Ichabod's Day

Ok, I've tried, I've really, really tried.....and I know it's only been 3 days!!! I can't listen to Chris Evans in the morning - it's not the same, I can't do it and I have tried. How strange that it can have such an impact on my morning routine. Terry was the best: "They say what is his secret, and it is just that he puts his audience at ease. That's why they want to listen, because they feel better about themselves after they have listened to him. He has made the nation feel at ease with itself and that's a great gift and we owe him a lot for that."Today presenter John Humphrys I miss hearing what Chuffer Dandridge has been up to, Janet and John stories that made me laugh out loud like an idiot stuck in traffic on the way to work. What shall I listen to now to help me wake up gently, ease me into the day gradually and allow me to smile whilst facing the day ahead? I MISS TERRY. P.S Just found a great blog detailing Terry's last show....

Can it really be three months since my last posting? I guess the trauma of the kitchen was just too much to take and I have had to lie down in a darkened room with a sponge cake eversince! The kitchen was finished not long after the last post - and with not too much left to report - apart from the fact that since we have had a functioning kitchen we seem to have lost all electricity to the garage! We'll deal with that one in the summer I guess. Halloween saw the biggest family gathering since Devon 1996!(thereby hangs another tale). We organised a weekend away at Brackenborough Hall near Louth - the only place that was brave enough to let us take 5 dogs (plus 12 adults and 4 kids). What a fantastic place - a farm where we were allowed to take the dogs anywhere in the 50 acres of land. We had a wonderful weekend, walking the dogs, eating, carving pumpkins (I was impressed with mine - above - until my brother pointed out that it looked like a character from the pink panther movies - ...

In theory, the flutter of a butterfly's wings in China could effect weather patterns thousands of miles away. In other words, it is possible that a very small oc curance can produce unpredictable and sometimes drastic results by triggering a series of increasingly significant events.So, in light of this - I wonder what type of butterfly has been producing the chaos that has been my life for about the last month!! For 6 years we have been debating what to do with the kitchen - it's the last room in the house to be overhauled, but it has always proven too hard to decide. Should we extend? Should we move a window, should we move the garage etc etc....! Always too hard so stick with it - an oven that only cooks food on the left hand side, a hob ignition that bites your finger everytime you try to light it, a cooker hood that belongs in a kitchen 5 times the size and gives you concussion and a sink that only a contor tionist could use - to name a few minor faults!! Eventually we t...

Over the last few weeks I have been an accidental tourist at 2 ends of the country (well not extreme ends but oop north and daaarn south really). The first occasion was in Manchester - now I know I only live about 12 miles away but I rarely visit - daft really as I could catch the bus into Piccadilly Gardens from right outside my house. Anyway, we were looking for somewhere to go one saturday with Dad and his friend Sandra and being one of the better days of the last few weeks we decided we wanted to be outside ( rather than the Trafford Centre). So, duly caught the bus and joined the hordes. Actually we had a lovely day. We walked to Selfridges and whilst looking round the food hall decided to have lunch at the Champagne Bar (and pretend to be sophisticated). We then went outside and went for a trip on the Manchester Eye (like London but smaller!). A quick stop at Hotel Chocolat, a walk round the farmer's market and time spent watching children run in and out of the water feature ...

OK, here goes, have calmed down enough know to not exactly laugh about things - but at least to put them into perspective. Step-son was charged with house-sitting whilst we were on holiday. Trust was given for him to look after the house, feed the birds, water the plants etc and in return he was left a fridge/freezer full of food, a crate of beer, comfort and access to equipment to work on his music production. What could be better - he gets a retreat away from his siblings, peace and quiet etc and we get peace of mind knowing that the house is safe!!! Oh dear!!!! Returned home a day earlier than expected due to mother-in-law being poorly. OMG! It wasn't so much the state of the house (4 black bin bags of rubbish in the kitchen, a floor that would rival super glue in its adhesiveness, 6 x 2 litre bottles of sherry - empty!) that aroused suspicion - what first drew our attention to the fact that all may not be well was a tube of superglue - obviously purchased in our absence. What ...

(well 6 an d a dog actually!). After the success of last year we decided to go ahead and book another holiday together in norfolk - this time in Holt . The dog disney forgot to draw (aka Bruno) was back to f ull strength after the disaster at the beginning of last year's hols, weather was forecast to be a good week - what could go wrong? Well this year - Intrepid Cliff Boy injured his back on a mission (a run in with the Wii personal trainer) putting paid to any further plans to scale the cliffs of Norfolk, then ICB's car wouldn't start on the morning of the journey down. However, these problems were not insurmountable, so 4 adults, 2 kids and 1 dog took off for an adventure (of course remembering to pack heaps of tomatoes and lashings of ginger beer!). Arrived at the rented house - omg! Such opulence for a holiday let - we were blown away with it all - stunning. Rooms large enough to find a quiet place to read, daydream, converse. A dining room that wouldn't have been ...

Ok, one week into a three week holiday, had major plans have actually done very little. Have had late nights - I'd forgotten what it was like to stay up late - very decadent!! Made better by the fact that I have no alarm call in the morning. I have slept in, read in bed, watched TV in bed (without being ill!!!). I have "pottered" - I love pottering - mooching about the house doing "stuff". I've cleaned my jewelry, sorted out the photos in the photo frames. I've been out for lunch and even breakfast. I will admit to opening work emails every day - but tried very hard not to respond. The best thing is that the weather appears to be picking up - hurrah! Had a lovely walk around Pennington Flash and then tonight taking Bruno for a walk the sunset was stunning - a sign of days to come I hope as I continue my holiday. I intend to continue in the same vein as before - with some time away in Norfolk too - beach walks, shopping in Norwich, might even do a spot o...