Home again

Mother is back out of hospital, which is great news. The combination of her determination and support from the family, particularly Auntie Alison, should do the trick.

The architect came today to discuss the extension. It did seem a lot like a Grand Designs programme, and a bit unreal, but exciting as well. I will post the drawings of the design once we have firmed them up.

The photo is the last from Oxford.

Gargoyles

The photo is of a gargoyle on Magdelen college in Oxford. The buildings are quite easy to take for granted, but the light was so good on Saturday that it was impossible to ignore them.
The architect arrives tomorrow to discuss the plans for our roof extension. They look very exciting with a lot of glass and wood - watch this space.

Dreaming Spires and a Crane

I took this shot yesterday looking down at Oxford from Headington Hill. That crane rather spoils the dreaming spires of Oxford, but there you go.

I took neice Sarah to visit mother today. She continues to improve and was walking up and down the corridor on her zimmer frame [and mother is doing well too]. Danielle and Rowan were busy whilst I was away, going to the ceramic cafe http://www.rainbowscafe.co.uk/ to meet up with Rowan's friend Helen and her mum.

Oxford

I drove down to Oxford Friday evening. Saw mother this morning in the hospital. She is amazingly well, and chirpy. She had been able to walk down the corridor using crutches, and everything is looking good. Oxford was busy and beautiful in the cold sunshine. The photo is of the botanical gardens - loooks a bit like Italy to me.

Not too big

One of the good things about living in York is that it is a good size, not so small that you know everyone you meet, but not so big that you never know anyone. It is a similar size to Preston where I grew up. The longer we are here the more the web of friendship extends. So yesterday we had David [friend of Michelle's] in to do some decorating at the same time as Danielle had a visit from Sue, her mobility trainer [for her sight loss]. Of course David knew Sue, lived in the same street: a typical York occurence.

The photo is of me on holiday in the Lakes.

Hip Hop

One last picture from Rowan's party. Mother has gone in to hospital today to have her hip replacement. Fingers are crossed. I am going down to see her in the hosptial at the weekend.

Gimlets

Book group last night had a good discussion of The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler. I prepared gimlets cocktails

http://www.in-the-spirit.co.uk/cocktails/view_cocktail.php?id=122

for those who wanted them [this is a key drink in the novel ... that is my excuse] and they went down very well. I found out that Chandler was born of Quaker parents which is interesting. Following our theme of taking a lead from one book to another [it has taken us from Name of the Rose to Sherlock Holmes] we have decided to read Conrad's Heart of Darkness next [the hero is called Marlowe, same as in Chandler].

The photo is another fromThe party

Cake

Danielle made this cake for Rowan's party yesterday. Beautiful work decimated in minutes by 12 hungry hippos. Today Rowan was at Gabby's party at the gym.

Party Party

Last night Danielle and I went to Teresa's surprise retirement party which was a lot more fun than it sounds. A good live band and good food. Rowan was delighted not to be coming so that she could have Hannah the babysitter round ["are you going soon?" she asked plaintively, willing us to be gone so she could get down to serious playtime]

Then today was Rowan's rollerblade party at the sports centre down the road. It went really well, the first time she has really enjoyed her own party - what a relief. 364 days of relaxation lie ahead.

Blue Peter Badge - The Sequel

After the euphoria of the Blue Peter Badge, Rowan put renewed efforts into getting another one. And today a Green [environmental] one arrived. I gave it her in the playground on the way back from school: off she went on a celebratory victory run around the playground. I think it is fair to say she is pleased. Only trouble is she has blanket-bombed the BBC with so many e-mails and letters that we are not sure what she got it for. I don't know where this genetic drive came from, we are both a bit bemused.

The picture is of sister Rosemary and me [Zero Blue Peter Badges between us]

Pilates

My Christmas present from Danielle was a voucher for 3 one-to-one sessions with a Pilates teacher here in York

http://www.pilatesfoundation.com/whatis.php

I enjoyed it, and if I can keep it up I think it will be good for my back. Over the years I have tried pretty much everything to fix my back which I damaged carting someone in a wheelchair around the Cannes Film Festival in1982; accupuncture, osteopaths, chiropractors, physios - maybe Pilates will help.

The photo is from the footbridge we cross on the way to school, Rowan likes to wave at the drivers in the sidings, and they usually oblige by waving back [if they are not asleep]

Party

Edward had a party on Sunday afternoon evening. He tells you about it on his blog http://www.tarrant.org.uk/ - it was good to see lots of people we knew, Rowan disapeared upstairs for the whole time we were there.

Last photo from the London trip.

The Return of the Laptop

I appreciate that it is not the most gripping story line ever spun, but today marked the return of the finally fixed laptop. Like an old friend it is now creaking away in the office. It was only when speaking to the engineers at the manufacturers that I realised how ancient a machine it was: "That's nearly three years old! I'll see if we can dig out the necessary parts [from the vintage computer pile]" I now feel obliged to keep it for as long as possible so I can own a truely ancient machine.
The photo is the muddy murky Thames from last week.

8 Today

Rowan is eight today. Very excited. She came into our room at 5.50am, and managed to hold off until 6 before she opened her presents. Roller Blades were the star attraction. Danielle is in London but she baked a lemon cake yesterday, so Rowan and I will have a birthday tea this evening.

Bike Group

It was a bike group ride today. Ted, Dave and I went on a Ted-Led route to Malton http://www.touruk.co.uk/nyorks/nyorks_malton.htm via Castle Howard http://www.castlehoward.co.uk/metadot/index.pl then back on a southerly route. It was a good ride, bit longer than usual, but good to get some miles in the legs…. I think.

The photo is of St Martin Le Fields church in London, from last weekend.

Deserted

We saw the Sorrel quartet this evening

http://www.sorrelquartet.com/

they played a great programme of Mozart, Shostokovic and Debussey - even the Mozart was good. Really enjoyed it, I had a little doze in the Mozart which set me up nicely for the last two. Friend Emma arrived from London half way through the gig and is staying for the night.

The photo is from the deserted city last weekend

Mosaic

This is the mosaic that Rowan and Sarah made last weekend. For more photos of the intricate process of manufacture see Sarah's blog http://purplebluebells.blogspot.com/

It is the time of year when I am ordering seeds for the garden and trying to get everything ready for the new year of veg production. Every year I think "If I plant lettuce each week then I will have a steady supply..." and each year it ends up with loads of lettuce all being ready at the same time, despite my best intentions. Who knows this year may be the year, but I doubt it somehow.

The Long Goodbye

The photo was taken on Tackley station, when I took mother home to Oxford. Today I went to see a woman who is chair of a pre-school group, to see about doing some more photos. The last lot went well, so I hope she gets back to me. The book we are reading for book-group is The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler

http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/engl/marling/hardboiled/LongGoodbye.HTM

I have not read it for a long time but I always thought of it as one of my favorite books: it is with some relief that I find I am really enjoying it. His descriptive writing is fantastic.

College

While Danielle and I were in London, Rowan was staying with Cousin Sarah in her rooms in St Johns College at Oxford University. Rowan loved it, and will drop into conversation "when I was at the college...". Everyone back to work today.

The photo is of people wandering around the blocks at the Tate Modern. It always seems a bit odd making art [a photo] out of someone else's art [a sculpture]. But since it's just a load of plastic boxes, it seems more valid.

The Gorgeous Georgians

The photo is of a frozen spider's web on our bin.
Rowan has been reading a book on the "Gorgeous Georgians" and we were laughing at how the society people used to use lead paint in their copious make-up, and painted on moles and beauty spots, and used to have huge wigs with vegetables and fruit attached. It all sounded bizarre and dreadful. Then at the weekend Danielle and I watched a bit of celebrity big brother http://www.channel4.com/bigbrother/ on the TV. Feeling smug that we had no idea who at least half of the contestants were, we were aghast at how they looked. Botoxed lips, inflated breasts, skin a weird orange color, noses chiseled from plastic: it dawned on us that they were easily as weird as the Georgians were. Next day we went to breakfast and were served by some lovely unmade up, un inflated, un fake-tanned young people: they made the celebrity TV crowd look even more grim.

Danielle's Birthday Weekend

Friday we checked into our hotel [next to Commonwealth Club] and in the evening saw As I Desire You by Pirandello

http://www.theambassadors.com/playhouse/sp_p2308.html

with Bob Hoskins [not great] and Kirsten Scott Thomas [great] which was a really good play. The theatre is half a block from the hotel, so we were very spoilt.

Saturday we went on one of our London walks that we used to love. Breakfast at Giraffe on the South Bank, then on to the Tate Modern where we saw a load of white boxes

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/whiteread/default.shtm

which was actually really good. We then walked through the city to Somerset House where we saw the David Hockney watercolors of East Yorkshire

http://www.gilbert-collection.org.uk/exhibitions/Hockney/index.html

which again were really good, particularly with the local connection [we know quite a lot of the places he paints in the series]

Next stop was the National Portrait Gallery where we looked at the paintings of the Tudors and Jacobites, and found them really interesting. The sort of paintings that have always seemed inherently boring up until now, maybe at 48 I am beginning to grow up - probably not. http://www.npg.org.uk/live/collect.asp

We had a drink with Emma at the club, then had a meal together for Danielle's birthday, just the two of us. A perfect day was capped by watching Preston win on Match of the Day.

The photo is from the cold snap last week, the three silver birches in our garden.

Railway

We tried out one of Rowan's Christmas presents yesterday - a bike van for the outdoor railway. Great excitement, and it ran really well. Today we went to the Railway Museum for a quick visit then I played badminton whilst Rowan mixed gameboy playing with running around the gym. Now we are preparing to drive down to Grannys.

Siskin

I saw a Siskin http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/s/siskin/index.asp today feeding on the niger seed in the garden. It is the first time I have knowlingly seen one, so am very pleased. Rowan is off to her friend Zara's party [going to Snow White at the theatre]. The photo is of Cave Dale which leads up from Castleton.

Post People

Danielle is back at work today. Rowan and I got on the tandem and hand delivered invites to her birthday party in a couple of weeks time. This was a lot of fun. Rhianna and Rowan are now alternating between playing piano and playing in the den, which means I have time to write this. The photo is of Rowan and Clare, the friend she made at Castleton.

Another good family day, we all cycled to the gym, and are now relaxing at home. This shot is on the snow and iced peak district at the weekend

One of our party did some magic tricks, we had a quiz [bit esoteric for most of us] and plenty of fizzy wine. Rowan lasted untill 11.20pm, then went to bed. It was a good way to spend New Years. We got back home today. This photo is of Rowan and Danielle atop Mam Tor in the rain yesterday - it was nearly too windy to get the camera out, but not as bad as it looks