Me on Monday

 Hello! How are you this Monday morning? 

We had a busy week returning to our old routines as the grandchildren all returned to school. It was nice to have days to ourselves again, three full days of childcare for six weeks was pretty tiring! 

There was an anniversary to celebrate - 44 years! Our celebrations were pretty low key.  In the evening we went for drinks at a friend’s house, and in the day we packed up a picnic and went with Coco to a town called Maldon which is on the Blackwater estuary.  Most people living in our part of England will have heard of the sea salt which has been produced there since the 1800s.

 

This week sees us preparing for a few days away in Southwold.  We’ve stayed there a few times now as we really like it there. I can already predict fish and chip suppers, walks along the beach and a wander along the pier.

We have unexpected guests arriving very soon; friends we haven't seen in person for about 12 years.  Not totally our fault, relocation for work in Qatar put quite a spanner in the works for meeting up!  They have been spending the weekend not too far away from us and sent a text last night to ask if they could pop in on their way home to Kent.  It will be lovely to see them again, but I really ought to be giving the lounge a quick tidy before they arrive rather than writing a blog post so - bye for now!  Have a good week.

What I've been reading in August

 This was the first time in months that I have been able to get hold of the Book of the Month for our online book club hosted by Leslie.  

Nora is a writer of screen plays, the kind of thing that you find on the romance channels.  There's a formula to them, and not particularly hard to write but they are a reliable source of income.  When her husband Ben leaves the family home, she decides to write a totally different type of story and turns their unhappy experience into a script which happens to be picked up for a big screen production.  She is amazed to find out that the director wants to film some of the story on location at her house and as they are paying so well, she agrees on the proviso that they are only there for a few days.

The filming comes to an end, but Leo - the handsome actor playing Nora's ex-husband - asks to remain for longer.  Nora is reluctant but when he offers to pay her a thousand dollars a day in return for staying a week in her summer house, it is an offer she finds hard to refuse.

Her children are thrilled, Bernadette is bowled over by the thought of a handsome superstar living in their home, and Arthur is excited to have a real life actor helping him rehearse for his part in a play at school.  Seven days isn't that long to have him stay is it? 

Leo's stay becomes extended and his relationship with Nora changes, his presence in their lives grows until he is called away to audition for another film.  I can't say any more without giving away spoilers but what I can say is this - I really enjoyed this book!  I felt that I knew, and liked, the main characters and could understand the reasons why they acted the way they did.  Would I recommend it?  Yes! 

📗📘📙

I'm a great fan of the podcast 'Older and Wider' which is hosted by Jenny Eclair and Judith Holder and so I decided to try 'Moving', a book written by Jenny for my next book choice.

This is the story of Edwina, a lady in her late 70s who has made the difficult decision to move from the house where she lived with her family for many years.  The large house is much too big for her to manage on her own and she now only lives in a small portion of it.  As she shows the young estate agent around her home, each room brings back memories of the family life she is leaving behind.  We learn about her twins from her first marriage, Rowena and Charlie, and also her second husband and stepson, Lucas.  The estate agent is merely seeing the house as a potential sale property but Edwina realises that each room has it's own impact on her life.

So as we close the door on Edwina while she puts her house on the market we move onto Fern, a university student living in Manchester where she shares her house with a real mix of people, one of whom is Charlie, one of Edwina's twins.  Charlie is not quite the kind of character you would expect to be Edwina's son to be and we start to see an alternative side to Edwina's memories.

Next we meet Lucas.  Edwina's stepson who has always been the apple of his mother Barbara's eye.  He does not fit into Edwina's family in any way so it is interesting to hear his side to the stories that we have already heard.  As always, there are two sides to every story and Lucas' version of events is interesting to read.  There has been no love lost between him and Edwina, especially after being seemingly instrumental in Charlie's downfall.  

It is interesting to see how these very different people have had their lives intertwined and while I really thought I wouldn't like Lucas, I could see the reasons why he behaved as he did and towards the end of the book, it is nice to see that he has a crisis of conscience and does the right thing towards Edwina.  It will never undo what has gone before but it means that she can leave the house with a lot of loose ends tidied up.

There were parts of this book that I felt could have been made shorter, but overall I enjoyed the storyline, and there remains one little mystery twist in the final chapter where the reader will have to make their own decision as to the truth in Fern's answer!

#WBOYC in August

 

So here we are again at end of another month - linking up with Deb in Australia as she hosts another What's Been On Your Calendar? blogpost.  

A

August family celebrations this month - Jon & Sophie's wedding anniversary and Rachel and Leo's birthdays took place this month.

U

Using my 'Older Person's Bus Pass' for the first time!  The only bus service I use is the Park and Ride when we go to Cambridge and I was happy to take my pass on its inaugural journey.  Car parking in the city centre is £13.50 for up to four hours so to park for free and then get the free 10 minute bus ride to the city centre contributed generously to our lunch.  Tried a new (to us) gelato shop, Jack's Gelato, and it has overtaken Aromi to first place in our favourites list!  

G

Getting together with friends for lunch.  I love the fact that a few more of my friends have now retired so are available for leisurely lunches.  I've also joined a 'Knit and Natter' group which has been a new thing for me.  I was a bit apprehensive as I didn't know everyone there but they are a very friendly group and they made me feel very welcome.

U

Unearthing a Mary Quant style dress from the dressing up box and wearing it to a 60s and 70s night organised by my Zumba teacher. I made it for a black and white party about 25 years ago and I was pleasantly surprised to find it still fitted.

S

Strawberry and raspberry picking with Max and Olive

 Needless to say that a fair few fruits were sampled on our way round and we definitely ended up picking more than we really needed but it was a fun way to spend a morning.

T

Theatre trip with Leo and Rosie. In the interval I was asked by one of the production team if we would mind being involved in the show.  My idea of a nightmare - but Leo and Rosie were so excited I couldn't say no.  Fortunately it only involved some dialogue with the Fairy Godmother and opening a golden envelope - I was dreading having to get up on stage so when I found out I would stay sitting in my seat in the audience I was very happy!

So that was my month, and here's the condensed day by day account of it - 1 Second Every Day.

Photo Scavenger Hunt - 2nd Check in

 Now let's see if I can manage to post this on the right date this time!  Better check in with our host, Ruth, to make sure I haven't got confused ... again.

No 6 - Something with wings

Seen on the door to The Eagle pub in Cambridge

No 8 - Something colourful in your garden/neigbourhood

The plants in our garden pots have thrived with the mix of sunshine and rain this summer.

No 10 - Something that casts a shadow

Back to Mallorca for this one, I loved the shadows made by the beautiful trees that lined the main promenade in Port de Soller.

Just a few more to find - thanks again to Ruth who has organised the hunt this year!

Me on Monday

 So here we are again!

It was a busy week mostly involving childcare but ending with a fun evening on Friday. Our Zumba class had a 60s and 70s party. In the bottom of a box of dressing up clothes I keep here for the children I found a dress that I made about 25 years ago for a black and white party that our friends hosted.  It had a kind of Mary Quant feel to it but would it still fit and would I be brave enough to wear it? Yes and yes 

As you can see, I matched the singer who was one of the hostesses! It was such a fun evening, and of course as we are a Zumba group we were dancing all night long 😊 

Then there was a family birthday to celebrate (how can I possibly have a 38 year old ‘child’?) So one of our childcare activities involved making a cake and decorating it 

Our son headed off to France on Sunday - so no Wednesday childcare for his family this week, a whole day 'off'!  It's funny how even when your children are grown there is a part of you that still wants to 'mother' them and whilst I really wanted to say things about remembering to take driving licences and ensure insurance etc has been extended to include Europe (they are driving down there) I managed to restrain myself.  He's 34 now and what may seem to me to be gentle reminders may appear to him to be interfering! I also have to remind myself that he inter-railed around Europe when he was still in his teens without any help or advice from me and also lived in Tanzania for a summer when still in uni.  Hard to turn off the 'mum' gene though!

After a full on week last week it feels nice to have some free days this week - it's Leo's 8th birthday on Thursday and they have a family trip to the zoo planned so that's another day 'off' too!  I'm ending the week with lunch out with old school friends so it feels a lot less stressful to when I typed my post this time last week!

Me on Monday

 These weeks are flying by!  I guess that's a sign of being busy.  We had an unexpected day off from childcare on Thursday when Leo and Rosie had a last minute invitation to go to a friend's house, for a while I was at a loss as to how to fill the free time - but that didn't last long.  Last week there was also Granny Square day (something only a crocheter would celebrate) but I happily spent my extra 'me' time getting on with the cardigan I am making Rachel.

This will be the back of the cardigan and I've now also made enough for one of the sleeves so I guess I am officially half way through.  I still think I'm going to have to order some more black yarn though.

Last week we tried a new craft with Leo and Rosie, and then with Max and Olive the following day,  Cyanotype printing.  I bought a pack of the special sun sensitive paper and we laid objects on each sheet, left it in the sunshine for a couple of minutes, then plunged it into a bowl of cold water and a print of the image appeared on the paper.  To be honest, I think I was as impressed as the children were!

So what does this week hold?  Well I think I have a day to myself today which will be nice, a trip to Saffron Walden for coffee and a walk then a bit more crocheting may be going on!  I have another 'knit and natter' lunchtime on Friday, it will be nice to show them something different on my hook other than the blanket I seem to have been working on for ages.  

Zumba is back from a three week break this week and we have our summer party on Friday evening.  The theme is 60s and 70s and I have a choice of two outfits.  Years ago I made a black and white Mary Quant style dress for a fancy dress party.  I found it in with the children's dressing up clothes, gave it a wash and amazingly it still fits.  So I may wear that for fun, but I also have a long flowery maxi dress that I could wear as a nod to the 70s.  I'll see how I feel on the day and will report back next week.

What does your week have in store for you?  

Me on Monday

 I'm a little late typing up my Monday post today.  I think I'm losing track of which day it is!  I had an early morning coffee date with a friend at our usual farm shop.  We try and meet up about once every six weeks and this place is about 20 mins drive between both of us.  Except just before I left this morning I checked on Google Maps to make sure there were no traffic hold ups and saw it was diverting traffic way out into the countryside as there was a road closure.  What a good job I checked in good time, there is nothing worse than suddenly seeing a sign that says 'Road ahead closed, follow diversion signs' because you know that your journey time is about to be doubled!

So we completely put the world to rights and caught up on each other's news over a cappuccino and an almond croissant when I suddenly had an 'oh no, I haven't done a blog post' thought cross my mind.

I have a new project.  I saw Rachel wearing a lovely crochet cardigan last week and when I commented on it, she said she would like one in a different colour.  I could do that!  So I ordered the wool as soon as I got home and anxiously stalked the postman  for my special delivery.  It arrived on Saturday and by the evening I had this on my blocking board.

The cardigan is 20 of these squares joined together and I'm so excited to see how it turns out.  I've never made something without a pattern before!  I've already realised that I'm probably going to need an extra ball of black yarn but that is easily rectified.

Did you enjoy the Olympics?  I did feel at the end of the two weeks I was somewhat 'Olympic-ed out' as it was on tv all the time but the events I enjoyed were so good to watch.  It's so inspiring to see those athletes perform at such high levels.

I need to give some thought as to what I will do with the grandchildren this week.  Last week involved strawberry picking and theatre trips.  We're considering letting Leo and Rosie earn some extra pocket money tomorrow washing our cars.  Hopefully running riot with the hose pipe will keep them cool and occupied in the hot weather!

Have a good week x

Me on Monday

 We survived our week of chaos!  All human guests and one canine returned home safely and our only extra visitor is having breakfast in his cage in the utility room.

Daisy was, as predicted, in full family protection mode whenever the painters walked past a window but thankfully after about 10 minutes of non stop barking, she wore herself out and peace was restored.  Coco was greatly relieved to say goodbye to her on Thursday evening! 

Jon and family were here all week while the plumber completely re-plumbed all their copper pipes, with all their floor boards lifted, water cylinders removed and new boiler installed.  They went home Friday evening with Max crying that he was going to break all the new pipes when he got home so he could come back.  Isn't it funny how dramatic a five year old can be? 

We had absolutely no plans whatsoever for the weekend which was the best way to get back to normal.

Today we plan to go to Cambridge for a wander around and also use our bus passes for the first time on the Park & Ride transfer into the city.  

Then we have three days of summer holiday childcare followed by a lunch out with friends at a local Sicilian restaurant.  A good way to end the week, I am looking forward to that a lot!

Have a good week 😊

Me on Monday

 Can you hear that?  The sound of not very much at all? That's what you call 'the calm before the storm' - I predict this week is going to be noisy and chaotic and I will grow a few extra grey hairs by the end of it.

Let me talk you though it.  Rachel and family are going to visit James' family for a few days starting today.  Their plans include a visit to Paulton's Park theme park and a trip on a steam train.  Neither of which will be enhanced by the presence of a small black dachshund.  So we have Daisy coming to stay for four days.

Then on Monday we had a call from Jon to say they had a leak in the tank in their loft and when the plumber came to investigate he suggested that when he came to fix it properly, it may be an idea to also replace the 25 year old boiler which has been limping along for a couple of years now.  Their house is very old and the plumber said that he did not know how much extra work may need to be done to the old pipework until he lifted the floor boards.  Which may mean that they will be without water and intermittent electricity for up to a week in a worst case scenario.  'Do you think we could come and stay with you while it's being done?'  Of course they could and he went back to the plumber to agree a date for the work to be started.  'I can start on Monday if you like'. So now we also have two adults and two children while we have Daisy here.

I spent much of the weekend getting Jon's old bedroom ready for them to stay in.  Years ago we pushed the bed up against the wall on one side so that when grandchildren came to stay they couldn't roll out of bed that way.  But that's not too convenient when two adults are sleeping there so I decided it was time to bite the bullet and pull out everything from under the bed, move the bed then only put back things that needed to be out of sight and out of mind, like my growing supplies of wool and craft equipment.  Oh the things we found under there.  I knew there were a few folders of paperwork he had put under there but a lot of it was old school work, student finance confirmations, work towards his dissertation and the acceptance letter from Sheffield University offering him a place to study politics ... in 2008!  I also found a large ziplock bag absolutely full to the brim with t shirts from bands that he had seen before he got married.  He must have bought a t shirt at every venue and he went to a LOT!  'Do you want to keep these?'  I asked. 'Oh yes, definitely, there's so many memories there.'  'Do you want to take them to your house?’ ‘I haven't really got room.'  So they are back under the bed!  Tiring work but the room looks so much better now there's space either side and everything had a good (overdue) dust and vacuum.

On Friday we had a call from the decorator that we booked to repaint the external paintwork to our house.  We had contacted him months ago with the agreement that he would book us in when he had a gap in his workload once the weather looked settled.  'I've got a free week next week if that suits you'.  Now let's add a workman to the mix!  I will have to keep a close eye on Daisy because what she lacks in stature she makes up for in attitude.  Did I ever tell you about the time that Rachel found their plumber taking refuge in the cupboard under the sink with Daisy trying to drag him out by his sock?  

We had also agreed to look after my niece's hamster when she went on holiday 'sometime in August' and she contacted me on Friday to say their flights were booked for this Thursday so could she pop in to drop off Pumpkin on Thursday evening?

So just to add a little stress to the mix, it's also my turn to host Knit and Natter this Friday!  So there's cake to be baked and lunch to be made.  Wish me luck, it's going to be a long week.  What do we have planned for the weekend?  Absolutely nothing - bliss!

#WBOYC in July

 

Now I was very early with my last post regarding the Summertime Photo Hunt so I have been more diligent in getting my WBOYC post.  So even though it seems like we still have almost a week of July to go, here is my round up of the month so far.

J

Joining a 'knit and natter' group has spurred me on to get back to my current project which had gone off the boil!

However, there seems to be more 'natter' than 'knit' so I don't actually get too much done in between drinking cups of tea and eating lunch.  It's good to meet new, likeminded people in a very social environment.

U

Using our voucher for Thai meal which was so delicious, I’d eaten most of it before I remembered to take a photo 😆

Unexpected house guest. Our son has a plumbing emergency that is going to take a few days to rectify so they will be moving here for the last few days of July.  As this coincides with us having Daisy the Dachshund  here while Rachel and family visit relatives who are not dog lovers the house is going to be full!

L

Lovely to celebrate Max’s 5th birthday.  He had a brilliant party with all his class from school enjoying a bouncy castle and treasure hunt based on Minecraft characters - not to mention a lovely cake.

Last day at work for my friend who is retiring.  We worked together for about 10 years before I left and we've remained friends since then.  It was very strange to go back to the school for her retirement party. I'm pleased to have gained another retired friend who will be available for lunches midweek.

Y

Years  - 56, since my school friends and I first met at Secondary school and we still meet up once a year.  It's so good to keep those friendships going and the evenings always go past so quickly.

So over here in the UK we are still awaiting summer to properly arrive. Mother Nature keeps taunting us with one or two sunny days only to play tricks and give us a day of rain and low temperatures afterwards.

Would you like to see a 1 Second Everyday clip of the month so far?

Now please pop over to Deb's World in Australia to see what's been happening over there.

Photo Scavenger Hunt 2024 1st check in

 Just when I was wondering what to write about today I remembered that it is time to check in with the first instalment of the photo scavenger hunt!  

I then re-read the date list and realised that I am a week too soon!  Ooops!

The list of prompts for this year's Summer Photography Scavenger Hunt can be found here on Ruth's blog.

I always enjoy this summertime challenge and happily ticked off a few photos on our holiday in June.

1 Family pet or animal - there was no competition for this one

2 Look up to the sky - and what a gloriously blue sky it was

3 A colourful front door - I'm hoping I can be excused this interpretation, I'm not sure what colour the actual door was behind this curtain, but look how beautiful the doorway surround looks

4 Favourite Summer food - Paella!

9 Moving water - the Mediterranean Sea

12 A place of worship - the church in Soller

Inside and outside views, it really was a lovely church.

14 Your nation's flag

Now, with the football going on and England reaching the final, there was no lack of England flags around locally but I managed to find one in a small backstreet when we were on holiday in Mallorca.

So, seven down and eight to go - are you joining in this year?  

Me on Monday

 This Monday finds us in a bit of a flat mood.  Despite reaching the finals of the football Euro 2024, England lost to Spain.  I think there are a lot of disappointed fans making their way back from the host nation (Germany) today. Let's not dwell on it!

We did enjoy the mens final at Wimbledon though, what a good game it was and I was happy that Alcaraz won.  How lovely to see Princess Catherine enjoying the game with her daughter too.

I enjoyed my Knit and Natter on Friday and I've been added to the WhatsApp group so I think I am accepted as a regular now!  I need to crack on with my blanket so they don't think I'm always on the same project.  I was sitting next to someone who was knitting a lovely cardigan and I am inspired to swap crochet hooks for knitting needles and start a new project for a bit of variety.  Hopefully summer will arrive soon and the thoughts of needing clothes to keep us warm will fade into the distance!

We’ve decided that quite a bit of decorating needs to be done this year and I have started the process by looking at paint charts. As it is hall, landing and stairs plus lounge and dining room, we need to be sure we are happy with our choices.

Neither of these match pots have made the cut. At least we’ve narrowed down the decision, but I suspect there will be several more match pots before a final choice is made!

So where does today find me?  Well, we have a new cafe that has opened in the town park which is dog friendly.  Rumour has it that they bake delicious almond croissants so I think we will be taking a little trip down there later this morning 😊

Have a good week!

Me on Monday

 What a week!  A new government and England won a quarter final football game on penalties!

Our son came over to watch the game with Max and Olive as our daughter in law was at Wimbledon on a work event - how lucky was that?  Centre Court as well!  I was supervising a lot of colouring and drawing in the dining room and I could hear Jon talking to Paul and listing every England game they had watched together and it made me smile so much to realise how precious those memories have become for him.  How do some people remember dates and results from so many years ago?  I guess those memories are very strong!

When I left here last week I was going to a trial pilates class.  It was 'ok' but not something I will be signing up to.  I didn't enjoy it as much as I do my Zumba Gold, which is run by the same instructor.  I liked the first half which was standing up and using weights to strengthen your upper body but once we moved to the mat work I got cramp in my toes and couldn't relax to do the exercises properly!  I am prone to cramp so I think this could be an issue if I decided to sign up for classes.  Oh well, at least I tried!

The other big event of the week was Coco celebrating her thirteenth birthday

We have entered the teenage years! 

 I am supposed to be meeting up with a crowd of old school friends on Wednesday but guess when the England Semi-Final game is?  Yes.  We have a clash!  I'm wondering if the guys are going to want to postpone!  We shall see.  I don't mind missing the game but I know there are some that might.

I have another 'knit and natter' lunch time at the end of the week so I need to gather my wool and crochet hooks ready for that.  I am still working on the same blanket that I was last time, I'm determined to take this project slower than I normally do so they aren't going to see much progress!

I’m going into town this morning to find a present for Max as he’ll be 5 at the end of the month. At the moment he is very keen on Minecraft but I’m tempted not to go down that route as their interests can change so quickly at that age and by the end of the month he could be into something totally different!  Wish me luck!

Me on Monday

Last week contained  ‘Splosions’ and ‘Vegetables days’

On Wednesday Olive couldn’t wait to tell me ‘Nanny, we had a splosion outside our house yesday’ and indeed they did! A bus caught fire and exploded just two doors along the road from them. 

You can just see the skeleton of the bus in amongst all the smoke. How scary, but thankfully the driver quickly evacuated the passengers when he noticed smoke coming from the engine and no one was hurt. Jon said their house literally shook when it exploded into flames.

Then when I picked Leo and Rosie up from school the following day Rosie excitedly told me (or so I thought) they were having a vegetable day on Friday. Vegetables Day? I said.  'Yes, we can wear what we like'  I couldn't see how on earth they would dress up as a vegetable and felt sure that if a broccoli costume was likely to be needed, I would have heard about it much sooner!  I should point out that at the time she was skipping away in front of me and chewing on a sweet (It has become a tradition that I take a small treat with me when it's my days to pick up and chewy 'randoms' are a favourite!) It turns out she wasn't saying 'vegetables day' but 'break the rules day' "Nanny, you are silly' I was told in no uncertain terms!  She had already planned a sparkly dress, glitter in her hair, sequinned shoes and some lipstick.

We've had a full on weekend.  Rachel and husband were invited to an adults only wedding on the south coast so were staying overnight.  We had Leo, Rosie and Daisy here from 9am Saturday to after lunch on Sunday.  They are little bundles of whirlwind energy and I was exhausted by the time we waved them goodbye in the afternoon.  They do not stop.

So today finds me trying something new.  I have booked myself onto a trial pilates class.  My husband regularly does a pilates class and really enjoys it so I thought I would give it a go.  I figure that the relaxation part at the end is well deserved after our busy weekend - not to mention the stress of the England football game last night!

Have a good week x

#WBOYC in June

 It's the last Friday of the month so time to have a quick round up of what's been going on over here.  The month of June should surely have been the start of the summer shouldn't it?  Blue skies, warm sunshine, long days, meals taken outside ... let's see what really happened!

J

Just managed to sneak in a trip to our nearest beach at the weekend.  I do love a walk along the sand and the sight of a line of beach huts.  We have friends who moved to a village close to Frinton on Sea and they invited us for Sunday lunch last weekend.  The weather was glorious and when they said 'do you fancy popping into Frinton for a seaside walk?' I was quick to put on my sandals and sun hat.

U

Unknown local vineyards.  England is not famed for its wine industry so you would have thought I would have known we had a vineyard less than an hour away wouldn't you?  However, it wasn't until we were gifted a vineyard tour as a Christmas present that we discovered it.  I booked the tour for mid June, assuming that the weather would be nicely warm, but as the date approached, and weather forecasts still showed the likelihood of rain I wondered if the tour would go ahead! luckily the rain clouds blew away before the tour and we had a really interesting tour followed by a rather delicious tasting 😊

N

Nuptials! My cousin got married and it was the first wedding we’ve been to since our children got married seven years ago. They make a perfect couple, they had met at school, lost touch, both married and had a family with other people, both divorced and then found themselves working at the same company. The rest is history, they lived together for years then when it was a leap year in 2020 my cousin proposed to him! It then took four years to decide on a date. 

E

Excited to feel the sun on our holiday to Mallorca, it was absolutely glorious there.

So it was a busy month and happily the British sun finally made an appearance ... how long will it last though?

Let's take a 1 Second Everyday look at how the month unfolded.  Then please pop over to Australian Deb's blog to see what's been happening on the other side of the world!

Me on Monday

 We had a belated Christmas present this weekend. Our son and daughter-in-law gave us a voucher for a vineyard tour and wine tasting and the summer tours officially started in June so we booked ourselves in as soon as we had a free Saturday. 

Now we had no idea we had a vineyard 35 mins drive from home, what a lovely discovery. The weather forecast was for light drizzle but it stayed dry for the hour we toured the vines and listened to the history of the vineyard and how the soil and weather affect the grapes.  It was really interesting and I learnt a lot.

As our climate is changing and temperatures are rising the conditions for wine in the uk is becoming very similar to France which means that we will have a larger wine industry.  Saffron Grange only make sparkling wine (I have no complaints about that 😊) and we tried one white and two rose

I had already drunk half of each glass before I thought to take a photo! We then had a cheese platter of a variety of cheeses that I hadn’t tried before and all in all it was a great way to spend a morning.  Naturally we brought home a bottle of their sparkling rose even though it was a bit more than we normally spend on wine, but it seemed much so more of a bargain when I checked how much they charged for it at one of the big hotels in Cambridge ... £80! How can they justify almost doubling the price? 

The logo for the vineyard is a woolly mammoth.  Apparently when the ground was excavated, evidence of woolly mammoths was discovered. Hard to believe they were roaming the countryside near us all those years ago! 

We ended off a very busy weekend (meal out with friends Thursday, friends over for the afternoon Friday, Vineyard tour Saturday ...) with a trip to visit our friends who live about 5 minutes from our favourite nearest beach.  The weather was glorious and after lunch they suggested a walk along the seafront.  A lovely way to end the visit.  As we had Coco with us it was a perfect excuse to walk on the sand rather than the hot pavements, it was quite busy!  Obviously we weren't the only ones to head for the nearest coast when they heard the weather report.

This week will be a little less busy than the last one although it ends with a sleep over for Leo and Rosie (and of course Daisy) as our daughter and husband are going to a wedding which is adults only.  Wish us luck!

What I've been reading in June

 I've read a variety of books this month, so shall we start with the one that my daughter lent me as she hadn't started it and said I could take on holiday?

This was a very unusual book.  Broken Light by Joanne Harris.  It took me quite a while to get into it and there were a few times in the early chapters when I wasn't sure I was going to continue with it as it was a little strange!

Bernie Moon is a woman going through the menopause and blaming her hormones on some of the weird sensations she is having.  A young woman is murdered in a park near to where Bernie lives and it reignites a 'gift' that Bernie discovered when she was young.  She can enter people's minds (she refers to it as looking inside their house) and change tiny things that have life altering consequences.  

There is an amusing side to how her husband's creepy friend from the gym views women after Bernie has been inside his 'house'.  Of course none of the strange things that that happen to him is his fault, clearly women are secretly slipping some kind of drug into his protein health drinks!

Although there were parts of the book I enjoyed, I'm not sure that I will recommend this too highly as it really did have some strange chapters!

Next up was The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling)

I had watched a season of the Strike tv series so could easily visualise Cormoran Strike and Robin.  I really enjoyed how their relationship grows and how they complement one another in solving the crime.

A model falls to her death and it is widely believed to be a case of suicide.  But her brother approaches Strike with the belief that she had not taken her own life and asks him to investigate the case.  As he carefully unravels the last moments before she died it becomes obvious that things are not as they seem and this is quite likely a case of murder.  But who is the murderer?  There are plenty of likely suspects and the characters are so well described, from the eccentric fashion designer, to the jealous members of her family and the 'bad boy' boyfriend who has a tempestuous relationship with her.  However, when the true murderer was revealed, I was more than a little surprised!

A good read, and I will probably soon download book 2 in the series.  

Then onto my next holiday read, Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh.

This book is set in the Welsh mountains and revolves around the filming of a reality TV show.  Seven contestants compete in what they think will be a survival challenge with the winner taking home a life changing amount of money.  However, the premise of the show is not what they have been led to believe.  Every contestant has a secret, one which will affect them and the lives of those they love if they are made public.  Each night, someone's secret will be revealed.  

Anxiety levels are high with people's lives being turned upside down as secrets are revealed and contestants leave the show. Then the producer of the show is murdered.  Each contestant has an alibi, and each has a good reason to want to silence Miles for good and ensure that their secrets are not revealed.  

It is easy to visualise the format of the show, kind of 'I'm a Celebrity ...' in a forested area by a Welsh lake.  So many suspects, but who had the opportunity to carry out the crime?  

I enjoyed this, it was easy to read and I liked the characters of the police force who struggle to put all the pieces together.  It wasn't until the end that I realised that I had already read the first book that introduces the detective Ffion Morgan so I should have recognised her earlier!

Finally, the third in the series of Housemaid books, The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

I was waiting for this to be published as I’d enjoyed the first two books so much.  We find Millie and Enzo twelve years after we last saw them.  They are now married with two children, Ada and Nico, and moving from their city apartment to a house on Long Island.

A nice house in a safer environment, what could possibly go wrong? Well, the neighbours don’t seem to be particularly friendly, with the strange anxiety ridden lady opposite watching their every move from her windows and the wife of the neighbours next door who seems rather too interested in Enzo. Add to that mix a cleaner who Suzette from next door insists they employ but who acts very suspiciously.

When someone in the street dies the evidence seems to be pointing towards either Millie or Enzo and Millie discovers things about her husband’s past that he had kept hidden.

Although you can read this as a stand-alone book, it is better if you know the back story of the two main characters and the return of someone from book 1.  I did enjoy this but I felt it was the weaker of the three books.  That said, I found it hard to put down at times and am pleased to have read the final book of the series!

So there we go, a mixed bag this month! 

Me on Monday 17 June

 Hello, it’s been a while since I was here on a Monday!

Since my last Monday post I’ve spent a week in the sunshine in Mallorca and it was glorious 😊 A bit of a surprise to return to such unsettled weather back in the UK. I think we need to try switching the weather off and then on again to see if we can reset it!

Let me share a little taster of our trip

A lunchtime sangria in the sunshine

View from our dinner table on the first night

You can't go to Mallorca and not try a paella!

Sunset over the bay

Took the tram to Soller

Little bit breezy on the bridge overlooking the sea!

That's our hotel right behind me

Sunrise from our hotel balcony

I was happy to tick off a few photos from the list of prompts for this year’s Photo Hunt which is being organised by Ruth this year. I will share those at the first check in.

It’s been a busy and mixed week since our return, normal childcare duties resumed straight away on the Tuesday and Thursday, and we had a funeral to attend on Wednesday which was very sad. Our neighbour was diagnosed with cancer four years ago and has left his wife and 10 year old son after much gruelling treatment. Then on Friday a much happier occasion when we went to my cousin’s wedding. 

We had no plans for the weekend which was a relief as it felt like we needed a couple of days to relax back into normal life.

We have a quiet start to the week and then busy again at the end with friends coming for afternoon tea on Friday, a tour around a vineyard on Saturday then visiting our friends who moved to the coast on Sunday.

All I would really like now is a little bit of sunshine and some warmer temperatures!