Autumn

It was so lovely yesterday afternoon we decided to go out. Went to lake and found they've made a new footpath, had a really nice time. I just love Autumn.

I should mention that during my latest blogging interlude we had our 25th wedding anniversary and we went to Scotland - revisiting where we went on honeymoon. Had lovely time. Will post some photos sometime. J stayed with Becky. Realised mobile phones have some disadvantages as without them we would have been blissfully ignorant of fact that he missed the bus twice and thought he was going down with a serious illness. Still he survived.

When I'm feeling low I just think of that beautiful Galloway coastline looking across the Solway - dappled shades of muted turquoise and dusky pink with the purple mounds of the Lake District on the other side.

Latvian food

Well dinner went very well on Tuesday. It was a young man from our previous church and his girlfriend (who's Latvian). He's feeling he's got a call to the ministry and wanted to chat with P about it. Girlfriend was really lovely and they were both easy to talk to. P made starter of buckwheat pancakes with salmon filling with pickled onions and capers and mushrooms with garlic. Apparently it's a Latvian dish but she said she'd never had it before but she did live near the Russian border so had more of a Russian cuisine. (If Natasha's (piano teacher) car hadn't broken down we'd have had two Russian speakers in our house on same day). Anyway it was delicious. Then we had stuffed chicken (homemade stuffing) and chocolate steamed pudding. Yum. Had an email from him saying they'd like to come again sometime!

J was helpful in tidying up and I got him to work with the Dyson although he did say 'What's the point of hoovering up dust you can't see?' 

'Just get on with it!'

All my tidying efforts have made my feet hurt so can hardly walk today. Never mind.

P is working on our floor as in sanding it and filling in gaps (long story). Horrible noise and dust everywhere but really good to get it done.

Lovely sunny day today but weather warning of storms coming.

I've been the same weight for 4 weeks despite trying to be 'good' but today had lost a pound! Yay!

P out planting daffodils in our drive. Neighbour's cat whom I call 'Patch' sitting sunning himself outside our window.

So much to be thankful for.

Rain!

Just had torrential downpour. Our drive flooded in just a few minutes.

Not getting very far with someone's coming to dinner tidy-up. I hardly know these people, I taught him in Sunday school years ago but his girlfriend I've only smiled at. Help!

Saturday

Pouring with rain. Trying to tidy up because some people coming to dinner on Tuesday but now too tired. Making progress with long term project of sorting out our bedroom but just haven't got energy to do very much in one go. Have given P and J a 'to do list'. Time for a snooze I think

Growing up

Apparently the English assessment is going ok despite the last minute preparations. 

J got an A* in his German oral exam which is really good. He has made huge progress with his German speaking over the last year. Has one more oral to go plus several writing, reading and listening exams.

He's a prefect this year so has been showing prospective new parents round the school. He was a bit nervous about it but said it went ok.

My boy is growing up so fast.

My nieces too are getting so grown up - one has been doing work experience and the other is applying to uni.

Seems like five minutes ago they were toddlers.

My brother

The thing with my brother is that he would do no work (I'm not talking about revision I'm talking about work) until the very last minute and then get an A! Literally with his Chemistry A level he did. The night before he said 'Hmm, perhaps I should do a bit of work now.' I gave him a few pointers and he spent a couple of hours learning a bit of Chemistry, he took the exam and got an A.

English assessment!

Here I am back after not blogging for ages and feeling a teensy bit stressed. Why? Because today J has an English assessment. Repeatedly over the last few weeks I've asked him if he had everything prepared for it and he's grunted 'yes'. This morning at 7.15 I was woken by him coming into my room saying 'I forgot to do my planning sheet' (the sheet they're allowed to take in with them).

"Why don't you look at that English Revision Guide I got you, it's on the trolley in your room, it might help you do it," I said.

J went into his room, looked on the trolley, not there he said.

P went and looked, not there he said. With a deep sigh I got out of bed and looked - there on the bottom shelf was a book entitled 'GCSE English Revision Guide'.

'Didn't know you meant that one,'said J.

'Didn't think you meant the bottom shelf,' said P.


There followed an interlude during which it emerged J didn't even know if it was an English Language or Literature assessment. Having ascertained it was Language there were several minutes of him scouring the web to find tips on doing his planning sheet and me going through the Revision Guide and the books on 'Mice and Men' I got him which I don't think he's ever read. I found a couple of pages that were relevant to him. 

He read them and said "Ok I've just learnt something I didn't know, that's useful. "

"Don't you want to take it in the car to read it again?" 

"No, I've read it once I've remembered it." (???)


I think I'm going to be doing some frantic praying this morning but I get the feeling he'll probably do ok.

This whole scene really reminds me of someone. My brother.