gfrancie | back and forth and in between.

When we were visiting the library in Goring one of the librarians offered us tea and biscuits. Hee. Isn't that delightful? There were a couple of Mums sitting about looking at books while their children were looking at books and drawing pictures and everyone had tea and biscuits. And they weren't crap biscuits either.
I know a number of people who would enjoy that scene.
It wasn't loud or crazy. It was quite cheerful and peaceful.
Tea room meets a library if you will.
The children's section was tiny but filled with a ton of terrific books for a wide variety of ages. I can definitely see why Mr. Jenner liked that place when he was a child. (though they didn't serve tea and biscuits then)

When we stopped at a service station on the M4 I went to get some fruit, beverages and jaffa cakes for the journey. Just as we had arrived there were Fire Engines leaving. Oh boy fire engines. (someone had pulled the alarm) They had a Marks & Spencer Simply Fresh which is kind of expensive -at least more than the usual fare offered in a service station but they had good fruit (even organic stuff if you are in a smug foodie mood) and some nice looking juice. Usually on a road trip one is inclined toward starchy salty goodness (which I am) but maybe with impending age I am seeing the usefulness in getting some fruit while traveling. It makes a person feel a little less bloated and grumpy. No one wants to deal with a Lucy Van Pelt in the car. The grapes weren't bad. I had never really cared for grapes until I became pregnant. I would eat them now and then if they were there and there wasn't an alternative but there was something about the texture of grapes that put me off. (yet I liked raisins)Now I rather like them. I am partial to green ones.
Okay so that was a bit of a tangent about grapes.
But I made up for all that healthful eating by getting a packet of jaffa cakes for the road. I thought about getting crisps but they didn't have bacon ones so it was obviously a sign not to go crazy.
I did have a look at the "muffins" offered. Good lord. I have had their jaffa cake muffins (

bbcaddict I promise to bring one to you) but they also offer mars bar muffins. They definitely want to go for broke. There is no allusion to healthy eating here. I kind of like it. Maybe they will come out with a bacon and beer muffin with a chocolate glaze on top. If not I have just invented obscene decadence on the go.
Obscene decadence for breakfast! A bit like pancakes and sausage on a stick. Jimmy Dean let's go into business together.

Yesterday when we took Senor Onion to the beach it was exciting to see him pleased by the experience. It was windy and the waves were loud but he spent the entire time giggling and babbling away. It is foolish to say, "Oh yes my child will be a water baby and will adore the beach like his parents" (because children have a good habit of changing their minds and being their own person -thank goodness) But it is nice to know we can presently enjoy it together. Even a walk on the sand, looking at rocks and bits of shell is fascinating.

Today Mr. Jenner's Grandma is coming to visit. She is known for saying very funny things without meaning to. I think I have mentioned this but one time at dinner one of Mr. Jenner's brothers was talking about someone in the village known to smoke a lot of weed. Only they referred to it as wacky tobaccy I believe. She very innocently asked what that was and Dr. Jenner replied in his serious scientist voice, "it's a slang term for marijuana Mother." There was a second of silence and she said, "Oh? Do people still smoke that?" And then I think she asked someone to pass the mustard.
There was much snorting and light giggling at the table.
She also asked me in front of a large crowd of relations, (this was soon after I had become engaged) that I wanted children didn't I and I liked them right?
When she had heard some friend of Mr. Jenner's didn't plan on having children she remarked, "Oh, and she seemed like such a nice girl." *snorts*
I like her very much.