Forever Autumn Forever Crepey

[cremolafoam]

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,
and darker days are drawing near,
the winter winds will be much colder,
now you're not here.
I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
and one by one they disappear
I wish that I was flying with them,
now you're not here

Stropps, you're clearly on a roll! I want a puddings drawer too!

I have done high heels in the past but now am mainly block heels or wedges if not flat.

DS has just won a footy match 12-1! so he is all gassed up. Meanwhile DD is doing drawings for art textiles - whilst simultaneously watching a documentary about 9/11. The topic is fragments, and she is yet again using old photo's. Any ideas so I could steer her away and onto something different?!

Liking some of these purchases. I must get on and order that jacket from Hush. The sizing goes 10-12 and 14-16 which I HATE. I am an inbetweeny. I am also hating the frumpiness threads on the main S&B board at the moment and was about to post here about them. Like, what? When something becomes nice and popular and flattering and easy to wear, it suddenly becomes frumpy? Do me a favour. Agree with Rudy…its posture and attitude. And I love my bretons. I also only do heel for posh events these days…and I always suffer afterwards with mangles toes and aching knees. That's why I'm on this board…. and rarely the other one!

Strops congrats to your DD on swimming prowess! DS also came home happier from sixth form once he had his new timetable and all the induction (just a load of threats…'if you don't do 20 hours of extra study we're going to throw you out…' type threats). He likes his teachers very much. He does sound like a bit of a lightweight compared to your DD, though! French Spanish , Music and RE! lol

MI I fight a never ending battle against moths. Have used cedar balls with some success but think this year it'll have to be chemical warfare. Either that or LTB who keep hanging up dirty smelly clothes instead of putting them in the wash

Right, nice weather…we need to get out for a walk. DS has gone to Klezmer concert in Regents Park where his school band are apparently playing. DS is battling with her homework…when is it ever any different...

You will be great, Rudy

DD starts work experience tomorrow - I predict a few wibbles before I leave the house tomorrow morning, especially as it involves an unusual bus-route and getting off in a strange place.

MI, I think SE London is awash with moths (and slugs) - everyone I know is infested

I now need to pick the ripe apples from our tree.

Beetroot and choc cake made to use up surfeit of Beetroot.
Wobbly bike ride with ds on main road (gulp). Laundry drying. Off for a walk on the hill.......

Yummm, BD! I still haven't managed to make one. But I made flapjack, lemon drizzle and carrot and banana between my two (II) trips to the gym this morning - the second to keep DD company

DP has responded to my grumbling about insufficient veg by serving up two (2, ii) sorts of cooked veg plus a mixed salad for lunch. We squeak with vitamins but god knows what we'll eat for the rest of the week.

(He did do salmon and rice as well. And I made a salsa verde.)

I am reading A song for Issy Bradley. It's very good if heart-rending.

at apples from own tree.

I went blackberrying while at my mother's and hoped to get enough to make jam, but only managed to get enough (about 1 lb) for a pie. Should I rush to Tesco for more blackberries at vast expense to make jam, or settle for a pie, and use my jars for chutney and mincemeat?

Pie and chutney, MrsS - I can't bear paying mad prices for blackberries which never taste as good as the ones you pick yourself.

I am a bit worried about the new people who have moved into the house next door. Apart from the loud banging and drilling at 2.00 am this morning (which we will ignore for now - maybe they got caught up in what they were doing and didn't notice the time), the man has parked his car in the middle of the road. The police asked him to move it - he got a bit ranty and spat at them . This morning a removal van arrived with furniture, and parked entirely on the pavement (it is free parking on the road on a Sunday), completely blocking our front gate so that we couldn't walk out. I asked the driver to move it, and suggested he park it on the road, but he said the house owner was adamant that it stay on the pavement, and moved it just a couple of inches so that DD2 and I could struggle out. Not a great first impression, I must say.

Oh dear, MrsS, I predict there may be some more stories in the coming weeks!

What sort of loon parks their car in the middle of a road anyway? He had parked partly in the bus lane and partly in the middle of the road - the bus driver couldn't get past easily, and I would assume it was he who called the police (as he had words with the owner of the car).

We are taking DD2 back to school shortly, and they will have to move the van as we can't get past with a suitcase (we struggled with a couple of bags of shopping). Rather worryingly, the van driver seemed quite scared of the owner of the house.

Was it on the main road, MrsS That is something else!

Blimey you are all on a roll! So impressed about puddings drawer, details please Stropps....

Crem, we are stumped too on the sums. We are paying her rent as it is more than her loan but her loan seems too much just for living (given we will be soft touches in holidays and are sending her off with loads of Stuff) so do we ask her for some of it? Feels all wrong and baffling. And I am swapping all our mobile contracts and I've had a succession of minor ailments. Think I may have to have a gin tonight to reset my system.

Lalsy, I can't believe you are saying her loan will be too much - your DD is obviously nothing like mine! There is an article in the ST today saying about how expensive Fresher's Weeks are now...

Too much excluding rent, which we are paying BTM. It wouldn't touch the sides if you included rent, which is by far the largest expense, so it feels like we are doing it backwards.

Could you just pay less towards the rent and then she makes up the difference? Or set up a Direct Debit from her account to yours/savings account for when she needs it?

We could, but gawd knows how you make the system work for paying rent from two places. We have tweaked budget and it now miraculously matches her loan - and I've suggested she withdraw in cash her day to day expenses each week, so what is left is for bigger stuff (she has a couple of potentially expensive hobbies). It's a shot in the dark though _ I suspect she will spend most of her food money on monster lattes!

We went to the bank yesterday and have taken out a loan for all the uni fees at 1.39% much better than the government rate although if DD does a runner it will be underwritten by us.

Didn't get the fresher's week article in my rip off French version of the ST.

It has been a beautiful lazy day here.

Mrs S - hope this isn't the shape of things to come with new neighbours.

Got this lovely vision of the dds doing runners to sunny climes, clutching their recent haul of shiny staplers and cheese graters .

...having secured the most handsome fresher to take with them...

...lured with the promise of a year's supply of blu tack....

I seem to have spent all weekend trying to catch up with the thread and being constantly interrupted.... Dd2 starts at her new school tomorrow. All name tagging done (some stuck!). I spent yesterday trying to teach her the Lords Prayer, as this is a 'religious' school and we are not church goers! Her only comment was 'how do you know this is the one they will say?' It just is, said I.....

Meet up venue looks lovely! Well done all.

I'm so sorry to hear your news, Mrs S. Three brothers in such a short space of time. It's really sad.

When is DDay, Crem? Sounds like she is ready for it. You are all so organised, that'll be me next year.... Aaaahg..

Wish me luck, my boss is in town for the next two days and she's not happy with me. Oh well.

at absconding DD's - hope the handsome freshers are rich .