The days have slipped into weeks and they’ve been full of activities and events. I’m trying to use the word ‘busy’ less; it’s rather bland and non descriptive don’t you think ?
So, I’ll attempt a little more detail. I recently joined a book group and last month met a group of new ladies who I immediately fell into conversation with. We’re all a similar age and lubricated with a glass of wine we were soon all chatting away about all the sort of things that ladies do talk about and we did actually discuss the book too – An Amateur Marriage which was an odd sort of book in that it’s very essence was that not much happened; very subtle and yet it has stayed with me.
Chess went to see One Direction with some friends. They got the train up to London together and seemed to enjoy themselves, although the journey home does always rather take the shine off an event like that. Adding in the fact that in the year since we bought the ticket she’s rather less interested in them and has in her words ‘grown up and moved on’ !
I attended a surprise birthday party for a friends husband which was lovely. There were about 30 of us crammed in to their living room waiting for him to arrive home and I was touched by how much effort she’d put in to organising food, drink and people.
Chess took part in a school trip to The Somme, needing to be at school by 03:20. We live about a mile away so we walked. My thinking was that firstly I didn’t want to faff with getting the car out of the garage and that if she was to spend hours on a coach then it might be a good idea to have some fresh air and a walk first. It was lovely out; it was Friday 13th and with a Full Moon which I took to be auspicious. At the school there was some degree so chaos as all other parents drove, blocking the streets and probably waking all the local residents, but we slipped by it all, enjoying the balmy air and the glow of the moon.
The walk home was lovely too, I love seeing The Broadway – our local shopping area – at night, the trees are lit up and look so beautiful 
I loved the fact that behind me the full moon was shining and ahead of me the sun was just coming up, I felt very privileged to be witnessing this and all alone too.
Teenagers don’t do well with early starts so the day after her trip she was happy to take to the sofa and watch tv while I joined another bbq party and consequently resolved to NEVER drink Jack Daniels again. I never have, but as the wine had run dry and the party was still in full swing, it seemed a good idea a the time. It wasn’t. That stuff does not agree with me and I spent the whole of the next day feeling extremely ill, pathetic and sorry for myself and only perked up after a cobbled together fry up.
Work has been more intense than usual as people have been on holidays so I’ve been covering their work. I don’t mind at all but it has meant late nights and a lack of energy. There have been meetings an exhibitions at the school so when last weekend arrived and we had no plans at all other than Chess’s usual riding lesson, it was something of a relief. After, as she did the teenage thing on the sofa, I finished up the chores, the ironing and then went outside to cut the ‘grass’. Both sets of neighbours were out so it was beautifully peaceful and reminded me why I used to enjoy living here so much.
Although it’s still a bit messy and haphazard, there are some lovely flowers in the garden.
I love the detail on these geraniums 
Once I’d put the mower away I had a wander to see what else was lurking and was so excited to discover that Connie and Victoria have really settled in. They started off looking like this :
But have grown and blossomed and are now bearing real fruit !
I’m hoping they’ll be ready for picking when the lovely Cheery Jenni @ acheerfullivingadventure comes to visit later in the summer. I have plans to raid her knowledge ( and extraordinary strength and stamina) for help with planting the herb garden. Ok, ‘garden’ is a bit grand for what will essentially be a little group of herbs scattered amongst rocks in a home-made circle, but still… it will be grand to have one !
Saturday night passed uneventfully and alcohol-free with just a visit from the pizza delivery man and we were just a bit engrossed with the football. I’ve never been much of a fan, believing our national players to be grossly overpaid for very poor performances. What, are they the bankers of the sport world ? Do a rubbish job and yet still earn an obscene amount of money hmmmmm.
However, we have a sweepstake at work and I drew Costa Rica, Colombia, Italy and France. There’s a potential £32 to be won and that buys a lot of bacon rolls from the newly discovered fab chef at the pub over the road. I’m drawing on my ancestral French blood ( quite a long way back on my Grandmothers side, mais je parle un peu, bien sur) and the fact that I do like their kit and Thierry Henri is solely responsible for the car I drive, both he and it have both a certain Va Va Voom indeed !
Anyway, Sunday dawned and we spent the day mainly in the garden again. We ate baguettes stuffed with cheese, tomato and basil, dusted off our badminton set and leaped about enthusiastically (not particularly elegantly I admit but still, we were keen) for about 2 hours. Eventually we succumbed to the heat and it was time for the essential summer treat of strawberries and ice cream 
I then finished off the very last of the Bombay Sapphire and as it’s another week until payday, it’ll be a dry week !
peppermintpot 