Genevieve's Blog begun March 21st 2020...

To be continued...

Sunday March 6th. I’ve had a great week leading up to my 🎈birthday! On Monday George and I went for a health-walk with Rika around the village. When we got back we watched ‘keeping up appearances’ with Hyacinth and Richard Bouquet which was very funny 😂. That evening, Jamie ‘farty-pants’ Waghorne was star 👨‍🍳 cook with Mel when they made pasta 🍝 carbonara with lashings of garlic bread 🥖 ! It was very moreish!
On Tuesday we all went to lunch-club at the hall with Christina and Roy. We sowed Mustard and Cress seeds on cotton wool in yogurt 🍦 pots, which I enjoyed. For lunch we had a very nice chicken 🐔 casserole 🥘.
On Wednesday I had to visit the dentist with Jackie. They polished my teeth and advised me to brush my teeth thoroughly!
Dad rang me first-thing Thursday and we discussed our week, before heading off to Edenbridge for our play rehearsal and getting my and George’s nails done with Katie. We both chose brown for this week. It was good to see Ian back after his week-off.
Friday was my birthday 🎈 🎊 and my and George’s second wash-day and Michael’s weekend home with his dad. In the evening we went to our local Turkish restaurant ‘Efsane’ to celebrate my 🎈 birthday! I had delicious 😋 chicken skewers with a fresh salad on the side. We all enjoyed ourselves then went back to the house for my chocolate 🍫 cake 🎂 made by lunch-club - so much for cutting down on the puds!
On Saturday we met Sam, Lucy and baby Ethan at The Kings Head in Bessells Green and shared a celebratory birthday-lunch. Mum and I had a rather special shepherds pie, Sam had a burger, Lucy had fish and chips and dad had steak - all very nice in front of a roaring log 🔥 fire. We went back to mum and dads for present-giving and a cup of tea ☕️. Having had a blow-out lunch, mum, dad and I just had cheese 🧀 on toast for tea, then watched tv for the evening. Night, night zzzzzz. 

Sunday March 13th. We’ve had a busy week at the house, 🏡 with the decorators finishing off the painting, with only the quiet room left to do. We went to Edenbridge on Monday and we made 🐣 Easter cards with Katie, which was fun. Peter arrived late as he had overslept zzzz, and Katie told him off. On Tuesday we did our trip to the bank to draw out money for the week, then we went to lunch-club. For lunch there was quiche and jacket potato 🥔 with beans and cheese 🧀. Jamie didn’t fancy that and got in a strop, but surprise, surprise, he ate it anyway, so what was the fuss about? - silly boy! The star cook 👨‍🍳 for the week was George with a very good shepherd’s pie, with yet more beans! Sara helped her out with that.
On Wednesday we met up with Ophelia and the guys from SEC and went bowling 🎳 in Chatham. I got a strike which made me feel quite chuffed! On Thursday morning dad rang me and we talked about going to the cinema on Saturday to see Batman, which I was looking forward to!
Friday was bits and bobs day and we did the supermarket shop at Sainsbury’s, where we bought a sandwich for lunch. I had a meatball baguette 🥖.
On Saturday, as planned, mum, dad and I went to 'Everyman Oxted' to see Batman, which was amazing but 3 hours long! We ate at the cinema bistro where mum and I had a ‘naked burger 🍔’ and dad had a chicken 🍔 burger, all very yummy 😋.
On Sunday morning we Skyped Sam and Lucy and waved ‘hello’ to baby Ethan. Next week it’s dad’s 70th birthday so we will see them the following Sunday to 🎉 celebrate the big occasion with lunch at the 'White Rock' pub!

Saturday March 19th. I had a brilliant week this week! I especially enjoyed SEC and seeing all my friends on Wednesday. We went to Bluewater to go bowling 🎳 again! - and guess what? - I got another strike!
On Tuesday night Jackie and George whipped up a great spagbol with garlic bread which was delicious 😋!
At Edenbridge on Thursday Katie did a whacky job with my and George’s nails, mine are orange with yellow spots and George’s are yellow with blue flowers! - very trendy! Dad and I had had a good chat on the phone first thing, talking about our week and his 70th birthday celebrations which seem to have gone on all week - lucky dad!
Friday was Shirley’s birthday 🎈(she’s 68) and we went to the local Tandoori for a curry 🍛, which was very nice 👍.
On Saturday mum came to pick me up on her own as dad had gone out for breakfast with aunty Sue who had stayed over at mum and dad’s following dad’s special birthday lunch 🥗 at ‘the Old Bank’ on Friday. On Saturday afternoon Teagan came to the house to cut and colour mum and my hair. We are meeting Sam and Lucy and baby Ethan at the White Rock pub for lunch tomorrow then present giving back at mum and dads…

Happy Birthday dad!

Sunday March 27th - Mothers Day! On Tuesday Kelly and I looked for flowers for mum. Kelly suggested we look on 🌙 🐷 ‘Moonpig’. We found a gift-package that sent a patio rose 🌹 and chocolates in a nice wicker basket with a photo-card and a bottle of prosecco! Kelly helped me make the photo-card with a picture of mum and me at last year’s barbecue. After mum and dad had picked me up on Saturday, we drove to the Jobber’s Rest pub in Upminster to meet Sam, Lucy, Ethan, Nina and Marie for a triple mother’s day lunch. I had Salmon followed by apple 🍎 pie and custard. It was delicious 😋 ! We went back to Sam & Lucy’s and all sat in the sun in the garden for a cup of tea ☕️. Ethan was very giggly to start, but got 😴 tired in the end, so when Nina and Marie left we took him for a walk to try and get him off to sleep 😴 zzz. We left Sam & Lucy doing  a second circuit as we had to go. When mum, dad and I got back to their house, 🏡 the Moonpig flowers had arrived! Mum was quite 😊 excited and very impressed with the contents including a pretty pink patio rose 🌹with several buds which she put on the windowsill. Having had such a big lunch, we only had cheese 🧀 on toast for tea. We watched Celebrity Mastermind and then my ‘Wonderwoman’ dvd. We had seen this at the cinema, but still enjoyed it! Mustn’t forget that the clocks go forward tonight… Yippee, Summer's on the way! 

Saturday 2nd April When I got up Sharon told me that I couldn’t go to mum and dads because they had Covid! I got quite upset 😭 but dad phoned the house to talk to me. He assured me that they would both be well by next Saturday and I could see them then. Sharon and Mel took us all to Ruxley Garden Centre for a day out and lunch, as it was Michael’s birthday 🎈. On Sunday we watched tv and cooked a roast chicken 🍗. We went to Edenbridge on Monday and Rochester with SEC on Wednesday. On Tuesday I went to the bank with Mel and took out my housekeeping money, then went to lunch-club where we had salmon for lunch. We played ‘beetle-drive’ and made Easter cards. On Thursday we discovered that staff at Edenbridge had Covid, so we couldn’t go. Friday was bits and bobs day and we made Easter basket cup-holders.

Sunday 10th April We went to Sevenoaks yesterday. It was a lovely sunny ☀️ day and we had lunch at Gail’s with our favourite parmesan chicken burger 🍔 and coffee! ☕️ We went to Marks and mum bought a new handbag for the girl’s trip to Bruges. I bought a birthday 🎈 card for boyfriend number 2. and dad bought shampoo and deodorant from Boots the Chemist👩‍🔬. Mum made moussaka for tea then we watched Sean the Sheep ‘Farmaggeddon’ which was very 😂 funny. 

This morning we had to Skype Sam and Lucy at 10 while Ethan was 💤 😌 sleeping, as they were going to Mass at the Catholic Church afterwards. They told us they had seen Rev. Kevin and Caroline in Cafe Nero and had had a good chat with them. We are all going to meet up sometime soon. Dad said it would have been the first time that they had seen Kevin without a dog-collar on!
  We have agreed we will go to theirs on Bank holiday Monday to celebrate 🐣 Easter and I am going to pay for Ethan’s high chair as a present 🎁!

Dad and I have started working on 'Spring'  for our Seasons project...

Saturday 16th April. We’ve had a fairly busy week, though Edenbridge was shut on Monday. On Tuesday at lunch-club we had a roast chicken 🐔 dinner then had an ‘egg & spoon’ race which was great 👍 fun!
On Wednesday we met the SEC guys at Darenth Country Park where we had coffee ☕️, then went to Weatherspoons for lunch.
Dad rang me on Thursday and said I was very jolly!
Mum picked me up on Friday for 🐣 Easter and we went to Sevenoaks for lunch and to do some shopping. Mum bought a new purse 👛 and some stationary dad wanted. Dad and his friend Stuart were hanging banners and posters for Westerham’s ‘Beating the Bounds’ fair on May Bank-holiday Monday. I'll write some more tomorrow...

Sunday 17th April Yesterday mum, dad and I spent the day gardening as it was warm and sunny ☀️. Mum and I started to clear the borders while dad cut out the old wineberry canes and trained in the new ones in the 🐔 chicken run. Its always a difficult job which dad hates as its prickly and scratchy! We all did lots of snipping and cleared all the cuttings into the garden bin, then had scrambled egg and beans on the new bottom patio with a nice cup of coffee. We went to Sainsbury’s for the week’s shop then walked up to The Grasshopper for a beer 🍻 in the sun. When we got back I helped dad make spagbol for tea. We watched Casualty and a music documentary on Oasis which went on for a long time! Time for bed 😴 zzz. I woke up this morning to another sunny ☀️ day, so we’ll probably go for a coffee ☕️ at Deli di Luca and do some more gardening. Tomorrow we are off to see Sam, Lucy and Ethan for Easter lunch…

Saturday 23rd April. It’s a Longfield weekend this week, so we all went out for a health walk with Rika around the town. On Saturday night we had fish 🐠 and chips with mushy peas to celebrate Dominic’s birthday.
On Sunday we watched the soap’s omnibus and had roast chicken 🐔, followed by apple 🍎 crumble and custard, my favourites!
We had a busy week including a trip to Rochester with the SEC guys including Barry and Mark.
Saturday 30th April was a visit to mum and dads. Dad was quite busy getting ready for ‘Beating the Bounds’ on Monday, so mum and I went to the supermarket for the weekly shop and bought baby 👶 clothes for Louise and Johns new baby girl, Isla Rae. On Sunday mum and I went to Pollhill Garden Centre where we bought a new doormat, a solar powered garden lamp and a picture book and spoon and fork for Ethan to match his cup and bowl. 🍚 We are having moussaka for tea, then its the Fair on the Green tomorrow - hurrah! Lucy and her dad are both playing live music along with dad’s friends the Alpacas. It should be a good day!

7th May It’s a Longfield weekend with Rika this one. We went for a walk around the village, and to the park as the weather was dry. Spring flowers are coming up and the hedges are getting green.
On Friday we all went to Rochester on the train with Sara where we had lunch at Costa (I had carrot cake!) 🍰 and bought bits and bobs for our bathrooms. 🚽 On Sunday we had a roast 🐔 chicken cooked by Shirley and Sara which was very nice 👍.

14th May It’s a weekend at mum and dad’s and mum and I are going to see Teajen for a cut and colour. We look good party girls now, and are ready for lunch 🥗 at Jill’s tomorrow!

Sunday 29th May At mum and dads again this weekend, hurrah! Mum and I went to Polhill Garden Centre to buy plants 🌱 for our hanging baskets and some more plants for the borders that mum and dad’s Ukranian Gardner Halyna has cleared. Dad says she’s a great Gardner and is very thorough! We’ve got an exciting two weeks coming up, with the Queens 👸 Jubilee next Saturday and Sunday, then we go away on holiday to Winchester with Sam, Lucy and Ethan. We’ve got a pretty little canal-side cottage just outside the town - really looking forward to it! We’re still rehearsing for our Jungle-book play in July at Edenbridge, and it's going well. I’m hoping our DIY man Gary will decorate my room while we’re away, as it looks like a tart’s boudoir at the moment, I’ve gone off the candy pink and am going for pale lilac instead! On Wednesday we are having a Jubilee street-party at PHAB and have been making 👑 crowns for the occasion! Gary in the house has had his nails painted gold to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee!

Saturday 11th June. We had a fab Jubilee picnic on The Green and Lucy sang beautifully, along with the other girls, Lilah and Millie. Dad had decorated the house with lots of bunting and it looked very jolly! On the Monday morning we headed off to the holiday cottage near Winchester. Lucy, Sam and Ethan were already there and it was lovely! It was an old lock keepers cottage on the Itchen canal which ran by the front 🚪 door, and it had been beautifully decorated and furnished. That first evening we walked into Winchester by the river and had a meal at the ‘Bishop on the Bridge’ pub which was very nice. 👍. On Tuesday we met up with dad’s friends Paul and Becky and went to a very nice Italian restaurant called ‘3 Joes’ that Becky knew. Sam and Lucy went back early to give Ethan his tea (he’s now weaning to solids) and mum, dad and I went with Paul and Becky to a really quirky pub near our cottage called ‘The Black Boy Inn’ for a drink 🥃. The place was filled with stuffed animals and crazy 😜 objects and was great fun! On Wednesday we went to Alresford and met mum’s brother’s Richard and Frank and Frank’s wife Gill for lunch in a pub. We had a good time and a very nice meal, with fish and chips all round! On Thursday we went for a long walk beside the canal to a 13th century men’s refuge called ‘The Hospital of St Cross’. We had cake 🍰 and ☕️ tea, then took a long walk back into Winchester for lunch at the abbey. In the evening, dad cooked a yummy 😋 chilli and rice 🍚 🍛 for our last evening. The following morning we packed our 💼 bags and said goodbye to the cottage. We had decided to split the journey back with a stop-✋-off for lunch 🥗 at Shere village near Guildford. What a pretty place! We had a lovely final lunch at ‘The Waddling Duck’ restaurant then a walk around the village before we said our goodbyes. Mum, dad and I got home quite quickly, but it took Sam, Lucy and Ethan over two hours, poor things…

Saturday 25th June I’ve had a good fortnight starting with our fashion show at Edenbridge, before the Longfield weekend. I was one of the models on the catwalk and mum was very proud of me! We bought some nice 👗 dresses and mum won a raffle prize! This week we’ve been a bit grounded as the mini-bus got hit by a lorry and has had to go in for repair! We have a courtesy car but it can’t transport us all.
We did a health walk on Tuesday then had a bacon 🥓 sandwich at Nancy’s, not the best combination I suppose!
At Edenbridge I made a collage with Katie which I enjoyed. On Friday we went to the Angel Sport Centre in Tonbridge and played ‘It’s a knockout’ which was great fun!
Mum and dad's Ukranian friend Halyna has done a great job tidying up thier front garden at 'Colpetty'.
This afternoon we are going to see the new ‘Top-Gun’ film called Maverick, then tomorrow we are going to Sam and Lucy’s to celebrate Father’s Day with lunch at the Cafe. Ethan will join us in his high-chair now he’s on solid food!

Sunday 10th July. Its been a good two weeks. We went to Lunch club and had a sing-along which was great fun, though Jamie got a bit grumpy 😡 over lunch as he didn’t like prawns 🍤 with his jacket potato 🥔 so they gave him baked beans instead!

On Tuesday last George, Gary, Shirley and I went to the nail bar and had our nails done - candy pink for me, silver for George, mauve for Shirley and bright red for Gary. Our local cat 🐈 Tiger 🐯 was around as the weather was hot and there are nice shady spots in our garden. The mini-🚌 bus has been mended and we’ve got it back now, so the courtesy car has gone, hurrah!

On Wednesday I went bowling 🎳 with SEC and got a strike! There were two birthdays this week, Louise’s and Jamie’s. We went out for a curry 🍛 with Louise and went next door to Efsane, our local Greek restaurant with Jamie. I had chicken 🍗 kebabs with chips which was yummy! 😋

Mum and dad had a tree-man in to cut down the front hedge and kill the ivy on the big beech tree on the bottom patio. It will take a few weeks to die, but will save the tree which is a very nice copper beech. I couldn’t believe the size of the ivy which has been growing round the tree for years! Mum and dad have said goodbye to Halyna, their Ukranian gardener as she is taking her young family back to Trenobyl in Ukraine. It is sad for us as mum and dad have enjoyed seeing her, and loved all her hard work ine the garden, but its hopefully a happy 😁 moment for the family as they will be reunited again. I’m looking forward to seeing Sam, Lucy and Ethan again when they come over to mum and dads in early August. Yippie !

Sunday 24th July. I’ve had a good 😊 fortnight with the guys at Longfield, but its been very hot so we didn’t go out on Monday which meant no Edenbridge! Jean has cancelled our play ‘Junglebook’ because what with Covid and other absences, we are not ready! We will instead start planning our Christmas Panto ‘Cinders versus Covid’. I’m playing one of the not-so ugly sisters called Pfizer, Gary is Astrazeneca and Alan is playing the wicked stepmother! On Wednesday we went to ‘The Goose’ in Dartford with SEC and played pool which I enjoyed. We were there for lunch and I had fish 🐟 and chips.By Thursday it had cooled down a bit so after my morning phonemail from dad, we went to Edenbridge and I had my nails done - bright blue and sparkly! George had hers painted white - very Essex! We had our packed lunch after that and I sat with Michael and had my Coronation Chicken roll which was very nice, if a bit messy! In the afternoon we did computers with Tania. Friday was bits & bobs day. I went to the Co-op with Sara and Louise and bought Malteasers, a can of Coke and my girly magazine ‘Puppy Club’. Louise bought a packet of Kit-Kats. In the afternoon we watched ‘Kill Bill’ on Netflix. On Saturday mum and dad took me to Sevenoaks. We had lunch at Bill’s then did some shopping. I bought some baby 👶 clothes for Ethan at Jo-Jo’s and dad bought a straw hat to keep him cool 😎 . I thought it suited him, but mum didn’t like it! In the evening we went to the Kings Arms for a drink and in walked Patrick and his wife Sharon. We sat down together and in walked Liz and Dudley! They joined us and we had a very pleasant evening!