From Surrogate Mother To Agony Aunt!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you all know, we have three students at our church at the moment...well technically one is not a student, as he graduated last year.

They are at our house most weekends and mid week too and have become a part of our family.

The only girl sent us a lovely card on our anniversary last week, addressing it to her

"surrogate parents," I must admit, I felt rather honoured to be considered suitable for such a role!

Having the young 'uns round so often, it hasn't been hard to notice two of them start to get close.

This morning however I was not expecting an early morning text saying

"can I call you please?"

It was the young lady, who tentatively told me she and one of the young men were now an item

(well needless to say I didn't need telling, I had seen it blossom in my living room!) and could I advise her on how to tell her parents today, when she meets up with them!

Poor thing, she was soooo worried.

Not knowing her parents, it was tricky to know how they would react, but I assured her that as parents, being told our daughter had a boyfriend would not be up there as a serious concern!

 

 

 

 

With the unexpected phone call finished, I then dashed round to clear up and then take the car to my local Ford dealership to have the sensors checked.

I went prepared with my knitting intending to spend the time at a local Costa.

Unfortunately when they realised there was a claim against me, they said the car would have to be kept in all day.

Well I didn't want to be hanging around an industrial estate all day, and with no courtesy car available I re arranged the check for next week when Teen One can taxi me there (what goes around comes around!)

So, with time on my hands I popped in to town and got a few errands run before coming home to catch up on the washing.

 

 

I then indulged in some sock knitting, not least because I now what to knit a pair of his and her socks when the new yarn arrives!!!

 

 

 

 

For dinner I made a chicken pie, using 100% wholemeal flour....but I think next time I will go half and half...it had a bitter aftertaste I thought.

Noone else complained though.

 

 

With the rag end left over I made a quiche for Hubby to take to work tomorrow.

No looker but will hopefully be tasty.

I must admit, it stank the house out!

I used the pecorino cheese I bought last week and only Hubby liked....I am NEVER buying that again!

 

Tonight Teen One and I are really looking forward to the second episode of "Secret Life of Four Year Olds" could watch that sort of programme all day long! And of course there will be some sock knitting too!

 

Today is a milestone kind of day....one hundred years ago my paternal grandmother was born.

She was the eldest of 16, left school to help her mother look after twins ( who were born after about nine other children!) and was expecting her middle child the same time as her mother was expecting her youngest child! How strange that must have felt!

 

 

 

Another Early Start

 

My body clock seems to be set at 5am at the moment!

I did my best to get back to sleep again, but it just wasn't happening.

So I waited until Hubby's alarm went off, so as not to disturb him, then came downstairs for a cuppa, put a load of washing on and let the bunnies out for an early morning play.

 

 

 

By 8.30am, despite a leisurely surf on the net, I had cleaned the kitchen, three bathrooms, put out a load of washing, put another load in, put away a load, washed the conservatory and kitchen floors....as well as a few other chores, so decided to slow the pace a bit and have another cuppa and cast on a new sock!

Watching Homes Under The Hammer is rather decadent at any time of the morning, but to sit down and watch it at 8.30am...well...it really just didn't seem right!

However, I abandoned any thoughts of doing anything else whilst I just chilled for a bit.

I finished the last pair of socks for family in Australia on Saturday and have them drying off up in the attic after being blocked.

I thought my sock addiction was at an end, but then one of the students asked me twice if I would knit him a pair, so having ordered some more yarn ( yes I know, I already have the free stuff to use up!) I then had the urge to start a pair for one of the other students, using left over yarn.

She often brings a pair of slipper socks to wear and when she forgets borrows a pair from Teen One.

So I thought I would knit her a pair of trainer style socks (which is probably all this left over will make) to keep here.

Of course the thing with a new project is, putting it down again!

However, I forced myself to put it down around 9.15am and tackled the interior windows, which the lovely sunshine streaming in, was showing up how badly they needed doing!

They are the original lead criss cross design..which might look pretty but are a right pain, each diamond has to be individually cleaned.....you almost give up the will to live by the time you get to the other side!

 

 

 

Hubby had said Teen One's rear tyres needed replacing, so we went to the local tyre shop, armed with the information needed...only to find the price wasn't what Hubby had been quoted and the tyres we needed weren't in, despite being told to call in any time Monday!

So I called Hubby from the shop and put the assistant on to him....I have no idea what is the best tyre to pick or how good a price it is.....because of the mix up they gave us two Dunlop tyres for £150 instead of £200....which I am told is a good price...who knows!

So with Teen One £150 poorer, it was a quick whizz round Tesco's before heading home.

 

I had decided against going to Morrisons as usual, feeling the need to have a different routine for a while, although I must confess I wasn't happy with the prices at Tesco's! The only thumbs up was the fact I will earn Tesco points, which are rather valuable in other areas.

 

 

 

I got Teen One to choose herself and Teen Two an Advent calendar....thankfully her eyes didn't linger long on the Lindt one (£10!!!) and she chose Milky Bar for them both...purely because it is white chocolate.

When we came home I saw a friend's daughter had posted on FB the advent calenders....yes....

calenders  she had just bought her two year old!

Four of them!

One was the same as the Teens and the others looked like expensive ones....what is she setting herself up for I ask myself?

 

 

Tesco's had several samples out today, one was this cranberry, raisin and cashew bread...oh my....its heavenly!!

There was some serious resisting going on for me not to eat the whole loaf (did I just admit that was even possible?)

Teen One had some with cheese and grapes, I just had the grapes ( see I can be good!) and Teen Two had to avoid it of course due to the cashew nuts.

 

 

We discovered the other day that the bunnies LOVE LOVE LOVE bananas!

I had one going a bit black today so cut off a little slice each.

Benjy loves it so much he scoffs his down then pinches poor Flora's, who is always a little tentative when taking food.

Later in the day when I was pegging out more washing ( yes it never ends!) both bunnies were around my feet the whole time, no doubt eager for more banana!

However, they should only have little treats like that in small portions, so to get them from under my feet I took them in to Teen Two...who of course was delighted to take time out and just chill with them.

 

 

I had considered popping into town for one or two bits and to return one or two bits, but it was so bloomin cold out I decided against it.

With the fire blazing and the bunnies chilling, I felt rather overwhelmed with tiredness myself, so I had a rare power nap ( which I would liked to have gone on longer, but my guilty conscience wouldn't allow me!) before cracking on with some knitting needles to sell.

 

 

Hubby often says I place things in a precarious position....and quite possibly he is right, but its usually in an emergency and for just a second or so....but I fell foul of my bad habit tonight....boy did those peas get everywhere!

Birds Eye ones as well...what waste!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tulips From Amsterdam?

 

Today I have been singing two songs more or less on and off all day...thankfully mostly in my head, but the usual Sunday visitors have had to endure the occasional slip as I busied myself in the kitchen!

As a child I loved to lie in bed on a Saturday morning listening to Ed Stewpot's "Junior Choice."

A regular song on the show was "I saw a mouse where...there on the stair..."

So this was one song I burst into from time to time.

As a result of my mum's passion for the likes of Des O'Conner and Max Bygraves, I know many of their songs off by heart...one of Max's songs was "Tulip from Amsterdam," so this too was spilling from my lips throughout the day.

I must admit, visiting the tulips fields of Amsterdam has long been on my wish list...and even more so after a few years ago I stumbled across aerial views of the fields on the internet!

Aren't they amazing!

I was also told that the first years blooms are not harvested so as to strengthen the bulbs for future growth.

And the reason why I have been singing these songs....

 

 

 

...our Medical Student had been to Amsterdam for the weekend and had very kindly brought us all back presents!!

For Hubby and I ( and Grandma) it was a sweet little windmill, with blades that actually turn.

 

 

He also brought a cumin flavoured Gouda for our tea...

 

 

 

...and some Dutch chocolate.

For the Teens and the other students he brought back a little wooden clog keyring!

How kind!

We really didn't expect that at all!

 

The rest of the day has been the usual church, lunch, Scrabble etc and some toasting of marshmallows for the young 'uns for supper, along with a round of the Name Game.

 

Since leaving work I haven't had that "Monday morning" feeling...but can feel it coming on, with the regular visits to my Monday Recycled Teenager at an end.

I need to make a new routine for myself I think to help ease the feeling of loss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Leisurely Saturday

 

This morning we all had a lovely lie in, with a cuppa and ginger biccie of course.

The rest of the morning went leisurely, each of us doing our own thing...leisurely.

 

 

Teen One spent the morning ( and the afternoon!) at the dining room table, studying of course.

Teen Two spent a lot of the morning deep cleaning the rabbit hutch.

Hubby gave all the cars an "MOT" checking tyres, pressures etc.

Me...well in between the laundry, kitchen clean up etc, I made pumpkin soup for lunch...

 

 

 

...a lemon drizzle cake for tomorrow, which is dairy and gluten free....and I forgot that gluten free flour browns at a very different rate than regular flour, so its ever so slightly burnt bronzed!

 

 

This afternoon Teen Two had a bowling meet up with some pals, whilst Hubby visited a local museum...and I cracked on with making some bead ends for my knitting needles.

 

Tonight everyone has gone to Newbury for a Bible study...and extra super duper supper (so I hear!)

I have had to stay back as a colleague from Nottingham is back in town just for today, and she was selling a very expensive Lego set (almost £400!) for £50...with the promise of money back if it doesn't work ( its robotic) but I doubt I would be able to tell her it didn't work if that is the case.

I expect Hubby would be able to get it working though ( ever hopeful!)

So, with a quiet night ahead of me ( and the remote control!) I am looking forward to a chilled night with some knitting, just waiting for the door to go and take delivery of this unexpected surprise for Teen Two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Memory Of My Monday Recycled Teenager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have had some lovely clear nights recently ( probably because it has also been cold!)

On a whim, we sent texts to the students and invited them for some hot chocolate and a chips supper on top of our local hill.

They were all surprisingly excited at the prospect of wrapping up late at night (well 9.30pm is late for me anyway!) and admiring the view of city by night.

With the basket packed up, we then stopped off at a local chippy and ordered two large chips...which were still steaming hot when we reached our destination.

We sat huddled on a picnic rug, enjoying the freshly made chips and each others company.

Hubby and one of the students are into their star gazing, so we were all given a lesson on the whereabouts of various constellations.

We managed to pin point roughly where we all lived down below in the city and just generally enjoy watching the lights of the city.

Hubby has a luminous Frisbee, so the evening ended with a fun game...although its not as luminous as it used to be that's for sure, but that added to the fun!

 

 

 

Today was the day I received the phone call we have been expecting...to say my dear Monday Recycled Teenager finally passed away.

For her, she is free from pain and suffering and we could not wish her back.

Her family and those who knew her for so long now mourn the loss of a good mother, grandmother and friend.

My Mondays will never be the same again, just like my Wednesdays are not the same without our dear family friend who lived in the dementia home, and Thursdays are not the same  with my neighbours no longer here.

For the past decade my days have been allocated to various people and they are still etched in my mind.

 

 

 

Yesterday I was given a box by our family friend, which contained old knitting patterns.

I was interested to note the box was originally from the War Office and labelled

"On His Majesty's Service"
I am so used to seeing "Her Majesty" it looked rather odd.

 

 

Many of the patterns were truly vintage!

It was interesting to see the various places they had been collected...

South Shields, Lowestoft, Cosham.

There was also a notebook with hand written knitting patterns in...maybe one day I might knit one of them up!

 

 

Today I got myself organised for kick starting my little knitting needles business, and am hoping to get a good few made over the weekend in the hopes some sales come my way.

Things have changed a lot in the decade since I embarked on it, with Etsy and Facebook Marketplace, so I will have to educate myself on the new outlets.

 

Friday club kick started the Christmas crafts...yes I know its still November, but we only have a few weeks left before we will have the Carol Service and Christmas Party  so its not as early as it might seem.

 

The Teens have gone to Winchester with the students for a YP Bible study followed by pizza, so its a quiet night for Hubby and I.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feeling Inspired

 

This morning was Parent and Toddlers as usual, we only had seven mums/Grandmas out, but no less mess or fun!

On the way home I spotted flashing lights up ahead and managed to divert down a side street, which was a good plan I subsequently discovered as it turned into a major incident with the air ambulance and the road closed/blocked for over three hours.

I had arranged to go to a family friend's house for lunch, with the promise of her speciality

Eggs Benedict....yum, so was thankful not to have spent the afternoon stuck on the road.

The lunch was amazing and I now don't want dinner...cant be bad!

She in turn loved my dessert offering of White Chocolate Torte and loved them in the tea cups.

She has her mums tea set with an ivy pattern on, and I thought that would make a lovely Christmas dessert with dried cranberries, crystalized orange slices and a mint leaf.

 

We spent the next few hours catching up on family news and talking over old times.

The time flew by and before I knew it the clock said 4.15pm!

That was a long lunch date!

 

 

For the past few days I have been thinking about ways to make a few pennies ( mourning the loss of the excess paid for my accident!) and wondered about resurrecting my knitting needles sales, which did

so well about a decade ago.

Before I had even put any serious thought into it, an online friend, who was my first customer and subsequently helped me with the graphics side of things and pimping up my ebay listings, emailed me out of the blue (not heard from her in several years!) to say she had a new project for her little shop in Lincolnshire I believe(!) and would I be able to supply her with some children's knitting needles!

Well what could I say!

So I am feeling excited to get that up and running, they were always popular at Christmas time...so I had better get cracking!

 

 

 

It Was All Going So Well!

 

Today was earmarked for "catch up jobs."

I was up a little earlier than usual  (not as bad as yesterday thankfully!) so by 9.30am had stripped all the beds, put clean linen on, had three loads of washing out in the lovely blue skies, and tackled the very grim oven!

Looking at that photo I feel rather ashamed, but honestly, I do give it a wipe over frequently and clean it thoroughly every couple of months...but clearly that's not enough to have to looking "Great British Bake Off Clean!"

Has anyone else noticed how gleaming their ovens always look....really makes me envious!

 

 

The shelves were not exactly shiny either....I guess this is all the result of cooking from scratch most days and a weekly roast with hot fat from the roast tatties and Yorkshires.

 

 

But with this £1 box of oven cleaner, it really isn't the daunting task I always think it will be.

 

 

 

After leaving the shelves in the bag provided and some solution on the door and oven floor, after just a little elbow grease for those stubborn stains, the oven is all bright and shiny again.

 

 

Something that always frustrates me though is drips of the dirty liquid running down the inside of the two doors...and finding a screwdriver and spending ten minutes undoing the door sections is beyond my attention span....but today I hit upon the idea of spraying copious amounts of warm water in between the doors....result!

It washed away the residue stains and left the door looking lovely and clean again.

 

 

 

Now all was going well...maybe too well...I was flying here there and everywhere, feeling very energised by the goodnight' sleep and lovely bright sunshine....I cant say I agree with the sentiments in the above picture....but the face is just about as close as you will get to seeing mine this morning!

As I walked through the kitchen with open toed slippers, I forgot the oven door was open  and as I went rushing past (why did I rush, I wasn't in a hurry!) I stubbed my little toe...boo hoo....it was an hour before I could bear to walk again and it still hurts me now!

Must have looked very funny though!

 

 

On the plus side, it did mean an enforced hour of sitting down, with some knitting and daytime TV!

 

 

 

 

 

Teen One's black box recordings have given her 10/10 for ages now...

 

 

 

 

..and as a result she has earned £19 money back this quarter and on target to get 28% discount next premium, so we are thrilled with that.

 

Not so thrilled with hearing that this afternoon, an hour after I gave my insurance company the phone number of the owner whose car I reversed into, he said his car was in the garage and he intended making a claim.

Coincidence or what!

He told us the day after the incident all was well and he would call if there was an issue, but he hadn't called since then.

Oh well, I guess it wont make any difference to me, the claim will  bump up my insurance no doubt anyway.

 

 

Tomorrow I am going to a family friend's house for lunch...she does a mean poached egg on muffin with hollandaise sauce and smoked salmon!

So I offered to take dessert and knowing she is a chocoholic plumped for the good old favourite

White Chocolate torte.

 

 

Back from college, it was some bunny hugging time for Teen Two...I just love how they pull down their ears to clean them...it looks like they are brushing their tresses!

 

 

All clean and cuddled it was soon time for a nap...we always feel guilty taking them back out to the garden nowadays!

 

 

 

Tonight's dinner was yet another one from "4 Ingredients"

I had left over veg from Sunday in the fridge still, sausages in the freezer and there is always  a tin of Campbells condensed mushroom soup in the cupboard, so this was as easy choice.

We had it with mashed potatoes, the only thing I changed was the amount of grated cheese....500g seemed wayyyyyyy too much!
Not that you can ever have too much cheese for my family really, but it seemed far too calorific and extravagant!

I used 100g instead and a handful added on top for the last 15mins.

It was tasty, not about to set the world alight....but for the small amount of effort required to make it, it was quite an acceptable midweek offering.

Teen One gave it 6/10 with the comment it was very "English"

Teen Two gave it 10/10.

 

I had  call from my Monday Recycled Teenager's daughter to say mum was still "asleep" and the doctors were amazed she was still with us a week after food and fluids had been withdrawn.

 

 

 

 

 

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