Category: Pic of the week

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(no) Gloves

Pic of the week 3/10/21

Well, like a switch, summer has ended and autumn has begun.

Last Sunday was a beautiful day, full of sunshine and warmth, but come Monday the rains came and the temperature has dropped – it now feels distinctly cold at times.

Yesterday- like a couple of days in the week – it absolutely pelted it down with rain but today dawned bright and clear and I was pleased that it was so as I set off on my run. I was (sensibly) wearing my long sleeved base layer top under my T-shirt, but a few Ks in I was beginning to regret not wearing gloves as my hands were staying stubbornly cold. By the end of my run they were fine – its hard to note when they stopped feeling cold, I reckon it was probably about the 5 K mark.  Anyway, it was a good run, I did 10K in pretty much 48 mins on the nose, and I do feel that I have my running mojo back.

In other news, it was haircut week this week – the pic is, of course, Becky’s “before” photo. I must admit, I always feel better when I’ve had my haircut. Its fine for about 3 weeks, but the fourth week before cutting it just feels heavy and shapeless.

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Empty nesters

Pic of the week 26/9/21

So we are now  officially empty nesters!

Sophie went back to Reading a week and a half ago, and on Wednesday, Becky took Sam to Cardiff University.

Most importantly, they both seem to be happy, enjoying university life in their different ways and it is good that they are amongst youngsters of their own age.

So now it is just Becky & I rattling around at home together!

Yesterday (it being exeat) we went for a walk together in the morning, and in the afternoon I planted up a number (but not all!) of bulbs. The weather yesterday wasn’t as good as we’d hoped, although warm it was quite damp  and we even had some drizzle in the afternoon. Today has been a glourious day, full of sunshine and blue skies. I’ve spent most of it outside cutting back the brown tree, mowing the lawn and cutting back the sunflower heads (dry as a crisp – a job to be done today, as tomorrow the rains (and cold) come). Becky seems to have spent most of the day cleaning (I now have no-one else to blame any mess on!)

It does feel a little odd, it seems almost artificially quiet, but we’ll get used to it!

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Weight

Pic of the week 19/9/21

So Thursday saw Sophie return to Reading for her final year at uni.

She’s been at home for the last 18 months have dashed home from halls in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic and its good for her to be returning to some sort of normality for a 21 year old. How everything fitted into her Micra I don’t know, but it did, and the house suddenly seems bigger again!

In other, important news, my weight fell below 13 stone for the first time this year. December ’20 was bad for me (weight-wise) the inevitabikity of Christmas pounds was added to by a lack of mobility due to my bad back. The pounds crept on, and never came off, reaching a peak of 13 stone 7 in April. In the summer, I decided I had to do something, and I started missing breakfast on a few occasions – fasting, which had a positive impact, the weight coming off, but also training my mind again that I don’t have to always eat.  Thursday and this morning saw the scales tip out at (just!) below the 13 stone mark; I don’t think its fair to say I’ve re-established my weight at sub 13, but I’m on the way.

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The last supper

Pic of the week 12/9/21

Well that was a busy week.

The start of the new school year, and I don’t think I’ve really stopped.

Anyway, on Friday we all went out to Ask for a last meal before the bambinos start returning to uni.

A lovely evening.

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Farewell to summer

Pic of the week 5/9/21

With a certain sense of irony, after a poor summer weather-wise, the sun has come out just as I return to school, marking for me, at least, the end of summer.

Its been a fantastic summer, I have enjoyed every minute of it, and it has marked a sense of something different from the groundhog days of the last 18 months, a sense of returning to some semblance of normality, giving a purpose to what I do the rest of the year, so it allows me to enjoy the eight weeks I have just had.

Of course, the two weeks in Corfu was the highlight and I can’t help but think how important it was to have those two weeks. I think they carried out a “factory reset” on me – erasing all the crap and crud of the last eighteen months and restoring my mojo.

I’ve used the time to improve my fitness and lose a little weight. I was shocked at how tough I was finding running at the start of the hols – both physically and mentally, I wasn’t really buzzing for it anymore. But the last couple of weeks, I’ve regained that joy of pounding the streets. I think its a bit of a virtuous circle – because I’ve lost a little weight (although still just the wrong side of 13 stone!) the running is easier, so you ran further and faster, so it gets easier etc. I’ve also returned to the swimming pool and swimming a Km once a week is something I need to keep up with.

My Spanish has improved, I’m now in a position where I can watch and read (easyish) Spanish TV and books, and this is hugely rewarding and enjoyable.

Our day trip to London was another highlight and, although the reason for going was very sad, I also enjoyed our day trip to Cornwall. I just really like spending time with Becky!

Sam’s speeding ticket and  the car breaking down have been low points, but on the whole its been a good summer.

Back to school tomorrow, and the adventures of a new role of Assistant Head of Middle School (Year 10)

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Lawn

Pic of the week 29/8/21

This year, I let the lawn grow “wild” and haven’t mowed it since April. I did mow a strip by the path, and a swirly path to the compost heap, but other than that it has been left to its own devices all summer.

I have been pleased with the results, particularly its “swishy-swashy-ness” in June. The ants have also enjoyed it, with a few ant hills becoming established, along with a few wild flowers and seed heads.

This week, I cut it back – quite some effort with an erratic strimmer – and have scarified it, the aim is to remove dead thatch to allow seeds to grow through. I have also dug a few holes and planted (daffodil) bulbs from last year’s pots and sowed a few packets of mixed wild flower seed – hopefully my hard work of this week will be a worthy investment, with the rewards to be reaped next spring and summer.

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Granny Woodhouse

Pic of the week 22/8/21

It is with great sadness that I write of Granny Woodhouse’s passing, on Thursday 19 August 2021. She was 98.

A fiercely independent woman, she had continued to live at home, on her own, until a recent fall hospitalised her.  Following her discharge from hospital, she was in care home, awaiting a suitable “care package” to be put together to allow her to return home.  However, 10 (?) days or so ago, following an infection, she deteriorated, lapsing into a deep sleep from which she never recovered.

She was very much loved by Becky, and that love was reciprocated. She was tremendously proud of her grandchildren, Sam in particular (a boy thing!) and was delighted that he was (at last) off to university.

The world is a better place for her passage through it.

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London

Pic of the week 15/8/21

Yesterday, Becky and I went to London. It was up with the sparrows to catch the 0749 train from Castle Cary, and before we knew it we were stepping onto the platform at Paddington.

First up was a visit to the National Covid Memorial Wall on the South Bank. It was peaceful, respectful, reverential and a sobering, moving and dignified memorial to the thousands who have lost their life. I think that it is all the more powerful that it evolved organically, an outpouring of emotion from the people and a reminder to those sat across the river in the House of Parliament that, through their inaction and corruption, there are more hearts on the wall – more lives needlessly lost – than their should be.

We then walked east, along the South Bank, enjoying the buzz of a city coming back to life after an 18 month tragedy, crossing the river on the Millennium Bridge. We ambled past Trafalgar Square, arriving in Covent Garden for brunch of coffee and filled croissants. Delicious.

Then a dash West, to Kensington Gardens to enjoy the Van Gough experience. I am glad that Becky enjoyed this show more than I did!

More coffee & cake followed and then a schlep  back across the city to the Sky Garden, at the top of the Walkie-Talki building, 35 stories high.

It was brilliant. To be able to look out across London was awe inspiring, humbling and a chance to try and spot a few haunts from my youth!

We were due to finish the day with a meal at the Real Greek, but an email telling us our train had been cancelled saw us hot-footing it back to Paddington to catch the earlier train – our only chance to make it back to sleepy Somerset before Sunday!

So instead of delicious Greek delights, we dined on shop bought sandwiches and crisps on the station concourse before getting a noisy (too many drunks!) train back to Castle Cary.

A great day.

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Anniversary and birthday

Pic of the week 8/8/21

Tuesday was our 25th Wedding Anniversary.

I am rather proud of that achievement, but from my perspective it has been easy – I just can’t imagine not being with Becky and loving her is the easiest thing in the world.

We went out to Ask in the evening, which was lovely, and our two weeks in Corfu were a bit a present to us both, but we certainly won’t wait another 25 years before returning!

^^This is now, this was then:

And, as always, hot on the heels of our anniversary comes Sam’s birthday. Can’t believe he’s 19. Always a “happy drunk”, last night he was declaring that he had had a great night (in ‘Spoons with his pals) – hard to believe it was only a year ago that he first discovered pubs.

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Corfu ’21

This is what a holiday can do for you …

Two weeks in Corfu was wonderful, it was perfect. Deciding to go was the best decision I have made in years. Two weeks, just me & Becky, in beautiful country, blue skies, crystal clear waters. It has left me rejuvenated, re-energised and with a headful of wonderful memories.

I’ve been a bit remis: its been nearly two weeks since we returned and I’m only just writing about it now. On my future travels, I shall endeavour to write a daily blog to capture my thoughts as they happen.  Becky has written four excellent blogs, you can see them here:

Corfu Town

Kalami

Kassiopi

Photos

and they do the trip justice far better than I could.

Picking a highlight for me? Not easy. The sight and sound of the swifts swopping overhead in Corfu Town was an unexpected delight and surprise, but I think top spot must go to swimming of Galiskari beach, an almost deserted beech a ten minute walk from Kalami, with the most wonderful water for swimming in: perfect colour, clarity and temperature.  The sea gets deep quickly, and I’ve realised I like this.

The water off Kassiopi, particularly fairly early in the morning before the wind got up and the hordes arrived, was also divine:

My love affair with Greece was rekindled. The sun, the sea, the food, the slightly chaotic nature reminded what I’ve been missing, and we’ll be back.