My entries are getting fewer and fewer and I think that's because most people's blogs are deep and profound. My writings are more about day to day life and in general that runs smoothly and without too much of a hitch.
Since I last wrote not much has happened and in particular not much has happened with the kitchen. Steve has got as far as he can without getting 'a pro' in. We have the man in mind and he had hoped to have finished his part of the work by now, but alas the work tops arrived damaged. In fact they firstly arrived late because the delivery van had been in an accident, so that tells you how the damage probably occurred. Anyway ten days later and a new delivery has arrived so it's a case of pinning that man down to a time. Jim the carpenter is an acquaintance we have come to know quite well through the sailing club and is probably now more a friend. Because he is a busy man, his reputation keeps him working very hard, although he can be found most Saturday's at the sailing club as he has the unenviable position as 'rear commodore' which means he is in charge of all the sailing events.
During the last year I have spent a great deal of my weekends making bacon butties and and serving tea and cakes to the crews before and after their races. So on Saturday afternoon I went armed with my carrot to entice Jim to give us a date to begin our work. I had remembered that he had told me he would do anything for a piece of carrot cake, so when I served my homemade variety we quickly made a date and the man arrives tonight! At this moment I have another cake baking, isn't it funny how you can entice a man with food. I hope he doesn't blame me for his future diabetes or clogged arteries!
I said that last year I spent a great deal of time making refreshments for the sailors, this year I am rebelling a bit as I have decided I am not going to do more than my share as by the end of the sailing season I was feeling very disgruntled as always being on duty. I think its because I find it hard to say no, but I have been practising and this year and why oh why is it generally the women who are in the kitchen!!!
Easter is approaching. This good Friday Steve and I will celebrate 27 years of marriage. We have been discussing how we would like to spend the day. We could go out for the day or for a meal in the evening but the only thing I'd like to do is walk along the beach and have a bacon buttie at the shack, while sitting on plastic chairs watching the sea, I'm easily pleased!
We won't see our children over the holiday. Ian will return from the Caribbean before Easter, but will stay in Sheffield as he has a lot of work on and Matt is on manoeuvres with the navy and will spend his Easter off the west coast of Scotland. Steve's sister and her boyfriend (what do you call a 40+ man?) are coming on Saturday and staying over. It's nice to have Simon here as he's a nice guy and it will make it easier having him around!!
I have just had an unexpected, but very pleasant few hours with my Mother. I popped in and asked her if she wanted to come to the daffodil barn where you can buy tons for a few quid, at this time of year I love to have them about the house and smell the fragrance when I come down each morning. It's lovely because they are grown in the adjacent fields and they cost a third of the coat of the ones in Marks and Sparks which come from Holland! In the summer the same farmer sells strawberries and along with the flowers i bought today I bought some rhubarb to make a crumble with for Sunday when we have family here. After we had made our purchases we drove down to Warsash and to the river Hamble and took the little pink ferry across to Hamble where we meandered, stopping to have refreshments in a quaint little coffee shop. On the way back to the ferry we passed the Bugle Inn, Mum told me that the last time she had been there was in 1958, she had been there with my Dad for Scampi and Chips. When they returned home they were met by a very distressed babysitter who had received the telegraph telling of my maternal grandmothers death!!! This sad reminder didn't in anyway spoil our outing, in fact its nice to have the opportunity to hear about the way things happened in the past. I'm sure we will have lots more trips out and chances to talk.