Goodbye January...

It's hard to believe that the first month of 2015 is very nearly over. I woke early this morning and went downstairs to feed the cats and watch a film before breakfast (Maleficent...very good!). Outside the snow was falling again in small, light flakes and I hoped that it wouldn't carry on and get any heavier...we didn't need a significant snowfall on the busiest day of the week at work!

Mike went off to Brixworth at 10am and half an hour later Keith and I took Sophie into work. She is working all weekend, bless her, and I'm missing going to Market Harborough at the moment. It seems ages since we last went.

We called into Booker to get some chicken for dinner tonight. I keep getting posts on Facebook from various Florida organisations (especially those based in the Keys) so we decided to have a bit of tropical sunshine for dinner - Jerk Chicken pasta followed by Key Lime pie! It might bring a tiny bit of warmth into our frigid day!

The snow was heavy on the way to take Sophie but by the time we reached home it had turned to rain and was trying to brighten up a bit. I made my Key Lime pie, marinated the chicken and made some lunch. Mikey called me at 3pm to go and collect him as I suspect he was cold and bored of hanging around Brixworth in the freezing wind!

Back home he pleaded with me to cut his hair but I was too scared...if I made a mess of it I'd never have forgiven myself!

Scary journey!

We had more snow overnight and the roads were a bit dicey this morning! It was best to take it easy, brake in plenty of time and not get too close to the car in front, advice from the motoring organisations that not everyone took heed of!

We dropped Mikey off and then made our way to work. All too late I realised I'd taken a scary route out of the village, up a steep hill that I regularly have to stop on! I made it half way up but then I had to stop and I could feel the icy crunchiness under the tyres... Luckily as I put my foot gently on the accelerator, the car moved forward but not after I'd broken into a sweat as there was a car right behind me and I had visions of slipping back down the hill!

This was the first time I'd driven my car in snowy conditions but it was fine, even after I'd spoken to a neighbour, Graham, this morning who said that German cars were useless in the snow, unless they were fitted with winter tyres! He has a Mercedes so obviously Audi are more superior!!

Once at work I put some food down for our hungry birds who swooped down on the nuts and seeds immediately.

One of our crows enjoying breakfast

I was expecting a quiet day but we had a steady stream of customers in and Sophie had to cover Reception while Polly helped out in the kitchen. Keith came in and helped me get one of our heaters going and then went home in a grumpy mood as he'd come in to go to Booker with me but we didn't need to go!

Sophie and I left work a bit earlier and went to the gym where we sat in the sauna and then wallowed in the warmish waters of the jacuzzi. Afterwards I treated my daughter to a Costa Coffee before going home and taking Keith to the pub. He had made a corned beef hash for dinner so there was very little for me to do except keep an eye on it and then venture out into the freezing night to pick him up!

Snow showers!

This week has been very uneventful so not an awful lot to write about, I'm afraid!

This afternoon we were given a snow warning for this area and I went to tell Polly to close up early if we had no customers in by 4pm. She then told me we had an "impromptu" party coming in and they duly arrived at about 2.30pm. Just as I said this, it started to snow and we had showers, off and on, for the rest of the day.

Sophie and I left work at 3pm but most of the snow had disappeared so my idea of taking some photos on the way home had to be abandoned!

Getting home a bit early was lovely and Sophie and I sat and watched a programme called "Say Yes to the Dress" about brides choosing their wedding gowns. It's become a bit of an obsession with us at the moment! As darkness fell, Keith and I sat and played cards in the conservatory with a drink before making a hearty fish pie for dinner. Simple pleasures!

Snow!

Our car park at work at 2pm

Birthday celebrations!

I can't believe that Mike is 15 years old today! Where have the years gone?

Work was busy as we had the cleaning of the tube slides to do and they were really dusty. Keith went to do some work in the Nursery so Mum, Dad and I tackled the slides and managed to shift a lot of dirt. I was filthy!

We weren't going to go out for a meal but I felt a bit guilty so Keith asked Mike where he wanted to go and it was agreed that we'd go for an Indian at the Shagorika in Market Harborough. Mike opened his presents and cards when I got in from work and Mum and Dad popped around as well for a slice of birthday cake. Mike was very pleased indeed with his new speakers and a Play Station game that Keith and I had bought him. Mum and dad presented him with money and a very smart shirt from Next that he wore when we all went out.

We had a quick drink in the pub in Walgrave first and then drove to Market Harborough where we were pleased to see several tables occupied in the restaurant. I was a bit worried it would be empty!

We had a very pleasant meal and the children enjoyed eating at an Indian - I'm not sure, but they hadn't been to one for a very long time, if at all... We were all done by 9.30pm and heading home where it was time to get into comfy nightwear and sit up to watch My Five Wives!

A teenage gathering...

As it's Mikey's birthday tomorrow he wanted to have some friends around this afternoon so the morning was spent giving the downstairs of the house a quick clean before moving upstairs and giving the bathrooms a thorough scrub.

His friends arrived at midday and congregated in the conservatory where they munched on Doritos and dips and sipped on Fanta and Coke. Keith cooked them some pizzas and they seemed very happy chatting and laughing among themselves!

Once I'd finished the housework Keith and I went to get the Sunday papers and I put the car through the car-wash as it was filthy dirty again. When I arrived back home I put a colour on my hair (the grey was starting to get really bad!) and then sat and relaxed while the teenagers moved upstairs to Mike's bedroom to watch a film on Netflix.

They were all gone by 6pm and Mike cleared up for me - we didn't even know we'd had them so I said to him that they could all come again!

We had a very relaxing evening with a delicious beef in red wine casserole and watched the last episode of the enjoyable Walking The Nile!

Watch the birdie!

Today has been very busy with a lot of driving about and not much relaxation!

First thing this morning we took Mikey to see his friends in Brixworth and then on the way to taking Sophie to work we called into the launderette to pick up all the cloths and tea towels for work as we'd forgotten to do it yesterday!

We dropped Sophie off at work and then went to Jones's as we needed some paper plates and napkins for Mikey's birthday gathering tomorrow and I bought some wireless speakers from Sophie as a gift. She told me that his speakers weren't working (news to me) so I'm hoping the new ones will fit the bill!

Back home I changed our bed linen and then, with my lunch, I spent an hour in the conservatory taking part in the RSPB's Birdwatch which is taking place all this weekend. As usual, all the birds that normally visit our garden stayed away, but I did see some Great Tits, a couple of sparrows and a lone blackbird. No robins, starlings, pigeons or magpies!

That done, it was off to the tip with our old boiler which had been irritating me every time I walked into the garage. We made two trips and everything except the foam padding was recycled, which was great.

I went to collect Sophie at 5pm and of course, Mikey wanted to be picked up at the same time! As he was out in the cold I went for him first and then Sophie who was pleased to be finished a bit earlier today. This meant that Keith and I could walk up to the pub for a drink before dinner and very pleasant it was, too! There was a Burns Night supper going on and people started appearing dressed in tartan! Maybe we'll have a wee dram before we go to bed!

Having a jolly...

As there wasn't much going on at work today and the weather was beautiful, we decided to drive off to Ikea in Milton Keynes to get some bits for work. We use their children's plates and cups for our parties and our stocks were very low so we needed to buy some more and I fancied going and having a look at some things for the home as well.

Ikea was very busy when we arrived and the cafe was packed with people having lunch. We ate there as well and Sophie and I had meatballs and mashed potatoes...delicious! She hadn't been for ages and was excited by all the things to buy for her bedroom and splashed out on a smelly candle and an organiser tray for her make-up.

Mum and I bought loads of plates and cups for work and a few other bits as well. My purchases were more modest - some coat hangers, a storage jar and a tray for my laptop to sit on when I have it on my lap!

We spent a good couple of hours at Ikea before driving back to work and then going off to the gym for half an hour's exercise and a wallow in the jacuzzi!

A spot of shopping...

I woke up this morning feeling a bit horrible, with a headache and a yukky tiredness that I knew would last all day. I really didn't want to get up and go into work!

However, needs must and I went in and sorted out with my parents that I would take half a day's holiday as there really wasn't much going on and Sophie and I had planned on going to Milton Keynes to do some shopping anyway.

I went home at 1pm and wasted the next two hours by trying to comb some knots out of Archie's fur. Predictably he wasn't very happy and at one point dug his claws into my hand!

At 3pm Sophie and I set off for Milton Keynes in heavier than normal traffic and almost came a cropper when an idiot "forgot" to indicate on a roundabout that he was going all the way around. I just about managed to stop in time and luckily the car behind me did as well!

The rest of the journey was without mishap, thank goodness, and we arrived in Milton Keynes and parked easily in the multi-storey car park. First stop, of course, was the Costa Coffee in Waterstones and then we made for Debenhams where Sophie spent a small fortune on Mac and Urban Decay make-up! Luckily she had a gift voucher!

I bought some jeans, a camisole and tights in M&S and a lipstick in Boots and that was my lot while my daughter splashed out on some clothes in New Look and a DVD of The Office in HMV.

Once we'd finished we moved the car to another car park nearer Las Iguanas where we had dinner. The restaurant was quiet at first until a huge group came and sat behind us and then it steadily filled up all the while we were eating. And there was me thinking it was going to be quiet!

We had a more restrained meal than normal - a chicken burger for Sophie, a beef burger for me and dessert, no starters. Both of us enjoyed a Raspberry Cooler, a non-alcoholic cocktail that was included in the Happy Hour special!

When we came out to go back to the car the temperature had dropped and it was freezing! I thought we would see the gritters out on the M1 but mercifully we didn't and we made it home for 8.30pm, early enough to sit and watch the very last episode of Alaska: The Last Frontier with Keith where it really was freezing!

No snow...

Well, when I looked out of the window this morning the fields were still green...the anticipated snow had passed us by, which was a bit of a disappointment.

To make matters worse the weather was horrible today - the very worst sort where the skies are a bleak, heavy grey and the cold gets right into your bones! Sophie went off for a driving lesson at 11am and Keith and I covered Reception until she got back.

We went back to the gym in the evening for the first time in ages and were amazed to see so many changes in the layout of the gym floor and the machines which had been updated. We did twenty minutes on the treadmills and ten minutes on the bike before going down and wallowing in the warm waters of the jacuzzi, which was bliss. Well, it was bliss until the fire alarms suddenly sounded!

We all looked at each other and nobody moved until we saw the children getting out of the pool next door. We went to get our towels with everyone dreading having to go outside in the freezing temperatures! However, just as we were wrapping our towels around us the alarms stopped and we could see the children getting back into the pool. Nobody came and explained what had happened but I could see relief writ large on everyone's faces as we got back into the warm water!

The threat of snow...

Today has been absolutely beautiful with clear blue skies, sunshine and a frost covering the fields and trees. I would loved to have been able to get out with my camera and take photos, but I had to go to work!

We were waiting in anticipation for snow today as it was forecast for later in the day with weather warnings for this evening. I must admit I would loved to have seen a light fall of snow to make the scenery look really beautiful!

Sophie came into work with me today and helped out by answering the phone and booking parties. We left a bit early and went to Pets at Home where she bought some treats for the cats and a bag of catnip. I treated her to a creamy cooler and a tiny cake before we left to go home.

On the way to taking Mikey to Army Cadets it began to snow very lightly and I hoped that it would stay that way until after I'd picked him up! I didn't fancy battling through a blizzard to go and collect him later!

The evenings lengthen...

After a very busy day at work in which I managed to do a fair bit of cleaning (and litter picking), I went home to see if Sophie wanted to go to the gym. She looked a bit reluctant and as it was such a beautiful late afternoon we decided to walk down to the village for our daily exercise.

It was bitterly cold but we were well wrapped up and the setting sun was beautiful. We walked into the village, up to the pub and then along a narrow lane that took us back to the path we'd come down on. By now, the sky was getting darker, but it was still much lighter than it had been a few weeks ago!

Back home I jumped into the bath to get warm! Tonight is forecast to be very cold indeed!

Day of rest?

Today has been very busy, with the morning spent dropping Sophie off at work and going to Booker to pick up some bits that were needed. After we'd dropped the stuff back off at work Keith and I went to Jones's where I managed to spend quite a bit of money on items such as washing liquid, loo rolls and bird food! Not very exciting!

Back home we ate a quick lunch and then I spent the afternoon cleaning the house while Keith ironed. I must admit I was pleased when it was all done and I could sit and relax. It might stay nice and tidy for a few hours, anyway!

A winter walk

Both children were working again today and after dropping them off at 11am, Keith and I drove to the pub in Walgrave to collect his coat which he'd left behind last night!

We left the car in the car park and walked up Newlands Road which is a single track leading out of the village. We passed by the huge house that we'd watched being built last year (now finished) and out over the playing fields. We were amazed to see a huge bird sitting on one of the goal posts but each time we tried to get nearer to see it clearly, it flew off into the trees. (Later, at home, we looked it up and we think it was a Buzzard).

The area here was once the site of the ancient North Hall manor and the undulations in the field can be seen clearly, especially the site of the moat surrounding the hall. It dates from about 1300AD.

One of the medieval fishponds used to store fish until they were needed.

We crossed over the field and along Newlands and decided to keep on walking to the main road and then back to the village, going past Mum and Dad's house and then our house. It's a lovely circular walk and although the road can be busy, there's plenty of grass verge to stand on until the cars go past.

The weather was beautiful - very sunny but cold - and it was a perfect day for a good walk. Just after we'd passed our estate we saw another large bird of prey and this time we think it was a Red Kite. Again, it sat up in the trees watching us until we got close and then it would fly off, but never too far!

It was great to get back to Walgrave and have a quick drink in the pub. I had a half pint of an aptly named beer - Red Kite - while Keith had a pint of his usual tipple, Abbot. It was very pleasant sitting at the bar and talking to Ian who was in a cheerful mood today!

Back home it was time for lunch and then a relaxing afternoon doing very little until it was time to pick the children up from work. I cooked dinner tonight - Chicken and Chorizo bake - and then Keith and I spent the evening watching a good film called A History of Violence starring Lord of the Rings star, Viggo Mortensen. For once, it had a good ending!

Phew! It's Friday!

So, yet another Friday has come around and this month is going by very quickly!

We were busy at work today and could really have done with Sophie in to help, but she was feeling a little unwell again and stayed at home. Mum, Dad and I helped over lunchtime and in the afternoon we went off to Jones's to get some stuff for work. When we arrived back the car park was empty!

We all left for home and after taking Keith to the pub Sophie and I settled down to watch the first episode of "Lost", a series that we hope will take the place of Desperate Housewives. Sadly, it was not to be and we lost interest by the end of the first programme! We've decided to go back and watch Desperate Housewives all over again!

I phoned my friend Lynda as she'd sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, which was a lovely surprise! This birthday is just carrying on and on!

Birthday girl!

Well, I've had a lovely day today with lots of cards, flowers, chocolates and a cake! Even though I was at work until 4pm it was still enjoyable and lovely to get so many messages on Facebook. I didn't open my presents until I got home in the afternoon and was thrilled to get a beautiful framed photo of Keith and the children that I took on the pier on Anna Maria Island. Sophie arranged to have it printed and framed and I was delighted with it! I also received chocolates, wine and whisky! Didn't I do well!

In the evening the four of us, plus my Mum and Dad, drove over to Wing in Rutland to eat at The King's Arms, where we had a meal on New Year's Day. I was a bit worried about how far it was as the weather was shaping up to be horrible, but Dad followed me all the way and he agreed that the pub was well worth the forty-five minute drive.

We had a fantastic meal and my parents were impressed by the food, the presentation and the service. Although there were some different choices on the menu - woodcock, partidge, confit of squirrel leg - we all opted for safe dishes, although Mikey did go for the lamb with sweetbreads!

Sophie, Keith and I had the sublime fish that we tried before, Dad went for venison while Mum tried the pulled pork burger. Everyone said the food was delicious. Four of us had desserts - chocolate mousse, chocolate brownie, sticky toffee pudding and fruit crumble - and we had a lovely time with some good chat around the table. The pub was cosy and welcoming and we'll definitely be heading back soon!

A sad goodbye...

Today was my Uncle Alan's funeral and as it was down in Worthing, in Sussex, we had to leave home at 6.30am to make sure we got there in time.

The weather forecast had been for snow so I was very pleased to look out of the window first thing and see just rain. I collected Mum and Dad and we set off with the superior Gladys giving us directions.

The M1 was very busy and the M25 even more so, but we made good time and stopped about 15 miles from Worthing for breakfast at a McDonald's. Not my ideal choice but there was a dearth of good eateries on the A24 so we had to make do! After a coffee we all felt more perky and carried on, passing the crematorium exactly one hour before the funeral was to take place.

As we had an hour to spare we called around to my Aunt's house where a lot of my cousins were assembled. My Aunt Pat looked very pale and sad but she put on a brave face and we all set off in convoy back to the crematorium. I gave my Aunt Joyce a lift and we chatted about her ex-husband, my Dad's brother who said he would be going to the funeral as well. She was not looking forward to seeing him and his second wife at all.

The earlier rain had given way to blue skies and sunshine and it was a really beautiful day. The service was lovely and my cousin Kim did his Dad proud with a very moving and, at times, humourous eulogy. Afterwards we stood around and chatted in the sun and then we all travelled back to my Aunt's village for some refreshments at the church hall.

I met up with my Uncle David (Joyce's husband) and we had a quick chat before going into the hall. My Dad had unfortunately fallen out with him some years back and hadn't really been in touch since, so it could all have been very awkward! Families, eh?!

However, David and his wife Karen got chatting to us and spent the next hour sitting with us while we ate some of the lovely sandwiches that had been prepared. There was no awkwardness at all but I did feel uncomfortable that we'd seemingly abandoned my Aunt Joyce who was sitting as far away from her ex-husband as she could! My Uncle David had always been my favourite uncle and it had been a shame that there had been so much unpleasantness when he divorced Joyce. I told him that we'd seen an old photo of him when he was much younger and there was a huge resemblance between him and my son Mikey.

We left at about 2pm after collecting five bags of Uncle Alan's clothes from the house. They're all going to the British Heart Foundation shop in Northampton so we hope they'll raise lots of money for this cause. It was really sad seeing them being loaded into the back of my car.

We had a good journey home and arrived back in Northampton at 5pm, just in time for the evening rush hour! I sat and had a drink with Keith and chatted about the day before having a delicious roast chicken dinner. It had been a long day but it had been great to catch up with my relatives, most of whom I don't see very often!

A change of plan...

This evening I'd planned on going to the gym with Sophie and then we were going to go to Pizza Hut afterwards for a meal. Mikey was out at Army Cadets and Keith was off to a local football match so it was the ideal opportunity to go out ourselves!

However, Dad's car had to be taken to the garage as there was a small fault that needed sorting out and he wanted me to be available to run him down to the dealership to collect the car. The weather had also turned very wet and when I spoke to Keith in the afternoon he told me that the football match had been cancelled so he wasn't going out after all...

Dad's car wasn't going to be ready which meant I had to take my parents home so we had to cancel plans to go to the gym and Pizza Hut. We are fated not to go to the gym at the moment! I ran Mum and Dad home and then I suggested to Keith that the three of us go to The Lamplighter for a meal while poor Mikey was at Army Cadets. He readily agreed!

We had a lovely meal in the pub and a good chat about future holidays. We tentatively talked about going back to Florida next June as Mikey will be doing his GCSEs and will finish them before the schools break up in the middle of July. Sophie will be 20 but still said she wanted to come with us! I wonder why!

Monday moans...

I didn't feel at all well today as I'd been experiencing tummy pain since Saturday. However, I stayed at work until 4pm and then went home to watch the last few episodes of Desperate Housewives with Sophie.

Luckily by the evening I felt a lot better so I made Macaroni cheese for dinner, helped by my daughter. It was all a bit frantic in the kitchen as I tried to do too many things at once and the milk for the sauce boiled over, covering the top of the cooker! Not a good thing!

After dinner we watched the last ever episode and banned Keith and Mikey from the room! It was quite an emotional end and I had a box of tissues at the ready! Now we need to find another series to get absorbed in, to escape from the daily stresses and strains of life!

Talking of which...we are still no nearer to completing on the sale of the business so that's very frustrating. Hopefully, we will get some news by the end of this week (my Birthday would be a good day!) so let's keep our fingers crossed!

Out and about!

After our busy day yesterday we had a more relaxed start to the day today and I let the children sleep in for as long as they liked. At 1pm we went to collect Mum as we'd arranged to go to an Antique Fair in Kettering. Sophie had agreed to come with us on the condition we went to Beckworth Emporium afterwards for a snack!

The antique fair was busier than we expected, probably because we were earlier than normal. We had a good look around but there was nothing we really liked and Mum didn't see any of her Mason's china at all. I was on the lookout for china serving dishes but again, didn't see anything I liked so we called it a day and drove over to Beckworth.

Predictably there was a wait for the cafe, so we queued for about fifteen minutes before getting a table. We sat right by the window that looked out onto what was the ice-skating rink, all packed away now as the season was over. It looked so sad but before long the whole area will be full of Spring plants so that will be good to see!

We had an enjoyable snack (sandwiches for Soph and I and a scone for Mum) and then we wandered around looking at the food available and I bought the children some chocolate and two bottles of beer for Keith. The weather had changed while we were sitting eating and the blue skies had been replaced with clouds. The weather for the week ahead is very unpredictable with snow forecast for Tuesday and strong winds and rain coming our way on Wednesday...just in time for us to travel down to Sussex for my Uncle's funeral...

Back home Keith tried his new beers and we had a delicious beef joint for dinner. A lovely end to a busy weekend!

A walk through my childhood

Keith suggested a walk today but as it had been raining heavily this morning, I didn't fancy going over the fields in all the mud and wet grass. I suggested we drop the kids off at work (they were both working for us today!) and then walk to the shopping centre that we have to visit on a daily basis, passing by my old house on the way (and three of my old schools).

We left the car in the car park and set off. By now the rain had gone and there was lots of blue sky and sunshine, although the wind was cold. We walked down to a busy roundabout and I was dismayed to see so much rubbish strewn along the path. There were food wrappers thrown away but most of it was drinks cans, including lager and energy drinks. It was horrible to see.

My old middle school has been demolished but I wanted to try and find the path that I used to use to walk there every morning. We cut through a new housing estate and found the path which looked a lot shorter than I remembered!

Very soon, we'd reached the estate where I used to live and we walked behind it where there were still open areas of grass and a little spinney. I was very surprised it was still left intact as I thought that by now the whole area would have been built on!

My upper school (we had three tiers - lower, middle and upper) had also been demolished and a much bigger, more modern school built in its place to accommodate the extra children as it now took ages 11-18. In my day it was just 13-18 year olds who went to the school and I was amazed to see how big it now was.

From my old house it was about a ten minute walk to the centre and we saw even more rubbish on the way. We had to go under the busy dual carriageway by an underpass and there was lots of graffiti on the walls which was a shame.

Once at the centre I treated Keith to a cup of tea and a toasted sandwich and we saw Mum and Dad who'd just done all their shopping. We read the newspaper and then set off back, this time going through the estate so I could show Keith where all our friends lived!

It was great to get back to the car and get warm because although the sun was out, the wind was bitterly cold. Keith suggested we drive to Arthingworth to check out The Bull pub as we were thinking of going tonight for a drink. I was definitely game for that as there was no reason for us to go home and it was lovely to be out on a Saturday! Normally it's Keith sport watching day!

Unfortunately The Bull was a disappointment. I can remember going there a very long time ago with my parents and grandparents and it being a lovely welcoming pub. However, it was clear from the Landlady's attitude that she certainly didn't enjoy running a pub! She quibbled with Keith over his choice of beer and then interrogated a young couple who came in with a baby in a pushchair as to whether the wheels were clean! We'd noticed signs in the entrance asking walkers to remove muddy boots but any self-respecting rambler would anyway!

As we were sitting with our drinks a young couple came in who'd obviously been cycling as they had mud splattered up their backs. She made them both sit side by side on a towel! We had one drink and left, mentally crossing this particular pub off our list of places to go!

Back home, we enjoyed a cup of tea and a slice of cake and then it was into the bath for me to get warm. Both children were at work until the bitter end so that put paid to any plans we had of going out for a drink before dinner!

Frenetic Friday!

We had a very busy end to the week as we had two large parties in the evening and Sophie was needed to help out. I went home and picked her up at about 2pm and she was still feeling a bit hungover from her jollies last night...

At 4pm I left to go and pick up some invitations that our printers had very kindly sorted for us (very much a rush job for them!) but the traffic was appalling and I just couldn't get off our estate, no matter which way I tried. I eventually managed to get into the town and found a parking space before dashing into the shop to get the invites as the way I'd parked could have aroused the wrath of a parking attendant!

From the printers I battled through the rush hour traffic to go and get diesel for my car and then it was back to work where I spent the next hour and a half washing up and helping to clear up after the parties.

Sophie and I eventually left at 6.30pm but we had a shock when the road we normally travel on was closed because of an accident. That would explain all the traffic earlier, then.

We had a naughty treat tonight by going to get fish and chips and even going there was busy!

Getting mad!

I had a very angry conversation this morning with someone from our local paper and received an apology and a reassurance that a more accurate story would be inserted into the online edition of the newspaper.

It made for quite a stressful start to the day as the weather this morning was horrendous and it was the first time I'd taken Mikey to school after the holidays. I certainly didn't miss that journey!

Luckily, the truly horrible weather cleared up by lunchtime so we were able to look out onto blue skies and sunshine which was a bonus! I should really have gone home early and gone off for a walk but I am still in a slothful mood and I made a cup of tea and cut myself a slice of cake instead!

I was back out in the evening again to take Sophie into town to meet her friends as one of them, Laura, is going back to University on Saturday. They were off for cocktails and then going on to an Italian restaurant for a meal and I would be required to pick them up at 11pm. I truly hope that is the end of my taxi duties this week!

I am a taxi!

This week has been a bit heavy on the taxiing services for Sophie. Tonight she was out at a school reunion event, to pick up her A level certificates and to have a glass of wine and some nibbles with her old teachers and ex-classmates.

I dropped her off at the school at 7pm and then sped home to have dinner with Keith and Mikey. As we were relaxing after our meal, the phone rang and it was my Mum to say that an article had been printed in the online edition of the local newspaper, saying that our business had been "saved from closure" by our new buyers.

Naturally we were all very angry that the article was wrong as the reason we're selling is so that Mum and Dad can take a well-earned retirement. I put a statement on the business Facebook page hoping to alleviate some of the worries that our customers may have, especially those who had booked parties with us!

At 10.30pm it was back out in the car to collect Sophie from a pub in Brixworth where the party had moved to. She had had a great time and was a little tipsy!

Bunking off early...

Things were a little quieter at work today as most of the older children have gone back to school after the Christmas holidays. We were still quite busy though, which was great. If only it could be like this every day!

Sophie and I managed to get away a little earlier than normal and I went home to indulge in some recorded programmes. We are going to have to make some serious decisions about the gym soon as neither of us have been for quite a while. I can't seem to kick start myself into a diet or getting back to exercise and I know exactly why this time of the year is so horrible as the weather is still bad and we seem to have so few hours of daylight. I will be glad when January and February are over and we can look forward to longer days and warmer temperatures!

Both Keith and Mikey were out this evening - Mikey to Cadets after his break and Keith to a local football match. Rather him than me as it was a very cold night! Sophie and I cooked dinner and then we sat down to watch....yes! Desperate Housewives (which we've nearly finished by the way!).

Manic Monday!

Today was the last day of the school holidays so we were open...and busy!

Keith and Mikey popped in for an hour as they'd both had haircuts and Mikey wanted to have lunch at work. We took his shattered iPod over to Timpsons to see if they could repair the glass and they quoted me £100! It needs to be done, though, but Mikey will have to stump up some of the dosh!

Sophie and I were at work until 6.30pm and after taking Polly home it was great to get the dinner on and relax with a new episode of Neighbours! It's been off the screens for four weeks and I did miss my daily fix of Aussie sunshine! I'm not a huge fan of soaps generally (I never watch Coronation Street, Eastenders etc) and sometimes the storyline of Neighbours is a bit silly, but it is a means of escape!

I picked Keith up from the pub then it was home to have dinner. Our house is looking very bare as everything has been taken down now, even the little lights we had outside. I've left some up though! The twinkling lights on the mantelpiece are still there so there's a little bit of magic to light up the gloom!

Return of the gloom...

Last night, we went out to get a newspaper from a nearby village and we saw fog descending, almost out of nowhere. With the nearly full moon it was quite spooky, and when we woke this morning we discovered the mist had hung about all night.

We were all up later than we'd wanted to be and it was a bit of a scramble to get ready, take Sophie to work and then pop to Booker to get some urgently needed stuff for work. I had thought that the thick fog would clear as we could just about make out blue sky and faint sunshine, but on the way to Milton Keynes the grey gloom descended again and it never lifted all day.

We had a great time in MK with Mikey, which was a bit of a novelty as we rarely go shopping, just the three of us. It's extremely rare for Keith to spend any time at the shops but we had to take his jacket back and I wanted him to choose a replacement as I hadn't a clue what he liked!

First stop was M&S for coffee and a snack and then Mikey went off on his own to do some shopping. Keith and I trawled around the racks and we finally (after trying on about eight jackets) found a lovely Italian garment that had been reduced from £210 to £132 in the sale. I had to put a bit more money towards it, but the jacket looked lovely on Keith and fitted him really well. I hope he is now pleased!

As we were queuing up to pay Mikey came back and said he didn't want to shop on his own...ahhh! And there was me thinking he didn't want to be seen out with his mum and dad!

We all went to Next where Mikey tried on some jeans and a pair of trousers for school and then we called into Schuh where Keith bought him a pair of Converse trainers as the ones he had were literally dropping to bits and they had lasted him very well. I wouldn't dream of buying my son clothes and shoes any more as he is so exacting about what he likes and doesn't like. I can remember buying his clothes in M&S and he would wear whatever I bought him...not so now!

We sped back to the car as Sophie wanted to be picked up from work at 3pm as she is out tonight at a 6th form party, even though she left six months ago! We looked very busy indeed at work which was good news, and the weather hadn't improved at all so it was no wonder we had lots of customers!

Back at home I made a cup of tea and we had a slice of my Christmas cake. I am not looking forward to going out again twice tonight to take her to and from this party...the fog is looking really horrible!

Goodbye to Christmas

I had a busy day ahead of me today as we'd decided to take down all the Christmas decorations and do some much needed cleaning. Tomorrow is ear-marked for a day in Milton Keynes so we would be out for most of the day. With Keith, I took the tree down in the living room and gave everything a really good clean. And boy! did it need it!

I pulled out all the furniture and we carefully cleaned behind the television which was thick with dust and cobwebs... Luckily, the TV stayed tuned in which was a relief as Keith was watching sport in between helping me! I even found an empty (thankfully!) packet of Cheddars behind the small shelving unit which houses all our DVDs, most of which were also covered in dust!

It felt very good to give the downstairs rooms a good clean but we have decided that we desperately need new carpets and a new sofa for the living room and the window-sill is badly in need of a fresh coat of gloss. I attempted to scrub the sofa seats but all I did was make them very wet so I had to use a hair-dryer to try and dry them out before Keith sat down! Hopefully, we'll get everything done at some point this year!

Sophie suggested we go and have a coffee in the afternoon so we both showered and I drove to Riverside which was heaving with people. We visited Boots first and then Sophie treated me to a cup of tea and a cornflake crunch cake in Costa Coffee. It was lovey to have a break from cleaning for half an hour!

When we got home we had to put two thick towels on the sofa so we could sit in comfort without getting wet bums! Keith cooked a delicious roast turkey tonight for dinner and I watched a great programme about singers competing to take part in a Frank Sinatra centenary show. Some of the young people taking part were fantastic singers and I could have sat and listened to them all night!

Another week gone...

As yesterday seemed like Sunday, it was a shock to realise that today was Friday and the end of another week. We were busy at work which was great, even though the weather has been beautiful again today after the overcast gloom and grey of yesterday.

Sophie and I were going to go to the gym but Mikey had been to Milton Keynes with his friends and I wasn't sure what time he'd be home. As Keith was off to the pub at 6pm we went home in case he called me to pick him up after Keith had left. As luck would have it, he called just as Keith was about to walk to the pub so we both went and collected him from Brixworth. He hadn't spent all of his Christmas money, thank goodness, and had had a great day with his mates. His only purchase was a tee-shirt as he'd split hot chocolate on the one he was wearing!

We dropped Keith off at the pub and back at home I settled down to watch Desperate Housewives with Sophie. A perfect end to a busy week!

Welcome 2015!

We had a very quiet New Year's Eve. Sophie and I were at work until 4pm and it was great to know that the business was closed and wouldn't re-open until 10am on Friday. We could go home and relax!

Keith and I had decided to cook a beef casserole with a sliced potato topping and it went down very well. As soon as I got home I made a fruit Pavlova and the meal was spread out over the whole evening, so it seemed a very short time until midnight.

We opened a bottle of sparkling wine, Mikey was first footer and then after a short while it was time for bed. The houses all around us were very quiet indeed, with nobody coming out and very few lights showing.

We all achieved a major lie-in this morning and I woke up at abut 9am! Annoyingly, the weather, as forecast, was grey and overcast, the gorgeous blue skies and sunshine not in evidence on the very first day of the year.

After a bit of a debate we decided to head for the town of Uppingham and a pub on the shores of Rutland Water, The Horse and Jockey in the village of Manton. However, when we arrived and parked in the very posh car park, we were told that there were no tables available, but we could eat straight away as long as we were out by 2pm... Keith was having none of this so we left and as we drove out of the village we saw a sign for Wing and I knew there was a pub there as I'd looked it up on the internet. We headed for the village buried deep in the Rutland countryside and found the inn tucked away on the main street.

First impressions of The Kings Arms weren't brilliant but once inside we all changed our opinion very quickly! There was a lovely smell of woodsmoke coming from a huge open fire, and the staff, although busy, were very happy to accommodate us if we didn't mind a bit of a wait. We were shown to a table in the restaurant and I sipped a half pint of a dark, locally brewed ale while Keith enjoyed a full pint. There was a lovely relaxed atmosphere and we certainly weren't in a hurry to eat.

When we received our menus, Keith and I chose the Catch of the Day in a beer batter, Sophie went for the curry while Mikey had a pulled pork burger. The pub take their food very seriously and most of it is sourced locally. They even had squirrel on the menu!

The food was delicious - our fish was beautifully cooked and the batter was crispy, just how we like it to be. The staff were all very friendly and with the lovely ambiance and quirky interior we had a great experience. So much so, that I booked there and then for my birthday in two week's time!

We left in the darkening gloom and drove home where the rest of the day was spent doing very little!