Thursday, April 30, 2015

*yawn*

Dinner is almost ready and I'm pooped. I'll let you get to reading.

Tamara

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Bank Holiday Weekend

Tomorrow is Walpurgisnacht - we wish our readers from those countries which celebrate this a good one.

Sundown tomorrow marks the start of Beltane (in the northern hemisphere) and Samhain (in the southern) we wish our Pagan and Wiccan readers a good feast.

Friday is International Workers Day - celebrated in many (if not most) of the countries of the world. We wish all a good one. WOTWU.

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Our hearts go out to the people of Nepal. Give if you can American Red Cross, British Red Cross, Medicin sans Frontieres DEC

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Monday is a Bank Holiday here because of May Day/ Workers' Day - and as is usual with Bank Holidays the weather for the weekend looks awful. I had planned on doing some work on the allotment - there are lettuces to plant out, peas to sow, potatoes to earth up - I don't think I'll be doing that after all. I may just sit down with a cup of good coffee (I got some Jamaican Blue Mountain for my birthday last month) and my new book The Woman Who Would Be King bought with a birthday gift voucher. (£20 at Waterstone's).

Enjoy your updates. Stay safe. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you

Ze

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Cooler

It's turned a bit nippy again. Still a fair bit of sunshine but there's a definite drop in the temperature. And the wind is bitter.

I'm so glad I'm working indoors this week.

Ze

Monday, April 27, 2015

Sunshine Filled Day

I took a mental holiday today. The kitty, doggie and I enjoyed a sun filled afternoon. Splendid day all around.

Enjoy your updates.

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Today is the day before E's birthday!

Little e had a full weekend of Ultimate Frisbee at Spring Reign. She should be headed home about now. I'm hoping we hear how the final game went because the Twitter feed didn't have an announcement of their division's championship game. Yep, they went all the way to the final game.

Saturday we watched them play two teams, the first was from my school. They won and I'm happy to say the Eckstein Middle School team was nice and played a great game. You'd think that with the emphasis on the Spirit of the Game all of the teams playing at Spring Reign would be nice. Not so. We still run into players, coaches and parents who didn't get the memo about good sportsmanship. Game 2, in particular, was one I found myself really wanting little e's team to win.

Not a lot for you tonight. If you'd like, send E some Happy Birthday emails...Monday's the big day.

Tamara

Saturday, April 25, 2015

The World Looks to Nepal

Very little to read tonight, but there seems to be plenty to keep you busy out there. Here is hoping help comes to Nepal quickly.

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Friday, April 24, 2015

Rain and Frisbee

We've got a day of Ultimate Frisbee tomorrow. Little e's team is attending Spring Reign all weekend. Last year we attended and made a weekend of it. Even Max had fun walking and walking and walking.

This year little e is with her other mom so we're just going on Saturday. The cool thing about tomorrow is little e's first game is against a team from my school. I'm interested in seeing how good Eckstein's Ultimate team is since I've never seen them play.

We won't be taking Max this year. Saturday is supposed to be rainy and windy. He doesn't enjoy the rain at all. Instead Mike will be popping over to take Max for a walk mid-day. We'll be doing our best to stay warm and dry.

Tamara

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Busy Week

Not much going on at home but work seems to be crazy busy. But I have few days off next week as a treat to myself. I like that a lot.

Per our usual not a ton to read, but Ze's couple of days should keep you all busy for the week and weekend. Also make sure to check out her pictures of the new pets. They be awfully cute.

Enjoy.

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Saints, Dragons, and Soldiers

Tomorrow is St. George's Day (and Shakespeare's birthday). We don't tend to make a lot of fuss about that sort of thing (Patron Saint of England stuff) in England. Especially since anything even mildly patriotic tends to get hijacked by racists, fascists, and right-wing extremists. But if any English readers do celebrate it - Happy St. George's Day to you.


Its tears were England’s crystal rivers
Its breath the mist on England’s moors
Its larder was England’s orchards,
Its house was without doors
...
He hid the sleeping dragon
Inside every English heart


St. George is also patron saint of several other places so we wish our readers from Georgia (the country, not the US state), and Catalonia, and Portugal, and Greece, a Happy St George's Day too.

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Saturday is ANZAC Day. We wish our New Zealander and Australian readers a good day.

Take some time every now and then
Think back and say ‘I remember when’
You were as brothers you and they
Sent by your country into the fray
To a land of sun, dried dirt and dust


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And if anyone would like to see what Arctic and Polar are like there's a couple of pics here

See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Wedding

The wedding went well.

The weather couldn't have been better.

It was a registry office ceremony not church, as both of them have been married before and neither of them is particularly religious. Which means, since all religious references are forbidden in registry office weddings. you don't get the cheesy readings from Corinthians or Ruth.

The bride wore a royal blue frock, (sorry but that's the best description I can come up with - I kind of don't do fashion but it looked something like this) with a powder-blue bolero-style jacket and carried a small bouquet of blue and white carnations. She looked gorgeous.

The groom wore a dark grey suit with a powder-blue tie. He looked nervous.

They both looked ridiculously happy.

And Barbara looked proud enough to burst. She wore a frock a bit like her mother's but in powder-blue.

Ze

Monday, April 20, 2015

Gorgeous Spring Day

Back to work for both of us today. My day went well. The kids were happy and the adults looked rested and ready for the long sprint to the end of the school year.

Tamara

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Final Day

Vacation is ending. Back to work for me tomorrow. Today was all about nothing. Didn't get much done. One final chore was completed which was to break down the trampoline to give to our daughter's other family as they have a young son who may use it. Our kids have aged past it. Good news for me is it frees up some space for me to place my hammock.

Enjoy the updates.

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Saturday, April 18, 2015

Sun!

The end of our Spring break has been chock full of beautiful weather. Bad for us but good for the kids in Shoreline whose Spring break is next week.

Today we've got a Ultimate Frisbee double header. Not much else going on for us except that. Have to soak up the last bit of Spring break slugdom while we can.

Tamara

Friday, April 17, 2015

Sunny Friday

Cars got washed. Other than that it's kinda been a nice slow day. We went and got lunch out and have been taking it easy in the sunshine. It's been a really great week and I am so not looking forward to its end. However it all keeps moving forward and the weekend is here. We do get to sleep in both days and that is something special these days.

Enjoy your update!

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Winding Down

We're nearing the end of a Spring break that's been unseasonably cool and rainy. Today was the first day this week with warm enough weather to clean the living room carpet.

Still on my to-do list is wash both cars. Oh, and I haven't finished putting comics into my database. That's best done while binge-watching tv shows.

Sadly I haven't been able to do much sleeping in. Cal's at his dad's this week but he still spends the night at our house so he can ride the bus to school the next day. At least I've been able to sleep until 7. That's better than my usual 6 am.

Tomorrow we're going to Superfluity 2015. Little e has been cooking things for their bake sale. She'll help sell baked goods on Thursday evening and Friday. We'll have fun looking at the huge amounts of donated stuff. We might even find something we can't live without.

Tamara

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Weddings & Funerals

It's been a funny old week.

Yesterday I went to a funeral. It was sad but not unexpected. A friend's brother, 57, mental health issues, drank himself to death. Such a shame because he was a lovely bloke, troubled but a true gent. We didn't wear black - he'd have hated that. We wore football shirts because he loved his team.

Tomorrow I'm off to a wedding. (Barbara's mother.) I was a little worried about what I'd be expected to wear, but Barbara's mother was brilliant. Wear what you feel comfortable in, she said, jeans if you like or a suit and tie if you want. We're both happy with whatever you wear and if any of the other guests have a problem with it then they're welcome to leave.

Barbara's mother is awesome.

I won't wear jeans, or a suit, but I will wear a smart pair of trousers and a proper leather jacket (i.e not a bike jacket).

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Today was even hotter. Over 20c - which is ridiculous for April. Arctic finally worked out what the ice-bottle was for. She was sprawled on it when I got home. Polar still hasn't figured it out yet, but with luck he'll copy Arctic. He does that a lot.

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See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Still Warm

It's still warm & sunny.

In fact it's so warm that yesterday and today I left a wrapped-up bottle of frozen water in the hutch for Arctic and Polar.

Unfortunately they don't seem to understand its purpose. Whereas Snow knew what it was for and would quite happily drape herself over it to stay cool, neither Arctic or Polar has a clue. They seem to think it's a new toy. They worry it, push it, roll it and generally fidget with it until they get the wrapping off, which they then proceed to drag across the cage a dump into the food bowl.

Then they retreat to their sleeping chamber.

I took a peek in, and at least they are sleeping on top of their blankets not burrowed into them. They were all cuddled up together, looking unbelievably cute.

I took photos.

I must post some of them up on Photobucket for you.

Ze

Monday, April 13, 2015

Easy

Our easy days continue on. Did a few chores but nothing much. A cooler day with some heavy rain. Not good for Tamara's intended carpet cleaning day. We need warmer weather where we can open the windows up to dry the carpet. Today was not that day. Maybe tomorrow, but if following our weather report Thursday may be our day.

On tap for tomorrow is some baking with my daughter who is donating some baked goods to her grandmother's church event.

Here is hoping the week is going well for you. Enjoy the updates.

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Vacation Days

We had another lazy day. I took Cal to get his hair cut. After lunch E and I vacuumed out the cars. Sadly the weather is currently a tad chilly and threatening rain so we didn't wash the cars. That's on the agenda for this week as soon as the sun shines.

Tomorrow we won't be sleeping in too much. E must take little e to visit Shorecrest High School. She'll be attending a few classes with a friend. This is to prepare her to make her final decision about where to attend high school next year.

Cal has school this week. His Spring break is next week. This means no sleeping in for me. I'll need to get Cal's butt moving. But rather than driving to work I can then crawl back into bed. Lovely.

Monday my plan is to clean the living room carpet. Then while it's drying, be a slug.

Tamara

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Flawless Saturday

We had a good start to the weekend. It was fairly restful and definitely easy and hooray! only the first day of vacation. More of the same awaits us tomorrow. Hope the weekend had a good start in your land.

Enjoy those updates.

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Friday, April 10, 2015

Let Spring break begin!

First on the agenda...sleeping in.

Light night, good thing Ze left you with a lot to read.

Tamara

Thursday, April 09, 2015

Vacation Is on the Horizon

Our weather like Ze's has been splendid. And Tomorrow is the last day of work before vacation for me. This makes me very happy.

Here is hoping you all have a good week. Ze's updates the last few days should be enough to keep you all busy for a while.

Enjoy!

Peace, Health and Happiness.

Elisa

Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Warm But Tiring

Well, there you go. That's my updates for another week. Plenty for you to read.

The weather is still brilliant. Very sunny and almost hot enough for summer.

And I'm dog tired because it is hot and I'm working extra hours to raise enough money to get to the GCLS Conference.

So I'll just say Arctic and Polar are fit & well and getting into as much mischief as they possibly can.

See you next week. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you

Ze

Tuesday, April 07, 2015

What Would the British Talk About...

If we couldn't talk about the weather

Easter was indeed glorious weather-wise.

Good Friday not so much, but Saturday, Sunday, and Bank Holiday Monday were gorgeous. Warm, sunny. Given the previous week's weather it felt as though we'd jumped from winter to summer by passing spring completely.

And there were Hot Cross Buns.

Shame I had to work. (I needed the money.)

Ze