Things That Gladden The Heart

[RichA]

What a surreal weekend.
MrsA visited her mum in the care home on Saturday. While she was sorting out some bits at the house, that's in the process of being sold, postie delivered a letter for MiL which MrsA opened when she got back to our house that evening.
The letter was from a bloke in another country claiming to be MiL's son. Nutter/scammer, we obviously assumed.
MiL has dementia, so no point talking to her about it on the phone. MrsA calls her dad, who divorced MiL 25 years ago, on Sunday morning, to ask a few questions.
"Oh ! I thought I'd be dead before this came out," he said.
Turns out MiL and FiL were childhood sweethearts. She got pregnant at 16 and was sent away to have the baby which was immediately given up for adoption. They never spoke about it again, even though they went on to be married for 25 years and have 2 more children together.
We made contact last night and spent an hour on FaceTime with MrsA's new older brother she never knew she had and her new sister-in-law.
And they are delightful.
Our very own "Long Lost Family" live show. Turns out MrsA is actually the middle child, not the eldest, which explains a lot.
And there was I, thinking that my winning a board comp on Saturday would be the highlight of the weekend.

So, following on from this, I collected the long lost brother and his wife from Heathrow yesterday. As MrsA is a teacher and I'm not I've been able to take a few days off work to be in charge of orientation. The last 24 hours has been a roller coaster of emotion and joy with family we didn't know existed a few weeks ago.
Introducing him to his mum and dad for the first time at the weekend is going to be mental.
So far it's been the the most brilliant 24 hours in my living memory.

 

[Piece]

I’m going to play my first round of golf this year tomorrow!

Now go to Random Irritations…

 

[Tashyboy]

So, following on from this, I collected the long lost brother and his wife from Heathrow yesterday. As MrsA is a teacher and I'm not I've been able to take a few days off work to be in charge of orientation. The last 24 hours has been a roller coaster of emotion and joy with family we didn't know existed a few weeks ago.
Introducing him to his mum and dad for the first time at the weekend is going to be mental.
So far it's been the the most brilliant 24 hours in my living memory.

Excellent news indeed, might be a bit early to say “ ey up Mi duck” and rammel. The kings English May well be the best way forward mi duck

 

[Beezerk]

I do like Piet Mondrian’s art, and my b-i-l’s Hard-edge art is inspired from the time in the 1980s and early 90s he worked in New York as a studio assistant for Al Held…thinking you might appreciate Held’s work.

Al Held | Artnet

Al Held was an influential American artist appreciated for his monumental Hard-edge paintings. View Al Held’s 715 artworks on artnet. Find an in-depth biography, exhibitions, original artworks for sale, the latest news, and sold auction prices. See available prints and multiples, paintings, and...

www.artnet.com

Thank you for that never heard of him. Middle Yellow wow

 

[venger]

Cyclists who wear hi visibility clothing and have working lights

 

[PJ87]

The wife is a bit worse for wear this morning zero sympathy as bottomless brunch will have that affect if you go to the pub after aswell

But this is a gladden as its great to see her enjoying herself more often again. Brilliant that she gets on with her new work people , that can always be difficult.

Also the kids (I'm looking at the one who's a pain) stayed in their own beds all night no wake ups

More nights like last night please. Got to catch up with YouTube

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

MiL seems to be settling into the residential care home we’ve found for her. Not sure she realises that it’s not a temporary rehabilitation/recuperation thing…but so far so good. All being well we are reaching the point that the mental and physical stress of the last 12 weeks (actually just the worst period of the last two and half years of stress and worry) my wife has carried, will now start to ease and we can start planning for ourselves.

And it seems that I am being useful support to my Mrs this week as I’m able to do some of the visiting by myself as my wife gets on with other stuff that has to be done.

 

[Golfmmad]

MiL seems to be settling into the residential care home we’ve found for her. Not sure she realises that it’s not a temporary rehabilitation/recuperation thing…but so far so good. All being well we are reaching the point that the mental and physical stress of the last 12 weeks (actually just the worst period of the last two and half years of stress and worry) my wife has carried, will now start to ease and we can start planning for ourselves.

And it seems that I am being useful support to my Mrs this week as I’m able to do some of the visiting by myself as my wife gets on with other stuff that has to be done.

It's always a tough and sad time - in equal measure.

 

[Dando]

Homemade lamb rendang

 

[Neilds]

Homemade lamb rendang

We had homemade lamb shank madras (Tom Kerridge recipe) and homemade ‘naan’ (also TK) this evening, bloody gorgeous

 

[Dando]

We had homemade lamb shank madras (Tom Kerridge recipe) and homemade ‘naan’ (also TK) this evening, bloody gorgeous

Check out the 30 minute curry’s on YouTube

 

[Slime]

Wow, what a player!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

That I can still clearly hear the voice and laughter of my wee sister Isabel who died a year ago today just a few days short of her 60th.

The deep sadness that comes with this and that she died alone in hospital in a coma, I’ll deal with later this morning in reflection and prayer in church among friends - because today that is all I can do for her, and for that I am grateful albeit it a little bit

 

[bobmac]

The clock in my workshop is showing the right time again

 

[PJ87]

The clock in my workshop is showing the right time again

I already have my instructions from the wife's grandad

"Paul can you change the clock on the oven when you come next week"

I did it couple times off my own back early days in our relationship and he just gets me to do it lol think it's more bad that none of his kids or grandchildren offer to do it

Takes me 30 seconds if that, it's the simplest job that oven

I'll reset it again in march

 

[Lord Tyrion]

The clock in my workshop is showing the right time again

My FiL does the same in his car. Used to drive me nuts but he wouldn't let me sort it.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Just back from a beautiful walk around the edges of our village
We had the first rain last night for about 3 weeks and it has freshened things up.
Our little corner of Scotland seems to have missed all the bad weather and heavy rain..
Leaves are all on the turn and the reflections off our small loch is just really bonny, mild and everything is very still

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My wife's lease car went back today. Always the most traumatic of days, will the person collecting be human or will they be an utter jobsworth? On my last lease car, I no longer lease, I had the latter and it left a very bad taste in the mouth as they tried to charge us for multiple damages which were utter nonsense. The person this morning was human, pointed out one issue, he was right, but otherwise gave the car a clean bill of health. And breathe...........

Neither of us lease now so bumps and marks are less relevant. Much less stressful.

 

[Orikoru]

I managed a 9-letter word in my Countdown game on my phone this morning.

 

[Bazz]

Managed 108 miles running this month, well on track for 1000 miles this year, and all it took was 2 young kids giving me a reason to get out the house.