Fig season, round two

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Wednesday Weekly!

The weather has been the gift that keeps on giving. 

Beautiful dry, misty mornings, warm sunny days and then a tiny drop in temperature for our walk around the block after tea! So frustrating being inside all day, every day!

The geraniums that just about survived the summer scorcher, are now looking fantastic!

And my fig tree is giving me a second crop!

All thanks to this glorious warm sunshine.

You would not believe we are now in October and I've not even worn a jumper yet!!

It's still short sleeves in the gallery!

Another week done. I was looking forward to pay day but they forgot to pay me for my art office role. I wanted to know what my monthly pay would be. I guess I'll feel flush next month instead. I have a week and a half left in the gallery for this exhibition run. I'm ready for a little break, doing 6 days has been quite full on when trying to keep up with everything else.

More fig picking after work!

The first web of the season I've managed to take a pic of.

So this week I've had the Sunday off work but not a day off doing nothing. 

Instead it was down to Devon and back. 

Sophie came home on Thursday evening to meet up for...

...my Mums early 80th birthday celebrations.

 Sadly Sam couldn't get the day off work and Mike (my sisters husband) was at home recovering from an operation, but we made the effort to get together. Just wish it wasn't so far.

Things that have also been of note this week, is the Celebrity Traitors. Brilliant TV!

And Richard E. Grant, I have no words......'Traitor'......hilarious!

I've finished another book! 

That's worth noting and started the next on my kindle, in anticipation of being away soon. 

In just two weeks time, we will be in Italy!

I need to start getting organised as I've very little free time before we go! 

I can not wait x

6 day working week!!

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Wednesday Weekly

Conker Haul!

This week has pretty much been about work again.

Sam came home on Monday evening to return the Micra, 

and then again on Friday to show off  his new car.

His visit coincided with my day off, so I ended up being his taxi to Wells. Meant my day off was pretty much a non event as my hair appointment, which I rushed back for didn't happen, as Charlotte has been poorly. I know I'm trying to grow it but it's now entering 7 weeks since it's been cut and that's ages for me!!

I spent the afternoon hemming up another couple of pairs of trousers, so not a complete right off

I worked the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and have done half a day today in the gallery, so have done very little else, bar work. We hosted a Parent coffee morning on Friday and have had workshops this weekend, so it has been nice and busy.

Typically, the weather whilst I've been at work has been lovely and then this afternoon (my afternoon off!) it's rained. I had hoped to visit a sculpture garden over in Wells, part of Somerset Art Weeks but that's not happened and now I'm running out of time.

I just have to think of this time at work, as an opportunity to make some money

 to save up for when I do have some time off

I have been gifted some late ripe figs on my tree....

....which were delicious this morning for breakfast.

So Jeff is enjoying his EXEAT weekend, three much needed days off for him, whilst I have to work them all. I'm in again tomorrow in my Art Office role. No day off for me! To be fair time is whizzing by, I find it hard to think we'll be in October this coming week and in three weeks time we'll be in Italy. Working does have some benefits. However that said, I could quite easily fill my time if I had the luxury of not working. (Come on lottery win!!) 

So another busy week ahead - work Monday, day off Tuesday, work again Wednesday through to Saturday but a day off on Sunday as it's my mums birthday x 

Work, work, work

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Wednesday Weekly

The weeks revolve around work at the moment, so I made the most of my day off on Tuesday and headed over to Stockhill Woods. It's my happy place. I LOVE it there. It's calm, and still, and peaceful, everything seems and feels a million miles away.

And the fungi finds didn't disappoint.

I even had time to cook a roast!

and watch the final instalment of the 7UP series.

Before it was back in the gallery and the start of my 6 day stint! 

I don't mind, it's enjoyable, but when the weather is good outside it's a little frustrating.

But when you work in such a lovely environment, it's not really a chore.

We're part of  'SAW - Somerset Art Weeks', so we're opening up on Sundays too. 

I've been in all day welcoming visitors and ticking off a few jobs on the 'to do' list.

So I have nothing more to report!!

My next day off is Tuesday again, followed by another 6 days in the gallery.

I just think of the money, my chance to put a bit away for the times when I'm not working. And of course, the main reason I do this, is so I can enjoy my time off with Jeff when he has his holiday weeks.

Only 4 weeks now until we go to Italy xx

Mid September and one week down!

36/52

Wednesday Weekly

Our 'back to school' pic!!

This week has been all about work.

The summer holidays a distant memory!

I think I wrote last week, that I was in on Saturday for the artists to drop off their work. We spent the last hour on that Saturday, beginning to curate and place where we thought some of the work should go. This carried on into Monday, so that by Tuesday......

....we were in a position to hang!!

The biggest piece first!

This took a couple of days....

.....then there were the labels, painting the plinths, organising etc

Putting up the banner and dotting about the A-frames.

Ready for the Private View on Friday evening.

All to be revealed!

It was a fabulous evening...

...really well attended and ended up being a late night!

I was then in again all day Saturday and from now on for the next 5 weeks.

I've actually started another little job, a day a week manning the Art Office. Whilst I'm in the gallery hosting the exhibition, I do a Monday but when the exhibition closes, I will be doing a Friday every week. It does mean the next few weeks are going to be very busy. I will be doing my regular four days in the gallery, plus my new day in the art office, plus we are opening up for three Sundays whilst Somerset Art Weeks are on, so I will be doing a 6 day week!! 

I go from nothing to everything.

 A short, intense burst of busyness!!

So this Sunday has been a day of relaxation.

Jeff did a tiny bit out in the garden before it started raining.

We have a self-seeded 'something' growing in the front trug. Alongside the self-seeded sunflowers and rejuvenated geraniums. It's all looking alive again, after the hot, dry summer.

So week one of back to work done!

This is how my weeks for the foreseeable are going to pan out!

Full on work mode until half term, literally. The exhibition closes after 7pm on the Thursday, the work comes down on the Friday and we head off to Italy on the Saturday!! 

It's always good to have something to look forward too x

The 'ber' months begin

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Wednesday Weekly

This week I taught myself to sew......

.....well, to hem trousers!

I am so fed up of there being so may nice trousers in the shops but they are just way too long! So I bit the bullet and taught myself to use Sophie's sewing machine. I now have 4 new pairs of trousers that were hiding out in my wardrobe, that I can wear and it means I can now buy any I see, knowing I can take them up!

This week has been a mix of enjoying the last of the summer holidays and having to get back into work mode. Jeff has been in since Wednesday afternoon for INSET sessions and I have been in for a few IT bits and have had to do some training at home!!

We've made the most of the good weather and walked in the evenings

and I've got out when I've had a chunk of free time.

Jeff has gone back into school this afternoon for a couple of hours.

Note our fabulous self-seeded sunflowers and how well our geraniums have recovered from the heatwave.

I was in for a big chunk of yesterday to meet some of our fabulous artists, as they dropped off their work for our next exhibition. There is a great variety and a lot of pieces, so next week is going to be busy getting everything hung and labelled before we open on the Friday.

So, we have a 6 week term ahead of us and a 6 week countdown until we go away to Puglia. 

It's good to have something to look forward to.

We're also on a countdown to retirement!!

Three more school years for Jeff (currently) 

I say currently, it can always change!!

This is the first September start when Sophie and Sam are not starting something new! 

This time last year Sam was at home after Uni, starting up at school as a GA.

Both are now sorted, settled and financially independent for the first time!!

September and this school year has felt less of a big start, probably because of this. Both Jeff and I have loved this summer and really haven't wanted it to end. It will be fine once we settle back into the routine of work but the thought of the alarm having to be set tomorrow morning and long days, with just our evenings together, will be a big change. Let's hope the week goes quickly with no dramas!!