Life lately … the one with the half marathon 40, 41, 42 / 52

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A much needed catch up, as life’s been pretty hectic over the past few weeks and I’m just about feeling able to sit down and put some words together.

The big thing in this period has been the half marathon. I had trained properly and upto around 2 weeks before the half all seemed to be going smoothly and I felt strong and ready. And then everything started to fall apart, including me! It started innocently, a mid week evening run but my first dark run of the year and I fell badly on the very uneven pavements we have. Whilst it was dark I was running with a light and on a well lit street so the dark wasn’t the reason just my simple clumsiness. However the fall did leave a nasty injury, a big, deep cut and the lower half of my legs heavily bruised and even now 2.5 weeks later I still can’t kneel as the wound is still healing. As I was running the half I used every cream, plaster, and products I could find to allow me to run. The wound was heavily bandaged for the run, blood running down the leg was never going to be a good look. Whilst I was shaken I then spent the final pre race week with everyone around me with coughs, colds and the flu. I didn’t feel 100% but had been topping myself up with Lemsip in the preceding days. So not the best pre race prep. The day itself had its highs, the lovely ladies I met pre race, and its lows, the route especially from mile 8, all the faffing pre race and receiving the wrong size tshirt! The race started at 11am, but I left home at 7.10am as it was a very complicated start plan. I parked by the finish but then had to catch the event bus to the start, £7.50 for a single and quite a walk from drop off to the start. By the time the half began I had already done 6k steps. The buses left at 9am so there was a lot of standing around and waiting at the start, nearly 2 hours as the bus went when it was full which for me was around 8.45am. I didn’t like this and wouldn’t sign up for a different start and end half again. My first half of the race was a dream and I was really happy with my time and then my head went. The route was so odd, lots of times you you ran out and back to return to where you had been before, the signage was poor, the half and 10k markers were all mixed up and as the water stations weren’t were they had said all my refuelling plans just didn’t fit. I am not disappointed with my race but proud that I did finish when I was in such a dark place and at times it didn’t seem likely. Surprisingly I haven’t vowed never again as I really want to do another and run the way I did in my training runs to get the time I trained for.

Unfortunately there was no time to rest and relax and soak up the atmosphere post race. It was straight to the car and a 30 mile drive to meet the rest of the family cheering on our son in his football tournament. I missed the first game but managed to see him play in two and score a brilliant goal. Needless to say, after the maddest of days I was shattered and had a few lazy nights in the following week. They were so needed.

I am back running today and as I had to drop the boys off to catch the football coach I went to the flat and fast Poole for parkrun. It was then a very productive day, shopping for some essentials and having my car valeted. This was worth every penny, I spend a lot of time in my car and it now looks, smells and feels clean. Tidiness and order are key to me and after a frantic few weeks it has been good to have time today to sort everything out. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve had my hair and nails done and put up the seasonal decorations all of which have definitely made me feel more in control and grounded.

In the midst of all my busyness, I did have a lovely meal out with friends. We go to a lovely, old pub full of period features and it’s so cosy to dine and chat. It was the night of storm Amy, and as the pub is on the banks of the river, we did check a few times to make sure we weren’t going to get flooded. That night the boys were at football and what had been neatly planned for me to pick them up at the station at 11pm turned out differently as I had to go to the the next town to meet them as trees on the line stopped the trains. Along with a road closure due to the storms it meant that we finally get home at 1am. As it was Friday night, I was back up at 7am to volunteer for parkrun. The rest of the day was very lazy!

I should quickly mention the excellent audio read by Alan Davies, Just Ignore Him. He was and probably still is my celebrity crush, it’s the curly, floppy hair. His is a tragic story that I was unaware of and although a very difficult read due to the nature of the book, I am full of respect for his decision to share his experience and hopefully help others.

I feel I’m upto date now, one more week and then it’s half term for which I need to make plans for the break and a 60th birthday celebration. Life doesn’t slow down and to be honest, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Life lately, pogo, more parkrun tourism and Cardiff memories 39/52

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It’s been such a busy week and one of those in which you would expect to feel exhausted. However sometimes being busy and social is more rejuvenating and restoring than quiet times.

The working week was good, I have a great team with me this year and lovely students and our days are genuinely fun and happy. One day this week we had a special themed day and tried lots of different activities. We had a blast in circus skills and I even managed to try a few activities, I think it may be around 40 years since I last pogo jumped but I still have it! My son also had a different college day on Thursday doing a vocational day at Lush. They were able to visit the shop at the end of the day and my son brought me home a large snow fairy candle which was very appreciated.

We all had plans for this weekend which meant that we were all in the same area but for Mr S and I with a child each we stayed at our respective parents with different plans. As parents age a full family trip can be more overwhelming so this arrangement works better. Due to an early Friday finish, the boys took the train to Bristol on Friday lunchtime and I left promptly after school and got to my parents for 6pm. I was able to use this journey to finish my audio book I’m glad my mom died by J. McCurdy. It’s an excellent memoir of a very difficult childhood set against the background of being a child actor. Despite the title it’s not a book of grim despair but one in which the author simply tells her story.

I had a lovely evening at my parents, my favourite childhood tea, irn bru and relaxed chats. I also managed to find the M&S white chocolate and gingerbread cookies this week so we all tried them, our family has always appreciated a nice M&S treat and these are delicious! I got up early on Saturday for a second consecutive parkrun tourist trip. I’ve done lots near my parents so travelled around half an hour to Cheddar, another new one for me. I can’t get over how close you are from my parents to so many parkruns, living rural all parkruns bar our local are at least 40 mins away, with most being 1+ hours so I enjoy the fun of tourism but within a reasonable time not to affect your day. It was a wonderful parkrun, so friendly and the course was a pretty one, down an old railway line and beautifully flat! I got my best ever parkrun time and the ice pop at the finish was perfect. After the run it was home for a very quick shower and change and then off to the station to catch the train through to Cardiff with my daughter. Again this is another treat staying at my parents where there are great transport links.

I have very fond memories of Cardiff as I started my teaching career here and lived here for two years. I loved the vibe and it is a special city. It was great to take my daughter and show her some of my old favourite places and be amazed by some of the changes in the city. It was a warm autumn day so we had an al fresco lunch, a real treat so late in the season and then pottered around the shops buying a few bits and bobs. Today I stayed around at my parents til late morning, mum very kindly took up some trousers for me, you always need your mum! I then drove over to collect the boys and then fitted in a football training session en route home.

Life lately 38/52 Running adventures

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This week the theme has been running adventures. Firstly my commute audio book is Coasting by Elise Downing, an account of Elise’s run around Great Britain. It’s such an engaging read and one of kindness and beauty. Earlier this year I finally read the Salt Path which left me feeling somewhat disappointed, and when the revelations about the couple came out all seemed my misgivings felt justified. Fortunately this is a much better book with a feel good vibe. I would really recommend a read.

The week has been pretty quiet, the return to school continues to go well and I do feel I’ve won the class lottery with my class and staff team this year. Tuesday nights remain my favourite with a quiet night in to watch the GBBO. Strictly did start last night but I’m not so keen on the launch show so only watched bits. As from next week I will be watching it intently. I’ve no favourite so far but I’m sure after the first few weeks I’ll be routing for someone, possibly whom I wasn’t expecting!

After a quiet week, I had running adventures planned for the weekend. My read didn’t inspire it, it had been planned for a few weeks and simply complemented my audio book. After a summer at my home run, it was time for a some parkrun tourism. Now, my parkrun friend and I have done all the runs in our county we have to look further for our trips and we chose Brockenhurst as their winter course is a lovely trail run around the New Forest. We had looked at doing it before but missed it as it finished early and with their summer course being 4 laps around a school file it didn’t inspire us to visit. I am so pleased we waited as it was a wonderful course, with ponies and a stunning autumn run. It’s already on the list to return it would look beautiful in all different seasons. As it was a 90 minute journey we stopped for a parkrun faff at the most brilliant cafe, a repurposed train station near the run. It was filled with lots memorabilia and looked idyllic. The coffee and cakes were top level too!

Today I did a long run in prep of my half marathon. I’ve had a major wobble in the past few weeks about the half marathon, cue looking up the cut off time, questioning my ability etc.. Now I’ve got a Garmin, I have been more aware of my times and distances and my confidence has dropped. I run in my local area which is very hilly and now I’m working full time my runs are fitted in to when I can do them. In the last few weeks, this means I’m running in the dark which slows me down too. After a reassuring chat with a running friend last week, I decided to travel over the water and run a long run along the promenade of which part is the half marathon course. It was the right environment to do a real practice, it was a great run and suddenly I feel ready and able to run the half. It was a stunning autumn morning and there were lots of distractions on the beach, yoga, lifesaving, frisbees, volleyball. Also nothing is better than running with the sun in your face, I had the added novelty of being a foot passenger on the ferry, not many runs start and end with a ferry ride. The boys were at football so had a lazy(ish) day after.

I say lazy(ish) as I don’t really do nothing . I popped to the dump with some rubbish and at their little shop I found an ergonomic chair for £5. I’ve wanted one of these for years but could never justify the cost. It is in brilliant condition and after steaming the fabric and polishing the wood, it’s now at my desk.

Now it’s time for a quiet week before a road trip to my parents at the weekend. The autumn does seem to be full of plans.

Life lately weeks 36&37/52

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I feel that these words from Murphy’s Sketches (an excellent Instagram account) sum up the past few weeks, some days you are eeking out the last days of summer and other days you’re cuddling under the blanket watching Bake Off! It seems that you simply don’t know what day you’re going to get!

These past weeks have all been about new beginnings which have gone smoothly and so much better than we could have hoped for. It was good to actually live the life we have been anticipating and preparing for over the summer. Our son had the biggest changes with a new college, new class mates and even a new football club. He has taken it all in his stride and is appreciating the more adult environment. He also coped remarkably well when a tree branch crashed onto the taxi he was travelling in. Fortunately neither him or the driver were injured and when you see the images it’s unbelievable they both walked away unharmed.

We have tried to keep things simple at home over the past few weeks to ease ourselves into autumn. The first weekend was the traditional end of season folk festival in our town. I always like this weekend it has that special feel and with gorgeous weather it was a lovely event. I, of course, perused the craft tent and picked up some locally designed Christmas cards. They are lovely and the scenes make it easy to pick for friends. We also ended up in the pub to watch the international football, the match was a bit dull but the bar snacks were a good distraction!

The start of the school year sees both new and familiar routines. I love my Tuesday evenings watching Bake Off. My Monday nights are hectic with mum taxi duties til late so Tuesdays on the sofa always seems a little luxury. I don’t watch much tv but Bake Off and Strictly are my favourites and my tv viewing hours definitely increases in the autumn. I have also watched a 3 part series on a special school on BBC. As a SEN teacher it gave a great insight into our sector and I felt honestly reflected life in a special school, they are magical, safe places.

As it’s back to the daily commute, and it seems a route now peppered with different roadworks, I am enjoying my podcasts and audiobooks on my journeys, they keep me sane. I have listened to the Names and it is an exceptional book. I was savouring every moment to listen to it. It’s a great story about the life of a young boy according to the name he was given with 3 different versions, a sliding doors plot line. The ending is excellent but I really appreciated the attention to detail, the author’s notes on the meanings of the names of all characters, the art and culture references etc.. it’s a well researched and very clever book.

We have planned for a quiet September so we’re enjoying simply being in the season. Work and college keep us busy and the football season is in full swing, both watching our local team and for our son to play in his new team. He was at a tournament yesterday and had a great debut, he was so happy. Sometimes it’s good to simply pause and appreciate the moment.

La dolce vita, Summer 2025

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This summer has been a very special one. It’s been a summer of sunshine and heatwaves and lots of adventures. One which we will look back on and remember fondly forever.

Summer 2025 was

  • Our ‘dolce vita’ with visits to some beautiful, historic Italian cities, Rome, Genoa, Pisa and Florence.
  • The elegance and charm of Cannes, observed from La Grande Roue.
  • The Nou camp in Barcelona, a magnet for all football fans.
  • The picturesque port of Palma, simply stunning in the sunshine.
  • Fun, football and family times in Liverpool, what a fantastic city.
  • Cars, stunning grounds and sculptures at Beaulieu.
  • Bristol, the Gromit trail, girlie shopping and mooching.

We celebrated birthdays and anniversaries

  • SUP boarding and a Thai birthday meal.
  • Barbecue and birthday platters.
  • A beach hut day and fish and chips.
  • A Roman meal and a visit to the Trevi fountain and Spanish steps, places with lovely memories of our wedding.

We had adventures

  • Segways around old Genoa
  • Zip wire across the ship

We travelled by

  • Planes, ships and boats, underground, bus, coach, taxi, trains and car.
  • I ran lots, parkruns, home and away, a 5k Lighthouse loop race, half marathon training.

At home, we

  • Grew salad and vegetables, with a bumper yield of potatoes
  • Declutterred and tidied (I like being organised)
  • Admired our booming garden.
  • Got dressed up for prom and celebrated at the leaving assembly.
  • Packed away school books and memory books and said good bye to school for our children.

Our summer was really special, a transition from childhood to young adulthood in the most gorgeous sunshine and warmth with new adventures and experiences. Thank you summer 25, you rocked.

Life lately … week 35/52

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The summer of 2025 has been a wonderful time and we have tried to squeeze as much fun as possible into our break. This week was no different and with the ongoing gorgeous weather, summer seems never ending.

On Monday we went through to the neighbouring village for their summer fete. It is like stepping back in time with a tombola, raffle, coconut shy, a produce tent, live music, dog agility show, tea tent etc.. It does make for a great afternoon and the weather was superb. Our son was delighted to win a coconut and a prize for the strongman hit the bell contest. For me it’s the craft stalls and marvelling at all the flowers in the produce tent while Mr S is happy with a cup of tea and a tasty slice of homemade cake. A lovely, traditional afternoon and a perfect way to spend a bank holiday.

After a restful day on Tuesday on which I spent the day prepping for the return to school, I went up to Bristol for a few days. My main aim was to spend time with my parents as my dad gave us all a health scare earlier in the summer and help my daughter get ready for college, new stationery, ‘uniform’ for her placements and the all important bag. We had a very productive time shopping in Cabot Circus and I did the old people thing of explaining to my daughter, ooh Primark used to be John Lewis, those flats used to be a nightclub, I used to work there .. She took it all in good nature.

I really liked the mural of Made in Bristol, the photo doesn’t do justice to its scale, it’s huge and difficult to get into one photo. I spent my formative years from 14 – 31 in Bristol so do feel a great affinity to the city and always enjoy my visits. On our trips across the city, we searched out the Gromit trail and found a few of the figures around the city. I do enjoy a trail.

This week, we all had a productive Saturday, I got a parkrun PB, Mr S’ team won their game and clinched the league title and our football team had a very good win. We were all buzzing. We then finished the week with a train trip to Weymouth, it’s a nice town to potter around and as the last day of summer it seemed appropriate to be mooching around a seaside town.

Life lately week 34/52 : sunshine, sculpture and home comforts.

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After a few busy weeks in the summer holidays it was time to relax and take things a little easier this week. We pottered around at home and on one day I went down to the pier and polished my birthday plaque. I do like being on the pier, it has a great view of the town and feels a very peaceful place. We also did walks, played football on the downs and I had a big decluttering session in the porch which was very satisfying!

We are having very serious talks about a possible house move so went to the neighbouring town to look at some houses for sale, not viewings, but just to see location. Our motivation for the move is due to my husband no longer being able to drive since his brain injury and the town being conveniently placed for public transport. However we still are trying to make a decision, there’s so much to consider. Whilst we were in the town we went to the local cinema to see Naked Gun. It was watchable with predictable plot lines but amusing and not a bad way to spend an evening.

We do try and do something special each week in the holidays and this week we went to Beaulieu. Whilst it is famous for its car museum, which is impressive and interesting, I think there’s so much more to do. I was delighted to discover there was a sculpture exhibition around the house and gardens and was in my element walking around and admiring the art. I also loved the little monorail trip around the estate, so cute. Beaulieu has so much interesting history and I was really taken by the exhibition on the French resistance movement some of whom had been trained at the estate as part was requisitioned by the government during World War 2. I studied this period for my French A level and by focusing on two resistance agents in the exhibition it made it very engaging.

I have started a book this week which is having a big effect on me Let them by Mel Robbins. The premise is let them, one cannot control others’ actions or emotions, and Let me, do what I can do. It’s a fascinating read. I also bought a couple of books on a shopping trip as I had some book tokens. One is a recipe book, autumn generally makes me more creative in the kitchen and a book on fashion ‘Clothes and other things that matter’ which is next on my to read list. I went shopping whilst the boys were at the first home game of the new season. The shopping centre is close to the ground so I was able to drop and pick them up. I like the football season it gives our weekends more rhythm and structure and the boys do enjoy their little trips.

Life lately : Week 33, running, home life and Liverpool.

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This was such a busy week as we unpacked from our summer holiday, spent a few days getting organised and then went to Liverpool for a very busy couple of days. As I write this we are all relaxing and recharging after a brilliant trip away.

I seem to have done so much this week, but all of it has been very enjoyable. Last Saturday I attended a memorial service for a very special man. I knew him through running, but the service showed what an incredible and humble man he had been in all areas of his life, always there to help others and respected by so many. He had been one of the founders of our town’s running club and this was how I got to know him and his wife, whom still remains one of my running buddies. The club started about 20 years ago, and he took us newbies out and coached us to run. It was a testament to him that so many of us still love running and were there at the service. It was a beautiful, peaceful experience. It was not a sad service but one of celebrating his life, with songs, speeches and an afternoon tea, a beautiful event.

Normally we are not at home this week, as we traditionally took our summer holidays on this week. This was when I worked at a different school with slightly different holidays and it’s taken a few years to create a new schedule. This meant we were home for the first time in many years for the Lifeboat week. We took part in the annual duck race and then I ran in the Lighthouse Loop race. I generally don’t do races, so I was a bit nervous, especially as it’s hilly but I surprised myself by enjoying the experience and it’s on my to do list for next year.

This week I have also been playing with my new Garmin watch. It was my birthday present as I become more focused on my running, working towards the half in October. It is soo fancy, I haven’t worked out all the features but am loving what I have discovered. It does help that I’ve done a load of steps this week, so my stats are looking pretty decent.

Since we’ve been back from holiday, Mr S has been busy tidying up the garden and picked a whole bucket of fresh potatoes from his veggie patch. I love having home grown food on the dinner table.

After my summer holidays, I decided it was time to streamline my wardrobe and used the selling platform on Vinted. OMG, I’m impressed, I’ve sold lots this week and made a nice little pot of money which I spent on treats in Liverpool. I also won £30 on the lottery, something I very rarely do and this too went to the Liverpool pennies. Talking of looking after the pennies, I had a proper grown up meeting with a pension adviser this week too. It seems all is on plan for retirement at 60.

And so onto Liverpool which again was an epic trip. I love Liverpool, the music, football and culture. It’s one of my favourite cities and did not disappoint on this trip. As soon as the football fixtures came out and the first game was away in Liverpool during my holidays it was a no brainer that we would be going. My daughter joined us too as she too is a big fan of the city. We wanted to make the most of our time and to get there for Fri lunchtime, we had an early start, the 6.30am train which meant a 4.20am alarm call as we’re around an hour’s drive from the station. Amazingly the buzz of the city meant it’s only today, back at home that the tiredness is showing, we were full of energy in Liverpool, the vibe is contagious! After a nice lunch together we split as a group with the boys going off to Anfield and the girls to Curiosity Quarter. This is such a quirky, fun attraction, tricks, puzzles and experiments to question your senses and very worth a visit. We then did a quick reccie of the shops and pottered around, collecting a pickie tea from M&S and snacks for the morning before a quick change and out again for a night in Liverpool. The atmosphere was awesome, we headed down to Matthew Street for the live music, football and dancing and enjoyed every minute. The boys returned home excited and emotional about the match, it was a loss, but one which showed promise and hope for the coming season.

On Saturday morning, I headed to Princes park. I can’t miss the opportunity of a new parkrun. This summer has been one of trains, planes, automobiles (and ships, metro and buses) and thanks to the Mersey travel app I was at the park via the bus in good time. It was a great parkrun, flat and in a beautiful park. The walk back to the hotel with a freshly brewed cup of coffee from an indie cafe in the warm sunshine was just a wholesome moment. For the rest of the morning, the boys went over to see the new Everton stadium whilst the girls did some serious shopping. I think for the proximity, number and size of the shops, nowhere comes close to Liverpool as a shopping destination and we had a great time visiting favourite shops and making a few purchases. I bought my first Christmas present, a special souvenir of the match for my son. My Christmas 2025 planning has started! Our train was around 5pm and we rolled back home just before midnight, very happy and content with our days away.

Life lately 31&32/52 : Summer holidays

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This year we have enjoyed a wonderful holiday in the Med. Last year’s cruise was supposed to be a one off special holiday, but the pull of another cruise proved too much to resist and we combined it with some extra days in Rome. We wanted to introduce our son to a city which we love and which has many special memories as we were also married here.

Rome was as magical as ever and also very busy with the Catholic youth Jubilee taking place in the same week. It was a joyful ‘busyness’, groups of young people wandering the streets, carrying their national flags and singing, only adding to the atmosphere. The Jubilee did mean that St Peter’s Square was closed off when we tried to visit because of the crowds but we did find a few different viewpoints so we did see it. We hadn’t planned to do the Sistine chapel this time as we have seen it before and had marvelled at its beauty and been pretty awestruck. I’m not sure our 16 year old son would have had quite the same reaction so we chose to explore the Colosseum and Forum, Trevi fountain and Spanish Steps. The latter two have important wedding day memories for us, particularly as in this week we celebrated our anniversary. We also went to the Olimpico stadium for our football mad son, as both Rome teams and the national football and rugby teams play here. Our time in Rome was well planned and all bookings had been made well in advance. I had also done routes to the attractions and we easily navigated the town on foot, metro and bus to get to all the sites. Our trip only strengthened our special memories of the city, I love Rome and la dolce vita.

Our cruise departed from Civitavecchia and we had planned our transfer from Rome by train. We got a high speed train which took 45 minutes. The train was so clean, with seat reservations and very reasonable, another example of great public transport. As we had taken the high speed train, our fare doubled as the journey time halved, however it was still less than £10 a head. One can’t help compare to our train network and prices, we need better, more affordable public transport.

This year, we cruised with MSC and I cannot fault the company. I actually think this was a better cruise than P&O last year, yes there are things which each do better but on the whole I preferred the MSC experience. There was so much to do on the ship and the aquapark was magnificent, I enjoyed the slide boarding slide, as it was enclosed. I was too nervous to do an open slide as I was scared that I would fling out and land in the sea! The enclosed slide was much safer and comfortable. I also loved the zip wire across the boat, I did it twice as you got a wonderful view at a gentle pace.

We had five brilliant stops on this cruise. In Mallorca and Barcelona, we visited the football stadiums and had a tour, or as the Nou camp is being rebuilt a visit to an immersive museum. Both were really interesting in their own way, Barcelona is iconic, whereas the community culture and smaller stadium at Mallorca felt more like our local club. I really enjoyed walking around Palma after our visit, such a pretty city. Cannes was our one day without a plan, just to potter around the town and explore. We loved Cannes, it is gorgeous and the perfect place to mooch around. I went on the Ferris wheel, which has become a bit of a tradition, I can’t resist a big wheel and the views were excellent. We also had a lovely al fresco lunch and I enjoyed using my French around the town. Our day in Genoa was another real highlight as we did a Segway tour of the old town. The Segways were brilliant and as the town is mainly pedestrianised my worries about crashing into vehicles and every other worst case scenarios were not realised. The Segways were so much fun and our tour guide so interesting, I really felt I got to know lots about the town. Our final day was on a tour billed quiet rightly as a bucket list excursion, firstly to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and yes we did the pushing the tower photos and then onto Florence. I though Florence was such a beautiful city and a special way to end the cruise.

This felt a very special holiday, one in which we explored, relaxed, played, reminisced and created new memories. Now to choose (and save) for next year’s holiday.

Five things this week 30/52

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This has been a reset and refresh week with the end of the school year and a few days to prepare for our Italian adventure. This was the name I gave to my holiday Spotify playlist, I like to have a playlist for our holidays, a mix of songs linked to our holidays and current hits. We have some lovely playlists of past holidays, they’re a great memento. I have also been doing all the research for our trip and have lists and notes in my little notebook, from metro routes for our itineraries to what to see in the different cities we visit.

I was at work for the first two days of the week, as we had two training days. They were good days, some mandatory training but also allocated time to prepare for September. I left work feeling organised and ready for the year ahead. I will still do some work over the holidays but I don’t feel that I’ll be catching up but working on some projects for the upcoming year. I like this part of my job, being creative and curious. It was also very nice to switch off all my alarms on Tuesday, that’s all except Saturday’s parkrun alarm. Over the years I have become a morning person and even without the alarms I was still awake at my normal time most of the week. It’s just nice to potter downstairs, have a cup of tea and just relax into the day.

Although I only had two days at work , I was very focused on finishing the excellent Blue Sisters as an audiobook on my commute. This is such a good book and one to recommend. It’s a story which focuses on the present day but with flashbacks you understand how the sisters’ characters developed. I also really appreciated the epilogue ten years later to tie up the loose ends.

It was another family birthday this week and we had a beach hut for the day. It was a simple celebration, the day on the beach, a lovely paddle and then a chippie supper from our favourite fish and chip shop. Is there anything more seaside than having chips on the beach?

It was great to have a few prep days after term ended and I have had a manicure and pedicure, a new haircut and other treatments. When I had the pedicure I sat in a massage chair which was bliss, I’ve never had a pedicure before but my feet are so smooth and pretty I can’t imagine not having another now.

Everything is now packed and we’re ready for our flight tomorrow. We’re staying near the airport so there’s not a long journey tomorrow. I am so looking forward to dropping off our luggage and heading off to the shops and bar. There’s something very exciting about the anticipation of a flight.