Week 17 2025 One Daily Positive and Project 365 - Meet our latest grandchild.

Stephanie's absence has been felt deeply over the Easter break, despite us being busy with family and friends, even more so because she hasn't been there to be part of it all. 

Day 111

Another migraine, more meds, then into Worcester instead of a hills walk as it was raining for a coffee and some shopping. Home to do some weeding and scatter more seeds. Read several chapters of my book and watched #bcfc on the telly. Got my ticket for the last home game of the season on Sunday. Rest of the evening spent blogging, reading, a bath and TV.

Day 112 

Do you know the exact date, time and place you met someone and knew they were going to be that one friend? July 11th 2017, 10.49pm on my mum and dad’s drive, the night my father died. She comforted me when the paramedics came out to tell me there was nothing more they could do. We had a lovely day out at Goodrich Castle followed by lunch. I then dropped Easter eggs with friends in Lydbrook, and stopping at the river with Olive for a paddle in the Wye. Home to read, video call with grandson to show him the digger and roadworks outside the house. Handed Olive over at the coffee shop and catch up with friend. Back home to watch football on TV, bath and bed.

Day 113 

I  was reading a book a week for almost two years until Stephanie died. I started reading again this month. I read this book in a day on a drive to and back from Keynsham and while Peter was doing some DIY at his mums and I finished it early evening once we got home.

Day 114 

Had a PTSD flashback when an air ambulance landed in the school playing field at the bottom of the garden. It was the first one Peter had witnessed and it triggered him also. Rather than him trying to help me by telling me 'it'll be ok' 'it's a normal reaction' he let me talk him through it and within half an hour, I was calming and he could see the benefit of talking. In the past he's felt that me talking is reliving the experience in detail and increasing the anxiety, despite me telling him that's not how it works, I have to talk my way through it to get out the other side. I do cope much better when I'm on my own though so I went out for a coffee to sit quietly. Home for lunch, news and photos of our new grandson in Northern Ireland, my adrenaline had been running high as it had been when our other grandson was born in February, maybe this explains the constant headaches all year. I did some tidying up, Peter cleaned the car and we went for a walk up the Malvern Hills to see the Bluebells. I then did some lesson planning for work next week. We watched the football in the evening.

Day 115

Food shop in Worcester, home to run the hoover round as the cat knocked its bowl off its cat pole again. Off to the nail bar and home to sort through some paperwork. Friend came round early evening, we went out for dinner. Went to bed with a migraine.

Day 116

Awake early. met a friend in town for breakfast, then a wander round the charity shops. Picked up a book I'd been looking for. Home to tidy my desk, do some planning for back to school. Packed a very small bag for 3 nights in Northern Ireland. Peter did all the ironing followed by a BBQ early evening, then we watched TV and I had an early night as the migraine meds were wearing off.

Day 117

A lie in then off to Worcester with Peter for a coffee. I caught the train to Birmingham to watch #bcfc win 4-0 and lift the league cup with promotion back into the Championship. Some unnecessary and ugly violence with a pitch invasion. A flare was let off in the row behind me. Got home 8pm. Read my book of the train both ways with a coffee. Watched some TV, bath and bed.

Something to make you smile:

My grandson telling me his new baby brother didn't want to talk to me on a video call.

Things that made me happy:

Our new grandson, Seeing the bluebells, football, friends, getting my reading mojo back.

On the blog this week:

Word of the week - Stopped

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Mount Stewart - National Trust. A day out with our Grandson

We've had both English Heritage and National Trust memberships over the years, but this is the first time we've had both at the same time. Where we live we have a couple of both organisations running places near us. English Heritage suited us better when the children were smaller and we used it a lot when we were on holiday. National Trust has suited us better since we moved back to the UK what with having a dog, but now we find that with having a camper van and travelling a bit further, that we're actually using both some membership of the two was a logical decision and we're in credit with both within a couple of months of joining having visited numerous places far and wide already.

We're currently in Northern Ireland visiting family and took our Grandson out for the day. An hours drive away on the edge of Strangford Loch is Mount Stewart, a 19th century house and gardens in County Down.

There was so much to see and do at the house. Our 3 yo grandson was fully entertained for the entire visit from the tea rooms where he could do some colouring in where he was able to eat his packed lunch while we had coffee, sandwiches and cakes to exploring the house and being given little challenges by the staff to find certain objects in each room, and found the hidden toilet hysterical, to running around the grounds, watching the swans on the lake, hands on experience in the look out by the car park before we even entered the grounds, the nature woodland play area to buying new bed time books in the second hand book store. He even got to see his favourite tele handler outside the main house and was fascinated with the number of fallen trees after storm Éowyn. 

I'll do a follow up next week of the rest of the house and grounds and the things I go to look at when Peter wasn't reading all the information boards and I got a chance to take photos without worrying about a 3 yo slipping under the ropes and touching things.

2024 Week 14 One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day

April

92  Monday Whilst son and Dil cleaned and packed up the caravan, Peter and I took grandson and the dogs for a coffee and a walk along the sand dunes and the beach before spending some time in the park. I helped out with cleaning the fridge and the bathroom and Peter entertained grandson in the van. We drove the 90mins back to theirs to unpack their car, put the washing on and enjoy our last bit of time with them before we went to the in laws for dinner and hear all about their 3 week cruise they'd just returned from. They cooked dinner, son, Dil and grandson left, we stayed for another drink then said our goodbyes and drove to the ferry. I went straight to the cabin for a shower and bed, while Peter diverted via the bar.

93  Tuesday Ferry docked at 6.15am, we were off, on the road and at the services for coffee within an hour. Home by 10.30am to be greeted by a very angry cat, whose 15th birthday was celebrated. So tired I did cry, every bone and muscle in my body ached, I couldn't grip anything and my eyes hurt as well as feeling sick all day. I managed to unpack, did some washing with help from Peter, watched a lot of TV in bed, had a long bath and an early night.

94  Wednesday I spent the day in bed with a migraine, watching TV and sleeping. Peter went into Worcester for a hair cut and to do the food shopping. At 4.30pm I got an invite for coffee, so I thought some fresh air would do me good and I met up with a friend from work for an hour, she bought me some daffodils. Evening spent on the sofa, bath and an early night.

95  Thursday A lazy morning followed by the removal of the shed at last. 2 years after the new shed went up, the old one started to come down. I spent the morning making sure I was close at hand to labour for Peter and make sure he didn't fall off the roof. I then went to the bank and coffee shop to fill in a job application. Home for dinner, a bath and an evening spent blogging and phone call with my cousin in the states. I made an application to appear on the Repair Shop. 

96  Friday A lie in then to the tip with the roofing felt, a coffee and some blogging, home to spend the day with granddaughter and DIL. Evening spent with friend with chips and wine.

97  Saturday A lie in then off to the nail bar mid morning. I then went for coffee and did some blogging. Rest of the day spent tidying the garden and removing the last of the shed. In-between helping Peter, I read my book and sorted some paperwork.

98  Sunday Day spent on labouring for Peter, cooking dinner and ironing. I've finished writing my 4 years in South Africa for now with almost 20,000 words. I've just got to decide what, if anything I want to do with it. Publish as a keepsake for future generations or find out if a wider audience would be interested in reading it. I did a couple of tip runs and met a friend for coffee. Bath and an early night ready for work in the morning.

Books read this week: 61 Hours - Lee Child

Words written towards book: 957

Clothes bought: Laura Ashley Coat Charity Shop £8

On the blog this week: Nothing.

Things that made me happy this week:

Family, washing on the line, reading, painting, clean bedding to come home to, the shed coming down, a Laura Ashley Coat from a charity shop, Pushkins 15th Birthday, getting my nails done and a visit from granddaughter.

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2024 Week 13 One Daily Positive, Project 365 and A Selfie a Day

March

85  Monday Peter and I were dropped at soft play with grandson for the morning. In the afternoon we popped to the shops, evening spent dog walking and playing with grandson.

86  Tuesday Peter and I went to Lisburn for the day for a walk and a coffee, home to watch TV and get dinner ready for when everyone got home. Evening spent just chilling out watching TV.

87  Wednesday Peter and I went to Rushmere. Afternoon spent walking dogs and helping with some household chores, an early dinner. We did bath, story and bed time while son was in work and DIL took the puppy to training classes.

88  Thursday A day at the farm, in the rain, but fun still had with a tractor ride and lots of animals to be seen. Just Peter, Freddie and myself. In the afternoon we packed and headed up to Benone to DILs Grandad's caravan for the weekend. Everyone went down to the beach, I stayed in the van nursing a migraine and had an early night.

89  Friday We headed out to Colaraine for the morning to walk around the shops and have a coffee. Grandson was happy to see all the bin lorries. We had fish and chips for tea, played int he park and walked back down to the beach.

90  Saturday We spent the day in Port Rush, Peter, Grandson and I went for lunch, then we all met up for a walk. Son, Dil and Grandson went back to the caravan and Peter and I walked around the coast. We had dinner in the caravan.

91  Sunday Son, Dil, Grandson and I went to soft play for a couple of hours and enjoyed sometime on the 2p slots with grandson running around stealing all the winnings. Back to the caravan to collect Peter then off to the pub for lunch. In the late afternoon/early evening we took the van to the beach and popped the roof, made tea and grandson stayed with us for an ice cream while son and Dil walked the dogs.

Books read this week: The Problem with Perfect - Philip William Stover 

Still Thinking of You - Adele Parks.

Words written towards book: 1078

Clothes bought: Jeans £17.50 Jumper £16. Top £17. Asda (Didn't pack enough clothes for the trip and couldn't wash stuff that got dirty from going on the beach.

On the blog this week: Nothing.

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Northern Ireland, Grandson Birthday and Halloween fun

We travelled to Belfast from Liverpool on Friday, the start of half term, to spend time with our son, Child 4, his wife and our now 2 year old grandson. We stayed with them for 4 nights, taking the overnight ferry back on Wednesday.

It was our first trip without Bob The Dog since he died in September and unfortunately we'd already booked him a kennel for the crossing, having to tell staff at check in, we no longer needed it.

It was really strange getting on the ferry and not having to go to the kennels and we felt a little lost without him, so we headed to the bar for a drink before we went to our cabin.

We still had the dog bed, food and leads etc with us to give to our sons dog, Molly who loves her new bed, but not as much as our grandson does.

Grandson turned 2 on Sunday so we had an early birthday treat for him with gifts and a cake.

We had lots of fun with the little man, who was more than happy to see us, despite it being 3 months since my last visit. We do have video calls with him but it's not the same. 

We babysat on our 2nd day while mum and dad went to the rugby and he was happy to come with me to the park, wearing his new gloves.

However, he decided he actually wanted my gloves to wear on the swings.

Our friend gave us this swing for our other grandchild a couple of years ago, Peter did it up and we bought a new seat so grandson can enjoy it in his garden.

We spent a lot of time colouring in and wondering where the food had gone (he'd eaten it all)

Halloween was fun, the dog wasn't too keen and stood rooted to the spot until the costume was taken off.

It was just the two of us for 'trick or treat' and I had just as much fun, even though it was raining.

We had fun with puzzles and reading

And there were lots of cuddles and soon it was time for goodbyes.

I'm joining in with 30 miles for Birmingham Children's Hospital in November. I'm actually doing 3 miles a day, as I cover a mile easily around the home and in work.