Saturday Night Takeaway

Well it wouldn't be Saturday if there wasn't a take away.  There is a lot of choice in our little village.

• Fish & Chips (or kebabs)

• Indian

• Chinese

That's not to mention the service station about a mile away that has pizza, burgers, sandwiches and a certain chicken shop.

Our dish of choice has always been Chinese.  There are two outlets to choose from, after the smaller establishment changed hands we switched allegiance.   

We order from the larger restaurant it is a touch more expensive but is tastes awesome. The portion sizes are so big I can never finish, which is great because I always have leftovers for my lunch the next day.

Mamilein has a Blog too!

I decided to gift my Mamilein her own blog.  For years she has shared storied of her childhood with dreams of everyone being able to share it.  So I have started to put everything together on a blog site.  It has some posts that are finished, but it is still a work in progress.  Introducing The Kleine Hexe

Mamilein's Blog is almost finished

Bank Holiday Shenanigans - Part 3

Bank holiday Monday is always a treat, not only does it make the weekend a three day weekend, it also makes the following week a four day week.  

Precious time together

Normally the Oxford May Day celebrations are a major event, which means that the tiny pub the G.O manages opens up very, very, very early (5 am) to provide sustenance for the many jolly individuals taking part in the celebrations.  This year the celebrations went off without a hitch (or so they say), and with May day being on the Friday before bank holiday Monday, it meant G.O was able to spend the day with me.

Bright and breezy on the Monday we set off for the big smoke, parked the car in the usual car park.  It is such good value for your money £3.00 until 4am the next day, and there is a security guard.  Got onto the Metropolitan (my 'home' tubeline for 6 years) and headed on the longest tube journey in the world (obvious exaggeration),  it only took an hour but it takes you past all of the landmark stops and onto the Dockland Light Railway (DLR), which in my opinion is one of the greatest transport inventions of all times.  I have some very fond memories of the DLR, in what was a horrendous time I had a blast.  We arrived at Custom house and it was buzzing.

Watching one of the live sessions - George Clarke's Amazing Space Woman

G.O had purchased ticket to the Grand Designs Live show, it an three day event based on the TV show of the same name.  While G.O are in no position to build, renovate or even buy our own home at this time, I love visiting the show because you never know who or what you will see/meet. At last years show not only did I meet The Renovation Man himself, we also watched a live Italian Cookery show.  "You can make it yourself itsa eezee!  Only flour, egg and water".  Each stall holder is trying to, obviously, get your custom.  I enjoy floating past them with "sorry I don't have a house!"  Why are you here? they all ask.  Reasonable enough question.  

Behind all of the architect, builders, solar panel, hot tub stalls is the food and lifestyle section.  All manner of companies are there and all are giving away free samples.  G.O and I will go past our favourite stalls three of four times and the booty we have at the end is phenomenal.  We don't ever bring or buy our lunch, if you are savvy you can be fed and watered by the stall holders themselves.  We had cheese, wine, sausages, crackers, yogurt, bread, and ice cream all given to us by the companies.  It is a veritable smorgasbord.  Not only is there food to try, there are new gadgets that have just come on to the market.  We were suckered into buying glass cleaner fluid that made my ring sparkle (I later realised it was just the lighting, hey ho), a heated back massager that is amazing at getting rid of all the knots in your neck, back and shoulders and also gives the best hand massage (no double entendre here).

Building a house inside the Exhibition centre

After about six hours of wandering around picking up freebies here and there, we decided to hit one of our new favourite places to eat My Old Dutch in Kensington, on our last visit I had overdone it a tad on the Kaasballen, so this time I knew it was all about moderation, and as always it was delicious. It was the perfect end to what has to be one of the greatest Bank Holiday weekends of my life. 

 A Hoisin Duck Pancake

It was only the tube ride back that I had a feeling of de ja vu, it was exactly a year ago that I went into the Headteacher's office at the Little Village school and offically handed my notice in.  I had told the head that I was thinking about resigning in the April (three hours before Ofsted called to say the were going to pop in and see us), but that weekend, I had no stress and had had an amazing time with G.O so I decided that I wanted a better work life balance which I wouldn't be able to achieve at that school.  Also I wanted to move, but that is another story.

This was me not overdoing it!

Bank Holiday Shenanigans - Part 2

I'm walking to Oxford 

"I have to go in and do a split shift!  I work until four in the kitchen and then at nine in the bar.  You can come into Oxford at four, we could wander around the parks of Oxford. There are some lovely parks (repeating a phrase I always say to him) and then we could have dinner somewhere nice."  I could see the tension in his eyes.  Would I be disappointed or would this be a good idea?

A Break in the rain

"Sounds like a plan!"  I said, "although I might not take the bus.  I might walk to Oxford and meet you.  There is a street food fair on in the Castle!"  It was sorted.   Sunday was going to be quite fun.  When I opened the curtains on Sunday it was very grey and over cast.  Thankfully it looked like it had been raining but had stopped.  I pottered about the house, Skyped my parents and very quickly decided that I wouldn't walk as it had started raining again.

A bit wet out!

I had a long soak in the bath and planned my outfit, I decided I'd wear my new summer dress (a bit optimistic I know) with a long sleeved t shirt and my tan boots, perfect spring/summer warm/cold weather.  I looked out the window, blueish skies and  it felt quite warm.  I decided to walk, I wouldn't make it to the pub at half four, but it wouldn't be far off.  Off I went walking poles in hand, I packed a jacket and umbrella just in case.  I ha just started to climb up the hill to Shotover when it began spitting.  

I think for me that's a good time

I was a quarter way up the hill when it began tipping it down.  I stood do a while and pondered what to do.  I could turn back and walk to the bus stop, I'd get to Oxford in plenty of time and I wouldn't be soaked!  But.....  I had wanted to walk to Oxford for quite a while now, the rain wasn't too heavy and had already started to slow down.  I decided to carry on.  

The hill is a killer, I've never made it up in one go and is the most difficult part of the walk.  It took me half hour to walk up it.  I will have to try it again to see if that is a good time or not.  I sent various messages to G.O and my family, "I'm walking to Oxford and want a shandy ready when I get there!" responses varied from "well we're off to town for an ice cream" from my papichen, "What you mean [sic]" from mamilein, I can't be any more specifc than that surely? and from G.O "can you bring the rug sack [sic]?"

I made it up and over the hill in one soggy and muddy piece.  I was sure G.O would have a spare jacket or something (Spoiler Alert - he didn't).  

Doggers

On the decent I passed some stones, as I got closer I was able to read the sign.  "These 'Doggers' were formed before the ice age and are found all over Shotover."  I am glad I was alone because I found that hilarious, yes, I have the mind of a teenage boy.

Quicker than apple maps

The rest of the walk wasn't particularly interesting, it was a slog and the closer I got to Oxford the more tourists who would just stop in front of me.  i wanted to shout "I've just walked a quarter marathon, move it!"  But that just doesn't sound that impressive.  

After 1.48minish I arrived at the pub and the first order of business, rehydration, I knew what I needed it just wasn't what I wanted.  I downed a pint of milk.   To celebrate G.O took me to Byron Burgers, which just serves the most amazing burgers and chips, perfect! We did make it to the street fair, but we were too full to even think about food! 

Did I walk home again that is the question?

Bank Holiday Shenanigans - Part 1

Getting some fresh air

So G.O and I had managed to arrange to spend a bank holiday weekend together, sort of (more on that later) and we were going to make the most of it. 

Then as is usual for us, Saturday rolled around and we were both exhaustimacated, we don't often get to spend the weekends together and aren't really sure of the protocol.  Do we go somewhere big an flashy or local, do we stay in and potter?

In the end I decided to just chillax at home, we hadn't done that together in a while.  I went downstairs to make a healthyish breakfast muffins bacon cooked in the oven (for crispyness) and scrambled eggs (eat your heart out McD's), while his lordship caught up on his beauty sleep (god only knows he needed it having worked about 1000 hours in the past few weeks).

While I was waiting for everything to cook (Healtyish and easy) the post arrived. There was amongst the junk and party political rubbish a letter for G.O, I didn't recognise the postmark.  I raced upstairs and have home the letter.  Urging him to open it, it might be something exciting, It was, kind of.

I had signed G.O up on the mailing list for his favourite cider, which unbeknownst to us also sold my favourite garden wines.  The Lyme Bay company.  I've never tried the cider but the wine has a kick and a half and a flavour to suit every palet (no I'm not on commission).  I've had the wine before and a couple of glasses and I am out like a light.

He excitedly looked at the catalogue, while I finished breakfast. After everything had been devoured, and G.O was cleaning up, I read the catalogue.  "Did you know that mead is supposed to help boost your fertility!"  I announced. "Nope!" Came the slightly disinterested reply.  "But they sell the cider I like in the Bicester garden centre you like!" Within the hour were in the garden centre pushing a trolley of exotically flavoured ciders and a garden mead to the check out. Bang goes our chilling out at home time.

As we drove back home, going the country way for a change.  I decided to make a pit stop.  

Beautiful Bluebells

I pulled into the Boarstall Duck Decoy, my intention was only to show Stuart where it was, excitement overtook me.  I changed into my boots and began to show G.O the beautiful sights and sounds of Boarstall.  "I came here before, on my own.  I was driving by and just thought I'd pop in, a bit like now!"

We spent a very long time looking at and photographing the amazing Bluebells, it's a shame I can't bottle the aroma it was intoxicating, sweet but very subtle.

Our first stop was the duck hide, we had the place to ourselves and were able to just sit in the hide and watch the water listening to the birds and take lots of

photos.

As we left the hide, I was shocked to see someone standing about twenty metres away just watching us.  S/he didn't move, wave or acknowledge us in anyway, they just stood on the path hands behind their back.  G.O was oblivious as he was too busy taking more photos of the Bluebells, he must have hundreds of them.

We carried on round the route and came to a fallen tree, which I decided was left for people to climb on, so I did.  

The view from the top of the tree

I felt very high up and wobbly, when I looked at the video G.O took I realise I was about 1.5 metres off the ground, but added to my height that's over 3 metres.  

Alright I climbed a tree that had already fallen down!

I jumped off, retrieved my bag from the natural bag holder and carried on.  I could hear other people behind us and didn't want them to bump into us when I was stuck up a tree, so to speak.

Natural Bag holder

As we scurried away I decided to leave them a false clue, just in case they were following us (you never know). I have been watching a lot of Man tracker and Survive That! recently.  I'm all about surviving in the wilderness and not leaving a trace behind me.  I'm not quite there yet!

Setting a false lead - which way did we go?

We carried around the bend, and bumped into the observer again, I still couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman.  As we got closer SHE shouted to us "clock tower, has four faces, see!" She grabbed me and pulled me closer to a flower that did look like it had four faces.  

"New princess is a girl, isn't it?" I agreed, and said how I had hoped it would be a princess, nice and even (didn't realise that had happened).  She didn't seem to want us to leave, so I distracted her by asking G.O to photograph the flowers and began to walk away.  I couldn't decide whether she was a guide just passing time or a very weird lonely individual.  Either way I made my way around the pond, sharpish.

We hopped back in to the car.  "Before we go home I just want to check something!"  The last time I had been here I had also been to the Boarstall Tower, it couldn't hurt to see if they were letting visitors in.

Woman has a baby!

Hundreds of journalists camped out on a busy London street outside a hospital, it must be time for a royal baby.

Now I am the first to admit that I got caught up in the hype and hoopla surrounding the birth or Prince George.

This time, however, I was going to carry

on as usual.  

It was after all just a lady having a baby.  A special baby, but a baby none the less.  So G.O and I got on with our day. It made the news, when we got it (in a bluebell wood...) all the more memorable.

Welcome to the world a little Princess.  HRH Charlotte Elizabeth Diana Princess of Cambridge.

Away with the colour fairies

Do I had now, pretty much, relieved myself and life of additional stress and anxiety.  However, in my opinion, there is always time for some stress relief and I have found adult colouring books.  

I have spent hours colouring the first page and it's not even half finished.  It is lovely just to sit and colour.  I do occasionally join the children in the mark making area and always enjoy the experience. 

When I heard about these books, I decided that I had to invest.  It's so lovely just to switch off and let my mind wander.        My life has become increasingly electronic (all of my books are now on my Kindle, and I love the convenience of it)  and it's to refreshing to indulge in such a basic and, dare I say it, primitive activity.