Today's Question

 

Why are men who profess themselves congenitally unable to carry a tea tray at home always insistent on carrying one in motorway service stations?  Keep an eye out and you'll see them, trays dodgily unbalanced with all the weight on one side as they teeter unsteadily towards a table 10 minutes after the family left them at the condiment stand.

I suspect these erstwhile busboys are very closely related to the raw yet black chicken barbecue poisoner.

 

Supplementary:  Why do men who can't make an adequate sandwich feel that faced with open flames and strong petrol fumes they can suddenly produce food fit for anything other than the bin?  

Is it a testosterone thang or are they just, frankly, twats?

Me, busy? Nahh

I've been very neglectful of my journal lately, mostly because I've spent at least half each week with my daughter and her children, helping out on the domestic front and getting maximum cuddles with Felix.  We've also had visitors staying over here in Shropshire to entertain and at the same time we've been sorting out a house we're selling 100 miles away - sale completion next week and after delays caused by the first sale falling through at the last minute and then more delays with our new purchaser's paperwork it's been much more than a bit stressful. 

We also had a much loved 'adopted' Uncle die and I hope to write a bit about him soon, once I can do it without getting too sad.

 

There's been lots of work on the garden of course, and my new polytunnel is a demanding mistress.  This first year I'm growing my Dad's old favourites in memory of him - he'd be chuffed if he knew it, altho he'd be sure to tell me exactly where I was going wrong.  But there's going to be a huge tomato harvest - in fact it began about 3 weeks ago and very soon we'll be getting tired of eating mounds of fresh tomatoes every day and I'll be busy freezing chopped tomatoes and making both tomato soup and sauce because we simply cannot bear the sickly Heinz rubbish and even organic has far too much sugar.  Then there are the peppers which are dark red, peppery and sweet, yummy. 

Finally I'm doing exactly as my Dad did every year and growing some white incurved 'show' chrysanthemums.  I'm doing it from memory of watching him and for the same purpose - to take to the cemetary in memory of my brother who died from injuries received in a RTA when I was 8 and he 10.

 

So that's my summer so far except I also have been doing a heck of a lot of nothing cos it's toooooooooooo hot!  :O)

Proof if proof were needed!

Okay, it's official.  For those who thought it was already obvious as the nose on my face, here's the measured outcome of my d'oh rating - and I'm now officially fairly stupid.  Take the test and measure your own dimndumness  :O)

Phew it was scorchio

 

I've had Grace's friend Alice staying over for a few of the hottest July days ever recorded in the UK and temperatures reached 36C at one point.  These photographs were taken on the afternoon of that hottest day and the only cool people for miles around were the two wet little dam builders.

 

Crass stupidity

I've been reading people's comments today about the priest who's been investigated and criticised for kissing a pupil at a school of which he was a governor.  Altho the inquiries into his action have completely exonerated him from any blame, he's still been removed from all contact with the school and its pupils in future.  I think it's really the pits when an Annual Prize Giving school governor can't give a little girl a kiss on the cheek along with her reward when it's done on a school stage in full view of the whole school, staff and parents. 

Then again, I'm the sort of woman who asks 1st year University students I've never seen before if their Mum knows they're outside on a cold day without a vest on <g>

So shoot me for posting these photos of a naked baby.  It's tradition and I'm his Granny and I'm damned if I'll kowtow to this stupidity.

An excellent blog

Read this blog which until fairly recently was by invitation only - you'll be so glad you did. I recommend especially Lefty's story altho it's all good high quality stuff.  http://singlemanwriting.blogspot.com/

As threatened...

Felix William at 2 weeks

Sophia, Felix and me

Connie - also known as 'banana' - and Felix

 

Grace, Constance and Felix

Esther and Felix

 

If you go down to the woods today......

I walked my dog this evening as the day began to cool a little and we went to the woods seeking dappled shade.  I was meandering along, pooch rooting in the bracken, and I was smelling the the scent of honeysuckle wafting in the warm breezes and thinking about this and that, the garden, my new baby grandson, the chocolate cake I made which was waiting in the fridge for my pud and then horror - as I passed along the very edge of the trees where there were dark and gloomy glades beneath the conifers there came another smell, a stink, replacing the sweet smell of woodbine.  I know the smell of putrefaction and something in there was dead and rotting.  I've been telling myself ever since that it can only have been a defunct badger or maybe a fox but who can know without braving up and returning with spade in hand?

It'll be a long while before I walk that path alone again.

The answer the world has waited for.... :O)

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed.
The chicken is leaning against the headboard smoking a cigarette, with a satisfied smile on its face.

The egg, looking a bit pissed off, grabs the sheet, rolls over, and says "Well, I guess we finally answered THAT question."

OI, that's MY shed!

I'm away from my tool shed for 5 days and what happens?  Ruddy squatters move in!

 

Max this pic and have a look at the fantastic structure these little critters have made with spit.  Just think what all these world cup world class spitters could do if they put their minds to it.  Instead of slimey soccer pitches there could be a life size replica of St Paul's cathedral dome!