Tag Archives: kitchen

Table tennis triumph

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Dot in the woods at Felbrigg
Dot in the woods at Felbrigg

Busy day last Thursday: so busy that Dot got confused and ended up doing a presentation at Little Plumstead school instead of coming to the Paston members’ meeting at Bacton, where Susan Curran spoke rather well and then almost had a fight with Lucy about the Pastons’ reputation and origins.

Earlier we had a Chronicle meeting at Rob’s house, preparing the Oxnead event and discussing various other things, including the book. It seems I will be wearing some kind of costume. I may have to leave the country. Afterwards Rob and Penny entertained me to tea, which meant I was pretty full when faced with the fabled Paston refreshments.

Still, at least we all got there, despite signs declaring the Bacton road closed (it wasn’t). Apparently removing road signs afterwards isn’t included in the contract for repairing a road. Not many people at the talk, but a nice evening.

Dot and I missed an extraordinary meeting of the PCC that discussed the parish profile (probably a good thing), but I made some comments beforehand that Howard passed on. I called on him the next day and bumped into Beth, who is looking very well.

On the same day we emerged triumphant in our table tennis encounter with the Robinsons, despite not having practised. It was interspersed with lasagne and a couple of world cup quarter-finals, both of which were pretty dire. Philip went to sleep at one point.

Saturday and Sunday were quiet, apart from a lively Communion service and afters at church. Elvira brought a cake, and there was some jamming with Carrie (using my guitar), Dot and a guy from the farm, who plays the piano by ear.

Today, which has been muggy, Dot visited a couple of schools and continued the task she started yesterday: painting the kitchen. She claims to like doing it; so I let her do it (as if I had a choice). It all makes me feel uneasy, though.

Have had a look at Godfrey Sayers’ book and made him an offer. Haven’t heard from him; so it was probably ill-judged.

Lured into all sorts of fascinating byways

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Site of one of the Pastons' Norwich houses – in Elm Hill

Taking “busy” to a new level. Next week will be full of Paston-related events, and I have made the mistake of agreeing to lead a group at St Luke’s on Thursday and do the sermon there on the following Sunday. As I have also had to prepare a walk round Norwich taking in all of the Paston sites, and a poetry workshop for Tuesday, you might guess that I am up to my eyes in research. I’m also trying to keep the Paston website up-to-date, which will become even more demanding next week.

After being lured into all sorts of fascinating byways while researching the Pastons in Norwich, I eventually had to get my head down today and produce a plan for the walk with historical details as accurate as I can manage them. I found a few errors in the odd printed source, which was quite satisfying, until I realised there were probably far more errors in what I had written. Still, there are no Pastons around now to challenge me, though there will probably be some local historians prepared to have a go.

Having more or less completed that by lunchtime, I spent the afternoon finishing the Thursday talk on our relationship with creation. There is an almost infinite amount of material available for this, of course, so the challenge was to reduce it to something practicable. Not sure I’ve achieved it – yet. At the end of the afternoon I felt I had to leave the house, so I went for a walk up to King Street to check a new fact I’d discovered. It was pretty chilly, but the fact was spot on.

All this has not been made easier by the fact that Dot has been quite unwell since Monday. She stayed in bed most of Tuesday, so I had to look after the Tuesday Group. Since then she’s been dragging herself to various places and coughing and spluttering around when she’s at home. I can do without catching it, but I hate to see her in that state. I’ve not been feeling well myself, but I don’t think it’s the same thing: I’ve been feeling a bit virusy. Is that a word?

Yesterday, to exacerbate the whole busyness thing, I had to be at the church hall most of the morning to entertain the man who came to give us a quote on a new heating system. While I was waiting, I picked up some litter, brushed some leaves and mended a ventilator guard that had come away from the wall. After rushing home I had to hasten up to Dragon Hall to listen to Lucy brief the DH volunteers on facts about the Pastons. Fascinating stuff, but it got very cold after the first hour. Lucy and Diana (who was driving her) came back for a cup of tea.

On the bright side, we have new handles for our kitchen cupboards. They were fitted on Wednesday morning, quite early, by a resourceful guy who filed them down to make them fit, and left us with a supply of tape to replace worn bits on shelf edges – after fixing most of them himself. Our new fridge is being widely admired.