Me on a Monday

Not much blogging was done the week before last, as it was the last week of term.  I worked all week just so I could say goodbye to all our year 6 pupils before they go off to High School.  I went in on Friday to finish off my orders for September.  It took longer than I thought and I ended up staying all day!  I'm now owed a day off at some point in the future.

Last week........

I worked on Monday morning, just to get all the invoices sent off before the summer break.

The boys got a new bed on Tuesday and had nibbled the corners by the next morning!!  I did some blogging and sorted out my Great Yorkshire Show posts.  There are a few, as there was too much to put into one post.

I went for a blood test on Wednesday to check my Folate levels.  I'm pleased to say that all is back to normal.

I had my nails done on Thursday.  I can have them a bit longer in the holidays as I don't need to type as much. :0)

On Friday I was up at the hospital for another check up appointment.  Still no word on my surgery.  :0(

Saturday saw hubby taking Innes training and Blue staying home.  Blue went for a walk up the hill and settled OK when he got back.  They really miss each other when the other one isn't there.

And on Sunday, I stayed home and finished my baby blanket and hubby took the boys out for a bit of training.  Poor Innes has 'swimmers tail' (yes it's a thing) after all his swimming on Saturday but it doesn't seem to bother him too much.  He just has to rest and not exercise too much for a while.

I also spent the week catching up on some other crochet projects, checking out holidays for next year and 2025, and thinking about what to take to Edinburgh at the weekend, as the weather is set to be wet.  Not a surprise really as it always rains when we go there, regardless of what time of year it is :0)

The first full week of the school holidays is done and boy that was quick.  Onto the next one.

TTFN

A little bit of decorating.

The never ending list of things to be decorated continues.  

This time it was the turn of the utility room.  It used to have cupboards in it, but we moved them into the kitchen to give us more space.  The only things in the utility room now are the fridge, the dog food bin and the boys.  It's their space during the day.  They are in the kitchen at night.

It is a pretty boring space really.  It's the end of the old garage that was converted into another room and leads out into the back garden.  The floor still needs looking at, as it wasn't done properly when the conversion was done, so please excuse the lino!!  We changed the decorators magnolia paint for white, with one wall in a sage green.  It's only B&Q's (Home Depot) own paint in Killkenny, but I just love the colour.

The walls were a bit bare so I started looking for pictures.  The price of them, at £15.00 each, was ridiculous so I made my own.  I bought 4 frames for £20.00, found some free downloadable quotes online and printed them off.

I think they look OK and give the small space a lived in look.

Next on the decorating agenda will be bedrooms.  Oh lord help us :0)

One Photo - Twenty(ish) Words

 

Fancy meeting for lunch I said?  Yes, he said.  Can we do what I did as a kid? 

One 14” pepperoni pizza.  Demolished. Yay!

The Great Yorkshire Show

Last week was mainly about the Great Yorkshire Show.  An agricultural show held every year in Harrogate, Yorkshire.  It's held on week days (Tues to Fri)  but still has approx 35,000 visitors a day.  It celebrates the very best of British Farming and agriculture.  And as a small country we have a lot to celebrate.  Our farmers are amazing and need support to keep being amazing.

We took out a membership this year, as it was cheaper than two day tickets and two grandstand tickets.  We could use the members area, get into the grandstand anytime of day (there was so much going on we didn't see it all), and get 10% off drinks and food.  It also meant not having to queue for the ladies loo!!  It came in handy on the second day, as it rained most of the day, and it meant we could go indoors to have our lunch.

The show is 250 acres of animals and machinery.  We saw cow's, sheep, pigs, gundogs, horses, crafts and produce.  There was so much to see, that we still didn't see everything in the two days we were there.

The shire horses were amazing as were the carriage racers.

There were cows as far as the eye could see. 

You've got to love a cattle parade.  3500 cows in total at the show.  Wow!!  They parade twice a day for the four days.  That must take some preparation on behalf of the handlers, so respect to them.

There were prize winning pigs.

Sheep with curly horns and shaggy coats

And the star of the day, Lorenzo from France.  Never heard of him but he was really good.  He runs a team of up to 14 horses, single handed.  The horses are amazing (I wasn't too bothered about him) and knew exactly what to do and when to stop, when to join back in and when to leave the arena.  Hubby wasn't that fussed, but I thought they were brilliant.

All in all we had a great time and the weather didn't phase us at all.  Waterproofs and umbrellas are standard issue for a British summer.   

Will we go next year?  Difficult to say, as I might be having my surgery by then.  Fingers crossed for both.

TTFN

Hello from Innes & Blue

Well hello.  We thought we'd sneak onto mom's blog and introduce ourselves.  We're Innes and Blue and we're 13 month old black Labradors.

Here we are just chillin' and surveying the building site at the bottom of the garden.

I'm Innes and I'm the stroppy teenager.  I like to do things at my own pace and when I want to.  I like helping dad retrieve the canvas dummies he keeps leaving in fields.  He says I'm really fast and collect them like a pro.  I do have a few problems doing as I'm told and I'm still a little confused when dad shouts "go back".  Go back where?  I haven't been anywhere yet!!

I love my brother, but sometimes he gets annoying so I like to go off and lie by myself.  I like to be on the sofa too sometimes, but I like my head on the arm and not against dad like Blue does.

I'm the one who jumps up in the kitchen and steals things off the side.  I do like a good shopping list!!

and I'm also the one who whinges the most.  Like all the time!!

I'm Blue.  I'm the "Happy Piddler" and can't help it if a little bit leaks out when I get excited.  Everyone says I'm the handsome one (but don't tell my brother).  I'm also still a puppy.  I like to chase Mr Ball and I get scared of things I haven't seen before.  I haven't learned to piddle on three legs yet and won't be a clean boy when I'm out for a walk.

I do like to help dad collect the dummies though.  Especially if I have to jump over a fence or swim a pond to get them.

I bark at 2am, most mornings, just so someone will come down and see me.  I like to know that they are still in the house.

I love to sit on the sofa with my head in dad's lap, but I'm not really fussed whose lap it is, so long as I can lie on someone.

Whooops!!  Got to go.  It was nice to meet you.  We'll have to catch up again soon.

Me on a Monday - 10 July 2023

It was a bit of a strange week in the fact that I was only at work for two days, due to strike days wed & Friday and me not working a Thursday.

We had on-line training to do on the strike days, which I did on day one.  The joy of Data Protection (GDPR) and Prevent (Radicalisation).  I might have given the asbestos one a miss.

I managed to squeeze in some crochet time and did a few more rows on my baby blanket.  As I can't read and crochet at the same time I listened to Harry Potter.  It's one of those book that you can just listen too and, because you've read/listened to it so many times in the last 20 years, it doesn't matter if you miss a bit.

I'm still looking at big holidays for 2025, but it seems I have to wait until the end of July before I can book anything.  That's what happens when you're two years ahead of yourself.

Me navigating the see saw

Hubby and I spent Saturday afternoon doing the Landrover Off Road Experience in Liverpool.  I have to admit to being a little nervous about the whole thing, as I didn't know what to expect.  I needn't have worried.  It was amazing and really showed us just what the car is capable of.  Even when I'm driving. More to follow.

I'm loving the Tour de France at the moment.  It's about one of the only sports programmes I watch.  I'm gutted that Mark Cavendish has had to abandon the tour ,this year, with a broken collar bone.  I was willing him to win another stage and bring his career total to 35.

And finally I'm sorting out clothes and packing to go away on Wednesday, to The Great Yorkshire Show, in Harrogate.  It's such a big event, and last year we didn't get to see everything we wanted, as one day wasn't enough.  This time we're going for two days.  I just hope the weather holds out.

TTFN

Summer Photo Scavenger Hunt 2023 - Part 1

 

2023 Summer Scavenger Hunt / Search Ideas

1. A Plant/Tree With Thorn(s)

2. A  Wordless Directional Sign

3. Something Netted or Webbed

4. Something Berry Berry Delicious

5. A Bridge

6. A School

7. Something That Dangles

8. Some Shadows

9. A Crack or Pothole in The Road or Sidewalk

10. A White Flower(s)

11. Extraordinary Water 

12. Summer Tools

13. A Sold or For Sale Sign (not necessarily a house)

14. Something That Rolls

Alternate A: Your Favourite Summer Taste

Alternate B: Your Choice

I have to admit to not doing a lot of hunting for this years list so far.  I have the list in my bag, but don't remember to take it out to see what it is I'm looking for!!  So far I have..........

3.  Something netted or webbed.  This is the builders netting we have at the bottom of the garden.  It's there to stop the boys trampling all over the wood and bricks that hubby needs for his next projects.

4.  Something Berry Berry Delicious.  As we'd all done really well in the Ofsted inspection the Boss bought us Danish, cakes and fruit as a treat.  What a Boss we have.

9.  A crack or pothole in the road or sidewalk.  This is also from the garden.  Until all the building work is done, our garden will continue to be one big paved area. And with those paving slabs come all the weeds!!  Weeding is on my list of things to do.  As soon as it stops raining.

10.  A white flower(s).  This is a new plant I bought for the front garden this year.  I have no idea what it is but the flowers are very dainty and grow in pretty clumps.

I'm hoping to get a few more from the list whilst we're in Yorkshire at the end of this week.

Bathroom Ta Dah!!

We've lived with the old 1980s bathroom for almost 6 years, but now we have a gorgeous, stylish new one.  I'm so pleased with it.  It turned out even better than I hoped.  Bathroom John (as I like to call him) suggested counter tops with bling in them or chrome around the window.  Errgh!  Not my cup of tea at all.  Give me plain any day of the week.

We opted for white fittings, as when we do come to sell, it will appeal to more people rather than a colour that might put a buyer off.  We're not moving anytime soon though, so nothing to worry about just yet.

I got my favourite soap off my Secret Santa last year, so that had to be in there.

The young man bought his Granny the seagull many, many years ago, and when she passed away it was the only thing he wanted to keep.  Obviously it had to have pride of place in the new bathroom.

Hubby chose the oak counter tops and spent a good week staining and polishing them, and I have to say, I'd take them over granite any day.  He's done an amazing job and they look brilliant.

It might be the smallest room in the house, but at the moment it's my favourite room.

And in case you've forgotten what it looked like to begin with, here's a reminder :0)

       

Me on a Monday 3 July 2023

It was a slightly cooler and windy weekend, and Saturday was, as my Nana used to say, a good drying day.  We've been so used to lovely sunny days, we'd almost forgotten what an English summer was like.

The biggest news from last week was that our school had an Ofsted inspection.  There has been a lot of controversy about Ofsted recently, after a headteacher from another school, took her own life earlier this year.  Our school has been expecting an inspection since 2021, but due to Covid everything was delayed.  Both inspectors were very nice and met with all staff on day one to let us know which areas they would be focusing on and issued us with a timetable.  Our admin section, thankfully went first (always good advice) and it all seemed to go well.  The rest of the school was looked at over the next two days.  We have to wait until at least the middle of August before the report is available, so there will be a bit of an anxious wait until then.  Fingers crossed they thought we were doing a good job.

On Saturday hubby took Blue, training.  It's a gun dog training class and Blue was the youngest.  Lets just say he bulldozed his way through the two hours!!

We did some decorating.  The wall on the landing, where the old toilet door used to be, needed a coat of paint.  It's just a temporary fix as we will re-decorate the hall, stairs and landing once everything else is done upstairs.  We also painted the utility room.  It still needs a new floor but, again, that's a job for another day as it also needs a new back door.  The jobs on this house just seem to be never ending.

Next week we have two strike days coming up. One on Wednesday and one on Friday.  Our school has normally been open to pupils as some teachers weren't in the union that was on strike.  This time though the school is closed, completely, to staff and pupils.  We have on-line training to do but it basically means I only have a two day week next week.  What to do with myself?

TTFN