Lovely sociable day

I woke this morning with no real plans for the day.
The early morning was thick with fog as I enjoyed my morning walk through the fields with the dogs. By breakfast time the sun was out and feeling quite warm, first time in ages.

So I went out into the garden and started a bit of tidying and weeding, but it was still too damp to tackle the grass.
I thought I better give the Courtesy car a good clean as it will be going back very soon, now we've been paid out for the total loss of Bex vehicle, mind you , you might think why bother cleaning the car as Bex has wrapped it round a post and we have to pay the huge excess anyway, but I don't want to be clobbered with an additional valeting fee as well. So I dutifully hoovered and polished it.
Some of you will be thinking why isn't Bex doing this herself? My thoughts exactly, problem is, she is off sunning herself in Turkey and I think they will collect car Monday.

After that Lucy and I popped into our local city for a quick shop. I had to drop bex hair extensions into the hairdressers, they keep it there for when she next wants them. feels slightly seedy carrying someone elses hair in a plastic bag, but the hair salon didn't blink and eyelid and happily took the hair from me to a place of safe keeping!

The joy of text communications! Lucy hears that her new friend from school is alos in city and they arrange to meet in WHSmiths. I'd never met this girl before nor her mum but they live in our village, but had attended a different primary school.
We meet up and go for a coffee and have a great chat and getting to know each other time. Meanwhile Lucy and her friend go off to buy me a birthday present. Yes, it'll be my special day very soon.

Back home, I cut the grass, it is still damp and the sun is shining and I do the best I can. then walk the dogs again.

On my return i hear voices in the drive and see my hubby talking to some good friends of ours. They've just popped by to bring a pressie for Bex, belated birthday gift from their daughter. Bex's oldest best friend. This is wonderful. We have a cup of tea and a good long chat. So nice seeing friends. I like it when people just pop by unannounced, but they take us as they find us, usual mess on kitchen table. Quickly pushed to one side to make way for cups and plates!

Nearly time to prepare dinner but will just tell you I found out one of probable origins of "Raining cats and dogs" ( see yesterday):
is the prosaic fact that, in the filthy streets of 17th/18th century England, heavy rain would occasionally carry along dead animals and other debris. The animals didn't fall from the sky, but the sight of dead cats and dogs floating by in storms could well have caused the coining of this colourful phrase. Jonathan Swift described such an event in his satirical poem 'A Description of a City Shower', first published in the 1710 collection of the Tatler magazine. The poem was a denunciation of contemporary London society and its meaning has been much debated. While the poem is metaphorical and doesn't describe a specific flood, it seems that, in describing water-borne animal corpses, Swift was referring to an occurrence that his readers would have been well familiar with:

Now in contiguous Drops the Flood comes down,
Threat'ning with Deluge this devoted Town.
...
Now from all Parts the swelling Kennels flow,
And bear their Trophies with them as they go:
Filth of all Hues and Odours seem to tell
What Street they sail'd from, by their Sight and Smell.
They, as each Torrent drives, with rapid Force,
From Smithfield or St. Pulchre's shape their Course,
And in huge Confluent join'd at Snow-Hill Ridge,
Fall from the Conduit, prone to Holbourn-Bridge.
Sweeping from Butchers Stalls, Dung, Guts, and Blood,
Drown'd Puppies, stinking Sprats, all drench'd in Mud,
Dead Cats and Turnip-Tops come tumbling down the Flood.

So now you know!

Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening

We've just had a massive thunder storm. It's been threatening it all day.
It started to rumble as I was out with the dogs, so I scurried along in order to get home before the rain started........Just made it, then the heavens opened and it was pelting down with rain. "Raining cats and dogs" I wonder where that term comes from. I must find out.

My cat was not impressed I had just let him out after sleeping indoors all day. He hates the dogs so has to be shut in one of the bedrooms. when my daughter came home from school she let him out, there's a terrible caffuffle as dogs realsie cat is on the move. I quickly took the dogs out and then Lucy let the cat out . Hence cat being out once thunder storm started. I could see him hiding under the garden table. None to impressed, but not keen to come back indoors!

It's eased off now and feels very chilly.
Won't be long before we'll need to light the log burner, can't afford to use the gas boiler, or so my hubby says ( I'll have it on when he's not here) Do you know he's made me turn the hot water off so I can't have a bath when i like, have to plan ahead or shower.Shower is fine in warm months but I love to bathe in the evening to warm up to go to bed. How will I cope? It's going to be a long cold winter with lots of hot water bottles I guess.........or maybe I should trade my old hubby in for a new model that is happier to be warm!!

The amazing black box widgit!

I've not written on my blog for months, due to being busy with work, life and chaos. BUT today I discovered the joys of the black box and I couldn't resist joining in and now I'm addicted.
Fortunately, I've a quiet day tomorrow so I'll be able to visit lots of blogs by black box. It sounds a bit like time travel and very Dr Who, don't you think!!

For the uninitiated all you need to do is click on the word "decide" in the black box, it will give you a series of options and you chose one of them by clicking on your choice. After a few you will have the chance to add your own choices and your blog address. Your reward is a visit to a mystery blog of someone who's answers coincided with your own (I think). So many choices, so many blogs to visit. Have fun travelling round.