Anyone for gardening?

I'm down in Bristol for a few days and I've just had a fascinating phone conversation with Keith:
Keith: Do you want the good news or the bad?
Me: (heart sinking) Better have the bad first I suppose.
Keith: I've put it away.
Me: Put what away?
Keith: The lawnmower.
Me: Oh good, so you've done the lawn then?
Keith: No, I got it out and put it away.
Me: So you didn't do anything in between, then?
Keith: (in a tone of incredulity) No, I couldn't be 'bothered', but I did put it away.
The conversation continued in similar vein while I established beyond all shadow of doubt that he had indeed got out the lawnmower, looked at it and then put it back in the shed - sorry, 'summer house'! Remind yourself of the time he did mow the lawn.  
So when I get back on Friday, I shall
a) Have to send out a search party for Lucy when she ventures out into the garden.
b) Mow the lawn.
Good exercise, I suppose! 

 

Bad back part 2

Needless to say, Doctor Kathy has not provided an instant cure. That's the NHS for you - you can never get a doctor when you want one, not even when she's your daughter. :) (The fact that she is once again embarking on an 80 hour week notwithstanding, of course!)
I was thinking yesterday of the benefits of having a bad back - every cloud has a silver lining!
1. Can't do the hoovering.
2. Can't mow the lawn. (Does this mean Keith will step into the breach yet again???)
3. Good excuse to only take the dog for a short walk instead of the long one that she would love. (Feel a bit guilty about that one) :/

Anyway, the out of date Ibuprofin seem to have done the trick at last because today my back is almost back to normal. (Which mean I will now be in line for the hoovering, lawnmowing and long dog walks again. You can't win 'em all!)
Moral: Stick with the out of date painkillers. It's kill or cure!!

"Neither are we." 

"Too wet, too cold. Not going anywhere, mate!" 
Black headed gulls feeling miserable in the winter-like weather in the middle of July!

Aberaevon

Keith has a new toy - a camcorder. Given that I have to have eyes in the back of my head when he is in charge of the digital camera as he tends to take less than flattering, sneaky photos of me, I was a bit concerned about letting him loose with the camcorder. However, I needn't have worried when we took it out for the first time today. Apart from a brief 'interview' filmed in the car in which I explained that I was eating a cake and that because it was a Weightwatchers cake, it contained no calories (I wish!), there was very little chance for filming anything on our rapid tour round Aberaevon (near Aberystwyth) as it was pouring with rain almost the whole day. So, I suppose you could say every cloud has a silver lining!
On the plus side, we saw a stonechat, which I have never seen before. Also lots of black headed gulls. Keith said they weren't but they were. Trust me -I'm a teacher!

Terrible things, backs!

Since Wednesday, first day of freedom, I have been afflicted with lower back pain; used to be known as lumbago, but that is such an ugly, middle aged sounding word - I prefer, if I have to suffer from it anyway, to suffer from lower back pain - more upmarket somehow! Anyway, having been taking my years-out-of-date slow release Ibuprofin, there is still no improvement. Yesterday I decided walking would do the trick so did about an hour and a quarter and it did seem to loosen up a bit. But still no real improvement, so, anyone out there with ideas for an instant cure (not involving red flannel please!), I'd be glad to hear from you. Come on Doctor Kathy,  (daughter) any ideas???? And if you say it's old age you've had it! :)

A particularly artistic arrangement, curently on loan to the Tate (not!)