Sunshine at last!!

What a week, felt a bit of a slog as I worked Saturday night to help out a colleague, then my normal full on 'running' days Sunday and Monday, then I worked the Plinth change on Tuesday, ripping up price tickets for 6 hours and then did extra on Wednesday, with a zoom call for The Great Place To Work Regional meeting. Glad I don't do that often!!

 

Waited until Thursday to get my second jab!!

Feeling relieved and thankful to be fully vaccinated xx

And I got to celebrate further, with a day of warm sunshine!!
All meals eaten outside!! A first for the year!

Of course it was cloudy on Friday, my day off but I was busy being taxi service to Sophie, dropping her off at the station and then I had a hair appointment. Sam was out with friends, so a rare event, just Jeff and I for tea. It'll be the norm come September, so better get used to it.

And then today, Jeff's Football match got cancelled, so instead of refereeing, he got to come out for a walk with me. We headed up to the Hood Monument...... 

.......had a coffee at the top, then wandered back home.

Just shy of 7 miles and how lovely was it to walk in just a t-shirt!?!

So I'm working the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend! Sophie returns on Tuesday, when I start my bit of time off. Hoping the weather stays dry, warm and sunny. Jo and I should have been flying out to Florence on Tuesday, postponed for another year!! Third time lucky next year, we hope xx

Have a good week xx

Going OUT!

Another week, I really can't believe that May is nearly over, not that you'd know from the weather!! Wet, rain, damp, you get the idea!! I worked just the Sunday and Monday this week, have moved some hours over into next week to help them out, so on Tuesday Sam and I took advantage of the fact he had a day off too and ventured over to Bristol for the day. We've not been since March last year, the week before we went into lockdown, it felt like we shouldn't have been there but this time, it felt fine, the NEW normal!!

It was nice to spend some quality time with Sam too x

So then on Wednesday, the only dry day, I met up with my work colleague Cat and went for a walk. 

A very wet walk due to the amount of rain we've had!

We've been promising each other we'd go but haven't got round to it until now. 

With all the wet weather, it's a good job I've got my rowing machine.

I'm totally in the right head space at the moment and am a stone down now since Easter. Eating the right food is the main reason but also being more active - walking, rowing, yoga and even work. On an 8hr shift I can clock 30,000 steps!! 

I just hope it lasts, have another stone to go to get me back into a happier/healthier place. It's a forever thing, this weight malarkey, will forever battle the pounds but am determined to win and keep the weight off for good, particularly as I get older. 

And it's all about balance!! Yesterday evening I met my lovely friend for a coffee. It's been 8 months, so we celebrated with cake, went halves, so it could have been worse!! Two coffees and two hours of chat later.... I've missed doing normal things like going shopping, like meeting a friend, like drinking a coffee 'inside' a cafe, eating a meal 'inside' a restaurant. I filled the void with walking, taking photographs etc but proper company has been lovely. Life needs to open up, get back to normal somehow, otherwise what is the point! I have been invited to get my second jab next week, feeling extremely relieved and thankful. 

Mid May already!!

Mid May already and no real warm weather to speak of!

Worked my normal Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, then walked on Wednesday!

It rained all day Thursday!

And Friday!!

I have started on my quest to tone up and was the first in the family to hit the rowing machine! I'm determined it's not going to be this lump of metal in the corner of the bedroom, that never gets used!! My aim is to try and go on it 4/5 mornings, where possible, with Sophie working in the adjoining room!! I want to tone and get my heart rate going, so far, so good!!

So on Saturday the alarm was set for 6:30, on the road by 7:00am and off to Cornwall for the day. Granny has sadly fallen and broken her wrist. She's been moved in to a care home and is having to isolate for two weeks. The home then only allows one named visitor but I will, eventually, be able to wave to her through a closed window!! I hope she does manage to get home once the cast is off, selfishly just so I can see her again and I will give her a hug! I never know when it may be the last time. Anyway we dropped off some cards and biscuits with a carer and headed off down to St Ives ......

....for some much needed Vitamin Sea!

We so lucked out with the weather, St Ives was looking beautiful. 

I've not been since September 2019, so a long overdue dose.

We then headed over to Mum and Dad's for the afternoon, not seen them since before Christmas, when we went down to do a present swap, so a much needed couple of hours spent with them too xx

I'm not really sure where the weeks are going. It needs to warm up a little now, a few sunny days are much needed. The garden has loved the rain but May will have come and gone at this rate, with no nice weather to speak of!! 

Sam and I are venturing in to Bristol tomorrow, the first time since March last year, when we first went into Lockdown. Today of course marks Stage 3 in the Roadmap to opening everything back up again. I HOPE that everyone is sensible and that life can begin to feel more normal again. I assume my second vaccine will be soon, as the over 50's 2nd date is being brought forward, due to the new Indian variant. Then I hope Sophie and Sam will get done and that life for them can get back to normal and feel safe going off to University in September. Blink, and it will be September, the way time is ticking on by. They need to go to Uni, to be around young people, to start living their lives again and I need to not spend a fortune every week on food!!!

A chilly start....

...to the month of May!

And my mouse remains !!!

It's been a bit of a non week! One of those weeks where nothing really happens, nothing really to report. I worked the Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, then due to the weather, cold, damp, chilly... I've not really done very much! 

It's been windy too!

My poor honeysuckle blew over!

So my sunflowers are remaining in the porch until it warms up.

The very few allium's we do have this year, are slowly showing themselves....

....and I took a friend to see the bluebells, before they go over.

I decided to swap all the plants around at home. My Swiss Cheese Plants are growing too big to both be in the sitting room. Jeff was complaining that he couldn't see the TV, so I've moved one of them to the kitchen, which fills that space and.....

....and swapped the other one in the sitting room, to a new spot!

I guess our biggest dilemma this week, is what to do about our trip to Greece in 8 and a bit weeks time. We booked it last year as we had vouchers to move across from one of our cancelled trips and plumped for Greece as it's our 25th Wedding Anniversary, so we wanted to go back to where we first holidayed together. Naively, I think we both thought life would have been a little more back to normal by now than it is, when we booked it last May. As of yesterday Greece is on the Amber list, which means we would have to self isolate for 10 days at home on our return. Jeff obviously gets the Summer off, so no problem for him, I however would have to use holiday or take unpaid leave, if they 'allowed' me to go. Obviously there's also the question mark about what the rules would be over in Greece in terms of testing, mask wearing etc 

Part of me just thinks forget about it, we're not in a position still to travel like we did before. The other part of me thinks, life has to get back to some form of normal and if all procedures are followed correctly, then we would be safe to travel, having both had our vaccines. We're not going to party resorts, just small fishing villages/towns. We're staying in our own self-catering places, not hotels etc So much to consider and although it only feels like a few weeks away, a lot can change in that time both positive and negative. I've had a very 'what if' type of conversation with my Manager, which was very positive. I've not had any time off, other than my official holiday, during the pandemic, no periods of isolation or illness. If I tested positive on my return, I would be paid to self isolate rather than go unpaid, although obviously I'd rather the latter than get Covid!! Had we not had vouchers, we wouldn't have booked any foreign travel but it was a lot of money to waste, so we have a few trips booked to make use of the vouchers we carried over from last years 'BIG Year' trips.

Honestly? I can think of no place I'd rather be but it needs to be safe for everyone!

 

HELLO MAY!

Pinch and a punch....hello May!

April has been a good month, 

a tad on the chilly side but certainly drier than previous Aprils.

We have barely any allium's coming up, half a dozen maybe....

....compared to this fabulous display this time last year, it's disappointing!!

The apple blossom is beginning to flower.

And Jeff planted out my sunflower seeds.....

...which are coming up a treat!

I worked Sunday and Monday, am carrying my Tuesday hours over into next week, so I've had an extra day and on Thursday, I went for a walk with a newly retired work colleague. Lucky her, she's wanted to join me on one of my lockdown walks. Like me she's lived here all these years and never ventured on these local walks, so it was a treat to have some company.

And we saw an owl!! Must be feeding it's young, to be out hunting in the day.

On Friday I headed back over to the Dundon Beacon. I walked it back in November but it was super muddy and I promised myself I'd go back in the Spring and I'm glad I did....

...because the bluebells were beautiful and....

and there were loads of cowslips out.

I enjoyed the best of the weather, as it poured with rain in the afternoon.

This poor old robin looked a little soggy .

So this morning, my last free day until Thursday, I decided to go back to where I saw the owl, just in case it was out again! And it was, for all of a few minutes frustratingly. I hung around for about 20 minutes in case it came back but no sign! 

I did however, manage to capture these deer bounding across the field.

So a lovely few days out and about.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to venture to Bath, Bristol or Exeter yet. As the weathers been good, it's been nice to just get out and walk and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Maybe once I've lost a few more of the lockdown pounds, I'll venture to the shops.

I mean, I live in such a beautiful part of the world, 

would be silly not to make the best of it xx