Seaside Sparkles

Half term, especially October half term is one of the little sparkles of the year. The weather whilst cooler still allows outdoor activities and coupled with Halloween, bonfire night and family birthdays there’s always a nice atmosphere to the week. Its a week full of plans and little surprises. Sadly this year due to my post op recovery, its been a very quiet, home based week, there’s definitely lots of making up to do in the coming months. However, the children have been really good, its been a dull week but they’ve enjoyed bonus screen time, getting Disney + was an inspired idea and some creative tasks.

On Monday, the children did get to leave town. However, this was to get their Covid vaccinations at the local hub. Whilst the rollout for adults has been fantastic, its been slower and more frustrating for the over 12s, as the school vaccinations haven’t quite worked as planned. On the last day of the half term we got a letter from our daughter’s school offering the vaccination at the hub on special sessions dependent on age and surname. The first tranche was for 12 – 13 year olds which fortunately both children fall under. However, our son who is at special school had not received this information (its a bit out of the catchment area of the hub) We took the chance and took him to the correct age and surname session on Monday and they were more than happy to do him, although not clear, the session was for 12 year olds from the local surgeries not schools. On the letter, they had also said they would do siblings so Little Miss was vaccinated then too, rather than needing to wait until Nov 6th. Whilst both has a little bit of an achy arm, neither had any side effects. Its a big relief to have us all vaccinated and feeling more confident, I have booked the train tickets this week, for me and Little Miss to enjoy a day of Christmas shopping. For me, this is quite a big deal, public transport and a visit to a busy city centre, as I make more tentative steps to real life again.

The other trip out of town the children had was a family trip to the foot clinic! I am unable to drive so Mr S needed to take me. We feel that the children are too young to be at home alone for the few hours it would take to drive to big town, attend the appointment and return. Fortunately the clinic is in a shopping centre so when I went to the clinic, Mr S went for a coffee and the children went to some shops to spend their pocket money. They enjoy this independence and for Little Man especially this is a big thing, so the trip was well received. My foot is healing well, it was the first time I had got to see my foot since the operation. The wound is fine and stitched up neatly but I felt quite queasy and faint at the sight of my foot as it is black with bruises from the operation. I now have a smaller bandage so my foot fits in my boot better and am allowed to be on my foot for half an hour before resting and elevating it. This advice has meant that I am now taking a daily walk outside, at the moment its only up to the local post box and back but its good to be in the fresh air. I have another follow up appointment next week.

With the exception of my walks, I am still resting a lot at home, so lots of reading, 3 books this week and watching films. This week’s favourite film was Cruella, the background story to 101 Dalmatians. It was brilliant and I really enjoyed it, the costumes are stunning and a major part of the storyline. The two lead actors Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are superb in the film. Of the books I read, despite its rather grand title, Essentialism, the disciplined pursuit of less by Greg McKeown was an inspirational book with so many takeaways. It was recommended by a friend and certainly makes one consider lifestyle. Its main arguments are that you need to identify what really matters to you and then invest time and energy in these things to enable you to live a life of purpose and meaning. Its not about doing more but less, better.

As its Halloween this weekend, it wouldn’t be half term without pumpkin carving. We made it a little different this year by spray painting two smaller pumpkins and then painting them and then we followed tradition by carving the two larger pumpkins. I enjoyed the pumpkin painting, the results are great and we’ll be doing this again next year. I saw some Day of the Dead painted pumpkins online and this is on my list for next year. I also learnt (after we had carved and scooped ours) to carve and hollow out from the base of a pumpkin, a useful hint for 2022.

Today, Little Miss is out with her boyfriend to the swimming pool with all the fancy slides and then out for pizza as his birthday treat. She’s very excited and its been nice for her to have something to look forward to. Little Man definitely needs a treat in the coming weeks.

I was worried that this week would be a little dull for the children, however we have got through the week okay and its nice to know this was a one off and we can make our normal plans and more for future school holidays.

I have a busy life and the way I maintain my sanity is to compartmentalise my life. So when at work, I fully focus on my job, at home its family life etc.. Generally this works and helps to manage my time, there is a time and place for everything. In the run up to my operation, I have continued this strategy but this week, as I have finished things off at work and delegated jobs in my absence the reality of the operation and recovery period is beginning to feel real. I have tried to distract myself with practical matters, all birthday cards and presents for the next 6 weeks are written, wrapped and posted, house admin is all prepped in advance and all the decorations and nice things for Halloween and Bonfire Night are all ready to go.

We have also transformed our dining room into my room for the next few weeks so there are no stairs to go up and down. I’m really pleased how this has turned out and has definitely inspired us to think of it as a potential guest room. I love that the French doors lead to a hidden courtyard and so even if I can’t go out I can open the doors and feel the air. I have a pile of books and magazines to read and a play list of podcasts in my room, I can’t imagine how its going to feel to have this time to pause.

With the upcoming operation, this week was all about work and there was no sparkles in the working week, apart from starting the book An American Marriage as part of the girls’ daily sofa reading time. This is when my daughter and I sit down together and read as part of her daily homework schedule. This was a book which grabbed me from page 1 and is one I think about when I’m not reading it, the injustice leaves you seething and I’m not sure there’s going to be a happy ending.

I had a lovely surprise in the post this week as my dad sent me a Fortnum and Mason recipe book for afternoon tea as a thank you for my gift of afternoon tea for his 75th birthday. Its a beautiful book with recipes I’m looking forward to trying.

Saturday was the highlight of the week for its simple pleasures. Our son was at scout camp, his first for nearly two years due to Covid, so we had a relaxed day at home following my Covid test as I needed to self isolate. My Covid test was first thing in a town 20 miles away so it was an early start with no time for my Saturday morning run. I arrived in the town early and was able to pop into Waitrose to pick up a few things, all the essentials, my Saturday newspaper, felt pumpkins, NYR moisturiser, the new Christmas Cath Kisdton Roses tin etc. before the isolation began. The test itself was easy and quick and I was home before 10am. Little Miss and I enjoyed a kitchen day, making a delicious butternut squash and sweet potato soup accompanied by home made cheese scones for lunch and mini Victoria sponges for an afternoon treat. We then settled down to watch Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, I loved it but I bet its even better on the stage as a musical. With Strictly finishing our day, it was my kind of day.

I’m now on the final countdown to the operation and hopefully by the next time I write all will have passed smoothly and I will be happily settled in my room recovering.

This week’s title does really some up the highlight of my week. Its been a week overshadowed by the worst migraine and accompanying sickness I’ve suffered in years, it was very grim couple of days and I’m still feeling a little fragile and gentle today.

The new washing machine arrived when I was ill, so Mr S got to have the first few gos. In fairness, he does the laundry, apart from ironing which I genuinely enjoy, so he does deserve the fun! Our washing machine has been slowly dying over the past few months, something went wrong with the drum and the noise on spin cycles was unbelievable, you could not have a conversation in the same room when on spin. We ordered one from John Lewis and also got removal of the old machine and installation of the new. This is when Mr S starts to panic over the correct measurements, whether it will be able to be installed correctly as its an integrated machine etc.. but thankfully John Lewis were amazing and all went very smoothly. My new washing machine has made me so happy this week, freshly laundered clothes and quiet washing, its perfect. In a stroke of genius (I was in bed so had no idea of this) Mr S also washed the walking boots and trainers the night before the old machine went as there was no worry about damage to the machine. I appreciate his smart thinking.

With illness there was very little to report this week, Ive not really watched, read or listened to anything apart from my favourite podcasts. Whilst doing a few jobs today I’ve had the marathon on in the background which is always inspiring, always leaving the eternal question do I enter?

Its been very much a home weekend, the rain yesterday actually seemed of biblical proportions and in such a rare occurrence, we didn’t go out at all, this genuinely never happens. It was a day of board games and planning special surprises. This month I have my parents’ 70th and 75th birthdays ( only a few months after their 50th wedding anniversary, its been a busy year) My dad’s is first so I’ve booked a champagne afternoon tea at the very exclusive London hotel they are going to for a few days. Its always been on my dad’s bucket list to stay at the hotel so I’ve just added a little sparkle. I made photo montage cards for both my mum and dad’s birthday and on Saturday afternoon, my daughter and I were looking through all the old family photos, it tickled my daughter to find a photo of her grandad with his parents at the age she is now. It was lovely looking at the old photos, remembering people no longer with us and just the happy times (oh and the fashions and hair styles) I scanned and sent a photo to my uncle of him, his dad, my Gramps and me which is about 45 years old now. The photo was just beautiful it felt like this warm, embracing hug in a picture. I recognised my grandparents front room immediately and could feel the soft velvet seat we were all sat on, their room never changed and the sight of their wallpaper and the old familiar mirror on the wall triggered such treasured memories.

My little challenge this year to keep wearing my shorts and flip flops has ended, but now the latest challenge is to keep the heating off! Its been so cold, wet and windy this week, the season has definitely changed. I’ve been wrapped up in a blanket in the evenings, making the use of a much appreciated birthday present. This weekend I did put away my summer clothes until next spring, there is a certain melancholy to this, but the song by the Byrds, Turn, turn, turn is just a beautiful reminder that each season will pass.

I couldn’t really write this week’s post without reference to the fuel crisis affecting the country. What started as a few issues with delivering fuel ended up as full blown panic and chaos. I had noticed that there were increasing issues over the past few weeks with HGV drivers so last time when I went to the petrol station (pre panic) I actually filled my car up full in case these problems extended to petrol and Mystic Meg that I am, so it proved. I am extremely lucky that I walk to work daily and only really use my car at weekends for the trips to the farm or parkrun, neither of which are essential. However, living in a rural location, vehicles are key to a lot of people for work and daily life and there have been long queues at the stations. I had to go to a neighbouring town for work this week and our journey home took an extra 40 minutes with drivers queuing for petrol. There is lots of talk of ’saving Christmas’ as there are also issues in many industries post Brexit (who would have predicted that!!) but I hope that the past 18 months has taught us that material goods aren’t what makes life tick, its people and relationships. I am in big thinking mode at present there’s a lot to consider.

I love my music and am often found creating a playlist with a theme. This week I’ve been doing a lot of driving and what started as a sing song of Country Roads took me down a songbook of great country tracks. Country is not my normal genre but it’s amazing how many of the songs are so familiar and loved.

I have explored so much of the county this week, our county has no motorways and my journeys took me down many country roads, the countryside is stunning but I do prefer straighter, wider roads!

On Thursday I took my son to school, he normally has school transport, and then went to the local town as I wanted to have my glasses altered at the opticians and pop into some of the shops. It’s one of my favourite places for shopping, it’s small but has an excellent choice of independent shops, the book and kitchen shops are brilliant and has some favourites from the high street too, White Stuff, Fat Face, Seasalt etc .. The shops open later around 10, so it was lovely to sit opposite the church with a coffee in the bright sunshine. It had been so nice to take my son to school, he was so chatty and entertaining, I really miss the primary school run. Once I had finished in the school town, I then went to another nearby town for some more functional buys, new trainers for my son who is just growing at such a rate, M&S tights (the best) and a few other bits and bobs. I’m having to be very organised this year as I’ll be unable to do much whilst I recuperate from my upcoming operation. I have even begun to pick up a few Christmas gifts.

On Saturday I continued my travels around the county, but in a different direction, I went to a hamlet with my daughter for her farm work, then off to a nearby small town to drop her off so she could meet friends and then the county town whilst I waited for her. It’s the first time I’ve been to the county town since before the pandemic and I was shocked at the number of shops closed and boarded up. It really has become a ghost town. It used to be one of my favourite towns to go to, lovely shops and cafes, an independent cinema etc .. now it looks very empty without high street staples such as Next and M&S.

As well as my music this week, I listened to Beautiful World by Sally Rooney. I listen on my commute to work and then with all the extra driving there were lots of opportunities to listen to books and podcasts.

I was really keen to either read or listen to the book as Normal People was one of my favourite reads from recent years. However I was wary as I didn’t enjoy Conversations with Friends so strongly. I really liked Beautiful World, although Normal People still tops my chart. It’s a very ordinary story in that nothing really happens, it’s just about the lives of four young adults with some beautifully written parts. I did feel it was written as a tv or film adaption but this is okay and I look forward to watching such an adaption.

Unusually for me I sat down this week and watched a film of my son’s choice, Forrest Gump. I had forgotten what a lovely film this is and the links to American history are amusing. My son asked me if Forrest had special needs like him, a question which temporarily floored me as we always teach him he’s capable of all he wants to do and we’ll always be there for him but he could recognise Forrest in himself. I positively framed the answer in the kindness and support Forrest is able to give because of the way he sees the world makes his special needs his super power but it was a bit heart breaking.

After last week’s Biscoff cheesecake success, my son was keen to make another this weekend as it was his turn for baking with me. He was very creative and we made a chocolate orange cheesecake, the perfect Saturday night treat ahead of Strictly. Strictly made for wonderful viewing with so many highlights, but for me the moment of the night was when the two male dancers tangoed . I felt so emotional (and joyful) to see a male same sex coupling. Sometimes we don’t recognise how far we’ve come in promoting a more inclusive, representative society. There’s always so much more to do, but I did get the feels in last night’s Strictly.

I’ve done lots of running this week, the weather has been lovely and the photo of the dusk was taken as I ran around a local village whilst my daughter was at Youth club. It’s nice to have a change in scenery. The weather has also been hot and sunny so I continue to wear shorts and flip flops, I’m delighted that I made it to the end of September this year. However, looking at next week’s forecast it may signal the summer clothes being packed away.

It’s been such a busy week that I almost forgot one of the nicest parts of the week meeting up with friends on Tuesday night. I made a slow cooker chilli and the host prepared the rice, fresh guacamole, soured cream and tortilla chips to accompany it. We were in my friends garden and it was such a mild night we only needed a fire much later in the evening. It was just lovely and made me consider that some of the things we are doing due to Covid are so much nicer and more personal than what we used to do before.

Next week is going to be crazy… I’m working overtime to do full time and reckon it’s easily going to be a 50+hours working week due to the number of entries in my diary. There is also a tutor evening (thankfully online, it’s a real time saving idea) for my daughter and the usual clubs. My big excitement is a new washing machine on Friday. Ours has been dying for months and is now so noisy you can’t be in the same room when it’s on the spin cycle. I feel like a proper adult, a new washing machine is my highlight of the coming week!

This was the week in which Little Man and I returned to school, this marked 26 years as a teacher for me and the start of Year 8 for him. It felt like a bit of a transition week, from holidays to work, the summer to autumn. We also had mid and late week returns so it was a real mixed week and adding in the boys’ overnight visit to Grandad, its been difficult to work out the day this week.

The boys were away on Monday and Tuesday, so I spent the day working at home on Monday, whilst my daughter met her friends on the beach, however it was a bit chilly and they ended back at home where I made bacon butties. Fortunately, we had had a family beach day on Sunday when the weather had been great, so we did get the rays and surf this week. September is generally a nice weather month so I hope we’ll be back again this summer.

I had a very productive working day on Bank Holiday Monday which meant we could have a lovely girlie day together on Tuesday. I had noticed on the previous Saturday at parkrun that Little Miss needed new trainers so we went to ‘big’ town. The trainers purchase was full of negotiations as our budgets were widely different as were our opinions about brands. In the end she got a pair she liked in the preferred Nike brand and I relaxed the budget by £2 so she could get them. Once the trainers were bought we had such a lovely time just pottering and browsing the shops. I got a new dress for work and she spent her birthday voucher on a lumberjack shirt, hair bandana and lots of other little bits and pieces. She does have a real sense of style. We also treated ourself to a M&S food shop, it was a surprisingly healthy haul, my daughter loves their sushi and I their salads and strawberry topped yoghurt rice cakes. I was so pleased when she commented on what a lovely time we had had together and we have pencilled in a Christmas shopping trip on her Inset day at the end of November.

It feels like I’ve spent a lot of time with Little Miss this week, just the two of us. She surprisingly asked if she could join me for my Thurs run and then also came and ran parkrun with me today (although the new trainers are being kept for best for the first school PE lesson) It’s been a good week for talking.

I’ve tried to spend some time with Little Man this afternoon, as I felt I’d not really seen him much this week with him being away and my return to work. We went to the toy shop as Grandad had given him some extra pocket money but in the end after very long deliberations he decided he wanted some specialist vehicles for his army which are only available online. It was nice to just be out with him, I think we need another SAM (son and mum) trip soon.

Next week sees the first proper routine of school, work and clubs start again, I hope it all goes smoothly and safely. As much as I have loved this summer, I secretly enjoy the routine of the school year it gives the comfort and predictability in what has been such strange times.