Icing on the cake

I bid for a desk which was just 8' from a big screen for an England game, and lost to a higher bid at the last minute. Ryanair changed all my flights to France this year which has caused me grief. We had to cancel our trip to London because of MIL's fall and England were humiliated in the World Cup. So, did I have a good week? I did, yes!

To balance things up, I've had the opportunity to help out again with Wanda's garden and gave Martin a hand with his bathroom. We've had great fun knocking walls down just to build them up in a different location and shape. We also had family come round for Father's day. It was brilliant.

I've painted, studied, walked, dined in the garden and yesterday we drove three hours to attend church in Basingstoke, had a family lunch, watched England capitulate and drove back.

I changed an e-mail I had today to read the following...
A new film based on a true story entitled 'Out of Africa', starring...well, it doesn't star anyone really but it's full of drama, comedy, horror and farce. The director was Fabio and he misdirected it perfectly. That's all I'm going to say on football.

I've been up, down, stretched, bruised, cut, optimistic, pessimistic frustrated and elated. Life is the same as it ever was it seems. The rough and smooth are seldom far apart.

I reckon another few weeks will see an opening for total relaxation though. I see clear, still, calm and silent waters on the horizon and I'm ready for a dip.

This Friday is our re-arranged London trip, followed by tiling in Martins bathroom on Saturday. Saturday evening is a surprise party for Dot and Sunday, which promised to be the hottest day of the year, will see me stretched out after church in a garden that has exploded with colour, charm and fragrance. There will be jobs to do but Sunday has never yet seen me desert it in favour of work.

For Ash, today was the last day at the same workplace as his Dad. He was the only one of our children who has worked for a wage in the same company and I think I'll miss him.

He finished by getting his photograph in the local newspaper dressed as an England football fanatic pretending to be working. There's always a Devine willing to make a fool of himself and he does it almost as well as me.

While he is enjoying a meal with his team, I'm painting a banner for Dot and Bev is in the garden.

A little chat with Juli provides the icing on the cake.

Why?

Four years preparation for such an amateur and passionless performance is difficult to take. Why are they doing this to us?

For all those who laugh at us for getting so passionate about a bunch of men kicking a ball around for 90 minutes, this is your day. Go on, have a good laugh!

Uncomfortable

After not writing a journal for several days I feel a little vulnerable. I can't explain it, but somehow I'm at a loss. Mundane daily drivel was my way of making sense of my existence and I felt comfortable with recording it.

I'll continue with cold turkey for a while and see what benefits rise to the surface.

David Bourne joined me to work on Wanda's garden last night. She's in the States for another few weeks and a few of us have been looking after it to prevent it becoming unmanageable for her when she returns. Doing something for others always makes me feel good...I'm selfish like that.

Earlier in the day MIL fell down the steps of Newark Town Hall and damaged her foot, shoulder and cheek. She's been ordered to rest. Fortunately nothing is broken and she's currently catching up on sleep lost from last night.

She left yesterdays Daily Mirror lying around and I inexplicably succumbed to reading it. She obviously buys it for the football as you can't seriously consider its content as anything other than gossip and hearsay.

I was shocked to read about Ronnie Lee Gardner and wonder if his execution tonight in SLC is based on fact. He is the last man to face a firing squad in the USA for a crime he committed in 1985.

As I wake up tomorrow with thoughts of England's victory over Algeria, Ronnie Lee Gardner will no longer exist.

My shock is partly due to the method of execution. It's so violent and at odds with my perception of SLC. If the firing squad was banned in 2004, why is this one going ahead?

I hope he had no regrets and was unrepentant about the two lives he took, otherwise my views on the death sentence will waver. I feel uncomfortable about this but perhaps I should have faith that every opportunity has been given for Ronnie to turn his life around and one day take his place as a contributing and safe member of society and that such opportunity was rejected, spurned and wasted.

I still feel uncomfortable...as does MIL for different reasons.

Oh dear! Bev has left a box of Maltesers open and it seemed the most natural thing in the world to help myself.

I feel comfortable with the consequences but I'm sure Bev won't when she drops by at lunch-time.

Update...
I thought it was tonight at midnight but Ronnie Lee Gardner has already been executed.

 At his commutation hearing, Gardner shed a tear after telling the board his attempts to apologise to the Otterstroms and Kirks had been unsuccessful. He said he hoped for forgiveness. "If someone hates me for 20 years, it's going to affect them," Gardner said. "I know killing me is going to hurt them just as bad. It's something you have to live with every day. You can't get away from it. I've been on the other side of the gun. I know."

I know I'm not in possession of all the facts but I really do feel uncomfortable about this execution now. These aren't the words of a hardened unrepentant killer.

Gardner's lawyers argued that the jury which sentenced him to death in 1985 heard no mitigating evidence that might have led them to instead impose a life sentence. Gardner's life was marked by early drug addiction, physical and sexual abuse and possible brain damage, court records show.

The Father of one of Gardner's victims said he believed his son's killing was not premeditated, but a "knee-jerk reaction" by a desperate Gardner attempting to escape.

While I was painting in my studio without a care in the world Gardner spent his last day sleeping, reading the novel Divine Justice, watching the Lord Of The Rings film trilogy and meeting his lawyers and a bishop from the Mormon church. A prison spokesman said officers described his mood as relaxed. He had eaten his last requested meal - steak, lobster tail, apple pie, vanilla ice cream and 7Up soft drink - two days earlier.

It's ironic that the book Gardner was reading was written by Baldacci...a former lawyer.


My cosy little world has been invaded by harsh reality.

Clutching at straws

As I walked towards our drive after work, a female cyclist approached me sporting a full-on yawn. It was huge! As she passed we smiled in recognition of one of those moments never intended to have been witnessed.

I love it when two total strangers share a very fleeting but warm moment.

Its been an eventful day...first a pay rise...not much, but still a rise. I also had a bonus payment confirmed...not much, especially once the tax man gets his share, but a bonus payment nonetheless.

I also thought heavily about my efforts in French and have decided to dedicate my free evenings to serious study. For the near future therefore (see how it goes) I will post weekly instead of my normal daily journal. I'm clutching at straws a little but I'm sure it will make a difference.

I hope it will make a difference.

Sunday

Bev preparing the back garden yesterday. I think it's Bev!

For me this afternoon...

And...

Edith...

Lost my touch...

And my memory...happy birthday Jo!

Sat OUR day

Ryanair upset me with their flight changes in August. It wasn't a good start to the day.

I chose the one job I didn't want to do on a hot sunny day, knowing that I'd feel good for doing it. It worked! I'm inching towards one of my main goals for the year by putting a floor in the loft.

After lunch I joined Bev in the garden. She has the garden looking really good and we managed to get rid of everything she's dragged out of it over the last few weeks with another tip run...a job that always makes us feel good.

On the way back we treated ourselves to a lounger for half-price. We wanted two, but it was the last one. TKMax had a few bargains too.

After a haircut, bath and take-away I found myself sitting down with my England shirt on to watch the game...Bev joined me.  Pity about the result. Who taught the Americans how to play?

On balance it was a good day and marks the last Saturday at home for a while. It was Sat OUR day.

Dancing leeks

Painted in the studio and finished early to watch the opening ceremony and first game. The deal is that Bev goes straight into the garden and I watch the match and prepare tea five minutes after full-time.

The ingredients...

Dice and boil the leeks...the ones Bev pulled yesterday
Grill the bacon and dice
boil the eggs, shell and 1/4
Grate two lots of cheese
Make the cheese sauce...milk, butter, flour and cheese
Leeks, bacon, eggs, sauce, layer of grated cheese and topped with crushed crisps
Oven for 1/2 hour 120 fan assisted

Unfortunately I took my eye off the ball and the leeks proved to be not boiled enough.

Can't win 'em all. Lets hope I have a better result for the 1/4 finals.