Saturday 11th February 2023

I woke up not well.

Maybe, not ill. But not right.

During the night I had got so hot I couldn't sleep with any covers on, so had a broken night's sleep/snoozing.

I took a COVID test which was negative, and apart from feeling tired I didn't feel that ill, to be honest. I should have my temperature taken. We looked for one, and couldn't find the one we though we had.

No worries, we were going to Tesco.

And after seven, we left for the store with the added item to the list. Now, you would think themometer would be in the medicine aisle near the chesmists counter? Well, I did, and searched and searched.

No thermometer.

So, waited to eight when the dispensary opened, asked the lady, who told me that thermometers are kept in the "baby" aisle.

Of course?

THere was the choice of one. So, bought that for £14, and once home found that it was more of a cooking thermometer, we tried to use it on ourselves, with me being 36 degrees, and Jools being one degree cooler.

I didn't want breakfast, so after a second coffee we went out.

We should have gone to Rye last week, but I arranged something else instead. So, we went yesterday.

Rye means crossing the vast expanse of the Romney Marsh and then crossing at Checkpoint Charlie into East Sussex.

We were last here in November 2020, in the middle of COVID where I think we obeyed regulations in place at the time. That time we had the picturesque cobbled streets and half-timbered houses to ourselves, no one else about, and so few folks about, grass grew from between the cobbles.

So, no need to take those shots again, but I realised when Jools suggested to go, I hadn't photographed the town church, so with Jools saying she was going to do some window shopping, I would visit St Mary the Virgin.

We parked down beside the playing field, so had a walk up the hill emerging on the High Street near the Landgate, then turning towards the centre of town, past restaurants and small shops until I turned up towards the church.

I did a resonable job, taking 355 shots inside it, with many being of the fine windows.

Jools arrived revealing a bag containing £41.00 of cheese, including a sizeable chunk of Stiking Bishop.

I finish the shots, so we go to the pie shop outside the church, Simon the Pieman, where we were going to have a drink. Then added a cake, which turned into a full cream tea.

A cream tea is: 2 x scones (each), pats of butter, strawberry jam, clotted cream, a pot of tea, pot of hot water to add to the por after the first cupper is drawn and a china cup and saucer for the tea.

Its not as an ancient ceremony as the Japanese or Chinese tea ceremony, but we Brits take it very seriously.

Just as serious is whether you put the cream or jam on the sclied scones first. Jam first is the "Devon" way, and cream first is the "Cornish" way. I was taught the Devon way, jam first, so that's what I had yesterday too.

The town was beginning to fill up with other visitors, to the point that the pavements were full, so we walked as quick as we could back to the car, back down the hill and over the main road to the car.

Back home via New Romney, Dymchurch and Hythe before heading to the motorway and to home.

Back home I had a shower and then settled down to listen to the football on the sofa with Scully, who is now very demanding in wanting a partner to lay with during the day and evenings.

But there was one last thing to do: Jools's colleague Sean and his wife, Angela, were coming for dinner. They had hear stories about the steaks I cook, and wanted some of that action. On Friday I had made a baked vanilla cheesecake too, so we had dessert too.

Steam was defrosted, seasons and rubbed with oil and left for the afternoon to come to room temperature and infuse the flavours.

They arrived at five, wine was cracked opn, and bit by bit I prepared, then cooked the meal. Potatoes zapped, mushrooms cliced and seasoned, steak cut into portions, then griddled, while the potatoes were sliced and fried, mushrooms cooked, the all dished up.

And all items were done to perfection, served on warm plates and with glasses of wine or cider.

We wash up, then I make coffees and serve the cheesecake with cream and fresh mushrooms. A fine end to a meal.

More wine was drunk.

Much more talking done.