Fantastic Day!

To quote a Haircut 100 song, yesterday was a 'Fantastic Day'

We were up on the first day of the Half Term holiday, as if it were a school/work day and on the road by 8am......

....Reading bound! 

I have been looking forward to this day for 5 weeks, since we dropped her off. Of course I've been squirrelling away a few bits for her, food, a few things she'd forgotten, birthday pressie's and cake, homemade brownies for her flat mates etc

The journey down is reasonably okay, just slows around Stonehenge but a 2hr trip door to door. Took this fab pic of a flock of birds flying over us whilst en route - zoom in if you can!

This is where she lives, on the ground floor. Her flat is the whole of the grey bit, in through the door on the right, bedrooms lead up the central corridor, then the end bit on the left is the kitchen from front to back and her room is around the back, gets the morning sun and is a little quieter on the whole.

So after dropping off all the stuff, we bused it into town, coffee and cake then a mooch around Reading, lunch along the river and then bused it back to the far side of campus, so we could walk back through and show Sam where everything was.

Her Hall is on the far side....

across the lake 'I fear' (another Haircut 100 reference - sorry!!), very picturesque really.

Then back to her room for a coffee, tested out the brownies and said our final farewells.

I knew she was okay, we talk often but it was so nice to see her in the flesh, to give her a big hug and see her chat away so happily. We did the research, visited on Open Day's, she worked hard, she ended up where she wanted to be, doing a course she's passionate about. It really is down to luck as to who you end up living with but she's in a good flat with nice people, some of whom she'll live with next year. She's made friends through her course and is the Student Rep for Economics for her year. She is settled, eating well, doing her washing!!! walking miles, making the most of the opportunities available to her, loving uni life and it makes me so very happy to see everything working out okay.

We have a day out in London booked in the diary for just 3 weeks time, as Reading is just a 20 minute train journey into the Capital. I might then pop down for a little Christmas shopping trip early December, help her choose a dress for her Christmas Formal!! 

Any excuse to see my gorgeous, HAPPY girl xx

Gone mid October already!

How is it mid October already? I really don't know where the months are going. It's been another 'normal' week - work, school, nothing special, although I did go to Bath on my day off on Tuesday. We've continued to have some great weather, beautiful early morning views of the Tor and ....

... fabulous sunsets to end the day.

I've actually had the whole weekend off and enjoyed some time in the kitchen and just generally pottering around at home. Been wrapping pressie's ready for the birthday girl, when we go to visit her next weekend. So looking forward to seeing my girl.

Spent some quality time with the boy, a couple of car trips, a captive audience and a mooch around Clarks Village, clothes shopping!! Think he was pretty pleased with my baking efforts too this week and a giant cookie the size of his head!

I'm still going to Slimming World, keeping the pounds at bay, whilst still eating the most delicious food. I'd ideally like to lose a couple of pounds before the festive season begins but I'm happy plodding on, keeping the weight off and being healthy. It's the longest time ever I've maintained my weight and I'm determined to keep it that way. 

So another week of work ahead before half term begins. Jeff breaks up on Wednesday, Sam on Friday and I've a few days off booked in for half term week. We have our trip to see Sophie to look forward to, plus I have a day catching up with old school friends in the diary. Other than that it should be a pretty slow, relaxed week, hoping it'll stay dry enough to do some tidying up in the garden and have a few sorting jobs to do at home.

A plod along week

Nothing major to report this week, it's been my Monday to Thursday work week, with overtime on the Sunday at the start and then Friday at the end, plus work today, so it feels like I've been there all the time. 

 The start of the week saw more gorgeous weather but that rapidly turned mid week, due to a tropical storm, still warm but wet and windy.

Beautiful sunsets though.

Saturday, on my one day off, was spent in the best way possible, a long overdue coffee and catch up with my lovely friend. I swapped my Saturday morning Slimming World session, for croissants and coffee and 3 hours of the best chat, leaving with promises not to leave it so long next time!!

This week looks like more of the same, although a day off on Tuesday and so far no overtime over the weekend! Then it'll be just one more week before we go and see Sophie for the day, the time is just whizzing by, mid October already!!! 

First week....

It's been the first week in a long time...

....where I've had a day off at home, completely on my own, it's been since exams really, back in June. I didn't plan to do anything, other than do bits around the house. Gave Sophie's room a once over, dust, hoover, strip and washed her bedding etc cleaned the shower, steam cleaned the kitchen floor, sorted out all the little piles of 'stuff' that seem to dot themselves over all the surfaces!!

  

I went for a walk into town, had a look around the shops, just had a bit of 'me' time. I love the busyness of family life but do like a day, every now and then, completely on my own.

I could really do with a full day out in the garden, just to tidy things up. Picked this self seeded ghost pumpkin last week. We think it was courtesy of the 2016 compost, as I bought two ghost pumpkins for Halloween that year.

We've also been gifted self seeded tomatoes, again we think from the compost. The runner beans are still growing and the wild strawberries are still fruiting.

So Autumn has really taken hold this week. I've been cleaning, making plans and lists for the coming few weeks. We have a trip to Reading planned in to see Sophie, she and I have a day out in London booked and she's going to bring a friend up to Bath for the day when the Christmas markets are on, as it's easy to pop up on the train. I have a meet up with old school friends in half term and Jeff and I have tickets to see Deacon Blue late November and no doubt Sam will want to go to Bristol before too long, to spend his wages!! so it's all go. I like to be busy but also enjoy a day to myself to do nothing particular, they're quite rare so I make the most of them when they do come along x

Pinch and a punch.....

Pinch and a punch....

....hello October!

Sophie's now been at Reading a whole week. She's happy, settled, made lots of new friends, has great flat mates, just about surviving Freshers Fortnight (slight sore throat) about to start lectures and taster Society sessions this week - life as a Uni student is good!

Not gonna lie, it feels odd at home without her but we've and daily chats and face timed last night, so it was lovely to see her and hear how happy she is and know that everything is okay.

 

We've been treated to some lovely weather - the most gorgeous sunrises...

....and stunning sunsets.

Sam has stood in as my shopping companion, well as a one off on Friday, as he wanted/needed to go clothes shopping. We had a really nice day together, although boys shops just aren't as good as girls!!

It's also been a busy 'fraught' week securing tickets for Take That and their 30th Greatest Hits Tour. Thankfully Jeff could be in a position on Wednesday morning to secure us two Tickets for Bristol, for May next year!!! Rick Astley is the support act, so a bonus treat. I also got tickets for my sister and I to go and see Sophie Ellis Bextor and she got tickets a while ago now, for us to see Matilda, when it tours next year. So a lot to look forward too.

Nothing major happening in October, head down, work and look forward to a trip to Reading to visit Sophie at the end of the month. Have a good one x