Checking out the competition!

Just by chance I bought the local newspaper today and we discovered that a local woman is planning to open an Indoor Play Centre, just like ours, not far from us at all (near to the gym, in fact). The play area will be in an empty warehouse unit of about 26,000 square feet, so very big indeed. Naturally, we were very curious as it's been a fair while since a new place has opened up near to us, so as Sophie wanted to go to Boots on the way home, we went and had a look.

It's only at the planning stage yet, but I will be watching with interest. They plan to open late June/early July (as we did) which in my opinion, is a mistake. We opened two weeks before the school summer holidays as we thought we would be busy, but how wrong we were! Far better to open just in time for the October half term and then benefit from the horrible winter weather before the summer starts to affect sales! The warehouse unit was still being offered to let and was tucked away right at the back of the industrial estate so I will be awaiting events with interest! The woman who is opening the centre bemoaned the fact that there was nowhere in Northampton for her children to play...really??

In the evening I went out with my three friends, Lynda, Fiona and Andrea. Fiona and Andrea also have girls the same age as Sophie so we swapped horror stories. Sophie is planning on a group holiday to Europe by train this summer which I was feeling a bit apprehensive about, until Andrea told me her daughter is going to Magaluf in Mallorca! Hmmm!

We had a good gossip over some delicious Indian food at the Imli Lounge in Northampton and Keith drove me there and back so I was able to enjoy a glass or two of South African Pinotage. Delicious!

Chucked out of the gym...

It's been another hectic day at work and I spent most of it washing up, clearing messy tables (how I loathe tomato ketchup!) and serving some extremely demanding customers! How I kept my cool I do not know!

Because Sophie and I were at work until 6.30pm, we didn't get to go to the gym until 9pm, which was really too late! We had a swim for half an hour, a very quick dip in the jacuzzi and then it was up to the showers. At 10pm there was no hanging around at all...the staff wanted us out! I didn't have time to dry my hair so we sped outside and into the car and luckily it was windy and mild! The freezing temperatures have gone, for the time being anyway!

I have to admit we were a bit naughty and went to McDonald's for a McFlurry! I am led astray by my daughter!

Dreams interrupted...

I was woken out of a lovely dream this morning by Sophie shaking my foot. At first I thought it was time to get up but it seemed too early. When I asked her what the time was, she said it was 4.30am and that she'd been sick... Keith had already been up and had sorted her out, and was annoyed that she'd felt she needed to wake me.

I was in the middle of a dream where Keith and I had just landed in America, somewhere on the west coast, I think, could have been Seattle...anyway, my dream was wonderful, you know that great feeling you get when you've just arrived in a strange country on holiday and you know you're going to have fun exploring? In my dream I was reading the local paper and looking at a photo of a little girl in a rainbow coloured jumper, just before I was woken up by my poorly daughter.

Sophie took today off school, but when I woke up again at the proper time (this time after dreaming of being in Australia (!) I felt muzzy headed after the drama of our early morning. I always worry when the children aren't well, and I can't imagine how Sophie became ill like that. A virus or something she's eaten? We have all eaten the same things over the last few days, except the lunch she had at school yesterday and this is the third time now that she's had sickness like this. Luckily, she was only sick once and spent the rest of the day curled up on the sofa with her quilt over her and eating cheese scones that Keith made. Sounds like a good day to me!

Amazing!

I never fail to be amazed by technology. This evening, in the gym changing room, I downloaded two songs onto my phone...just like that! I know that youngsters of today take this sort of thing as a God given right, but coming from a background where music was only available on big vinyl discs, I still find it wonderful what we can now do!

It made me think about music and how a certain song can take me straight back to an event or remind me of people even though many years may have passed. I know I've blogged about Christopher Cross and Sailing before, but even after 30 years that can still transport me back to the Italian sunshine!

At the moment I'm enjoying lots of songs with Sophie that I hope will bring back these memories in years to come, maybe when she has children of her own. It's bizarre to think that when (hopefully) I'm in my eighties I'll still be listening to Charlie Simpson or You Me at Six and remembering the journeys to and from the gym when we sang along to the music in the car!

By the way, I downloaded The Script's Hall of Fame and Florence and the Machine's Spectrum (Say My Name). Both very good for getting the blood pumping on the crosstrainer!

Sun and rain

We had very strange weather this morning. It was bucketing down with rain, yet the sun was shining... Once that had cleared we've had a beautiful day with higher temperatures and even a hint of Spring...mustn't get carried away!

Sophie and I got back into our gym routine today with (almost) a full workout, a 20 minute swim and a dip in the jacuzzi, followed by a delicious lunch. We'd been arguing about how to pronounce "Gouda" cheese so on the way home we called into Tesco (I needed more colour ink) and we asked a lady on the cheese counter. She wasn't really sure either, but said it the way that Sophie thought it was pronounced. I bought a slice and very good it was too!

I also bought myself another swimsuit as mine keeps misbehaving - the pads in the bust contort into strange shapes which make me look very strange as well!.

Once home I washed my car which wasn't as dirty as I thought it was (all the rain must have dislodged some of the salt and the mud) and would you believe, that the minute, the very minute I finished, the heavens opened again! Huh!

What is that strange thing I see in the sky?

After seeing the snow falling last night I expected to wake this morning to ten foot drifts, but no...there was only the very lightest of coverings and the sun was shining! The sun!! It's been so long since we've seen beautiful blue skies and sunshine and what a wondrous thing it was! Now I can see why ancient peoples were terrified that it would disappear in the winter and never be seen again!

We celebrated Mikey's birthday today - he's a teenager! I can't believe how fast the years have sped by!

It's amazing how much sunshine and light can alter my mood. I felt more energetic and decided to tackle the conservatory which was badly in need of a clean. If it had been a bit warmer I would have thrown open all the doors and windows and let some much needed fresh air into the house. So, I spent most of the morning up a ladder cleaning all the window frames and making the space a lot fresher. It felt very good when I'd finished! Mum and Dad popped in to give Mikey his presents (more Playstation games and an animal hat/scarf/gloves that seem to be all the rage!). We lit the candles on his cake and enjoyed a slice with a cup of tea which made for a welcome break from all the cleaning!

The afternoon was spent printing out Sophie's photos again, and would you believe that on the very last one, the colour ink went? When she came home from work, she told me that I'd printed out two of the photos needlessly as they were OK...I knew I should have waited!

In the evening we met up with Mum and Dad at Bella Italia for a lovely meal. The place was packed to the rafters so I was very glad I'd booked a table. Just before my Birthday I'd received an email offering me a free bottle of wine so that was redeemed straight away!Keith very kindly offered to drive home!

We had a very good meal and Mikey got his wish to have his Godfather dessert which he'd been dreaming about ever since I suggested going to the restaurant!

Phew! It's Friday!

Am I glad it's the end of the week!

But we couldn't end on a quiet note, though, could we? It was very busy at work today and I'm hoping that word has spread about the new equipment we have. A few people did indeed mention the photos I've been posting on Facebook so it must be working!

I collected Sophie from school and she was very upset as all the A4 photos we'd printed for her exam had been ruined, as she'd stuck labels onto the actual prints. It meant that over the weekend we'd have to print them all over again and hope that her teacher could move the deadline to Monday morning. A lot of the other students hadn't managed to finish either, but she was very upset about the whole thing, as was I...I really don't fancy having to print them all off again.

We went home and Sophie changed to go and visit a friend's house in the village. It was the same group of friends that congregated at our house on New Year's Eve so I told her to behave herself! After I got back from dropping her off I hurriedly tidied the house, had a quick bath, took Keith to the pub (only yards from where Sophie was!) and then went home to put out some nibbles as Sue was coming over for a drink.

We had a pleasant hour over a glass of wine and then it was time to get Keith, have dinner and then stay awake until 11.30pm which was when we agreed to pick her up. As the evening wore on, it started snowing, then raining, and then snowing again. When the time came to pick Sophie up, big fat flakes were falling out of the sky and I got soaked leaving the car to knock on the door!

Slowing down a bit!

Today hasn't been quite so busy as yesterday, but it came close! I caught up with loads of little jobs at work which took me most of the day and then went home to print off the rest of Sophie's photos while she stayed at work to look after two parties we had booked in.

At 6.30pm I drove back to work to pick her up, came home to print off two more photos (how did I end up doing this?) and then we went to the gym for a swim. Maybe not the best of ideas as all I really fancied doing was collapsing on the sofa and having a lazy evening!

At least we went, though, which was good as we haven't been for over a week, with the snow and being so busy!

Manic day!

Keith went into work early this morning to dismantle another part of the framework that houses the blowers for the bouncy castles. The scaffolding and netting had to come down to make way for the new equipment and we really wanted it done before we had any customers in! As it was much higher than the old Tots Area, it involved a certain degree of danger!

I took Sophie to school, rushed to work to put the floats in and then helped Keith clear away all the vinyl cladding and old netting. We stored all the metal poles behind our climbing wall and then I hoovered the floor before we had any customers in. Polly blocked the whole area off and we explained to everyone that there would be a certain degree of disruption!

Guy phoned me and said that he was on his way and by 11am he was with us. Thankfully we didn't need a forklift truck (I'd been awake worrying about that at 3am) and within half an hour the two old bouncy castles had been rolled up like sausages and the new stuff was coming in! The man who designed the new equipment had arrived to help Guy and we all pulled together to get it all in before lunchtime. Some of the children just couldn't wait to try out the new stuff and kept breaking into the off-limits area, but they didn't have to wait long!

We were absolutely delighted with the new area and it was wonderful to see how brand spanking new it all was! We think it'll be a great addition to what we have and I dare anyone to say we're not value for money!

Mum and Dad had come in to help, but they went home after everything was installed and Keith and I went off to do a few chores. It had started snowing which didn't really help matters! I'd promised Sophie we would sort out her photos after school so after picking her up we sped over to the photographic shop and she printed off four A3 size shots, which looked great. The rest we decided to print at home.

Sophie managed to persuade me to stop and buy a McFlurry on the way home and then it was off at 5pm for all of us to the cinema on the other side of Northampton to see The Life of Pi. I'd been wanting to see it ever since it came out and it didn't disappoint! We watched it in 3D and I was blown away by the sheer beauty of the cinematography, the colours and the story itself. I thought it was truly magical.

We came out of the cinema and decided to eat at TGI Fridays, which was OK, if a little loud! It reminded me of Applebees in Florida, with a central bar and the darkish atmosphere. We had a good meal - large portions - and it was a lovely way to end a hectically busy day!

Arrggh! Teenagers!

It's hard to believe that in a few days I will be the mother of two teenagers, when sometimes I feel as if I'm still one myself!

Today we have been in a stress over Sophie's exam photos that she has to have professionally printed. I was only told about this on Friday with a deadline of a week. As most of the shops developing prints in large sizes have closed down with the advent of digital photography, it's proving a bit hard to find somewhere that develops A3 sized prints instantly, which is what Sophie needs. Both Tesco and Boots are quite happy to do normal sizes in an hour but larger sizes have to be ordered and sent away. It's such a shame as we used to have a branch of Kodak right next to us at work who would have been more than happy to oblige!

Anyway, after another big row this morning I found a shop that will print poster sizes instantly, but at a price. We estimate that printing off all her exam entries is going to cost in the region of about £80...a sum of money I wasn't really budgeting for this week, with Mikey's Birthday looming on Saturday!

As if all this wasn't bad enough, we have had really nasty weather today with the threat of more snow tomorrow, just as our new equipment is due to be delivered. Everywhere is grey and slushy and the salt has discoloured both my normal smart black boots and my walking boots which I've been wearing today. We put some more grit down in the car park this morning in bright sunlight which gave way to horrible fog. I'm really not liking this weather at the moment...roll on Spring!

Disruption!

As I guessed, the school was closed today so the children spent all day at home. It must have carried on snowing for most of the night as the roads and paths were well covered when we woke up. It wasn't so much that it stopped us going into work, though, and we had a hard job on our hands to dismantle our old Tots area to make way for some new equipment that is being installed on Wednesday.

At first, we didn't think it would happen this week so it came as a bit of a shock to find that Guy had pencilled us in for either Tuesday or Wednesday! Ian and Keith started working on the framework while I popped over to the bank and bought lunch.

In the afternoon I cleared away all the balls and began tidying up after the men. It was hard work and I was beginning to think that we would never finish! The scaffolding poles that made up the framework were dismantled, stripped of the vinyl and then stored. They were very heavy! We also had several large pieces of padded panels and a slide so there was plenty to take down!

My job was to empty the ballpond and there were thousands of balls! I added them to our other ballponds and when we finished I felt sweaty and dirty. No gym for us tonight, I'm afraid! It was straight home and into the bath!

Before

Before

During...

What a mess!

Snow shovels have other uses, you know!

All ready for the next stage!

Snow much snow!

It has snowed all day today - little thin flakes that mounted up and left quite a covering! I felt sure that I would be called into work for some reason or other, but everything was fine, with most children that had been invited to parties turning up. Only one party cancelled and re-booked.

Keith and I went for a walk in the morning to see the hardy sledgers having fun racing down one of the hills behind the village. It wasn't a brilliant day for scenic photography as the sky was grey and misty but I did take some shots of the countryside blanketed by snow. I took them with my phone so they're not brilliant, but they do sum up the weather very well!

We called into the pub for a quick drink (well it would have been rude not to!) and then it was home for some warming tomato soup and an afternoon spent doing very little, just watching the constant snow falling out of a dull grey sky!

A tale of two pubs

Last night, Keith and I went to the "other" pub for a drink as we thought it would be good to walk there. I really didn't fancy driving him down to the village in the snow, plus the car park is on a slope and I have bad memories of being stuck there once before!

It was lovely to walk there on the soft snow but it was still very cold! The pub was pretty quiet when we arrived but within an hour the place was heaving with locals who all had the same idea as us! We had a few drinks and then walked home in the middle of the road and didn't see one car the whole way!

Today has been grey and dismal, so no blue skies to accompany the white snow. Keith and I went into work at 9am to see what the car park was like and to try and clear it if it was deep. However, the salt we put down yesterday must have done some good as although there was a covering of snow, it was easily accessible. We cleared the walkways with Mum and Dad, had a cup of coffee and then went home, content in the knowledge that the customers would have no problem getting in and out of the car park.

In the evening, Keith and I went to our usual pub for a drink before dinner and again, within half an hour it was packed out! What is it about snow and going to the pub? A lot of people in the village had been sledging all day (Mikey included) and it looked like they'd been having lots of fun!

Be careful what you wish for...!

Well, it certainly has snowed today! It started off this morning with very light flakes, but by lunchtime it was coming down thick and fast...

We managed to get all the banking and the shopping done by lunch and Dad and I went out into the car park and put some salt down, courtesy of the great guys at BACA who very kindly lent us their little salt spreader...it's like a mini gritter! At £175 it was a bit pricey, but they wouldn't hear of us buying one to use just for a few days a year, so now we can borrow it whenever we need it. That's good neighbours for you! I think a big box of chocolates will be heading their way on Monday!

At 2.45pm I decided to head out, do the post and collect Sophie from school. She'd already asked if I could give one of her friends a lift home and with the weather I thought I'd give myself plenty of time! I'm so glad I did. When I came out of our road I could see the traffic backed up and as I tried to get off the estate to do the post, there were long tailbacks on the main dual carriageway. Giving up on the post, I turned the car around and headed back towards Sophie's school as I was frightened of being stuck and not being able to pick her up.

The roads were no longer clear - there was thick slush covering the tarmac and we just crawled along in very slippery conditions. I dreaded one section of the road, a really steep hill that I had to drive down, but I managed it and got to the school at the normal time I arrive every day. I could see Sophie coming down the road so I pulled in and asked whether the school buses were running. She told me she hadn't seen any at all, so I told her to walk back up to the school and find Mikey. There was no way I was going to leave him there! I'm afraid Sophie's friend, who lives about ten minutes away, had to walk home!

Of course, I was a mite stressed by all this and to make matters worse, some jumped-up little pompous man knocked on my window to say he was a Parish Councillor (really?) and that I had parked in a very dangerous position and to move my car. I refused, saying I was waiting for my children and he just kept saying, in a stupid voice, to move the car otherwise I'd have someone hit me from behind...

"Fine, then," said I, feeling like I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck, "Let them hit me." There was no way I was going to leave my children! However, a huge bus then came around the corner so I moved the car a little way up the road and walked back to the school to find Sophie and Mikey who were walking back up to meet me. Of course, when we drove back down there was another car parked there, no doubt an anxious parent picking up their child like me!

Driving home was terrifying. One car ahead of me was stuck so I gingerly went around it and set off towards home, praying that we would be OK. Luckily we only have one big hill to go up and I just put my foot down and went for it. The only hairy moment was coming down the other side when I gently braked and the car went all over the road! Luckily nothing was coming the other way and, in fact, there was hardly anything about and I only saw one school bus!

The sense of relief when I finally got my babies home was enormous! I was literally shaking from the concentration of driving and the fear of either getting stuck or hitting another car or a tree. As I was so cold from all the salt-spreading at work, I went straight into the bath with another freshly baked cheese scone!

We had planned on going to the gym, but that was obviously not a good idea! However, at around 5pm I received a text from them saying there were going to close early at 5.30pm...no guilt then!

Seafood and eat it!

My Dad gave me a lovely surprise this morning when he gave me two big bags of winter bird food for our crows, our little robin and all our other feathered friends who now rely on us to help them survive the winter. At the moment they definitely need it!

We had a quieter day at work today which was a bit of a relief, to be honest, so I was able to catch up with lots of paperwork that had been neglected.

This evening was our "works do" and the six of us, including my parents, drove into Northampton to eat at The Seafood Cafe. It was snowing all the way home from work but it was just light flurries. Tomorrow we're expected to have widespread snow all over our region so that will make the weekend interesting!

We had a delicious meal - three of us went for cod and chips with mushy peas, my Dad had Sea Bass, Mikey had scampi and my mum enjoyed a huge fishcake! My fish was beautiful and the batter gorgeously light and crispy. As well as starters the children and me managed a dessert so it's back on the diet again tomorrow! We just have one celebration left this month - Mikey's birthday next week - so after that it's back to the regime to lost weight for our holiday!

Keeping warm!

For Christmas, Mikey had asked for a "onesie" but Keith and I honestly thought he was joking so we didn't buy him one! However, he kept on and on about it so today, Keith ordered him a Newcastle United onesie to keep him warm at night, and knowing Mikey, he probably won't take it off at all at the weekend!

It's been another cold day with more snow forecast at the end of the week. And there was me thinking we'd have a mild winter! Sophie had an Orthodontist appointment in the afternoon and my poor little girl went through more torture with new wires being put into her mouth and elastic bands! She was told to take the elastic bands out when she brushes her teeth or eats but she's refusing to wear them! To make matters even worse we popped over to the Opticians on the way back to work to get her the glasses she needs for reading and looking at computer screens. Poor thing!

After work we went off to the gym and Sophie was roped into a "Power Plate" class which she enjoyed, although the intense vibrations made her new braces rattle a bit!

Birthday girl!

So, today I turned 45...arrggghhh! I still feel like I'm in my early 30s and long may that continue!

I was up early, at 6am, and we must have had a light flurry of snow during the night as all the tyre tracks and footprints outside the house were covered. I saw the gritting lorry trundle past on the main road as I looked out of the window so the council must have got their act together at last as all the roads were clear.

Keith cooked me poached eggs on toast for breakfast and before I left for work I opened my cards and presents. I took Sophie into school on the way and the sky looked very grey but they haven't forecast any more snow for today, just blue skies and sunshine.

Work was busy, which I am thankful for, but our normal cook has now left so we have Martha standing in for us and she was thrown into the deep end, somewhat, as we had two parties at lunchtime and we were all roped in to help. A bouquet of flowers arrived from Mum as I was serving customers! It didn't really calm down until about 3pm so we may need to recruit someone to work over lunchtime if this carries on (which, if we take on another person, it won't!).

After work Sophie and I drove to the abandoned Boughton Green Churchyard where I've wanted to go for ages. It's amazing that I've lived in the area for 40 years but I've never visited this ruined Church and graveyard.

We 

We wandered around taking photos of the ruined stonework and the graves and admiring the beautiful sky which was a mixture of peachy pinks and blues. Gorgeous!

On the way home we stopped to take some more shots of the snow covered fields and the luminous sun as it sank behind the horizon. I love it so much when it snows and the landscape looks like this.

Back home I discovered Keith had baked cheese scones and a bread and butter pudding...with the cupcakes I had for my Birthday I'm definitely going to have to work hard at the gym tomorrow night!

Well, it snowed!

We did indeed have a snowfall overnight so this morning we awoke to what I would call a dusting. Certainly not enough to close the schools or prevent us from getting to work! Ho hum...it's off to work I go!

Keith and I got stuck into scrubbing the floor as soon as we got to work so by lunchtime it was all clean. As the morning wore on, the snow began again and carried on until about 2pm, but, again, it hasn't really caused any problems. Looking out at our car park during the morning I did think the roads would be snowy but they were all cleared, just like they should be! Just to be on the safe side, I did go in with Keith so we finished at 3pm after I applied two coats of polish to the floor and put most of the chairs and tables back. I was more than ready to go home, I can tell you!

We picked up Sophie from school and went straight home to prepare the vegetables for our dinner tonight. We decided to have a nice meal tonight as a Birthday celebration meal will be difficult tomorrow as Mikey has Army Cadets and we have to go back out and pick him up at 9.30pm so enjoying a bottle would not be a good idea!

Our little work robin

Snowy car park

Winter weekend.

It's been a busy weekend and time has flown by!

The weather has turned very cold, as forecast, and yesterday in the afternoon Keith and I managed to get out and have a walk over the fields. I bought myself a new coat after dropping Sophie off at work and I bagged a bargain in the sales! Now, the woman who has my coat will probably get in touch with the pub and ask for hers back! That would be typical, wouldn't it!

We had a lovely, if very muddy, walk and found the gate open so we were able to walk down the track rather than trek over the fields to get to our normal path. Although it was bleak, very cold and windy, we saw signs of Spring on the trees and bushes so that gave us a bit of hope! We think the fields must have been flooded as the stream showed signs of high water and at the bottom of one of the big meadows was an area that looked like it had been saturated.

We made it up the hill without stopping and admired the setting sun when we got to the top. We noticed several new bunches of flowers in the cemetery so we had a wander around and said hello to some old friends who lay in rest there. It's a beautiful, peaceful spot.

Walking through the village we said hello to a young boy who always stands on the corner and waves to the cars - he's such a sweet little thing and he delights in waving at everyone who passes by. Back home we expected Mikey to be back from his visit to the village but his bike was missing from the garage. As it was now getting quite dark I started to worry! I called him on his phone but there was no answer, so we got into the car and drove back the way we'd walked and eventually found his bike outside a friend's house. We didn't mind as we love him to get out and see his mates, but I did want him home before it was properly dark! Luckily, within half an hour he was back!

For dinner on Saturday night we went all Mexican and had a great, very messy, meal. We made chicken Fajitas (I wonder who for!) and we also enjoyed Tacos which crumbled as soon as I bit into them! We heated some nachos in the oven with melted cheese and salsa (delicious) and stir-fried some onions, peppers and mushrooms. We were stuffed at the end of it!

Sunday dawned very cold and sunny and we popped to Tesco in the morning to get a special meal for tomorrow night. I had a Finest dinner in mind but we decided to have liver and bacon instead, which is one of my favourite meals! As we drove back the sky looked a bit ominous but the forecast snow is not set to arrive with us until the early hours of Monday morning.

Back home I booked our airport hotel and parking for the holiday (it's getting closer!) and then Sophie and I went to pick up Mum to drive to Weedon for a cup of tea and a mooch around the shops. The plan was to spend an hour there and then drive over to Fawsley, near Daventry, for Sophie to take some sunset shots with the camera she'd borrowed from school.

It worked out very well and she took some fantastic photos of a beautiful lake and trees outlined against the winter sky. These are my efforts:

It was freezing cold but it was great to show Sophie and Mum the gorgeous countryside around Fawsley Hall and the village of Everdon. In the snow it would look spectacular but the roads were pretty steep and very narrow so I'm not sure I would risk it!

We reluctantly left the lake and drove home to have a quick drink at Mum and Dad's house. Now we'll await the snowfall...let's see!

Busy!

I don't know why, but we have been very busy at work all this week and I suppose I really should know why we're so popular, but this is a funny business as we can be hectic one week and quiet the next. Today has been horrible, grey and foggy and we had lots of people in, but last Friday was beautiful and sunny and we were busy then as well!

We have managed to find a new cook, one who I hope will be perfect for the job. She can't start for a month, though, so I have asked one of our previous employees to come back, which she was happy to do. This is working out rather too well!

I was at work with Sophie until 6pm and then it was a cold drive home and a lovely warm bath when I got home to thaw out my toes!

Back into it!

It's been an absolutely beautiful day today and just how I like winter to be with clear blue skies and lots of sunshine. It was a shame we couldn't manage to get out for a walk after work but we went to the gym instead and this time we did our full workout followed by a ten minute swim.It's become noticeably busier this week as people try and stick to their New Year's resolutions!

The weather forecast is to be a lot colder over the next few days with maybe some snow over the weekend. Perhaps my little fantasy will come true of snow on Sunday evening (so as not to disrupt the business) and the roads blocked on Monday so I can have the day off and have fun with the kids! It's my Birthday on Tuesday so an extra snow day wouldn't come amiss, with normal service resumed on Wednesday! I can hope!

Appreciating culture...

Last night Sophie and I sat and watched a ballet performed to Ravel's Bolero. I love the music but the ballet was a little strange, to say the least! Sophie cackled all the way through the short performance, making lewd comments about the dancers, which I'm sure the choreographer would have found very disturbing! And there's me trying to provide some cultural entertainment and education!

I think I do prefer Torvill and Dean dancing to it, though!

Dismantling Christmas

I spent most of today at work taking down all the Christmas decorations and cleaning under the slides, which, since we put them all up on the 3rd December, had become very dusty indeed! Keith and Ian managed to do a few more things on the list I'd given them, so all in all, a very productive day!

Sophie and I went to the gym after work and got back into our routine, although Sophie wimped out on the cross-trainer. I think easily does it the first day back after three weeks of not being on the equipment. At one point, two of the staff went rushing off to the Mens'changing rooms with a First Aid kit and a defibrulator but it looked like it was a false alarm as they came straight back out again! It wouldn't have surprised me, though, as a lot of people have been away over Christmas, plus there's bound to be new people who have joined in a bid to get fit!

I have a feeling I may ache tomorrow!

Yet another trip to Kent!

Mum and I made another journey down to Kent today to see Nan. Very soon, I'll be able to do the journey blindfolded!

And talking about the journey, I think today's trip was the best ever...it took us just 90 minutes to get home in the evening, which for a Sunday was tremendous! The completion of all the roadworks have certainly speeded things up! I took Mum and Dad's nippy little Mini Cooper so that may have been one of the reasons why we were so fast!

We had an uneventful afternoon, doing odd little jobs for Nan and having a chat (well, a shout) with her. I was glad to get home, though, and have a well-earned drink and dinner!

Old diaries

This afternoon I started transcribing an old diary of a holiday we took in France, back in 2001. I often wish I'd started this blog years ago as it's so great to read back on what I've been doing with my life. Time passes so quickly it's nice to know what I did every day.

I have therefore started adding this old diary to my blog, in date order. The holiday we took in France was a bit of a disaster as we fell out with some good friends, two of whom we haven't spoken to since, despite them still living in the next village!

At the time, Sophie was five years old and Mikey was about 16 months, so still very much a baby and a naughty one at that! I hope you enjoy reading of our week in Normandy and a link to it can be found here:

A Wine Club trip to France May 11-18 2001

To carry on reading, scroll down to the rest of the entries on the right hand side of the page under 2001.

New Year clear-out!

After a little lie-in (I like being up by 8.30am at the weekend!) and a cup of coffee, it was time to take down the Christmas decorations. It was sad taking down the lights as at this bleak time of year we all need cheering up!

I took down the tree and all the cards and put them away for next year, which will be here before we know it! After a breakfast of tomatoes, bacon and crusty bread I washed both cars and then Keith and I tackled all the dead bedding plants that were still languishing in our hanging baskets and tubs. I also raked up a lot of leaves that were covering the lawn and afterwards I felt great for spending a couple of hours in the fresh air. It was a lovely mild morning with the sun breaking through every now and again and at one point I actually sat on our seat in the garden and felt the sun on my face! There is always a danger in this as we are lulled into a false sense of security by thinking an early Spring is on the cards and then the temperatures plunge and we get a load of snow!

I spent the afternoon clearing out the drawers in our study and throwing out a lot of old papers and cards that we had kept (for some unknown reason). Again, it felt really good to have a clear out and make some space!

Just before sunset Sophie and I drove to a nearby vantage point and took some photos of the sunset and the winter fields. Although the temperature was around 9 degrees the wind made it feel a lot colder so it was great to get back into the car and turn the heating on!

Sophie is at a Winter Ball tonight so excitement is running high in the house as she gets ready. I'm chief taxi driver again and, like Cinderella, her coach will await her at midnight!

Winter photos

Manic!

Today we've been so busy at work - a good end to the school holidays but it did take us by surprise as we've been nice and steady up until now.

We were all roped into helping out so I was in the kitchen washing up and serving customers, Mum and Dad cleared tables and Sophie looked after the two lunchtime parties we had. It was manic! The funny thing was that the weather was beautiful rather than rainy so maybe people thought we were going to be quieter!

It had been decided to go to the gym and get back into our proper workout but both Sophie and I felt a bit weary so we swam for almost an hour instead, followed by a very welcome dip in the jacuzzi!

Games evening

It was really lovely to relax tonight (after a busy, noisy day at work) and play cards in the conservatory with the children. It's something we haven't done for a long while and it's very rare for the four of us to play cards together, which makes the game a lot harder! Needless to say I lost every time!

I'm keeping watch of the sunset times now as every day brings another minute or two of daylight. It won't be long before we can resume our evening walks!

(Almost) back to normal

Phew...I think it's over! So, back to normal today...well, almost!

Sophie and I went off to the gym after work for a swim as my daughter still hasn't replaced her trainers which died on her a couple of weeks ago. However, when we got there the swimming lessons were still on and the pool was full of children!

We waited until 5pm but gave up as it looked like there were only a couple of lanes in the middle for serious swimmers (we're not, but you know what I mean). So instead of doing some exercise to work off the Christmas indulgence, we just lazed about in the jacuzzi and did very little!

I made sure that on the way home we stopped off to buy Sophie some new trainers. We are definitely back to it on Friday!

Some photos from yesterday:

Horse and Hound Pub, Broadway

Beautiful Cotswolds buildings

The Lygon Arms, Broadway...one day!!!

Vintage transport

Sophie and Mikey trying on hats - Edinburgh Woollen Mill

Interesting architecture, Broadway

A journey through the Shires

Last night Sophie had some friends around for a small "gathering" as she called it and although there was a fair bit of alcohol involved, I was very impressed with their behaviour! There were seven of them in total, three girls and four boys, but we kept them contained in the conservatory and by 1am it was all over. Keith and I had a very quiet New Year's Eve sitting in our living room and watching TV but we did open a bottle of Cava at midnight and Mikey was first footer. Let's hope he brings us luck for 2013!

So, it was a bit of a slow start to the first day of 2013 as Sophie emerged late from her bed, but by midday we were on the road to Broadway in the Cotswolds for lunch and a mooch about the shops. Luckily the weather was beautiful and we were parked in the car park of the Horse and Hounds by 1.30pm. We were even luckier to get a table and had a delicious meal of lamb (Keith and me) steak and ale pie (Mikey) and chicken fajitas for Sophie. We pushed the boat out and had desserts and I was delighted to find they  had the same beer on as last year - Rosey Nosey!

After eating we ambled around the village and I popped into the Edinburgh Woollen Mill to see if I could find another coat to match the one that was taken from me. No luck this year, though, so I just treated myself to a new pair of gloves and some shortcake biscuits and we headed home.

We took a bit of a roundabout route to get home and counted up the Shires we drove through...five in total! Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire! Shame we didn't see any hobbits!