She's home!

This evening Keith and I drove down to Gatwick to pick up Sophie and her friend Laura who had returned from their holiday in Barcelona. Keith and I had dinner early first and left at 6.45pm, in the hope that we wouldn't encounter any problems on the way.

The weather had changed in the late afternoon and we had a thunderstorm and torrential rain, but luckily it was dry for the drive down. We had one small hold-up on the M1 because of an accident on the north bound carriageway - everyone had slowed down on our side to look and it never ceases to amaze me why people do that...how ghoulish can you get?

Keith was looking out for planes near Heathrow and we saw two take off just above our heads which was a tad distracting! We made Gatwick by 8.45pm and Sophie and her friends landed a few minutes later, which was great timing!

When they emerged from the Arrivals Hall they all hugged and said goodbye and I did wonder whether they would all keep in touch as most of her group were bound for University in the Autumn.

We had a good journey back, broken by a quick stop at a McDonalds at the first services we came to, and arrived home at just after midnight, which is what I was expecting. Sophie handed out her presents to us - a small skateboard for Mikey, a shirt and beer glass for Keith and a beautiful Gaudi inspired windchime for me. I think we all did very well indeed and it was such a relief to have her home with us!

Not really doing a lot...

Today I have been mostly doing...very little!

Keith came into work with me and while I opened up he mowed the grass in the car park before it became really hot. As soon as we were able, we went over to the bank, popped into Tesco to buy dinner and then went home to collect Mikey as he wanted to spend the afternoon in Brixworth again.

We weren't busy at work so Keith and I drove to Jones's where we bought a few bits for Mikey's Army Camp which is getting ever nearer. We went back to work for lunch and then popped down to Black's on Riverside where we bought him some tent pegs. While we were there Keith had a look at the walking boots and treated himself to a pair as at the moment he's either borrowing mine or using a pair of very old boots that are definitely past their best!

From Black's we went into town and parked near Abington Square as I wanted to go to the Schoolwear shop there and get Mikey's new blazer. We just have one weekend between now and when he goes back to school and John Lewis didn't have his size in stock. I was actually glad as the shop in Northampton stocked the school's blazers with the badge already sewn onto the chest pocket! I bought a pack of shirts and so we were all done as he's only just had new trousers.

Back at work we had a quick chat with Mum and Dad who had popped in and then it was time to go home where I had a Facebook chat with Sophie (she'd bought an enormous hat!) and then Mum and Dad came around for a glass of wine and some nibbles. We'd planned on going through the questions from the Solicitor but none of us felt like tackling them so we just concentrated on drinking wine and feeling fine in the early evening sunshine!

As we'd snacked on tortilla chips and dips, Keith and I abandoned dinner and finished off the cheese and biscuits we'd started yesterday. I opened a beautiful bottle of French red wine and we had a very relaxing evening!

Clear out!

There was a return to the hot and sunny weather today but weirdly enough, we were busier than yesterday!

Mum and I spent most of the morning clearing out one of our units and bagging up all the old papers and files that will have to be disposed of soon. Delving into the old cardboard boxes was a bit hazardous as I was terrified of coming across a huge hairy spider or maybe even a rat...but luckily we escaped unscathed! As I was walking backwards and forwards to the bin the crows were always somewhere about, probably keeping a close eye on me in case I suddenly produced some food!

In the afternoon we drove over to Tesco where I bought some cheese and biscuits for dinner. We had planned on going to The Queen's Arms in Bulwick to scout it out for a possible Anniversary dinner, but neither of us really fancied the 50 mile round trip after dropping Mikey off at Army Cadets so we decided to go another time.

After work I came home and fell asleep on the sofa...well, it had been a hot and busy day!

Famous last words!

Monday has rolled around again and after being awake in the night I found it difficult to get up this morning! I had to be up pretty early, though, as Keith and I had to take the Audi in to Chips Away for the scuffs to be fixed. I was looking forward to having the car back all shiny and looking better!

After we dropped the car off I went into work and Keith took the Mini home as he was planning on walking around the Nature Reserve again. We had a quiet day at work and just before lunch Mum and I popped to the bank and then we went down to Homebase as Mum was looking to buy a sun parasol for the garden.

Summer, of course, is now officially over for retailers and I was a bit surprised not to see any Christmas decorations on display! There were just a few odds and ends of garden furniture left but Mum did manage to find a parasol she liked and she joked that by buying it the weather would change...famous last words!

After lunch I tackled the looooong list of questions the Solicitor acting for us in the sale had sent. Some of them I couldn't even understand and dealt with leases, boundaries and obscure things I'd never heard of. I suggested to Dad that I do what I could and then they could pop around one evening and we'd do the ones that took more thought. Over a bottle of wine, of course! And by the end we wouldn't much care anyway!

As we drove home the heavens opened and we had a burst of torrential rain...the parasol was working already! Whilst waiting for Chips Away to call me I cleaned our bedroom and hoovered upstairs which gave me a small glow of satisfaction as I'd intended to do it yesterday and never got around to it. Today has been much cooler and has given me some much needed energy!

At 5pm we collected my car and I was thrilled with the results. The scuffs had completely gone and the car looked lovely. We drove home, I finished off cleaning and took Keith to the pub. Mikey had gone to Brixworth to see some friends so I had the house to myself for an hour. Bliss!

Champagne and caviar...

Well, this weekend has certainly been a sociable one! We don't often go out to parties but this weekend we've been to two!

We awoke to another warm and sunny day and the forecast rain never arrived. Before we had breakfast we went to get the newspapers and called in for coffee with Mum and Dad who were keen to hear news of Sophie. We told them she was feeling a bit homesick - it's a horrible feeling knowing that she's a bit sad and missing home and there's nothing I can do about it, except chat to her on the phone.

Back at home I washed my car as tomorrow it's booked into Chips Away for the bodywork repairs. It was more dusty than dirty but as soon as I applied water to the car it dried as it was so hot. I gave our poor thirsty plants a good drink as well and then went in to get ready for a drinks party we'd been invited to at lunchtime.

Rather than drive down to the village we walked which meant we didn't have to worry about having a drink or two. Our hosts were John and Sue and they have the most beautiful house with gorgeous gardens. When we arrived my heart sank a bit as we didn't know a soul (except our hosts!) but everyone was very friendly and we had a lovely time. I drank Champagne throughout and John made sure that my glass was never empty. We ate some delicious canapes (one little bite-sized morsel was a new potato topped with sour cream and caviar) and the food was very good. I'd like to try out a few of the recipes as they're perfect for a drinks party.

We were very pleased to see Graham and Nancy arrive (they live a few doors down from us and have a beautiful dog, Dennis) so we had a great chat with them. It was a perfect afternoon - some very friendly and chatty people, gorgeous surroundings and sublime weather. John has an ample wine cellar and we got chatting to one man who was a friend of Tony Laithwaite, whose surname is synonymous with wine!

Graham and Nancy very kindly drove us home and then it was time for me to iron all our bedding and put it back (not a good thing to do after several glasses of Champagne!). When I finished I did allow myself a nap on the sofa!

Birthday celebrations!

It's been another hot and sunny day today and most of the time we did very little. I kept going out into the garden as I felt I should have been doing something out there, but it was just too warm to do anything strenuous. If I'm honest, I did miss Sophie being around! Keith and I did sit out in the afternoon to soak up some sun and it was very pleasant indeed!

In the evening we went around to Sarah and Liam's house for the birthday celebrations and we had a great time. Although ominous clouds had arrived as the afternoon wore on, the threatened rain never appeared and it stayed dry and warm. The beer and wine flowed and the food was delicious so we were very well looked after. Gill and Tim, with their daughter Phoebe, came along as well and it was great to catch up with them after their move back in January.

We left at about 11.00pm and sat with Mikey to watch an episode of "Scrubs". Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Sophie called and we had a chat. She was feeling a bit homesick again and next Thursday can't come soon enough!

Time drags...

The roads were certainly quieter this morning as I drove into work! Bliss!

It's been a long, hot day today and the time has dragged. Sophie sent me a Facebook message this morning saying she was a bit sunburnt and her feet hurt so I phoned her and we had a chat. I just think she had too much sun on the beach yesterday and was a bit tired as later in the day we had another catch-up and she seemed much better.

Mum and I went over to the bank mid-morning and treated ourselves to a cup of coffee in BB's - it's been a long time since we did that! The afternoon dragged as the weather has, yet again, been beautiful and although we had customers in, we were still quiet with not a lot going on. We couldn't go home as we were covering Reception for a couple of hours but at 4pm I left to go to the gym for a facial in the Beauty Salon.

I was really looking forward to relaxing for an hour, but although enjoyable, it wasn't as good as some of the treatments I've had in the past. At one point, the therapist just sat behind me for what seemed like an eternity which made me wonder what she was doing...Instead of lying there drifting away on a cloud of relaxation, I lay there imagining all sorts of things! She asked me if I minded product in my hair and made it clear that it would be easier for her if I let her slather my tresses with oil, so I emerged from the salon with hair like the wild woman of Borneo. I managed to scrape it all into a top-knot and scuttled back to the car terrified of meeting someone I knew!

When I arrived home Keith hit me with the news that he'd cancelled seeing Dave and was waiting for me to get ready so we could have a drink at The White Horse instead. It was a bit of a shock as I'd imagined getting home and just doing nothing so I had to jump in the bath and wash out all the oil in my hair.

Before we went out, I called Sophie and she seemed so much happier than she did this morning. It's amazing what a day of rest and a lot of sleep can achieve! We had a chat and then Keith and I walked up to the pub for a couple of drinks. It was quite disconcerting to see a number of regulars from The Royal Oak in there as well and I fear that a lot of people who drink in Walgrave are making their way to Old instead...

We had an extremely enjoyable hour chatting and enjoying the great atmosphere before strolling home in the evening sunshine. Another week is over!

Money, money, money...

As promised, as soon as we were able, Keith and I went over to Nationwide and tried to sort out the problem with Sophie's card. Unfortunately, the same woman who we'd had a run in with the other week, was on the "help" desk and didn't seem at all inclined to assist us. She told us that Sophie had to call the number on the back of her card and sort it out herself...

We tried another branch but although the man there was a lot more helpful, he basically said the same thing. We left and went to Jones's where I bought some sun tan lotion...our holiday is getting a lot nearer now! We also bought a luggage scale as we still haven't located ours at home. I have a feeling we left it behind last year...

Back at work, we had lunch and then managed to get Sophie's online banking set up. I clicked on the button to inform the bank that Sophie was abroad and we hoped that the next time she tried to use her card it would be successful. The one good thing to come out of all of this is that Keith contacted his bank to let them know we are planning to go abroad next month. Security is so tight now that a lot of banks won't let you use your card overseas without telling them first, so that's all sorted out.

We left work and went home to sit in the garden and soak up some sun. My Vitamin D levels are now back to normal and I was determined to keep them that way! As we were relaxing we had a phone call from Sophie who said that she still couldn't draw any money out on her card so we told her to phone the number as that was the only solution to the problem. When she called us back she said that Nationwide told her she could use card to make purchases but not to draw money out...

Keith said the only thing she could do was use his credit card for cash as she couldn't get through the rest of her holiday with no cash. When we had a good look at the paperwork from the bank it clearly stated on the letter that she couldn't use it to withdraw cash...wait until she gets home and we point that out to her!

I sometimes think that teenagers go through a sort of second childhood as they're supposed to be adults but they haven't really got the necessary skills to cope with adult life. As babies they learn to walk and talk, feed themselves and dress themselves, etc, but at 18 they go off on their own and it's a learning process all over again as they get used to standing on their own two feet. I think that making mistakes is all part of growing up.

After we'd sorted Sophie out (and there was much shouting and gnashing of teeth on her part) we walked up to Mum and Dad's house to borrow the Mini again. They weren't in so we sat by the pond and waited for them to come home. I wanted to tell them about Sophie and what had happened and when they arrived home we had a very pleasant drink with them in their conservatory.

Back home I cooked beefburgers and home-made potato wedges for dinner and Keith and I settled down to watch Jagged Edge. Although the film is almost 30 years old, it's still an excellent thriller and it was great to relax after a pretty stressful day!

Kids!

So, the last day of term arrived and we were busy with parties at work. Mum and Dad swapped their day off and came in with me today as Polly was planning on being late in this morning.

It's been another beautiful, very hot day today and in the afternoon we left work to pop to the Post Office to get our identity documents checked. However, our local branch was unable to provide the service so we had to drive into town and visit the larger office there. Luckily the building was air conditioned so we didn't mind the wait as the post office lady checked all our documents! Driving back the temperature outside went up to 31.5c very briefly and sitting in the heavy traffic wasn't much fun!

Keith had called me as we were walking through town to say that Mikey was out with some friends and would make his way to work when he was ready to go home. He'd been in trouble today as I'd received a call from school to say he'd been involved in an incident where a window was broken...

When we got back to work there was no sign of him so we shut up the office and I drove back through the area around the school to see if we could see him. Keith had taken my car today so I was hitching a lift home with Mum and Dad. We gave up looking for him and I resigned myself to driving all the way back to work later in the afternoon to fetch him!

As predicted, just as I drew up outside my house, the phone rang and it was Mikey asking to be picked up! I said goodbye to Mum and Dad and Keith and I drove back the way I'd just come to go and get him!

Keith had suggested we go to the pub for a drink and I wasn't going to argue! When we arrived home again we both had a quick shower and walked up to the White Horse. Our seat in the window was free so we had a very pleasant and relaxing hour with our drinks and having a chat about the events of the day. Mikey had said he hadn't broken the glass in the window, just the hinge, so it didn't seem as serious as I first thought, plus he said it was an accident and one of the teachers was there to verify it. We just didn't want a huge bill landing on our doorstep!

When we got back home after our drink we found an answerphone message from Sophie that sounded a bit panicky. Imagining the worst I managed to get hold of her and she said that her new debit card wouldn't let her draw any money out of an ATM...

After lots of garbled messages we told her that we would try and sort out the problem first thing in the morning and then she wrote on Facebook that she would Skype with me at 10pm...now was that 10pm her time, or ours?

Eventually, at around 10.30pm, just as I'd given up and gone to bed, we were able to speak on Skype. She hadn't helped her situation by splurging a lot of cash on Mac make-up but we promised we'd do our best to help in the morning when we got to work...Kids!

Serious discussions...

I had a great Facebook chat with my daughter this morning and she sounded very happy, which is great. I do miss her, though, especially at work as I'd got used to having her around with us!

We had a meeting with our Accountant this morning as several months ago we made the big decision to sell the business and we were meeting with the potential buyers to thrash out the best way of doing it. I'd been dreading the meeting but it all turned out very well and we were much more optimistic when we left to go back to work.

Surprisingly we were quite busy and we had to look after Reception while Polly helped out in the kitchen. Tomorrow, we're even busier with several parties throughout the day so that's good!

The afternoon grew hotter and hotter and our customers melted away. By 3.30pm we'd all had enough of wading through paperwork and we felt we could get away with an early departure!

Monday again!

So, today is the last day we'll be closed to the public before the school holidays start on Thursday. Again, it's been a warm day and not really ideal to be cleaning our big tube slides, but they had to be done as the next time we'd be able to do them would be the 8 September...it doesn't bear thinking about!

Dad and I cleaned the slides and the sweat just ran down my face in little rivers...yuk! What was horrible was that I'd booked to have an eyebrow shape at the gym straight after work so I was a bit worried about turning up all sweaty!

I needn't have worried as by the time I went I felt a lot cooler and the beauty therapist chatted away happily, thank goodness. She made a great job of my eyebrows so now they look a lot neater. I felt a bit guilty for having the treatment and then hotfooting it home without doing a workout, but it was hot and it just didn't feel the same without Soph with me!

Talking of which, she is now in Barcelona and sent me a great photo from the plane of her and Laura, both of them looking very excited! I think the best thing to do over the next ten days is to stay very busy so I don't think too much about what she's getting up to!

I arrived home and had a cool bath before Keith and I took the Mini back to Mum and Dad. It's been great to borrow it for a while but I don't want my parents to think we're taking advantage and I did miss driving my car!

More goodbyes...

So, the day I've dreaded has arrived and the morning was spent doing housework while Sophie did her last bit of packing and getting ready. I was giving her friends Jack and Laura a lift to the airport and I really wasn't looking forward to the journey down to Gatwick! At least they were staying overnight which I thought was a great idea as travelling down tomorrow morning, in rush hour, would have been fraught with difficulties!

We made good time to the airport with only a bit of stickiness around Heathrow. We saw a Virgin Atlantic flight take off and soar into the sky and I did marvel at how these enormous machines manage to take off and stay airborne! Best not to think too much about that!

Sophie and her five friends were staying at the Premier Inn in the North Terminal (where we stayed last year) and drop-off was very easy. I gave my daughter a big hug and did shed a couple of tears. I will miss her like crazy!

Amazingly I found my way out of the busy airport and back onto the M23 easily...normally I do a couple of circuits of the area before finding my way! Once back on the M25 I stopped at the first services and bought myself a sandwich and the Sunday papers. The whole area was very busy indeed with lots of people looking like they were either going or coming back from holidays.

The journey back, although busy, was good and I was home before 5pm. Keith suggested a drink at the pub but I preferred to stay at home and have a glass of wine. He'd already been down to the pub in the village with Mikey today, anyway!

After dinner of Shepherd's pie (Sophie never keen on this particular dish) we watched Captain Phillips which we both really enjoyed. It was certainly good at taking my mind off my daughter's impending departure to Barcelona tomorrow!

Rain!

Last night, just as we were going to bed, we had another thunder and lightening show from Mother Nature which went on for at least an hour and a half. As well as sheet lightening we had fork lightening as well, which lit up the whole sky and was very dramatic indeed! Sophie and I watched the rain fall from her bedroom window and it was lovely to feel the cool draught filtering in and alleviating the heat a tiny bit.

This morning I woke up at about 5.30am but after reading for a while I went back to sleep and slumbered until 8am. The sky was grey and everywhere felt muggy and damp again.

Sophie had an appointment for her nails at 11am and I dropped her off and drove over to the gym where I spent a pleasant hour reading my book and having a coffee in the cafe. The gym was very busy, with the pool packed with people and the cafe itself was abuzz with families having lunch. Outside the rain fell steadily out of a grey, dismal sky and it never really stopped until we were sitting in Caffe Nero in Market Harborough, having a quick bite to eat. It was ironic because we'd got soaked running from the car park into the town and I'd bought a small umbrella in the Edinburgh Woollen Mill to protect us from the worst of the downpour!

After a quick snack we had a mooch around the shops and Sophie treated herself to some jewellery in Monsoon. There was a sale on in there (and other shops) so no doubt the winter stuff will soon be appearing on the rails.

We ended up, as usual, in Duncan's shop and tasted three French wines and a red from the north west of Spain. He said he'd been quiet because of the weather but as we tasted our wines the sun had come out and it was very hot and humid again. I bought one of the wines, a sweetish white and also a Portuguese wine that we'd tasted the other week which Sophie and I enjoyed. I also bought a present for Liam's birthday next week and we sneaked in a couple of tastings of a Cherry Bourbon that Sophie loved.

Duncan said that the sweetish white went very well with olives and recommended us to pop into the Farndon Fields Farm Shop on the way home. We managed to find it and I really wish I hadn't as they have such a superb range of delicious food and drink! We chose different olives and stuffed peppers, some locally made bread and two Scotch eggs that I have a weakness for and only eat very occasionally!

We took a different route home through verdant countryside, passing by the Naseby battlefield site and we actually saw a Buddhist monk near Haselbech! Once home we spent a frantic hour looking for our luggage scales as Sophie was finishing off her packing but in the end we had to resort to weighing Sophie on our bathroom scales and then weighing her with her suitcase, which did feel very heavy!

We also completed our Advanced Passenger Information for our flight next month and picked out our seats, so that was very exciting! We've decided to check in online the day before we fly which will hopefully make things a bit easier at the airport!

In the evening we had a three course meal to say goodbye to Sophie as she is off to the airport tomorrow in readiness to fly out to Barcelona on Monday. We had pate and the bread we bought today, followed by nachos with chicken. I made a Pavlova with strawberries and we settled down to watch Mrs Doubtfire. A great end to a very good day!

Nature's entertainment.

We were awoken at 3am this morning by a huge clap of thunder and stupendous flashes of lightening that lit up the whole sky. Keith and I stood and watched the incredible display from our bedroom window and listened to the hammering rain beat down on the roof of the conservatory. It was fantastic!

I had a fair bit of trouble getting back off to sleep and when we awoke again, everything was humid, damp and muggy. I drove Mikey to school and took Sophie in with me as she's working for us today, to cover Reception while Polly has the day off. Before we opened we had another thunderstorm and at one point it was right above us as we had a flash of lightening followed immediately by one of the loudest thunder claps I've ever had.

Keith came into work and together we went to Booker to meet Sarah who wanted to buy some bits for the party she's hosting for Liam next week. She went off to get her shopping while Keith and I did ours for work. It had become sunny and very warm again and I dreaded to think what it would be like at work!

And it was hot! We'd decided today to take some scrap metal we have lying about to a recycling plant in Northampton and picking today to do it was a bit of a mistake! Keith, Dad and I loaded some of it into the back of Dad's car and we set off, very gingerly I may add, to the scrap metal merchant. I had to drive onto a weighbridge and then go and register with the office but I'd forgotten to take my driving licence out of my bag so I had to scuttle back down to the car again to get it. I dread to think what the men in the van behind me, who were waiting to get onto the bridge thought!

Once I'd registered and proved who I was, I drove off the weighbridge and Dad and I donned hard hats and high viz jackets to offload all the metal. While I'd been waiting to see the man in the office (who said I smelt lovely by the way!) I'd been watching a huge monster of a machine picking up the scrap metal and hurling the bits onto a gigantic pile. It had a large claw and it really was like watching a horror movie in progress!

Dad and I offloaded all our metal and then I drove back onto the weighbridge and went up to get a cheque. I don't think all our money worries will be solved, though, as I received the paltry sum of £16! Back at work I downed a whole bottle of water and treated myself to some well-earned lunch!

Sophie and I felt it was a bit too hot to go to the gym tonight so we headed home and I had a cool shower and lay on the bed reading, which was bliss. I took Keith to the pub at 6pm and after picking him up and having dinner we spent the evening in the cool garden which was still damp from the overnight rain. Just before 10pm we saw the bats flying about so they're still living (nesting? roosting?) near by!

Heatwave!

Keith went and bought himself a Pitsford Nature reserve permit the other day so at the same time as I set off for work, he started his walk around the "softer" side of the reservoir! As we now just have one car (although we will be borrowing Mum and Dad's nippy little Mini a couple of times a week until we choose a new car), he had no choice but to walk from home!

Work has been OK today as we had a large group of school children in this morning for around two hours, just to play. They were all tremendously excited! It was lovely to hear their shouts and screams in the background and I'm hoping that over the next few weeks that will be a sound we're constantly hearing!

In the heat of the afternoon (it's supposed to be the hottest day of the year today with a heatwave warning issued) Mum and I went to the bank but on the way we called into Chips Away as there are three, very annoying, marks on the car. There are two on the back of the car which look like peeling paint and one on the left hand side where some nice person opened their door and knocked off some paint. I booked the car in for the 28 July and I'm looking forward to getting back all shiny and restored!

After work I took Sophie to have a holiday hair cut and she came out looking very pleased with herself. Her locks are quite a bit shorter, but her hair looked fuller and thicker. It's about time for me to have a chop as well, I think!

We spent the early part of the evening at the pub and as a treat, had a takeaway Chinese from the van in the village. The pub was quiet but it was great to sit and relax with the children and have a chat after a busy day!

Saying goodbye...

This morning, as soon as Polly came in, Keith, Sophie and I took the Passat to the motor dealer who was buying her. I felt very sad to see her go, but she needs so much work that it's the best thing to do. A wise motor mechanic once said to me, "Never get emotionally attached to cars", and he was right!

After we'd taken the Passat we drove to Jones's where I bought mountains of socks for work. A lot of the children visit us with just sandals on so we need to keep an ample supply of socks for them to wear as they whizz down our slides!

It's been another very sultry and warm day with the afternoon clouding over and becoming very humid. Keith and I tackled the long grass at the front of our building as it badly needed a cut. I took over the mowing from him while he strimmed the awkward bits and it was hot, hard work! I would hate to be a gardener at this time of year!

We left work early and Keith and I went off to Tesco as he had to pick up a prescription from the chemist there. I was tempted by a sales demonstration of knives but near the end Keith started to champ at the bit and made me leave...I would have received a free vegetable knife if I'd stuck it out!

When we got home Keith, Sophie and I walked up to the pub in Old for a drink and very pleasant it was too! I hate to say it, but I prefer The White Horse to The Royal Oak at the moment!

All change...

I think that 2014 will ultimately be the year of change. This year so far, we've had two new sets of neighbours with another set soon to move in, my Uncle has moved to Cyprus permanently, Sophie has left school and this morning Keith phoned me to say that he's sold the Passat and will be getting rid of it tomorrow.

Although I haven't driven it for a while, it will still be a wrench to see it go. I have so many happy memories of the car as we drove down to the South of France two years ago and ventured into Spain for the day. It's been to Bruges in Belgium and Arras in France and we took the car to the Somme to find Keith's Great-Uncle's grave. We also drove into Holland after a visit to Bruges and of course, I've driven it all over the UK.

It's been a lovely car, with hardly any problems (apart from the time it came home on a low-loader from London!) and it's beautiful to drive and very comfortable. In a way, my Audi A4 is a newer version of the Passat and is very similar.

In France visiting War Graves

On the way to Lindisfarne

At Chez Pierrot, France

Snowy day!

Market Place, Arras

On the way home from work Sophie and I called into Homesense to buy a giftcard as it's Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary tomorrow. We had a good mooch about smelling all the candles and looking at the lovely things for sale. I treated us to a bar of chocolate with salt and caramel. It sounded horrible but it tasted lovely!

Before going home we took the car through the carwash and it looked beautiful when they'd finished!

So hot!

I'm so thankful that we only have one more Monday left after today as facing the prospect of cleaning in this heat was not a pleasant one! This time next week we will be staring the long summer holidays in the face and the 8 September will be the next Monday we'll be closed to the public!

I took a photo of our heater control panel showing the temperature this afternoon...

I know the sensor is situated somewhere up near the ceiling but it was pretty hot at ground level as well!

Ooh la la!!

Today, despite the sudden downpours of rain, work called to say that Sophie wasn't needed, which was a bit annoying as we could have planned something to do today if I'd known she didn't have to go in!

My plans to do some housework were put on hold and we went off to the gym for lunch before heading off to Castle Ashby for the French Food market that was being held there. As I predicted it was packed with people and we milled about looking at the stalls and being tempted into buying a Crepe with Nutella! We shared the sweet dessert and managed to get chocolate all over our faces! Not a great look!

After about half an hour we'd had enough of the crowds so we headed for home to relax for the rest of the afternoon. Keith wanted me to cook the pulled pork again so I prepared that and after dinner we settled down to watch the football. Keith had Argentina in the sweep at the pub so he wasn't very happy that Germany won 1-0! Never mind!

The F word...

Today didn't go as planned and my plans to have a leisurely afternoon by myself were well and truly thwarted!

The day started off a little misty but by 9am the sun was out and it was shaping up to be a hot day which was certainly not as forecast! Sophie was due in at work today and Keith and Mikey were supposed to have been going to watch football this afternoon, but work called to say that Sophie wasn't needed and Mikey changed his mind about going to the match and then cancelled his plans of going to see some friends!

I took the opportunity to varnish our front door and hot work it was, too! I had a quick chat with Liam who was heading off to do both sides of Pitsford again. I didn't envy him one bit, I have to admit. My idea of exercise in this sort of heat is a lovely refreshing swim, which is what Sophie and I did after we'd dropped Keith off at his football ground.

The gym was very quiet and the slow lane empty so we had an enjoyable swim in the cool water followed by a dip in the jacuzzi. Afterwards, Sophie treated me to a cup of tea in Costa Coffee, then it was time to pick Keith up (the Northampton Cobblers beat Sileby Rangers 9-0!) and he suggested we call Mikey and ask if he wanted to join us at the pub in Walgrave for a drink.

The pub was also very quiet except for one couple who were in with their little girl who amused herself by loudly blowing bubbles into her drink... Mikey walked down from home and joined us and we had a couple of drinks before heading home to prepare dinner and then sit in the garden. The sky looked very ominous and I was hoping for a big storm to clear the muggy air.

We'd decided to theme our dinner and Saturday evening around the F word...namely fajitas and Forrest Gump, with fresh cheesecake to follow (it was all we could think of for dessert, fruit having no attraction for my two!). I cooked dinner which Sophie said was delicious (it's her favourite!) and the film was great although by 10.30pm I was full of fatigue and went off to bed!

Friday!

Some photos from last night...

Evening walk

It's been a long, hot day at work today with not much going on, which meant that Sophie, who was in with me, moaned for most of it and refused to stay until 6pm to help out with the party. There was another Teachers' strike on today so Mikey was off school, but because the weather was so lovely, we weren't as busy as I hoped.

Sophie wanted to go for a walk as soon as we arrived home but I refused as the temperature was showing 24c and I was already hot! I promised we would go later in the evening, after dinner. Keith and I went to Tesco as I was in desperate need of coffee for my machine and I put some diesel in my car on the way home - yet another fill-up!

Back at home Keith and I planned our meals for the weekend and played cards in the conservatory with all the doors and windows open to catch the cooling breeze. The rain that was supposed to have affected us today never came.

After dinner, as promised, I went with Soph and Mikey over the fields and we had a lovely walk as it was much cooler. I took some photos and as soon as they appear on my Google+ account I'll post them on here!

Birthday celebrations!

So, unbelievably, we celebrated 20 years at work today. First thing, I put up balloons and banners and wondered whether we would be busy, as we were offering free entry all day today.

We weren't as busy as Polly feared (she did think we would be at capacity!) but it was a gorgeous day - very sunny and warm - and we hadn't gone mad advertising the free entry! I didn't mind as there was a lovely atmosphere and it was great to see a lot of regular customers coming in to wish us a Happy Birthday.

I managed to get a lot of paperwork sorted today and in the afternoon Sophie and I popped to Jones's to get toiletries...is someone going on holiday soon?? When we got back we opened a bottle of Cava and had a slice of Birthday cake with Mum, Dad, Maureen and Polly. It was lovely to reminisce about all the happenings over the 20 years and we ended the day on a really good note!

After getting home, Keith, Sophie and I went over the fields for a wonderful walk in the late afternoon sunshine. The countryside was looking its beautiful best...

I took a few photos as we walked up to the village.

We'd decided to have a drink in The Royal Oak, which turned into two! It was lovely to sit and relax and we all felt a bit tipsy when we left the pub to return home! We took a detour to see a new house that was being built (very big, very beautiful) and then walked over the village playing fields to get back to the main road. As we were strolling along, one of our friends who lives nearby stopped in his car and offered us a lift...perfect! Never have I felt more like taking advantage of someone driving us home, especially as by now it was 7.30pm and we hadn't even started dinner!

Shocker!

It's been a fairly long day at work today as Sophie and I were in until 6pm - I'm so glad Maureen is back tomorrow!


Keith was glued to the television after dinner as he was watching the cricket, so Sophie and I went out into the garden and I potted up the plants I bought on Sunday. It was a beautiful evening and we had a good chat (well, Sophie did most of the talking!) in the garden and it made a lovely change from being in the house. We really should make the most of these long sunny evenings as before long it'll be dark at 4pm...what a thought!

After we'd picked Mikey up from Army Cadets, we all watched the Brazil v Germany game, which was a real shocker! I'd been tempted to have a bet on Germany winning and I wish I had now! 7-1 to the Germans! Wow!

Mishap!

As we had no school visiting today it was back to doing some cleaning, which I wasn't looking forward to, especially as it was hot and humid!

I left at 4pm to pick Sophie up from home and we went off to the gym. However, plans to have a workout where thwarted when Sophie noticed that a whole bottle of water had leaked in her bag which meant that all her clothes were soaking wet!

We made do with a swim instead and a long soak in the jacuzzi, which was a lovely end to a busy day!

Garden delights!

This morning I decided to tackle the gardening as it was long overdue. I trimmed the front verge and tidied up the border, but the bushes have spread so much, there wasn't that much for me to do to be honest. I'll be really glad when the large Hypericum at the front has completely filled in all the gaps!

In the back garden Keith and I cut down two of our big bushes at the back by our fence which made them look a lot neater. Everything seems to have grown so much this year! The weather has been gorgeous today - nicely warm with a delicous breeze.

Mum and I went off to Beckworth in the afternoon for a cup of tea and a mooch to look at the plants. I managed to buy a few more - some geraniums and some very striking daisy-type flowers...

I couldn't resist them as they'll look great in some long troughs I have. I managed to avoid the temptation to buy some wine and we returned home with our purchases before I went to pick Sophie up from work. She said she was in urgent need of a Creamy Cooler so we went off to Riverside where I bought her the drink before having a quick look at the VW dealership. The place was closed so we didn't have any salesmen chasing after us and we had a look at two Polos. Keith came with us but then said he fancied a different make of car!

A very relaxed evening followed: Keith and I had a couple of games of cards in the conservatory with a drink and then it was a hot curry for dinner. Phew!

Below is a photo from Friday of Sophie enjoying her Caiprinha:

Easing slowly into the weekend...

I woke up this morning with a bit of a sore head! Leaving Keith in bed I went downstairs, took some Nurofen with a strong cup of coffee and gradually returned to normality!

The weather this morning has been a bit grim so it was a good time to tackle some housework and then Keith and I went for a walk over the fields. Keith felt a bit fragile as well and thought that a ramble would clear his head. Luckily, the rain held off as we walked although it was warm and muggy.

We met Liam on the way back who was attempting both sides of the reservoir (the nature side and the public side). It's a long walk, and probably about 14 miles in all so we both thought he was very brave, especially after a heavy night!

After our walk, I watched some of the Tour de France which is taking place in Yorkshire at the moment. It was very strange seeing the local landmarks described in French on the television! At 3pm we left to go to the gym for a much-needed swim and the pool was much quieter than last week despite the spa being very busy.

After getting home the sky cleared and we sat in the garden for a while with Monty and soaked up the late afternoon sunshine. I was really glad I'd done some exercise today and my foot hadn't hurt at all, so let's hope it's back to normal service!

Friday frolics!

Today has been very relaxed and enjoyable - just as a day off should be!

Sophie and I went off to Milton Keynes mid morning and I managed to get my holiday shopping off to a good start by buying a lovely top that Sophie spotted, and two bras. We had a quick break in M&S for something to eat which would keep us going until we had lunch later at Las Iguanas and then resumed our shopping.

I needed a new swimsuit and I managed to find a lovely pair of white linen trousers and a floaty kaftan top to wear around the pool. After we'd shopped in M&S we went to New Look and Sophie bought herself a lovely dress for her holiday while I spotted a pair of wedge heel sandals.

By 2pm we were all shopped out so we took our bags back to the car and walked to Las Iguanas which was about ten minutes away. The streets were thronged with office workers enjoying their lunch hour in the sunshine, so it was a very pleasant walk and much better than taking the car and trying to find a space.

Las Iguanas was quiet and we chose to sit inside as although the weather was sunny and warm, it was very breezy. We enjoyed a lovely meal - nachos with chicken to start followed by flatbread stuffed with chicken and salad and served with curly fries. My demon of a daughter persuaded me to have ice cream for dessert so we were stuffed when we got up to go home! I'm so glad we decided to shop first!

The M1 was at a standstill so we drove back to Northampton via Newport Pagnell and Olney. It made a pleasant change from hurtling down the motorway!

In the evening we went out for a drink with Sarah and Liam to the Malt Shovel in town. After the lovely dry weather we'd had all day the rain arrived just as we were setting out...typical! The pub was very busy but we managed to grab a table and had a great evening with the men enjoying a succession of beers, some of them with very strange names indeed! I stuck to wine as I thought that drinking gassy Belgian beers on a full stomach would not be a good idea!

We invited our friends in for a nightcap when we got home and just had the one whiskey...I think it was a good idea as I already felt pretty tipsy!

Saying goodbye...

Today has been a lovely day, even though it was sad saying goodbye to my Uncle who is flying off to Cyprus tomorrow, to live there for good.

Mum and I intended to leave work at 9am but I knew that was never going to happen as we had a Pre-school group suddenly arrive and lots of other customers as well. If Dad had been on his own, as we'd planned, he would not have been very happy!

We had a great journey down to Kent until we reached the Dartford Bridge where the traffic all slowed down. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong lane to be in at the toll as the person at the head of the queue had fallen foul of the machine and the barrier was refusing to move! I changed lanes, we moved off and we were soon on the A2 heading towards Herne Bay where we'd arranged to meet my Uncle.

It was the most glorious of days - cloudless blue skies, a temperature of about 27c and a light breeze. The light at the coast is always gorgeous and while waiting for my Uncle to finish doing his business at the bank, we strolled down to the front and had a quick look at the sea. The pebbly beach was busy with people sunbathing and even a few swimmers were out in the water taking advantage of the warm weather.

After meeting my Uncle we drove to Canterbury where he said goodbye to his car at the Kia dealership and then we headed back to Herne Bay so he could deposit his cheque at the bank. We drove through some gorgeous villages and although I understood his reasons for moving abroad, I decided that I would find it almost impossible to leave our green and pleasant land.

We had lunch in Herne Bay and then I drove us all to my Uncle's home in Reculver. He's been living in a static caravan for the last few years and this had also been sold, so it was just a question of saying our goodbyes. He gave us some glasses to take home (a Peroni beer glass and some whisky tumblers), a half bottle of vodka for me and a full bottle of Grants Whisky for Mum, so we didn't do too badly! I also took advantage of a full bottle of Ouzo that he didn't want - I'm sure I can give it a good home!

We promised to keep in touch and I think Mum and Dad are hoping to visit him in September. I took a photo and then we said our goodbyes...

We had a very good journey home, apart from the usual stickiness at the Dartford tolls and Keith called me to say that he'd gone to the pub as he'd had a busy day and was dying for something long, cold and wet. I dropped Mum off at about 7pm and joined him in the pub for a glass of wine. Mikey also popped in as he was roaming about the village! It was a lovely end to a great day!

Scots v Irish

Today has been a long, slow, hot day at work and I'm really glad I have the next couple of days off! Sophie was in with Keith and I today and the poor girl was bored on Reception...but at least she was earning some money for her travels! 

I helped Keith tidy up the grass in the car park and in our garden first thing, before it grew too warm. Our little garden area was looking very untidy indeed, so we cut the grass, I wiped down the furniture and threw out some old chairs that had been left in the corner. By the time we finished it looked so much better and I didn't mind customers going out there to enjoy the sun!

We were at work until the bitter end again today and to make matters worse, we had to do the cleaning before we left as our daily cleaner is off to Egypt tomorrow! I did some hoovering but there wasn't that much to be done so we left at about 6.30pm and gave Polly a lift home. When I got in I poured myself a glass of Leffe and sat with Keith in the conservatory for a chat before we made dinner. Both of us had had a busy day and it was bliss to sit and relax for half an hour!

After dinner I suggested to Keith that we sample the new Irish Whiskey I bought in Duncan's shop on Saturday. I thought it was delicious, really smooth and soft and Keith liked it as well. However, when we poured a small measure of Bushmills, the difference was startling! Keith said that the Teeling was like a woman, whereas the Bushmills was like a man! I had to agree with him!

We didn't stop at the two Irish Whiskies though...we sampled my other four Scottish Malts which included Talisker, Jura, Auchentoshan and my Highland Park. My favourite was still the Irish Teeling with the Jura a close second. Keith loved the Auchentoshan which he'd bought for me, so maybe that's a gift idea for the future!

Miscommunication!

It was a good job we had another school visit at work today as otherwise we would have been very quiet indeed! Needless to say the weather has been beautiful again - very warm and sunny with almost cloudless blue skies. Sophie came in to work and helped Polly at lunchtime as the school were eating with us, rather than bring in a packed lunch.

In the afternoon Dad, Sophie and I popped over to the bank to sort out Sophie's new current account. Mum and Dad had set up a savings account for her (and Mikey) some time ago and we needed to transfer her savings into her new account. We explained very clearly what we wanted to do but the teller somehow misunderstood us completely (or wasn't listening properly) as she promptly transferred money from Dad's current account into Sophie's savings account so she had double the amount of money! When we said this was wrong, she accused us of not being clear about what we wanted!

Eventually, after about twenty minutes and getting supervisors involved, it was all sorted out and Sophie's money was in her account. Back at work, she ate into it by taking out travel insurance for her holiday to Barcelona, which is rapidly approaching!

We were at work until past 6pm tonight which was a bit of a pain, but I've booked Friday off to go and do some shopping with Sophie and take her out for lunch!

Bucket List update

I ticked off two more things on my Bucket List in June...

 1.  Visit Boughton House near Kettering

2.  Watch Mad Men from the very beginning

3.  Go somewhere I haven't been before, once a month, right up until December. Sophie and I visited the Buddhist Centre in Kelmarsh on Saturday 28 June


4.  Write a story!

5.  Grow a vegetable from seed.

6.  Go fishing

7.  Cook something different, once a month, right up until December. I made Gordon Ramsay's Pulled Pork with Chipotle Mayonnaise on the 15 June, for Father's Day.

8.  Try my hand at making my own wine.



I thnk today, at midday, we are officially in the very middle of the year!