The weeks roll around

I really must start writing things down, because I'm finding it hard to remember what happened last week.  On the Sunday we had a preacher who is well known to us, we were in the same church when we first moved here until he left to take up a pastorate in Kent. It was lovely to see him  and his wife and renew fellowship and catch up on the news.
The washing machine springs arrived on Tuesday so Husband took the top off the machine again, he needed my help to pull the ballast across, and using a wire coat hanger he managed to fit the spring in place. He decided not to replace the other spring. I got on with the backlog of washing, but later we had fun and games when the machine started to leak. Water was gushing out through the powder drawer, so I googled that and as I thought, they suggested there may be a blockage.
Husband has cleared some gunk out, so hopefully that has fixed it, although there is still water on the floor at times. We had a whole piled of soggy towels we had used to mop up when the machine was leaking, husband suggested I washed those to test the machine, but then realised we would need them to be there if the machine leaked badly.
I took a huge pile of ironing to be done, I'm still not doing too much myself, I do vacuum, carefully. We called in on our  Daughter one day, we walked into town another day, and husband has spent time working in the garden. I have been pulling up those wretched Spanish bluebells again, but there seem to be fewer. The problem is though, that they spread under next door's Leylandii, and they could quite easily spread back into our garden.

We are enjoying the Spring weather and the lighter evenings. I'm still not the best of sleepers, but am trying to get to bed earlier. We finished watching my 2 boxed sets of Marple, I do think that Julia Mackenzie makes a good Jane Marple.We still watch the odd programme on iplayer too.
Last week I had a good loss at WW for a change. Parent and toddlers started up again, not too many there, but opportunities to chat to Mums.
Womens hour was taken by our friends the Snuggs from Dunstable. Their son work for 'Caring for Life', a charity based in Leeds, it's always a bit heart wrenching to watch the videos of how people have gone from being homeless and destitute, to reagrding the others in their shared home as family. some find Jesus too and are baptised. Most work on the farm or in the cafe and learn to cater, some work in the meat department too, it gives them a sense of pride and purpose, and a prospecet of finding work later outside the organisation. www.caringforlife.co.uk, if you want to look them up.
On the Friday we decided to go over to Tring, husband lived there for 5 years until we married, and his parents moved from there to the South Coast 11 or so years ago. We wandered around the High Street looking in various shops. Tring is classed as a small market town, There is a beautiful old hotel there which doesn't seem to be as well used as it once was, it's decline was probably accelerated by the opening of the bypass. Sadly there are plans afoot to turn it into flats for the over 55s, with a ground floor restaurant. We once went there for a Birthday meal, it was a Monday and not many people were there. I remember that the butter was carved into the shape of roses. Last time I attempted to book there I was told that the restaurant was closed. The owners own another hotel nearby where we had our in laws 60th anniversary. I'm not sure if they are developing the Tring one or are selling it. Tring is about the only place I know which has 2 old fashioned hardware shops where you can buy loose nails and screws etc., although one of them is half the size it used to be. We had lunch in Costa. By the time we gt to the market the few stalls were packing up, we spotted the auction rooms but decided not to go in, as husband said, 'We don't have room for anything else' He's learning! We stocked up for the weekend in the M&S simply food.
 Saturday we spent time working in the house and garden, with a quick trip for some shopping locally. We had an early meal then headed off for Daughter's as they were off out to celebrate a friend's birthday. Nathaniel was excited to see us and spent time haring around using up energy, I didn't mind, once I took him up for getting ready for bed he went quite willingly, and we didn't hear a peep from him. The we spent time enjoying being with Lydia before I gave her some formula milk the got her ready for bed. She too went down quietly, so we relaxed with newspaper/crossword,and laptops till the parents returned, not too late thankfully. I'm getting used to having husband around, but never seem to know what day it is, I still look at the clock at 5.30pm thinking he'll be home in about 10 minutes. Doh!

Nathaniel

Lydia