Build it higher!

As the wall goes up, apparently so does the dog…

Not giving up without a fight!

Build it up

Agnes has been helping in the garden… laying bricks apparently!

One of her favourite things to do is to sit on the wall and greet the staff of the primary school as they park their cars on the other side of the fence. Everyone knows her and stops to say hello to the friendly little dog with her head poking through the railings.

As the wall is rebuilt, the morning greetings will come to an end although I suspect we may find Agnes perched on the top of the wall which wouldn’t be surprising at all!

Dogs can’t lay bricks!

Bricks and Stones

It’s all go at the Money Box this morning.

The little dog has been taken off for a walk by Colin the dog walker to allow the builders to get on with rebuilding the back wall. She is not as helpful as she thinks!

A large pallet of stone has just been dropped off on the pavement. The paving for the back has finally arrived! I just have to break it to the builders that they have to carry it in through the house to the back before someone steals it. I’m sure they’ll be happy with that news!

On a positive note, it’s sunny but given the past week, it could be snowing by lunchtime!

Operation Pickwick

I have now embarked on what I’m calling Operation Pickwick and have started Phase One of the Mr Pickwick Diet.

I’m on my old faithful regime of the Salad Niçoise diet which consists of lots of eggs, vegetables, tuna and the essential fat burning ingredient, grapefruit. It’s low carb, high protein and it seems to work for me.

Day Two and I’m already down five pounds for the week which is slightly dubious. I suspect the scales had over-reacted on Monday after an Indian buffet on Saturday.

Still, with a rapidly slowing metabolism as apparently I’m almost fifty (a mere three years and four months to go) time is most certainly of the essence… what nonsense!

Willpower Mr Pickwick, willpower!

Ready for a project!

We’ve started casually looking for our next project… gluttons for punishment I think!

With the outside underway this week, paving delivering for the tiny courtyard and the wall finally being rebuilt a year after we demolished it, we’ve been to look at a couple of interesting properties…

We looked at a place last night which we were both excited about. We’re going to make an offer but are being realistic as we would need to sell everything in order to buy it.

Still, it would be a great project and we both felt it would be one for us… 
Fingers crossed!

Hail Mary!

On Sunday we went to drop off the French car in Enfield. The City of Westminster wasn’t very friendly to foreigners so it was time to move the car. We had got one parking ticket, we didn’t want any more!

We decided to stop on the way at Forty Hall, a lovely stately home in North London built in the 1620s where the remains of Elsyng Palace, Henry V111’s old stomping ground were found. wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsyng_Palace

In the walled garden, a memorial bench to the mother of Letad stands under a beautiful magnolia tree. It was very moving as it was the first time Agnes and I had been.

Forty Hall

Under the magnolia tree

Of course England in April is a rather unpredictable place. April showers indeed. Before long it was hailing and we were standing under a tree…

And then it was sunny and we were walking through fields of lambs…

After a lovely walk where the Little Dog played and ran with abandon, we ended up in Winchmore Hill having a very nice lunch in a pub. 

An unexpected Sunday!

Another wet Friday

Hello Spring? Hello?

That’s two consecutive Fridays I’ve been soaked while cycling home. 

That’s enough now weather, I’m ready for spring. 

Anytime soon would be nice…

Thank you very much. 

Mr Pickwick

My beloved husband has taken to calling me Mr Pickwick.

While extremely entertaining I am slightly concerned as this is Mr Pickwick…

The time has come to throw away my breeches and get ready for summer…

And apparently it’s time to lose some weight!

Mr Pot Kettle Black

Agnes abducted

This morning Agnes was abducted by a dog walker called Colin.

I had arranged for them to go on a trial walk which I thought meant they would go for a trot around the block. As Letad is relocating temporarily to France, I need some help taking the dog out. 

Colin arrived and within minutes had whisked Agnes away in his van of dogs. We were shell shocked. One minute we were having breakfast, the next minute the small dog had vanished and we had no idea if we would ever see her again!

Throughout the morning photos of Agnes pinged into my phone from unknown locations. She looked sad to us and I thought the next step would be the tip of her tail ransomed through the post. 

Apparently we shouldn’t have worried as the little dog was returned at lunchtime, tail intact and happy to be home. It had been a three hour trial walk!

It appeared to have gone well despite the fact that Agnes can’t talk so we’ll never know the truth!

More to come I suspect about Colin the Dog Walker!

Midnight Wading

I got up in the night to go to the toilet and stepped in dog poo. It was cold and horrible and I managed to step in it with both feet. I cleaned the floor, put the bathmat in the washing machine and went back to bed.

Two hours later it happened again…

It is possibly one of the worst things to feel squelching through one’s toes. 

The little dog had a stomach upset. 
We were all a bit under the weather this morning…