Rushing about!

Keith and Sophie went for a three hour walk today which I thought was a bit too much - surely an hour's walk, three times a week is enough?

Mike was on a trip to the Sky Studios in London today and Keith had taken him into Northampton at the unearthly hour of 6am. I'm glad he volunteered! After Keith and Sophie set off I settled myself into the conservatory to catch up with all the jobs I needed to do and enjoyed the sunshine shining through the windows. After yesterday's rainy morning it was a beautiful day.

They were home just after 11am and I made breakfast. Sophie and I went out in the afternoon down to the St James Retail Park as I wanted to go to Homesense to buy some nick nacks for the ensuite bathroom. The walls are looking a little bare!

We popped into Starbucks first and Sophie treated me to a coffee and a cake before we walked over to Homesense, passing the now empty ex-BHS store. I said to Sophie that before Christmas it would probably be given over to a discount store...watch this space!

Unbelievably Homesense had Christmas decorations for sale! I couldn't resist a little "gonk" with a white hat and beard. He looked remarkably like "Herr Hair" that we bought in Berlin last December. It seems incredible that we are back now in a situation where the shops are pushing the festive season on us already!

We were happily looking around when Mike messaged me to say he was fifteen minutes away from college and could we go and pick him up? We duly obliged but it meant he had to come to Jones's with us (more Christmas decorations...and lots of them!) and then a visit to Waitrose where I had to buy some chicken for tomorrow night's curry. We had forgotten to buy it yesterday!

In Jones's I bought a load of bird food as it is certainly getting chillier now and our feathered friends will need all the help they can get. We have had so many birds visit our garden this year and the robin is well and truly back along with sparrows (loads of them!), blue and great tits, starlings, collared doves and the odd magpie. I haven't seen any blackbirds for a while and Rooky hasn't been seen for weeks so I hope they'll all return as it gets colder. "Cheryl" still visits and is intent on hiding her nuts all over the garden!

Autumnal weather

This morning dawned wet and windy, such a change after yesterday's sunshine. Keith and I took Mike to college and then rushed home to make out a shopping list. We decided to shop just for the weekend as Sophie is back at uni on Monday for only a couple of hours so we can drop her off and then go to Aldi in Kingsthorpe to do the rest of the week.

Sophie came with us as she has been off work all this week. It's Freshers week and she thought she might have been out to some late-night events but she seemed content to stay at home instead, although she is going to an outdoor cinema event on Sunday.

We hurriedly did all our shopping in Aldi and then returned home to put it all away. Sue was picking me up at 12.30pm for a gardening stint and after we'd put the shopping away Sophie and Keith went into work so Sophie could input all her hours.

Sue and I went to Brixworth and we spent two hours weeding and tidying the garden. It was a glorious afternoon and it was very pleasant to be out in the sunshine. When we returned home I gave her back her dessert dishes and gave her a candle that I'd made on Tuesday as a thank you. We also admired her garden which is now nearly finished and looks very smart!

Back home we just had time for a well-earned cup of tea before it was off to collect Mike from College. He informed us on the way home that he has a trip to the Sky Studios tomorrow and the coach leaves at 6.30am! Gulp! That was a bit short notice!

We went home and had a very relaxing evening playing cards and drinking wine. Perfect!

Yet another frustrating day!

I should have known that today was going to be difficult when I became embroiled in traffic on my way to my Citizen's Advice session. I left home at the normal time of 8am but when I still wasn't anywhere near the town at 8.30am I knew there were problems on the road.

It turned out to be roadworks on the Kettering Road and I eventually got to the car park at 8.57am! I hurtled down The Drapery and almost ran into the Guildhall to find a new girl, Aimee, already setting up. Of course, my lateness gave her a bit of an advantage so she was in control, something I found quite difficult to cope with seeing as I had been on my own in the office for the last two weeks!

Aimee normally works on a Friday and said that it's very quiet - she saw only seven clients last week whereas we had over forty turning up. I let her get on with it at first and went out with the data sheets to find the clients who had turned up to see us. However, it all got a bit chaotic mid-morning and I could see that Aimee was finding it difficult to input the sheets and make appointments for the advisers. With Frank, he sits in front of the main computer while I go and collect the data sheets and input them so it works very well. He will book appointments and sort out food bank vouchers if need be. With Aimee, we didn't quite gel together very well and she had some odd ways of doing things that worried me a bit!

I escaped at lunchtime and went off to the post office to send the letter to the CEO of B&Q. I sent it "signed for" so there should be no excuse for it not to get to him. If we don't have any luck with this route then it really will be time for us to get some legal advice.

After lunch things really did go from bad to worse and we had a seating area full of people waiting at one point. The advisers were tearing their hair out and I just knew that we would still be in the office past 3pm. In the end we had to turn people away and give them leaflets so I felt a bit bad. It was bliss to finally get out and head home at 3.45pm.

The BT engineer had been and had fixed the internet problem, which was great news. He made three trips to the main box on the estate so we won't be charged the £130 call out fee, thank goodness! Mike had stayed at college so we went off to collect him at 5pm and hit the rush hour traffic...grrr!

Not the most pleasant of days!

Today hasn't been the most pleasant of days with the weather to match - a horrible day of grey clouds which didn't lift until the evening. We still have had no cheque from B&Q and it's causing us a lot of annoyance that we can be lied to like that.

The surgery called this morning and said that Keith's blood showed a higher than average concentration of uric acid. He has always suffered from gout but it looks like, with only now having one kidney, that he might be at greater risk of it being worse than normal. He made an appointment to see the doctor this afternoon and then the phone rang again and this time it was about Sophie - her thyroid levels were lower than usual. What a worry!

Rather than mooch about and be a bit worried about all this I set to and made a batch of muffins and then Sophie and I made four candles from the candle-making kit I'd ordered. It was quite a simple process and I was really pleased with how they turned out! I'd ordered Christmas Cranberry and the smells in the kitchen were gorgeous.

Keith and I went over to Guilsborough to the doctors and waited an age to be seen. He wasn't given any medication but he was told to keep an eye on his blood pressure, so that at least was good news.

After the doctors Keith and I wrote a four page account of all the problems we've been having with the installation of our en-suite bathroom. We then drafted a letter to the CEO of B&Q which I will send off tomorrow. Let's hope that produces more results!

The highlight of today was watching an episode of the Hairy Bikers in Morocco for their Chicken and Egg series. I absolutely love these two men and it was hilarious watching them muck about in a "Hamam"! It made my day!

Internet frustrations!

This morning dawned grey and overcast and we had terrible trouble with our Broadband. For the last six weeks we've been having difficulties but this morning the whole thing wouldn't work. It's been extremely frustrating! I spent most of the morning on the phone to BT and eventually we arranged for an engineer to come out on Wednesday to try and sort it out.

Sophie and Keith went walking while I mowed the lawn and hoovered downstairs. It began raining at lunchtime and stayed that way for most of the day. Mike had been out the night before with friends so he had missed our lovely Sunday roast of lamb and came home around midday.

In the afternoon Keith, Sophie and I went over to the Weston Favell Centre as Sophie wanted to go to the bank. From there we headed to Riverside and Keith bought a lovely pair of new boots in Blacks. We also had a quick peek in the Pets at Home store to see if we could get anything for Monty as he has been spraying again and is banned from the house. The only product we saw was a pheromone plug-in but it was very expensive at almost £40 and I just wasn't prepared to pay that much for something that might not even work.

I didn't feel too well today as I had a bit of a cold. All I really wanted to do was go home, have a long hot bath and curl up somewhere warm so we did just that and I had a lovely soak before watching Pointless on our bed. I couldn't stay there too long as it was pub night for Keith and I was cooking dinner - one of Sophie's favourites, Pasta Carbonara!

Out for afternoon tea

This morning we drove over to Mum's house so that Keith could open his Birthday card from my parents. He was delighted with his card and some cash...always the best option for Keith. He wants to use Mum and Dad's money and the money I gave him to buy himself a new pair of walking boots.

In the afternoon Mum, Sophie and I went over to Farndon Fields for a cup of tea. Sophie was salivating the whole way over about the chicken and bacon sandwich she was going to have and I just hoped it would still be on the menu!

It was a lot busier than we were used to but we still managed to get a table. Mum chose a toasted teacake with butter and jam while I went for an indulgent scone. Sophie couldn't wait to get her mitts on her sandwich which fulfilled all her expectations. I wanted to keep my appetite for tonight's roast leg of lamb which I was really looking forward to!

After we'd eaten we had a good look around the farm shop and Sophie and I found a new love heart for the conservatory. We were supposed to be only getting candle holders from now on but we couldn't resist a beautiful wooden heart. I also bought a Scotch egg for us to enjoy on Monday and some other goodies. The food in the shop is really lovely and it would be wonderful to be able to get all of our fresh vegetables and fruit there...a bit of a trek though!

August and September hearts

We drove Mum home to find my Dad had arrived back from his weekend in Llandudno. I don't think it was the most successful time as there had been no hot water in his room and it was also very windy, which made flying the planes difficult. He still looked very tanned so I think the windy conditions in Wales had added to the tan he acquired in Greece!

Birthday celebrations!

Before Sophie went off to work this morning, Keith opened his cards and presents and was thrilled with what he received. We took Soph to work and then came home for a cup of coffee and a read of the newspapers in the conservatory. It felt lovely not to have to rush off anywhere! Sue popped around with some beer and a card for Keith so he did very well!

I did go and get some more diesel (that's £90 I've put in my car this week!) and then called to see Mum on the way home. My Dad is in Llandudno this weekend on a model aeroplane flying trip so it's the first time Mum has been in her new home on her own.

She was in the garden weeding the border and was glad to stop and have a coffee and a chat with me. I recommended two TV programmes to keep her occupied in the evening - "One of Us", an excellent drama about a double murder, and "The Outlaws", a hilarious Belgian black comedy, also about a murder which we really enjoyed.

I returned home where I made a start on my own front garden and did far more that I intended. I strimmed the verge but then decided to cut back our Hypericum bush which is massively overgrown. I raked up all the cuttings and thousands of leaves which were lurking under the bush and I was out there for almost three hours. It was very sociable, though, as I chatted to a lady who lives nearby who was walking with her adorable little granddaughter, and Paul came past with the doggies. They are having a lot of work done in their garden at the moment and have a team of workmen laying some new turf.

I was also surprised and really pleased to see Gill, our ex-neighbour, who zoomed up in her sporty little Mini for a chat. She was on her way to pick up her daughter from a friend's house and we had a long chat, which was lovely. I do miss her as a neighbour! Just after Gill left Keith arrived home from watching Sileby play and I finished the garden to go and prepare the vegetables for dinner. Keith had made a beef casserole in the morning and I had switched on our slow cooker at 4pm to start cooking it. It smelt delicious!

No sooner had we finished preparing the veg, Sophie called to be picked up. I went off to collect her leaving Keith to watch the football. He had decided to record the Newcastle game and watch it later so was enjoying the Arsenal-Chelsea match instead!

When Sophie and I arrived home we opened the sparkling wine and I played cards with the kids until it was time to eat. I made some dumplings and the meal was delicious. I think Keith has had a great Birthday!

Feeling shattered!

This morning, before 9am, Sue and I went to do some gardening at a lovely house in Broughton and then we went on to Brixworth for another two hours. I mainly did weeding and it was quite hard work with a lot of stooping and kneeling and pulling up weeds from between paving slabs. At Brixworth I had a little smoky grey cat to keep me company and a gorgeous Red Admiral butterfly wanted to stay close as well as it landed on my jeans and seemed to want to hitch a lift around the garden!

It's been a warm and sunny day so it was lovely to be out in the fresh air. I arrived home at just before 2pm and had time for a quick sandwich before going to pick Sophie up from work and Mike from college. At least I was able to go home and sit in my own garden in the sunshine after all that running about!

I did feel very tired, though...it's been a hectic week! Keith went off to the pub and I just didn't have the energy to cook roast chicken so we decided to kick-start Keith's birthday celebrations by having fish and chips for dinner. He was delighted (naturally - his favourite meal!) and it was great not to have to cook, especially since I'd offered to cook tomorrow night while he watches football!

Hunting for presents!

This morning I took Sophie to the doctor's to have her blood test and then we headed into town to grab a quick bite to eat before she started work at 10.30am. I chose the BP garage in Kingsthorpe which turned out to be a mistake as the food that Sophie wanted -  a simple sausage bap - was unable to be cooked because the oven wasn't working. I enjoyed a pecan pastry and we took our coffees into work with us where Sophie asked Maureen to make her a sausage bap there instead. We both agreed it was another hiccup in a long line of little niggling problems that seem to be affecting us lately and it's very annoying!

I sat and finished my coffee and chatted to Sophie and Maureen and then it was home to the usual day of food shopping. In the afternoon, after picking up Sophie from work, we headed off to the Weston Favell Centre as I needed to sort out presents and cards for Keith's birthday on Saturday.

He is a very difficult man to buy for so I decided to give him cash and then he could spend it how he wanted. Sophie bought him some beer in Tesco and she also tried on a pair of jeans for work which fitted beautifully and were very comfortable.

We went to get Mike from college and then battled the early rush hour traffic to go to Majestic in town as we were looking for some Irish whiskey for him. They only had Jameson's so we decided to treat him to a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and a bottle of Gigondas instead. He loves these Cotes du Rhone wines and we have visited both villages in the past on our wine tours around France.

As well as the red wine I bought a bottle of New Zealand sparkling wine to start off the celebrations on Saturday night and, pleased with our choices, we headed home through even heavier traffic! It was lovely to finally get home and sit and play cards in the conservatory before a dinner of delicious curry!

Feeling a little weary!

Today has been another busy day at the Citizens Advice Bureau and although it started off slowly, by lunchtime we had several clients waiting to be seen. It was one of those sessions where we had clients who needed help filling in the data sheets and we had a lady become quite abusive about the wait. By 3pm I was ready to escape but we still had a couple of people sitting with the advisers so it was almost 3.30pm by the time we got away.

I went to pick up Sophie from work and then on to collect Mike from college and before going home we called into one of the little supermarkets in Moulton to buy some wine as Sophie had Laura and Daisy coming over in the evening.

Mum and Dad also came over and we sat and had a glass of wine while they chatted about their holiday. They'd bought Sophie and me a scarf each and Keith and Mike a tee-shirt with funny slogans along with a bottle of wine for us both to share. They are both very tanned and had had a great holiday but it will be the last time they visit Paros as it's so difficult to get there without any direct flights.

Laura and Daisy arrived at 7.30pm and Keith, Mike and I had our evening meal in the conservatory while they took over the living room with their boxes of pizza. I felt very tired this evening as we'd had such a long day yesterday and I was up early this morning. Keith and I retired to our bedroom where we both fell asleep before 9.30pm!

Frustration and delays!

Sophie had a blood test booked this morning (or she thought she did) at the surgery in Guilsborough so we trekked all the way over there at 6.45am, another early start! When we arrived it looked like she had a GP appointment instead and this was confirmed when we saw the doctor.

Sophie's GP was reluctant to do the blood test as she was out of practice so she booked her in for one on Thursday morning with the nurse. I was a bit annoyed as it was a complete waste of time and diesel going over there! The only bonus was that it was a gorgeous morning!

All of us went to pick Mike up from  Brixworth at 9am and then we drove to Sixfields in town as we had planned on having a substantial breakfast before going down to Gatwick today to meet Mum and Dad's return flight from Greece. I'd been keeping an eye on the arrivals since we got home from the surgery and everything looked OK.

We picked Buddies for breakfast as we could usually be guaranteed a hearty meal that would keep us going all day. However, our visit today was very disappointing as the waiting staff were unfriendly and couldn't even bring themselves to smile at us at all! The food was OK (the usual fried eggs, bacon, sausages and potatoes) and certainly kept me going for the rest of the day but we were a bit disappointed with the experience and doubt we'll go back to this particular restaurant!

When we arrived home we discovered that Mum and Dad's flight was delayed and wouldn't be arriving at Gatwick until 7pm. This meant that we would have to leave Northampton at the height of the rush hour to get to Gatwick, something I really didn't want to do!

As we now had more hours free than we'd imagined we looked at booking a trip to Berlin in December around Christmas time. However, the internet was playing up badly and although I managed to book our flights, half way through the hotel booking the internet went down again. It was so frustrating!

Amidst all of this we also discovered that Mum and Dad's flight was even more delayed and now wouldn't arrive until past 9pm! This meant that we wouldn't get home until about midnight...arrgghh!

Eventually we booked our Berlin trip and Sophie and I walked Monty around the estate in the sunshine to calm down a bit as I was very annoyed. I was worried that the flight would be cancelled until the next day and I wouldn't be able to go to Gatwick as I was at the CAB on Wednesday.

We decided to go and fill the car up with diesel and visit Mum and Dad's house to turn lights on and make sure everything was OK, so we did that and then it was back home to wait around until it was time to go. The children still wanted their meatball and pasta supper so I made them that and as soon as they were finished we set off down the M1.

We had a fantastic journey down and made Gatwick in just under two hours. Mum and Dad's flight arrived at 9.20pm so we had time for a hot drink from Costa while we waited. Unfortunately the journey home wasn't as good as several lanes had been closed on the M25 and one section held us up for about half an hour which was very frustrating, especially as we were all very tired by now. We eventually dropped Mum and Dad off at 12.45am and by 1am we were all tucked up in bed and looking forward to some well-earned sleep!

Rainy Monday!

It has rained all day today so I was very glad we managed to get over to Mum and Dad's garden yesterday to cut the grass!

Keith and Sophie went for a walk this morning and did the nature reserve. I dropped them off at Pitsford and went home to give the whole house a clean and I also changed Sophie and Mike's beds. They finished their walk at just after 11am so I went back to collect them and them made them breakfast and a big pot of tea after they'd showered.

I carried on with the upstairs of the house and did a mammoth wash - the washing machine was still churning away in the evening! Mike wanted to go and see one of his mates so we dropped him off in Brixworth and then went off to the bank before heading to Aldi as we had run out of some essentials and I wanted to get Mum and Dad some basics for when they returned from their holiday.

We returned home and we were sitting enjoying a cup of tea in the conservatory when Monty sprayed all over my wine rack. I was absolutely furious with him and he's now banished from the house again which is a real shame. However, I can't risk him doing it again (he's already done it a couple of times since Archie died in February so it can't be because of territorial problems). His behaviour is sometimes very embarrassing as he sprays everywhere - on our neighbour's cars, against the walls of their house and if he follows us around the estate he sprays on bushes the whole way we go.

Sophie was understandably upset but I refuse to let him back in so from now on he'll stay in the garage where he can still be warm and cosy. Silly cat!

A hard slog!

This morning Sophie and Keith went off for a short walk while I had a lie-in. I had planned on going over to Mum and Dad's house to do their garden this morning as the weather for Monday was rainy and we really needed to get the grass cut before they come home on Tuesday.

We picked up Mike from Brixworth at 9am and then went straight to the house. It was a lovely, warm and sunny day and we worked hard for two hours. The grass in the back garden was really long and wet and as Keith was cutting it it looked terrible! However, he cut it again and we swept up all the grass that had gone all over the path. The front garden was much easier to do and Sophie and I weeded the border and made everything look neat and tidy.

After we'd finished we returned home and I gave my car a thorough wash, inside and out. It was filthy and looked more grey than black! Mike was meeting a friend at the cinema in town so Sophie and I drove him in and then treated ourselves to a McFlurry on the way home. We sat and ate our ice-creams in the car and marvelled at how busy the roads were! I can remember, years and years ago, when Sundays were the quietest day of the week! Not any more!

Back home I hoovered downstairs before Sophie and I sorted some jewellery to sell on Ebay. Sophie wanted to sell some necklaces she no no longer wore and she also had some clothes that she wants to get rid of as well.

Mike called to say he was getting the bus half way home so Keith and I trekked out again to get him. It was bliss to finally get home and relax with a glass of wine before a roast chicken dinner!

Another wet Saturday!

Today has been rainy and horrible, which seems to be the pattern for Saturdays lately! We took Sophie to work and I spent the rest of the day doing very little. Mike went over to a friend's house in the afternoon while Keith went off to see Sileby Rangers play.

At least the rain stopped in the afternoon but it was far too wet to get out into the garden. Normally I relish having the house to myself but I really missed my family once they'd all gone! Keith came back from his football match very happy as Sileby had won yet again. I think at the moment they're doing better than Newcastle!

After collecting Sophie from work we returned home to indulge in a glass of wine and Joanna Lumley's travelogue of Japan which is very interesting. After dinner we watched two episodes of the excellent "One of Us", a crime drama set in the Scottish Highlands. Sophie was hooked despite it being set in an area of the country she really doesn't like!

Thunder in the air...

We were all woken this morning at 6.45am by a terrific clap of thunder! Who needs an alarm clock? Outside it was pouring with rain and it continued like that for most of the morning.

The journey to college this morning was horrendous. It wasn't helped by the fact that we came across a learner driver  soon after leaving home and I swear it was her very first lesson as she crawled along extremely slowly in the murk and rain. There was a long line of cars all following her and as soon as we were able to, several of us overtook. Not a great move considering the weather! I fully appreciate that people need to learn to drive, and in all weathers, but 8am on a busy weekday morning? It's not fair on people who need to get to work or school!

We then encountered the usual traffic in Moulton and an extremely busy route back home, but at least this time we were going against the mass of cars! About ten minutes from home we came up against another huge irritation - two women riding horses side by side. The weather, if anything, had worsened and it was gloomy and dark. On a narrow stretch of road they still insisted on riding side by side and were completely oblivious to drivers trying to squeeze past. I had to follow them for quite a while as there was a steady stream of cars coming the other way. Who on earth wants to ride a horse in this weather, on busy roads, in the rush hour?

It seems nowadays that any mistake or thoughtless act can be excused by a casual wave of the hand. I've seen some terrible driving lately - really thoughtless and inconsiderate - but as long as the perpetrator waves their hand then that makes everything all right. "Oh, I'm sorry Officer, that I killed your child by my appalling driving...but I did wave my hand in apology!"

The newspapers at the moment are full of stories of people texting or using their phones at the wheel and having accidents, some of which have killed people. I really think it's about time that we put texting/using a phone or hand-held device on a par with drink driving, with stiff sentences to make people think twice about what they're doing and what they're capable of when they're not fully concentrating. It makes me so mad!

Anyway, rant over! The rain continued to fall all morning but we didn't hear any more huge claps of thunder. Keith and I used our free morning to sort out paperwork and do some jobs that we'd been putting off.

In the afternoon, after collecting Sophie from work and Mike from college I did manage to get out into our gravel garden for an hour and rake up loads of dead leaves that had gathered under the bushes. This whole area needs a good pruning and cutting back!

Autumnal mists

We had a very foggy, misty start to the day but the forecast said it would clear by the afternoon, bringing us the last hot day this week.

Keith was off to his last ever research session at the hospital and had bought his little coterie of women a box of chocolates each to thank them. He was sad it was coming to an end as he'd been looked after very well over the last two and a half years he'd been going, with regular check-ups and a lot of attention!

I half-heartedly started the shopping list and the menu for the week and took Sophie to work for 10.30am. The fog was clearing and by the time I arrived home it was sunny and warm. Keith arrived home half an hour after me and had been to buy four bottles of our favourite Pinot Gris from Aldi. Sophie and I were worried that they were discontinuing this line so Keith had been to get some more!

While I was waiting I'd finished the shopping list and had come up with meals for every day. I just hoped they would meet with everyone's approval! We sped off to Kettering and on the way called to check Mum and Dad's house. The plants looked lovely but the grass definitely needs cutting and the front garden is in need of weeding!

Keith and I did the Aldi shop together and then he went off to get his hair cut while I shopped in Tesco. We both met in the car park which was great timing and I just had time to get home, pack everything away and have a quick lunch before it was time to collect Sophie from work.

She had booked a hair cut for both of us for 3.30pm, which on reflection was the very worst time as both schools in Moulton were emptying out and the village was crammed with cars and school children! However, I managed to find a car park I never knew existed tucked away  down a quiet lane so we left the car there and walked the short distance to the salon.

Sophie had her locks chopped first and then it was turn to have a trim and it was great to sit and relax for a while! Afterwards we drove home and sat in the garden to soak up the sun. It's been another hot day but thunderstorms are forecast for this evening and tomorrow with weather warnings for heavy rain.

Keith and I sat out for a while and enjoyed a beer each. I'd bought a "Schwarz" beer from Aldi but it wasn't a patch on the Kostritzer I drink while in Berlin!

Hectic!

I was at the Citizens Advice Bureau today and facing a day on my own manning Reception. It was also Mike's first day at College and I followed Keith and him in the car. The traffic this morning was terrible, much worse even than last week and I can only assume it was down to the colleges starting back as well.

I still arrived in good time which was a relief and managed to buy myself a chocolate twist in Caffe Nero to have with a coffee that I'd bought in a flask. There was no question of me being able to go and make myself one!

It turned out to be a very hectic day with more customers before lunchtime than we had all day last week! Added to that the computers were playing up and it made my session a little bit stressful! We coped, though, and Gill and Priya saw forty clients between them! It meant that we were late going and on the way back to the car park I had to call into the office with the information from today which made me even later to pick Mike up at 4pm.

It's been another hot day with temperatures hovering around the 30c mark all afternoon. I collected Mike from college and he said he'd had a good day and had made some new friends. We called to get some diesel on the way home and I treated us both to an ice-cream. It was utter bliss to get home and sit in the garden with Keith and Sophie after my busy day!

Whilst getting the bins in Keith and I had a chat with Michelle and we gossiped about the new neighbour. He is a fitness instructor/personal trainer and has started running a business from the house he rents from Sarah and Liam. This is something that is definitely not allowed! While we were talking, another resident of the estate walked up to the house for a session with him and Michelle said she wasn't happy about people constantly walking and driving up what is their private driveway. I don't blame her! We also chatted to Sharon who lives opposite and she was annoyed as well. Oops!

Keith had very kindly been out and bought some wine for Sophie and I and we enjoyed a glass before dinner in the evening. Perfect!

An early start!

Today has been a very busy day and we had an early start as Sophie had a doctor's appointment at 7am! We arrived before the surgery even opened and it was a beautiful morning with the sun breaking through and a slight mist.

There was a lot more traffic on the way home as the rush hour had started and after going back out to take our daughter to work, Keith and I returned home where I finished my latest counselling assignment and completed my online Citizens Advice test. This time I scored 100% so I was much relieved!

Mike wanted to go out and buy a new bag for college so we headed off to Jones's but there was nothing there at all that was suitable for him. He did buy a new jotter though and I treated myself to a new garden implement that attaches to the weeding thing I bought the other week. I need a rake to deal with all the leaves in the gravel garden so it looked ideal to do the job.

As Mike still needed a bag I suggested Next so we drove there in 33c heat! We're having a late spell of hot weather at the moment which is due to last until Friday. Phew! Mike picked out a backpack in Next and also decided to treat himself to some new jeans, some new jogging bottoms and a white pair of trainers. He tried everything on and as we were waiting to pay the sales assistant said there were jobs going at the branch...it would be great if he managed to get a job there!

We went to collect Sophie from work and then drove over to Guilsborough as the doctor had left her a prescription at the pharmacy before thankfully going home and relaxing! I felt a wee bit weary in the evening, probably due to the very early start we'd had!

A day of indulgence!

Despite our walk yesterday we were out again today but we just took the route through the village and then out onto the single track road. We had to keep jumping onto the verge as people were off to work but it was still very pleasant and the weather was lovely.

We walked for 40 minutes, turned around and walked back home. My legs were aching a bit but it felt good to be out so early. Back home we all had showers and at midday Sophie and I went over to check Mum and Dad's house before going to the Weston Favell Centre as I had an eye health check appointment at Boots.

My eyes were thoroughly checked and everything was fine, which was great. My prescription had hardly changed so the optician said I wouldn't need to go back for two years! From the Weston Favell Centre Sophie and I drove to Farndon Fields Farm Shop where we indulged in a delicious lunch of sandwiches and chunky chips. Naughty, but very nice!

We were on the hunt for a heart for August (and September) for the conservatory and had a good look in Market Harborough. Sophie bought some clothes and a pair of shoes in New Look and from there we went to Accessorize where she bought a new backpack for uni. She needed it to be big enough to fit her laptop in and it looked perfect.

We eventually found a new heart in a gorgeous little shop selling things for the home. It had four birds on it, sitting in a tree, so was perfect! We now need four heart candle holders for the rest of the year - let's hope they're not too difficult to find!

Before going home Sophie treated me to an ice-cream sundae in Gallone's. It was very quiet with only a couple of mums treating their children to an after-school ice-cream. We sat and enjoyed our sundaes and then waddled off back to the car to drive home.

Feeling a bit guilty for over-indulging I strimmed the front verge and tidied the garden when we got home. Sophie sat on the step and kept me company and Monty wasn't far away either. Luckily he didn't run across the road in front of any cars!

A long walk in the woods...

We had planned on going for a nice long walk today and as the weather was as different to yesterday as you could possible get, i.e. warm, dry and sunny, we set off at 9am armed with a backpack full of sandwiches and bottles of water.

We set off over the fields and walked down to the nature reserve. It was a gorgeous morning with lots of sunshine and clear blue skies.

It was much cooler once we'd entered the woods and very quiet and still. We saw lots of squirrels and several pheasants but sadly, no deer at all.

Very soon we'd reached the fishing lodge at Pitsford and Sophie called into the building to use their facilities. There was a small shop open and a coffee machine which I didn't even know was there!

We walked along the busy causeway and felt glad we were tackling the nature reserve and not the main reservoir which looked very busy with cyclists, joggers and walkers.

View from the causeway over to the nature reserve

Back onto the reserve we saw a couple of birdwatchers who were hung about with cameras and tripods. Shortly after we entered the second half we stopped at a bench overlooking the water for a sandwich and a much needed drink of chilled water. Lovely!

Once we'd eaten our fill we carried on, feeling a little stiff and achy now! I sometimes wonder whether it's a good idea to stop or to just carry on! We went back into the cool, quiet woods and listened to the birdsong and the occasional clatter of a pheasant.

When we saw the farm at the bottom of the track we were very glad indeed! We just had to negotiate the stony hill and then we'd be back in the village and heading to the pub! By now it was very warm and I could see that Sophie's shoulders were turning a bit pink. We stormed our way up the hill, cold drinks dancing before our eyes! The thought of a cold lager kept us going!

Keith went in to get the drinks while Sophie and I found a seat in the garden. There seemed to be some sort of family celebration going on and three or four children were tearing about screaming and shouting. In hindsight we should have gone and sat at a bench under the tree but we stuck it out and despite the noise, enjoyed our pints of lager and crisps in the warm sunshine. We deserved them! We estimated the walk was about 9 miles so certainly longer than we normally do!

Getting up to walk home took some doing as we'd all stiffened up but we made it and after showers and baths relaxed for the rest of the afternoon. Keith and I went to get Mike and once we'd got home again Sophie and I spent a very enjoyable afternoon watching Bridget Jones's Diary and drinking tea!

No hygga today!

Today has been dismal, dull, wet and horrible! Sophie wasn't keen on working today but I said at least she would be busy!

It rained all day and after dropping her off at work Keith and I came home and pottered about. I gave the house a quick clean and we picked Mike up from Brixworth where he'd been staying with friends. He asked if he could go back later in the day to stay out again...he might as well do it when he can! College starts next week!

He brought a box of hot, fresh chips with him when he got into the car. They were too good to resist and we shared them on the journey home. Delicious!

After collecting Sophie from work we came home and my daughter and I played several games of cards in the conservatory while Keith watched the football. By now the rain had stopped and although it looked like we were going to see some blue skies, it clouded over again. Playing cards with Sophie and then having a delicious beef pie for dinner was the highlight of a very boring day!

A little easier!

I went to work with Sue this morning on another garden and what a difference! It was so much easier as the soil was lovely and there was no compost to cart about! Sue went to war with her hedge-trimmer while I tackled the beds and gave them a good weeding. It was a lovely sunny morning and it was great to be out and doing some work.

We finished just before midday so I was able to get some studying done in the afternoon. although I failed one CAB online test which was a bit disappointing! I think I did it a bit too quickly so hopefully the next time I attempt it I'll pass!

Sophie finished work later today and Mike went off to stay with a friend in Brixworth. Before we collected Sophie we popped to Mum and Dad's house where I was dismayed to see some of the hanging baskets looking a bit sorry for themselves! We gave them all a thorough watering and as rain is forecast for all day tomorrow I'm hoping they will recover before Mum and Dad return!

I felt really tired in the evening - it's been a hectic week and every day has been busy. Keith prepared a curry for dinner and after making sure it was bubbling away nicely, I had a nap for half an hour while Sophie watched an interesting programme on New York.

After picking up Keith from the pub and enjoying our curry, Sophie and I watched a programme about Vogue - I was fascinated by how nasty some of the people working on the magazine were...I'm glad it's not my world!

Autumnal beauty

Today has been a hectic day and it started with another walk, this time through part of the nature reserve. On the way over the fields we saw a fox which was a treat! He appeared on the path in front of us and then ran over the field towards a flock of sheep, before disappearing through a hedge. He looked beautiful with his busy tail and pricked up ears!

Naturally, as it was such a lovely morning I took some photos:

We walked down to the nature reserve and encountered a couple of panicky pheasants and Keith saw a deer disappearing into the woods. Of course, I was looking the other way and missed it but Sophie spotted its white tail.

It was quite a hard walk and I was glad to get home and have a shower before taking Sophie to work. Keith and I then went to do our shopping before coming home and having lunch, when it was time to go and pick her up again!

The day had turned warmer but in the afternoon it clouded over slightly which annoyed Sophie who was looking forward to coming home and sitting in the garden with a cold lager. I couldn't sit and enjoy myself without cutting the lawn and tidying everything up so I got the mower out and did some work for a couple of hours.

I feel like I've really neglected the garden this year and all my plants in pots were really dry where I hadn't watered them... I made amends and moved two conifers from the corner back onto the gravel as they looked really parched. I think our huge Eucalyptus tree takes all the moisture from this part of the garden and we really should think about cutting it down, it's so big!

As we thought the evening was going to be warm and sunny we'd decided to barbecue but although dry it was very windy. Before Keith lit the coals we played cards and the sun came out which warmed us up a bit. There is definitely an Autumnal nip in the air now and the sun sets at about 7.30pm. The long sunny evenings are now a distant memory!

Chats and nibbles

Keith had to take all responsibility for Mike this morning as well as get Sophie to work as I left to go to my Wednesday session at the Citizen's Advice Bureau at 8am. I had filled in all his paperwork last night and Keith had written out a cheque for £150 to cover trips and equipment he needs. Apparently in a couple of weeks they're off to the Sky studios!

It was another gorgeous morning and quite warm and muggy walking through town to get to the Guildhall. I stopped in Greggs to buy myself a coffee and drank it whilst waiting in the sunny courtyard. Frank was back today and we were very quiet right from the start. By 2pm it was obvious there was not going to be a rush so, with Frank's blessing, I left early to go and collect Sophie from work. As she had already told Maureen she had to work a bit later, she wasn't ready so I sat and had a cup of tea and chatted to Maureen.

From work we drove down to Riverside as Sophie wanted to go to Brantano to get herself a new pair of trainers. The shoes she's wearing at the moment for the walks are making her legs ache as they're not giving her enough support. It was great we chose today to go as there was a sale on and Sophie got 25% off her new trainers!

We headed home and I suggested to Keith that we go and visit Mum and Dad's house before popping to Tesco where I had to buy nibbles for the evening. Sue was coming around for a drink and a bite to eat and our plans for Toad-in-the Hole were put on hold.

After inspecting the garden and finding that the plants all looked fine we drove to Tesco where I bought some nibbles for the evening and two curries for the children. No doubt they will nick some of our food as well!

Sue came around at 7pm and we had a good chat and a laugh about the goings on on our estate at the moment. We have a couple of new neighbours who are very interesting so it was great to have a gossip! We are all so nosy!

Getting sorted!

Sophie, Keith and I went for an early morning walk today and it felt lovely (even if I did feel a wee bit guilty) to see people rushing on their way to work while we were out enjoying the Autumnal sunshine.

We walked into the village and then down the track to the nature reserve before turning back and walking the same way home. It was a gorgeous morning and it was lovely to be out and about in the fresh air.

Sophie was back at work today so we took her in and then it was home to try and do some work on my counselling course. When we went back to collect Sophie she was really upset as she was told that the pay rise she'll get for working as assistant cook on a Saturday will now no longer be given to her, even though she was promised it. She was in tears all the way home and I said she could ring ACAS who could advise her if she could take it further. She was so angry about it as she'd only changed her day from Sunday to Saturday to get the higher wage, which is vital once she starts back at university in October.

She called ACAS who said she had a good case but Keith and I suggested that before she do anything she talk to her manager at work. Having a good rant about it calmed her down a bit and I just hope she manages to get it sorted out.

Mike had an appointment at the college at 5pm so Keith and I went with him. We left early as we weren't sure where to go and arrived in good time. I was very impressed with the college as it's almost brand new and very modern. The last time I was here was when I did an evening class in wine when Sophie was a baby and it's certainly changed since then! I couldn't help comparing it to the run-down and shabby school that Mike has just left and didn't feel so bad about him not going to sixth form!

We went over to a large hall where people were waiting to see tutors running the different courses and we initially waited in the A level queue. When it was our turn we had a chat with one of the tutors who suggested that instead of doing A Levels, Mike do a BTEC in Journalism and Public Relations as he was keen on writing and photography. We were introduced to the tutor who was a lovely lady called Hannah and Mike seemed really enthusiastic.

It was a huge relief to get him sorted and he needs to go back in tomorrow morning for an induction session. I was so impressed with the facilities and the courses on offer and wished it was me who was starting!

Back to school...not!

I realised this morning that today was the first time in 16 years that we didn't have a child attending school. It felt quite sad, to be honest, and although I certainly don't miss the traffic and the rushing about in the mornings, it was a strange feeling to have no connections to the school at all.

Sophie doesn't start back at uni until the 3rd of October and Keith is officially retired so it was just Mike and me who need to sort out what we're going to do! I've had this feeling before (notably when I first stopped working) that I'm not really "tethered" to anything, that I have no commitments and I'm just sort of "floating about" It's hard to explain! Luckily I now have the volunteering position at the CAB and the gardening work with Sue so it's not as bad as it could be! I do need to think about earning an income soon, though! Mike has an appointment at the college tomorrow evening and the new term starts next Monday so we're all hoping he will be starting then.

Yesterday I read an interesting article on a Danish phenomenon called "hygge" and it was in the newspaper again today. Hygge is a feeling of happiness and being appreciative of the moment and involves lots of cosiness, happiness, being with friends and really enjoying the present. I realised we'd been doing it for years, without really knowing what it was! Examples are:

Watching bats in the evening
Sitting in the garden with a glass of wine and just chatting
Curling up on the sofa to watch a good film
Going for a lovely walk on a Spring or Autumnal day
Walking in the snow
Coffee with good friends
Baking cakes for family
Making bread
Walking Monty around the estate and going to see the horses
Playing cards in the evening before dinner

While I can, I'm going to appreciate the freedom I currently have! I don't know when it will come to an end!

Despite "hygge" Keith and I had a stressful morning sorting out the en-suite. I had decorated as much of the wall and the ceiling as I could and had asked Keith to help me with the corner above the shower enclosure. He started painting and first of all noticed that it hadn't been sealed behind the splash panel at the very top.

Somehow he then noticed that the connection for the shower head was loose and when he attempted to tighten it up, realised that it wasn't screwed to the shower panel properly. This then involved discovering that the connection was on upside down and that he needed to fit a rawlplug into the hole to keep the screw secure.

He had to drill the shower panel which caused a lot of worry as it could easily have cracked. Finally he managed to secure it properly but then he noticed that there was a leak in the small connection of the shower head where it joined the main shower pipe...

Keith was appalled at the bad workmanship (especially the upside down bracket) and called Triton to report the leak. They said that someone would come out next week to have a look. Is this bathroom nightmare ever going to end?

Thankfully we managed to get the rest of the wall and ceiling done and it looks lovely. I had initially had doubts about the colour but it looks so much fresher and cleaner!

After our stressful morning Sophie and I went off to Beckworth in the afternoon and treated ourselves to a cup of tea and a slice of cake. It was blissfully quiet and although we looked around the plants I didn't buy anything. We looked in vain for a candle for the conservatory but didn't see anything suitable. We now need one for August and one for September!

As another treat I bought a Scotch egg and we went to Mum and Dad's house to eat it! We had to bring the bins in anyway and we felt very naughty scoffing a delicious Scotch egg in their kitchen. We excused the naughtiness by saying it was "hygge"!!

Making friends with cows.

I was awake at 6am this morning because I had a headache (straining neck muscles yesterday painting the bloomin' ceiling) so I got up, took some tablets, fed the cat and went back to bed. At 7am I could hear Sophie and Keith downstairs and realised they were just about to go on an early morning walk, so I shouted down to them to wait for me and we all went!

As it had rained all day yesterday, Keith suggested going along the single track road out of the village and turning around after about half an hour, giving us an hour's walk. It was a sparklingly beautiful morning with the sky looking like it had been washed clean after the downpours of the day before. We walked to the village and then took the single track road, noticing the tents in the field by the village hall where the "Groove on the Green" revellers had been camped.

As the traffic was almost non-existent, we decided to carry on rather than turn back and walked the loop back home. On the way we spotted a field of cows and went to say hello. They were very friendly and they all crowded around the gate to see us. One of them even managed to lick my hand!

I've never known cows to be so friendly and inquisitive before and you could definitely tell who the boss cow was! She was very big and did quite a bit of mooing!

We continued on our way and just as I pointed out a plant that looked very much like Marijuana, a jogger ran past and laughed. Trust me! We arrived home at about 8am and the first priority was hot coffee and breakfast before showering. We then went over to Mum and Dad's house before heading for B&M in Kettering where I bought a roller tray and brushes, an extendable pole for doing over the shower enclosure and some bird food.

We popped into Aldi to get some wine and the newspaper and then it was off to the tip in Brixworth to take the old floor from the en-suite and the cracked shower panel. Mike called us as we drove so we collected him from the library - good timing for once!

Back home I made sandwiches and a big pot of tea before carrying on with the decorating using the emulsion roller. I have to admit it's a lot quicker using that rather than the brush and by 2pm I'd put on a second coat, leaving only a small patch above the shower which Keith and I will tackle tomorrow!

A spot of painting

Sophie has now switched to working on a Saturday instead of Sunday so we took her into work, came home, had breakfast and I made a start on painting our en-suite. I really don't like decorating but it was way overdue to be done so I just got on with it.

The walls definitely needed two coats and I managed to get the first coat on before hoovering the house and sorting out the new shelving unit that we bought yesterday. The idea was to put some DVDs on there as well as a couple of our Lladro figurines and I did manage to get two of the smaller ones on there. I was pleased with how it looks and it fills up a corner of our living room nicely.

Keith had gone to watch a football match in the afternoon and had given Mike a lift to Brixworth so I was all on my own which was a bonus! Outside the weather was horrendous with constant rain and wind so it was nice to stay in the house for a change and not have to worry about being out in it! Unfortunately the annual "Groove on the Green" music and beer festival was taking place today in Walgrave so that was a bit of a disappointment for those who went.

After tidying up the house I went and had a lovely hot, deep bath and then relaxed in front of the TV until Keith arrived home, looking a bit dishevelled because of the weather and saying the game had been terrible! At least it wasn't his team, Sileby!

A day off!

Today felt like a bit of a holiday as Sophie had the day off work and we had planned on going to Ikea in Milton Keynes to buy some stuff for the en-suite.

Keith and Sophie were up early and went for a walk over the fields where they saw a baby deer and its mother. If I'd been with them they would have seen nothing! We left at 10am and headed over to the Weston Favell Centre as I needed to go to the bank and we both had to pop into Boots. While I was in there buying a new pot of moisturiser I decided to redeem my points so it cost me nothing!

We also treated ourselves to a mid-morning coffee break in Costa and again, I had enough points on my card so our two Flat Whites, Sophie's crumpets and my blueberry muffin were free! Yippee! After filling up with diesel (not free) we drove over to Milton Keynes and decided to shop before we hit the cafe. The store was busy with families shopping but it was still enjoyable as the place is so huge! We spotted some funny hats and Sophie tried one on...

I'm not sure what the idea of it was as it resembled a snail's shell, but if it's what you fancy...!

We also bought some new glasses, a carrier bag holder (we seem to have hundreds of the things stuffed everywhere and this was a neat solution), a new shelving unit for our DVDs, a mirror, a waste bin and a new laundry bin for the en-suite. I was very pleased with our purchases and I'm determined to paint the walls this weekend so Keith can put the mirror up early next week. I've been putting it off for too long!

After we'd packed everything away in the car we had some lunch (meatballs) and then treated ourselves to dessert from the fast food area. Sophie had an ice-cream cone while I had frozen yoghurt and very good it was too!

On the way home I decided (like the lunatic that I am) to call into Tesco to buy the ingredients for a Florida Skies cocktail as eleven months today (God willing!) we will be flying to Florida! We bought a bottle of white Rum, some limes, pineapple juice and ice and then headed off to Hobbycraft as I wanted to look at candle making stuff. I should have read the ominous signs as I couldn't find my way into the car park and ended up in a very dodgy area of Northampton where I stopped to move our Ikea purchases about as they were jangling in a very irritating manner in the boot!

Hobbycraft made sure that the small selection of waxes and other candle-making paraphernalia were well hidden and after searching high and low for the stuff we decided to give up and go home where I could order it all online. Keith eyed the stuff from Ikea with a suspicious eye as he is the one that has to set it all up!

It all becomes too much...

Sue and I were back at the large garden near Market Harborough again today and I really wasn't looking forward to going. Sue said she would pick me up at 12.30pm and I was hoping that the temperatures would be a bit cooler and the sun wouldn't be so fierce. Alas, I was disappointed.

I followed Sue in my car as I did hope that after we'd finished working I could go and collect Sophie. However, after I texted her she said she wouldn't be at work that long as they were quiet due to the lovely weather. Lovely weather, yes, but not for gardening!

We made a start on the leaves and weeds under the hedge that Paul trimmed last week and then we moved over to the other border and I started to wheelbarrow compost up the garden to add to the soil. The lady that owns the house had asked us not to use the top compost heap but to use the one that was almost rock solid...and very smelly!

It was very hard work and trying to actually dig out the compost was horrible. We spread a load on the soil and I carried on weeding while Sue edged the lawn and also carted a wheelbarrow up. There was a young man cutting the lawn and he looked like he was having the time of his life whizzing backwards and forwards on the ride-on mower while we slaved away in the borders! To make matters worse there had been a small dispute over whether she had paid us for today (no) and she hadn't left us a cheque for our work which was a bit annoying. I certainly wasn't doing this for the love of it!

I always said when I sold the business that I would not (definitely not) do something I hated for a job. Half way through the ordeal of doing this horrible garden it all became too much and I just felt I couldn't physically carry on any more. I don't know whether it was the heat, the fact that I gave blood yesterday evening or what, but I just couldn't continue. The thought of spending another two hours slaving away in the garden with the soil like rock and bending over in the heat to pull up weeds was just awful. The owner had asked Sue to pull up more of the Alchemilla mollis and we had both had a go at trying to get it out of the hard soil but it was almost impossible.

I felt like bursting into tears and said to Sue that I was going to stop and go home. She was surprised but sympathised with me and we both agreed that the garden needed at least one man to work on it for all the heavy and back-breaking jobs.

I called Keith who was also surprised as he knows that I rarely give up on something and I absolutely hate letting people down. I wish now I had been to see the garden with Sue before we took it on as I would have had doubts about it being within our capability. Sue had admitted it was the worst garden she had been to, purely because of the hard soil and the amount of plants that the woman wanted pulling up. I gathered up my stuff and drove home where I had a blissfully cool shower and tried to explain to Keith just what the garden was like and what it entailed.

We went to pick up Sophie and Mike and when we got back Sue had left me a note with some dates she wanted me to work, but not on that garden! Later in the evening she sent me a text to say that after next week she was going to give it up as it was much too hard work so I felt a bit better and not such a wimp!