Settled in

The Autumn's really begun. My favourite weather. Crisp sunny mornings -  Fresh air in the park in the mornings. Fresh starts. 

A weekend of fun coming up. Lunch with Ali la Peche on FridayParty on Saturday, Jacqui McShee gig at the Half Moon Putney with Phil, Di, Patricia and Alan on Sunday...all good at home, an optimistic time. One violin lesson with Pete Cooper lined up, as far away as November. What will I wear at our party? who will come? will there be enough of everything? Noooo! there's a scottish dancing night at church the same night, how can that happen?

Finished reading Dracula last week - what an excellent, cleverly written book. Am in the mood to write. Have got into dancing again, three times a week at the moment, having no discernable improving effect on my figure. More soon

Not Long Now

Two weeks to go until we're in Whitby. Folk week first this year, then a week to recover afterwards. How fantastic will it be? We've already got the programmes for folk week...last year there was an ABBA ceilidh, this year there's going to be a Queen ceilidh..what shall I wear. Just about managed a 70s ish outfit last time - big hat, flares, long top...the Queen were 70s too....weren't they? More glam maybe? more rock 'n roll? 

I've been in training for the hills and the dancing recently. For a month or so I've been to back to my dance classes, tried to be a bit more careful re: food, and walked very quickly to work with Ali la Peche ! With all the stresses of the past twelve months, I'd abandoned it all, and a very unwanted few pounds crept on. Never mind, off it will all jolly well come, and hopefully in time for our holiday. I'm also revisiting the cCanadian Air Force exercises which got me into pretty good shape before I had Jake I seem to remember. 

This folk week there seem to be a few more things going on for people who aren't already experts at joining in sessions. There are fiddle workshops suitable for all abilities, and some sort of sessions for people who aren't quite ready for a full blown session. That's me. 

So, I'm in training with the violin, too. That has suffered over the past year, but I'm probably still better than I was last time we were in Whitby. We've barely seen Pete the guru. Time to stop now, as I've promised myself a quick practice this evening.

It's 2008

Well, it's new year again...we went to two parties on the night, starting at Pat's, and then saw in the new year at Anne and Chris's party in Brentford. All the yummiest people were there and looking fabulous. The teenagers all behaved beautifully, and it was even relatively easy to extract mine at 2am...luckily, we left before other teenagers became unwell....oooh, one very popular person was in trouble...it was a brilliant night though, lots of time to catch up with everyone. The only flaw being the jukebox Anne and Chris hire. The teenagers get on there first and programme in all the stuff they like, and because the thing has a long memory, it takes hours to get to the songs one wants to dance to.
The night continued to be great, as Ali la Peche kindly put us up for the night, and even cooked us bubble and squeak for breakfast!
Music at parties, always a problem. The jukebox is a great idea, but needs a shorter memory (it could borrow mine); mix tapes or cds are a good idea, pre- programmed selection on i-tunes, maybe a DJ...these issues are all rumbling about in my mind at the moment, because I am planning an extension warming party.
Yes the two upcoming projects are, getting Dad and his flat sorted out, and then getting back to our newly extended house. I cannot wait.
Staying in Putney, although it has it's charms, has been expensive, and it is now cold. Dad's heating, which was in overdrive when the weather was milder, has decided to pack up completely.
The tiles around the bath which a builder/decorator only replaced a few months ago have fallen off, and damp has spread through the wall to the bedroom. Being cold in Putney gives me a flashback to my teenage years in our huge and draughty house. Although we had central heating, it always seemed quite cold, and I remember hugging hot water bottles sometimes to keep warm, as well as being told to put more layers on.
Dad will hopefully be coming out of hospital in a week or so, and there is a lot to do. We need to refine the sorting out of his belongings, and get his flat prepared for a total revamp. He will; move to a nursing home in a house a few doors up from our childhood home. We have to decide whether to sell his flat or rent it out. Either way, it needs a revamp.
Our extension is coming on apace, the shell is built, and the builders are waiting for the plumbers and electricians to do their stuff. Everything's very exciting. More soon, I'm off to Bristol now for a one hour meeting.

Cheeseboards of Chiswick

Ali la Peche and I are partial to a glass or two of red wine and a selection of nice cheeses when we go out. After a mention on Chiswick's local community website chiswickw4.com, we decided to visit a bar called Shackology. Off we went on the bus, and went into the bar- it used to be an Young's pub, and looks nice outside. Very friendly welcome, we sat at a nice round wooden table and chose their cheeseboard; a selection of three cheeses, and some really nice rose from Provence. they helpfully do most of their wines by the glass, or small/medium carafes. Looked around. Not many people, which has been commented on by folks on the W4 website. Anyway our cheese arrives., mmmm. Three big pieces of cheese. One Cheddar, one goats' cheese and one Stilton. It was one of the nicest Stiltons I've had. Creamy and moist with that distinctive taste. Also some janmmy stuff, possibly quince, possibly fig. Very nice. On the downside, the decor, formica tables. Yuk. Are they supposed to be ironic? lights too bright in the main bar area....as described above, and the toilets. Appalling an awful stench of damp and toilet smell. I would give the cheese and wine about an 8/10 and the loos a big fat zero. There was a notice saying they were trying to sort the damp out. I hope so; I definitely want to go again.