Ten

During this last week, my now not-so-little girl reached double figures. Ten! Surely this can't be right.

It really doesn't seem so long ago that I walked into the maternity hospital in the very early hours of a clear, warm spring morning (I remember it as though it were only yesterday) returning home later on the same day to a slightly fuller house and a very different future to the one I had planned out for myself years earlier. This little bundle of joy arrived and turned my life around for the better.

She is stubborn, feisty, a bit of a whirlwind at times, and she is also the kindest, funniest and most generous human I know. During the last twelve months she has grown so tall, and it wont be long before she catches up with me, and it is a wonderful privilege to watch her growing in confidence and become increasingly independent as the years go by. 

To celebrate, we spent the morning at a waterpark by the beach. What an amazing place. There was a wave pool, so many water slides and a huge lagoon area, although my favourite part of the morning was when Lily activated a large water cannon. The look on her face when she realised she had showered water over all the people in the pool area was priceless. Lily absolutely adores being in the water. In fact, she generally prefers being under the water - I'm almost certain she is half mermaid! It was a beautiful sunny day, so afterwards we went for a wander down on the beach and enjoyed some freshly cooked chips, followed by a chocolate ice cream.  We will definitely be making a return visit. 

Lily can't eat cake, but she does enjoy chocolate cornflake 'cakes', so I made some of these and tried to make them look as celebratory as possible, with the addition of her favourite M&M's and some candles. 

And following on from last year's success, she has now declared this year to have been her, 'Best Birthday ever!' I wonder if next year will be just as fun?

J. X

Bluebells and Black Cats

 

I don't know about anyone else, but with all these bank holidays I keep losing track of my days. On a regular week I would have been at work by now, but with an empty day ahead of me, I have thoughts of being very productive and getting on top of the housework before I'm back at it again tomorrow. In reality, I expect I will procrastinate and find myself wondering how on earth I managed to waste a whole day :) I won't be too hard on myself , however, having spent much of yesterday working in the garden. I managed to get the grass cut and dug out the five large shrubs, which sadly didn't survive the extremely low winter temperatures. I also greatly reduced the size of the holly tree, so how I managed to escape without so much as a scratch, I have no idea. On another dry day, I will get the borders dug over and then I need to plan what to plant in the available space.

Over the last few days I have been dipping in and out of The Coronation coverage. As always, the pageantry and ceremony appeared to be flawless, and the parades were nothing short of spectacular. Although I have mixed feelings about the event, there is no doubt it made for a memorable weekend. I also enjoyed the Coronation Concert much more than I thought I would. 

Last week, we went for our annual bluebell walk. It really is beautiful there and being a little off the beaten track, we usually have the woods all to ourselves. 

The afternoon had started off rather dull and overcast, so it came as a pleasant surprise when the weather began to brighten up, until we found ourselves being able to cast off our thicker layers of clothing and enjoy the warmth of the sun. 

The woods are filled with native bluebells as far as the eye can see.

With paths meandering steeply up the hill.

I never tire of visiting these woods, especially at this time of year. And on that afternoon a good dose of fresh air was just what I needed. I've been feeling under a bit of strain recently, and getting outside in nature instantly calms me and enables me to relax.

And I should be able to relax even more, going forward. Getting the roof work completed was a huge weight off my mind. And although I still have more work to be done on other parts of the house, this was the issue I was most concerned about. 

I have also received the feedback on my course work, and I am very pleased (and relieved) to say that I have passed! When I first signed up to do it, I hadn't realised that I would be taking on more hours at work, so it has been quite a challenge to fit everything in, but I got there in the end. And talking of work, there is going to be quite a shake up there. For the better, I hope, but what this will mean for me and my hours, I am unsure at the moment. Time will tell.

I have previously mentioned a black cat who comes to stop by my house each day. He has since become rather persistent, and even though he is a full male, shows no signs of aggression; he is not hungry and clearly not a stray, so it is still a mystery as to why he likes to hang out with us. Boo quite likes him. Mog is indifferent. Neither of them show signs of being anxious that he is around. He does occasionally come inside the house - if I happen to leave the door open, or if Boo sits too close to the cat flap (it is chip activated) but I had no idea as to where he was coming from. Last week, having woken up to find him in the house yet again, I decided to put a paper collar on him, and less than half an hour later, a very apologetic lady rang me to say he actually belongs to her and she had been wondering where he had been spending so much of his time. It is still a mystery as to why he visits here, but at least I now know his name and where he comes from, and I can also get in touch with the owner if I have any concerns. Having said all that, I have a feeling that the visits may desist once she finally takes him to the vets ✂

Back soon. 

J. X