Malawi & More

I very much wish I could have slept longer this morning. I don't know how to turn on the kettle without waking BigA up!  Life feels good right now and I'm letting myself indulge in the joy of that. But I do really want a cup of tea. (We're away - I'm not being mad) BigA and I both woke up annoyingly early on Saturday last week but only he had to actually get up as he had an appointment at Moorfields. (All going well with his eye now being monitored) He brought me a cup of tea and so I could at least stay put for a bit. After I'd had breakfast I decided to tick off some bits on my things to do list, one was doing some on foot research into local launderettes for my roller derby team. Once he got back we headed off to meet up with J, M and J to watch a charity comedy football match in Chesham. It was lots of fun and very silly. Seeing people who are proper famous for being funny being not very good at football was well worth the drive. I think my favourite rule was th...

After a little house tidy I went off to meet a pal who I have now known for over 15 years, funny how some people stick and others don't. We usually see each other in rapid succession for a few months and then there is a massive gap in-between. And, as is the way with friendships like that, it felt as if no time had passed at all as we sat in his garden and chatted about teaching these days and our daughters who have almost finished their first year at uni. We wandered into Muswell Hill where I was greeted with a "Miss" and after a great felt cuddle this old student and I enjoyed a good old catch up. Then I went home because despite thinking I was feeling better I was starting to feel rough again and needed to rest in the comfort of my own home. Bloody colds. Sunday I did the rookies session, wobbly though. But I'm glad I went because, despite me having to blow my nose a lot I did a good job considering I really am not ready for full contact yet.  My working week was a...

  Today is special - it's my dad's anniversary for a start but also the day my sister does another wonderful thing.  She does wonderful things often by the way. Some big, some small and today, one of the big ones.. so if you want donate here if you haven't already.  Her rather lovely husband is also doing this one!  And so to my week, less impressive.  We took a drive out to Coton Manor garden with a short stop off at a garden centre and the local reservoir that was on the way. The garden was part of a private home, very beautiful. And showed me how plants I have in my garden might one day be. The weather was warm and welcoming, they had various farm animals near and about and a delightful bluebell wood, that although on its way out was still a lush carpet of the blue lilac of that spring flower.  We then spent a gentle afternoon together and a quiet evening by the fire. The next morning, after a very tasty breakfast we set off back to London for, mainly As...

  Saturday was a joyous day. My lovely husband wandered down the high street with me to encourage me to try on almost every dress in the one good womens clothes shop on Gorleston high street and in the end I bought a great outfit for my niece's birthday party.  We did then go into a retro shop and got a few more things, followed by a rather lovely lunch and then a lay down in the sun in mum's garden before getting ready for the party. Oh and it was so lovely. We all looked fabulous, I think we made for a very attractive family. Perhaps not quite as attractive as our first taxi driver looked, sounded and smelled. He was like the lead love interest in a Jilly Cooper novel. The party was full of laughing, drinking, loud music of mostly us older ones era and then of course, dancing. My sister was on top social form, hosting brilliantly and getting everyone on the dance floor at some point and because I was surrounded with people I love and love me I went for it but oooff my feet d...

Despite not getting enough sleep, I woke up on Saturday feeling productive which I put down to the sun rising into blue skies and so I spent my morning in the garden. It brings me so much joy and with each week more grows up again. Once BigA returned from frisbee I had an unsuccessful trying on of dresses and felt rather disheartened by dresses that, to be fair are older than the children I teach, not quite fitting and had a little cry. But I was cheered quickly by my lovely husband telling me he'd booked us a get away for our anniversary. That afternoon we wandered over to D's passing the football fans off to watch Tottenham fight for their place, and then we all walked through the Tottenham marshes to meet up with other pals for what turned into a long and very fun night in the brewery zone in Waltham Forest. It seemed extraordinary that there are so many places serving drinks in Warehouses - strange and lovely all at the same time. We met a very kind Israeli barman who was s...

 Post holiday blues are real, I tried hard to fend it off by doing stuff, but after mum left on Saturday I just slouched about for a while with very little motivation to get on with the day. It didn't help that it was cloudy and cold. But after a bit of sorting A and I went out for lunch and we watched a silly film and once she left I played some tunes recommended by my pals.  On Sunday I decided I would head to the rookies skating having woken up really early. New job nerves kicking in big time. I spent a bit of the day going over my plans for the first week. Mindful of the importance of setting the right tone. I didn't do much skating and skills, but enough to feel useful and to have moved my body a bit. The plan after the session was to go to the pub to chat to the new skaters and give them a chance to ask questions and hopefully persuade them to sign up for the full 10 weeks. I treated myself to a very nice pizza, not expecting to eat it all - but managed. There I had a ve...