Week 27 - End of the sunshine

I haven't been blogging every day, like I was previously, so already as I try to write a bit on Wednesday, it is rather more hazy...

Monday

I wasn't feeling up to a run home, but my cold definitely felt pretty much over. My nose was clear - just a bit of chesty-ness (whatever that is!). I spent much of the day filling in the application form for the Leeds job, while also doing a few other things like sorting out flu jabs for me and Woo. Bunnykins will get hers through school and Mark can wander around the corner to sort his. 

After picking up Bunnykins from school I whizzed round with the cleaning and then got the tea on. It was a really pleasant evening so we sat outside. 

Then it was over to Geoff's for a UkuleleLand practice. He has a lovely big garden and conservatory over Wick way. I sat out in the garden with Ben - very comfy in the big chair under the umbrella. It was a very mild and still evening - a no pegs evening...which is a technical ukulele term 😜

We had a go at a new song for us - I know him so well, from Chess. I think it will be good. But it was rather nerve wracking duetting on this one with Naomi as she is seriously good at singing. Well, I will do my best.

Tuesday

Walked Bunnykins to school and then walked across to meet Mush. We came up to the park and met Sharon and Sally again. The skies were blue and we really did make the most of the last of the sun as we sat in the sensory garden chatting. 

I went back for lunch with Mark, then we walked out to get a coffee. In the afternoon I had a go at some weeding in the back garden. The sky was getting increasingly threatening, but I managed to get it done and the washing stayed out on the line. 

Wednesday

The rain arrived and looks set to stay a little while. Bunnykins and I walked to school. She was dead set against wearing a raincoat. We met Ursula and the twins on the way (sensibly in their raincoats). I walked back up with Ursula having a good chat. I had dressed to run, but didn't feel that my chest would benefit just yet from gulping in the colder air. 

Back home I did my yoga, which was quite tough, even just the 10 minute one. I feel the effects of not doing it for a week. 

I had some things to sort for Bunnykins birthday, and started having a little look at possible holiday places for 2021. But mainly I was working on the application for Leeds. 

Thursday

I dressed again for running, but thought better of it. Walked home and did some yoga - which felt a bit better than yesterday. Got on with all the normal stuff and the application.

Got Bunnykins from school and set up to receive Ben on our near deck. It was a clear and brisk evening, but it was calm, which was good, (but it was still very cold). We played some of the trickier songs from the UkuleleLand set and worked a bit on a couple of new songs.

Meanwhile inside, Bunnykins was attending some virtual open evenings. The promise of snacks had been necessary to get her to get involved. When I went in, she turned and smiled and told me that she was watching, but not learning anything. To be fair to her, the presentations didn't seem especially riveting. We are fortunate in that we did the important open evenings last year when she was year 5. And tbh, the school that Woo is in, is such a good school (and has a sibling rule) - the decision is all but made, but I would like her to feel that she has had an opportunity to explore possibilities and contribute to the decision. I think alot of parents and children will be struggling with the need for virtual open evenings rather than real ones this year - but what else can be done?

I went back out and Ben and I continued to layer up...looking more and more like a pair of hobos. 

I got a candle going which added a nice ambience...but would be an optimistic source of heat 😄.

My other solar lights came on about 7:30pm and I was pleased with them. 

Friday

I didn't want to spend all day at my laptop, so when I got back from walking Bunnykins to school, I got on with completing my cv, and making sure I had all the sections completed in the application. The application still needs some work, but this was the milestone for the day. I got that sorted by lunch. Then after lunch I sat by the back door for an hour to read some relevant journal papers. At 2pm I joined Ben's ukulele group by Skype, then it was time to get Bunnykins. 

It is important to make some time in my day to relax and find some happiness and contentment. There is a lot going on right now. Happiness isn't going to come from having all my family relationships fixed and mended, people's illnesses are not going to be magically fixed, it's not going to come from finding a super job, it won't come at some point in the future when I get everything lined up and just right. I can find it right now in 10 minutes of peace, sitting looking at my begonias. It can come from enjoying the company of a true friend, or having the time to read a good book, or feeling joy and pride in what beautiful souls my girls are. It is found in those moments, right when they are happening. To be happy, those moments need to be lived and appreciated as they are, and like having a battery charged - those moments are enough to keep you going on through to the next. 

The meal plan for Friday was American dinner. Mainly motivated by having a pack of BBQ jackfruit that needed eating up - but that Bunnykins was refusing - so it would need to be a side dish. 

Boris, Terry, Shenequa and Gentle Rabbit DJ-ed for us as I cheffed up a storm of convenience food. More happiness - I knew what I was cooking, I had a tasty glass of wine, music playing. My girls were glad to see each other and chittering about their days. Bunnykins and I had a dance to Hammer time - (which actually is really about her - people just tend to mispronounce it Hammer...). 

It was not a feast for the eyes, but it certainly filled our tums. It was all veggy. The burgers were Plant Pioneer ones, which are actually rather good - certainly when covered with BBQ jackfruit, coleslaw and cheese. Mark had got us some curly fries too and onion rings. 

Mark then made us milkshakes and we had a cherry pie before settling down to watch Ocean's 11 together. 

Saturday

The main plan for the day was to make some grape jelly. Our grape vine was full of fruit this year. They are seeded grapes but edible. The plant was teeming. We all started out picking before I went in to start preparing. 

As they brought me more and more grapes I started to feel like the guy who is pushing something up the hill - maybe it's his grapelike eyeballs - only to have them pecked by earwigs or eagles or something and then he's at the bottom of the hill again....I have possibly mangled my myths...but there were a lot of bloody grapes.

Bunnykins came in to help and bravely dealt with the many creepy crawleys who had hitched a ride. After a while, Mark and Woo had stripped the plant and came in. Woo back to her homework and Mark to join me in de-graping the bunches....

The grapes needed a two step process - first cook and mash to release all the juices and then strain.

Before the doing the jam making process on the strained liquid.

By the time the jam was made I was flipping exhausted. 

At about 3:30pm I went up for a shower and to get ready. Mark took the girls out for a walk to the sunset spot.

It took an inordinately long time to decide what I was going to wear. I do have lots to choose from...this may be the source of the problem 😄.

As I was rushing around getting into a flap with deciding clothes, the girls had come home and were telling me something that I didn't quite appreciate at first (I did make sure to tell them how proud I was of them both on Sunday). It turned out that Bunnykins had done some English creative writing work at school and part of the success criteria information they were given was some quotes of the kind of writing they might want to emulate. The quotes were lifted directly from work that Woo had written (in year 5 I think). "As soon as I stepped into the wood a sense of magic came over me. Bits of dandelion were floating in the air that looked like fairy dust." I remember at the time how moved her teacher had been about the work. It was a descriptive piece about a woodland setting.  And here they were 3 or 4 years later - quoting it. Not only that, but the work that Bunnykins had then written based on this was beautiful too. "Dandelions lifted by the wind floated and danced like fairies"

Woo's original work:

Bunnykins:

At about 5pm I walked down to meet Hannah, Jackie and Lynne at the Mezze. Hannah had suggested a girl's night out a few weeks previous, and I was happy to be involved. Jackie and Lynne have been Hannah's closest friends for a long time, she knows them through work. Mark and I joined them and their husbands with Hannah and Jason to celebrate Hannah's 40th last year at Celtic Manor. It was a great weekend - they made us feel very welcome and we had lots of fun.

For this night out, Hannah had wanted to glam up. Now me, I would wear a ballgown on the school run, so this isn't a problem. Hannah is a jeans and boots girl really. She would like to try other things but often lacks confidence. It doesn't bother me that she wants to dress down - everyone should be free to make their own choices - I just feel sad if it is because someone doesn't feel they can or should wear something that they want to. Anyway, I was delighted to see her in a dress - she looked lovely and I was really pleased for her. 

We had a cocktail at the Mezze - Hannah had booked us a table for an hour. Then we walked up to the Duck & Willow.

Where we had a meal and shared a couple of bottles of prosecco. We weren't particularly spaced at our table, and people were walking right by us to get to the loo. Now you have to wear a mask to move about, which is an improvement I suppose. Anyway, I wouldn't really rush to go out to the pub myself, but it was a lovely meal and lovely company.  

The other thing about it was that our table was booked from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. There is a 10pm curfew on pubs now, but I was home by 8:45pm pretty much. So I had a nice evening, but then came home - watched some Angel, went to bed at a sensible hour and woke up on Sunday feeling fine. So that is all good.

Sunday

We were up fairly early and Mark made us pancakes. Ben arrived and had breakfast here also, then Woo and Mark went off to play frisbee with the Disco-Biscuits at Grenville Smith Park. Apparently she got on brilliantly, she's never played a game before but she held her own. Her disk skills were good, she was energetic and always in the right place.

Me, Ben and Bunnykins went over to the park. Pippa's yoga session had had the room double booked so she had asked if we were ok to be out in the sensory garden. Ben was massively enthusiastic - I wasn't, but thought I should give it a go. I was really pleased that I had, as it was beautiful. We were all well wrapped up and we took a chair and blankets for Bunnykins. I grabbed us some hot drinks. Bunnykins sat in the sun and read peacefully the whole time. 

The session was great and we soon warmed up.

I just loved the view of the sky through this nearby tree, that was otherwise quite unassuming - but the white berries and sparse red foliage against the blue sky looked like it could be on a Japanese silk. 

We packed up and Ben came back for a coffee and a chat. We sat out in the sun in the back until Mark and Woo came home. 

After lunch I started on a new book. I have been enjoying my love letters book, but it was getting a bit samey, so I fancied a change. 

Mark and I spent some time looking at holiday possibilities for 2021. I would like to get something booked. I want something coastal, lovely views, maybe with a hot tub. We are looking in Scotland or Wales. I would like to get it settled in my head, but at the moment there are too many criteria about where we go, is it more about surfing or paddle boarding, where are the midges, when will we go - all these things swirling about and I want it pinned down and decided and known. We didn't get much further forward, I just saved a heap more properties. Who knows what next summer will be like, but I would just like to have something that is pretty covid-proof in place.