This week felt quite different to previous weeks, I was in a different routine to normal and it gave a different vibe to the week. Also for someone who is such a planner, there were a couple of really nice unexpected and unplanned moments to the week.

My week was different as due to work commitments, I had a different day off, Tuesday. This is also food delivery day and I ordered lots of lovely fresh ingredients and made a family chinese feast. It just felt so random to be having such a nice meal on Tuesday night. Even with homework and all the daily chores, a special meal definitely lifted the mood.

This week’s title, a boost can be applied to a few events this week. I had my Covid booster this week as in January PHE designated all at my place of work as social care workers. This time the gp did not come to our place of work and we had to go to our local vaccination hub in the next town. It was a blast, it was busy but there were so many familiar faces and it was a fun and life affirming trip. It was the first time that I had got to witness all the volunteers and work in a vaccination hub and I was again genuinely moved to tears over what an amazing nhs service we have. The process was also so simple and efficient, I booked on Tuesday and had my jab on Wednesday. Fortunately I had no ill effect and was able to attend a real life work conference the next day. This sounds more normal than it really was, the content was excellent but we had to sit at individual work desks and maintain a social distance, I felt like I was a student back in an exam hall.

Another little boost was a PB in parkrun. I wasn’t supposed to be at parkrun today but Little Miss’ farm trip got postponed last night so we decided to travel across the county to a forestry commission site where I could run and then do a family bike ride and picnic. It was a perfect autumn morning and we all left happy and with that good tired feeling from being active and outside. Not only did I get a new shiny PB by 30 seconds, it was a a new parkrun for me, so a new letter for the alphabet challenge and a new number for stopwatch bingo. Its my last parkrun for a while, i have my Covid test at 9am next Saturday and I’m not sure how long my post op recovery will take. I’m pencilling in a December parkrun, but will strictly adhere to medical advice.

This week was my dad’s 75th birthday and whilst I did not see him as he was celebrating in London with mum, I’ve received some lovely photos of the trip, including the champagne afternoon tea I had arranged. I had such a lovely thank you message from my dad and in my reply I mused that life needs to be filled with little delights.

In my reading this week, I finished Clare Chambers Small Pleasures. Initially I really liked it and was drawn into the mystery but I felt the conclusion trivialised a really serious sexual assault and neatly used it to wrap a part of the story. Its ending has bothered me a lot over the last few days, I feel uncomfortable how a sexual crime was accepted. I know its fiction but if we allow this in fiction, will we accept it in real life too?

Our weekend has been a bit topsy turvy as Sunday is normally reserved as family day and Saturday as jobs day. This week its the other way around and Little Miss and I are off to the shops tomorrow. Again with my imminent operation, its my last trip for a while so I am being very organised, Halloween treats, craft activities for half term, cards and presents for upcoming birthdays are all on my shopping list. I am a woman on a mission tomorrow!