Sunday Precious Sunday

Sunday is family day – no arrangements made until we know whether the family are coming.

Today was quite unusual – completely out of normal routine.

Toby slept over last night ( got up at  5.46 I might add) but I went back to bed and did not get up until after nine when our daughter’s partner, Paul  arrived. The reason for the early call was that yesterday I smelt gas. I had smelt it on & off for months but his Lordship said that he couldn’t smell  it – it must be me!

Right, Don’t argue JJ just accept, as always,  you must be wrong. However, this time his lordship did ask Paul to come check it & guess what????? Yep, we had a leak. BTW, Paul is a plumber and a damned good one too.

So, this morning he arrived to sort the leak and I got up to cook full English breakfast for him & Toby & Mike and I got the leftovers.

The kitchen was in turmoil but he soon found the leak and started to rectify the situation. Toby and I wandered down to the  fish pond and weeded out the weed so that we could actually see the fish. The golden Orf are huge – big enough to eat ------- if you could eat your own babies that is.

Then we went to the secret garden the other side of the hedge. This is quite wild as there is a steep drop into the woods and a small area has been cultivated to deter the wood spreading into our garden. A very special spot – sheltered from the wind and very quiet it is also usually extremely warm but, not today – freezing for July. Toby found an ants nest which engrossed us for quite a while;

  we watched the ants transporting eggs to the nest and the interaction between the ants and woodlice which also appeared to live there.

  Toby reckoned they spoke to each other as the woodlice allowed the ant to crawl over him! The joys of innocent youth! We also saw some bramble flowers – we must remember where they are and check for blackberries in September.

By the time we got back to the house, the leak had been found, plugged and everything was being put back to normal. Then Emma arrived with Oli & Phoebe and the boys washed and hoovered Mike’s car for pocket money. Oli has a girlfriend! She is high maintenance! He has spent £15 on texts this week alone – nightmare.

They returned home for lunch but came back at 1.30 as they were all going to see the latest Harry Potter movie  and we were babysitting Phoebe.

She had fallen asleep in the car, Paul carried her in & put her on her duvet and Mike taxied the others to the cinema.When he returned Phoebe woke up, he picked her up and she promptly fell back to sleep in his arms.  Now don’t tell Emma but she slept for over 2 hours – easy peasy baby sitting that eh?

During her sleep I managed to cook our dinner in the  new Halogen oven

but when she woke up she wanted to sit at the table and watch me. She enjoyed some cooked bacon and then asked for cheese which I was grating for the cauliflower cheese and she actually refused chocolate buttons. That’s my girl!

They all got back from the cinema after a good film if a bit long and picked up Phoebe and went home. All, that is except Toby who asked to stay for a second night. Fine, I said, love to have you but ------------------- you take a clock to bed with you and you don’t get up until after 7.30!

We’ll see. We have had dinner and he is now in the shower – children especially grand children are such a Blessing.