Just sent you a PM, FF, about the portable CBA bench! 
Glad the big breakfast went well.
Enjoy your floor polishing, and the lack of little people to mess it up again!!
Yippee! We three meet again! 
Hubble Bubble toil & trouble or will it be 4? Hopefully!
Exciting news re Bobville! They are nest building again in the camera box. So happy. Thought we wouldn't see them this year. Let's just hope it's more successful this time.
We are off to Christchurch, Dorset, next Sunday for a week. OH saw a swanky uber expensive hotel there, recommended in his newspaper. I have persuaded him that a cottage would be more comfortable/relaxing (not to mention less than 1/3 of the price - not including meals!!)
Brother lives in Bournemouth, so he and his wife are going to visit us at the cottage on the Thursday evening. He's all that's left of my family - apart from nephews, neicrs, great ns & ns - and we very rarely see each other so (just at family funerals! 
) so it will be nice to catch up.
Sherry cake in oven ready for next week. It's a traditional Easter holiday requisite in this household (and now YD's!). I'll put some in the shed when it's ready.
Lovely day today and I should be in the garden doing some much needed weeding, but Bob TV has me captivated!
Am booked in woo hoo!!
Doing same as last year and staying Mon too, so shall be refreshed for our non stop talking and tea slurping!
Hope you enjoyed your huge breakfast and lots of money raised for kiddiewinkles playground, FF.
JCJ, are you going somewhere? a short break, just now?
Poor birdies.
ED gave me various lipsticks that I had admired so have been trying a different colour every day, am kinda plummy today and was deep red yesterday hee hee, what will I be tomorrow??
Guernsey sounds good, never been there before.................
Have a secret, have never tasted cullen skink, what am I like??? hahaha xx
Ok , forget the recipe, you know I can't cook! Tins available in a better supermarket? I took a guess and googled. I could travel to that supermarket, I know where one is. A fair few miles away but there will be other different things to try as well. Or there's internet shopping, never done that before but there's always a first time
Yes, you're right JCJ, my next term is 6 and 7, and break up on the 21st like you. I hope your robins found their chicks!
Off for a late breakfast (brunch?) tomorow. Son has organised (and is cooking) a "Big Breakfast" in his village to raise funds for the children's play area which needs updating. So I'll be fed and money will be raised . A win win situation. As my Son is cooking I know it will be good!
Woo hoo JCJ, you did it, well done!!
It's not my poem FF......................cannot take the credit.............
Can't remember, is it toasted or roasted oatmeal??? You may enjoy it then?
Such a busy, busy day, have been all over the place, so feet up for the rest of the weekend, fingers crossed.
Did fit in haircut, woo hoo, hairdresser said my hair is def a lot thicker, soooooooooooooo no ta"poxy"fen has made a difference, being honest I didn't really notice, she said there is a huge change in texture, thickness etc. Checking out "that" mirror today, wasn't too bad, think I was sooooooooo tired by that time my vision was blurred haha!!
Next week is scary GC every day apart from Fri, dentist for crown fitting and appt on Fri, meant to go out for tea but have had to cancel, can't really munch after dentist.............xx
Muggatea calling.............
Can I have cranachan without the oatmeal? More seriously I might have to google a recipe for cullen skink. Sounds delicious. MISSED HER!! Just got the camera up and she disappeared! Blast, my chance of fame gone
Your next challenge JCJ? Well, you're already in Scotland , so you could stay there but Guernsey might be warmer. Your choice. Yes, we're again a week earlier than you but we're also back a week earlier. Day after Easter Monday and I suspect my Summer term will be longer than yours.
Didn't realise you were a poet Katy, giving Burns a run for his money? Perhaps, in time, there will be a Katy Night (with an address to the Teapot!)
Sorted out pre-school tonight, got it ready for a good clean on Monday. HT will be there on Monday with her children in tow. Respectfully asked that they stay out of pre-school room. No, actually I TOLD her..... DO NOT let them into pre-school! Then she gave me an Easter Egg, for all my hard work. A 99p Easter Egg! It's the thought that counts. I am not saying another word.
We're here!
Thanks for the wonderful welcome. What a party!
What shall I do for my next challenge? Loch Lomond: 24 miles, Loch Fyne: 25 miles or the coast of Guernsey: 30 miles?
I'm all set as well just waiting for Nessie and JCJ. With a camera..... I want the first real photo of Nessie! I shall be famous
Got my bagpipes ready, I have been practising but I'm really not that good and my electric piano/keyboard doesn't do bagpipes! I'm wearing my kilt (and underwear!) as I might end up twirling on my head after a few drams in celebration of JCJ's achievement. Wherever next?
Katy, I do know about neeps and tatties but please translate for us sassenachs - cullen skink? Cranachan? Strangely enough, I've been doing a crossword book lately that has had clues like "Scottish word for.....?." Fortunately they've been easy ones like "child" but "chimney" had me stumped. I nearly came on here and asked you but the other clues filled it in. (And now I've forgotten it!)
Last day of term tomorrow, yay, today the last day of the boring routine cleaning. Tomorrow I can get the school ready for next weeks thorough clean and then I can have a week off. YAY!
New shoes woo hoo!!
Forgot to say, binned the "squeaky" ones, driving me crazy...........
Understood the D***** one but was completely clueless regarding CT?? Now I know hahaha!
Think you have done really well JCJ, be proud of yourself, we are all proud of you
, you go girl.
Oh gosh just realised is this the big night??? Kilt on, bagpipes at the ready, cullen skink, haggis neep and tatties, cranachan all on the banks, couple of hours to go, will we glimpse Nessie?? xx
Oh dear, do I let you go on thinking you are right or do I 'fess up and say I actually meant D*m**t? I did say not my usual type of catalogue and I love C****n T*****s...... I think I tried too hard to be cryptic 
Sorry!
Pleased that your lesson went reasonably well and that the class was recognised as being full of "ants". I was going to put something rather politically incorrect about canes and the return of but perhaps I'd better not!
School tonight having a maths course for parents so that they can help their children with their homework. All well and good and a brilliant idea BUT it means teachers stay at school while I am there. Which means I can't turn on the i-pod, stick in the earphones and sing my head off whilst cleaning. Nor could I last night, two very quiet nights. I need teachers to GO HOME!
*otto* *rad***. There are the missing letters. Merge the two. Or think: sellers of a natural fabric. They sell clothes predominantly, but not exclusively, made of that fabric, for men and women and some unisex. Lots of casual/outdoorsy stuff.
Ants were less antlike than usual. But I was told I should have been firmer with them. Observer should see what they are normally like! They were SO much better than usual. It was acknowledged that I had a big class of needy children ON MY OWN and that that is not ideal! She liked the lesson and how I'd organised it.
Not as good as I wanted it to be but much better than last time! 
So tired now. Splitting headache.
Hope all went well with the little ants, seriously, fingers crossed.
Well, have no idea which shop that is???? Help, put me out of my misery, please!!
Well done FF, bargains indeed, woohoo!!
It's pouring here, yuck
! xx
Came on here to write something but have obviously been distracted (trying to figure out shop)...................where are those marbles??xx
Would that be C****n T***ers by any chance, FF? One of my favourite clothing providers.
I'm threatening to start a new clothing shop - selling only unisex clothes, but not just hiking/sports wear. I'm amazed there isn't already something out there. YD's experience trying to get a suit has brought it home to me how hard it is to buy non-girlie evening outfits!
Message from D-I-L (nearly): she loves the wedding guest book & pen, personalised with their names and 28th May, 2017 on, that I bought for them (and gave to YD while she was here).
I've got a lesson observation tomorrow. As HLTA. The last one was the one that went hideously wrong, so I'm dreading it. This should be better. Different class. Y1 this time, not Y5/6. I'm well prepared, I think, and it doesn't rely on technology, so that bit can't go wrong! If I get put on a 6 week improvement notice again I shall tell them where to stick the job! (All the teachers are assuring me that this won't happen: all their obvs have been very positive - new leadership trying to bolster us up after our OFSTED drumming!) Think of me from 1pm til 2pm tomorrow, trying to impress whilst teaching a (I quote a supply teacher who recently taught them) "box of ants"!!
About six weeks ago in my daughter's car, I caught sight of a very crumpled clothing catalogue in the floor well. To pass the time while I waited for her I picked it up and had a look. Not my usual type of clothing catalogue (think thermal vests!) I saw a pair of trousers I rather liked at 50% off. Took the catalogue home with me. Did no more about it. Lost it. Last week same catalogue turns up as an insert in my usual TV magazine, same trousers still 50% off. I went mad and ordered two pairs in different colours. They arrived today.
They both fit although one pair is tighter than the other (same size ordered) and of course the tighter one is the colour that I prefer. They also sent a catalogue and those trousers are are now back to the 100% price so I have had a result! Two for the price of one
Parents evening at school tonight, makes my job so difficult, did all the communal areas had to wait to get into the classrooms. Teachers (like Doctors!) always overrun their time. In the end half an hour overtime done. That's not a problem, on another night I'll be able to leave early!
Managed to eat your helping too, FF so no waste!
Meal was delicious, yum yum, only skipped the mint sauce..........
Sounds fabulous FF, nice to be spoilt.
Day was quiet woo hoo, all started again today, appt early, lasted around an hour, quick trip to supermarket, plumber then arrived, it wasn't the WASHING MACHINE, it appears to be water leaking from sink not being properly sealed, came back a few hours later so now all sealed, fingers crossed that works.
GS tomorrow, later would like to have haircut last one with old hairdresser, then the hunt goes on for a new one, ED goes to a horrifically expensive place and YD takes a trip to our capital city, so not sure where I will be going??? One with a superly good mirror would be fabulous!
Schools come off on Fri, children are off for 2 1/2 weeks WHAT???
You should both come up here, think of all the holidays...............xx
Whew, what a day! I have been thoroughly spoilt and have enjoyed myself enormously! Flowers,chocolate, vouchers for a spa and a lovely meal out with all my family. What more could I want?
And an invite out to another lovely meal at JCJ's. Sounds delicious but I really can't eat another bite, probably won't need another meal until Thursday! Don't worry about the trifle it will taste just as good.
Glad that your daughter has found her suit. Another tick in the box on the to do list.
So glad that your feet are so much better, Katy and that you enjoyed your meal and catch up.
My back.... bent down yesterday to pick book up off the floor and something went "crunch, pop, ping" and after the initial "aaargh" it's great. No more problem. No more codeine.
Sunday dinner tonight, home cooked by YD & I, for anyone who wants to join us:
Roast lamb
Roast potatoes
Roast parsnips
Carrots
Kale in olive oil & garlic
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Yorkshire pudding
Mint sauce
Sherry trifle - the custard layer is a bit weird because I prepped everything and set the oven timer so we could go out for a walk to make the most of the lovely sunshine: forgot to pour the custard over trifle so had to spoon it over after it set! Hide it under the cream. It'll be fine.
That's brilliant news JCJ, the weeks are passing so quickly, so another thing off the list woo hoo!
Lovely you had time together too.
Enjoy your surprise? lunch out FF, hope your back behaves, fingers crossed.
Am quiet today, presents received early woo hoo, have been so busy over the last couple of weeks feel tired, not going to feel guilty at all haha.
Lunch out was really good, couldn't manage a dessert, nice catching up!
Away to laze around now, house tidy, washing about to be tumble dried, feet up in the next 10 mins, feet are doing soooooo well, it's taken a few months but lido must be helping again, hurrah xx
Mission successful! Suit found. Bride will not be appearing in her pyjamas! It didn't look hopeful, but then all of a sudden we found FOUR suits that would do. I made her try on a pale grey suit that she looked stunning in, but she wasn't convinced, having set her heart on a black one. Pale blue suit also tried but the fabric, although it felt nice, looked like that awful Crimplene from the '70s. In the end, she found and tried on a black, slightly textured jacket that has matching trousers - although not in her size in store. The cut is exactly the same as the pale grey trousers (we compared available sizes in both styles) so before we had even left the store, (J... L....) she had ordered the whole suit online and by the time we'd driven home, she had had an email to say it had been despatched! We then spent the next 2 hours on our tablet/smart phone shopping for a royal blue blouse/shirt. Three different ones ordered. All in all a very successful day's shopping but with nothing to show for it....Yet!
Also had a message from my brother. He lives in Bournemouth, near where we are staying during the school Easter hols. He and his wife are going to meet us at the cottage one evening.
Mother's Day card from ES and a text conversation with him for first time in aaaages. A good day.
Clocks on. Time for bed. We'll be eating dinner with the curtains open tomorrow!
I want photographs of the crazy hair JCJ . My school did a cream tea and a sing song and about forty turned up. Good for a small village. I expected a "crumby" mess but it was surprisingly clean and tidy. Phew. AND it's Friday!
So, awaiting a parcel, e-mail on 21st says delivery within seven days. Do I stay in tomorrow or go out?
Looking forward to Sunday, daughter has let slip that a meal out with all the family is on the cards. It's booked for 2pm and she didn't want me to cook and eat at 1pm, so told me but as far as son is concerned I know nothing!
I'll bring some of the alliburgers that I froze from my wrangling session for the wedding, then I can do some more wrangling later, when my back is better. Back has gone, resting and exercising in equal amounts....codeine is my friend (until it makes me constipated!). Seriously, I've been here before and it will get better but it's a b****r for a few days.
Oh no! Not that pesky washing machine - the most expensively maintained on the planet??
Put my hair up in 4 bunches and tied knots in the top two bunches. Y6 child asked me if I had crazy hair!! "No, H****, I always wear it like this!" I may as well not have bothered, if my hair is normally so untidy he had to ask? !
Put my hair up in 4 bunches and tied knots in the top two bunches. Y6 child asked me if I had crazy hair!! "No, H****, I always wear it like this!" I may as well not have bothered, if my hair is normally so untidy he had to ask? !
Hahaha JCJ laughed about crazy hair day, I wouldn't have to do anything, could just go as I am hee hee!!!
Have just discovered water is coming up through the floorboards, grrrrrrrrrrrrrr, not loads but enough to damage the laminate, plumber coming soon, think it maybe the washing machine as there is nothing wet under sink, not another washing machine saga, please!
Am about to move from the "everything is ****" bench to the "skirling bagpipes" bench in preparation for your arrival.................
I can play whilst FF is wrangling, alligators maybe caught faster xx
96% of the way down the loch. Only 57 lengths left to swim, so I shall be arriving in Fort Augustus at about 8:40pm next Thursday. Put it in your diaries. I am expecting the full reception committee and arrival celebrations. Get those alligators wrangled, FF, we shall want some alliburgers. There will be fireworks. And haggis. And cake!
*I*was the monster in the loch tonight - so many wimin in my ****** way!! Swimming in pairs, talking. One was even WALKING - ok, it's good exercise, but in the MIDDLE of the pool??? I went in the fast lane and nearly killed myself trying to swim fast enough not to be the one in the way! Gave up and returned to the main part of the pool and growled my way up and down! 
Sorry you've had a sh***y day, KTC. Hope tomorrow is better. Enjoy your cheap Italian feast!
Crazy hair day at school tomorrow, for Comic Relief. I'm going to brave putting my hair up in several jaunty pigtails. Just hope i don't break down on the way to work! The kids will be as high as kites!
Fingers crossed it's much sooner walkabout, phone your bcn and tell her about your house move so at least THAT letter will arrive at the right house. Enjoy your Mum's day, you will be busy over the coming weeks something at least to keep your mind off results. Wishing you good news, asap.
Spent most of the day on the phone with no real results, grrrrrrrrrrr, please may tomorrow be a better day.
Am doing lunch at that cheap Italians so something to look forward to, woo hoo 3 courses yum yum xx
Thanks for your good wishes ....it's been done but now begins the wait . Could be 2 to 3 weeks . Radigrapher was not one for giving anything away . I mentioned I was moving house in about 2 weeks and results before I moved would be great . .. but it fell on slightly deaf ears . She said ring and tell us your new address at that point I gave up ! So I will immerse myself in de cluttering and hope it provides distraction therapy . Slightly thoughtful after my recent gynaecology issues..Was I was right to switch to anastrazole from tamoxifen a year ago ..... anyway on a much happier note my mum's 80th birthday to look forward to this weekend.
at that point I gave up ! So I will immerse myself in de cluttering and hope it provides distraction therapy . Slightly thoughtful after my recent gynaecology issues..Was I was right to switch to anastrazole from tamoxifen a year ago ..... anyway on a much happier note my mum's 80th birthday to look forward to this weekend.
You had me panicking for a moment there, KTC! I was sure it was Wednesday, but then I started to think it might not be and i should have left the house an hour ago!! Doesn't take much to confuse me!
Hope all went well for you walkabout, painfree, fingers crossed for good and speedy results xx
Well, well a quiet day turned into a superly busy day, nurse at docs check up, blood tests blah, blah, just left surgery and a phone call from Lynn nurse, would it be possible to come up to hospital today? Yes def says moi (they are only open 1 day a week) so I have a new sleeve glove thingy, woo hoo! Hopefully now will have no visible lumpy top of the arm bit ! Dashed to supermarket, dashed home, dashed to ED's , dashed to Mothers, dashed to chippie, dashed home whew!! Am off to bed soon haha.
GS tomorrow but not going out and lunch out on Fri, then hopefully nothing thereafter...............
Freezing cold here no snow but so chilly, if you're swimming tonight JCJ wrap up well, no hope of the Loch freezing though.........
Feet behaving well, still sore but not killing me haha xx
Am sooooooooo excited about Norcambe, woo hoo xx
Woo hoo scooby/booby/dooby doo!!!
Brilliant news, whew, so pleased for you, you can relax now, we can too haha!!
Hello optimissy and ladybowler, you popped in at a lovely time, good news day!
Thank you for the invite, enjoyed it all..................haha
Had a running around day, all over the place but managed to get everything done so am really pleased, and even better, feet behaved themselves. xx
Kale recipe:
Remove thick stalky bits and chop the leaves quite finely (I always think it looks like big parsley!) Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan. Chuck in the kale and some garlic: a couple of cloves of garlic squished or finely chopped, OR a squirt of garlic paste OR about 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic granules (depending what you have/can be a**ed to use!) Stir fry over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until dark and crispy. You need a lot more kale than you think as it shrinks dramatically! I always think I've chopped far too much and end up with about a teaspoonful each! Watch the garlic doesn't burn, or it will taste bitter.
Yay hay, doing cartwheels and spinning on my head. JCJ is NORMAL! Just got home from school and first thing I've done is get on here to see if there's any news.....and YES, finally! Sooooo pleased for you. We've both reached a milestone this year! And yes, you did just mention a few times that you are normal (but Katy and I know different )
My letters never have a NHS logo. Just a very distinctive franking, Sounds as if your letter went a bit astray in the hospital, if in two envelopes.
Daughter wants to know your recipe for oil and garlic fried kale. I mentioned our virtual meal to her and she was intrigued. And quick to tell me that she doesn't boil it, she steams it, oops.
Optimissy, please stay an optimistic miss, this blasted disease can be beaten, we are living proof! My best wishes to you.
NORMAL, NORMAL, NORMAL, NORMAL, NORMAL!!!
The results are in. It says I am NORMAL. 
The letter was really odd. No NHS logo and it looked far too thick to be just the 'normal' form, so I was racking my brains to think of anything else I might be expecting, because if it WAS mammo result the thickness might be follow up instructions. Breathe. Don't think about it. Just open it. The envelope was addressed last name, comma, FIRST name so something official - bank or health - as everyone else knows me by my middle name! but i did fill in a form at the weekend about my ISA! Inside the envelope was ANOTHER, folded, envelope with exactly the same address label stuck on it but no stamp or anything. ?????? Ripped that open, realising that this was the reason for the thickness of the letter, and there was a single sheet of white paper with that wonderful phrase: "I am pleased to say that your mammogram is normal". Whooooopeeee! TGFT!!
Thank you for your support during my time of madness: waiting for YEARS (well, nearly 3 weeks) to get the all clear!
By the way, did I mention: I'm normal??!
