Way More Than Our Five A Day ......

When you're out and about in town .......

 ........ your spirits buoyed by the most glorious sunshine ......

 ......... and you find that there's a fair old surfeit of wonderous fruit being proffered on the market  .......

.......  it would look plain rude not to fill your shopping trolley to capacity with just a soupçon of said abundance  ........

...... to loving ensure that your family is fully protected against a serious bout of scurvy or any other related health issues of a vitamin deficient type nature!

Well, it goes without saying that there's little danger of that happening with our beloved, ever fragrant Alice looking after us ...... but hopefully, one of Darrell's stupendous pavlovas could now be in the offing!  What are we like.

Two Ticks

A thrifted vase (£1, Sue Ryder, the other day) and a "bouquet", well, more of a bunch of daffodils if I'm honest  ........

 ...... plus two of the last ticks to be made in April on our 2025 Bucket List Calendar ........

Now, it has to be said that I am no great shakes as to the delicate art of floristry, I simply cut off a little from the bottom of the stems and then plonked said daffs unceremoniously into  the vase ...........

Hopefully, fingers crossed, they will look a little more presentable and appealing when they start to open ........ as and when they do, you, of course, will be the first to know!

With Great Responsibilities .........

With Kata, our lovely neighbour across the hallway, away for a couple of days Eric (formally known as Nigel) has been tasked with the looking after her little boys fish, bought by the Christmas Angel (as Hungarian tradition holds) last year.

This is a position of the uttermost trust and honour, so the little fella has been carrying out his duties with all the seriousness and precision of a military operation, especially with the above in mind.  These are not ordinary fish, these are Kristizan's fish!

 

He has committed himself to turning their light off in the evening at around nine o'clock and then switching it back on again in the morning at around nine, with a cheery "Hello campers!" He has also added the counting all five fish several times over on his own initiative, just in case any have escaped in Kata's or his absence!

Additionally, in the morning, he has to feed them about half a scoop of fish food ......

..... to our relief he hasn't been tempted to dip his finger in to try it, as he says it smells absolutely disgusting!

Duties performed to the letter of his instructions, he can take a little time to take in all the tanks glorious beauty and count said fish again, before he leaves, but if he goes missing at any time we know he's only gone to check and count them again, to wit, eight times yesterday!

We're just a bit worried that after this Eric will be asking for a fish tank of his own, however we are hoping that the great weight of responsibility on his shoulders might deter such a request ........

......... as he says he can't wait for Kata to come home as the worry of keeping five fish safe and well has taken it's toll on his nerves. What is he like?

I Name This Amaryllis Richard

Oh my goodness, it has to be said that Darrell isn't renowned for having the greenest of fingers ....... 

........ however, when Lulu bought him an amaryllis plant as a thank you for his most excellent Easter lunch on Sunday ........

...... he said he was well up for the challenge of succeeding to get it to flourish and bloom, despite his aforesaid minimal skills of horticultural type nature.

The first thing to do, he decided, was give "him" a name to help "him" feel special and wanted and so, said amaryllis was duly christened Richard.

However, the first problem Darrell encountered is that Richard is very inclined to change his position throughout the day, all be it very slowly, in an effort to find the best light ......

...... which although is keeping us constantly amused, Darrell being Darrell would much prefer Richard to aesthetically stand ram rod straight, in ship shape and  Bristol fashion! However, when Darrell's out we are all carefully helping to turn Richard, so that he doesn't become overly bent and in danger of not being able to straighten up properly due to the growing size of his "head".

Then, as well as the above ....... Richard would also appear to be growing at a rapid rate of knots, which has led Eric (formally known as Nigel) to ponder whether to measure Richard's progress each day just to see......

..... as it could be that our current, rather average sized Richard ........

 

........ could become a very much larger Richard indeed in the coming weeks! Of course, as and when we have any further interesting developments, trust us ...... you'll be the first to know ........

A Spooky Omen That "It" Was Meant To Be .....

With us all embracing the fullness of the Easter break and, of course, getting used to calling Eric (formally known as Nigel) Eric ........ 

....... the little fella, had a very significant charity shop moment, that for him, only further confirmed that the natural instinct that had led him to realising unequivocally that he identified far more as an Eric than an Nigel were sooooooo soooooooo right ....... 

....... and was now being confirmed and recognised by the mystical, spooky powers beyond our realm ......

..... in the guise of a mug!

Needless to say a considered purchase was duly made!  What on earth is he like?

Festive Pareidolia Or An Easter Miracle?????

Well, what can I say following all our springtide festivities  .....

 

........ except that we think we have some pretty unequivocal proof ..........

....... that the Easter Bunny really did call chez Towers on Sunday .........

.... as he left us "a sign" in the car parking space, smack-bang right in front of our flat!

I can't tell you how truly blessed we feel in a spooky Eastertide type way!  What are we like?  

The Perfect Eastertide Breakfast

Easter Monday breakfast yesterday was just absolutely, blooming perfect ........

...... two caramel filled eggs ...... 

...... and two dippy Twix fingers!

And ....... it doesn't get any better than that!

What are we like? 

Seasonal Egg Bound Festivities ........

Well, it goes without saying that the Easter Bunny came hopping by The Towers yesterday morning, to start off our much anticipated Easter Sunday .......

........our first with the ever fragrant Alice, which found us not wanting in any sort of festive or celebratory type way!

It was .......sheer, unadulterated Easter egg akimbo!

Darrell prepared his usual Easter lunch parexcellence for the whole family including our beloved niece and nephew ........

........ that left us all feeling un petit egg bound!

......... so to work it off we had an Easter egg hunt in a bubble filled garden, put together by Eric (formally known as Nigel) and Alice, who had excitedly filled small, egg shaped containers with even smaller mini eggs as part of our excited Easter preparation last week, for the little ones to then find and pop in their hunt baskets.

We also took part in charged and competitive egg and spoon races, Easter bingo and a hilarious game of Easter Who Am I and did I mention wind up chick and bunny races and pass the parcel?  It was all brilliant, even on a full stomach!

Yes, it was all too wonderful for words with chocolate covered memories made ........

....... a few pounds added to our collective waistline with much laughter and cracker pulling. Happy, happy, happy Easter days, we hope yours was just as much fun, if not as exhausting!

Good Friday , Hot Crossed Buns And A Huge Announcement.

Well, what can I say, except that it's been a quite eventful and emotional Good Friday morning, a special time to come together and partake in our traditional hot cross bun elevenses that I can ever remember.......

..... because once we had all settled round the table for the aforementioned hot cross buns, I could see that Nigel was fidgety and not himself. I have to admit that I'd noticed that he's not been quite his buoyant self of late, looking tired and a little furrowed of brow, so when he coughed and said he'd was so glad we were all together, as he had something of great import to tell us, I immediately felt myself tense.

He went on, saying that he'd been struggling with something for quite a while and was sorry he had hidden it from us, but he had felt, deep inside, that he really identified more as an Eric than a Nigel and after a great deal of ponderage, he'd finally decided to bite the bullet and change his name officially by Deed Poll, he'd filled out all the forms and from today, he would be known as Eric, if that was alright with us.

We all sat stunned for a moment or two, we never saw this coming and we'd never once suspected that "Nigel" hadn't felt at one with his assigned name, but as far as we were concerned, he was Eric forthwith, but if we did occasionally miss name him as we adjusted to said change, we hoped he would understand and forgive us.

"Eric" (now formally known as Nigel), in turn, let out the most mahooooosive and robust sigh, he had been so afraid of our reaction, silly little sausage!

At that we all embraced and on looking at him with fresh eyes, yes, he really did look like an Eric, the name suited him down to a T or an E!

I have to say that the worry of telling us must have weighed, needlessly, heavy on "Eric's" shoulders, with our unbridled acceptance he looked reinvigorated and totally at peace with himself, exuding the most glorious aura around him ....... and I swear, don't laugh, he looks years younger with the relief!   What on earth am I like?

Flat Pack Easter Eggs Are A Thing

With us being on the very cusp of Easter, Darrell didn't really want to tempt fate by cracking any eggs of a chocolate type nature before the much anticipated hopping by of the Easter Bunny on Sunday morning.

However, we can't help that chocolate still beckons, especially when we are all settled on the sofa for our evenings televisual viewing, so he told Alice that rather than offend said bunny, he'd treated us all to flat pack eggs instead! 

......  what on earth is he like? Not that any of us is complaining!!!!!!