Stealing time...

As the weather has been so glorious and we haven't really spent much time together as a family this summer, we decided to be a bit naughty today and take Mike out of school so we could all go to Whitby for the day.

We had a frustrating journey to the north east coast, mainly because of all the roadworks on the M1. We crawled along at 50mph for one long stretch without seeing a single person working! Although there were patches of fog on the way up, the weather, when we arrived in Whitby at midday, was stunning.

I honestly thought the town would be quiet but it was packed...with people of a certain generation! We parked easily by the harbour and set off to stroll into town passing numerous fish and chip restaurants, amusement arcades and shops selling candyfloss and rock.

There were also quite a few boats advertising trips so we teased Sophie about that! As the tide was out they weren't going anywhere for a while, but we did see one trip advertising whale watching!

Whitby is famous because of its connection to Dracula and we passed by a shop advertising the Dracula experience. Thankfully none of us felt like going in!

Making our way to the pier we walked along the length of the wooden walkway which scared the living daylights out of me! There were large gaps between the planks and although I knew it was impossible to fall between them I still hated the sensation!

There wasn't a cloud in the sky and it felt lovely and warm in the sunshine. There were a few people on the beach and some children were even having donkey rides!

After our walk along the pier Sophie and I went onto the beach so she could dip her toes into the North Sea.

It was freezing cold! The tide was way out and the different colours of blue were stunning. We were so glad we'd made the decision to come to Whitby as days like this are few and far between and next week the weather is set to change.

After shaking all the sand out of our shoes we walked back into the town as we needed some change for the car park. We went into an amusement arcade as they have change machines and had a short time of pure fun trying to get 2p pieces to fall off the edge of a shelf. Mike loved it and managed to win a lot of pennies (which he immediately put back in) and a necklace for me! We had a good laugh and it was wonderful to see the children enjoying themselves.

After we'd topped up our car park ticket we walked over the swing bridge where there are a maze of cobbled streets. We marvelled at how many pubs and fish restaurants there were and chose to have a late lunch in a cafe we've used before called Hadley's.

Keith and I chose cod and chips which were served with bread and butter and a large pot of tea. The children went for chicken burger and steak pie which they both enjoyed. The fish and chips were cooked in beef dripping, something you rarely see these days.

After our lunch we had a walk along the lovely little streets, peering in at the jewellers' windows where the gemstone Jet is made into beautiful necklaces, rings and bracelets. Jet is the remains of fossilized trees from the Jurassic period and is only found along the North Yorkshire coastline.

Sophie and I bought a little metal house to hang up in the conservatory so now we have one for every month of the year so far.

We also bought some sweets in an old-fashioned sweet shop but managed to avoid a shop that sold
chocolate coffins!

After browsing the shops we returned to the car and on the way Sophie treated us all to an ice-cream. It was lovely to sit and enjoy them in the sun overlooking the harbour.

After enjoying our ice-creams we drove up to the headland to see the ruined abbey. I was under the impression that you could wander around the grounds but it's an English Heritage site and they were charging to go in. We decided not to bother as by now it was quite late and the journey home was weighing on our minds. We had a walk along the paths and admired the views across the town.

I'd wanted to stay and take some photos of the sunset but we decided to head back on the A1 rather than the M1 because of the roadworks. I drove and we had a better journey, stopping in the village of Egmanton at The Old Plough Inn for a drink. As we'd eaten so late we weren't interested in having a meal but there was nowhere to sit and relax so we all had to stand at the bar feeling very much in the way!

Having had just the one drink we set off and arrived back at home at 8.30pm. It had been a long day but what an enjoyable one!

Back and forth...

On Tuesday Sophie has a gap of four hours between two lectures. Her first is at 9am and the second is at 2pm so rather than let her stay on her own for that time, we dropped her off and drove over to the Weston Favell Centre.

Being there early is definitely the time to go as most of the shops weren't even open! We had a coffee in BB's and then popped into Wilko's as I wanted to look at curtain poles and paint. We're hoping that in the next couple of weeks she'll feel confident to spend the time either in the library or with her new friends as I don't fancy killing time like we did today!

After collecting her at 10am we went home and Keith and I cleaned all the downstairs windows, including the conservatory. Again, it was a glorious Autumn day and really warm in the sun. The panes looked so much better after we'd cleaned them and although it's a job I loathe I felt a lot better when we'd finished.

At 1.30pm it was back in the car and off to uni again and we managed to find a space in the very crowded car park. Rather than drive home for such a short period of time we stayed until she'd finished and we both marvelled at how busy the campus is, with a constant toing and froing of students and lecturers.

Back home I finally sorted out my new phone and realised I had to activate the sim...by the evening it was all up and running and Keith has inherited my old phone. He couldn't wait to get his mitts on it!

New routines...

Today was the start of a new routine for us all. We had to leave home a bit earlier than normal to take Mike to school and then carry on through the village to the university as Sophie starts at 9am on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.

I was dreading the traffic but it was actually a very good run so I think leaving just that little bit earlier certainly helped. It was also good that the sun was shining out of a clear blue sky so I may think a little differently when it's dark, pouring with rain and blowing a gale! We won't think about that just yet!

On the way home I dropped Keith off at Pitsford so he could do a walk. I went home to have a shower before leaving almost two hours later to pick him up. After he'd showered we popped to Tesco and then I tackled my dirty car. Whilst cleaning it I chatted to Sue who was walking the dogs. I do enjoy pottering about and at the moment I certainly don't want to have to look for a job. Long may it continue!

My new phone arrived today but I had a little bit of trouble setting it all up. My old sim card wouldn't fit and I couldn't connect to the Vodafone network so I was a little worried. I asked to keep my number which I've had for years so I'm just hoping that I can get it sorted out soon.

It was back to uni to collect Sophie at 4pm and she'd had a good day. She's getting used to it now and has made some new friends which is great. I feel very relieved!

Dinner tonight was Pasta Carbonara, something I've never made before. It had to be cooked just before eating so I prepared everything before I went to pick Keith up from the pub and did it all when I got home. It was a success even though Sophie has asked me not to put leeks in next time I make it...!

Sunny Sunday

It's been another beautiful day today with plenty of sunshine and blue skies. This fair weather is set to last all next week and long may it continue! It's so lovely to be able to look forward to sunny, dry weather!

I took Sophie to work and when I returned home I cleaned little Jazzy Jim which was in dire need of a good scrub! Nobody else ever seems willing to clean the car so it was down to me! My own car needed washing as well but I decided to leave it until tomorrow. I still can't get used to the fact that I'm no longer working and I have to say I'm really enjoying it at the moment. Ask me again when winter sets in and you might get a different answer!

I spent the afternoon doing some research on Keith's family tree and before I knew it, it was time to go and collect Sophie. Time is flying by!

Autumnal beauty

Today I was up early as Mum and Dad were returning from their holiday and I wanted to make sure I'd taken their fresh milk, bread and eggs around to their house before they arrived! They were arriving at Heathrow at about 6.30am and by 7.30am Keith and I had gone and bought their breakfast foods, fed the fish and turned the heating up! They said it was very hot in the US!

It was a gorgeous morning - slightly misty but with the promise of it turning out to be a really sunny, Autumnal day. Sophie and I went shopping in Market Harborough in the afternoon and even though my daughter had just been paid she didn't see anything she liked and spent the grand sum of £6 in Monsoon! I treated her to lunch and we had a good mooch around the shops but I'm trying hard not to spend any unnecessary money at the moment so we didn't dare venture into Duncan's this week!

Market Harborough was busy and bustling and there was a vintage sale on under the Old Grammar School...

We didn't stay that long in the town and returned home to get ready for Mum and Dad's visit. They came bearing presents (as always) and both children were treated to tee-shirts, Keith received after-shave while I was delighted with some perfume and chocolates! Wonderful! I opened a bottle of wine and we all had a good natter about their holiday which was an escorted tour. They visited Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans and had a lovely time.

In the evening we enjoyed roast gammon for dinner and Ocean's Twelve on the box. Perfect!

Fooling around

Sophie wasn't at uni today so she came shopping with us and we turned a weekly chore into a real laugh (probably at Keith's expense!).

My daughter treated me to a coffee first while Keith went to get all the regular things that we buy every week. He is a little obsessive about how he packs the trolley and forbade us from putting anything in it without telling him. We managed to sneak a tub of "All Day Breakfast" sandwich filling in while he was choosing a gammon joint which didn't go down too well. It was one of those situations where you had to have been there to fully appreciate the joke, but a man nearby couldn't help smiling when we dissolved into a fit of giggles!

We carried on gently teasing him all the way around but we were pretty restrained and didn't get carried away with filling the trolley with treats. Even the checkout girl teased him when it came to packing all the food away in bags at the end of the trip...Keith has a harem of ladies in Tesco who he sees on a regular basis and they know how he is!

Back home I took the plunge and contacted Vodafone about my mobile which is misbehaving badly. I wanted to go onto a "pay as you go" contract but the helpful man I spoke to advised me to stay with my monthly contract and he managed to get me a new phone for less money every month with two months free. I was very pleased!

I did some paperwork in the afternoon and walked up to the post box to send two letters. Monty came with me and it was great to have him accompanying me the short distance. When I got back I planted up my pansies in the garden and the little robin hovered nearby, hoping to find some worms in the soil I was digging up. He was right on a branch behind me and was singing a lovely little tune and when he saw Monty with me he eyed him up very carefully. Our little robin is one clever bird!

It's been a gorgeous day today and the weather is set to be sunny and dry for the next few days. Lovely!

Birthday celebrations

It's Keith's birthday today but he had a blood test first thing this morning, which wasn't the best of ideas! He took Mike to school while I gave the downstairs of the house a quick hoover. I felt a bit better today, thank goodness, so after I'd finishing tidying up I took Sophie to university and then returned home where we got ready to go out for lunch.

We went to The Malt Shovel in the middle of Northampton as Keith is a huge fan of the beers there. We parked in the large multi-storey which is right next to some of the uni's halls of residence. They looked very smart for student accommodation!

The pub was pretty quiet although a large group of people did come in just after we'd sat down and they seemed to be on some sort of walking tour of the town. We ordered baguettes for lunch which were delicious and Keith drank an ale called Bishop's Farewell. It was lovely to sit and chat and I think we may have to make this a regular thing!

Once back at home I awaited a call from Sophie but at 3.30pm I left anyway. She was doing a presentation today with a group of people on her course and I'd been texting her all afternoon to see how she was getting on. My phone is playing up badly at the moment and the series of texts that I'd tried to send all became jumbled up so when she came out of uni and saw that I'd texted her that I was in the car park, and then that we were at home, it really confused her! Time for a new phone I think! We called into the petrol station on the way home and I treated her to a toasted sandwich and some wine. After her stressful day she needed it!

In the evening Keith and I went to the pub for an hour and sat at the bar as our usual window seats were occupied. Keith wanted fish and chips for dinner so after our drink Sophie and I went to collect them from Broughton while he set the table. It was Sophie's treat and they went down very well!

Feeling rough...

I haven't really felt 100% since Monday when I woke up with a tummy ache that hasn't gone away at all. Today I felt horrible so after dropping Sophie off at uni and popping into Waitrose for veg for dinner tonight, we went home and I just sat and watched television.

I felt awful because the house needed hoovering and I hated just sitting and doing nothing, but maybe it was the best thing to do. I caught up with Sunday's new episode of Downton Abbey and when the phone rang at just after 3pm I went to collect Sophie from uni and called into work to pick up some post.

I had a good chat with Maureen but was a bit sad to see some changes happening, such as the repainting of the party room walls. Maureen was clearing out one of the stock rooms as the freezers were being moved into the space and I spotted a hamburger press that my dad had ordered years ago. It made me feel very nostalgic. I think going into the building is the worst thing that I can do as it really brings it home to me that the business isn't ours any more. Maybe in future I'll just send Sophie in to get the post!

From work we went to get Keith cards as it's his birthday tomorrow. Sophie also bought some make-up in Boots and then it was home to have a soak in the bath and try and get rid of this blasted tummy ache that's driving me mad!

Feeling a bit better!

Sophie was back at university today but in a more structured session as she was taking part in an introduction to her course and having a tour of the library. We dropped her off at the same time as yesterday and went off to Jones's where we bought some essentials, then drove to PC World as our internet adapter thingy has stopped working and we wanted to compare prices with Amazon.

Keith was not prepared to pay the prices in PC World so we left and went to Waitrose where I treated him to a cup of tea and a cheese scone for lunch (ish). We had an hour to kill before Sophie was finished but we ended up sitting in the car park reading the newspaper until she was ready to go home.

Thankfully, when we picked her up she was a lot happier than yesterday as she'd met some girls on the business course who she spent some time with. She said the library was huge and I really envied her the opportunities she has at her finger tips. I would so love to be a student!

In the evening both Mike and Keith were out so it was a girls' night in with a yummy dinner, a glass of wine and the Hairy Bikers to entertain us!

Disappointment

Sophie was off to a barbecue at university today but the weather has been terrible which put a bit of a dampener on things.

She was very worried about going and not knowing anyone at all, but I reassured her that there would be helpers from the uni there to make sure everyone felt welcome. We dropped her off at almost 1pm and the weather, if possible, became worse on the drive there.

I felt so sorry for her as she walked away on her own but there was nothing I could do except keep my phone handy in case she wanted to be collected early. Keith and I had barely made it to the end of the road before she was on the phone and asking to be picked up.

When we got to her she said it had been terrible as there were loads of people crammed into a room because of the weather and that everyone was already in groups. There hadn't been anyone dressed as a helper so she had panicked and turned around.

I must admit I would have found it extremely difficult to approach a group of people on my own so I could sympathise. I felt so disappointed that she'd had a bad experience but said that for the rest of the week she would be in more structured sessions so it would be easier.

Keith and I abandoned our plans to go to Jones's so we called into Morisson's to get some garlic bread for the evening (and a bottle of wine for Sophie and I to enjoy later) and then we decided to pop into the Princess Alexandra for a quick drink as a treat. However, the pub was closed, as was The Artizan and there were no parking spaces at all near The Lamplighter so we decided to head for home and stop and get some chips on the way for lunch. Naughty!

The rain continued to pour all afternoon but it did brighten up a little in the evening, thank goodness. Not the best of days today and I just hope Sophie's first week at uni improves!

Day of rest?

Today I've been very busy doing housework, changing beds and doing some gardening. I didn't really start until lunchtime but managed to cram a lot into the afternoon so felt very pleased with myself. Mike wanted to be dropped off into town at 1pm and of course, Sophie was at work all day so there was a fair bit of driving about to do before I could start.

I had to ask Keith to come and help me with the barrel as I couldn't get one of the plants out at all...it was well and truly bedded in! I managed to rescue all the daffodil bulbs that were buried in the soil and I transplanted them and the little fuchsia into the new clay pot. We transported all the soil into one of our beds and the robin made an appearance, obviously hoping for a crop of worms to appear!

Enrolment!

After a very lazy morning (I didn't wake up until 9.30am) Sophie and I set off for the garden centre where I bought a large pot to replace our wooden barrel that has collapsed. The metal ring around the centre of the barrel rusted away and then fell off so the wooden slats, already rotten, have now started to fall off as well and the whole barrel is in danger of degenerating into a heap of earth and plants!

We found a lovely clay pot and I bought some pansies, using the voucher that I received when I left work. We then popped into the nearby Waitrose to get some more Tassimo coffee before heading to the university so that Sophie could enrol.

The place wasn't as busy as I imagined it would be and we were able to park easily in the large car park in front of the buildings. There were a lot of students arriving with anxious parents and boxes of bedding and luggage. I'm so glad Sophie isn't going into the halls of residence!

We made our way to the building where she had to enrol and I left her with one of the helpers. Parents weren't allowed in with them due to limited space but we were directed to a nearby cafe where we could meet. It didn't take long for Sophie to complete all the paperwork as she'd already pre-enrolled online. She came out feeling a lot less nervous and we had a quick walk around the campus and found the building where she will be based a lot of the time.

We saw a few mums crying as they left their sons and daughters and I felt so glad that Sophie's staying at home and hopefully getting the best of both worlds. My daughter seemed a lot more relaxed and happy which was great. The whole experience is a huge change for her (and for me too, if I'm honest!).

From the university we drove down to Riverside, visited Boots and then had a quick drink in Costa Coffee before heading home. When Keith returned from his football match we went to the pub in the village for a quick drink and I treated myself to a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. I only had one but it was delicious and we spent a very enjoyable hour chatting about how Sophie got on at uni today. Our daughter is growing up!

Getting the needle!

After dropping Mike off at work this morning Keith and I walked up to Mum's house to feed the fish. It was a damp morning and Keith swore he could smell seaweed as we walked down our drive! It must have been all the wet vegetation though, as we are nowhere near the sea! We had a good walk up and back and it was great to get out and have some exercise.

At lunchtime, I took Sophie to the doctor's to get her meningitis jab. The nurse said she might feel a bit poorly over the next day or two but apart from a bruise where the needle was inserted she was fine. I'm just so glad she's had the injection now and is ready for her start at university!

In the evening my lovely daughter did my hair and make-up as I was going out to see my friends Lynda, Fiona and Andrea. I was looking forward to seeing Fiona in particular as she'd been made redundant from her job in the summer, after working at Levi's for almost 30 years. I was keen to see how she was getting on being a "lady of leisure"!

Lynda very kindly offered to drive tonight which was an unexpected bonus as it meant Keith didn't have to try and juggle cooking dinner with taxi duties. We were off to Andrea's house for a meal to catch up and sort out dates for the forthcoming "Come Dine With Me" events...another year of getting dressed up in weird and wacky outfits!

We had a lovely evening and Andrea prepared a delicious meal of breaded mushrooms to start followed by a very spicy chilli and rice to follow, finishing off with raspberry roulade for dessert. We all had a good natter and three of us already have themes for our CDWM evenings. Lynda is doing a 60s theme, Andrea is having a Bollywood night and I'm going back to the austerity of the 1940s! Fiona hasn't made her mind up yet so we decided she could host the last meal of the event, just before Christmas...arggh!

We left at around midnight and I was delighted to find both my children still up to greet me when I arrived home. Sophie made me a mug of camomile tea and then it was off to bed as by now it was way past my bedtime!

Nature's bounty

This morning, after dropping Mike off at school and popping into work to pick up any post, we all drove to the doctor's surgery at Guilsborough as Sophie had an appointment for a blood test. As we neared the village of Hollowell we saw signs saying that the road was closed so we had to embark on a long diversion to get back to Guilsborough. I was not pleased! However we ended up being only five minutes late which was a relief!

When we eventually returned home Keith and I set off with two bowls to go blackberry picking in the fields near our house. It was an absolutely glorious morning and the sky looked like it had been given a good wash by all the rain from last night. Everything was dripping so we both got pretty wet as we tramped over the fields. We managed to find lots of blackberries and I saw loads of sloes as well, so I'm tempted to make Sloe Gin this year as I've done previously. We met a woman walking her dog who didn't know what the sloes were, so we had a chat about making the delicious drink, which is really easy, although I did advise her to wait until after the first frosts.

We walked for about an hour and returned home with wet jeans and purple stained hands! We're going to make a blackberry and apple crumble as we've had a few apples from the tree growing in our garden.

It was that time of the week to make our meal list so we sat and did that before briefly sitting in an absent neighbour's garden and soaking up the sun. Our friends are away this week so we called around to check up on things and sat and enjoyed the views over the fields. A huge flock of birds kept wheeling about and landing in the trees before all flying off again and then settling in the fields...strange behaviour!

As the afternoon wore on the sky became a bit cloudier so it was off to Tesco (again!) to do our big weekly shop when it was nice and quiet. When we returned home the children descended on our purchases like they'd never been fed before!

Keith and I went to the pub in the village in the evening and sat in the window watching the world go by. We can't believe how busy the village is and how many cars speed past!

Tropical Storm Henri

I made a start on the bathroom today as it was badly in need of a deep clean! While I was up to my eyes in cleaning cloths and bleach I heard Mum and Dad arrive so they gave me a welcome break from my chores!

I made them coffee and Sophie helped them check in for their flight to the US. We sat in the sunny conservatory and chatted before they left to go and do some urgent jobs before their holiday.

Keith returned from his walk and I gave Sophie's room a good clean, taking down her curtains to wash and dismantling her light shade which was covered in dust. Everything looked so much better when we put it all back and it was lovely and clean!

In the afternoon we went over to Tesco to pick up her new laptop and buy some essential ingredients for dinner. The promised rain had never materialised but by the evening, when we sat in the conservatory to play cards, the weather changed dramatically and the rain lashed down all evening. It was really cosy sitting at our table and listening to the rain pound on the roof. The evenings are really drawing in now and it's dark by about 7.30pm.

We enjoyed a really fruity curry for dinner...delicious!

Getting our business done!

Today has been a really good day and between us, Sophie and I managed to get a lot of things sorted out for university.

After the usual trip to take Mike to school, Sophie and I sat down at my computer to have a good look at what my daughter needs to do before she starts University. Next week is Welcome week and there's a whole host of activities for her to take part in before she starts properly on the 28th.

Sophie tried to access her timetable but became very frustrated as she just couldn't log into the website. In an effort to calm her down I suggested we email the university's helpdesk, which we did. We then looked at laptops on Amazon before deciding to drive back down to Riverside to see what they had on offer at PC World.

While Sophie was showering I looked at Tesco Direct and was delighted to find an Acer Aspire laptop for £209. As soon as Sophie came out of the shower I showed her and she said it looked perfect for what she wanted. They had Microsoft Office for £99 but it was out of stock, so I ordered the computer and some anti-virus software to be collected the next day from Kettering.

Just after I did this she received an email back from uni to say that she could access her time-table from the main web page and all she had to do was enter her student ID number. Within minutes she was into her timetable which at first looked really confusing!

She also received an email with all the information about starting which was great news. Even better was the information that she could take her laptop into university and get Microsoft Office completely free! We were over the moon as this would mean she would save £100! We decided to go and enrol this weekend and hopefully have a proper look around the campus while we're there. This means that she'll be all ready for her welcome week's activities.

We had another look at her timetable and worked out she could look at it individually. She'll be there Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and has Wednesday off which is a bonus. I was particularly pleased as we can drop Mike off at school and then take Sophie as her start time is 9am for three days of the week.

Today has been another glorious day and it's been lovely sitting in the sunny conservatory getting everything sorted out. Sophie now feels much better about everything and is really looking forward to starting her course.

Keith and Mike were both out in the evening - Mike to his usual army cadet evening and Keith to a local football match. I cooked a pizza for Sophie and me with some chicken bits to accompany it and then we settled down to watch the Hairy Bikers in Russia. They looked like they were having a great time and had a vodka tasting which I was very envious about!

When Keith and Mike returned home I cooked them the other pizza we'd bought and we watched an amazing programme about the first eight weeks of life. Miraculous!

Getting on with it!

Once we'd dropped Mike off at school Keith and I went into work to see Georgie about the heaters which were playing up. Every year, when they kick in as the temperatures drop, they set off the fire alarms so Georgie had turned them off completely and now one of them wouldn't work.

Ever since we've had them installed it's always been a bit hit and miss with getting them going and today was no exception! In the end Keith had to get up onto the ladder and press one of the buttons inside the heater and luckily this had the desired effect! We briefly saw Paula and Polly who'd come in for a staff meeting and then it was home to put off something that we'd been avoiding for weeks...replacing the sealant in our en-suite bathroom!

Keith set to work while I gave our bedroom a thorough clean...and did it need it! I took our curtains down, noticed that they were dry clean only and I was tempted to put them in the washing machine anyway, but in the end I just sponged them down and hung them up to dry. I didn't want to risk damaging them!

We spent most of the day cleaning and it felt great to see everything all nice and shiny again. I'm intending to spend the rest of the week giving the upstairs of the house a deep clean as it's long overdue!

Sophie had an appointment to have her nails done in the afternoon so I took her and sat outside in the car reading until she'd finished. The weather turned very stormy and I heard thunder in the distance while the rain lashed down. Later I discovered that there'd been a tornado in the town at around lunchtime!

Enjoying the last of the summer sun

After dropping Sophie off at work today I called to see Mum and Dad and have a cup of coffee with them. We chatted about how different we were finding our lives now that we no longer ran our business and I think we're all a little sad that things have changed so much, even though it was a change we all wanted.

I helped them sort out the printer for their computer and then it was home to hoover the house and make a start on the garden. I mowed the front verge which took me all of two minutes and then spent the rest of the afternoon giving the back garden a really good tidy up. It all looked so much better when I finished!

At intervals I sat on our little seat with Monty and watched the birds flit about, and in particular the robin who kept appearing and looking at me intently! It's been a beautiful day today with lots of sunshine and blue skies, perfect for getting out into the garden and doing some much-needed work!

Shopping around

After a morning spent doing very little Sophie, Mike and I went out in the afternoon to look at laptops in Currys PC World. On the way we drove around the university campus but access to the part that Sophie will be mostly using was blocked by a barrier so we couldn't go any further. We did see signs for the building though so she'll know where to go next week when she takes part in Welcome Week.

We drove to Riverside and had a look at the iPods for Mike as his has died completely. The store was very busy but we did manage to speak to a member of staff who pointed out some laptops that would suit Sophie. The one thing we did find annoying was that she would have to buy Microsoft Office separately and it cost just over £100, which certainly added to the price of the laptop. PC World quoted Sophie £165 to add the word processing package, anti-virus security and to put everything to the machine which I thought was a bit steep!

Mike wanted to get his iPod (he's paying for it) so after some difficulty and confusion, we managed to buy a 32GB blue model and he was very happy. I treated them both to a drink and a snack in Costa Coffee which was also heaving with people. In fact, the whole shopping area was very busy and I did always say I was going to avoid Riverside at the weekends!

Back home we had a few hours to relax before I had to take Mike to a party in the nearby village of Boughton. Sophie and I watched two episodes of A Place in The Sun: Winter Sun set on the islands of  Antigua and St Lucia. The houses were beautiful and made me very envious!

Mike was going to a Hawaiian themed party so he wore a flowery shirt, shorts and flip flops. Luckily he was staying overnight so when we got back from taking him I could indulge in a glass of wine!

Rushing about!

Sophie had an appointment with the doctor this morning and I urged her to ask about a meningitis jab that's available to all students starting university this year. Suddenly mixing with lots of people from different backgrounds puts the youngsters at a higher risk of contracting the disease so I was glad that she booked the injection for next Friday before she starts. This month is flying by!

When we got home my daughter rushed to get ready as she was going to a barbecue at Brixworth country park where all her old school mates were meeting. Her friend Daisy collected her so Keith and I were able to get out for another walk. It was a beautiful day again with blue skies, lots of fluffy white clouds and sunshine. We reversed the walk we did the other day and went into the nature reserve hoping to see some wildlife.

We didn't have any luck today though, but we were out for almost two hours and it felt great to get some exercise and fresh air. I certainly felt a lot better when I arrived home!

Mike went to Brixworth in the afternoon and I arranged to pick both him and Sophie up at 7pm. At the moment we've been using Keith's little Honda a lot so at least my car has had a bit of a rest this week! I picked both of them up then sped home to finish off the fish pie we were having for dinner. By the time I'd collected Keith from the pub and served up dinner I was more than ready for my glass of wine!

Just pottering...

The morning was spent pottering about the house and doing very little. It feels so strange to be at home all the time now as I can't kid myself that I'm still on holiday from work! Thankfully today has been glorious with plenty of sunshine and blue skies so we sat out in the garden for a little while and just enjoyed the good weather.

In the afternoon Keith and I made out a meal plan for the rest of the week and decided to go and do the shopping today rather than try and squeeze it in tomorrow morning. We went at 3pm so Tesco was very quiet indeed and it was lovely to wander along the empty aisles and not be pressurised by anyone.

We did the whole week's shopping (we could barely get it all in the trolley!) and then went home to pack it all away. Sophie's been at home all day today having a rest from work so it's been great to spend some time with her before her university course starts at the end of September.

After we'd packed everything away Keith and I went to the pub for a quick drink and sat in the window watching all the comings and goings in the village. The pub was quiet and it was lovely to sit and relax and have a chat!

Delving into the past...

This morning we went to meet my parents to look at a house in Kingsthorpe. It was a new-build and was situated not far from all the shops and restaurants in the Northampton suburb. I thought it would be ideal for my parents as they could walk to the supermarkets and other shops and not have to use their car all the time, as they do now.

The house was really just a shell but it had four bedrooms, a decent garden and a garage. Mum and Dad will need to make a decision soon as, although they've had two offers on their house, the people interested haven't sold their own houses yet.

We were there for about half an hour and then we went off to Jones's as Sophie needed stuff for university which is looming alarmingly on the horizon. From there we popped into Homebase where we looked at paint colour (we still haven't decorated the living room) and then Keith treated us to a coffee in the Costa Coffee within Next.

After this Sophie went to meet her friends Daisy and Laura as they were having lunch at Pizza Hut. Keith and I went home and I spent the afternoon doing some research on Keith's family tree as his mother's birth certificate had arrived in the post. The circumstances around his mother's early life is a mystery as she was listed as living with another family as a boarder when she was about eight years old, so I'm hoping we can do some detective work and find out what happened!

A walk in the woods

Today was supposed to have been lovely and sunny but we've had thick grey cloud all day which hasn't been pleasant!

After a slowish start Keith and I went for a walk at lunchtime to get out, get some fresh air and have some exercise. I really want to get back into a daily walk and there's no excuse now!

We went over the fields and then headed down to the nature reserve to walk along the perimeter fence. It was very quiet in the woods and although we saw a squirrel and a pheasant, there was not much else about. I thought of all the people at work and felt very lucky to be able to get out and have a walk in the middle of the day.

We went back along a track that leads up to our village and then it was home for a bath and a late lunch. Mum and Dad popped around in the afternoon and we talked about their weekend away in Wales and what they'd got up to.

Mike was at Army cadets in the evening and we dropped him off at a different place to normal. He was going to be out in some fields and was planning on wearing camouflage paint all over his face! When it was time to pick him up, naturally we went back to where we'd dropped him off but as the time went on and they didn't appear we grew a little worried. There were three other cars waiting and after fifteen minutes I got out of the car to peer over the gate leading into the field. They were nowhere to be seen and I stopped and chatted to another mum who was also waiting. We agreed that they were finishing their session later and later but it really looked like we'd all come to the wrong place this evening.

This was confirmed two minutes later when the woman knocked on the window of the car and said we had to go to the usual place to pick them up! Typical! Talk about miscommunication! Mike was covered in "camo" when we collected him but told us he'd been promoted to shooter for the cadets and had a couple more badges to be sewn onto his uniform!

Adjusting...

Today was the first day that I really felt like I was not on holiday from work, as I had for the last two weeks.

Keith took Mike to school and then went for a walk before returning home. As Sophie wasn't working today we had breakfast of toast together before I embarked on housework. Is this going to be my life from now on? Endless housework?!!

It was a beautiful morning so the blue skies and sunshine lifted my spirits but I still felt very strange not being at work! Over lunchtime Sophie and I sat and watched A Place in the Sun: Winter Sun about a very lucky couple buying a holiday home on the Caribbean island of St Vincent. They were very picky about what they wanted and I think the lovely Jasmine Harman became a bit irritated with them!

In the afternoon we made a trek over to Tesco to buy things for dinner...how I contained my excitement I'll never know! The weather later in the day turned cool and cloudy so not the sort of afternoon to sit out in the sunshine. I feel like we haven't had a summer this year!

I met Mike on his way back from the bus as I went to post a letter and he hadn't enjoyed his first day back at school, bless him! Just one more year and then he'll either be going into sixth form or starting at college. How time flies!

Sunday chores

After the sloth of yesterday I gave the ground floor of the house a good clean today and we made sure that Mike was all ready for his return to school tomorrow. This meant gluing on a strip of ribbon around both sleeves of his blazer as he will be a Prefect when he starts back.

Mike and Keith disappeared off to the barber's this morning so Mikey could get a haircut and it was lovely to potter about the house doing my jobs on my own. Bliss! Sophie was at work but I'm hoping she'll have some time off next week.

It's been a gorgeous day and I did manage to sit in the garden for a while to soak up the sun in between cleaning. Monty came out with me and was very affectionate and together we watched the birds visiting the feeders hanging from our Eucalyptus tree.

After collecting Sophie from work and bringing her home we watched A Place In The Sun about a woman looking for a holiday home in Barbados. Lucky thing!

A day of rest...

Well, I didn't do an awful lot today and I enjoyed every minute!

The weather hasn't been great (no surprise there then!) so it was bliss to just mooch about, have a very relaxed start to the day, read the papers and then do some research on Keith's family tree. I didn't have a lot to go on but his brother had printed out a tree that I used as a guide although he hadn't put on places where people were born.

It turns out Keith's father's side of the family comes from Lancashire and we managed to confirm that the oldest ancestor we had was born in 1795. It was very absorbing and certainly gave me something to think about!

If I don't find a job over the winter I will definitely need something to keep me occupied and I might have found a solution with Keith's mother who had been adopted as a baby. I've sent for her birth certificate to see if that provides any clues so I'm hoping to have something to get my teeth into over the next few months!

Back to reality

Sophie, poor thing, was back at work today and she was a bit bleary eyed when I woke her up this morning!  We took her into work and then we sped home to make a list for the shopping...I was being allowed to accompany Keith!

I felt a bit strange today as for the first time in years and years, I wasn't being paid and it brought it home to me a bit how things had changed in my life. It wasn't really a good feeling and certainly not how I expected to be!

We did the shopping and then went home where I found a perfect job for Sophie - working for Virgin Active at their Collingtree site as front of house... I sent her a text but she didn't seem too keen!

In the afternoon we went to Mum and Dad's house to let the estate agent in as they had a viewing and have gone away for the weekend. We turned lots of lights on and when the people arrived we made ourselves scarce by sitting in the garden. It was a shame the weather wasn't more pleasant as the early sunshine had been replaced by heavy grey clouds.

When the estate agent had gone, we returned home before I went to pick Sophie up from work. I'd talked to Maureen about going in to have a chat so it was great to sit and see the staff for an hour and natter about how things were going with the new owners. They seem to have introduced some strict rules and certainly aren't as laid back and easy-going as we were. Perhaps that's a good thing but I'm not sure it was popular with the staff!

A day in France

Last night, after talking to the children over dinner, we all agreed to go to France for the day, on the Eurotunnel rather than a ferry as it's quicker and much less hassle. Keith and I booked the tickets and then I paid for travel insurance, breakdown cover and the Dartford crossing.

So, this morning, at 6am we were all up and getting ready for the off. We left at just before 8am and encountered heavy traffic on the A43 which was a pain. However, as we were crawling along I saw a motorcyclist come off his bike and we realised there'd been an accident. We had no idea how it happened as the traffic was really slow moving, but we were able to get past and carry on our way. A lot of people had gone running to help and we just hoped that the poor man wasn't seriously injured.

The traffic was slow all the way to the M1 but we made very good time and arrived at Folkestone at 10.15am, which I thought was brilliant. We had a short wait until our number was called so I treated Mike to a pair of earphones and some chocolate.

Before very long we were queuing up to board the train and it was great to be able to just sit in the car and not have to go anywhere! I'd forgotten how easy and quick the Eurotunnel is! It took about 30 minutes to cross the channel and then we were in France and heading for Cite Europe.

The children were hungry so we decided to go to the shops first, have lunch and take a look about before going to St Omer. We chose the "Bar Provencal" and enjoyed a couple of beers (well, you have to!) with toasted cheese and ham sandwiches and frites. Delicious!

We noticed a new shop on the ground floor which used to be the large Tesco but was now a huge store selling every kind of alcoholic drink imaginable! They had some lovely whiskies for sale as well as all kinds of other spirits, beers, wines and ciders. We wandered around for a good half hour looking at everything and I bought two bottles of Leffe lager at 9% alcohol!

From the store we went off to Carrefour where we bought some more beer, chocolate and biscuits but I didn't get as much of a good look as I wanted as Keith wasn't that interested in buying anything and Sophie wanted to leave to go to St Omer.

The news in the UK has been full of the immigrants recently and we did wonder if it was a good idea to take the shuttle seeing as there'd been a lot of trouble there but apart from three men hanging about by the side of the road and a group of men walking along the train tracks it was all very quiet.

We found the A26 autoroute and headed towards St Omer which was about thirty minutes away. I do love the autoroutes in France as they're always very quiet, fast and smooth. Keith navigated and very soon we were heading for the "centre ville" and looking for a parking space. We arrived at a large carpark and found a space easily. There were signs for the town centre and after a short walk we found ourselves in the large market square bordered on all sides by lovely old buildings, shops and cafes.

Sophie was determined to have a waffle or a crepe before she left so we headed for a cafe called "Le Zinc" where we sat inside and asked for the menu from a woman who wasn't exactly over the top with friendliness!

Mike said that we weren't welcome and that's exactly what I thought as well. However, we persevered (I did speak French) and soon received three crepes with Nutella, a beer for Keith and coke for the kids. The crepes were OK, but they didn't taste freshly made...Keith makes much better ones!

After our snack we wandered off to have a look around the very pretty little town which in some ways reminded me of Bruges. There were some lovely old buildings, lots of shops and narrow streets to explore.

We saw a beautiful bridal shop and I just had to stop to take a photo!

I couldn't help wondering what it would be like to live in the little town and Sophie said she thought it was a great little place. Praise indeed!

After wandering along the streets we decided to head back to the car as by now it was past 5pm and we wanted to make sure we got back to the terminal in plenty of time. We only managed to get lost once on the way back to the autoroute which I was pretty pleased with! It did give us a chance to drive around a quiet residential area and then have another view of the imposing churches in the town!

The journey back to Calais was very smooth and hassle-free. There had been some technical problems earlier in the day so we were delayed for a short while but it gave Keith and me the chance to scout out a pub for the evening near Folkestone. I used the wifi at the terminal and we picked a pub in the village of Stowting called The Tiger Inn.

The journey back to the UK was great and I think I even fell asleep at one point on the train. I love the gentle rocking movements! We disembarked in the gathering gloom and left the M20 at junction 11 to find the village. It was at the end of a very narrow and winding road but first impressions were very good indeed.

The Tiger Inn is an old pub, full of wood, dried hops and dripping, waxy candles and I would love to have it as my local. We were shown to a table in the dimly lit restaurant and even though Sophie wasn't keen on the menu and choice of dishes, we still had a pleasant couple of hours.

Mike and Soph went for the ham and eggs served with chunky chips, Keith chose the beef and horseradish pie while I had the best meal of all - slow roasted belly pork served with crackling on champ mash. A steaming dish of carrots and courgettes came with it.

Keith wasn't too happy with the beer on offer, and although it was one of his favourite ales - Bishop's Finger - he said it tasted sour. I told him to take it back but he had a second pint and said that was the same!

I absolutely loved the pub - for me it was getting on for perfect with its log fires, candle-lit alcoves and stone-flagged floors. I would love to go back!

We left at about 9.30pm, filled up with diesel at the services on the M20 and then headed home through almost constant lane closures and roadworks. It was midnight by the time we reached home, all of us very tired but feeling great after a good day!

Days fly past!

I used to think that the time went fast at work but being at home seems to have accelerated it even faster!

After a bit of a lie-in this morning we dropped Sophie off at work and then returned home to get Mikey sorted out for his uniform. He's back at school next Monday and seems to have been off for ages! I can't really say I've enjoyed this summer as we have hardly spent any time together as a family.

He said he needed a new blazer, a pair of new trousers and a shirt so we set off for the schoolwear shop in Northampton first and parked in a small, extremely scruffy car park behind Abington Square. Walking around the corner to the shop was horrible because of all the litter and the really scruffy, down-market shops that line the street.

Predictably the shop was crammed with people buying uniform but we spotted a blazer for Mike, he tried it on and within a few minutes we were done. Resisting the temptation to go to The Princess Alexandra for a swift half, we drove to The Fabric Warehouse to buy some fabric glue as we have to apply two bands of ribbon to Mike's blazer because he will be a Prefect when he returns to school next week.

From town we drove to the Weston Favell Centre (another of my favourite places) to go to Burton's for trousers and Tesco for a shirt. We didn't hang about there for long and I decided to treat Mike and Keith to a McDonald's. However, what Mike didn't tell me was that he no longer likes McDonald's food so we went to KFC instead and ate outside in the sunshine. I'm not a fan of KFC at all, but it was easier calling in for lunch there rather than all try and get ourselves something when we got home.

It reminded me a bit of eating in the US, with the busy retail park and overhead a distinctly Floridian sky, with patches of blue threatened by some hefty storm clouds in the distance! Just after we arrived home the heavens opened and we had some torrential rain. Has there been a day this summer, I wonder, when it hasn't rained?

I had a quick chat with Sue who was walking the dogs and arranged to go out for a meal with her in the near future. She's mentioned she has a new restaurant she wants to take me to, which sounds intriguing!

I popped around to see Mum and Dad quickly later in the afternoon and they'd been to look at a house in town which they'd liked. They have two offers on their house but it could take some time for it all to go through which might be a good thing as my Mum is not keen on moving. This certainly is a year of change!

I collected Sophie from work and between us we decided not to go to Kelmarsh this evening for the meditation class as we didn't fancy eating really early and then going out. We are naughty! We sat in the garden with a glass of wine and then, over dinner, discussed going to France for the day on Thursday! Talk about spontaneous decisions!

Back to it!

It was back to work for Sophie today and I also did a lot of things on the computer for the business. I was sitting at the table in the conservatory at 8am!

Mum and Dad came around for a cup of coffee and they took a lot of letters away with them to post out for me. We're slowly getting nearer to everything being sorted out but it has taken me longer than I expected due to a lot of loose ends needing to be tied up.

In the afternoon Keith and I went to Tesco to buy dinner - this is getting to be a regular thing now! I'm not sure how I feel about it, to be honest!

Keith and Mike had their dinner early tonight as both of them are out this evening...Mike back to Army cadets for the first time in a month, and Keith to a football match. This means that Sophie and I can have a girly night in for a change! I picked her up from work at 6pm and then we returned home to cook Chicken Kiev with mashed potatoes and sweetcorn. In between eating and collecting Mike we watched You've Got Mail, one of my favourite films. It was bliss to sit and relax and watch a good film.

At 9.15pm we went off to pick up Mike from Moulton and it was just like old times! I can hardly believe it's been a month since he went and the last time it was still light at 9.30pm. Tonight it was very dark so Autumn is well and truly on its way. When we got home we watched the rest of the film and all of us had a late night for a change!