under another sun

Roofers today, arriving punctually and scrambling up the scaffolding and at their roof business with gusto. Polite hard working guys, one was the son of the owner, and two young Geordies. Once they were about their business, and had done most of the job by the afternoon when they packed up. While they were working Lorraine and I drove off to the new Lidl in Hove, which has wide isles and we bought a few bits and pieces there, including lagers. It was not very busy, and so it seemed quite a pleasant place, and the prices were great.  The roofers packed up mid afternoon, muttering warily about rain about to come and so on. There was no rain -- it has been very dry here lately. However holes have been covered up in the roof.  Lorraine and I sat in the front room in the afternoon reading and chatting, listening to the front door banging as they carried loads of stuff out. And after they left, we found that the lock had been loosened with the continual banging of the door on the la...

Lorraine and I had a happy day, pootling off to Shoreham to choose paint for our bathrooms, and bits and pieces for the house in  Dunelm, and popped into Lidl  to buy some food. Just felt cheery to be zooming off in the car on a bright day to go shopping a little further afield. We were pleased together out of there as it was an unpleasant experience, with a woman getting panicky and aggressive as she tore around the place. It was crowded too, with few wearing facemarks. We bought some a crate of the nice lager they sell there, and a small bottles of rum and gin.  Only when we were home did we find the security tags had not been taken off, so we will have to return to the store again at some point. I tweeted them about it, but the offered no solution other than returning to the store. Nevertheless, a restful afternoon and evening. I even had a cheeky snooze. Then vegetarian chilli and binge watching Modern Family .

Another day of honest labour. Although slightly less arduous today. Lorraine and I got up early, and drove off to Burgess Hill where we recycled bags of soil, and then went to Dorton reclaim, reclamation yard by the station festooned with various bits of architectural salvage. A fascinating place. Lorraine and I bought large pieces of broken slabs there to use in the great garden design. Amazing photos to be taken there, if you weren't on a mission. Then home again, and carried the slabs down into the garden. Then the last of the black bags of soil off to the recycling by the racecourse, and then down to Lidl to do some shopping. It is definitely cheaper there, and there are things you can buy that aren't in sainsbury's. Then home, a feed, and then the complex business of laying the pieces on the membrane with sand under them, in preparation to be surrounded by a river of cobbles and pebbles. This done, tired at the end of the day, we simply sat on our patio and drank...