Rainio!
We’ve traded our sweltering temperatures of last week for a week in which we have had buckets of rain interspersed with some sunny spells. The garden needed the rain so that’s all right – the head gardener is very appreciative.
I wrote last week, on Saturday we took Jessie & Juju to see The Gruffalo at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. It was excellent! I had been a bit concerned that Juju might not have the attention span necessary to last through the whole performance but she was enthralled. This was a theatre group which specialises in producing projects aimed at young children. There was a lot of audience participation, a lot of shouting and growling with which both girls engaged animatedly. A great success.
And, we had another opportunity to spend quality time with the girls on Wednesday. We went across to “babysit” – it was Ava’s birthday and she and Adam were off out for cocktails before the delivery of an Indian takeaway which we all enjoyed. While Adam and Ava were out Juju decided she would be a delivery driver all evening so she gradually emptied her toy box and transported the items therein to Penny & me in the garden room. She carefully delivered each item and asked where we would like it placed. So, we had a stack of books, bundles of Lego bits and pieces, and a number of jigsaw puzzles all conveniently arranged in neat piles in the garden room. Sadly, when we wanted to have the delivery driver return some items to their place of origin, she wasn’t able to do this for us. It seems she was a one-way driver.
And, while we’re on the subject, how about these two cuties ready for school?
I went up the garden path the other day to take some more photos of Penelope’s garden. As I took the first photo I noticed that there was a blue tit perched on the pergola just in front of me. As it flew away, another took its place, and then another. These must have just fledged and their parents have not yet taught them that humans are horrible and scary. The posed quite contentedly while I snapped a couple of photos each. Then, their parents would chirp at them and they would fly off. Very cute.
Thursday, I treated Ms Playchute to a morning on the town – we went to the cinema in Banbury to watch an NT Live performance of The Playboy of the Western World. We arrived at the cinema just as the opening trailers were commencing and we thought we might have to crawl over folks to get to our seats. Imagine our surprise to discover that we were the first to arrive. To an empty cinema. We had the whole place to ourselves! Two other patrons did eventually arrive but thankfully, we had plenty of room each!
The play was a lot of fun.
Pegeen Flaherty’s life is turned upside down when, on a normal day, a young man walks into her pub claiming that he’s killed his father.
Instead of being shunned, the killer Christy Mahon becomes a local hero. The welcome murderer wins hearts and races as he beds himself into village life. That is until a second man unexpectedly arrives on the scene…
Caitríona McLaughlin (Artistic Director of the Abbey Theatre, Dublin) directs Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton and Derry Girls), Éanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge’s riveting story of youth and self-discovery.
It was riveting and very funny, brilliantly performed throughout. We really enjoyed it.
And finally, proudly presenting Jessie’s birthday present, a dwarf hamster by the name of Toffee.
And finally, finally . . .
More of Penny’s Garden Photos
The roses have gone absolutely mental this year – so prolific! The bushes are falling over with the weight of the blooms some so judicious tying back has been required.
Happy birthday tomorrow to my brother’s wife, Hope, and to my niece’s husband, Zac. They’ll both be a bit older than they are today! Happy Birthday to them both.
Meanwhile, keep breathing, keep happy, keep smiling, keep exercising, be good, be careful, and keep safe. And, be gentle to wasps and bees – we need all the pollinators we can get. And, hold your loved ones close.
Lots of love to you all,
Greg