What a wash out!

You wouldn't think it was nearly June!!!

It feels more like Autumn, than late Spring/early summer!

I would go as far as to say it's been cold!! 

And don't even get me started on the rain!

On a brighter note, Jeff sold his Peugot 205. After a few back and forths' on Facebook Marketplace, it went quite quickly to be fair.

Sadly what also went, was the young fledgling blackbirds. We found a dead bird on the lawn and later, when he looked into the nest, it was full of dead chicks. Something, most probably a magpie, had got to the nest. We ended up taking out the whole nest and disposing of it and it's contents. So sad. I'm really hoping this might be a lucky one that survived.

Talking of survival......I survived another week. 

Had a few other computer related issues, all quite stressful but I had someone more capable with me, so got through it and had the added bonus of having Friday off! So I got my hair done and had a Chiropractor appointment and started the half term week feeling better.

Met up with my Uni friend Claire on Saturday in Frampton, a village in Gloucestershire. She lives in Cheltenham and works in a really demanding job, so I was happy to go a little further for a meet up. Had a lovely walk along the canal and as always, talked non stop! It's always the way, we just slip back, as if we'd seen each other yesterday. We were lucky with the weather and enjoyed a pub lunch, outside in the sunshine. The only downer was the drive back. With it being Bank Holiday Saturday, the motorway was at a standstill, so I came off at Bristol and avoided the jams. Although it did mean I added on an extra hour to the journey, albeit I was moving!!  

 Jeff finished for half term on the Saturday lunch time and Sophie was at home when I got back. Like me, she'd endured the Bank Holiday traffic, having spent the morning with Sam, helping his revise his Economics. He's got two exams next week, then that'll be his second year done!!

Today (Sunday) has been a quiet day at home. 

The forecast wasn't great and sadly it was spot on.....rain!!!

Jeff managed to do a bit in the garden first thing, before the rain set in. Sophie and I popped out to do a quick food shop before her friend popped around for lunch. I wish we'd gone away now. It doesn't look like the weather is going to get any better!!

What a week!!

Not gonna lie, this week has been a little stressful. I didn't realise when doing exam invigilation, how much involvement there would be with computers. I've been fine up until now, as nothing has majorly gone wrong and there's always been someone more qualified/capable than me to hand. But on a couple of occasions this week, I've felt a little out of my depth. The worst situation was on Thursday evening, a 3 hour exam, with 45 mins of extra time......and something goes wrong when the IT staff have all gone home!!! I can't go into detail, but boy, was I a little stressed. It's such a responsibility!

On a lighter note, I did come home to this lovely little gift in the post, from my mum. A sleeping mosquito cap, she had made for me!! We did laugh!! But never say never.... it may be needed in Greece!!

After such a stressful week and I've been really focused on my health kick, I did go in search of this deeeeelicious cinnamon bun, on my first day off on Saturday. It's a good alternative, to THE best Landrace Bakery cinnamon buns, so close to home. In fact it was just in Glastonbury.

So whilst I was there, I took the opportunity to go and see the new Dahlia Mural at the top of the high street. Painted by local artist Jonathan Minshull

Look at the detail!!

It's fabulous x

I then got home and had a catch up with Sophie. 

She's been up in Manchester for a conference. A paper she'd helped put together had been published and was being presented at the conference, so we had a lot of exciting news to catch up on!! You wouldn't believe me if I said I was seeing her on Saturday!!!!

I have felt shattered this week. All the stressful scenarios have been playing over in my mind a 4 o'clock in the morning and I've been needing to go to the loo in the early hours!! I think I'm aware that I'm not drinking enough in the day, because you can't go to the loo in the middle of invigilating an exam, so I'm making up for it when I get home in the evening and drinking more than I would normally!!

I also think I've been getting hot! 

So we changed over to the lighter weight summer duvet today. 

You can blame me if the weather changes dramatically!

One thing a stressful week has helped with, is keeping me on track diet wise! I'm actually celebrating, because on Wednesday, it'll be 9 years since I lost my weight and reached target with Slimming World. And over the course of those 9 years, I've manage more of less to keep 4 of the 6 stone I lost off!! I'm pretty proud of 'me' for doing that!! Obviously I fluctuate within a couple of stone, but on the whole, I've done okay. 

As time has gone on, my focus/goal changed, from being thin to being healthy! 

From 2015-2019, it was easier to maintain. I still went to Slimming World for a couple of years after reaching target to keep me on track but found that I wasn't really following the plan because of my PCOS, so went it alone. I incorporated fasting and really focused on protein, good fats and fiber, going low/no carbs and sugar, which is what I'm still doing today!!

The Covid years were hard! Working in a stressful environment, having everyone at home, so many carbs and treats on the table, meant I had to really knuckle down, focus and commit to keeping on track! But with a holiday planned and swimwear to wriggle into, I got my 'why' back in focus!!

Throw the menopause, a bad back, frozen shoulder, aching joints into the mix, and it got even harder!! But it's made me more determined to keep the weight off and be as healthy as I can be x

So on Wednesday, I will be raising a glass to me, even if it's just water on a fast day!!!

Here's hoping this week coming is a little easier.

Sunshine finally!!

My 5am loo view!!

And what a view!

There has been a huge amount of excitement over the aurora borealis being visible here, over the past couple of nights, due to extreme weather. I did stay up until midnight last night in an attempt to see it but gave up and went to bed. So was chuffed to bits when I went for my early morning loo visit, peeked through the blind and was gifted this fabulous sunrise x

This week has been a very busy week at work. Lots of mock and real exams and clash supervision. Have done 6 days on the run, morning and afternoon. Typically, this week is the week, the sun decides to shine!!

But a fab perk to living so close to work, you can come home between exams and 

sit out in the garden and soak up a few of the warm rays.

Not only has the sun made it's most welcome arrival, 

but so too is the arrival of peonies back in the shops and....

...the alliums at home are in full bloom.

The fields are still fit to bursting with buttercups and dandelions, on my evening walk.

And today we enjoyed lunch out side!!

You have to make the most of it because next week, rain returns. I've loads of exams next week, including a 3 hour Philosophy exam with 45 minutes extra time, plus more clash supervision. So I won't be seeing much of outside anyway. This is when it's hard. You sign up a good couple of months ahead, offering your availability, with no idea what the weather has in store. I just think of the money and our future trips it goes towards. I think September could be hard in the Gallery, if the weather is really nice. You always feel you have to make the most of late September sunshine as you know the good weather is coming to an end! So on that note, I've cooled off a bit, I'm back outside to make the most of this glorious sunshine xx

Another exam week ticked off!

I started the week with a day off. 

The weather wasn't brilliant, in fact it was cold, but......it was dry! 

So, I headed over to the Newt. 

When I went previously, I was made aware that the new four seasons garden had opened, plus there was another pathway I'd not yet walked. So I went to explore. The garden is beautiful, and as time goes on and it becomes more established, it will just get better.

It's all in the detail and over at the Newt, they have it in bucket loads. 

It's just a really beautiful place to spend time at.

Back in for exams on Tuesday and a round-up of the month of April. 

And what a busy month it was too!

A pinch and punch.....hello May!

How are we a third of the way through the year already!?!

The weather has been pretty rubbish! 

The Tor is a good marker every morning, for what weather the day has in store.

The garden is looking very green but all the plants are waiting patiently for some warm sunshine. 

More patiently than me!!! 

Love alliums x
Every year I say we should plant more!

I've not minded being in school whilst the weather is soooo rubbish!

We're still invigilating mocks, year 12 this week, and I've done one 'real' exam!! Things certainly crank up a gear next week and beyond. Year 10 mocks and a peppering of GCSE and A Level. And a bit of chaperoning thrown into the mix, when exam clashes occur. It's all money in the pot!

I was very thankful to have had Saturday off. though.....

....because it was the first day of usable, enjoyable, sit out and make the most of the sunshine, weather!! And that's exactly what I did! By the afternoon, I was back in a fleece! I think for the time being, it's a  case of making the most of the sunshine when we get it, because you never know when we'll see it again. Today is the perfect example....grey, damp, chilly and plain miserable!

It makes such a difference when it's sunny. Everything seems better.

Jeff was back at a reasonable time yesterday afternoon, and spent a few hours pottering in the garden. He discovered a blackbirds nest in the back hedge. Let's hope they do well.

I took myself out for a walk after tea. I've been meaning to start since we got back from Italy but the weather hasn't been the best motivator! It's 8 weeks until we go to Greece, so I'm trying to be super focused, eating healthily and trying to get my steps in!

I'm glad I went. 

The field on my walk is just beautiful.....full of buttercups and dandelions. 

This morning (Sunday) I woke for the loo at 5.55am and had to nip downstairs to get my phone and capture the sunrise. I no longer have to get up early for work, so miss the early morning Tor view. I thought we were in for another lovely day, but no, the damp, mizzily rain moved in!!

As we'll be away for a longer stretch this summer, we've decided not to plant out the sunflowers this year. We may pop some seeds in on our return and hope for the best! Instead we're going to plant out loads of geraniums and sow a few nasturtium seeds. They can tolerate a bit of neglect. It's not so much the watering, but the wind at the front of the house. We have to wire and stake the sunflowers up as they grow taller, or else they'd just fall over. So every time I've been out, I've been buying geraniums!! Do you think I have enough?