Thursday 25th November 2021

A month to Christmas.

Get your sprouts on now, or they'll never be cooked.

We were both awake before the alarm went off, Jools had to leave as soon as she could, as she was going away, just for the night, so had to do as much work as possible before leaving off at half three.

Which meant, all bar half an hour, I would be home alone to Friday night.

I had it all planned: strippers, mobile bar and a smoker to cook half a cow

But back in the real world, it was just normal.

Jools comes back usually at about six, we go to bed, which means it would be that part I would not be seeing her, so there was still dinner to cook, cats to feed and blogs to write.

Jools left at ten to six, and all was quiet, apart from a couple of hissing cats.

I made some toast and a second coffee and put on a podcast. More music chat with Dave and Mark.

I was done for seven, so started work, and got down to the tasks of the day.

Just the usual stuff.

Outside, the sun rose and the clouds parted. It was going to be a cold but glorious day, it was just a case when I could squeeze a quick walk in. I would find time, oh yes.

The time came at ten, I put on my coat and skipped the macro, correctly thinking there would be no insects to snap, so I just had the nifty fifty instead, and so set off along the street and across the fields to Fleet House.

In the small paddock, two Shetland Ponies have been housed in the new stables, one black and the other white. Blackie ignored me and just carried on reading, while the white one kept its eye on me, but came no closer.

I kicked my way through autumn's golden gown to Collingwood, down to Fleet House where the three white ponies were very interested, so came to say hello over the fence. I couldn't feed them, but ruffled their manes and let them check my hand for treats.

I turn and walk back along Collingwood, past the two new houses in the old quarry, though they're not really new now. They are fighting, and losing, a battle with nature at the roadside where various wild flowers and plants are invading the newly laid strip of turf. Wild flowers not attractive, apparently.

I walk to check on the path of Heliotrope, then down the alleyway back to our street and home.

Not missed much.

I make cheese on toast for lunch, and a brew and listen to some music whilst catching up on work.

The afternoon passes.

Jools comes home at four, she changes clothes, make a cup of tea in her travel cup, then its time for me to take her to the station for the quarter to five train. Traffic was heavy, but I get her there in time, then come back along Reach Road, along the cliffs and darkness falls, and the lights of Calais shining bright some 23 miles away.

Sanity, so near, and yet so far.

Back home I check Faceache, and find a mate from my Air Force days has passed away.

Lofty was someone hard to like, I have to say. But had been through a lot, had a son, but his marriage had ended, so was trying to keep a relationship with the child from the other end of the country.

I have no idea what happened when we finished our corse, but he went to some base, I went to a different one, and we both got on with our lives. And a short post announcing his funeral times was posted. No idea how or how his life panned out between.

So it goes.

I had got a pot of something out of the freezer. Either pasta sauce or "something else". It defrosted and was sure it was Mexican for tacos so started cooking some rice, at which point I then opened the pot fully and tasted it; roasted vegetables and chicken.

I think that it would go better with pasta, so put that on abut then have to think what to do with the rice. I had defrosted some sausages, so fry those up, cut into chunks and put half in each pot, and make curried rice which I will have from Friday lunch.

Nothing wasted.

I make a coffee and have a small slice of Jools' birthday cake.

I had washed up, cleared away, nothing else to do. So, I put the radio on and follow the footy via Twitter and the BBC website, liste to Marc on the wireless, as usual, and as my toe had twinged during the had, avoided booze.

I did stay up to very nearly ten, and three cats watched as I climbed the stairs to bed.