Me on monday

 Please do not judge me but I have a confession to make. 

I started watching Christmas films on Netflix this week. 

I know, it’s too early, it’s not even December yet. But I was home alone, the weather was drab and I wanted someone on in the background while I knitted. These films are always a bit predictable and always have a happy ending but there’s something quite comforting about them.

We had three other couples over for an Indian takeaway meal on Saturday which means that my whole house is tidy and cleaned and I have no housework needed at all (for a few days anyway!) so I am planning to go shopping somewhere today to buy some Christmas cards and a couple of little surprise gifts for Paul’s birthday.

There are a few social events on the calendar this week. Paul’s meeting a friend today, we are both going to lunch with three other friends on Tuesday, I’m meeting up with my ex work colleagues on Thursday then we are out for a meal with friends on Friday. I may need to increase my exercise levels after all that eating out!

It’s Rosie’s birthday on Thursday - six years old. Six going on sixteen 😆 Rachel has organised a couple of surprises for her which I think she's going to love. It's so lovely to see such excitement.

The weather is set to turn colder here this week and I have my newly made hat ready and waiting.  How's it looking where you are?  It's really going to feel like November here as the week goes on. Have a good week x

Me on Monday

 It is a gloriously sunny warm autumnal day here this Monday. The kind of day that makes you feel energised and ready to keep busy! I took this photo yesterday while on our dog walk and we all enjoyed the crunching of the leaves underfoot and the enjoyment of scattering the crunchy carpet beneath the trees in the misunderstanding that one of us could run up a tree to catch a squirrel. Guess who that was 🤔

So a busy, productive morning so far with the weekly shop done, garden tidy ups in progress, a warming soup made out of the left over half a butternut squash from Sunday lunch yesterday, and batch cooking a ragu to put three meals in the freezer. All that before 1pm! 

Can you answer a question for me? I have a voucher for extra loyalty card points next time I buy petrol.

Use instore only. How on earth could I buy a tankful of petrol online? 😆

Me on Monday

 Well that was a quieter weekend than the previous one!

I met up with a friend on Thursday and she asked me how I filled my days now I'm retired.  It sounded a bit glib to say that the days just seemed to get filled up but that's the truth.  

The last month has somehow managed to include a flu vaccination, an annual doctor's check up, a blood test, another appointment to discuss the blood test results (I'm now on statins!) a Covid vaccination, and a dentist appointment.  Then there were passport photos to be taken, applications to renew my passport uploaded, old passports returned and staying in for the delivery of the new one.  Applied on Tuesday and they were here by Saturday! What a great service. 

Let’s not forget the big birthday party on Saturday 

Having the decorator here was the impetus we needed to do some serious decluttering and two plastic bags of clothes and three boxes of old toys, wine glasses and books are currently on their way to a charity shop.  Let's not forget the various hours of childcare, dog walks, coffee with friends, Zumba classes and Friday meet ups with the 'Knit and Natter' ladies.  So although I don't always have a lot to show for my days, I do keep busy!

I think that we have earned a day out and so we went to Cambridge today.  Paul has a December birthday so I like to get his presents sorted early so that I haven't reached gift buying fatigue by his big day.  The trouble is that we are all guilty of buying things we want, then and there, rather than waiting for birthdays but he has a few hobbies and can usually be relied on to come up with a list of ideas.  

So let me share a little of the kind of architecture you see in this beautiful city

Followed by a taste of Sicily from our favourite place for lunch - buon appetito! 

Have a good week!

#WBOYC

 

The end of the year is speeding towards us, let’s see how October panned out as I join in with Australian Deb for What’s Been On Your Calendar

O

Olive had a birthday! She’s been bringing happiness to our family for three years now.  Presents were very much themed around Bluey and Frozen.

C

Christmas plans have been made! My son is hosting the celebrations this year. It is lovely to be the guests rather than the hosts nowadays.

Covid and flu vaccinations - trying to do all we can to keep safe this winter.

T

Tidying up the house. In an effort to speed up the decorating we decided to pay someone to come in and do it for us. Money well spent!  There has been a lot of decluttering and visits to the charity shops to donate things we really don't need to hold onto anymore.

O

Olive and I went to see The Tiger Who Came to Tea at our local theatre. She really enjoyed it.  It was a really good performance, sticking to the original book very authentically.

B

Bidding farewell to one of our Zumba teachers.  Her husband's job move means that her family are moving to Dubai.  A great opportunity for them and the start of an exciting new chapter.  We will miss her, she made classes so much fun but I know we will equally enjoy the return of our previous teacher.  The one who went to South America for six months at the end of last year - do we see a pattern emerging?

E

Entertaining, we had several groups of people over for various meals, but I need to learn to spread it out over the month rather than all in one week.  Three different meals in the space of six days was quite tiring!

R

Renewed our passports and found that the instructions for getting a suitable photo do not give the most flattering picture! I don’t think I ever go through passport control without a smile and not wearing my glasses 😆

Really thrilled to see the Northern Lights in the sky - so very pretty. I'm so pleased we got to see them.

So that was October - fancy seeing a 1 Second Everyday compilation?  Here it is!

See you next month!

What I've been reading in October

 I've definitely slowed down with my reading since the summer - my only book this month was Swimming To Lundy by Amanda Prowse.  This was one of the choices from the online book club run by Leslie.

The main character in this book is Tawrie Gunn who is feeling that life is passing her by.  Still living in the same house in the same seaside town where she was born but tethered to the family home following the tragedy of her father being lost at sea when she was small.  Her mother's grief has resulted in her becoming an alcoholic and Tawrie feels that she has to stay home to help her grandmother to look after her.

As time moves on she feels that there has to be more to life than working in her cousin's cafe, and Tawrie dreams of training to becoming a nurse and then midwife which would be more fulfilling.  Feeling desperate for some kind of change, no matter how small, Tawrie joins the Peacock Swimmers who take a daily swim in the sea.  Unbeknown to Tawrie, there are only two other swimmers but nonetheless she joins the group, swimming in the sea which separates the coastline from Lundy Island which is where her dad drowned.  Being in that area of sea makes Tawrie feel closer to her dad and she finds comfort in talking to him whilst in the water which took his life.

An unexpected encounter with a man named Ed who is visiting the area leads to romance.  Little does Tawrie know that this was not the first time that they met and they aren't the strangers she thought they were.  Furthermore, Ed has a past which he is not in a hurry to reveal.

This is a book which is a bit of a slow burner!  I did enjoy it but it seemed to take a long time to come together.  I felt that Tawrie really needed to have a bit more 'get up and go' but it was clever how the stories of Tawrie and Harriet are intertwined and I enjoyed the description of the location of the story which brought back happy memories of holidays on that part of the English coastline.  If you are looking for an easy read this is a good book to try!

Me on Monday

 Monday finds us in decorating mode again, lounge and dining room this time.  It looks so empty down there with all the picture off the walls and books and glasses out of the display unit.  It's also a time of not knowing where to go or what to do in your own home!  

I'm happy to report that my theatre trip with Olive was a great success.  The actors followed the book word for word and the costumes and set were exactly the same as in the book.  Olive particularly liked the part where the Tiger ate all the food and then danced around the kitchen!  

Rosie and I completed the crystal picture that we’ve been working on, I think I enjoyed it as much as she did! It’s very relaxing ☺️ 

So what else does this week bring?  Well tomorrow is already causing me some anxiety as it starts with a check up at the dentist (I am as bemused as anyone else as to why I should get in a state over a ten minute examination) and ends with a doctor's appointment to discuss the results of my recent blood test. My cholesterol has been raised for the last 4 years but each time they say that my ratio of good to bad is good so I don't need statins.  I'm wondering if now that I am over 65 they may change their mind?

The end of the week see mega childcare - not to mention puppy minding!  Our son and daughter in law are going to a wedding in the Czech Republic so we have Olive and Max here - and Mario the puppy - overnight Friday.  Handing them over to Sophie's sister on Saturday for her turn of looking after them for a night but that evening we have Leo and Rosie staying over (without Daisy) while our daughter and son in law are out at a birthday party.  I predict a very tired Nanny and Grandad on Sunday!

Before we know it, it will be the end of another busy week!

Me on Monday

 I'm typing this whilst admiring the hard work of the decorator who painted our hall, landing and stairs last week.  We didn't realise how tatty the woodwork had become until he started painting over it - what we had thought of as white had actually dulled to a pale cream.  Not any more!  So we have a week's break now and then he'll return to do the lounge and dining room.  

So the big thing to happen unexpectedly last week was the Northern Lights being seen in our skies.

I honestly never thought I would see them so what a lovely surprise.

I'm pleased to report that we had no reactions to our flu vaccination other than an ache in the arm for a couple of days.  I'm relieved that we were feeling well as we unexpected had L & R sleeping over here on Wednesday night - after a day of looking after our other granddaughter, it would not have been good if I'd been feeling under par.

Other unexpected (by us) news is that our son has a new family member.  A springer spaniel who has been named Mario - yes the children were allowed to choose his name!  Boy are they going to be kept busy by that.  

So this week sees me taking Olive to the theatre.  Nothing too highbrow for her first theatre experience - The Tiger Who Came to Tea.  I'm hoping she will enjoy it!  I'll let you know how it goes next week.

As for today, I'm hoping that the rain will stop soon and it will be more pleasant walking around town picking up Olive's birthday present and card.  Have a good week!