Liverpool Love

 Mum and I popped off to Tesco to get things for the planned roast dinner the next day. Then home to leftovers lunch and watched the sky turn grey and the clouds gather for the miserable rain of autumn. 

After utilizing the free hour or so of electricity we braved the weather to head out to do more shopping. Happily the sun decided to shine and after a fairly successful shop we met with Joanna - on her second trip out post her most recent surgery - for drinks. She looked so good, but we both know that you might look fine on the outside but your body is so very far from healed. She's amazing and I was overjoyed to be there, laughing and sharing life. BigA joined us a bit later and we had a lovely bit of food in the pub we got married in. Bus back and a good film, but hard hitting so we watched an old Taskmaster to cheer us up before bed and the clocks changing. 

Awake at my usual time I did a few quizzes before getting up to make the Yorkshire pudding batter and had a cuppa, looking out over my beautiful garden, we saw a woodpecker in it the day before. I took mum up a cup of tea and then we got ready for mass. After having a chat with God we walked the short distance to Debbie and Dan's new gaff and then back home for more tea and TV before cooking the Sunday roast. And very nice it was, along with an apple crumble courtesy of the apples from Margaret. We were full to bursting. 

We headed to Ally Pally the next morning and wandered around, cuppa there and then into Crouch End - lots of places shut but good to stretch our legs and for mum to see bits of London. That evening I made one of my dad's best dishes. Sulamans pilaf. Never quite to his standard but not bad. 

After mum set off home the next morning we headed to Rugby for a lovely lunch, trip to Aldi and evening meal in the warmth of D and M's. BigA also got a decent hair cut. Then the day I've been looking forward to for the 6 weeks since we left her, off to Liverpool. I was greeted with a fantastic cuddle and a quick tour of her home for her grandparents before going for a lunch close by and meeting up with J and M. After that it was time to collect the keys for the large and excellent Airbnb on floor 5 of a building near by. Very spacious. Then we had a wander around the lights of Liverpool before a pint and another fancy meal. A didn't want to go back to her student accommodation that night and so, having found another set of bedding she decided to stay which meant in the morning we got a lovely cuddle in bed with the tea BigA brought us. These moments are the ones I miss the most. I speak to get often but you can't really replace the joy of cuddles. I even miss the punches on the arm for the game - yellow car. 

Our next morning was a trip to the massive cathedral right next to A's uni, then into L itself to see her studio. Great to see and be in the place she spends so much time and we had jacket potatoes in their cafeteria. Back to the flat for a cuppa, more cuddles and to rest up a little before going to a vegan place, Down the Hatch for dinner. I had a totally vegan Donna kebab. My cousin Liam joined us for that bit and us young things (he's 62) went into A's favourite local for a couple before bed. It's a great city, this bit is compact and full of interesting buildings and places. 

On our final day in Liverpool we set off to look around the Catholic Cathedral, a beautiful circular space with a range of art around the edges and small chapel areas, the colourful and abstract stained glass adds to a sense of joy and nature. A and I lit a candle and I said a prayer. Then we went to a pub like all good Catholics should do. It was a pricy place so we moved into a Canadian brunch place and I had a huge amount of scrambled eggs. And all too quickly it was time to leave. I was happy that on her way was M who is spending the weekend there. BigA did the stop start drive been to R and then we had fish and chips. And despite the long day we agreed to head home. We arrived to gas vans outside and worried we might have the same situation Dan & Debbie had earlier in the week but happily for us the leak is over the road and not right outside our door. The cats were happy to see us and I unpacked and then into bed. 

So a very busy and full week, with love and cuddles. Missing them already. 

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