Pinch and a punch......

......hello February!

YAY!! We survived January!

It is my least favourite month. Partly down to the weather, the come down after Christmas/lack of money, just the general greyness of it all! BUT, we are out the other side, and as the years go by I do work hard to find the positives. Nice walks, occasional blue sky days, birdsong, snowdrops, £1 bunches of daffodils, a freezer full of food to use up, booking/planning/looking forward to holidays, meeting up with friends over coffees or extended lunch dates, the first theatre outing, bits of work, a trip to Cardiff to check in on our two!!

I know I say it every year but I do think a £1 bunch of daffodils, in January, is the best £1 spent!

They are a bunch of pure joy!

So this week?? What have I been up to? On Monday I went and got my hair blonded! Again, a cheery positive thing to do in January, although it was a nightmare getting to the hairdressers due to flooding. But my hairdresser was coming from the same place, so I knew if I was finding it hard to get there, she would be too! In the afternoon a man came over to measure up the stairs and landing for new carpet. It's only taken us 9 years to get to this point but I'm scheduling in the carpet removal and painting for half term!! And with the carpet now booked in for fitting and paid for, it has to get done!!

Tuesday was just cold and miserable, a day of nothing!!

On Wednesday it was still cold and grey, but I headed over to Wells for coffee and a meet up with a fellow invigilator. We've been meaning to get together since the summer, as you never really have to chance to talk properly when the exams are on. So that was nice and I discovered a new coffee place.

Thursday morning I was in school, exam invigilating, cursing my decision, as the one day of the week I was in, was the sunniest, nicest, blue sky day! I was glad I'd arranged to meet up with my friend Lynn in the afternoon to go walking. It's hard to know where to go at the moment, as everywhere it so wet and muddy but we wandered around the lanes of Compton Dundon and stayed relatively dry!

So lovely to see some of the first snowdrops....

......Spring is not a million miles away now!

Friday morning, I met up with my lovely friend Sam for a coffee, before heading up to Cardiff to see Sophie and Sam. I went straight to Sophie's to drop off my things, picked her up and headed over to collect Sam. Being a nice mum, I had offered him a food shop. I used to do it when I visited Sophie, so only fair to do it for him too. 

We then all headed to Maria's, the Greek restaurant where Sam used to work. The food is lovely and I got to enjoy a FIX, my favourite Greek beer!! And, even better, Sophie kindly treated us all!! Will have to time my visits around pay day again!!

I stayed over at Sophie's, as on Saturday we had a house viewing booked in for 9am!!

 It wasn't the 'one' but we had a nice wander around the area, got coffee and breakfast and went to see another house, just from the outside, in another part of Cardiff. They seem to be doing these 'Open Days', where, I think the estate agent said, there were 14 viewings in 2 hours and full and final offers were expected on the table by Monday morning. I see how it is more time efficient for the agent but it makes the whole process very competitive, and unnecessarily so. It was a useful morning though. I think it was nice for Sophie to go with someone and talk things through, clarify what was really important to her. I think Sam may even go with her to her next viewing, just for another opinion. On paper it could be the one but you never know. As with Uni visits, she'll get that gut feeling, although annoyingly here it will be down to £££. She's in a good position though, as a first time buyer, no chain etc. All feels very grown up but she's so sensible and good with money, having saved up her deposit, so unlike me, won't be making any rash, emotional decisions. I headed home after lunch, got back in time to make tea! Jeff 'pinged' his calf muscle refereeing, so could miss a few of the next matches.

Despite his injury, he's been out in the garden for a bit today, pruning the apple tree. We're hoping for good weather in half term, to be able to get out in the garden and do a bit.

 It's lovely to see the bulbs poking through and the odd one flowering. Jeff planted loads of bulbs in the Autumn, so it's so nice to see them coming through. Spring doesn't feel a million miles away now. I'm hoping for dry days going forward, as we've had so much rain. Blue skies and warm sunshine would be a bonus but as long as it's dry, and I can get out, that'll be good for me. 

I have the dentist to kick start off my Monday morning.... I HATE the dentist! Then I'm meeting a friend to go for a walk. I'm working Tuesday and Wednesday in the Gallery, helping them hang the next exhibition and then the rest of the week is still open to offers, weather dependant!! I'm in no doubt that February will whizz by. The next two weeks are busy, then it's half term, then just a week, and I'm in the gallery that week, before it's March!! They do laugh at me and the way I chunk out time but I do think February will come and go in a flash! let's hope it's a good month x

Chunking my way through January

January is my least favourite month. It's usually cold, grey, damp.....

.... but we have been treated to the odd beautiful sky!

I had my first Snowdrop spot of the year. 

Such a hopeful flower, a sign of Spring and better days to come. 

Although, I've not seen many out yet this year.

Lynn and I walked on Tuesday. It's always hard to know where to go at this time of year,

 as it's so wet and muddy underfoot.

I did go out again on Tuesday. Left it a little later for the mist and murk to clear and was rewarded with some sunshine and this fantastic capture.

There were a pair of nesting heron's and I assume it was the male, that was flying back and forth collecting reeds. Right place, right time!

And then this solitary swan in line with the pollarded trees!

As always out at Ham Wall there are the most friendliest of robins.

You can always guarantee you can get a good shot of a robin.

Had my first Scarlet Elf Cup spot of the season too, when I went back on Friday.

xxx

Another thing that has helped get through January, is The Traitors. It's great TV. I love that it's something that everyone watches and talks about. The ending was a little disappointing after such a great run, not the result I was hoping for, but it was still worth watching.

Yesterday was my last day in the gallery for the student exhibition. I'm not allowed to share the work, as it's current exam work, so you get a picture of me instead!! Sorry! I do enjoy my gallery stints. I'm back in for a four week run after half term. I'll be hosting a new exhibition, showcasing Old Millfieldian Artists, celebrating 90 years of Millfield school. Should be good!

Today is wet and grey and windy and miserable. I met up with my sister and old family friends out at Middlewick, for a Sunday roast earlier today. I met with Emily before Christmas, for a walk and a catch up. We'd not seen each since my wedding day, even longer for Aimee. Their dad was my dad's Best Man at his wedding and he drove the wedding car on our wedding day. I've kept in touch through my mum and dad and the yearly Christmas card but it was nice to get together.....3 and a half hours of chat later!!

So, I have a catch up week ahead. I'm in for an exam one morning, have my hair appointment - cut and colour, a few coffee dates, a walk with Lynn if the weather allows. I have a man coming to measure up for new carpet for the stairs/landing. It's only taken 9 years to get around to doing it!! And then a trip up to Cardiff to see Sophie and Sam. I was supposed to go up there this Friday but the weather was bad, so delayed it. I have all of Sam's Christmas stuff to take up and Sophie wants me to go with her to view a house (so grown up). It'll be nice to see them both.

Exam week

This sunrise has been a rarity this week.

For the majority of the week, we've been sat under this cold, grey, damp, blanket of fog! I HATE this weather. It makes me feel really bleurgh! It drains every little grain of energy and positivity out of me! I've been in school all this week to invigilate the mock exams, so I've been kept busy. I was supposed to be collecting Sam from the train station on Wednesday and then taking him up to Cardiff on Friday but his plans changed. It would have been lovely to see him but given the fog, I'm glad to not have had to travel. I'm heading there next Friday instead, with all his Christmas stuff. Will no doubt take him to do a food shop, then will catch up with Sophie, take them out to lunch, before heading home.

I did go into Bristol on Thursday afternoon to see &Juliet. 

If I hadn't already bought the ticket I doubt I would have gone but I would have missed out on such a great show.

It was a brilliant show, fantastic production, such talented performers. 

Go see it, if it tours near you.

I spent yesterday (Saturday) in the gallery. It was very quiet but as I was not feeling 100% it was fine. It's just such a shame that more people don't come and see the fabulous work on display. The next exhibition is celebrating 90 years of Millfield and is showcasing a selection of works by 'Old Millfieldian' artists. There is also an auction of works, by the very talented Makenzy Beard (current student and art scholar) and a former pupil and Christie's auctioneer will lead the auction. Exciting things to come, 26th Feb - 22nd March

Today (Sunday) is a miserable, grey, damp January day! The worst weather and the week ahead doesn't look much better!! Looking for the positives........ we're very nearly two-thirds of the way through January x

I'm going to spend my day researching holidays!! We have a few in the pipeline. 

It's nine weeks until Sophie and I go to Italy for 5 days. Jeff and I then go to Crete for a week, once he breaks up for Easter. I go to Edinburgh in the summer half term, just for a few days, to meet up with old school friends. Then in the summer, we have two weeks in the Sporades booked - a mini Greek island hopping adventure. Sam's Graduation date is now confirmed, so we may see what cheap flights are about for a cheeky extra week away, once that is done. Then in September, Sophie and I are off to Greece for a week. We were planning on a trip to New York but with Trump now in charge and the expense of it, we're parking it for another couple of years!! Jeff and I have a week in Lisbon booked for the October half term and a few days in Lucca, Italy in December. Three of the trips are just with the rucksack under the seat baggage allowance, so no extra baggage costs. Will be interesting to see how we get on. I still have to find accommodation for Lisbon, Lucca and source a potential cheap extra trip 'somewhere' for the end of July. It makes me feel that the sun and warmth and bright blue-sky days aren't too far away, when I look out of the window at all the grey!!

Relaxing into the new year....

Hello!

I have actually taken down the New Year banner but have replaced it with a big yellow bauble!! It was bigger than I anticipated, the joys of online shopping, but I'm seeing it as a positive.... a big yellow ball of sunshine during these grey winter months x

It's been wet and cold and grey and miserable!!

This photo was taken 2 days apart. So much water lying around!

On Tuesday, I enjoyed my first walk of 2025 with my friend Lynn. 

It had to be up and around the Tor.

We were the only ones up there!

And in the distance you could see snow up on the Mendips.

So, on Wednesday, I went in search of snow.....

....over to East Harptree Woods.....

...and I found it!!

There wasn't loads, but it was still about and made for a nice wintery walk.

We had a new visitor to the garden. 

To our neighbours tree really, but I could sit at my desk and watch it tapping away.

Thursday, and another cold but dry day, I decided to head over to The Newt. 

Do my first visit for the year and check out if they still had any snow....

...and they did! Enough to make it look beautiful and wintery.

The paths were nice and clear, so another good walk in the bag and I avoided the shop and their delicious pastries, poor Jeff, no treats for him either.

Friday morning, and I was up early and lucked out big time, to open the shutters and capture this scene on my phone. The starlings flying out from their roost over at Ham Wall. I often see them in the distance, like shadows flying past the Tor, but these were flying a lot closer and whilst I was just taking a picture of the Tor, they flew over, right in front of me. I was up early for an exam and then.....

.....back into school in the evening for the Student Exhibition 'Private View'. It was brilliantly busy, a great evening celebrating all the student work on display. And I was home in time to watch the Traitors!!

So another early start on Saturday, but a treat of another beautiful sky.

And the first of three Saturdays, hosting the Student Exhibition in the Atkinson Gallery. I LOVE this little job. The Art Department is really friendly, I get to meet some really interesting people and spend my day surrounded by the most fabulous art work! What's not to like!

Unfortunately, I can't show you any of the work on display, as it's current exam work but if your local, you can come and see it for yourself, for free! 

So today is Sunday and my only day off for the next week. I have exams Monday to Friday and all day Saturday in the Gallery. I do have a theatre trip booked in and Sam is coming home for a few days, before I take him back up to Cardiff, so a busy week but another week of January ticked off!

Have a good week x