An ordinary day

Written by a 63 year old retired female voluntary sector project co-ordinator living in Scotland.

An Ordinary Day Thursday 12th August

Woke early with a start – someone going to work let the close door bang shut. Could not go back to sleep so lay and listened to Radio 4 till about 8.45. Got up, had breakfast reading – am working my way through Lindsay Davies’ ‘Falco’ series again, checked e-mail, showered, did back exercises tho not all that helpful as legs and back still sore.

House very quiet as daughter and boyfriend went out very early as both have trouble with sleep at the moment – going for breakfast and daughter getting her hair cut. Went out to collect parcel from GPO and get newspaper and some odds and ends – including chocolate for icing daughter’s birthday cake, which will be made this afternoon. Her birthday is tomorrow – Friday 13th!

At the moment there’s lots of building work going on around here to upgrade several blocks of flats including substandard flats, which the newspapers have suggested that some local landlords were making a lot of money from by renting them out to refugees. There have been local protests about landlords doing this especially from the far left As a result dust, grime and scaffolding everywhere. The City Council appears to be funding the work tho I am not sure why if the flats are privately owned but the buildings do look much better. Daughter was in when I got back – her hair was fine but she was anxious it was too short. The colour was very nice. We had a bit of a chat and she went off to bed.

Had lunch, did small crossword in the Guardian and read Glasgow Herald. Found out Jimmy Reid the Clydeside activist in1970s died yesterday - a great speaker. He was elected Rector of Glasgow University in 1972 and made a rousing speech at his inauguration. Decided to make the birthday cake in an organised manner. Got all the ingredients together, prepared the tins, put the oven on – measured everything - then put it all in the mixer and into the tins. Not sure how it will work as it is made with gluten free flour as I can’t eat wheat. I then found myself licking the mixing bowl clean! Very tasty. It looked and smelled ok when baked. Set it aside to cool – will make butter cream filling and melt chocolate for topping later.

Wrote out card for daughter, who is now fast asleep, exhausted by going for haircut. Had cuppa and biscuit then washed mixer etc and also kitchen floor, which was full of chocolaty smears and bits Realised no idea what I want for tea as am full of chocolate cake mixture. Had a poke around in freezer and found vegetable hotpot – looked ok. Will eat it later. Iced and filled cake – looks pretty good. Watched TV including tape of programme on the Domesday Book – very interesting. Watered tomato plants – no sign of any flowers yet and then went to bed.