We're Back

Did you miss us?

This was the longest the boys have slept in their own beds, without going away, since they were born.

As Wales was out of the question we took a caravan at Cresswell Towers for four nights and explored parts of mid and North Northumbria that are just that bit too far for a day trip.

First on the itinerary was Bamburgh.

Through the dunes to the beach with the Farne Islands on the horizon.

The last time we were on Bamburgh beach Ferretfingers was bowled over by an over-enthusiastic labrador puppy.  He was a toddler and I can't quite remember whether Thunderthighs was in a backpack or in utero. The dog’s owner was a tall young Northumbrian county lady wearing a fur hat, green wellies, Barbour jacket and full of well-spoken apologies.

This may or may not be the first time Thunderthighs has been on Bamburgh beach

This was the first of a handful of encounters, as a small child, with poorly controlled dogs which has put him off them for life.

As normal Ferretfingers lagged behind as we walked North towards the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.

There were loads of dog walkers on the beach and I must say all the hounds were very well behaved and under control.

Suddenly I heard footsteps as Ferretfingers hurried up to me and took hold of my hand.

Then I noticed, striding towards us, a tall Northumbrian county lady wearing an identical fur hat.

I wonder whether he saw her, had some half-forgotten memory of the labrador and came to me for protection.

Mind you, I wouldn’t like to encounter the labrador that could bowl him over now.

Striding North towards the Holy Island of Lindisfarne

 

Sean Who

From Facebook

26 October 2012 at 20:20 · ·

Just popped next door and the conversation somehow got around to Sean Bean.

"Oh" says next door "he's the one that was married to Madge; you know" (as I looked puzzled) "Madonna".
We agreed it was actually Sean Penn who married Madonna.
But, thinking on it, although she's too old for him 

(he's mostly married starlets) 

that's a marriage I'd like to be a fly on the wall of!
Just for the conflict of accents, if not cultures.

 

Taking a break.

Not going far but it will be a change of scene. 

Be back by November.

Supervision!

From Facebook

25 October 2013 at 17:04 · ·

Come in from bringing car back from auto-electrical place in Benwell, 

following a successful attempt to get airbag light to go and stay off so it can pass its MOT, 

to find Ferretfingers has put a load of Premium Channels onto my Tivo account bringing the Virgin Media monthly bill up to £140 !!!!
Fortunately there were a load of emails from Virgin re the changes to the account.

"There's no important emails" says Fester, who was supposedly minding him.

I got on the 'phone and got them off immediately.

PIN now changed - though not sure how long it'll be a secret from him.
Is there an emoticon for totally effin exasperated?

The good news is Kwikfit have just 'phoned to say if I leave the car with them tomorrow they'll fit in the re-MOT without a proper appointment :)

Strawangel Bloody hell B! You have the patience of a saint! X

 

How Many!

On holiday Fester and I normally share a room so our clothes go into the same piece of luggage. 

It has become the custom for me to do the packing. 

I require him to put out the clothing he wants to take. 

Here is a Facebook account of a conversation during preparations for a half term week away.

24 October 2014 at 20:21 ·

Sorting out stuff for packing.
Me "There's only four pairs of underpants there …"
Him "How many pairs do I need?"
Me "Well most people change them every day …"
Him "Oh I cannat be arsed with that."

 

and I won't even start on the socks ...

Trouser Troubles

From Facebook

23 October 2013 at 20:38 ·

I pick Ferretfingers up from youth group and, as we're driving home, he says

"I've got a hole in my trousers, you will sew them up when I put on my pyjamas."

If I had a £ for every time I've repaired a pair of trousers ......

Ferretfingers's speciality is finding a weakness in a seam and working on it until he's kit-formed his kecks.

(He once came home from sixth form college with both trouser legs open and flapping like a very split skirt, and an apologetic note from his tutor along the lines of

“We don’t know how he did it:  one minute he was sat quietly at the computer and the next he stood up and they were like that.  Perhaps you’d like to send a spare pair in, in case he does it again.”)

Anyway, when we get home he alights from the car and proceeds to:

squat in a forcing type posture;

laugh loudly at the terrific ripping noise as the arse seam goes completely;

put his hands behind him;

grab both flaps and pull until the waistband snaps;

then chortle his way up the drive holding his pants together.

They are now in the recycling bin - there is a limit to my skill and patience.

Strawangerl The bloody bugger!

Mrs Poet :)

HGB hahahahaha

Henlady kids

 

Beetling About

From Facebook

22 October 2013 at 21:39 ·

Going in to town on the Metro this evening a gentleman nervously pointed out a bright green insect crawling over my sleeve. 

He was quite surprised when I calmly picked it up, said 

"Oh I think it's a shield-bug" and put it out of the window.

"My husband's an entomologist" I explained.

Bess Cavalier Fester been bringing his work home?

Fay Shield bugs are so pretty too - lucky you!

Bentonbag Bess  - He always brings his work home, I have a garage full of Iceland bags filled with little tubes with creatures in, plus other bags full of bags with 'samples' not yet sorted i.e. mud, vegetation and dead things.

I hope you have no idea how the stench of a long dead shrew (or slug) can pervade throughout the house!

At present his obsession is making a list of every colliery that has ever existed North of the Tyne (nobody else has attempted this - he asked) so we are inundated by replica maps and all car trips are punctuated by "There used to be a pit over there".

Makes a change I suppose from "I caught beetles there" or "I got drunk there" or "that diesel has very pretty fairings"!

I've just read this out to him and his response was

"I can do pits where I caught beetles - there's a few of them."

Bess Cavalier Oh I can imagine the smell.  I've got a strong stomach!  When I worked at the Dental School at University of Newcastle upon Tyne local dentists used to send in packs of extracted teeth - some with abscesses still attached - for the students to do autopsies on - no-one else in the office would deal with them so I had to unpack them and take them up to the labs.