So happy with it. The previous week Mr P and I had looked at some at a similar price in John Lewis and they were very plasticky (sorry probably invented a word here!). I spent a relatively long time researching machines and reading many many reviews and opted for this one. As well as excitement when the box arrived there was some trepidation - "Had I made the right choice and will it work properly?" I need not have worried. This is a great solid machine which delivers, very importantly, wonderful coffees! Long live this machine and I hope it will be happy living with us - we promise to look after you, lovve you and never not use!
Friday night Mr P had invited the youngish people from church around for a Chinese take away. Well actually looking again at the menu it is Cantonese and Peking cuisine. Our local take away is amazing and never fails to deliver perfection - Marchee Wok. They do not have a website - guess they do not need to, word of mouth is enough. Well there was a bit of a confusion regarding the time everyone should arrive and people started coming from 7pm to 8pm.! But by 8pm all 19 of us were squashed into our living room to a table filled with delicious dishes and an aroma to die for. We were expecting 15 people and ordered food for that quantity but in true Marchee Wok style there was ample and with a bit left over for a YMCA meal (yesterdays meal come again).
We had a great evening and ended up playing articulate to very late. I crawled into bed at midnight not able to stay up as late - well I am becoming a middle aged crinkley!
Saturday Mr P and I had an amazing day of full on activities. This was the first of my monthly challenges and I decided to make the most of the day. It started with Mr P having to go and hire a car as he is off to Northumberland, to the cottage, for a few days. He has to be there for BT to install the phone and wifi - hopefully they will turn up as it should have happened in December and they failed to deliver. In fact they have let us down so many times that they almost owe us money now!!!!!!! Oh well enough of that topic and lets get going.
We started off with a sausage and egg sandwich to set us up for the day and then a drive to Lichfield. Should say at this point Mr P had no idea what we were doing. We went and visited Lichfield Cathedral.
We got there in time for the Eucharist. Seemed a good and right thing to do. I love the architecture, the lines of the building. I am afraid I am very ignorant on this subject but I know what I like.
If you find yourself near Lichfield then please do go and visit the cathedral, you will not be disappointed. I'd love to go to a concert there, must look out for one.
Then we headed off to Samuel Johnson's House. This was the home where he was born. I did not know much about him and sadly I did not take any photographs of the house. Should say when we arrived the weather had deteriorated and we were glad to get inside. Whilst looking around I heard thunder and thought I must be mistaken. It's probably the market stall holders moving something. But blow me the thunder continued and then some lightening followed by a terrific hail storm. Now I'm sure one of you understands weather etc but I didn't think we could have thunder in cold weather? Oh well what do I know! The museum have kept the character of the house and kept the entrance as a book shop. Dr Johnsons' parents ran a bookshop although according to the information it ran at a loss - nothing much changes!
Time for tea/coffee and cake before we head off for a rather different type of activity. Back to the car and off to Tamworth to the Snowdome. I had booked Mr P and I in for half an hour tobogganing! Armed with lots of extra clothing and walking boots we enter this massive complex. Golly sooo many people, so many different activities, suddenly aware of how old we must look to these youngsters. But NO I will no be defeated us oldies too can have fun. I have to say this place is well ordered and operates with military position. From the minute of booking the tickets online the instructions are brilliant. We are told to get ready and sit on the silver benches at a precise time. There we(and I have no idea how many more people) received a warm welcome and safety instructions. Golly when I saw the video of what we were to be doing I was a little scared then looking around the room, full of youngsters, decided I needed to get a grip! Then the moment came to line up and get our toboggans. Up the escalators and up another one. Then the moment came to boldly set foot on the snow and then try and sit into the toboggan. Oh it was such fun. Just as you get going there is a left hand bend so much breaking and learning how to bend to the left. Then before you know it at the bottom and time to go up again. But safety was paramount and on the slopes and on the escalators were staff issuing instructions. Was very impressed with the organisation and running of this concern.
Sadly we only had 5 turns of coming down the slopes but it was great fun.
After we got changed we went for a mooch around the building. There I saw a wonderful snow play room. I guess for little people - oh it looked such fun and I can envisage us taking our grandchildren there - can't wait for them to be old enough!
Then we headed home for our final bit of fun for the day. Some of you may have been aware that is was Burns Day and so I put together a Burns Supper for us, along with the speeches and some music. Sorry some of you may not know but Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and every year people celebrate his birth with this special evening. We started off with cock o leekie soup, followed by Mr P standing up for the entrance of the haggis, to piped music. The traditional poem was read and Mr P at the correct time slashed opened the haggis and then we toasted the haggis with some whisky! We ate the haggis with clapshot (mash potato and swede), accompanied with a whisky sauce. This was then followed by cranachan - a pudding made with cream, oats, whisky, honey and raspberries. Speeches were said - toast to the lassies and a toast to the laddies and we finally ended up with the two of us singing - Auld Lang Syne.
Soooo enjoying this new challenge.
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