Sylvia

Hi Syl

Thank  you I had a wonderful five days with my daughter and family visiting and whilst the weather was indeed hot, we managed well with early morning walks for the dog and playground/park visits for the children but most of al we had quality time in each others company.  Our main meal of the day was eaten out at local restaurants so I felt I was on holiday too.  A different place every day  with us each having a choice.  We even had a treat everyone shopping  morning and a visit to the garden centre (having the car meant I got the biggest treat for myself; a nice new garden chair (it has a little foldaway table attached and is very comfy). They went home Friday after lunch.  Saturday I was back at the gym and about to get back to routine. Then on Sunday my son's daughter took an awkward tumble indoors and my daughter in law fell down the stairs in the rush to reach her!!  Ambulance required and after a 3hr rate and me and her parents rallying to the cause both were taken to hospital.Thankfully my daughter in law whilst battered and bruised (she knocked herself out!!) had not done any other damage but a little concussed!  My grand-daughter's x ray showed a severe break to her elbow and the following morning she underwent keyhole sugery for 'pinning and repair'.  She was finally discharged at 8pm Monday and they are both recuperating back home.  Many plans in place were cancelled and re-arranged and my birthday treat (the last thing on my mind to be honest) will happen when time allows.  Just glad to have them back  home and in recovery.  My rescheduled coffee and cake with Margaret will now go ahead tomorrow morning.  As a family were were planning a Sunday meal last weekend to finalise arrangements for our Easter 2023 holiday.  Instead we had a zoom meeting online on my birthday and then it was all booked by the evening.  

Yesterday evening/night we finally saw a rain shower or two but today it is at the moment again sunny and bright though rain is again forecast.  I am happily sitting in the garden as a much more bearable 21degs.

Hope  you have had a good week and your new curtains are up and you are enjoying the newly decorated area and perhaps have planned the kitchen paint job too.  Take care of yourself.  All the best Jules xx

Hi Syl,

Hope you are having a good week.  I have been enjoying a less hectic week with just my normal gym sessions and daily walks.  Feels calmer being in my normal routine. I have not planned my main solo holiday yest.  The one I mentioned has been arranged for Easter and I will be going away with my son and the family (never turn down an invitation lol).  We will have a week in Fueteventura and will be lovely seeing the youngest two grandchildren enjoy their first holiday overseas. We  were away with Darcey in 2016 but she was only 8 weeks old then!!  I will probably wait until after Christmas until I decide on my main holiday as the one I had hoped to do is not available in the brochure for 2023 and so will look into other options in the coming months.

My daughter and family are in Devon this week and then next week I will be visiting for a few days to keep an eye on the grandchildren as my daughter has to be at work for two full days before the actual start of the school term.   I offered to go up so that my son in law did not have to use up precious annual leave. 

I have seen a couple of friends for coffee mornings in the past week and have begun to get some tidying up done in the back garden. With all this dry weather at least he lawn has not needed mowing for most of the summer ! Today I have to wait in for a delivery so will spend time in the front garden.  Just some deadheading and give the little conifer hedge a tidy .  With mainly ground cover planting it does not need a lot doing and it should be the last effort before autumn other than to prune the rose and cut back the buddleia once the flowers finish.  I think everything will be happening a bit earlier this year.  The foxes are still passing through the garden nightly and I get a lot of pleasure watching them on the night camera.each morning whilst I have breakfast.

Well not much other news so hope all is well with you and take care.  Best regards  Jules x

Hi Syl

Quick response as off to visit my daughter for a few days.  Hope you got out for a meal on Sunday.  Pretty quiet here apart from doing my usual gym sessions and walks.  Today had a belated birthday lunch with my son and two grandchildren which was a lovely surprise as he phoned a couple of hours beforehand to see if I was free.  We spent a few hours together afterwards catching up too. Hoping to hear all about my daughter's family holiday (they got back from Bideford at the weekend).  Would have been our 45th wedding anniversary this weekend so will be good to  have some company before returning home and going to the crem to lay some flowers.  I am out in London with an old friend who is over from New Zealand at the beginning of next week so hoping the weather will be nice.

Managed to tidy the garden quite a bit over the past few days and today have mowed it (though not much to mow lol) and got rid of the long grass areas.  Was delighted to find some newts hiding under a water dish too.  Amazing what often goes unseen wildlife wise.  Have a good week and take care of yourself/ Best regards  Jules x

Hi Syl

Glad you got out for a lovely meal and drink. Really lifts you up to have a social time out with good company. Had a lovely few days with my daughter and family and had trips to the park with the boys whilst she attended teacher training days.  The boys are now back at school and she has begun her new job as a Teaching Assistant so fingers crossed all will continue to go smoothly. Unfortunately the day after my return (when I had hoped to get to the crem) I was stricken with a short lived but horrid bug so had to be close to the bathroom.  I will go this week instead.  Yesterday I was in London for the day and it was wonderful to be back there.  I had a long morning walking St James's Park and surrounding area before meeting up with a workmate from the 70s who is over from New Zealand. After lunch we did a tour of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace followed by coffee in the garden cafe there.  I covered 13 plus miles on foot, took over 300 photos whilst in the park (obviously no photos allowed inside the palace but were able to take them in the gardens).  After leaving my friend at about 4 pm I then did some more walking before catching the underground home.  Today has been a bit less full with just a gym session and walk to the Post Office to collect a parcel. In and out of the garden inbetween downpours/thunderstorm so no watering necessary this week especially as they say more showers due this week.  Next planned day out is with another old workmate on Thursday and looks as though we will be dodging showers as we do various visits.  Will be lovely to catch up on our family news though.

Hope you have a good week and that your daughter and her partner enjoyed their break away.

Tomorrow my grand-daughter has her plaster cast removed and the pins removed from her arm break. Don't envy either her or my son and daughter in law having to go through this but thankfully once the pins are out it will mean the break has healed well.  It will be a worry for a while that she does no more damage to the weakened elbow area. She has coped so well and even went back to school today and am sure there would have been lots of interest from her playmates/teacher.  Fingers crossed tomorrow goes smoothly for them all.

Wishing you a good week ahead.  Best regards.  Jules x

Hi Syl, Just a short note to let you know I am thinking about you during this very sad time. I am sure your immediate family and friends are helping you process the suddenness at your Sister's passing.  Take care.  Jules x

Hi Syl,

Sounds as though the family gave your sister a beautiful celebration of her life. Always emotional but having good memories are everything as we know. A sudden passing is a shock and the grieving period that follows hard (my sister in law's death was unexpected and within an hour of hearing she had had a fall she passed away in the ambulance enroute to hospital). I also found that is helps to keep busy or to a routine and being around people at your various groups must be a comfort.

Glad you have had a catch up with the children too and enjoy the garden centre (I love going and rarely leave empty handed ha ha). There is no cafe at our small local one but is within distance of my favourite nature reserve where I can can eat if I wish.  I saw son and family last weekend and he cooked a beautiful lamb shank dinner; made a lovely change.  This weekend I am doing my own thing.  Was due to meet a group of friends for an outing but the rail strike put paid to that!! Just about to go to the charity shop with a few bags of clothes as have had a clear out now that my weight has come down.  A really good feeling I can tell you!!

The birds and a squirrel are still regulars and enjoying the feeders as it turned a little cooler this week. Warmer again today after an evening/night of heavy rain.There are still three different foxes passing through the night garden so have to rely on the night camera to watch them.  Thankfully I managed to mow the lawn during the week on a bright dry day and got all the washing done and dry outside too.  Today has begun with sunshine and I took a walk as I often do before an early breakfast. Meeting friends for coffee at 9.30 so need to get ready again to go out.  Hope your week passes smoothly and sending best wishes. Take care. Jules x

Hope you have a good weekend