What a week....

The most GLORIOUS weather all week long!!

Pinch and a punch......hello June!

Jeff has spent a lot of his time out in the garden, no excuses!

I hope this weather continues all summer long x

5am loo call and this is what you wake up to.

So I worked the first three days, my LAST ever Sunday, 

Bank Holiday Monday and final Plinth ticket Tuesday!

A lovely colleague gifted me these beautiful flowers x

Jeff and I went for a lovely walk Monday morning, to lessen our disappointment, as our fifth attempt to fly in a hot air balloon got cancelled. This time due to high winds!! It's been beautifully calm all week, then Sunday evening into Monday morning the winds picked up..... 

......I'm beginning to think it'll never happen!!

Then on Wednesday, I met up with my sister over in Wells....

.....for a 6 mile walk up to Penn Hill Mast.

Then lunch at Loaf in Wells and a wander around the market.

Thursday was a quiet day, we both had dentist appointments and Jeff did a bit more tidying up out in the garden. The sunflowers are growing and loving this sunshine x

As are the buttercups - fields of yellow x

I received some beautiful peonies in the post from my sister. 
I highly recommend Cornish Blooms, excellent quality x

I also received my last online Sainsbury's order, with my 15% PayDay discount!!

I totally stocked up on all the store cupboard items I could think of. Making the most of my staff discount before I lose it on Monday evening. I even found homes for everything!!

Then on Friday Sam came home for a few days. 

I'm paying for him to get a haircut, before you mention it!!! 

And I'll then take him back to Cardiff on Tuesday!

Saturday was our big half term day trip....to London!

Typically the trains were on strike!

We dad initially intended to go by train, but the day after I'd bought the tickets, they announced they were striking!! So plan B, driving to Richmond and tubing it in. But guess what? The only tube line not working on the Saturday, was the one from Richmond!!! You couldn't make it up. Thankfully we could get an overground train from Richmond to Waterloo and then tubed it there after....

First stop was a mooch around Camden. I'd never been before.

It's a great bit of London, really chilled atmosphere, will definitely go back when we have more time. It was all a bit rushed, as we had set plans for the afternoon.

We had lunch before heading on to.......

ABBA VOYAGE - the main event!!

I have wanted to go for soooooo long and it did not disappoint!

Still not sure how they make it look so real. 

It's incredible!!

No photography allowed once it starts, keep the magic of the experience alive x

Jeff was certainly outnumbered! Good job he loves ABBA!!

We went for the cheapest tickets on the dance floor. 

Who goes to ABBA and doesn't dance??

I think the seated area would be good to watch the show BUT I kept looking around and very few people actually got up and danced!

The dance floor tunnel!!

The Arena

We danced non stop! It was brilliant.

It was HOT! 

But I loved every minute.

After the show, we caught a 5 min train to Stratford. Grabbed a quick bite to eat in M&S. We were just going to get something to take away but decided to sit in the cafe, have a coffee, go to the loo, before getting the overground train back to Richmond, where we'd left the car.

We followed the sun all the way home, this was taken at 9pm! 

Perfect end to a fabulous day!

And a really lovely Half Term!!

Let the half term holidays begin....

I'm now counting down the weeks until I finish work!! 

Worked Sunday and Monday, went in a spoke to my Manager on Tuesday, now she's back from her holiday. She was actually really lovely about it, completely understood. Didn't want to go into detail why but, what's done is done now.

The weather this week has been glorious, maybe that's a sign!!

I went over to Ham Wall on Wednesday morning for a couple of hours, sooooooo many dragonflies, literally 100's. I've never seen so many in one place. There was a barn owl, out hunting in the morning too, but sadly too far away to capture.

I love it there, so beautifully peaceful.

Thursday was, 'walk with Lynn day' and what a beautiful day to be out. 

Everywhere is looking so green

We walked nearly four miles and it was perfect walking weather.

The shade was most welcome.

On top of Walton Hill.

After our walk, I went to see my chiropractor, session number 12!

He's pleased with my progress, as am I and will now only have to see him fortnightly, unless things start going in the wrong direction.

Sam was supposed to be coming home after his exam on Thursday 

but he changed plans and is due back next weekend now. 

I must confess, I've done very little but enjoyed this glorious sunshine, relaxing out in the garden. I have to work all day tomorrow, my last Sainsbury's Sunday!! so made the most of it today.

Jeff broke up midday.

This picture sums up the end of term perfectly.

No white shirts for him next week.

I kept having a little visitor join me today, in random parts of the garden. 

Think it's a baby blackbird, whatever it was, it was very noisy!

I picked my first rhubarb of the year. 

Sophie and Sam bought me some rhubarb plants for Mother's Day one year, and finally, a good crop. It's taken a few years to really get established.

My view for most of the day!!

I LOVE this weather. 

I don't think you really realise how the weather can affect your mood until 

the weather changes and the sunshine comes out.

I've been making the most of my work discount whilst I still have it and bought 40+ geraniums, ready for Jeff to plant out next week. We have no major plans for half term, except a day trip to London. The rest of the week I've work, Jeff has a tiny bit of tutoring, we've both got hygienist appointments but we're mainly hoping to catch up on lots of garden jobs. It was too cold and wet previously to get out and really make a dent in it all, so that's the plan.

Blue skies and sunshine.....

.....finally!

This is what we've been waiting for and needed.

The perfect excuse to just sit and relax x

I've had a very quiet week. 

My walking friend was away, but I still managed to get out and enjoy the fresh air, 

even if it was just five minutes up the road!

What a view!

Sam and I would often walk here, he introduced me to it.

He's had his first exam this week. 

I'm proud of how he has turned things around this year.

I had my 11th Chiropractor appointment on Thursday. He thinks we're in a position now to move our appointments further apart, which is great news. The deep pain is still there but loads better than it was and he said my movement had improved. After my appointment, I met up with a good work friend for coffee..........3 hours later, we were still sat there!!!

Friday and the weather was changeable, so a day to get all the jobs done. And then in the afternoon, I went over to Wells, to the cinema to see The Book Club. It was worth it for the Italian scenery, but that's about it. Was a bit silly and predictable, although an easy watch on a wet afternoon but don't give up the sunshine to go and see it!!! I really want to see 'Are you there God, it's me Margaret?' Takes me back to my school days, passing around the Judy Blume book under our aprons in woodwork class!! Will have to squeeze it in, on a cloudy afternoon. 

Today, however, has been wall to wall blue skies and sunshine.

A Glorious Day x

Not gonna lie, have spent all day shuffling around my sun lounger, into the sunniest spots! I'm working tomorrow and it's going to be another beautiful day. Although not long now, just two Sunday's left to work, as I've holiday booked in for my last one! Will take it unpaid if I don't have enough holiday to take! The Store Manager has been away on holiday, returns on Monday. I'm dreading seeing her, she will be so disappointed and I'm guessing will try and persuade me to change my mind, if the two other managers I've spoken to, are anything to go by. I must stay strong. To be honest, I have made my decision and I know it's the right thing to do for many reasons, so I just need to remember why I have, and explain honestly what led me to this outcome.

The Alliums are a triumph! Jeff moved all the bulbs from the front last week and planted them in the lawn, in the hope they'll flower next year. He's planted out the first of the sunflowers from the porch and will put in some more seeds over the next couple of weeks, to hopefully stagger the growing season. We will plant a lot more Alliums next year, in clumps and pots, they're looking beautiful and as they always flower later, it's best to avoid the front planter.

I'm being really good on my healthy focus. I've been doing a low inflammation diet, to see if it can help improve my back and menopausal aches and pains. Even my knuckles were hurting and stiff. Since coming back from holiday a month ago, I have lost a stone and feel so much better for it. I have 5 weeks to go, until my 30 year University reunion. I want to look and feel great for that and then it'll be only 6 weeks until we go on our family holiday. Jeff and I have then booked a cheeky extra week away, as we found a cheap deal and I'm no longer compromised by the holiday allowance that I had at work.

My fig tree is looking fabulous, full of fruit. Not sure how I'll pick some this year, as it's the tallest it's ever been and most of the fruit is on the new growth. Think I'll loose a few to the neigbours, not that that's a problem. Will be my perfect excuse to go back into work and see my old colleagues, whilst delivering fresh figs. I'm the only one who eats them in our house, so used to take them into work on a regular basis, as they fruited around the same time, I had so many and I hate waste!!

The Hosta's are looking fabulous too.

Somehow we've kept the slugs and snails at bay!!

In fact the whole garden is looking lovely this year.

Maybe the colder, wetter Spring has delayed the lovely luminous green and everything has just been ready and waiting to blossom. Right I need to sort out a few things before I settle down on the sofa and relax before tomorrow beckons. Two more Sunday's and repeat. 

That should get me through tomorrow!!