Me on Monday

This appears to be a week when we thought we knew what we were doing, but then fate stepped in and pulled the rug from under our feet!  

Our daughter starts a new job today, full time but working from home.  She is a very organised person, and has had plans for all childcare sorted down to the last minute.  We were going to be helping out with school drop offs and pick ups just while she got into her new routine and I was also going into the school nursery with Rosie while she had her first trial morning tomorrow.  

So we were all taken a bit by surprise this morning when Leo woke with a high temperature and feeling unwell and ... you can guess what it was, can't you?  Oh yes.  All those carefully made plans and new routines all thrown into disarray.  Of course they didn't have to test him, the law doesn't say you have to any more, and a few years ago they would have just kept him off school until his temperature went down and he was feeling better.  However, they had a spare test and their conscience wouldn't let them ignore the signs so here we are.  He's actually likely to be well behaved while his mum is having meetings with her new boss online, a bottle of apple juice on one side and a few snacks on the other and he will happily watch Pokemon on the tv for an hour.  Kids are well known for being more demanding once they are feeling better!  

This has come after a lovely weekend, a lot of which involved being with Leo 😳

We went to see the summer show which his drama group were performing; there may have been a little tear in my eye when he stepped up to the microphone to speak his lines.  Then on Sunday we had all the family here for lunch and with hindsight I am truly thankful that it was a glorious afternoon and we spent the whole time in the garden!

So I don't dare tempt fate by pretending to know what this week here holds, but I will have some spare time to continue with my blanket

As you can see, I am a little behind schedule, all those gaps should be filled but I don't want to rush it and once it is finished, it's finished and I'll having nothing to do!  I've certainly learnt a lot from this and think that maybe now I could stop referring to myself as a 'beginner'!  

What I've been reading in June

 I was looking forward to starting a new book after last month's disappointment and the book club choice for June sounded more my 'cup of tea'.

The book is The Love of my Life by Rosie Walsh.

Leo writes obituaries for a newspaper and is married to Emma who is a marine biologist.  Newspapers often keep a stock of obituaries of well known people so that in case of a sudden death, the majority of research has been done and they can go to print almost immediately.  Emma is well respected in her area of expertise and has been a popular presenter on various media outlets, so when she is diagnosed with a serious illness, Leo begins to compile the obituary that he hopes he will not have to publish.  It is almost a coping mechanism to deal with making sure that her life is well documented.

However, as Leo delves into Emma's past he is shocked to discover that she is not the person he thought she was.  The past that she has shared with him seems to be built on a complete pack of lies.

While Leo is desperately trying to make sense of what he is learning, Emma realises that the stitches of the story she has told him are gradually unravelling.  She loves Leo and their daughter Ruby with a passion, and knows that she has to find a way to prove to him that she is the person that he fell in love with while begging his forgiveness for the fact that she has lied to him from the moment they met.  How can she save their relationship and regain his trust if she tells him the truth about her life before they met?

The chapters of the book alternate between the point of view of Leo and Emma and it is interesting to see how the curiosity of Leo is peaking at the same time that Emma realises that her lies may be becoming unpicked.  This was a 'just one more chapter before I turn off the light' book!

I enjoyed this book - it deals with some very emotional subjects and at the end you realise exactly she took such drastic action when she found herself in an impossible situation.  The pain and fear of being discovered that she had suffered every day since they met was immense.  

I didn't recommend that you should read the books I read in May, but thankfully the first of the June books kept me engrossed.

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I originally saw my next book on Gail's blog.  The Impulse Purchase by Veronica Henry.  

We first meet Cherry, Maggie and Rose - mother, daughter and granddaughter - at the retirement party for Cherry's husband.  Approaching her 70s, Cherry is pondering how  life is going to change when he finishes work and they have so much free time ahead of themselves to do what they want. After accidentally walking into a room and thinking she sees her husband in a 'too close for comfort' situation with an ex-student of his, she begins to wonder if the retirement they had planned may not pan out as she thought.

The following day she goes back to the village where she grew up; the family house has been sold following the death of her mother and she wants to return for one last look before she hands back the keys. While in the village she notices that the local pub is up for sale and ... I think you can guess what the 'Impulse Purchase' in the title of the book refers to!  

This was a lovely, easy read.  I could visualise the pub and the lovely community spirit of the village - it would be a great place to live!  We learn about the challenges that each of the women in the family are living with although I had a feeling all the way through that this would be a 'happy ever after' kind of book.  Veronica Henry has a very easy to read style and if you are looking for a light, feel good book, then this one fits the bill.

So that was June's reading list.  I have a couple of 'proper' paperback books on my shelf for the next month, it will be nice to have a book in my hands rather than my kindle for a change. 

Me on Monday

 I'm in a catching up situation this Monday.  Catching up on my crochet that is!  I had been managing to keep up with the 'crochet-a-long' but the events of last week meant my crochet mojo wasn't there so much.  I was supposed to be making four sunset squares, and 4 flowers by the beach postcards.  This is how far I have got ...

One of each!  Must try and make some more time this week, especially now those scorching hot days have passed.  I met up with my friend for a coffee on Friday and when I got back to my car (which I had parked in the shade) the temperature was showing as 33.5 🌞

It was Father's Day here this weekend, both 'kids' came to see Paul in the afternoon and Rachel also even arrived at 7am with hot croissants fresh from the bakery!  Max had come home from nursery with a little poster answering questions about his Daddy.  Apparently Jon's favourite place to go is 'the jungle', his is very good at 'jumping', the best things about him is 'cuddles and kisses' and his job is ... 'singing and dancing'  Interesting about the last one!  

So this Monday finds me with good intentions to find a few hours to get at least one more of those last week crochet pieces before the next week's instructions are released.  I don't want to put myself under pressure to just get things done to catch up, I want to keep enjoying the process and if I've fallen behind schedule, (I'm sure I'm not alone!) then so be it.

There's a haircut in the diary for later this week, and a lunch out with ex work colleagues to celebrate one of them becoming a grandmother (any excuse for a get together!). 

Have a good week!

The camera never lies ... or does it?

 If you look at these photos that I took on Tuesday 

You may see a happy dog on a picnic blanket eagerly hoping that a piece of cheese may fall out of a bread roll and be hers for the taking

You may see two people and a dog relaxed and enjoying a trip to the seaside in the sunshine.

It doesn't tell the whole story.  Yes we went to Frinton, took a picnic lunch, Coco enjoyed sharing our cheese, we walked along the sea front and made the most of being in the sunshine.  But Tuesday was probably the most stressful day I have had since my mum died 25 years ago.  My sister had been admitted to hospital that day with very ominous symptoms and was having all manner of examinations, blood screening and CT scans.  I knew that being at home with nothing to do except consult Dr Google, and worry about all those worst case scenarios was not going to be good for me so we jumped in the car and headed for the coast.  

I am beyond relieved to say that the tests she has had so far have shown nothing sinister.  She is still very unwell, and it all seems a bit of a mystery, but hopefully now the worst diagnosis has been ruled out she can lose some of the anxiety and gradually regain some strength.  

Although it was a horrendously, long stressful day it had the added benefit of me finding the first photo for the Summer Photo Hunt.  

 Numer 3 - Stairs.  It feels like every year I manage to include a beach hut somewhere in the list!  

So it is the hottest day of the year so far here today - we have a very hot dog in the house already and I've already forewarned her that 'afternoon walkies' will not be happening until later this evening.  Is it just as hot (or hotter?) where you are?  Any tips for keeping cool?

Me on Monday

 It's Monday - again!  They certainly come round fast don't they?  

This Monday finds me

Pleased - that my crochet blanket is coming along nicely.   I am somehow managing to keep up with the work that needs to be done each week and learning lots of new things

This is the central part of the blanket - it has 'postcards' around the edge, here is the first one (second one is currently in the finishing off stages!) I am planning to do some little appliqués to add to the sand/sea/sky oblong blocks next to the hearts to add some more interest but that will have to wait for a little.

Liking - The idea of this bench which has been installed overlooking the lake

The little blue plate says 'Chatter Bench.  Sit here if you don't mind someone stopping to say hello' it's a nice way of letting people know that you are happy to stop and have a chat and also lets people know that you may welcome someone starting a conversation

Worrying - About my sister.  She has returned home from a three week trip to Portugal early as she really is quite unwell.  She's not one to make a fuss so the fact that she has come home two weeks early makes me think that something untoward may be going on.  

Getting back - to routines this week. Max is back from holiday and will no doubt be full of energy and mischief when he is here on Wednesday, Zumba is back too on Thursday,  the only slight difference is no Rosie on Tuesday as R doesn't start her new job for another couple of weeks so she is making the most of having 'Mummy and Rosie Days'. 

Looking forward to - a week of sunny days in the forecast, let's hope that they have got their predictions right!

How is your Monday looking?

Me on Monday

 It's been a social whirl of a long weekend, celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - or the 'Platty Jubes' - 70 years on the throne, what an achievement.  It has not been known before and I very much doubt it will ever happen again.  So what a great excuse to celebrate!  She really has dedicated her whole adult life to her country and I am so pleased that she has been well enough to participate in a few of the organised events.  Not to mention hosting Paddington Bear at the Palace before the concert on Saturday night - what a good sport she is for joining in video clips like these.

The celebrations where I live started on Thursday; we spent the afternoon at one of our neighbours enjoying a few glasses of wine and a barbecue.  It's not often we get to spend much time with our neighbours even though we live in a cul-de-sac, it's usually just a quick wave and a hello as people come and go so it was a lovely opportunity to have a proper chat.  Then we popped home, collected Coco and went into town to meet some other friends in the town park where the community beacon was lit as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacon event where thousands of beacons up and down the country were lit at the same time.

 On Friday we had Rachel and her family here for a Jubilee lunch, we set up an obstacle course in the garden for Leo and Rosie, the sun was shining so we were able to eat outdoors - it was lovely.  (Jon and family were still isolating due to Olive's chicken pox!)

We had a clash of arrangements on Saturday; another part of our street was planning a street party on Sunday but the weather forecast changed considerably and it looked like it would be raining all day so they moved it forward a day.  But we already had plans for Saturday afternoon so we popped along to the street party for an hour and then headed to our friends for a garden party barbecue.  

Do you recognise me?  

So, we have made the most of our days, eaten and drunk too much celebration food and drink and I've now run out of red, white and blue clothing!

At the moment it looks like I don't have many plans for the week, but it's surprising how things suddenly appear in the diary when you aren't expecting them.  J and family are on holiday this week so no childminding for Max again this week, it the sun comes back again I think it may be the perfect opportunity to take my new car out for a day somewhere nice!

A sentence a day in May

 Day 1 Friends came over for Sunday lunch, they moved about an hour away so we don't see them as often as we did when they were local so it was nice to have them come over for the afternoon

Day 2 Bank Holiday Monday - Family lunch where if you look carefully you will see that Leo has discovered that sticking your tongue out when someone wants to take your photo is very funny (No Sophie or Olive as they had been invited to a baby shower!)

Day 3 Rosie came for the day, we popped to the shops to buy a greeting card and it ended up costing me over £10 as the shop also sold newspapers and magazines and we could not possibly leave without buying one all about princesses and a Pokemon one for Leo

Day 4 Max came for the day - along with Kiki the koala who is on loan from his nursery as a reward for being a good boy last week

Day 5 No Zumba - I'd like to say I did some other exercise instead but it wouldn't be true!

Day 6 Haircut followed by pizza and a glass of wine in the sunshine, followed by an evening of babysitting L&R - and Daisy (who was the most trouble to calm down and get to sleep)

Day 7 Booked a 4 day UK break for September, taking Coco with us for her annual holiday.

Day 8 My sister's birthday! A lovely sunny day so spent much of the day tidying up the garden

Day 9 Caught up with the housework - not my favourite way to spend a day!

Day 10 Had Rosie here today, she set up a corner in the lounge as a school with her as the teacher (obviously!) and three baby dolls as the pupils, so cute.

Day 11 Paul did his volunteer day at the park so it was just me and Max here today

Day 12 Zumba this morning, Paul went to visit a friend who lives about an hour away and stayed overnight 

Day 13 Pizza lunch with friends today - why does drinking wine midday always make me sleepy in the afternoon?  

Day 14 Memorial gathering for an ex work colleague who died last year - was good to chat to her sons and tell them just how lovely she was to work with and how she remained a good friend even after we both left the company

Day 15 Rachel and family came for Sunday lunch but left early as Leo and Rosie had been invited to a birthday party - Max came out in chicken pox!

Day 16 Visited a garden centre in the morning and spent the afternoon planting out the bits that we bought - a good day's work.

Day 17 Had Rosie for the day

Day 18 Dropped Coco at my sister's as a practice run for when we are away, we went to Cressing Temple barns

Day 19 A sunny day spent in the garden

Day 20 Jon, Max and Olive came for lunch then we popped over to Rachel's where Paul was helping James clear a tree which had fallen into their garden (one of the hazards of living near a wooded area!

Day 21 Went to my cousin's home with my sister and brother in law for our annual family gathering!

Day 22 Started working on my new crochet project, the pattern is being released one week at a time

Day 23 Only had Rosie for half a day - no water at all in the evening due to a massive burst pipe in our area

Day 24 Water is back on! Looked after Max today

Day 25 Did a nice lot of crochet and worked in the garden in the sunshine

Day 26 Picked up my new car !

Day 27 Got up to date with the first week of the crochet a long

Day 29 Olive has chicken pox! Had Rachel and family over for lunch - lots of leftovers as Jon and family should have been there too!

Day 30 Had a nice drive out to Saffron Walden in my new car, started work on Week 2 of the crochet project

Day 31 Went into town in the morning - lots of shops decorated for the Platinum Jubilee this weekend, day off from childminding as Rachel wasn't working today!

So there we are at the end of another month - all that is needed now is my little video sharing 1 Second Everyday