08-Apr to 14-Apr 2012

Sun 08-Apr: No ghostly apparitions in the compost pile today, thank goodness. Had a successful result on Friday at the game of tap the rat on the nut... known for a while I'd got a compost resident from the London Underground look whenever the covers came off. On Friday the chicken wire layer delayed his scramble for freedom just long enough for me to take quick aim and redesign his cranium. Realise now that's benefit of the chicken wire layer... not to keep rats out, since that's impossible. Don't like killing things, but sometimes it's necessary.

Mon 09-Apr: Here's one of my tasks every day... to sort out and reprioritise my task list! Currently got 31 tasks to do, so the list goes well beyond what's shown here. Of those 8 are to do with the kitchen refit, so they'll disappear over the next couple of months, to be replaced by a similar number of tasks for the back garden redesign. Another 2 tasks actually contain 14 infrequent or one off but not critical tasks. One or two things I keep carrying over 'cause I can't get around to completing them, but generally the rest move along reasonably well. I hate carrying things around in my brain cause it's so full of other things so do all I can to use my task list on the mobile 'phone or leave objects in prominent positions I can't miss. The latter strategy drives Linda mad when I constantly leave things on the stairs by the front door or on my table in the front room... though she's learned to leave things in front of the house entrance where I trip over them as a reminder.

Tue 10-Apr: Connor, Paige and Beth came bustling through the front door this morning for a visit, to tell us about their trip to The Lake District over the weekend and to eat us out of cheese and digestive biscuits. Paige was in full regalia of pink hooped ball gown and tiara, Connor brought his latest lump of mountain for examination. Had time to do one of my notices to slow them down on entrance. The 50p is for seeing two Fiat Pandas on the way home. Connor said they must be rare... Beth said the word you're looking for is unpopular! Realised after the postman was the first person to have a read since he arrived just after I'd put it up but before we had the visitation.

Wed 11-Apr: Dropped off Linda to scrape some wallpaper with Becky. Welcomed by Sammy's notice in their window 'PRYMARK IN SIDE, knok on door to come to Prymark'... a further attempt by him to sell stuff. Here the boys are after another den building development in Monks Wood, happy the den put up last September had withstood the winter. Sammy has a big bag of sticks he took home to construct some shelves for the den. After lunch at McDonalds returned them to Becky's. As Linda & I drove off the two of them were carrying a big box of Sammy's stuff to the nearby long path in another attempt at sales. Slightly more success this time... some teenage girls took pity and gave them 6p, some teenage boys told them they 'weren't gonna buy any of their shit'.

Thu 12-Apr: Looking after Connor and Paige today.... and since I can't stand staying indoors unnecessarily, off we went on a trip. First a visit to a park, then a walk through Lady's Wood. Here we are at the entrance with the amazing sight of bluebells throughout the wood.

Fri 13-Apr: Coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits and crisps down The Dolphin with Becky, Sam and Izzy this morning. Here's Izz gracing me with a photo. She's just about the most task orientated kid I've ever known... Becky agreed a list of jobs in exchange for pocket money and while Sammy was hard to get started, Izz was up first thing in the morning raring to go. Taking both granddaughters out tomorrow for play and a McDonalds meal... bossing me about will be the order of the day for them!

Sat 14-Apr: In a fun filled week with the grandchildren, this afternoon it was the granddaughters' turn to be taken out and treated to a McDonalds. First off to the park for some general chasing around and sliding down. The two of them are always several steps ahead of me. After we'd been in the park for about 30mins Izzy came rushing up... 'I need a wee'... 'Can it wait 'til we get to McDonalds?'... 'No, I need to go NOW!'. And when Izzy says she needs to go now she means it. Then Paige joins in 'I want to go too'. With no toilets for miles there was nothing for it but to tell them to sneak behind some bushes. 'Have you any tissue?'... handed them some tissue from my pocket and off they rushed. Here they are running back five minutes later... 'Kidded you!' and the tissue was plonked back in my hand. Were they kidding me about the wee, or about the tissue which did appear slightly damp? I'm still none the wiser... little terrors! PS: The following day I found out they had done a wee! Now I'm wondering if I wiped my nose with the tissue... yuk!