Elderly pursuits

We met on Tuesday morning in Wadhurst - eventually - for a German chat session, as we do twice a month.  It took longer than usual to get there, since traffic was held up following what we now call a road traffic collision at the junction I needed to take.  Another member of the group, who was about ten cars ahead of me in the queue, got there about 10 minutes after me: someone coming the other way had told me what was happening, and advised a detour, so that I was only about a quarter of an hour late.  I’m hoping that the motorcyclist involved has recovered: he didn’t look too good when my fellow converser drove past.

There were only four of us at the conversation session, but we had a pretty good chat in the time available.  I’m hoping a co-hobbyist may join the group.  She has recently joined the U3A, and is looking at both French and German conversation.  Unfortunately, the French group clashes with my art group meetings: a shame, since my French is going to need more maintenance now.

After the German Klatsch, I had then to get home to collect Martyn, and then Celia and Andy, for our lunch date at the Bull at Three Leg Cross near Ticehurst.  Nice, friendly pub, where the others each had two courses of very good fried fish.  The burger I chose was good, but could have done with less exposure to the flame.  Decent house Merlot.

Wednesday’s entertainment was getting the car MoT’d and serviced.  It passed, but has come back with a software update that changes the characteristics of the stop-start thingy.  For the past three years, the car has shut down at the lights and applied the parking brake, kicking in again when you tapped the throttle.  Now, it starts up again as soon as you take your foot off the brake.  I wasn’t told to expect this, and £250 pounds and a fat estimate for other jobs later, am now less enamoured than ever of the motor trade.

Thursday’s art club session was good: we even had a visit from Miss, who provided Martyn with some free but not entirely welcome tuition....oh well.  I finished off a fast and loose piece based on a view I enjoyed  of the Canal Latéral à la Garonne near Meilhan-sur-Garonne when Annie and I went for a walk there one early morning last summer.  The days were getting very hot around then, so we made the most of the dewy mornings.

I might have mentioned that we have each done a snowy painting for this year’s Christmas card, and it is formatted ready for printing.  The printer cartridges have arrived, we have enough card in stock, and the envelopes are ordered.  I just need now to organise a mortgage for the stamps which, each year, cost about a week’s state pension.  Worth every penny, though, since we love sending greetings to family and friends, and receiving theirs in return.

Frustratingly enough, I was stuck in a hobby-related meeting all afternoon yesterday when I’d rather have been in the garden.  Today has been unremittingly wet.  I cropped a handful of beans before the rain came on too heavily this morning, but the dead-heading and grass cutting remain outstanding.  We’ve changed the beds and done five lots of washing, at least, so the day has not been wholly wasted.  The knees are registering the damp climate, however.  It’s a bugger, gettin’ auld, however preferable it may be to the alternative.