The Airing Cupboard

We are experiencing a glut of vegetables in our own garden as well as the plot down the road which we are helping to cultivate. Husband decided to pull up the "Red Baron" onions because the wet weather will encourage mould. The greenhouse has now become an airing cupboard and the onions are drying out nicely. We have an army of beetroot which are alarmingly developing from tennis ball size to football size - we cannot eat them fast enough so the neighbours are called in to help devour the crop. The same can be said for french and broad beans - we now have half a freezer full. It gives us a lovely feeling when we sail past the veg section in the supermarket - what a price they charge!

Incidentally, this new-build house does not have the luxury of an airing cupboard - perhaps when the onions are shifted I can use the greenhouse?

Mad Dog Is An Englishman Who . . . . . . . . .

goes out in the evening chill. We have friends who play in an orchestra who were performing last night at Lynham RAF base. We arrived complete with picnic paraphernalia. Lynham was no different from any other air base - in other words windy! The poor orchestra discovered that their stage with inflatable roof had a hole in it!!!! We settled down to the picnic. I had suggested, earlier in the day, that we took a thermos of hot coffee/tea. "Oh no - wine will be plenty" was the general consensus. I really wish we had had a hot drink to warm us up! I ended up looking like an indian squaw bundled up in the blanket we usually keep in the car for emergencies - this was an emergency!

The Steel Ghost

One of our friends is a retired Cathay Pacific Captain and he informed us that the first jumbo acquired by Cathay was arriving at Kemble to be scrapped. Our friend, I gather, was the first in the company to fly it. There was excitement as a party at "AV8" near the control tower at Kemble was going to be held in honour of this jumbo. Well - we looked out for this monster to arrive. Nothing appeared to lumber out of the skies within our vision. Our friends said it was rumoured to have arrived. There is no hangar big enough for a jumbo. The party came and went - they did not see the jumbo.

Husband and I think have this theory - our friend probably never flew a jumbo, it was a figment of his imagination and he was flying around the world in never never land ???

Famous Last Words!

I have been putting my feet up (see last post) and have been watching the TV enjoying the destruction of the Aussie cricket team (this will annoy my brother who lives in Oz)!!! Let us hope we can maintain our dominance of this match and produce a win!

I Am Typing This Standing Up!

I endured a scary scary angiogram yesterday - medical procedures and me do not seem to mix very well! I did not respond to the local anaesthetic used to numb the area around the femoral artery so the angiogram had to be carried out regardless. It was extremely painful and one feels disorientated as the x-ray cameras swoop around taking pictures whilst one is holding one's breath. I ended up uncontrollably shaking - the staff were excellent and soon put me to rights. The good news is that a change of pills will probably sort me out.

Today I am very sore and cannot sit down - lying down and standing are fine! No driving or excessive exercise for a week so I have the perfect excuse to goggle watch The Open and The Ashes for the next couple of days - the trouble is I am spoilt for choice - which one should I watch?

We Love Our Blackbird - but . . . . . . . . .

he is having a running battle with Husband over the redcurrants, strawberries and raspberries at the moment. Blackbird sings very sweetly most of the day high in an Ash tree near our garden and we admire his singing but also wonder why he is not helping his wife feed the babies. (typical man ??). In the evening it is a different story. Blackbird swoops down to feast on our soft fruit - we let him because we love his singing!

Best Foot Forward

Today was the dreaded ECG on treadmill test at Gloucester Royal. Husband had to drive me as I am hopeless with directions. We left very early to avoid the usual bottleneck at The Air Balloon Roundabout and arrived in good time. Treadmill was fine even with wonky knees but unfortunately the ECG still shows irregularities so next week Husband is having to drive me to Cheltenham for an angiogram. I think I probably have my mother's "bad" genes and so I am not expecting good news. I feel pretty frustrated - I do not smoke or drink and I swim to keep myself in good shape despite the knees. Oh well - best to tackle these problems head on and get oneself fixed!