What a great week! We’ve had a wonderful five days in Cornwall with Nick, Lucy & Annabelle – wonderful on a variety of scores: we got to spend five days with some of our very favourite people in an idyllic forest setting, we got to visit some places we’ve wanted to see for years as well as rekindling some memories from visits in days gone by and, perhaps best of all, we were in a WiFi and cell phone black spot and so were able to avoid five days’ worth of nonsense in the general election campaign. Win, win, win!
Continue reading “4 June 2017”Author: Greg
4 June 2017 – Amusements
A little boy was waiting for his mother. As he waited, he was approached by a man who asked, “Son, can you tell me where the Post Office is?”
The little boy replied, “Sure! Just go straight down this street two blocks and turn to your right.”
The man thanked the boy kindly and said, “I’m the new pastor in town. I’d like you to come to church on Sunday. I’ll show you how to get to Heaven.”
The little boy replied with a laugh; “You’re kidding me, right? You don’t even know the way to the Post Office.” Continue reading “4 June 2017 – Amusements”
28 May 2017
Whew! What a scorcher! It’s been a great week – warm and sunny with rising temperatures. Friday and Saturday were the first “Let’s wear shorts” day for me this season and on Friday I celebrated the great weather with a lovely cycle around the local lanes and bye ways. Afterwards, the fine weather was just about perfect for lying in the hammock contemplating the lovely blue sky contrasted with the bright burning yellow of the blossom on the laburnum tree. Perfect.
Continue reading “28 May 2017”28 May 2017 – Amusements
I’m not the easiest guy in the world to get along with. So when our anniversary rolled around, I wanted my wife to know how much I appreciated her tolerating me for the past 20 years. I ordered flowers and told the florist to enclose a card that read, ‘Thanks for putting up with me so long.’
When my wife got the delivery, she called me at work.
“Just where do you think you’re going?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” I said.
She read the card aloud as the florist had written it: “Thanks for putting up with me. So long.” Continue reading “28 May 2017 – Amusements”
21 May 2017 – Amusements
My sister was busy getting ready to host our entire family for Easter. On her to-do list was a hair appointment for her daughter.
“So, Katie,” said the stylist as the little girl got up in the chair, “who’s coming to your house this weekend with big ears and floppy feet?”
Katie replied, “I think it’s my Uncle Brian.” Continue reading “21 May 2017 – Amusements”
21 May 2017
Welcome back! We’re home after a short but delightfully delicious and excellent visit to the States to see my mother (as well as my two brothers and youngest sister along with a couple of old college housemates as a bonus). And, the wisteria put on an excellent show to greet us on our arrival home.
30 April 2017
After the mild, and sometimes warm and occasionally sunny days of the last couple of weeks we’ve gone back to unsatisfactorily chilly temperatures and biting northerly winds these last few days. Penelope even had to cover some of her seedlings with a blanket to keep them warm at night!
Nick, Lucy & Annabelle were over last Saturday following their vacation in the Cape Verde Islands. They looked warm and refreshed and, as we had missed Easter with them, they came over for an Easter Egg Hunt and the season’s opening of the Moreton Pinkney Pizzeria. The weather was kind and we dined alfresco in the evening sun – excellent. And, the pizzas were excellent too! In fact, they were so tasty that Ms Playchute and I enjoyed another round on Sunday evening.
Continue reading “30 April 2017”30 April 2017 – Amusements
My cooking has always been the target of family jokes. One evening, as I prepared dinner a bit too quickly, the kitchen filled with smoke and the smoke detector went off. Although both of my children had received fire-safety training at school, they did not respond to the alarm.
Annoyed, I stormed through the house in search of them. I found them in the bathroom, washing their hands. Over the loud buzzing of the smoke alarm, I asked them to identify the sound.
“It’s the smoke detector,” they replied in unison.
“Do you know what that sound means?” I demanded.
“Sure,” my oldest replied. “Dinner’s ready.” Continue reading “30 April 2017 – Amusements”
23 April 2017
We had a note in our letter box the other day. It was signed by one Aubrey Bishop with the enquiry whether our house was formerly known as the Dun Cow Inn. He wrote that his great-grandfather had been publican here in the 1880s. He left his phone number and, a couple of days later Pen rang and confirmed that our house was once, indeed, the Dun Cow Inn. He kindly sent through some stuff – a copy of the relevant page of the 1881 census as well as a couple of photographs.
23 April 2017 – Amusements
Two gas company servicemen, a senior training supervisor and a young trainee, were out checking meters in a suburban neighbourhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their way to the other end.
At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window watched the two men as they checked her gas meter. Finishing the meter check, the senior supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one.
As they came running up to the truck, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong.
Gasping for breath, she replied, “When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I’d better run too!” Continue reading “23 April 2017 – Amusements”