Tea - the great reviver

It's been a long week at work and I've had a stinking cold.  I get them about once every five or six years so I shouldn't complain. I used to think I would volunteer for those research thingies because I so rarely get colds.  I've had flu once - when I was about 20.  All I can remember is my mother lifting a cup of water to my lips - I think I lost about 3 or 4 days. Trouble is you just keep going when you should really give in. I hate it when you feel like your eyes are going to pop out of their sockets every time you cough.  I gave in yesterday afternoon and slept for about four hours.  On Thursday my uncle rang to say he would be passing our house on the way to Edinburgh.  He had dinner with my brother on Friday and then came over on Saturday morning. Here are my two lovely boys, pumpkin Ben and Steph with Ben's Great Great Uncle Greg.

I made a whimpering phone call to John who made some lovely butternut squash soup with a chestnut and bacon garnish.  We had walnut bread with that and a Tarte Tatin with vanilla yoghurt for pud.  Very autumnal and a bit like the leaves - splendour for such a short time.

We have decided to spend Uncle Greg's 80th birthday next May in Ireland.  We have spent many a happy holiday celebrating family birthdays in big rented houses - mostly in France and usually a dozen or so of us.  It's been a while since we last celebrated someone's big birthday so I'm really looking forward to that.

There was nothing on the agenda today so I settled down for a nice quiet time.  I watched the Japanese Grand Prix.  John came round for quiet brunch and I got my wool out ready to knit. They hadn't got much sleep last night so they dispersed to their Mammy's houses for rest and recuperation.

Unfortunately my 4.50mm circular needle is 80cm and the pattern called for a 60cm. Poop. It seems I have every size of double pointed needle from 2.00mm to 6.00mm except 4.50mm. Deep frustration. Double poop. It will have to wait until I can borrow or buy the right size.

 

Half way through the afternoon Steph rang to say that Ben had taken his first steps!  They came round but he wouldn't perform again.  Her little brother Matthew came with them and asked if he could make cakes.  It was like Armegeddon in the kitchen and he ate about a quarter of the mix before we could get it in the tins.  Ben switched the washing machine off half way through a cycle and the tumble dryer is on the blink.  The condenser is leaking. It has actually stopped raining but it's too late to hang anything out now.  I still have four loads of washing and it's nearly 6pm.

There has been no sewing or painting this weekend so I have nothing to show and I find myself wondering just what happened to the past two days. So I have done what any good Brit would do under the circumstances - made a cup of tea. So here I am just about to tuck into Matthew's chocolate cake.  

Can you see the reflection of the vertical blinds in in tea?  I love pictures inside pictures. The dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer (with a bucket underneath) are all working their little socks off.  There's a chicken roasting in the oven (together with potatoes, carrots and broccoli - only two tins to wash).  Another sip of tea and I'll be revived and ready to start the ironing. In twelve hours I'll be getting up for another week at work.  Let's hope it's a bit quieter!  Whatever your week brings I hope it's a good one.