Category: Family

Posted on

Doc Martens

Pic of the week 7/4/19

I love ’em.

On Thursday we went to Bath to buy my birthday D.M.s.

B, S & S all preferred the standard D.M. shoe, but I’ve had my heart set on a pair of loafers for some time.

I tried the shoe, liked them, but not as much as the loafer, so the only question was which colour, and yellow stitching or not.

I settled for black, with the traditional yellow D.M. stitching. It was the right choice, they are a  thing of beauty, I think they will come to define me.

I shall say it again, I love them.

(And, as a bonus pic, here is a picture of the lady I love who bought them for me.)

Posted on

50!

Pic of the week 31/3/19

Thursday was a big day, on Thursday I turned 50!

When one looks back, that’s a mighty long time, but I tend to look forward, not back …!

I was very lucky to receive lots of lovely gifts: A pair of DM shoes (still to be selected and bought), a coastering session with Sam, books, socks, chocolate, a print of “The Specials” (who we go and see in three weeks), a cool T shirt …

And a lovely surprise to find Sophie home from uni a day early.

I had great day.

Posted on

Half Term

Pic(s) of the week 17/2/19

Its half term – at last.

Its been a long six week stint since the Christmas holidays, always a difficult time of the school year, and a week longer this year than normal (although the corollary of that is that now I have nothing longer than five weeks in a row before a break.)

Sophie cam home from uni on Friday evening, lovely to see her again and have the whole family back under one roof for a week.

For some reason, only fathomable to 16 year old boys, Sam is going to have a boxing match v one of his pals in the Easter holidays. Not a good idea, but at least it is giving him some motivation to get a bit fitter. Yesterday he & I “sparred”  on the deck: he has bought some boxing gloves, I get to hold the pads we he then hits. Madness (& surprisingly hard work.)

The weather has definitely perked up, last Thursday & Friday were beautiful. Typically, its not been so good since half term began, but its dry, bright at times and still light at 5.30 which is remarkably uplifting.

I’m sure I’ll blink and it will be over, but right now its wonderful to think that the next week is mine!

Posted on

A new normal

Pic of the week 13/1/19

The new normal.

Sophie has returned to uni, Sam is at work (& when he’s not, he’s out with his pals or hidden away in his room.)

As a family, we have transitioned into a new normal, a new phase of all of our lives.

Not necessarily good, not necessarily bad, just different – one has the definite sense that a milestone, a marker, has been passed.

Perhaps symbolic of this new phase, I spent 20 mins outside today, tidying away the geraniums that have finally succumbed to the frosts of late, and getting the daff pots from the bottom of the garden and back into prominence ready for the Spring that is, hopefully, not now too far away.

Green shoots – the knowledge that warmer, brighter times are ahead, both in the garden and metaphorically.

Posted on

2018 in pictures

Pic of the year 2018

On the whole 2018 has been a good year.

So, I had an abscess on my tooth that hurt like hell, I knackered my knee and began to doubt I would ever walk properly again, and the boiler gave up the ghost, necessitating an expensive replacement, but other than that its been a pretty good year, and, as ever, Becky has captured many moments on camera.

We endured the Beast from the East, and then basked in the best summer since ’76.

We saw the Imagine Dragons, Scouting for Girls, The Rifles, Squeeze and the excellent Deacon Blue.

Sophie & Sam both did well in their summer exams (A levels & GCSEs) and Sophie is now thriving reading Economics at Reading University.

A fantastic week in Majorca was, perhaps, the highlight of the year.

We suffered jellyfish stings, World Cup fever and the sad demise of our baby robins.

And every morning I throw open the shutters and am met by a magnificent view of the Tor, in all its hues and variations.

2018 – thank you.

Posted on

The Gathering

Pic of the week 23/12/18

Last night we all went to Jane’s for “The Gathering”.

A wonderful evening, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Posted on

Birthday Girl

Pic of the week 4/11/18

Today is Sophie’s (19th) birthday, her first away from home. But the wonders of FaceTime (still a pipe dream when she was born a mere nineteen years ago) meant that we were able to join her as she opened her pressies at uni.

In other news, half term has drawn to its inevitable conclusion. Its been a good week and half; seems a long time since we went to visit Sophie last week, and not done too much since then, but that’s always nice. Have slept a lot, read, ref-ed a couple of times, run, swum … so perhaps I did do quite a bit!

Friday morning was sunny and warm (up till then it had been sunny but cold, since then its been grey & damp, but warm) so spent some time in the garden, putting it to bed for the winter. Pulled up the runner beans and self seeded tomatoes, the sweet peas had definetly flowered their last, so they came out too, all going on the “new” compost heap – have decided that the time is right to leave the other one to cook over winter ready for the new season. The geraniums (or more correctly, perlagoniums ) survived the light frosts of last week and are still flowering, so left them untouched.

Back to work tomorrow – it seems like a dangerously short five weeks, but I’m sure in a couple of weeks time the half term just gone will seem a distant memory yet the Christmas holidays still a long way away!

Posted on

The gloves are on

Pic of the week 28/10/18

Yesterday we went to visit Sophie at uni in Reading.

It was lovely to see her again, and a lovely family day. An easy two hours in the car to Reading, met her at her Halls, before we all went “into town.”

It turns out Reading is a nice town – modern, vibrant, etc. etc.

But even better was the discovery that Sophie is thriving at uni – she seemed so happy, so organised, enjoying her subject: thriving. A great day.

Today I went for a run. Fortunately I had had the foresight to hunt out my running gloves a couple of days ago as it was cold, very cold. After such a fantastic summer that never seemed to end, and a benign, beautiful autumn, the cold snap that has snapped over the last couple of days has come as a real shock.

Running wasn’t easy today, I seem to have lost my “easy, lolloping bounce” – I was aware of every impact of foot on ground with every stride. As soon as I encountered the slightest incline or headwind my split time crept above 5 mins per K. Still did 7 K in a respectable time, but a good minute slower than my summer pace. With half term now upon us, perhaps I can get some miles in and get back to running ways.

Posted on

Fit for task

Pic of the week 14/10/18

I like this “grabbed” snap of the three of us on our way to Yoga (Sam was going for a walk around the block.) Tuesday and Wednesday were glorious days with wall to wall sunshine – very different from the last few days when Storm Callum has lashed us with wind and rain.

I’ve been doing a lot of referee-ing of late – and really enjoying it, although it hasn’t mean I’ve done much running of late.

And for much you can substitute any.

Due to a late cancellation, I found myself at a loose end this afternoon so I went for a run – my first since August 26th!

Not the ideal time to run (2.30 ish, rather than in the morning), it was windy (the lingering wake of storm Callum) and I was overdressed in two layers, but I didn’t find it easy.  Ran my Upper 6K route, the time wasn’t too far off normal, all splits sub 5 mins, except for the hill which was 5.12 but it did strike my how I’ve lost my easy running rhythm.

I’d still describe myself as fit – possibly fitter than I have been for some time, cruising my way around the pitch as referee, but it just shows how fitness can be task specific.

Anyway, with half term beginning to appear on the horizon, the opportunity to once again pound the streets of Street will soon be here and I can eat up those miles.

Posted on

Sophie starts at Reading

Pic(s) of the week 23/9/18

A major milestone today, as we took Sophie to University of Reading to start a whole new chapter in her life.

It has been a long time coming – it seems an age since she got her results in the summer, but despite the anticipation, its still hard to believe that the day has finally arrived and she has “left home” (of course she hasn’t, but she’s not here full time any more)

The mechanics of the day were memorable for the wrong reasons – up early for a 6.30 am departure in the pouring rain, rain that did not stop until after I had made umpteen trips transporting her stuff (and there was a lot of it!) from the car to her new room. I was soaked. But what father wouldn’t do that for his daughter.

By the time Becky & I left, the sun was shining, probably a metaphor for the fantastic sunny future Sophie can look forward to.