The good bits of June 2025 - From Paris to Porthcawl.

June has been hot, wet, busy and quiet with lots of days out and trips away and lots of time just sitting in the garden, chilling. 

Not much has been done around the home other than Peter fixing a couple of cracked tiles in the kitchen.

I visited a friend in Paris for a long weekend.

Our granddaughter came to stay and we visited Witley Court.

The Three Counties with grandchildren.

Picnics at Nags Head (Forest of Dean) and Castlemorton Common near Malvern.

Coffee shop visits, together and on my own.

We had Olive for the weekend.

Celebrating my birthday.

Despite the weather we still paddled in the sea at Porthcawl.

A stop at Westbury Upon Severn on our way home.

We've had a bit going on already in July and I think all our weekends are booked up already.

Week 27 2025 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

We watched BBC's Murder 24/7 which featured a manslaughter committed in Malvern on New Year's Eve 2023. In the programme they talked about looking for leads and no one saying who the guy was. It was a 'one punch' death. Well let me tell you it was my front door at 3am on New Year's Day the police were hammering on, asking me where the accused and his girlfriend lived. They knew who it was straight away. She was my last Tennant, the one who trashed my house, so of course I told the police where I thought they were living now.

I had a job interview on Tuesday, they didn't ring till Thursday evening to tell me I didn't get the job. They also never applied for my references so had no intention of employing me anyway.

I've now got to have surgery for my gallbladder after an attack on Friday night. Spent 12 hours with only medication and blood pressure taken, no physical examination. There was only 1 doctor for the whole department. At 6am on the Saturday we were informed we wouldn't be seen until 9am in other departments.

Day 181 I’m wondering why the van keeps getting scratched when we park as carefully as we do. Stopped for coffee after a very hot day in work. Home to paint my nails and keep cool.

Day 182 Had a lie in. Job interview at 9.30am, literally around the corner from where we live. Into work in the afternoon. Home from work for an early dinner, then we went out for coffee. I was in the garden from 6pm - 9pm wedding, staking up plants, watering and some pruning. Bath, read the end of my book and didn’t get to bed till midnight. I dug up some hazelnut trees the squirrels planted.

Day 183 Work ok, waiting for the call about the job all day. Went for a coffee, did some blogging, started planning some trips when we’re in Australia next month (wow that came round fast) a bit of shopping, home for dinner, watched some TV, bath and in bed by 9pm. Sorted through photos of Stephanie with us and her siblings for a frame.

Day 184 enjoying the summer in the grounds of Malvern Priory after work. Got the call to say I didn’t get the job but that was obvious as they never applied for my references. Home to ponder things through. Started a new book and having an early night.

Day 185 A busy day in work followed by a relaxed evening at home until I had a gall bladder attack out of the blue.

Day 186 Transferred from A&E to Same Day Emergency Care and within 4 hours, I'd been examined, diagnosed, treated and back home. Had a bath and in the afternoon popped into town for a coffee and pick up a prescription. Early night to catch up with missed sleep.

Day 187 Posting early as we’re off to see ELO in Birmingham tonight. Had a lie in, off to Worcester for my birthday coffee from Starbucks. Shopping to do, some tidying and prep for work tomorrow.

Things to make you smile:

Twice my neighbour has brought the cat home in disgrace after she's rescued it from tearing another cat to shreds or getting beaten up herself.

Things that made me happy:

Coffee, getting tickets to see ELO live in concert

On the blog this week:

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Word of the Week - Chilling

Days out in the camper van

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Word of the week - chilling

Apart from pruning some shrubs on Tuesday after work and thinning out the tomatoes, because the brown bin/garden waste gets collected on Wednesday, I've done nothing all week other than blog, read, sort through photos and do some crafting.

And all of this has been outdoors. The table is set up and by the time I get home from work, that part of the garden is in shade.

I've been reading under the canopy in my chair pod and if it's been too hot, I've come indoors to sit in the back room where it is nice and cool. I've been ignoring piles of mess around the house. Mainly things being put together for our trip to Australia. 

The fan is on all night, the white noise helps with sleeping and I had a lie in on Tuesday morning as I had a job interview at a local school at 9.30am.

The weather has cooled towards the end of the week and there has been some rain overnight.

There has been plenty of ice in cold drinks and a few ice lollies have been devoured. There has also been coffees out and plenty of blogging.

Planning for the trip to Australia also as we're spending a few days in Tasmania and via Dubai on the way home, so have to pack for Spring, Summer and Winter

I've also been taking random photos of things to buy as I forget exactly what it is I'm looking for when I just put 'make up' on the shopping app.

But in general it's just been me and a book and a cold drink, enjoying the warm and light evenings while we can.

Friday I ended up in A&E with a gall bladder attack, so Saturday was written off. But on Sunday we're off to Birmingham to see ELO and have My Blue Sky sung to me live. My favourite song EVER. So a lovely way to end my chilled week.

Pocolo Post Comment Love 4th-6th July 2025

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life and I.

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

I hope you've all been having lovely weather. It's either been far too hot or just simply raining. We went to Porthcawl for the weekend and it chucked it down. Mind you we were grateful that it meant we could sleep properly and yes, we did still make it onto the beach and into the sea for a paddle.

We managed a coastal walk to Rest Bay in the dry and the rest of the time we were either in the van, reading or in the arcades spending the kids inheritance.

We also had the best fish and chips going. Gluten free and cooked fresh and to perfection. The woman asked if we wanted gluten free vinegar and we thought she was taking the piss, but apparently not, it is a thing. Bare in mind we're in Porthcawl, not a lot of glamour in these parts.

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June 2025 - Days out in the camper van

Occasionally I take the van to work, it just depends what is parked where the night before.

I'm careful about where I park and use the staff car park at work.

I'm also cautious about where I park when I go shopping as there are numerous scratch marks on the van, I suspect from trollies and car doors. it's annoying.

We've had a couple of days pout in the van this month, with a picnic on Castlemorton common and I took our granddaughter home and visited Nags Head Nature Reserve for a cup of tea and another picnic.

I've put a stool in the back so I can sit and make hot drinks without breaking my back bending over when we don't pop the roof up if it's raining or we're not staying long.

We also went away for a weekend to Porthcawl, camping in a pub car park on the beach. The views weren't the best and the weather was awful. Back home it was 30c, less than 2 hours away, but we had rain most of the day Saturday, but that did mean it was much cooler and we were able to sleep.

We're happy with the set up we've got and we do have a drive away awning for longer trips.

We have to play Tetris with going to bed, the washing up has to be done straight away and everything put away.

We do have a portable toilet, but prefer to use the ones on the camp site. Peter will use the showers but I tend to just wash in the van and we do have running hot and cold water.

There have been a few housekeeping issues. Peter fitted a new water pump. We bought a new washing up bowl that collapses so we can empty the grey water without having to drive home with the extra weight. And we finally found the source of the rattle. Table legs, simple fix with a cloth shopping bag.

There are a few trips planned for July and August, need to get sites booked with the school holidays. We're lucky we can go off grid which gives us more options.