Keith took Mikey to Brixworth this morning and then Sophie drove us into work in Jim. The weather was horrible and I really would have liked to have been facing something different to cleaning the bathroom and changing our bedding, but there you go. It means I've been able to do some jobs around the house that wouldn't have been completed otherwise!
Sophie did very well in the car and didn't stall it once! She was brimming with confidence when she got out so that was a relief. Keith and I returned home and he took the doors off the shower cubicle while I stripped our bed of everything including the valance. We turned the mattress over as I've been suffering from a bad back when I wake in the morning and I heard that you should regularly turn your mattress to keep it in good shape.
After bundling the bedding into the washing machine I scrubbed the tiles in the shower and Keith freshened up the grouting. Oh, we both know how to have fun! I also pushed the bed out from where it usually stands and hoovered at the back and underneath. I won't divulge how dusty and horrible it was but it certainly felt better to hoover and make it all much cleaner!
Keith finished in the shower and I tackled the bookshelf that we have on the landing that has about a million books on it. Now I have my Kindle I find it very difficult reading a normal book so I threw them all on the floor and dusted the shelves and behind which, again, was horrendous! The books covered the landing and I began to wish I'd never embarked on this mammoth job! I have to say that most of them are now in bags awaiting a table-top sale in May as I looked at selling them on the internet and they were virtually worthless...
When I'd finished I felt much better knowing it was all clean and dust-free. I had a bath and as soon as I came out Mikey called asking to be picked up. He was due to go to a sleepover in the evening and had just thirty minutes to get ready as we were dropping him off on the way to picking up Sophie.
Of course, my son had failed to get the address of the sleepover and told me it was at a friend's house that we'd been to before...last year some time! I vaguely knew where it was but we picked up Sophie first and then drove to the estate in the hope of recognising the road, which luckily we did. We dropped him off and I tried not to think about what they would all be getting up to during the night...!
Back home Sophie quickly changed and we drove up to the pub for a quick drink before dinner. The place was very quiet indeed and we were able to sit in the window and have a good chat. All of us are worried about Mike at the moment as he seems very moody and uncommunicative. Perhaps that's teenage boys for you!
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Friday, 6 February 2015
Frantic Friday!
I was hoping for an early finish today but we were manic at work all day and the jobs I'd intended to do by the early afternoon got shoved to the end of the day!
Mum and Dad were off to the airport this afternoon as they are flying out to see my Uncle tomorrow in Cyprus. They came in at the very busiest time of the day to check in online for their flight and were somewhat dismayed to see us rushing around like mad things. Sophie had to go and help in the kitchen with Polly while I manned Reception and I was backwards and forwards like a mad thing!
After they'd gone Sophie and I went to the bank and then to Jones's as we needed some stuff for work. We left at 3.15pm and the traffic was horrendous. We crawled all the way from the bank to the Wholesaler's and I had to call Polly to go and pick up some shirts from our neighbours, BACA, as they closed at 4.30pm and I knew we wouldn't have made it back in time to collect them. At the moment Northampton seems to be one huge gridlocked road and everywhere you go there are roadworks and hold-ups. Not one journey seems to be an easy one these days and it's driving me mad! I just hope that when all the works are finished it's been worth all the hassle and delays.
We got back to work at 5pm and left to go to the gym. After our frantic day of running about we both felt like going down to the spa to relax, so we did! We sat in the sauna to get warm and then wallowed in the jacuzzi until our skin wrinkled, something Sophie hates!
After the spa we had a hot shower and on the way to the car met Liam who I hadn't seen for ages. We chatted about how busy life is and his imminent house move, news that was a little shocking when Sarah told me about it back in December. I think this is going to be another year of change!
Mum and Dad were off to the airport this afternoon as they are flying out to see my Uncle tomorrow in Cyprus. They came in at the very busiest time of the day to check in online for their flight and were somewhat dismayed to see us rushing around like mad things. Sophie had to go and help in the kitchen with Polly while I manned Reception and I was backwards and forwards like a mad thing!
After they'd gone Sophie and I went to the bank and then to Jones's as we needed some stuff for work. We left at 3.15pm and the traffic was horrendous. We crawled all the way from the bank to the Wholesaler's and I had to call Polly to go and pick up some shirts from our neighbours, BACA, as they closed at 4.30pm and I knew we wouldn't have made it back in time to collect them. At the moment Northampton seems to be one huge gridlocked road and everywhere you go there are roadworks and hold-ups. Not one journey seems to be an easy one these days and it's driving me mad! I just hope that when all the works are finished it's been worth all the hassle and delays.
We got back to work at 5pm and left to go to the gym. After our frantic day of running about we both felt like going down to the spa to relax, so we did! We sat in the sauna to get warm and then wallowed in the jacuzzi until our skin wrinkled, something Sophie hates!
After the spa we had a hot shower and on the way to the car met Liam who I hadn't seen for ages. We chatted about how busy life is and his imminent house move, news that was a little shocking when Sarah told me about it back in December. I think this is going to be another year of change!
Thursday, 5 February 2015
In the bleak winter...
We had some more snow showers first thing this morning and it was a cold and very bleak day. I wasn't expecting any customers in at all but by mid-morning the snow had cleared and it became pleasantly busy, which was good.
We were facing another long day at work as we had an after-school party in and Sophie was the person looking after them! I managed to get a lot of work done while she looked after the party and by 6pm she was finished so we could go home. We called into the local petrol station and I bought a bottle of Cono Sur Bicicletta Viognier for us both to share.
At home, Keith was cooking a roast chicken and the kitchen was full of delicious smells! The wine was lovely and Sophie approved so we asked Keith if he could get us a couple of bottles tomorrow when he goes shopping.
After our tasty dinner it was time to relax and catch up with some TV!
We were facing another long day at work as we had an after-school party in and Sophie was the person looking after them! I managed to get a lot of work done while she looked after the party and by 6pm she was finished so we could go home. We called into the local petrol station and I bought a bottle of Cono Sur Bicicletta Viognier for us both to share.
At home, Keith was cooking a roast chicken and the kitchen was full of delicious smells! The wine was lovely and Sophie approved so we asked Keith if he could get us a couple of bottles tomorrow when he goes shopping.
After our tasty dinner it was time to relax and catch up with some TV!
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Long days...
Today has been a long day at work as we had two parties after school and Sophie is now the only member of staff we have who can come in and do them in the evening.
I had to go home after lunch to get something I'd forgotten so Sophie drove Keith and I back in Jim. She was very nervous indeed, and after a bit of a shaky start when she kept stalling the car and she refused to drive any more, she did improve a lot and got a bit of confidence back. The trouble is that the engine of the Honda is very quiet and when you stop in it, you can barely hear the revs at all so we showed her to look at the rev counter and make sure that when it went up to move away.
It was a beautiful day and the roads were dry for once so we felt it was the perfect time for her to practise her driving. It's the only way she'll get to know the car and how it feels to drive.
Keith went home mid-afternoon and Sophie and I stayed on until the bitter end. By the time the customers had all gone it was 6.30pm but there was still a lot of clearing up to do and by the time we'd given Polly a lift and called into the local shop, it was almost 7.30pm by the time we arrived home.
Keith was busy cooking dinner for us and made me a drink. Bliss! Mikey had been out with some friends and walked through the door with a box of chocolates for us all as, in his own words, he was "such an a*se" in the mornings! Very true!
I had to go home after lunch to get something I'd forgotten so Sophie drove Keith and I back in Jim. She was very nervous indeed, and after a bit of a shaky start when she kept stalling the car and she refused to drive any more, she did improve a lot and got a bit of confidence back. The trouble is that the engine of the Honda is very quiet and when you stop in it, you can barely hear the revs at all so we showed her to look at the rev counter and make sure that when it went up to move away.
It was a beautiful day and the roads were dry for once so we felt it was the perfect time for her to practise her driving. It's the only way she'll get to know the car and how it feels to drive.
Keith went home mid-afternoon and Sophie and I stayed on until the bitter end. By the time the customers had all gone it was 6.30pm but there was still a lot of clearing up to do and by the time we'd given Polly a lift and called into the local shop, it was almost 7.30pm by the time we arrived home.
Keith was busy cooking dinner for us and made me a drink. Bliss! Mikey had been out with some friends and walked through the door with a box of chocolates for us all as, in his own words, he was "such an a*se" in the mornings! Very true!
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Bunking off early!
Sophie and I headed home earlier than usual as she had a doctor's appointment at 2.30pm. She's been keeping a food diary over the last month and has noticed that she feels much better after removing diary and fatty, fried foods from her diet.
I thought she may have IBS but the doctor didn't think so, and said that maybe her tummy was a bit sensitive to some foods, especially grilled cheese. Sophie was a real fan of cheese and had it with virtually everything, as well as large creamy coffees so maybe cutting out those foods will be a good idea!
We went home and I washed my car as it was absolutely filthy and covered in salt from the roads. I spent ages giving it a good clean and drying it off and just as I finished we had a light rain shower. At least it didn't snow!
I thought she may have IBS but the doctor didn't think so, and said that maybe her tummy was a bit sensitive to some foods, especially grilled cheese. Sophie was a real fan of cheese and had it with virtually everything, as well as large creamy coffees so maybe cutting out those foods will be a good idea!
We went home and I washed my car as it was absolutely filthy and covered in salt from the roads. I spent ages giving it a good clean and drying it off and just as I finished we had a light rain shower. At least it didn't snow!
Monday, 2 February 2015
More snow...
We had more snow this evening which took us by surprise! It started mid-evening and went on until I went to bed and was settling over the paths and roads. I had visions of schools being closed tomorrow and us having difficulty getting into work!
The weather forecasters are saying that all this week will be bitterly cold so winter is definitely not over yet!
Some photos from yesterday:
The weather forecasters are saying that all this week will be bitterly cold so winter is definitely not over yet!
Some photos from yesterday:
 |
| Fallen tree |
Sunday, 1 February 2015
A cold and windy walk
We awoke to another bitterly cold, but sunny day with more snow forecast. First thing, Keith and I went to get the newspapers and scouted out a walk that we were planning for later in the day.
We called into Mum and Dad's house on the way home and had a welcome cup of coffee before picking the children up and going to Booker (again!) for some urgently needed work stuff. We had been very busy yesterday but I was hoping that today was going to be a bit calmer!
We dropped both kids off at work and then escaped home where we donned our walking boots and set off down a single track road leading out of the village. Our destination was the abandoned village of Faxton and I was hoping to take some photos.
Walking along the quiet road was very pleasant but the wind blowing over the fields was ferocious! I wrapped a woolly scarf around my face and we trudged on. In the distance we could see what we thought was the old village...
We turned off the road onto a byway, passing a couple of farms and a field of sheep. Overhead we saw two Red Kites lazily circling on the wind, on the lookout, no doubt, for some tasty prey. A cyclist overtook us and we could see him lift his bike over a gate and set off up a muddy hill. That didn't look promising and as we neared the gate we could see that the paved track turned into a private road and the byway went up the field. Even more alarming was the notice on the fence that read "Beware of the Bull"!!
Keith climbed over the fence but I refused to follow him. In the distance we could see the cyclist coming back and after I had a short argument with my husband we decided to turn back as well. I didn't fancy getting all muddy and by now the wind was really in our faces.
The cyclist stopped for a chat and asked if we knew anything about the bull as he said the sign was a new one. He told us that there wasn't anything to see at Faxton so the romantic notion that I'd had of a ruined village was wrong and I would have been very disappointed to get there to see nothing at all! The houses we could see were obviously private residences!
We had a nice chat with him and then he cycled off while we trudged back up the hill to the road. The blue skies had turned cloudy and without the sun, it became even colder. While we were still quite a way from home, my mobile rang and it was work to say that they were manically busy and could they stop customers coming in for a while to get back some control?
This, of course, made me feel very worried and I called Mum to tell her that I might not be able to make our arrangement to go out for an hour in the afternoon. She said that Dad would go in to investigate and that if we were needed at work he would call to let us know.
We arrived home and heated up some celery and Stilton soup that Keith had made on Friday. It certainly warmed us up! My dad didn't ring so I helped Keith prepare the veggies for dinner, ironed some school and work shirts and called Mum to say I would pick her up at 3pm as arranged.
We went to Next as Mum had a top she wanted to exchange and I spotted a lovely white ceramic heart that would look great hanging above the doors in the conservatory. We had a cup of tea in Costa Coffee and then I dropped Mum home and went to wait for a call from the kids to pick them up.
Luckily they were earlier than yesterday and Keith and I drove in at 6pm to collect them. Back home it was bliss to have a drink and watch a programme about buying houses in Florida. How I would love some winter sun at the moment!
We called into Mum and Dad's house on the way home and had a welcome cup of coffee before picking the children up and going to Booker (again!) for some urgently needed work stuff. We had been very busy yesterday but I was hoping that today was going to be a bit calmer!
We dropped both kids off at work and then escaped home where we donned our walking boots and set off down a single track road leading out of the village. Our destination was the abandoned village of Faxton and I was hoping to take some photos.
Walking along the quiet road was very pleasant but the wind blowing over the fields was ferocious! I wrapped a woolly scarf around my face and we trudged on. In the distance we could see what we thought was the old village...
We turned off the road onto a byway, passing a couple of farms and a field of sheep. Overhead we saw two Red Kites lazily circling on the wind, on the lookout, no doubt, for some tasty prey. A cyclist overtook us and we could see him lift his bike over a gate and set off up a muddy hill. That didn't look promising and as we neared the gate we could see that the paved track turned into a private road and the byway went up the field. Even more alarming was the notice on the fence that read "Beware of the Bull"!!
Keith climbed over the fence but I refused to follow him. In the distance we could see the cyclist coming back and after I had a short argument with my husband we decided to turn back as well. I didn't fancy getting all muddy and by now the wind was really in our faces.
The cyclist stopped for a chat and asked if we knew anything about the bull as he said the sign was a new one. He told us that there wasn't anything to see at Faxton so the romantic notion that I'd had of a ruined village was wrong and I would have been very disappointed to get there to see nothing at all! The houses we could see were obviously private residences!
We had a nice chat with him and then he cycled off while we trudged back up the hill to the road. The blue skies had turned cloudy and without the sun, it became even colder. While we were still quite a way from home, my mobile rang and it was work to say that they were manically busy and could they stop customers coming in for a while to get back some control?
This, of course, made me feel very worried and I called Mum to tell her that I might not be able to make our arrangement to go out for an hour in the afternoon. She said that Dad would go in to investigate and that if we were needed at work he would call to let us know.
We arrived home and heated up some celery and Stilton soup that Keith had made on Friday. It certainly warmed us up! My dad didn't ring so I helped Keith prepare the veggies for dinner, ironed some school and work shirts and called Mum to say I would pick her up at 3pm as arranged.
We went to Next as Mum had a top she wanted to exchange and I spotted a lovely white ceramic heart that would look great hanging above the doors in the conservatory. We had a cup of tea in Costa Coffee and then I dropped Mum home and went to wait for a call from the kids to pick them up.
Luckily they were earlier than yesterday and Keith and I drove in at 6pm to collect them. Back home it was bliss to have a drink and watch a programme about buying houses in Florida. How I would love some winter sun at the moment!
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