Popping by...

...to say "hello" and catch up.

I have been very quiet lately on my blog, only because of that usual issue: life got a bit busy.  

In brief, the boys are back from university, school is out, daughter awaits GCSE results, 

we had a fantastic family holiday and work continues.

(Bonn)

Holiday for us was a train trip across Europe. Starting from our town we got a train to
St Pancras, and then took the Eurostar to Bonn, and travelled onward by train to
Stuttgart, Munich, Prague and Krakow.

(Ludwigsburg)

My husband and I have always enjoyed adventurous holidays and now the children are,
well not really children any more, we have started venturing off again.
And train travel is my favourite way to travel.

(Stuttgart)

Europe had a heatwave while we were away - it was extremely hot some
days, up to 36 degrees C.

And thankfully the young people enjoy this type of holiday as much
as we do. There is no opportunity to get bored!

(Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart)

Here are just a selection of photos from our holiday. 

(Englisher Beer Garten, Munich on a Sunday afternoon, 
listening to a brass band playing in the pavilion)

In between family and work life, I have been trying to make the most of the summer - 

I've spent time with my friend who lives in Malaysia and comes back for the summer. We spent a day in the Peak District and walked along Stanage Edge,
once we had consumed 2 coffees and a cream tea!

(Prague)

I spent a weekend with my friend in Kent. 

We saw "The Elephant Man" at the Theatre Royal Haymarket starring 

Bradley Cooper - it was fantastic.

I couldn't stop yawning all weekend - I was just SOOO relaxed.

(Prague station, waiting for the overnight sleeper train to Krakow) 

I have read your blogs, but I'm sorry that I haven't always had chance to respond. 

(Auschwitz - daughter met an Auschwitz survivor this year as part of her history lessons)

As you can see, our holiday had a bit of World War II theme - this wasn't planned but we have
done much reading and watching of documentaries and films about WWII since our return
 - it was certainly an educational trip!

(Oskar Schindler's factory, Krakow)

This weekend we have a night away planned at Whitby YHA. 

We live a long way from the sea and I am desperately in need of seeing the sea. 

We are planning to head for Staithes and possibly Robin Hood's Bay on Friday.

(Square inside Jewish ghetto, Krakow. The bronze chairs represent 
furniture abandoned by Jews when the ghetto was liquidated)

It is a very long time since the children/young people of the family visited
Staithes and Robin Hood's Bay. 

Saturday we have planned to visit our old favourite Filey. 

Sadly, the weather forecast for the weekend is awful, but hey, we can sit in the car
and drink tea from a thermos!

(Main Square, Krakow)

Until next time...I hope you are enjoying the summer and continue to do so!
Best wishes
xXx

And "thank you" to everyone who left comments on my Tuc post- very thoughtful and kind!

Tuc xx

Today we had to say goodbye to our, oh so cute, Tuc, affectionately known as Mr T! 

He came to us as a rescue guinea pig with his brother Dorito almost 5 years ago.  

 Sadly Dorito died about 3.5 years ago.

We took Tuc to the RSPCA twice to try to find him a friend but he just wasn't interested.  

The RSPCA suggested he was happier on his own. 

So he lived in his cage in the kitchen, 

keeping us company when we were in there, 

and squeaking loudly when he could hear us chopping carrots, 

having regular baths to keep his very long fur clean (and frequently chopped too!)

He was a BIG guinea pig and after a day outside on the lawn he would come 

back to his cage exhausted and ready for a rest!

We used to let him run free on the patio when we were outside, chewing the weeds. 

Tuc and Dorito were not very friendly when we first brought them home, 

I'm not sure how much TLC they had been given as young guinea pigs. 

Dorito never really settled in but Tuc changed so much, he loved his cuddles while sat on our laps. He was such a placid guinea pig with a huge personality. And gave huge squeaks when he could smell that we had brought back a handful of dandelion leaves or groundsel. 

Thank you Tuc for giving us so much pleasure in the last 5 years. 

Back now with Dorito. Sleep tight Mr T! 

xXx

Making the most of being together

Hello

Younger son is now back home from University, bringing with him a car load of possessions (debris?). If you came to our house you would know which is his bedroom - you just follow the trail of boxes and clothes and bags from the front room downstairs, along the hall, up the stairs, onto the landing and into his bedroom. 

Yesterday, we realised that a rare opportunity had risen - a chance for us to have a day together. 

I took a day's annual leave. Next week two of the younger members of the family venture

 off on work experience and inter railing. 

So we decided to visit Sir Isaac Newton's birthplace at Woolsthorpe Manor. 

It was in a beautiful setting and would have been idyllic years ago. 

Here are just a few photos of the day. 

Younger son trying out some of the hands-on experiments - this one comparing the 

rate of fall of balls of different weights and then a ball and feather. 

Woolsthorpe Manor. Love the warm stone. 

The tree under which Isaac sat when the apple fell and he developed his theory of gravity. 

But hey, let's check our phones! 

(I'm not sure why these photos are so grainy)

We then drove to Stamford - a very pretty town. 

We had a coffee and from my chair in the cafe I noticed a sign advertising 

a wool shop Ewe, down a jitty. 

Well, once my coffee was finished I was off! And sure enough, a purchase was 

soon made. My resolve to not buy any more yarn collapsed several months ago  - what I need is more time to actually knit the wool I have bought and then my stash would be smaller!

Sock yarn!!

Followed by football in the park - I played too for awhile but it was very humid. 

Views of Stamford

We finished the day with a meal at Pizza Express in Melton Mowbray.

As our children grow up and start on their independent lives, 

these days when we are all together become rare and extra special. 

They grow up so fast - savour those special moments together. 

xXx

Old and new!

Hello, 

Telling today's story: a few photos and words. 

• old fork, belonged to my dad, I do love the handle and love using this in the garden

• new lush growth in the hedge at the bottom of the garden, mainly comprising holly and hawthorn. I have a yearly battle with this hedge, each year it makes a break for freedom and sends lots of prickly invading branches out into my garden and I and my secateurs make battle! 

• old nest, abandoned just a few weeks ago by a family of blue tits. I love watching the parents darting in and out of the box with food. I daren't spend too long in the garden near the box when the parents are so busy for fear of frightening them away.

looks so cosy - and has about as many cobwebs round the ceiling as in my house!

I wonder if they use the same excuse as me, 

"too busy caring for the family to bother about cobwebs"!

• new growth from our "conker" trees

• we have three horse chestnut trees grown from conkers, I've always enjoyed coaxing "new" plants from seeds, pips and cuttings

• my old Pip Book, bought many years ago. I was still at secondary school when I bought this - it cost the huge sum of 70p! Sentimentality means I just can't get rid of it! 

• old and new: you may wonder what on earth this photo is about - it is my daughters "old" school uniform, discarded inside her bedroom door, removed as soon as she got home today following her final GCSE exam today 

• so this is now her "old" uniform and we are already thinking about a "new" school phase - 6th form beckons!! How can that possibly be?  We saw daughter's old child minder just yesterday - she had a fantastic time with her!

• new magnifier and light for my cross stitch

• complete with new cross stitch kit. Oh my goodness, this has an obvious festive theme - no pressure then to get it finished before Christmas!!

Wishing you a happy weekend whatever your plans

 - and thank you so much for taking the time to read my posts and comment!

xXx

A weekend in June ...

... in photos

Friday

• A day spent in Ashbourne with a very old friend and a trip to the wool shop to buy her daughter some yarny gifts for her birthday (oo, such fun, her daughter will be 12 and it is great to have the chance to encourage a young budding knitter)

• While I was in the shop I spotted these balls of DMC Natura cotton, a yarn I love, and as they were reduced to £2 a ball I bought 3. Oops, when I got home I realised I already had  the coral and blue but I bravely did not let it dampen the joy of my purchase!

• In an effort to lose a little bit of weight gained over the last few sedentary months in my new job I am trying to make sure I do at least 10,000 steps a day, this often means a walk up to the woods every evening. This was the view we had on Friday - stunning!

Saturday

• Early morning coffee: we do love going in to town early and treating ourselves to a coffee and croissant in Caffe Nero. The cafe is in the centre of town and on a Saturday morning you have the added bonus of watching the market come to life - a very relaxed start to the weekend.

• Finished this little dress for my office colleague who is expecting a little girl in September. 

• the colour is actually more of a denim blue. It's quite a pretty pattern but I'm a bit concerned that the neck hole is a bit small for a baby's head - they might end up wrestling it over her head!

Sunday

• Sunday morning cycle ride: this is such a restorative to me. When I set off I thought I would do a short half hour ride but ended up cycling for almost 2 hours - covering about 18 miles.

• Looking towards Bradgate Park and Old John. 

• Views from Cropston reservoir to Bradgate Park. 

• Feeling so good to be outside in the country. 

• Letting my thoughts wander - mainly on how to deal with my job which I'm finding far too stressful. 

• Slightly apprehensive this week as last Sunday I came the closest ever to being knocked off my bike. Thankfully I am very aware of traffic and make every effort to make eye contact with drivers to ensure I know they have seen me. However this particular driver slowed down as she came towards the junction and then proceeded to speed up straight towards me as I cycled up a main road. She did stop, to her credit, but her excuse for not seeing me was that she was tired (it was 9.30am Sunday morning) and it had been raining! I wear a bright yellow fluorescent jacket - how can she not have seen me? 

•  A lovely open road to cycle along....

• And a tunnel of trees to cycle through....

• I finally blocked this table runner, but now I've finished it I think it looks too wintery so I'm not sure how long it will stay on the table 

• And a final walk up to the Outwoods on Sunday evening, my photos are testament to the number of beautiful clear sunny evenings we have had over the last few weeks. 

Thanks for getting to the end of this post - as you can see, nothing very exciting happened with me!!

I hope you had a great weekend. 

Wishing you a good week!

xXx