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Decision day

Pic of the week 20/6/21

After much vacillating and agonising we have decided to go to Corfu. Now less than three weeks away, I’m really looking forward to it. I just want to do something different, and, like a sailor of old drawn to the soulful singing of the Sirens, I am drawn by pictures of the turquoise blue Ionian water, and hang the consequences!

Have spent much of the day looking at testing requirements, I think I shall have to buy us each an Amber + package from Tui for £90 each, necessitating a trip to Cribbs Causeway a few days before we travel to drop off our fit to fly tests, we will take a fit to return test with us on holiday, and then do two tests on our return in our 10 day quarantine, but it has to be worth it.

‘Tis also Father’s Day today, and I’ve recived an England T-shirt (which will get its first outing on Tuesday when they face the Czech Republic needing a draw to guarantee progression to the next round) along with a hefty “care package” of snacks. Delicious!

 

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Hot, hot, hot!

Pic of the week 13/6/21

Its been hot, hot, hot this weekend, which has been wonderful. I’ve enjoyed the sunshine, as have the sunflowers in the bed outside which are now beginning to reach for the skies!

Not too much else to report, so I’ll sign off and go and water the garden.

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Half term

Pic of the week 6/6/21

And so half term draws to a close. Its been a lovely week – the weather has (on the whole) been magnificent and I have spent much of my time outside: running, walking, reading, gardening …

The pics are a collage from Friday morning when Becky & I walked up the twin peaks of Dundon Beacon and Lollover Hill – a lovely morning out.

The garden is now in its “summer ready” state with everything planted out.

I’ve read a lot, we’ve eaten outside on a number of occasions and both Sophie & Sam have been up to “stuff” – Sophie went to London last weekend, and Reading this, Sam’s friend “Smithy” came down from Hemel Hempsted for a few days (& subsequently I’ve been a taxi service on a few occasions) and he went to Tom’s house in Weymouth on Friday, all of which has led it to feel like a “normal” holiday. It’s been lovely. Now just a four week sprint to the glittering prize of the long summer holidays …

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Double Dab

Pic of the week 30/5/21

On Tuesday I had my second dose of the Astra Zenica covid jab, and on Thursday Becky had her second dose.

Pleased to have got my second jab in – should be safe now!

Half term had finally arrived, after a long and tiring seven week term. And the weather has changed for the better as well – after a cold April and a wet May, yesterday and today has seen the sun shine and the temperature rise, which has been wonderful. Went for a lovely walk yesterday morning, this morning I did a 10K run – didn’t feel too difficult, but was slow. On Wednesday I ran 10K in school in an attempt to “beat the Head” (I didn’t!) and that was really tough – running on grass just seemed to sap the energy from me, there was no bounce to my rhythm.  I do need to spend some of this half-term getting myself back to a level of fitness I haven’t known for many months.

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Dogging!

Pic of the week

Another wet week with little to report. It really does feel like I’m currently just grinding out the days until half term next week.

Wednesday was yoga day – a bit of a highlight in the week and I’m glad I’ve started doing it again. We arrived early (don’t we always!) and, with no-one else present, Becky to a pic of me “doing the dog – it is evident that my back is far too rounded, but I’m not really sure how I do that!  Here’s a pic of what it should look like:

Weather-wise its been pretty dreadful: cold, wet & windy. No hint of summer at all. Let’s hope things start to warm up soon …

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Wet and tired

Pic of the week 16/5/21

A combination of poor weather (yesterday and today have been particularly wet) and being tired (the long term is starting is starting to bite, yet half term still seems a way away)result in little to report this week.

We seem to be on top of the mouse problem – no sightings nor captures for several days – and everything is looking green and verdant – verging on the overgrown as I can’t get out to do anything – which is nice: the sunflowers planted out last week are looking healthy, and the cosmos seeds have popped up. I would just like some nice warm weather so I can sit outside and enjoy the garden.
Yesterday, Becky & Sophie went to Cornwall for the day, and somehow dodged the rain. Sam wen to the dentist about his wisdom tooth and was pescribed some anti-biotics which seem to be doing the trick.

I spotted evidence of leakage from the shower – I have applied some tape over the sealant, hope that does the trick.

The week ahead looks set to be wet too, lets hope the sunshine is waiting in the wings for half term in two weeks time …

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Swimming, mice and flower beds

Pic of the week 9/5/21

On Monday I swam, for the first time since August. Given the extra long term, we were given Monday off as a “duvet day” and I took the opportunity to book myself in for a swim up at school.

I ended up doing 40 lengths – 2Km – in 47 minutes and 57 seconds. I actually felt quite fit in the pool, I was able to do that distance without too much difficulty, but I was then knackered for the rest of the day. Amazing how much it took out of me. However, come the holidays (both half-term and summer) I really ought to make swimming more of a regular thing.

Mice: we’ve been plagued by mice, fortunately only in the garden, who have enjoyed foraging on the bird food we put out. The fear is is that they start to stray inside, so this week traps have been laid.  We’ve snared three so far, with cheese being the bait of choice.

Today I planted out my sunflower seedlings into the new bed, along with geranium and lobelia plants. Hope they take to life outdoors and grow into big strong plants.

And this week we bought a rowing machine for the whole family to use. I don’t think anyone’s done a full session on it yet (to be fair, I only put it together yesterday).  I just hope it gets used, and gets us all trim and fighting fit.

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Glastonbury 10K

Pic of the week 2/5/21

Today was the Glastonbury 10K road race.

A new route, to avoid the crowds in Glastonbury High Street, and we were set off in waves, I was in wave 11, those with an estimated time of 47 mins.  This time was the time I gave for my entry in 2020, which was cancelled due to Covid, and was a bit optimistic. But the “new” course is very flat – from Strode, along the back lanes towards Baltonsborough for 5K, then turn round and come back – and therefore quite quick.

As ever in these races, I set of with racing snakes at too swift a pace – 1st K in 4 mins 30 secs – the race was tough, but I completed it in 47 min 42 secs, a whole minute faster than I have run a 10K this year.  I finished 222nd out 760 runners, and 19th out of 56 in the M50 category (Males between 50 and 55)

I’m pleased I ran it, am pleased with my time, let’s hope that events like today signal some sort of return to normality.

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Haircuts

Pic of the week 25/4/21

So haircuts are allowed again, and Di came on Friday to cut our hair.  Mine’s not been a problem, with Becky giving it a shave, and trim at the front, every few weeks. But, despite my best efforts, Becky’s hair has just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger.

So on Wednesday she had it coloured, and on Friday it was cut – I think she is pleased with the results.

(In other news, most of the sunflower seeds that I planted last week have now all popped up, which is exciting.)

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Yoga re-starts

Pic of the week

On Wednesday, Becky and I returned to yoga for the first time in over a year.

It was fantastic – stretching out all those limbs and muscles that had become weak and feeble felt good. I didn’t ache too much the next day, but was “aware” that I had done yoga the night before. And it also felt as if it was return to normality and that was physiologically quite powerful.  Really enjoyed it.

In other news, for the record, today I planted 40 sunflower seeds in individual tray pots in the lobby.  Weather wise, this week has been quite cold, with frosts in the early morning and clear skies during the day. Yesterday and today got quite warm when sat in the sunshine. Has been dry for a few weeks now – which is good – just need the temperature to climb a little quicker.