TeamChallis: Week 9. Film premiers and pre-birthday fun

Week 9. Film premiers and pre-birthday fun

The flowers in our garden have been blooming for a good while now - but there are some real favourites going for it at the moment. I love the big, fussy peony's and roses, and Mark's favourites are the poppies. So throughout the week I have been taking pictures and I throw them in here with no further explanation 😄.

Tuesday was our field trip day, as is now tradition. The excitement around this mainly centers on the food I think, but still 😀...today it was the Tate Britain.

In the afternoon, Bunnykins and I embarked on filming for her Sullvanian's movie. She had been planning it last week - working out the plot, music, characters and costumes. After a bit of artistic disagreement regarding what were suitable expectations to put on the location manager (me) regarding finding a suitable place and road to film a road trip scene... we began filming.

My job was to take the pictures while Bunnykins worked with the talent and directed the action.

After the road trip scenes, we set up the beach scene.

And then the forest chase scenes:

It was a lot of material. I got it downloaded from my phone and into video editor ready for Bunnykins later in the week.

Wednesday mornings I run generally. Not far, just a couple of times around the park, then have a walk. This morning was beautifully misty. The air was heavy and hard to run in. But the park looked delightful. I love this big old red tree by the bandstand and how it just spreads out protectively.

In the afternoon we filmed the final scenes, which then turned into a celebration party for the actors involved.

I finished work at 4pm after a conference call. The cafe in the park was back open for the first time today, so Mark popped out to get me my first decaf mocha in ages. I set out to meet Ben, full of delight in the spring air - with my delicious drink.

That delight soon turned to something like terror - I had decided to walk along the cycle path. This picture must have been taken at the only 30 seconds when the path wasn't crammed with groups of people and cyclists whizzing past.

I was so glad to finally catch sight of Ben, and find a way off the path to a quieter (even if very sunny) side road with bench.

We talked and talked and talked. It is hard to remember sometimes how easy it is to talk to someone face to face without time delay and with a clear view of their face and reactions and without the volume effects that happen when one person speaks over another. It was boiling, but I could have happily stayed there all evening. Especially as my feet were really sore! I have been barefoot pretty much the last 2 months. I had just chucked on some daps with no socks - my feet had got sweaty and having forgotten how it is to be inside shoes - by the time I was home - I was covered in blisters 😖. Still it was worth it.

It was sad to see him disappearing off into the distance. Goodbyes at the moment feel so drastic and dramatic.

Thursday morning I was back on the deck for my morning yoga. It was a really lovely temperature - I know I am always say "I love this" and "I love that", but I do. I really appreciate and cherish having these things in my life like a lovely place to be.

I noticed as well that the girl's strawberries are starting to form, but mainly I was just entranced by the light.

At lunchtime we were all admiring the roses that are blooming by the greenhouse. They have a deep, soapy, blousy scent that seems unreal. Woo was checking them out. I thought it rather reminded me of a pre-raphaelite vision. Woo isn't happy with her hair at the moment (though she won't let me cut it), but I look at her regularly and she seems like she has just wafted out of a painting.

In the afternoon, Bunnykins and I got on with some editing. She was particularly excited about adding all the effects...again artistic differences about whether or not some random Christmas ornaments enhanced the story... but she is the director and made some changes to the dialogue to make sure they fit seamlessly in.

We checked the run through against the script and then it was time to record dialogue...some pretty super voice work even if I say so myself... and then it was ready and time for a red carpet (pink towel) gala opening event.

(with snacks)

The finished work:

Thursday evening is ukulele lesson time. Struggles with the WiFi had me downstairs in the back room, feeling a bit lacklustre but I did still have fun.

how can i help it?! 😀...

On Friday Mark and Jason had coordinated over us having a joint cream tea lunch. Well done chaps!!

After a slight hiccup when ours got delivered next door - we were soon tucking in. It was all delicious.

And there were lots of leftovers 👍😋

In the afternoon Woo wanted some help with filming for a school puppetry project. The production on this was a little more relaxed.

But still a very fine result:

A lovely surprise was to have Shanta pop by to deliver some excess fabrics she had from clearing out her craft stash. I just wanted to run over and hug her, especially not having seen her for months and months. We talked for a good while.

Then hardly ten minutes after going in, the doorbell rang again and it was my beautiful Claire. I wanted to cry with joy for seeing her as I have been so worried about her. She had Covid-19 back in March and has continued to be unwell with other difficult and mysterious symptoms. She had come to drop off a birthday present and was looking really well. I wanted to give her such a hug. We talked and talked (we have a good habit of doing that!) I could have carried on into the evening, but was worried about her getting tired, so reluctantly had to shoo her away! 😄😍

My beautiful flowers and prosecco from Claire:

Saturday morning I had a mind to make a couple more masks. I got on with that first thing and Bunnykins came to join me. I love having her company in the craft room. She gets on very independently with her own thing and just chats about options or asks my opinion about a next step. She has great ideas and is really able to get on with executing things well now.

The day was blustery. I wanted to make a bit more progress on the mural and this was a good day for it.

Woo came and asked for an easy painting job. I got her set up.

Then Bunnykins joined. They painted long enough for a few pictures (about 5 minutes) before getting tired and fed up.

So I tidied up and carried on.

Getting the big lumps of blue colour on the wall was very satisfying.

Bunnykins, undeterred by the windy weather wanted to camp out in the garden. Mark braved the blustery weather to read to her.

Sunday morning is yoga with Pippa. While supposed to be relaxing and mindful and in the moment...i decided to take a selfie...I guess I have a way to go to being a true yogi 😂

At 4pm was the weekly Mummies call. The first 10 minutes are always technological chaos (though somehow Mush and I always manage to get on with our faces showing - the right way up - and able to hear...😂)

Woo was busy in the kitchen making a present for me.

It was some yummy fruit bread (I am still enjoying it now, just having a slice as I write this).

We had a takeaway for tea as I had planned a birthday quiz with all my besties.

Again, 10 minutes of technological chaos 😂... but then it was so lovely to see them all. There was Hannah and Jason (with cameo appearances from Martha), then Claire, Max and Scott. Stella, Peter, Ted and Mathilda joined. And then finally our quizmaster Ben made his grand entrance after battling the technological demons.

He'd created different rounds including a Barton, Brum and Bris' round. A great picture round on chocolate bars that he'd hilariously lost the answers to 😂 and a video round. We all loved it. And it was just so nice to see all their beautiful faces - I love these people so much. Their friendship means the world to me, especially as I feel rather depleted on family these days.

Mark had made me a cherry bakewell rather than a traditional birthday cake - cos frankly - that's what I like! It was delicious, I did feel guilty not being able to share - sorry guys!

I should just leave you to guess what is happening here 😂 but Mark and Max were having something of a mask competition.

Monday was a bank holiday. I should have got on with this blog then, but I completely forgot. I wanted to have a day in the garden with such good weather. Bunnykins was waking up from another night in the tent - I think she pretty much wants to move out there.

I enjoyed some of Woo's lovely bread for my breakfast while sat out on the bench.

Woo and Bunnykins came out too, the day was looking beautiful.

Mark and I ran round the house ticking off all the normal Monday chores. I cleaned the bathrooms, kitchen and door furniture. Normally I would hoover too, so it was nice to have Mark doing that. Quick mop and then I was ready to set myself up on the deck.

I asked Mark to take some pictures as I had decided to put on a skirt that I made ages ago. The fabric came from a stash that Deirdre gave me yonks back. Mark doesn't remember seeing anything be made with it, so who knows where it was from, but the print is all 70s.

I had made it I can't remember when. I loved this fabric. But after making it I was too afraid to wear it. It was too bold and crazy. I was glad I had kept it. It had come close to going out during a prosecco evening clear-out with Hannah and Leyla a few years back - but I kept it. It was a bit loose on me now, but I had cleverly added belt loops at the time, so I dug out a belt and felt very comfortable with it. Only criticism I could level at my previous self was lack of pockets - otherwise I was very impressed with the work on it. I chose a white t-shirt to keep it calm, and my favourite; clash with everything earrings. I didn't mind that no-one was seeing it - not because I was afraid this time - I would have paraded proudly wherever you like - but just because I felt good for me.

I look like my Mum.

Then it was time for reading. I managed to finish my book finally which was a really interesting work about the history and politics of sewing. Not something I would have picked myself, but I was really fascinated by it. John had picked it for me for Christmas and it was a really good choice. Sewing is a heavily gendered activity; sometimes elevated to an art, sometimes used in protest, sometimes degraded to a frippery or comoditised into kit or uniform sampler form. Sewing is a form of expression, whether artistic, political, or entirely personal. We clothe ourselves, we clothe others, we sew functional objects and objects only created to communicate. We add detail and colour and meaning through every stitch and colour decision. I really get that.

The girls embraced the concept of a lazy day and mainly hung out together in Bunnykin's tent. It was lovely to see them both outside and getting on.

Mark busied himself around, but did eventually come to join me.

Then after a BBQ and more lazing about, it was time to get Bunnykins tucked into her little garden hobbit hole...

So this morning, well the whole of today even...is my birthday. I went for a run and returned to my favourite breakfast.

I had a nice little pile of presents to open.

Including a scarf for Jennifer! Jennifer is my doll from when I was little who Bunnykins now looks after. When I showed some surprise - she did point out that I often get things for her rabbits and bears at her birthday and Christmas - so fair is fair certainly!

She had also crafted me some lovely pear earrings - so I certainly can't complain!

Bunnykins and I took a walk around the park and to get a drink at the hatch. It was lovely out there, but quite busy already so we didn't stay long.

Another lovely present by the door when we returned, from Sally. Thank you!!

I took my coffee to sit on the bench a while. I was feeling a little teary - I'm afraid birthdays do that to me - I'm not really a big fan. I've had some pretty rotten birthdays in the past and I've had some great ones. I think it's the expectations and concerns about whether people care about you and I just get too overwhelmed with things and feel sorry for myself and then feel crap for feeling sorry for myself. So tbh I'd rather skip the actual birthday day - do nice things with the people I love and then sleep right through the day itself. But then Bunnykins came to join me on the bench, she just sat quietly by my side reading a St Clare's book. The feeling of peace she brought was good. I tried to be mindful a while and that helped.