Mah Jong and Other Things

I left home in plenty of time yesterday so I could find some more photos for the scavenger hunt before I had to meet D to learn how to play mah jong. The first one was taken just up the road in Hilperton and the others were taken in Devizes.

No 5 | the garden gate, this always looks like a very dark and forbidding entrance to a home.

No 18 | a chain, securing a bay tree to the wall

No 19 | alley, the first photo shows the 15th century buildings in St John's Alley and the second one shows the shops in The Ginnel.

I don't know Devizes that well but managed to find D's home easily enough. She was very welcoming and had my sense of humour so we hit it off right from the start. She explained about the group and expressed some concern that I may not want to come when I realise that I will be the youngest by at least 10 years but I assured her that it honestly doesn't bother me at all. It's something I was expecting from my previous experience with U3A groups.

D explained the basics of the game and then we had a go. I'd read a little bit online so had some idea of what to do but actually playing the game helped all the various cogs fall into place. The basic game is easy to pick up and I feel confident that I will be able to hold my own when the rest of the group are there next week. D also loaned me a copy of the rule book which will help me understand the intricacies of the game but has suggested I play a few simple basic games without worrying about the scoring before I start learning any of the more advanced approaches.

It's a very tactile game played at a fairly fast pace and I loved it. The two hours simply flew by and I had to rush to get back to my car before my parking ticket expired. If the other group members are as chatty as D I'm sure it will be a fun experience and a perfect addition to my list of activities.

The handyman turned up as promised so I am now waiting for his quote and an idea of when he will be able to do the work, assuming the price is acceptable. 

Two people responded to adverts and bought the C clarinet and an engine for a model aeroplane, so that's two more things out of the house. The charity for autistic adults is interested in all the items I offered them so I boxed everything up and am now waiting for them to collect later this week. That the second thing ticked off on my list of tasks for February - just a gardener to find, a living room to spring clean and a playroom to reorganise and I will have completed the list! The spring cleaning in the living room will be done on Thursday (hopefully). 

I had one music lesson to do in the afternoon and then I settled down for an evening of calligraphy exercises, flute practice, and listening to music. I decided on another early night so was in bed by 9:30 pm.

Today (Wednesday) I am seeing C for the handover of the treasurer's role so that should all be done and dusted by lunchtime. I usually meet S on a Wednesday afternoon but he is not well so we've agreed that he will contact me when he feels able to meet up again. He has lots of serious medical problems so it may be several weeks before that happens but we'll keep in touch by text for now. As I am losing a social activity I've decided to try out the U3A Photography For Fun group which meets once a month on a Thursday afternoon. This doesn't fully replace meeting with S but will be something else to look forward to and, I think, will require me to concentrate on photography more than I am at present ... this can only be a good thing and, if I enjoy it, I can keep going when the weekly meet ups with S resume. I'll tell you more after I go to my first session later this week.

Because I'm not meeting S it means that the rest of today is my own. If it stays dry I may go over to Bradford on Avon to take some more photos for the scavenger hunt or I may drive in to Bath to look for fabric for a blouse. I've bought a second hand dressmaker's dummy so want to get on and make some thing for myself. I've selected a couple of patterns but will look at the available fabric before I decide which one to buy.  

This evening is our designated film evening but, best laid plans and all that, the others have to work so I will snuggle up on the sofa with a warm blanket and a mug of hot chocolate and choose a film to watch on Netflix.