Frantic Friday!

It's been another hectic day and my poor car is certainly clocking up the miles! Sophie took the day off today as she had a whole day of free periods so she stayed with me to help and be a moral support! We had a problem first thing as the deadbolt that I'd put on last night was stuck and we couldn't open the back door, which we use almost constantly. It really annoyed me that I couldn't get it to open but there was nothing I could do before work so I was forced to leave it and hope that I'd find a solution later in the day.

Sophie and I went to Booker (in dad's car, thank goodness!) and we were met by the Manager who gave us a box of chocolates as a thank you for being a customer! Nice touch! We bought some more things for the weekend, tasted a sample of beefburgers and returned to work where it was busy with customers.

At 1.30pm Sophie and I left for the day and went to visit Keith in hospital. He was still on the assessment ward but was pretty cheerful considering he was incarcerated! We didn't stay long as we had to be home for Mikey and on the way back to our house we called into work to pick up my Tassimo order. At least I can have good coffee and hot chocolate over the weekend!

At home I tried my hardest to sort out the lock on the door but it wouldn't budge. The weather today has been truly and utterly horrible with strong, cold winds and a driving rain. The locked door means we have to go out through the conservatory, not too bad, but it's still inconvenient, especially when the weather is so nasty!

At just after 5pm I ventured out into the rain and wind to visit Keith again. The traffic was horrendous and to say I felt miserable is an understatement! However, when I got to the hospital Keith was in good spirits and was laughing and joking with one of the nurses so that made me feel better. I would have hated him to be miserable and fed up. He told me to leave the door as he would sort it out when he got home!

I stayed until almost 8pm and then battled my way back home in the gloom. I'm just glad it wasn't snowing! As soon as I got home I prepared dinner (fishfingers for all of us with mashed potato) and then had a well-earned rest in front of the TV!

Affairs of the heart

This morning Keith and I were up very early as he had an appointment for a stress test at the hospital. Over the last month, he's been having chest pains again and he wasn't really sure if it was his heart as he's had a bad cold and cough. I dropped him off at the hospital at 7.30am and then returned home to collect the children (and my mum who wanted a lift in) and do the normal school run.

At 9am Keith called me to say that he had to see the heart surgeon and they wouldn't allow him home until he'd had an angiogram, which could be a long wait. I went home, collected some bits for him and drove to the hospital to find him waiting in the corridor without anything to read or eat. By now it was almost lunchtime so I bought him a sandwich and a cup of tea and waited with him until he was taken to a small room where at least he could watch the television. I hated leaving him there, but I needed to get back to work and buy something for dinner as that was to be one of his jobs today!

I hadn't been in the office long before I received a call from school - it was Mikey saying his trousers had ripped and could I go and get him another pair? Cursing like mad, I drove all the way home, delivered the trousers and then went back to work to grab a quick sandwich before it was time to go and pick Sophie up from school. I then went back home to wait for Mikey who took the bus home. Phew!

In the evening I prepared dinner, gave Sophie instructions so she could start it off for me, and went back to the hospital to find that Keith had been put on an assessment ward. I had a feeling that he was going to be in all weekend as there'd been no mention of the angiogram and once the hospital get you in their clutches, there's no escape!

We chatted about what had happened and I left at 8pm to go home and finish off the dinner. The children had been brilliant and by 8.30pm we were sitting down to meatballs, pasta and garlic doughballs! I had a large glass of red wine and hoped fervently that my husband would be home for the weekend!

The interminable grey!

Today has been horrible - unrelenting grey skies and rain and not really a lot to write about. I had a stressed journey into work with the traffic and stupid drivers and Booker delivered when the rain was at its worst and it was blowing a gale!

After work Sophie and I went off to the gym but neither of us felt particularly into it tonight so we had a short session and went home via the garage to fill up with diesel and a shop to buy Mango Chutney that Keith had forgotten to buy earlier in the day!

Oh, the irony!

This morning didn't get off to a good start at all, unlike yesterday. To begin with I had no toast to enjoy and the weather was really horrible. Sophie was in a foul mood and kept Mikey and I waiting while she fiddled with her hair, and then moaned because it was going to get wet in the torrential (and I mean torrential) rain. Driving to school and work was like going out at dusk, it was so dark and gloomy!

I had a busy day and spent most of my time sorting out paperwork and throwing out letters and invoices, some of which were dated 2002! Where have all the years gone! Also, I can hardly believe it will be February on Saturday!

It was bliss to get home at a reasonable hour and sit and watch Neighbours...which reminds me, we still haven't see our new ones. Keith did speak to the man on Friday afternoon to say hello but that's it. I haven't set eyes on either of them and I don't think we're going to be on as friendly terms with them as we are with Sarah and Liam and Paul and Sue. I did have a feeling before they moved in that they would keep themselves to themselves and my prediction is proving very correct.

I'm not for one minute expecting to be bosom buddies with them, but at the moment I get the feeling that they are purposely avoiding us. I could be wrong (it's been known to happen) but if that's the case then I'd be very disappointed as it's always lovely to meet new people and welcome them to the neighbourhood. As I said, our houses are very close, we share a driveway and we need to be able to get on and be, at the very least, civil.

I did laugh while watching Neighbours (it's the only soap I watch and I've stuck with it ever since it first started despite some very dodgy storylines!) as new neighbours have appeared in the series. Somebody saw movement in a house that is up for rent but no-one has been seen so naturally everyone is curious as to who it is and speculation is rife!

Anyway, on the bright side at least I won't have to look after a Gecko this summer!

Clear out!

My Monday morning got off to a good start when I made myself some toast from the bread I made yesterday. There's something very satisfying from eating bread you've made yourself - taking a heap of dry ingredients and seeing them turn into a lovely wholemeal loaf. I took the rest of the bread into work to make sandwiches for all of us so that saved us money as well!

We cleared out one of our storerooms today and threw a lot of old stuff away that we'd been keeping. We're very good at this, I have to admit. Things that have stopped working or "could come in useful" are stored in a large cupboard and there was so much stuff in there that there was a risk they'd fall off the shelves! I found a big box of papers that were out of date so I'll be doing a lot of shredding in the next couple of days. It felt good to clear everything out though and the cupboard was very tidy when we'd finished...it'll stay that way until the staff go back in there and start rummaging around!

It was off to the gym after work and I did 30 minutes exercise on the treadmill and the bike, but I didn't do any weights as I was a little worried that I'd feel light-headed again. However, I felt fine after the exercise and we even managed to have a short swim before relaxing in the spa. On Wednesday it'll be back to normal with a double set of weights to make up for not doing it today!

Birthday boy!

This morning, in an attempt to make up for last night's dismal dinner, I cooked a family breakfast to celebrate Mikey's 14th Birthday. The day was shaping up to be a truly horrible one with strong winds and a cold, driving rain. The sort of Sunday I truly hate!

After we took Sophie into work Keith and I popped into Booker to buy some chicken for dinner and on the way we called into our new rival's play centre on Riverside. As all parking on the approach roads has now been stopped I wanted to see what they were doing, which was not a lot. There was a man in a fluorescent yellow jacket talking to a couple of drivers but it was obvious that their car park was full and we saw several cars leave. No wonder we've been so busy over the last couple of weekends! Their customers look like they're coming to us instead!

Mum and dad came over to see Mikey in the afternoon and we shared a cake (not baked by me!), most of which was eaten by the Birthday boy! Although he has lost a fair bit of weight lately, his love for chocolate has not diminished!

P.S...I still haven't seen the neighbours.

Dinner disaster!

Today has been very busy and despite Keith and I being in and out (almost constantly it seemed!) we have not seen our new neighbours. I had just had a shower when Sue popped over to, ahem, lend me a book on bread making, but we all know she really came over to see if we had any gossip, bless her! I couldn't give her any! Bailey ate all the cat food, we had a quick chat and then I carried on getting ready to go to Meerkat Harborough with Sophie.

I thought today was mild but we received a shock when we got out of the car and walked into the town! Market Harborough is always windy but today it was really blustery and it was a relief to go into Caffe Nero and have a drink and a cake. Afterwards, while Sophie made her usual visit to New Look I went into Tesco to buy a Birthday cake for Mikey (he'll be 14 tomorrow) and to get some flour as I intend to bake some bread this weekend.

The main point of coming to the town today was to go and see Duncan who was hosting a Burns Night whisky tasting. He had said on Facebook that if you turned up wearing something tartan then you'd get a bigger measure! We obviously made for the Edinburgh Woollen Mill where I managed to bag a Campbell tartan scarf that actually went well with the top I was wearing!

I thought the shop would be busy with people sampling some fine Scottish whiskies but it was pleasantly quiet and we spent a very agreeable half hour tasting (despite the tartan I asked for a small measure as I was driving) and chatting to Duncan and Nick. Duncan had entered into the spirit of things by wearing a kilt and he looked great!

Duncan!

I bought a bottle of Highland Park whisky from Orkney with my Birthday money. Of the three I tried it was the most delicious being slightly peaty and sweet. Strangely enough, I'm now a convert to having a tiny drop of water added to it. The water really brings out the aromas and softens the taste. I also treated myself to one of Duncan's gorgeous red wines, the Chateau du Donjon which is a whopping 14.5% alcohol!

We popped back to the car with our purchases and then walked over to the Joules shop as I wanted another bottle of body wash (Sue had bought me one and I love the fragrance and frothy bubbles) but the shop was closed for refurbishment. Deciding to call it a day we drove home (via Waitrose and Draughton) and I'm glad we did as about twenty minutes after we arrived we had the most violent thunderstorm with torrential rain, hail and strong winds. We saw flashes of lightening and heard booms of thunder which was really strange as I don't think I've ever witnessed a storm like that in winter.

This morning Keith had had a bet using £20 worth of vouchers that Mum and Dad had given him for Christmas. He'd managed to turn the £20 into just over £50 so he was very pleased! We popped over to the shop to claim the money and we were amazed to see trees down just outside Walgrave. There was debris all over the road and a man was cutting the branches up. I'm just glad we weren't driving in the storm! To compensate though, there was the most beautiful sunset and the sky was a mixture of peaches, greys and pinks. I couldn't capture any of it on my camera, though, as I was driving!

In the evening we'd planned on going to the Toby Carvery in Northampton to celebrate Mikey's Birthday (his decision, no idea why) but I hadn't booked a table as I thought that we'd just be able to walk in and be seated, even if it meant waiting a little while. However, when we arrived the place looked very busy and we were told (eventually) by a very harried front of house man that there was a thirty minute wait and after that he couldn't guarantee that he'd have any beef or turkey left! What! This is a carvery, for heaven's sake!

We would have been more than happy to wait half an hour but to be told there'd be no meat was ridiculous so we left and drove to the Oriental Paradise in Billing. This restaurant was heaving as well and they had no tables at all. I was beginning to feel very guilty now as I knew I should have booked a table at the Carvery but Mikey didn't seem to mind that his evening was in danger of being ruined. We made one last attempt at dining out by driving to Buddies near Junction 15 of the M1 but they were packed with people so we sat in the services and rang Lee's Express in Brixworth for a Chinese takeaway! Not really what we had planned but Mikey seemed quite happy!

By the time we got back to Brixworth I'd been driving for an hour and I was longing to get home and have something to eat and drink. We'd never been to the actual premises before - they're on an industrial estate on the outskirts of the village - and were amazed to see a long convoy of gritter lorries from the nearby depot making their way out into the night. Maybe it was a good thing we were headed home!

Neighbourhood watch

I'll be the first to admit I'm a very nosy person! Judging by all the activity next door and the removals van which arrived early this morning, we were due to have new neighbours by the end of the day! I told Keith to be on the lookout and report back to me with any news; it's a good job we don't have net curtains as they would be constantly twitching!

We'll be sad to see Tim and Gill depart as they've been great neighbours over the years (Gill was pregnant with their daughter when they arrived and she'll be 11 in April) and as our houses are close together, it's vital we get on with the new people, especially as I regularly trespass on their land when I park the car! Our back doors face each other so we'll more than likely be seeing each other on a frequent basis.

For us, getting on with our neighbours is of huge importance and we're extremely lucky to not only be on speaking terms with them, but on sociable terms as well, which is a great bonus. It's something that would definitely keep me from moving from this area as the thought of buying a house next door to someone who is a nightmare fills me with absolute dread.

Maybe all the excitement of having someone new next door affected me more than I thought as my session at the gym was not a successful one! I felt great but after doing my exercises on the leg press I stood up and felt a bit light-headed. I went to look out of the big window next to the machine and nearly fell over so I said to Sophie that I'd better sit down...and quick! Luckily there was a very low bench nearby used for stepping exercises so I sat on that and tried to stop myself from passing out. I still had my heart rate monitor on and was alarmed to see my heart rate increase, which had the effect of panicking me even more!

Sophie was a bit concerned about me but the one thing I was worried about was a member of staff coming over to see if I was OK and whisking me off to hospital! I stood up to make my way over to the cardio machines but my heart rate shot up to over 130 so I decided to go back to the changing room and sit down for a wee while.

Looking back I think it was having a fairly big lunch too late in the day (I ate at 2pm) and then getting up from doing strenuous exercise while my blood was probably still trying to digest the meal. This happened to my Dad once when he passed out in our cloakroom at home after having a big dinner. Sophie and I decided to call it a day and go home which was really annoying but I think I made the right decision! I will make an effort to eat early from now on and just have a light sandwich!

Back home I relaxed in our bedroom with Keith and watched Pointless and felt much better. I drove him to the pub and then did very little except prepare dinner. The rain has been torrential this evening and as I write I'm listening to the news with more dire warnings about flooding. Now where did I put that Ark?

Sad news

Keith called me at work this afternoon with some sad news - his niece, who is only a few years older than me, died this morning after a long illness. I first met Janet when Keith and I started going out 26 years ago and she was a real character. She'd just returned from a trip to the US and had a twang to her strong North-East accent! I'm not sure it was real or part of Janet's image but we always got on well over the years and she was a lovely person.

Keith's two nephews run a very successful Plant Hire business which Keith's brother-in-law started years ago and Janet worked with them. At some point when she was much younger she was exposed to asbestos and she's been battling cancer for most of her life. Despite several trips to the US to have treatment it's finally claimed her life and although we knew she was ill, it was a huge shock nonetheless.

It just brings it home to me how precious life is and how it's so important to make the most of every day, even though sometimes life can be stressful and difficult. Who knows what's around the corner?

Getting up a sweat!

Today I felt like I've been chained to my desk, in between printing out yet more photos (good job I have a benevolent employer!) and working my way through various office chores.

Sophie and I were more than ready for the gym after work (it's been a while!) and we both worked hard, doing the full stint on the cross-trainer, the treadmill and the bike. It doesn't seem quite so manically busy now, probably because a lot of New Year's resolutions have worn off! We enjoyed a lovely session in the spa afterwards and a hot shower before we braved the cold conditions outside.

I met Liam in the car park and we had a chat about wine and beer...I have been trying to give up in the week again but the white wines I bought for last Saturday were delicious so I've had to sample them...just for future reference you understand!

Digging deeper.

Today I've been printing off more photos, in between doing my own work! I shall be very glad when all this printing is over!

It was freezing cold this morning with a thick fog so driving conditions weren't ideal. I have to say, though, that the trees did look beautiful outlined against the fog. I wish I'd had time to take some photos before the day cleared to blue skies and sunshine.

After work Sophie and I went over to Timpson's and we picked five photos to have printed in A3. The lady in the shop is always very helpful and seems to manage the place all on her own. When we arrived there were two families having passport photos taken and she was coping with everyone really well. I'd have been flapping like mad!

When I arrived home a CD had been delivered of Parish records from several villages in Kent. It meant I could fill in some of the gaps in my family tree and go back a little further to my 6x Great Grandparents who lived in the village of Smarden, somewhere I've never heard of! It really does feel strange sometimes, looking at the names of the people who were vital to my being here at the present day. I really wish I could time-travel and meet them - I'd have so many questions!

Monday morning blues...

I have this theory that if you have a lovely time, you end up paying for it sooner or later. I thoroughly enjoyed my three days off work but came in this morning to a whole host of problems that swiftly wiped out my good mood!

It took us all morning to sort out the takings from the weekend with receipts missing and a note from our receptionist to say that one party had gone home without paying. We really shouldn't have to deal with niggling little problems like that as our procedures are very straightforward and simple!

I did manage to get away with not doing a lot of cleaning though as by the time we'd sorted out the money and I'd sent off our Booker order it was lunchtime and then I had to go and get some urgent things we needed for first thing in the morning. By the time I got back to work and had a cup of tea with Mum it was time to pick Sophie up from school.

We never got to the gym tonight, despite our best intentions (I wanted to try and go for a swim at 6pm) as we had to sort all her photos out for the exam this week. The deadline is Thursday and as I write I'm still at work listening to the printer churning out photographs!

I'm looking forward very much to getting home, having a glass of white wine and enjoying the roast chicken dinner we should have had last night!

Sophie at my desk with a photo of Keith taken in Berlin

Recovering!

I awoke this morning at almost 9am feeling a wee bit groggy, but better than I expected after last night's debauchery! Seeing as I'd drunk a glass of Cava, several (lost count) glasses of red wine, almost a third of a bottle of Port and a Kahlua liqueur, I think I managed to get away with it! I wasn't tempted to have a sip of my Jura whisky that Keith was passing around so maybe that was my saving grace!

Today was spent doing very little but I did pick Sophie up from work early as she had a desperate need to go to Boots to get some more make-up after she smashed her face powder. After we'd bought what she wanted we had a quick coffee in Costa which was very pleasant and made a nice end to the day.

Back home we wrestled with Sophie's photographs that she needed to print off for her exam. Some of them worked out OK and then the printer started playing up and the brand new colour ink I put in, ran out. We gave up and I said we would do them at work tomorrow as it was getting late and tempers were starting to fray.

We had planned on having roast chicken for dinner but Keith and I had finished off the leftover chicken dish from last night at lunchtime so neither of us were hungry! We enjoyed the cheese and biscuits instead (I finished the Port) and then watched the two recorded episodes of The Bridge from last night. They were brilliant as ever!

Entertaining

I love having friends over for dinner and I really enjoyed all the preparation today. Keith made his delicious tomato soup first thing while I made two loaves of bread to go with it - a wholemeal and a white loaf. I then set the table (it was a tight squeeze with all the glasses and plates!) and cleaned the conservatory before shutting it up.

I cleaned the rest of the downstairs and then Sophie and I headed to Jones's as she needed ink and paper for the printer as she had loads of photos to print off for her forthcoming photography exam. The plan was to go home and spend the afternoon printing them all off, but she had a few problems so she may have to finish them off at school or use Timpson's as we've done before. To be honest I wasn't a lot of help to her as I was busy preparing the vegetables, chopping fruit for the Pavlova and making the meringue, but I'm sure we'll get it all sorted next week.

We'd promised to take the children to get a KFC meal and luckily I had a quick look at the recipe for my main course - chicken and chorizo tray bake...the only problem was that I'd forgotten to buy any chorizo! Luckily Tesco's is right next door to KFC so we dashed into the deli counter, bought the spicy sausage and then headed off to feed the hungry wee ones!

Back at home I had a lovely bath and then asked Sophie to work her magic with my hair and make-up before going downstairs and finishing off the preparations for dinner. I only had one more hitch...the large casserole dish would only fit in the very bottom of the oven so I had to put it on a lot earlier than I'd anticipated otherwise we'd have been waiting a very long time for the main event!

We had a really lovely evening with Sarah and Liam and Sue and Paul and I think the food went down very well. Nothing disastrous happened and we went through quite a few bottles of wine (including the magnum of Redwood Creek that we brought home from Florida) and the lovely Longhorn Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from California. Keith's tomato soup was a big hit and everyone liked my chicken dish which was fine after it had been in the oven for an hour and a half!

Sophie was tremendously helpful and made sure all the washing up was done for me which was great. I would have had much more work if it wasn't for her! We finished with my fruity Pavlova followed by cheese and biscuits and Port and then I took orders for coffee and hot chocolate while my friends relaxed on the sofas.

It was 1.30am by the time they left which was great as I hoped they all felt relaxed and comfortable. I stayed up for another half an hour to wash up and then it was off to bed, and thankfully I didn't feel too tipsy!

Preparation!

I took today off work as we have friends coming over for dinner tomorrow and I wanted to go shopping with Keith, buy all the food we needed and get everything ready so that I wouldn't have too much to do on the day.

We dropped the children off at school and drove over to Tesco's in Kettering, which was beautifully quiet. I took my own trolley and spent a very pleasant hour choosing cheeses and wines and buying all my vegetables and fruit. I love having time to choose things properly and while Keith bought all the stuff for home I filled a trolley with lots of goodies.

Back at home we put everything away and then I sorted out all my glasses, cutlery and crockery. This was a good thing as I discovered I only had five soup spoons so I decided to use a cutlery set that my Nan had left me and has proved to very useful in the past!

I was expecting a delivery from M&S so we dashed back to Kettering to pick it up and then it was almost time to pick Sophie up from school. Time has certainly flown past quickly today!

The plan was to go to the gym early but Sophie wasn't really in the mood and I was quite happy to go home and do very little for the rest of the evening. I have a feeling that tomorrow will be a late night!

Glad to get home!

Today's been a long one at work as I stayed behind with Sophie as she was looking after a party for us. The party was for 32 children so I ended up helping Sophie clear the room and wash up. I was going to head home but I'm so glad I stayed despite it being a bit manic and noisy!

So it was utter bliss to get home at about 6.30pm and relax while Keith cooked dinner. There's no better place after a busy day and it was lovely to light a candle and sit and watch TV with a drink!

Birthday celebrations!

Today was my Birthday and I've had a lovely time, despite having to go to work!

I opened my cards and a present from Keith and the children (Jura Malt Whisky) before leaving the house and was delighted with two beautiful bunches of flowers that Sophie arranged for me. It was a miserable grey day, but the weather certainly didn't affect my mood!

We had a group in at work so most of the morning I was busy but Mum and Dad popped in to see me with a card and chocolates and just as they left I had a delivery of flowers from Mum which was lovely. I do love having a Florist deliver a bouquet - makes me feel very special indeed! All through the day I received some lovely Birthday wishes on Facebook, which again made me feel great. Why can't Birthdays happen every day! To make things even better my Tassimo delivery arrived mid-morning so now we can enjoy lots of different teas, coffees and chocolate!

After work it was home to relax in the bath before we headed over to The Han restaurant in Market Harborough. The restaurant wasn't at all busy and we chose the Han Banquet which was four courses, so plenty to eat! I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine as Keith had very kindly offered to drive so all in all it was a great night.

We staggered off home afterwards and all collapsed on the sofa to watch Fashion Police having a go at the celebrities arriving for the Golden Globes. Hilarious!

A good old gossip!

After a busy day at work (I seemed to be wallowing in paperwork all day!) it was bliss to get home, jump into a lovely hot bath and soak for half an hour.

Sue came around at about 6pm with loads of foodie treats and a present and card for me, as it's my Birthday tomorrow! I'd bought a bottle of Vouvray so we sat and sipped wine and ate stuffed olives, stuffed vine leaves, hummus and dips. Keith took Mikey to Army Cadets while Sue and I had a good gossip! I opened my little bag of presents to find some really thoughtful pampering treats - hand and body lotion, bath bubbles, nail varnish and a lovely exfoliating cream that I'll hide from Sophie!

After Sue had gone, I sat with Keith and Sophie in the conservatory and we finished the rest of the nibbles and I had a small slice of my Christmas cake as a pre-Birthday treat! We had a very deep conversation about life and the universe and then it was time to venture out into the rain to collect our son.

My day was finished off by watching the end of The French Lieutenant's Woman, one of my favourite films. I was astonished to see that it was made in 1981...so many years ago!

Back to normal!

We were back to being closed today at work which meant that although it was lovely and quiet, we had the cleaning to do! I had a coffee first thing with a lady who works for a local magazine to discuss a new advert for this year and an editorial as we will be celebrating 20 years in business in July. I can hardly believe that the time has passed so quickly!

I was busy for the rest of the day and then it was off to the gym with Sophie for a good workout followed by a lovely relaxing session in the spa!

A couple of photos from our walk yesterday:

Winter landscape

We awoke to a very frosty landscape and after dropping Sophie off at work we decided to make the most of the sun and go for a walk over the fields. It was a gorgeous day and the mud and grass crunched under our feet as we walked. The recent heavy rain had turned part of one of the fields into a shallow pond and if the ice had been any thicker it would have made a perfect skating rink!

As we walked the sky gradually clouded over and by the time we reached home the weather was a lot different to when we set out! While Keith had a bath I prepared all the vegetables for dinner and then treated myself to a slice of my Christmas cake with a cup of tea. I think after abstaining all week from sugar I was allowed to enjoy a little bit today!

To work off the cake I washed my car and then spent the afternoon researching my family tree. I discovered that my 4x Great Grandfather was a Shipwright in Chatham in the mid 18th century so hopefully I can discover more about him by doing a bit more digging!

Arrrgghhh!

I spent most of today cleaning the house and de-cluttering after Christmas as we still had presents hanging around which needed to be put away! I spent a lot of time cleaning the conservatory and wiping away the stars that we'd sprayed onto the windows and which had been defaced by the children.

By 2pm I was all finished and very pleased with how the house looked after all my hard work. I didn't mind as I had a treat in store for myself - a facial at the gym as my skin was looking a bit tired and grey!

While I sat and waited I read the local Image magazine and spotted two people in it that I knew! Sitting and reading was relaxation in itself but I was soon called through to one of the dimly lit treatment rooms where I took off my boots and top and cocooned myself under a thick duvet and towels. Bliss!

The beautician explained what she was going to do to me (cleansing, exfoliating) and then she said that while a mask was doing its job on my face she would give me a head massage. What she didn't say was that she was going to apply warm oil to my hair first!

The treatment was lovely and very relaxing but when I sat up to get dressed I could see my hair sticking up in all directions! Praying that I wouldn't meet anyone I knew on the way back to the car, I hurriedly paid and fled!

Back at home I didn't have time to shower as Mum and Dad called in on their way home for a drink and a slice of my Christmas cake. We had a good chat and they said my cake was delicious!

Cold!

So, the last day of a full working week (the last time I worked a five day week was week commencing 9 December!) and we were pleasantly busy at work.

Sophie had the day off sick from school as she has a really bad cold and cough but she assured me she wanted to go to the gym to sit in the steam room. I duly went all the way home to get her to find her lying on her bed and very reluctant to go anywhere! It would have been so easy to give in and stay at home but I gritted my teeth (why she couldn't have phoned me before I left work to tell me she still felt ill) and drove back to Northampton.

I had a good workout (so felt very smug) and a long languish in the spa, but ironically the steam room was cold! With another man in there, we sprayed the walls and floor with cold water but it remained stubbornly steamless so we all dived into the sauna to get warm! Brrr!

Temptation!

After work Keith and I drove over to Tesco's in Kettering to get a few things for dinner (the most important of which was beer!). It's never a good idea to go shopping when you're hungry and I trailed around after Keith drooling over the stuffed olives and hummus and having an internal argument with myself as I really wanted to buy some treats! My more sane and sensible side won out though and we departed without giving into temptation!

The journey home was a nightmare as the traffic had increased while we were shopping and Keith banned me from driving along the A14 as the road was almost at a standstill. We went home via Pytchley and across a particularly bad crossroads that has claimed many accidents. While we were waiting to cross we nearly saw another one - a car pulled out to turn right and a car coming along from the left very nearly hit the back of it. Why this particular crossing is so bad we don't know, as there's good visibility but Keith has seen lots of cars in the hedge whenever he's travelled this way.

Once this was out of the way we then had to turn onto the A43 which was nose to tail with cars. One poor car was waiting to turn right and I believe he's probably still waiting!

Once home I prepared two dinners - liver and bacon for Keith and I and meatballs with pasta for the children. To say it was hard work was an understatement so I gave into temptation and had a glass (or two!) of wine...a delicious Californian Cabernet Sauvignon called Longhorn Valley, on sale for half price in Tesco!

Working hard!

It was back to normal today and a much quieter place of work! Keith was back in with me and we had lots to do so most of the day was spent out and about.

We went over to the bank and before popping into Tesco we had an early lunch in BB's where we met Mum and Dad. They then met a couple of their friends so it was a very sociable occasion! From Tesco's we went off to get more stuff for work at Jones's so we didn't get back to work until late. It certainly made the day go fast!

After work Sophie and I went off to the gym and although initially I didn't feel like working hard, we did! I suddenly found I had loads of energy...perhaps cutting out alcohol and sugar is doing me good!

Last day of the hols...phew!

So, we've reached the last day of the school holidays and it hasn't been too bad at all! Today was pleasantly busy and it was great to have Sophie in to help in the kitchen.

Keith has a very bad cold at the moment and when he dropped Sophie off at work he looked completely fed up. I'm hoping to resist getting one this winter - that would be a bonus! On the way home we called into the Co-Op at Brixworth to buy dinner. I'm trying to cut out as much sugar as possible at the moment and I really had difficulty buying a stir fry sauce to go with the chicken and vegetables we were having for dinner. There's been a lot of news about the amount of sugar we consume and it's hidden in so many foods these days. In the end I bought a Teriyaki marinade and as soon as we got home I cut the chicken up and let it marinate for an hour.

Mikey was back to Army Cadets tonight so while Keith took him I cooked dinner and I have to say it was a success! Both Keith and Sophie were very appreciative so that was good!

Most depressing day?

Today, according to the newspaper, was supposed to be the most depressing day of the year! The combination of bad weather, people going back to work, Christmas debt and feeling fat and unhealthy after all the festivities was supposed to make people feel really low. I have to admit, I've been feeling a bit miserable over the last few days, but I try and give myself a strict talking to, especially when you read about the terrible misfortunes that afflict other people.

Today started off beautifully sunny but on the way home to collect Sophie to take her back to work with me, the sky darkened and we had a sudden downpour. There has been no mention of snow on the horizon, just lots of wind and rain with lots of the country affected by flooding.

We weren't too busy at work so Sophie and I managed to escape to the gym. It was very busy indeed (lots of people deciding to lose weight after Christmas!) but we took it easy tonight as we hadn't done a proper workout for over two weeks!

Sunday shopping

This morning, Mum, Sophie, Mikey and I went over to Milton Keynes to do some shopping. Mikey had to come with us as I was taking a jacket back to River Island for him and there's no way I was going to attempt to pick out clothes for him now he's a sulky teenager!

We had lunch first in Caffe Italia and then we hit the shops - Sophie went off to New Look while Mikey, Mum and me had a browse around River Island. Mikey didn't see anything he liked so we gave up and met Sophie outside M&S where I treated myself to some new knickers and Sophie became grumpier and grumpier as she tried on bras!

By now we were all a bit fed up but on the way back to the car we called into Schuh where Mikey saw a pair of black Converse trainers. He decided he wanted them (and of course they weren't in the sale!) so after trying them on, he bought them with the money from the jacket. One satisfied son!

Back home it was time for a slice of my delicious Christmas cake (I know I don't sound modest but it really is very moist and fruity!) and a cup of tea and the onslaught of girls who were coming around to get ready with Sophie for their big night out! Upstairs it sounded like we were hosting a party for baby elephants as they all got ready and when they came down at 8.30pm they looked gorgeous.

I dropped them off (thankfully the torrential rain and strong winds had stopped) and went home to while away the hours until it was time to pick them up again. By 11pm Sophie had called me, which was an hour earlier than I'd expected and Keith and I drove into town to collect Sophie, her friend Danni and Danni's boyfriend, Fran.

Sophie talked non-stop the whole way home but seemed to have had a good time!

Let's build an Ark!

Today the weather has been atrocious - it hasn't stopped raining all day and the wind has been really cold. Not a nice day to be out and about!

But that's what Sophie and I had to do as we had a hair appointment at 9am followed swiftly by a visit to the nail salon. We splashed our way over to the hairdressers and we were out much quicker than I thought we'd be. It meant we could dash home just in time to meet Keith who'd been to Tesco to do our weekly shop. I helped him put the shopping away, made coffee and toasted crumpets and then it was off into town.

The plan was for me to sit and wait while Sophie had her acrylic nails removed but there was nowhere to sit in the salon so I decided to head for the gym and sit and have a coffee there. It was much more relaxing, especially as I had my Kindle with me! I spent a very pleasant hour sitting in the cafe and chortling to myself while reading Bill Bryson's Notes From a Small Island. The gym was very busy, with lots of families swimming and having lunch and the car park was almost full!

Sophie called me when she was ready to go home so I collected her and we spent the afternoon doing very little (I did make a Pavlova at the children's request). Keith had planned on going to see a local football team in action, but because of the weather the match was cancelled!

Frantic Friday!

I knew it was going to be a very busy day at work today within the first half an hour of opening! We were swamped with customers and we also had three parties going on during the day to add to the mayhem!

As we were so busy we were all roped into help and I spent most of the day either serving customers or clearing tables. I also had the lovely job of unblocking a toilet which in the end I gave to my Dad who cleared it by putting roads down the loo! What a great thing to do! Especially when we had crowds of people wanting to use the facilities!

Sophie was shopping with her friend Danni in town and twice Keith called in to see if I could take him home in my car but each time he saw how busy we were and drove himself back! At 4pm he came to collect me and we drove into town to pick up the girls. Sophie was very relieved that she'd managed to get herself an outfit for her party on Sunday - a black pencil skirt, blue satin top and very high blue velvet shoes. When we got home and she tried them on, she did look lovely.

After taking Keith to the pub (no gym for us tonight) I sat and spent a very enjoyable hour watching the original film of Great Expectations. It was the highlight of my day!

It's all over...

It was back to work today and a return to normality. I still can't believe that Christmas and New Year are over and it looks like we'll be rushing headlong into 2014, so nothing different there then!

I practised a recipe in the evening that I'm going to cook for some friends when they come around later this month. It was a chicken and chorizo tray bake and Keith said that they children wouldn't eat it, especially as I'd put in onions and peppers and lots of garlic! As a back-up he suggested that I put the leftover cottage pie in the oven as well, but when dinner was cooked, the children couldn't get enough of it! OK, they picked out the onions and the peppers, but they loved the juicy chicken thighs, the chorizo slices and the crispy potatoes! I have to say it was delicious and very easy to make.

Ha! Needless to say the cottage pie wasn't touched and I'll take it into work to feed my hungry birds!

Cooped up!

Well, the New Year weather has been horrendous! We cancelled our annual trip to the Cotswolds as the rain was lashing down and the wind was blowing a gale! Plus, all three children (Sophie had her friend Danni staying over) were still in bed at 10am!

New Year's Eve was very enjoyable. We did all the normal stuff (dinner, washing up) and then Sue and Paul came over at almost 11pm with their dog, Bailey. We sat and sipped wine and then at midnight I cracked open the bottle of sparkling Vouvray that our friends had brought over and we all wished each other a Happy New Year. As we watched the fireworks in London we enjoyed a slice of my Christmas cake which was delicious, thank goodness!

It was a bit of a late night (I got to bed finally at about 2.30am) and then I was up again at around 8.30am, feeling a bit bleary but not as hungover as some New Year's Days! Sophie and Danni appeared when I was cooking breakfast but Mikey didn't surface until the afternoon.

As the weather was so bad we stayed put all day and I think most of our neighbours had the same idea! Not a day to go very far at all! In the evening we did venture over to Kettering as I'd booked a table at Nando's. We decided to give the restaurant another try but unfortunately we were let down again. Just after I'd written down everyone's choice of meal the waitress appeared and said that they had run out of potatoes, so no chips or mash! We just looked at her in amazement as how can such a major restaurant chain run out of such basic items? I'd forgotten that in Nando's you have to order your food at the counter and with this piece of news, we decided to abandon the restaurant and go elsewhere!

We decided on Frankie and Benny's but even here there were problems with the food - no burgers, pulled pork or the dish I wanted, chicken parmagiano! The waitress said it was because it was New Year's Day, but I'm sorry I didn't really buy it!

Anyway, we all found something on the menu that we wanted and we had an OK meal, although I think Mikey made the wrong choice with his pizza. Rather than have dessert in the restaurant we called into a nearby McDonald's and I bought three McFlurries to take home! Much better value!