Malawi & More

 Oh how quickly the new term rolls around, I've spent the majority of the week on school focused work. But before that , the last few days in Gorleston were lovely and the sun did its best to shine for us. Saturday did get predictably messy and fun. We sort of tried to be sensible with cake first but very quickly the pims and aperol spritz came out. The boys gatecrashed our afternoon and then after some pizza the Jacobsberg ones and I went back to the Thirsty Crow and danced  the night away. Evidence on Facebook I'm told!   Surprisingly I didn't have too thick a head in the morning and woke to the knowledge that mum was going to do a roast very much helped. and  I very much enjoyed the Sunday lunch. I hadn't realised how much I was craving one. Sunday didn't feel complete as a child until we had had dad's roast and I certainly miss them. In those 3 days we did lots more walking about, the most of it on Monday when we ...

I'm so very sad to start my this week with bad news. You may recall me mentioning my wonderful friend Daren. I found out this week that he took his own life on Sunday. I tend to write bits of my week as I go along and was tempted to delete everything but I've decided to keep the days before I knew, in, and the ones after in too. Daren never wanted to cause anyone any pain and so I know he must have been overwhelmed by his own. I can confidently say though that he would want us all to do all we can to be happy and to enjoy life.  Having arrived at the massive and beautiful house the day before our Saturday was to be an adventure day. We, 10 of the 12, set off for a half day canoeing. Health and safety very much in place, and after a fairly long talk on the journey ahead of us (a very sedate route that you could't actually divert from) we all set off in our pairs. Life jackets on, of course, how different from Malawi. The water was very gentle and serene. Lots of ducks, swans...

I've been monitoring my step count using my phone, and as I don't actually carry it everywhere I go it's not completely accurate but I did smile at the 56 steps I did on Saturday. I had an uneventful day with lovely Joe popping in for a cuppa, reading a little, a little house work and a bit of pootling in the garden, making food and not a lot more.  For Sunday we set off to meet the Robinsons at the pools in Hampstead Health. London really is beautiful in places, this part fully gentrified with well looked after homes and shops. The mainly green surroundings were a little yellow with the lack of rain, but still beautiful and expansive. The water was brown but the sun was shining so brightly and the high trees moving out any sound of traffic, it was like we'd left London completely. I'd done the chain, cost under my dress and so simply whipped that off and was asked a sensible question from Adam, 'don't you have goggles?' nope - breast stroke rather than ...

Do you love me for what I look like Or for who I am?  Offff That's and changed 

 A suggested that our Saturday London trip should be to Camden. Good call... I had the most amazing Yorkshire pudding made into a wrap with roast potatoes, leek and cauliflower filling. You have to try one. Bought myself some lovely earrings and we were able to show the Currens lovely bits of London, the energy of Camden along with the varying views of the canal with little bits of pubs thrown in. We ended up at the peak of Primrose Hill for the view. Ryan and Julia set off to the jazz cafe and we headed home. Sunday was a gentle start, pottering about the house happily together and then to a farmer's market the younguns hiring a pedalo, Julia and I sipping a can while the men did some frisbee. The intended a pub crawl was more crawling than pub which was after we saw the end of some frisbee. It was still lovely to see more of our city in this way, wandering around parts I hadn't seen before or for years.  The expedition of the next day was to be a country walk, off to Broxbou...

  After he'd done even more DIY BigA and I dropped M at the tube station and then he drove us the longish journey to see a couple of people we met in Malawi at a BBQ at his sister's house. All very pleasant, I met their baby. We when super close but it was nice to catch up and see them out of the African setting. And then the drive back when BigA resumed some DIY. I watched TV.  We won't see M for the summer now, feels a bit strange to not have her around. She's in France now but almost wasn't because she forgot to take her passport. Luckily she realised the day before do A and I set off to Bedford to drop it off  A 3 hour round trip but we were happy to help. Getting back in time for A to head off to post volleyball with a newish and very good friend called Selen.  A has been so impressive with her volunteering that they've offered her paid shifts at the Hub as assistant manager (apparently there are a few of them but still very impressive.) agreed only got a c...