husband and I one weekend.  I will have to have a tidy up before that happens.

Not sure whether the sun is coming out or not.  It doesn't seem to have decided yet.  Perhaps, like me, it is having a quiet day. Or, again like me, it could be waiting in until Tescos have been!

Whatever you are doing today, enjoy the moment!

Cheers!!

Hard Chairs!

The seats at the Royal infirmary, were as hard as they were last Thursday.  Despite not telling my poorly hips what was store for them, they seemed to guess the moment I stepped out of the car.  I have to say, it was with great reluctance that they followed me into the hospital.  I suppose I could go upstairs with my husband; he tells me the seating is more comfortable up there.  However, as well as reading a book, I like to people watch, so, I opted to stay downstairs, much to the disappoint of my poorly hips.  Perhaps I should also mention that my sit-upon wasn't too happy either.

This evening we are going to a friend's house.  There will be a group of us there, and yes, you are probably way ahead of me, there will be wine involved during the chat.  Fortunately, we all live close by, so no driving is involved. Apart from that, the day promises to be quiet.  Though an hour or so will be spent in deciding what to wear or should I rephrase that by saying what I can get into.  The weight problem is still with me.   I have got to do something about that!

So now, I am going to have another go at Divorcees.com and see what the girls have been up to since I last checked.

Whatever you do today, make it good.

Cheers!

The Royal

Off out to the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh again today.  They want to assess how my husband has been getting on with the contraption they gave him to ensure that he doesn't stop breathing, while he is asleep.  This has happened in the past and it is quite frightening.  However, this means another wait in the hard wooden chairs in the dull reception area.  My poorly hips won't enjoy it at all, so I am refraining from telling them until we get there and then they can see for themselves.

Apart from that, I guess the day is going to be quiet, mainly because it does take some time to get there, have the appointment and then get home again.  No doubt by the end of all that, a G&T will be very welcome.

If anything exciting should crop up during the day, then I'll be back to tell you all about it.

Meanwhile - enjoy today, by tomorrow it will be too late! :)

Cheers!!

A Good Day!

I had a very good day yesterday.  During the morning, we went to The Barn at Beal for coffee.  This is a delightful place not far from the causeway leading to Holy Island on the Northumberland coast.  On a good day you can almost see forever and yesterday was a really very good day.  Later I finished editing the short story for a magazine and posted it off this morning.  Hopefully, the editor will love it, however on the other hand, she may not, in which case it will come winging back.  But I am going to look on the bright side, because I gave the whole thing a rub with the Orange four leaf clover I won on my mobile phone. With such magic behind it, how can it fail to please her?

This morning it is raining.  What a disappointment after the lovely, warm, sunny weekend.  But it was only to be expected, such lovely weather doesn't seem to last in this country.  Nevertheless, it is a great place to live or it would be if folks stopped interfering and allowed people to live and let live!

I should be at bowls this afternoon, but I'm not sure whether I want to go.  The bowls take on a mind of their own, when I send them down the green carpet.  I can almost hear them giggling when they leave my hand as though they are wondering how to upset me next.  Then they leap into a sort of humpty dumpty mode and either end up off the end of the carpet or give up on the way down to the jack and come to a sudden halt.  Is it worth me even trying, I ask myself every Monday.

If I stay home, I'll carry on with Divorcees.com.  Not that I know where I am with that; I seem to have been away from it for a while now.  With a bit of luck, the girls will have carried on without me and Iwill find myself on a whole new chapter.  I'm not sure this is how it is supposed to work, but I won't knock it.

If you would like to read any of my published short stories, you will find a selection on my website http://www.eileenthornton.co.uk/

Hope your day is good.

Cheers!

The Great Debate

The coffee morning and AGM at our social club went well.  As it was the AGM it was very busy and I think my friends and I thought we had drawn the short straw being on duty to serve coffee and tea today.  Nevertheless, everyone was in good spirits because the weather was very good and no one minded hanging on for a minute or two for the coffee to come through the machine.  Some people even came back for more, which shows that we must have done something right.  A gold star is in order, I think!

The AGM seemed to pass swiftly.  Everyone was in favour of everything, so the meeting went over without any problems.

I spent the afternoon trying to lose a few hundred words from a short story I had written.  Doing this seems to sharpen the story.  Hopefully someone will like it enough to buy it for publication in a magazine, but I am not going to take bets on it.  Fiction editors are a breed unto themselves.  Oops! should I have said that?

I also spent some time ironing, while watching a couple of episodes of The West Wing with a G&T.  If you have been following my blog, you will recall that I LOVE The West Wing.  It is sharp and witty, it keeps you on your toes.  Or the iron running smoothly in my case.  The G&T is good, too!

Now I must sort something for the tea.  This is one part of the day I detest.

Hope your day has been good,

Cheers!!

More Moans

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary as my husband had an appointment.  We have been there a few times now and I have come to the conclusion that, for a new hospital, it is decidedly dingy.  Well, at least it is downstairs in the main hall or whatever they call it.  A few brighter lights wouldn't go amiss, also the seating could be a teeny-weeny bit softer.  I waited an hour on one of the most hard, uncomfortable chairs I have ever sat in, while my husband was having his appointment.  I was as stiff as a board when I finally came to stand up.  I had to wait a few seconds for the blood to rush back into my sit-upon, before I could move!

I appreciate that the NHS is strapped for cash and good money can't be spent on finery for people waiting for friends and relatives.  However, I'm not talking about spending a fortune here, simply, a little more in the entrance area would make the place feel less severe.  I could also mention the lack of room to manoeuvre in the free disabled car parking, perhaps I had better not. Anyway, that is my rant for the day, unless something else irritates me this afternoon.

Tomorrow is the AGM at our social club.  I am serving the tea and coffee with a couple of friends before the big debate.  Sometimes it is difficult to find people willing to be on the committee, however, I think we have enough nominations to keep it running for another year.  More on the big debate tomorrow.

Off out again this morning, things like visiting the bank, the paper shop, and WHS are on the list.  Also there will be a visit to the garden centre coffee shop, where they have the most wonderful scones!

Enjoy your day,

Cheers!

Shopping!

Today we went to Newcastle.  I love going shopping in Newcastle, the shops there are great and there is a superb feeling about the whole place.  The people there are wonderful, too.  Of course I would say that, as I was born and brought up on Tyneside.  Nevertheless, I'm not kidding you, it is a really lovely city.  However, we now live some seventy miles away, so we do tend to have to be geared up for it.  Anyway, we went there today.

I have had a bad foot recently and this morning it didn't have the same enthusiasm as me for a shopping trip.  But, I wasn't going to let that put me off.  I have to tell you that I dragged it around all the shops.  Fenwicks, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, W.H.Smith, as well as a few smaller shops in between and I had a wonderful day. I bought some rather expensive face cream and shampoo.  A bit extravagant, perhaps, but my face is the only thing I have left worth looking at, so I am going to do my best for it.  I even treat myself to a glass of wine in M&S before coming home. (I wasn't driving)

By coincidence, I met a couple of folks in M&S, who don't live too far from me.  We don't see each other that often, so it was strange that we should bump into each other so far from home.

Here's to the next trip!

Cheers!

Hairdressing

Monday went very much as I predicted, except I didn't go to play bowls after all.  I went to meet my writing friends at a local hotel and we had a thoroughly enjoyable morning chatting about all manner of things.  However, when it came to the bowls, I decided against it.  I will try to get my head around it next Monday.

Today, I went to the hairdresser for a cut and blow-dry.  I quite like someone fiddling around with my hair - it's rather soothing.  When my niece was quite young, she thought she might like to be a hairdresser and enjoyed combing my hair.  I recall I found it rather relaxing, until day day she said, "Now, I don't want you to panic, but I can't get the comb out of your hair.  Shall I get the scissors?"  I grabbed at the comb, thinking she was joking, but she wasn't. It seems she had twisted and turned the comb around until it was totally stuck.  I tried to remain calm and told her to very carefully remove each strand of hair from around the comb.  It took ages, but at least I didn't end up bald!!

I had better add that my niece never took up hairdressing when she got older. Perhaps it's just as well.

Spending the rest of the afternoon re-writing a short story.

Have a nice day!!

Weekend Again!

It is Sunday again.  However, the sun is shining and the wind has dropped - a little, so all is right with the world.  We didn't go out yesterday, and we have no plans to go anywhere today.  Usually we pop out somewhere, even if it is just for a coffee at the local garden centre or the Teviot Smokery, as it breaks the day, but this weekend we seem to be giving that a miss.  At least I have managed to add a few more words to my novel, through being at home.  I have even had some very sound advice from writer Linda Lewis this morning via my email.  So watch this space.  A very big thank you to Linda.

Tomorrow is going to be a much busier day.  In the morning I am meeting up with some writing friends at one of the local hotels.  We will be talking about everything and nothing over cups of coffee and delicious scones.  We might even get around to talking about writing!!  In the afternoon, I am going to play indoor bowls at our social club.  Yes, it is that time of the week again.  I really hope I can do better than last week, as my bowls took on minds of their own!  But I am trying not to dwell on that :-(  This week I am definitely going to be top notch!  But more about tomorrow when it comes.  Today is still young - a mystery, as the song goes, you never know what might happen later in the day.

I hope all you mothers out there are having a good day!

Cheers!

Bit of a Moan!

Went out for coffee this morning before doing a bit of shopping.  Not the wonderful kind of shopping, where you wander around the lovely fashion shops, perfume shops, or shoe shops. No this was food shopping.  You see, food shopping and I don't really get on!  I don't think we ever did.  I usually order my groceries on line and then just go out for the odd things during the following weeks.  This way someone else has the irksome task of going around the store and dropping the things I want in the trolley.

But it's not just the shopping for food - that might be okay if that was all there was to it.  However, it's not.  You have to put it away in the cupboard or fridge.  And then you need to think about what you are going to do with it - ie clean it, chop it, prepare it, cook it, clear up after it.  By which time most of the afternoon has gone.  It all seems to be such a waste of time.  Perhaps now is a good time to mention that I HATE all those cookery programmes on the TV.  Where do they all come from?  How many people are really interested in them?  And how many watch, simply because there isn't anything else on the television at the time?  That's another thing, where have all the lovely programmes gone??

I have just sent a message to my MP about the NHS reforms or whatever it is David Cameron & Nick Clegg are calling it.  The last time we had such reforms was during Margaret Thatcher's time and look where that got us!  Bought in services, such as cleaners.  That was the worst thing that could have happened.  But it is best I don't rant on about that.  Best leave it while I'm ahead!

Have a nice day!!