Today I've mostly bin...

[Wulfruna]

Her choir leader is retiring and moving to Devon,

..... as the best people do I don't suppose you know where they've moved to? Not that we need a choir leader at the moment, but you never know.....

What good news about little Roo - I'm sure he'll be fine, but not surprising that he has his touchy moments!

[Bunnylump]

North Devon, I think, sorry!

[Bunnylump]

...Forcing grumpy boys to go shopping to buy suits, shirts and ties for forthcoming wedding. Absolute nightmare, you should have heard the whinging!! The old boy was adamant that there really wasn't a problem with him wearing the ghastly double breasted pinstripe one which used to be his Dad's (bearing in mind his Dad passed away in 2004! ) and the young one was just generally moaning about having to try things on. Mind you, with a considerable amount of cajoling and bribery (went to Carluccio's for lunch and made them drink beer ) we eventually came home with two complete sets. Please remind me to NEVER take them shopping again.

[LAT]

... at a family lunch to celebrate the 85th birthday of N's aunt. She had no children (never married) so N's sister organised it. There were over 30 nephews, nieces, great nephews, great nieces, great-great nephews and great-great nieces there. Well only one of the last mentioned, and she is just 11 months old. Some people even came over from Ireland to be there - but it was a bit too far for K to come from Shanghai!

And next week half of us meet up again for the youngest one's Christening!

[Wulfruna]

...packing up ready for a week's holiday in Cornwall - with a weather forecast of unbroken sunshine and warmth (Mind you, it can rain as much as it likes in Devon, just to water the garden ) We shall base ourselves in Truro and take day trips out in all directions

[Laura]

Today I'm going on Brownie Pack Holiday. I may manage to summon up the energy to get back on here by Wednesday, maybe? We have a fun-filled (Chaotic) action-packed (Exhausting) weekend of archery, crate-stacking, low ropes, grass sledging and indoor caving (I have no idea how that works) with 17 7-10 year olds.

Think of me while you're all sitting sunbathing!!!!

[clvrlad]

oh oh oh can i pretend to be 7-10?

[eirian]

... at Ainsdale beach watching Thomas play footie with his Grandad. And given the precise line of sunburn on my legs, I don't think I could have moved much!

[Laura]

oh oh oh can i pretend to be 7-10?

You could, but I think they might have noticed. We went to a joint campfire with some cubs, and they had two leaders there. I'm guessing one was maybe about 30, the other about 40. In reference to the about 40 year old, one of my Brownies shouted at the top of her voice "How old is HE????" I'm not sure they understand that they're in a very unusual situation being on a residential trip with all their leaders under 30 (just).

[Bunnylump]

Spent the weekend away with my girl friends in Dorset. Spent Saturday walking along the coast, going to Studland Beach and having a brilliant speedboat trip round Old Harry Rocks (great fun- even though it involved having to get to it by wading through freezing cold sea!) Yesterday, went to Corfe, then to Swanage. All in the glorious sunshine!! We had brilliant fun.

[MBH]

oh oh oh can i pretend to be 7-10?

You could, but I think they might have noticed.

I suppose that means I had NO chance Sounds like a fun weekend shooting arrows at the moving targets on the low ropes and the grass slopes I'm interested about how the indoor caving worked out.

Bunny - sounds like a fun weekend for you too. Is "Old Harry Rocks" a place or just a general statement?


We had Maisie along to a 'Meet & Greet' to support the Northumberland Greyhound Trust both on Saturday and Sunday. Met lots of lovely and generous people and Maisie had time with her 4-legged friends. Lots of strokes and cuddles for the dogs who showed just how brilliant and laid-back they can be as pets once their racing days are behind them.

[Laura]

The indoor caving was the least successful in that it ended up being a love-it or hate-it thing. Those who did it really enjoyed it. The rest of them freaked out about it and wouldn't even give it ago. Whereas the others, some were better than others but they all at least gave it a go. I think the grass-sledging you could have hit them with you eyes closed, just by following the as they went down!

[LAT]

Spent the weekend ... All in the glorious sunshine!! We had brilliant fun.

Sounds great! We spent the weekend in north Norfolk as we had a family Christening to go to up there. It seems to have been the only part of the country to get no sun at all over the weekend!
Still we had a good time and also managed to visit Ely on the way there and a couple of National Trust places as well.

[Bunnylump]

Oh yes, Old Harry definitely rocked!! However, going back to work today with sinusitis most definitely didn't.

[gill216]

Thinking of buying a camp bed and leaving it in my doctors surgery. Monday 8.30 was my 5 year NHS check up. 3.30 today is go back for blood pressure re- test. Wednesday 9.00 is see the doctor. Thursday 2.00 is annual breathing check up, friday is third blood pressure re- test. Monday is see the doctor for the results of the NHS check and Tuesday is see the stop smoking nurse for more patches. Do they like making their life and mine more difficult than it need be? Goodness knows how many visits I'll need if any of these tests come back squiffy!!!!!

[MBH]

The indoor caving was the least successful in that it ended up being a love-it or hate-it thing.

Sorry Laura - I'm not closer to picturing this What WAS It?

[eirian]

all caving is technically indoors (well, not outside anyway), but indoor caving is using artificial caves - so, think Blue Peter makes an adventure playground, with lots of cardboard tubes etc (well, not cardboard, more plastic, but you get the idea)

[Laura]

Yeah, basically a 3D maze that you could crawl through, if you're 7, but would have to slide through if you're any bigger. With all sorts of obstacles in the way. They wore boiler suits and head torches. There were doors at various points with numbers painted on the inside, so if they got stuck they could shout for help and tell the instructor the last number they had passed so that they could get them out quickly. And basically, there's no risk of it starting raining and them getting trapped by rising water, which is a big advantage over real caving!

[Wulfruna]

So that was summer? We had a glorious week in Cornwall and seem to have struck lucky! We tramped around garden after garden filled with glorious rhododendrons and all kinds of wild flowers, explored the coast paths and saw fantastic views. Not to mention the Eden Project, which is still amazing.....
The only problem is getting back home feeling exhausted from it all and then having to set to and spend all the next day slaving away in our own little back garden to remove all the enthusiastic weeds and plant out our own seedlings which have been waiting for our loving attention... . But maybe it will also reward us with a spectacular show in a few weeks..
You never know, we might even get some visitors coming from far-flung places

[Scurra]

...in hospital. (Well, yesterday really.)
The good news is that the brain transplant appeared to go smoothly.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH97lImrr0Q)

(Actually, I was having a tympanoplasty. Go on, google it. You know you want to. )