A British Barbecue - Very Green!

Gosh, it is almost a week since the Anniversary barbecue at the home of Reverend Parks. And what a chilly week it has been. But the sun was shining last Saturday, and, as you can see everyone was having fun. I resisted home made cake after my lovely barbecued sausage, but Jack had a most delicious looking piece of jam sponge. 

  

Wow, Jack is almost as tall as his Nannie!

 On Sunday I shared the organ playing once more with Mary. She played the intro and first two hymns, and I played the last two hymns and the exit music. It went well, though I was a bit nervous as the church was packed due to it being a special anniversary cum Whitsunday service. Afterwards there was tea and cake, yummy, and a chance to chat.

Here's the Rev. Rachel thrashing her friend a dominoes.

And obviously please about it.

Meanwhile, I played the game of 'remove the stick' with Jo and Jack.

There were lots of games for everyone to play.

On Monday evening I went along to the choir practice in Penge, where we worked quite hard to get our parts just right in readiness for the concert on the 8th June.

And since then I have not done anything too exciting. It has been a week of cello practice, poetry writing, and watching the Tudors, on TV. I also like to watch Time Team while I eat lunch about 1.30 p.m. and The Apprentice with Lord Sugar, that's good viewing. Apart from that the TV is usually switched off.

I will just mention the terrible incident that occurred in Woolwich this week. A British soldier was brutally murdered in the street by a couple of barbarians with hatchets. It has caused much anti-Muslim unrest, and I pray that people remain level headed and are not incited to further violence. I also pray for the soldier who lost his life, and his family and friends who are suffering right now.
I am trying not to give the incident any energy, so will not speak of it further.

Like I say, I have been writing verse this week. It is for a very special occasion which is to be celebrated on Saturday evening. Mary, my new friend, and fellow organist, is 80, and I am invited to her birthday party in Beckenham. I am really looking forward to it, and tomorrow Jo and I will go to Bromley to see if I can find something jolly to wear.

So, for now I'll say bye, bye, it is half past eight in the evening and I haven't had my tea. I feel a cup of soup coming on. Have a good evening everyone.

Love Jane x

Roll Out The Barrel in Beckenham

 I did make a video, but can't get it to stick to the page. I'll fathom it later.

Residents of Abbeyfield

Mary at the piano

Happiness in the Jolly Woodman

Meet Valentino

What a wonderful day I had yesterday. As you can see from the pictures, the morning sing-a-long was an excellent warmer upper for the concert which took place in the afternoon. After a pub lunch with my friends, I joined members of the Beckenham Ladies Choir at another retirement venue, where we sang for an hour or so. It was good practice for our up coming concert on the 8th June, at St George Church, Beckenham.

Today I spent the whole morning at the Medical Center, where I had to see the doctor about my little stomach problem. (Or should I say BIG stomach). Anyway, it turns out that my hiatus hernia is causing most of the problems, so pills prescribed for that, and there could be a glitch with my pancreas. So, a few more tests to eliminate any other cause of worry. I weighed in at 10st 8lbs, so I'm not exactly wasting away, and I am happy to be getting rid of the fat. (Oh, I hate that word).

As a little treat I took myself off to Bromley this afternoon, and did a bit of high street shopping. I bought a pair of navy blue trousers. There was this fabulous linen jacket, in Zara's, but it was about seventy pounds, so reluctantly I passed on it. It was a powerful red color. Very me! I bought fresh strawberries instead. Then I went to M&S and bought duck and orange pate, and a jar of cranberry and port sauce, the clothes there didn't do it for me, as they say. And I returned on a very school-children-packed bus (227), standing the whole way. Who cares though, I love that little 227.

Now I am having a lovely cup of tea, and psyching up to doing my cello practice before it gets too late. I don't want to disturb the neighbors.

So, bye for now, keep smiling, and log on again soon for further adventures. I feel a barbecue and a fun run (walk) coming on! Well, what are weekends for?

Love and hugs,
Jane x

Weekend Treats! Awesome!

 This is my daughter Jo, with her cat Sammy. Shie is at the Foxgrove Veterinary Centre in Beckenham for Sammy's regular checkup. He had all his blood tests and was given a clean bill of health.

 Outside in the car park there was this Animal Ambulance. What a brilliant idea, notice the services that are advertised. Pet Transport, Dog Holidays, Cat Care, Pet Feeding - and their website:
www.animalsathome.co.uk

The address of the Vets, which has a 24hr Emergency Service, is:
'Shorelands'
8 Foxgrove Road,
Beckenham,
Kent
BR35AT

 Of course when we had dropped Sammy back home, we decided it was time for our treat. First we called at Deli Nene, straight across from the Church of St George on Beckenham high street, where we were really indulgent. See the apple meringue pie below - I polished off the whole piece.

We thought it might be a good idea to do a quiche and carrot cake crawl, maybe next weekend. Yummy, yummy!

I think I could live here

After that we had a look in the lovely art gallery shop, Gallery Seventeen, where I particularly liked the pictures of Anna Pugh, Anna Pugh was born in 1938, her paintings show commonplace events in a slightly surreal way. Anna is exclusively represented by Lucy B Campbell Gallery, London.

And after that I went home to practice the hymns for Church on Sunday. I played two of the five hymns and the Trumpet March as an exit piece. I shall be playing again next week, and the week after I shall play for the whole service while Mary, the organist has a Sunday off. Scary or wot!

My weekend was made complete when Jo and Jack came to collect me and take me to the cinema. We went to see the latest Star Trek movie - very entertaining. I finished the day with a bowl of hot stew (without the meat) and a few grapes whilst watching the BAFTA awards on TV. What a great weekend.

Talk some more later. And remember, 

Love and hugs, Jane x