Week 8 2023. Project 365 and One Daily Positive

The building work started on Tuesday, they're working really fast.

Child 4 is away with work for a couple of weeks. Grandson has been a bit under the weather with coughs and colds and sickness. Due to grandson being poorly from birth and have had a couple of surgeries he is more prone to stomach and bowel problems. 

My mum is from Brighton and is the youngest of 8. There are only 5 of them left and one spouse. There's only 2 aunts by marriage on my dad's side, but I've not seen them or my 3 cousins since his death in 2017. We attended my Uncles funeral back in November and caught up with 4 of my 14 cousins. 4 cousins are in America and 4 in Australia. I've 2 cousins I've never met, but do keep in touch with most of them on Facebook and quite a few of their grown up children. You could say this is where my travel bug came from as many of my cousins and their children live or have lived and worked abroad. This has also meant that over the past 10+ years with us living abroad ourselves we've not seen each other for a long time other than funerals.

It would be lovely to meet them all again soon and I fear we will with general ill health. I hope we do all meet up still when we are the 'next' generation.

50 Sunday A lazy morning and off to Hillsborough to walk the dogs. Molly found the biggest mud puddle she could to lie in. Home and a quick turnaround to meet the in laws for a Sunday lunch.

51 Monday I spent the day with DIL's mum and our grandson. He was busy all day. He took a tumble just before his mum took us home and bit a chunk out of the coffee table.

52 Tuesday Home alone today, grandson in nursery and DIL in work. I did some cleaning then caught the bus into town for coffee and a walk round bus. I picked up my new laptop and the in laws collected me and took me and grandson home.

53 Wednesday A day spent just chilling at home. We popped out to buy new wipers for the car. When we got home our grandson was still unwell with sickness and diarrhoea he was admitted to hospital to be monitored. We left for the ferry around 8pm. Once on board I had a shower and went straight to bed before we set sail. Bob spent the night in a kennel.

54 Thursday We docked in Liverpool around 6.30am and home by 9.30am to drop the dog off, put some washing on and repack. We drove down to get mum then onto Brighton, driving past nans old house and ups old stomping ground. We had dinner and were in bed early.

55 Friday After breakfast we headed off to Brighton crematorium for my Aunts funeral, it was lovely to see all the family again and catch up at the wake. The service was lovely and a fitting tribute. After the wake we spent time with my cousins daughter and in the evening we took a walk along Brighton Pier, played the 2p slots and went to my cousin, aunt and uncle in the evening for dinner.

56 Saturday After breakfast we headed to visit another aunt and cousin on our way home. We dropped mum at home around 4pm and we were home by 5.30pm. The house took forever to warm up.

On the blog this week:

Travels with our dog

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Post Comment Love - 24th-26th February 2023

Thanks for joining in with #pocolo this week with Stephanie from Lifeat139a and I.

We've taken the dog with us to Belfast for the week. We're visiting our DIL and grandchild for the week. Bob was 13 earlier this month. He's showing signs of slowing down, but he's no where near ready to stop. He just wants to be with me 24/7 and will sit by the door, alert to every sound when I'm in work, it drives hubby up the wall.

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week and all we ask is that you leave a comment on either mine or Stephanie's post which you linked up through and at least one other post.

We'd also love it if you could RT us on Twitter when we tag you to help us reach a wider audience.

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Travels with the dog - Liverpool to Belfast

When we visit our son, DIL and grandson for a week, we take the dog with us. It's a simple process as we travel by ferry.

With Brexit we were originally advised in 2021 that Bob would need an EU passport to travel, but thankfully that plan was scraped (after we got him a passport) We do carry his vet book and chip number as we were checked on one occasion due to people smuggling puppies over the sea.

Bob is used to long journeys having started his life in South Africa in 2010, moving to Dubai with us in 2015 and onto the UK in 2020. Him and the cat didn't need crate training they took to it naturally.

He has no problem going in a crate on a plane, at home or at our sons house, but the second you near the kennels on board the ferry he starts to run on the spot on the slippery surface as he tries to dig his feet in.

He doesn't get travel sick in the car and it's almost 3 hours to the docks, before we even get on board, followed by another 7 hours on the sea. 

He greeted us like this in the morning.

Whilst we queue to board we walk him around the docks and on arrival he gets fed and we make sure he has a pee before he goes back in the car, then we stop at the first services for a walk before we complete our journey home.

Bob was 13 years old earlier this month, I'm not sure how many more trips we'll be able to make with him, but while we can, it's nice to have him come along.

Do you travel with your dog?

Week 7 One Daily Positive and Project 365

I made a huge error this week and got scammed. They only took €2 out of my account and I was able to call my bank and stop further transactions and cancel my bank card. It took me 5 seconds to realise my error when a pop up came up and wouldn't let me go to the next page to see my confirmation, unless I then made further purchases. It took an hour to sort it out with the bank and several calls as I kept getting cut off.

On Wednesday I had a message from the bank to say call this number to confirm a payment of €25.35, so I called the number on the back of my bank card to ask what was happening and they said it was probably the scammers and I wasn't to give them any details, the bank then informed me that my bank card hadn't been stopped, but they were declining payments as I'd already reported it as suspicious activities.

I then phoned customer complaints as I'd requested my card to be cancelled on the 12th and my car was still active on the 15th. The flat sale money sits in that account. I've gone from panic, through frustration to anger and have felt really patronised by the bank for them telling me I was foolish when a) I phoned them in the first place to say I'd been foolish and then they failed to block my card.

43 Sunday Off to Gloucester to visit child 1, took her out for coffee and cake. Afternoon on phone to Santander, sorting out the above, cooked a roast dinner and wasted 3 hours of my life trying to thread the over locker. My MacBook pro died when I shut the lid on a coin and the screen broke.

44 Monday A long day at work with supporting several students in an after school sports activity with a visiting school. Finished making the roll up pencil cases as Easter gifts for family and friends kids. The first stage of the building works started with new guttering, down pipes, facias being fitted.

45 Tuesday Normal day at work and afternoon and evening spent cleaning up in the craft room. Bob turned 13 today, so lucky to have this gorgeous dog with us for so long and full part of our expat journey.

46 Wednesday I had to pop out of work for a blood test, mid morning. Home from work via a coffee shop visit with Peter. Afternoon spent spent tidying the garden and evening spent packing and sorting things for our trip to Northern Ireland then straight off to Brighton next week for my aunts funeral.

The conservatory will be gone by the time we get home.

47 Thursday Up early to move the bay tray, garden furniture and dig the cats litter tray out the back of the shed. Off to work. Peter collected me at 3.30pm and we drove up to Liverpool for our night crossing to Belfast.

48 Friday Arrived with DIL and grandson at 8am. Popped out for a walk with the dogs and for a bit of shopping in the afternoon. Baby sat in the evening when DIL went to play hockey. 

Day 49 Saturday Took the dogs for a long walk around the village and after lunch we went out to a couple of shops, in laws came round int he evening and we had a take away.

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Post Comment Love 17th-19th February 2023

Thanks for joining in with #pocolo this week with Stephanie from Lifeat139a and I.

I've decided to share with you all this week, some of the things I like. From dog walks to bubble baths and of course plenty of cuddles with the grandchildren.

What things do you like?

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Things I like.......

I like.....

Long dog walks

Quick and easy meals

New craft items

Unexpected chocolate bar finds

Fresh cut flowers

Fresh bedding

Tea in bed in the morning

Bubble baths

I also like coffee stops and reading and swimming and lie ins and Sunday roasts, Friday nights with a friend for chips and wine and of course as much time as I can get with our grandchildren.

What do you like?

Week 6 Project 365 and One Daily Positive

Quite a few have asked me if this works. The answer is 'not really' whilst I do get a wave, it's sort of frizzy and drops out pretty quickly. I've tried it with mousse, hurl hold and fixing it with spray, it works better if I don't go as close to the roots, but it takes too long and I can't sleep with them in.

36 Sunday I'm aching like mad after yesterdays fridge/freezer move and several tip runs. Child 2 helped hubby take the sun umbrella stand down and store it in the shed ahead of building work starting later this month. Grandchild and I walked Bob and posted a letter to Aunty Louise in Australia. They thought we were actually going to see her and later in the day put their boots on and packed a bag to go to Australia. Grandchild is 3 years and 5 months old. We then went into Worcester to do some shopping and have a coffee, home to just chill, have dinner and they all left at 8pm, we flopped on the sofa and didn't move till bed time.

37 Monday I discovered the council are painting double yellow lines outside our house, placing a planning notice around the corner from where I live means I didn't get a chance to have a say and can't see the plans online as planning has gone through and that's that.

38 Tuesday Home from work and off round the fields with Bob before it got dark.

39 Wednesday Exhausted, evening after work spent in bed, catching up with Happy Valley.

40 Thursday Call from the GP to get prescription for Vitamin D. My aches hurt so much and I'm having difficulty standing up. Need weekly blood checks to check calcium levels don't rise too high. Received a call from Haematologist also for another blood test next week to check on inflammation markers and ferritin levels.

Got my Gluten Free bake on after work.

41 Friday A quiet day in work. Home and walked Bob for an hour, then chips and wine with my friend, last one for 3 weeks as we've both got other commitments. 

42 Saturday A lie in, feeling tired, bathed, dressed and walked Bob into town for a take out coffee in the grounds of Malvern priory. Peter collected us and we did a food shop. Home to blog and do some sewing.

This bus stop sign has gone up in the last 5ish years, but I've never seen a bus go up our road and there's no mention of a stop on the council website.

On the blog this week:

What I'm reading in February

 

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Post Comment Love 10th-12th February 2023

Thanks for joining in with #pocolo this week with Stephanie from Lifeat139a and I.

I've decided 2023 is the year for me to read. There are so many books to choose from, but I've decided to start with the books that everyone knows, but in reality probably haven't read. I'm also picking up some easy reads to break it up.

I'm also aiming to read a book a week. I started well with 8 books in January and I've 3 lined up for this month.

Do you enjoy reading? What's your favourite genre?

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week and all we ask is that you leave a comment on either mine or Stephanie's post which you linked up through and at least one other post.

We'd also love it if you could RT us on Twitter when we tag you to help us reach a wider audience.

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What I reading in February.

I started the first half of January reading 3 books, then ploughed on through a further 5, then came to a standstill for a week.

I feel I need to alternate my reading a bit more, I keep choosing books of similar genres, settings and time periods. My book shelf contains 'chick lit' and crime books, I've got an extensive library in school I have access to and I will be joining the local library with the intention to visit once a week and sit and read for an hour or two with a coffee, I find home too much of a distraction. 

For now though I have these 3 books lined up to read.

Three Men in a Boat.

Good Eggs

Don Quixote

Do you have a reading list? or do you just pick and choose?

Week 5 2023 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

I've been on reduced hours this week whilst mum stayed with us. It's been nice to have the best part of the daylight to go places and do things.

29 Sunday Off to the retail park for coffee and a walk around the shops with mum, home to cook a roast dinner while Peter ironed and watched the football. There was a tidy round, washing on, snacks for TV and an evening with Vera on TV.

Took Bob for a walk

30 Monday Into work and arranged to work reduced hours for the week whilst mum is here, so home just after lunch. Afternoon spent sorting a few bills/refunds and taking down the conservatory curtains.

Mobile hoist training

31 Tuesday home from work at 1pm and picked Mum up and took her to Hereford for the afternoon.

Ever get that feeling you're being watched?

32 Wednesday Teacher strike day, so morning spent doing paperwork, reduced hours so home by 1pm after a visit to the nail bar. The cat and dog have now been in the UK 3 years today. I took mum into Worcester to the Range to buy a mirror. Evening spent watching TV.

Dog walk

33 Thursday Home from work and off into town for a coffee. Popped round the neighbours for a cuppa, then dinner and watched a movie.

Can't beat a cup of tea in bed in the mornings

34 Friday Peter collected me at lunch time with mum and we drove her home. Peter hung her new mirror and we were home by 6pm. Back killing me from the long drive, bath and bed. Asleep before Death in Paradise got to the opening scene.

Drive by photography in the Forest of Dean

35 Saturday Lazy morning, followed by a dog walk then home to move American Fridge Freezer to the neighbours house and a massive clean and tidy. Peter spent time in his study while I prepped dinner.  Child 2, his wife and our grandchild who are staying for the night. We celebrated Bob's 13th birthday 10 days early. Had a roast dinner then walked grandchild to the shop for ice cream (yogurt, banana milkshake, chocolate all added to the basket) got to bed around midnight.

Bob waiting for our grandchild to arrive

On the blog this week:

Celebrating our success 

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Post Comment Love 3rd - 5th February 2023

Thanks for joining in with #pocolo this week with Stephanie from Lifeat139a and I.

Sometimes I feel my social media stream across all platforms is quite negative and I wonder what's going on with people not celebrating their highs, happiness and success. I fear it's often seen as showing off and boasting, so people tend to avoid it.

For too many years now my blog posts have been about the negative side off life, troubles we've had, especially as expats. I did set my blog up in October 2009 as a way to tweet longer, mainly to rant. Since moving back to the UK, the stress of managing 3 houses, family abroad, family illness, there's nothing to rant about, but I'm finding it hard to blog about all the good stuff as it can sound like I'm boasting.

Do you blog about positive things? Do you celebrate your success? Do you find it hard?

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week and all we ask is that you leave a comment on either mine or Stephanie's post which you linked up through and at least one other post.

We'd also love it if you could RT us on Twitter when we tag you to help us reach a wider audience.

I'll be catching up with reading your posts, sharing and commenting over the weekend.

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