A Different Day

Not this hat

I didn’t blog on Friday because we have to be out by nine.  I did prepare something for yesterday but it didn’t get posted, and here's why.

I needed to go into town to go to the bank to pay Ferretfingers LD:NorthEast Outreach and Ouseburn invoices, and my WI subs, and to pay in a small Ernie win.  The bank is open for self-service customers until 12.30 on a Saturday, and there are always a couple of tellers hanging around asking if they can help.

Saturday is my lie-in day.  By the time I woke up (9.30ish) the boys were all out on their travels.  

I opened the curtains and, lo, it wasn’t raining.  

In fact it was dry (ish).   So, before it could change its mind, I dressed, breakfasted and went out in my puffy purple raincoat and red rain hat.

nor this 

I’ve promised myself that when I have a win I shall buy a little something, a treat, for myself.  Sometimes Yardley toiletries but mostly I take myself to Waterstones and explore their “buy one get one half price” tables.   

This time I took myself into the children’s department and bought something for the griblings.  A lovely girl assistant helped me find it and I found myself saying “I feel a bit like MissMarple, it’s for my great nieces and nephew .”

Sometimes the treat is finding something for someone else.

Waterstones is in a lovely Grade II listed building and has the original 1902 doors.  No automatic opening here.   

As I exited a gentleman on the way in held the door for me.

nor this one either

“I like your hat” he said.                    

“I like yours too” I replied, even though it was a Newcastle United bobble hat.

I like to outfit dolls at Christmas to give to the foodbank so that at least one little girl has a new dolly from Santa.  But the dolly has to have a nice face so I like to get them when I see them.

At Twixtmas, when Thunderthighs and I did the next-year’s-Xmas-card trip to the charity shops on Shields Road, I saw some naked baby dolls in Barnardo’s.   

But Thunderthighs gave me ‘the look’ when I started looking at them so I thought better of it.

Heading to the bus stops on Blackett Street I thought “If one of the sixties comes first I shall go home, but if it’s a 12 or 40 I shall get off in Byker and pop into Barnardo’s.”

Which I did.

At first I didn’t see them, then I noticed a box with cuddly toys on top and had a rummage.  Underneath were four lovely faced baby dollies, who came home with me.

Having been cooped up by the rain so long, with the weather continuing dry, I spent the rest of the day in the garden.

Once Ferretfingers was home and had had his lunch we set the saw-horse up and filled up the log store.  We were at it until after four, by which time I was quite cold so treated myself to a hot chocolate.

I had a happy evening knitting and watching black & white films, until both cats came and sat on me.

It’s dry again today – so far.