Week 18!

The weeks are flying by despite there being a monotony to them.

If it's sunny and I'm able to sit outside on my days off, I have, accompanied

 with my book and a coffee

I'm actually quite proud of how much I've read during Lockdown. I usually feel it's wasted time in normal everyday life, I never make time to read, I always feel I should be doing something else but when we had the good weather and without the numerous other distractions and general busyness, I haven't felt so guilty spending time just sat, reading!

I did manage to find a time this week, a time when we could both free up an hour, to meet up with my lovely friend for a coffee. It was so nice to have a proper catch up rather than the odd text but we still socially distanced, sitting out in her garden. 

When the sun has not been shining, I have been at my computer researching our Summer holiday for next year. In a previous post, I shared the accommodation I'd booked in Kassiopi but we're going to stay in Corfu Old Town for a few days to begin with, as we've never been. It worked out slightly cheaper to fly out a day earlier than planned, so we'll have 4 nights there. Plenty of time to explore and possibly a day trip or two from there too, as it'll be so generously placed on public transport routes. We went for a coastal location, rather than somewhere in the busy town, as it'll be super hot and everywhere is so easily walk-able. We found this gem of a property on Airbnb, right by the sea - air-con, WiFi, full cancellation policy in place, just in case we have a repeat of this year. It's just good to have something to look forward to, lifts my mood completely.

Particularly when closer to home, this is now going to be the new normal!! It is now mandatory when out shopping, to wear a face covering. Shop workers do not have to but Sainsbury's company policy dictates we do. So, with an 8, 7 and 2x 4 hour shifts every week, I've opted to wear a visor. We have 2 deaf colleagues who depend on lip reading, plus I find with a mask, I just get so hot. Well I did my first shift this morning and it was okay. Yes it was odd. Yes, it got hot along the foam edge. Yes I'd rather not have to wear one but it's a case of just getting on with it, our ever changing new 'normal'!!

I have a couple of days off booked in for next week. I had hoped to go and visit my Granny on her actual birthday but the weather forecast isn't great. It needs to be dry to have a socially distanced celebration in her garden. No end of refreshing the weather app is going to make a difference sadly but I'm hopeful we'll get one dry day to visit. 

Week 17!

So week 17 has been and gone! Majorca, or what would have been a week in Majorca, is now a distant memory! The weathers not been great! Usually when we go on holiday, they have a fantastic week of weather whilst we're away. Was hoping this might still have been the case but no.....

...so I have been in to work during my time off, to start on the wall mural my boss asked me to do. I've gone from her initial sketch, to drawing it out to scale on paper, to drawing it up on to the wall and I've started to paint it in but will show you once it's done!

The garden has loved the weather, everything's looking lovely.

Ans when the sun has made an appearance, I've been out reading my book.

 

My sister and I have re-booked our Florence 50th birthday trip!

As soon as the flights came up we booked, nearly half the price from last year and we've opted in for an extra day, so we can squeeze a little more in. I can not wait! We're staying in Pisa, close to the train station, so we can easily visit Sienna, Lucca, Florence and see some of Pisa too.

And finally, the biggest excitement of the week, Sophie has bought and paid for her first car! She will need one for her Placement Year to get to and from work, when/if she gets to work from the office and I'm sure she'll need to go to Cardiff every now and again, even if she ends up working from home. She'd money saved from working last Summer and she's obviously not spent her student loan this final term, due to having to come home, so she was able to pay for it in full, tax and insure it all herself. There's nothing quite like your first car xx

Something to look forward to x

So as you know, we should be sunning ourselves in Majorca at this very moment, 

but as with most things this year it got cancelled! 

The owner originally agreed to carry our booking over to next summer but has since been in touch and has decided to not continue letting out the villa! So as disappointed as I was about not being able to enjoy the lovely villa I'd found, it did then free up again the summer of 2021. Now in August 2021 Jeff and I celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and we'd always planned to go to Greece that summer, just the two of us. So with no holiday now booked in Pollensa, I got searching for places to stay in Greece.

Now for the past two years, this summer would of been our third, we've booked everything independently, flights, transfers and a private villa with our own pool. Back in 2015, our 4th family getaway abroad, All Inclusive, we stayed in a hotel where you literally had to run to get a sunbed every morning and I vowed NEVER to do that again. There are 1000's of villas out there, often they're too big for us as a family of four, far too expensive or they're a drive away from the nearest town. I do have to spend a lot of time searching out something suitable for us all but it's been worth it. Now for just the two of us in Greece, a villa with a pool in a central resort location seemed off our radar, until I found this gem! (above) No pool but access to your own beach!

I'd already narrowed down my search to the island of Corfu as that's where Jeff and I went on our very first holiday together, back in the summer of 1993. 

We returned a second time in 1997 to the resort of Kassiopi, a place we both said we'd happily go back to, so that's where I started searching.

 

It's a beautiful resort up in the North of the island about an hour and a half from the airport. When we stayed there in 1997 we just had a room. It was cheap and back then we'd have the luxury of two full weeks away. I started searching for villas with a private pool but these were either too expensive, too big or too far out from the resort. And with it being just the two of us, there wasn't the same need for our own pool. We'd had that really for Sam and his issues with the heat. Yes, we all enjoyed it too but it was a luxury.

Anyway, I widened my search and found this absolute gem!

Apartment on the left, top floor.

It might not have it's own pool but 'just' access to this little spot!!

 So I've booked it for a week, with a full cancellation policy should this summer be repeated. 

It actually sleeps five, so plenty of space for the two of us......

  

....and what a view to wake up to every morning.

I can not wait!

We aim to fly out and spend a couple of nights in Corfu Town first, as we've never actually been before, so I have a little more research to do there. I love having things to look forward to and researching everything is half the fun. 

We work hard and enjoy our week away in the sun. 

We took a gamble back in the Summer of '93. Jeff and I met in a nightclub in Bath the Christmas of '92. He was in the Air Force based in Germany, I was in my final year of Uni. We wrote to each other, possibly only saw each other briefly 3 or 4 times, didn't really know each other that well, but decided to go on holiday together. Jeff paid, as he was working and I was a poor student, about to start my first teaching job that September. It was fabulous, still so many happy memories, so the perfect place to celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary and 28 summers together xx

Roll on the summer of 2021 x

WEEK 16!

Am a day or two late posting, sorry, as I had a busy weekend. In fact it's sort of been a busy week. The week we should have been flying out to Majorca but the less said about that the better!!!

I spent the first day of my 'holiday' working on a mural I've been asked to do for work. It's one of those projects you know will consume so much time and won't be recognised in terms of actual pay or time off in lieu. Still, me being me, I can't do anything by half measures, so I'll just get on with it to the best of my ability.

It's also been the week to finally tackle my hair!!!

It has never been so long! It's not been coloured since January and I went a whole 138 days without a proper cut. Yes Jeff and I did a couple of very necessary shaves in between but.....

......it's nice to feel like me again!

I've had a little more time to read. Eight books completed during lockdown and 'Three days in Florence' is next up, a book to lift my spirits and dream of sunnier times x

Jeff has been busy tackling the front drive, in an attempt to improve the look of the front of the house. Sam is desperate for cash as his summer job is not happening, so has been doing odd jobs to earn his keep. I have a long list ready and waiting!!

Sophie and I ventured out on Saturday to Bath and enjoyed a socially distanced picnic with my sister and niece and it was lovely, a much needed catch up

 Bath got quite busy and in all honesty didn't feel the safest place to be by the end. I would go back but in and out early, mid week, do what I needed to do then home. It wasn't Bath and the shops, they had everything in place, it was individuals who got too close. I did find many wearing masks didn't feel they then needed to keep their distance!!! I guess we do just have to get on with it all but .....

On Sunday Jeff and I were up and out early. With one nice day forecast, we thought we'd make the most of it and go and head to the sea! If it got busy we'd just turn around and come home. We went to Burton Bradstock, an hours drive from home. We got there early, found a good spot and ....

...Jeff took his first dip of the year in the sea!

It was definitely not Mediterranean temperatures but he enjoyed it. I just paddled!

It did get busy but there was plenty of space and everyone socially distanced and we headed home mid afternoon. It was just lovely to see the sea, soak up the warm sunshine and just soak up the atmosphere of a different place. The forecast isn't great for the week ahead but we hope to get in another day trip 'somewhere' just to make the most of my 'holiday'. I'm going in to work my shift tonight, then have another burst of 5 days off to enjoy. Have a good week x

Week 15!

Week 15 been and gone! 

Wouldn't have been a week to write home about anyway, there wasn't anything planned, just Sam's Summer Ball that's cancelled, possibly postponed until later this year. At least he'll be 18 and legal by then!

We bid farewell to the month of June......

..... and welcomed in the month of July!

It's been a mixed bag of weather this week, got everything crossed for a sunny spell to revisit soon. The garden however has enjoyed the rain.

I've finally got around to buying a couple of face masks. I've a hair appointment booked for next week, no idea if masks have to be worn, so will be ready if we do. I'm dreading them becoming mandatory in shops. I really don't think I could wear one for 8 hours!!

So on Friday we celebrated our 5 year anniversary of moving to Street. 

Where has that time gone? 

On the one hand it feels like we've lived here a lifetime, on the other, feels like we've only been here 5 minutes! There are still plenty of projects to do but on the flipside there's no rush. Jeff has already made it clear, that he hopes this is our forever house. I must confess, if I think back to how stressful it all was, I wouldn't move again but never say never!!

  

Before                                                After

We've done so much to this house since moving in, sometimes you just need to take a break, save some money, then tackle the next project.

One thing we did tackle yesterday, was the box hedge at the front of the house. 

Other than the one chunk he strimmed back too far, it looks much better.

Looking ahead to next week, strimming of a different kind is top of the agenda. From today hairdressers are allowed to reopen, I'm popping in later today to get a patch test, then have my colour booked in for Thursday and then Di is coming to cut our hair on Friday. All things considered, we've come out of lockdown looking okay but I'll be happy to hang up the clippers and get my mop sorted out properly. One thing I won't be doing is running out to the pub any time soon. They were allowed to open from 6am this morning. I think going forward I/we will continue to do things we feel pose less risk to us and just be sensible. The virus isn't going anywhere but a form of normality does need to resume but without taking unnecessary risks. Stay Safe xx