Week 33 2025 - One Daily Positive and Project 365

More football this week. Carabao Cup against Sheffield United. I started supporting Birmingham City and going to their matches in 2006 when child 4 was training in their academy. My father was a professional footballer in the late 50's, a goal keeper for Barry Town and I grew up with his football stories and he took me to my first match at York City when I was around 7. From 2008-2010 I worked for The Football Association. In 2010 we left the UK and BCFC fell into the Championship and stayed there until more recently being demoted to League 1 and this season, they've bounced back up to the Championship.

I attended a few games when I was visiting the UK over the years when we lived abroad. We moved back at the start of covid and with grandchildren and me back in work, going to the games wasn't on my agenda.

I started back going to St Andrew's in February this year and it was getting harder and harder to get a ticket. This year, I'm determined to go to as many games as possible so I stand a chance of a season ticket next year.

Day 222 A lie in then off to Keynsham to visit MIL, drop off some tomato plants and cucumbers we've grown. Went shopping, then back for a cup of tea and off to visit the grandchildren on our way home. We sat in the garden, had a takeaway and lots of cuddles. Home around 8pm, watered the garden and watched TV.

Day 223 Another lie in, well I stayed in bed till midday then walked into town for a wander around the charity shops, a coffee, read my book and walked home. Finished my book in the garden, watched TV, had a bath, a bit of blogging and in bed by 10pm.

Day 224 A lazy morning, started some packing, tidying, paperwork and some reading in the garden. Out for a meal in Worcester with friends in the evening. Loving this hot weather, can’t believe it’s lasting this long. 

Day 225 Bit of drama this morning when the neighbours car shot off over the road and into our garden. She tried to stop the car and ended up with some nasty grazes on her legs. We were on our way out for coffee, Peter saw the whole thing, I just heard the car thump on the new border we've built, which thankfully stopped the car hitting the house, as the engine was on. Home to sort the garden, do some more packing and then off to Birmingham for the football. Peter collected me from Worcester at 11.30pm as there are no trains to Malvern.

Day 226 Into town to see a friend quickly, then coffee with Peter. Home and a bit more packing, re-levelled the front lawn. Lots of paperwork sorted out, laptop backed up onto memory sticks and general tidying of the house. Watched TV in the evening. I regretted my choice of a quick and easy tea. 

Day 227 Walked to get my nails done, Peter collected me and we spent the day with our grandchildren at home, the park and a walk to get ice creams. Home to pack, dinner, watch a movie and the football. Bath and bed. Sad news to hear our friend’s dog died. Jelly and our dog Bob were besties friends when we lived in Dubai.

Day 228 Off to my Mums for day, took her food shopping, sorted out her photo access on the iPad and full instructions handed over for the care of Pushkins while we are away for a month. Home to write some letters and ensure birthday cards are posted on time. Birmingham won away to Blackburn. Evening spent in the garden finishing a craft project, then everything tided away.

Things to make you smile:
I helped a guy at the train station by unhooking his rucksack from his bike pedal, he'd carried the bike off the train and it got hooked up, when he tried to put the bike down it pulled him over.

Things that made me happy:

Visits with the grandchildren, getting my 'to do' list ticked off, football, night out with friends, the hedgehog came back. Eating fresh fruit and veg from the garden.

On the blog this week:
Word of the Week - Bowels I'm almost half the way to my fund raising target - Please share the post if you can.

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week

The good bits of July 2025

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Post Comment Love. 15th-17th August 2025

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

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

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

It's been a peculiar week with a neighbours car ending up in our front garden. We've been gardening, fixing windows, visiting family and seen friends. Lots of washing and hubbies favourite task of ironing has been done almost everyday. Lots of reading and a variety of crafts.

Here are some random photos of the week:

Lovely melons I hear you say.

I got to the football an hour early, read my book and had a picnic.

Diglis in Birmingham is full of street art.

Out walking across the common.

Looking at spiders with our granddaughter.

Pushkins is now 16 and starting to slow down.

How's your week been?

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Word of the Week - Bowels

Yes, BOWELS. You read that right the first time.

I'm fundraising for Bowel Research in memory of our daughter Stephanie who died on October 7th 2025.

We requested no flowers at her funeral and didn't have a charity in mind at the time.

She was taken ill in the morning. Died in the evening and her funeral was held 8 days later. There was too much to do with arranging for children to fly in from Africa and Australia and just the sheer shock of her death.

I want to mark the first anniversary of her death and I've found an organised walk I can join in with on September 27th.

So why Bowels? 

Stephanie died from an Ischemic Bowel. She wasn't able to communicate, she couldn't tell anyone she was in discomfort, in pain. She didn't reflect pain in her emotions. Often she would laugh even when injured, she might just cry for no reason at all. So by the time Stephanie reached the hospital for help, it was too late. A stoma was not an option, it was too advanced and she died on the operating table.

Our grandson, now 3 was born with Hirchsprung disease and spent several months in his first year with a stoma bag and had numerous operations. 

I've was diagnosed with diverticulitis after a colonoscopy and biopsy. I don't have any pain or even any symptoms other than chronic constipation caused by my new migraine medication.

I'd really appreciate it if you could share my Just Giving Site on your social media sites. I'm aiming for £1000 and already a third of the way there.

In Memory of Stephanie

Why a walk?

The one thing that Stephanie could do independently was to walk, we used to call her Forrest Gump when she was younger. She'd just head off in any direction she fancied. We had to guide her and she had no spacial or risk awareness and you couldn't take your eyes off her. She would grab onto a pram in the street or a trolley in the supermarket to steady herself if she had to stand still and would go off in a total different direction with us playing catch up.

As she got older, she walked less, swam less, rode a horse less, bounced on the trampoline less, moved around less.

Stephanie was 36 years old when she died.

The good bits of July 2025

Things that made me happy:

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.

I got soaked through to my underwear on the walk up the hills. I had packed a rain coat. I sat in the coffee shop and left a wet mark on the seat and got home to discover the back of my legs were splattered with sheep and cow poo.

Grandson declared he didn't like me anymore as I was going home. Our two other grandchildren were visiting them on Sunday and our grandson wanted us to bring them over with us. Our grandson loves to take photos with our phone. 

My student bought me a lovely gift and arranged a little leaving party for me. I had coffee out with her and her mum last week.

No Surgery for the gall bladder for the time being, managed by diet and I can self refer.

I've got a new job lined up for September.

Double Rainbow.

Our hedgehog is back.

Places we visited:

We were watching ELO on the TV on the Saturday night and I searched for tickets for the Sunday performance. Sunday night we were in Birmingham hearing Jeff Lynne singing live.

I went camping at Lydney and in Monmouth to see our grandchildren and my friends.

We had a day out in Gloucester with pour DIL and grandchildren.

Three leaving do's to attend for work. Peter came to two of them. I went to the third without him, that one was my leaving do.

I met a friend at the National Trust at Snowshill.

I climbed the Malvern Hills.

I went with work to visit Cadbury World and The Black Country Museum.

Peter and I met with a friend at the Welland Steam Show.

Things we did at home:

Reading - 

5 books read at home this month.

Gardening - More radish, 1-2 figs are ripening each week. We've had a glut of tomatoes and cucumbers. I have 8 sunflowers in the garden and several pumpkins developing.

Week 32 2025 - One daily Positive and Project 365

I had another flare up with my gall bladder, my own fault - wrong food. I received another reply from an author on twitter and I've been experiencing all the symptoms of a migraine without the actual pain.

I was very unhappy with the referring decisions on Friday night, so much so that I left the ground early to ensure I could catch the train home. I missed the penalty awarded to Ipswich thankfully. I've watched the highlights and the commentators weren't happy with his decisions either.

Day 215 the day started with a coffee and a new book which I finished in between setting up the awning and laying the ground sheet out to dry and washing the van blankets. They’d not been washed since before Stephanie died as I didn’t want to remove her presence. The blankets were filthy after 10 months with mud from grandchildren’s shoes, dirty hands and nappy changes.

We binged watched Built in Birmingham. Brady and the Blues.

Day 216 I slept till 9.30am. We went into town at 11am for coffee and a browse through the shops. Picked up some wood. Home to more washing and drying, took the tent down, empty the van to start cleaning it. Moved shrubs to temporary homes while we start work on front garden.

Day 217 I was rudely awoken by the cat around 9am. By 10 I was sifting and moving soil in the garden. By 11am I was lugging bags of stones into the car from B&Q. By 1pm I’d removed a small tree that had been in a pot for over 23 years and by 2pm I’d finished cleaning the van (still have to reload it with the camping gear) and sat on the door step supervising the new border ready to plant a hedge tomorrow. By 6pm I was in the bath absolutely shattered, but it’s been a productive day.

218 Photos printed, nails done, coffee drunk and lots of blogging. I signed up to a charity walk to raise funds for Bowel Research in Stephanie’s memory. Rest of the day spent in the garden, moving soil, replanting trees, pruning and harvesting veg. Evening spent watching TV, making up new photo frames and drinking tea.

219 Awake early and outside to read. Met up with an ex student and her mum for a coffee, then home to dig and sift more soil, dig up the old tree stump in the front lawn, blanche and freeze the parsnips. Watched some TV and had a nap, then re packed the van before putting the camping gear back in the attic. 

220 International cat day Out for coffee and get some more photos printed for family and to go on the wall. More work in the garden, shower and train to Birmingham to watch the first home game of the season in the Championship. We drew 1:1. Train home to Worcester and Peter picked me up at 11.30pm.

221 Had a lie in then finished levelling off the front garden, it will settle and we'll need to add some more soil, but we've plenty left from removing a flower bed to lay a new path. Had a shower, some lunch then out for a coffee, a bit of shopping and home to potter around, watch the TV and just relax.

Things to make you smile:
The cat just doesn't leave us alone these days, she's 16 now and is slowing down, but she also follows us from room to room, from the front to the back garden and when we go out she sleeps on the door mat, shouting at us when we get back.

Things that made me happy:
Finding some raspberries, growing melons, Pushkins on International Cat Day and getting the work finished in the garden (for now)

On the blog this week:

Post Comment Love - Link up with any post written this week

Word of the Week - Football

Days out in the camper van July 2025

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Word of the week - Football

Peter dropped me off at St Andrew's @Knightshead Stadium last Saturday on our way home from Scotland so I could watch The Trevor Francis Memorial game, we won 1-0.

On Sunday we binged watched on Amazon 'Built in Birmingham: Brady and the Blues'

On Friday night I caught the train up to Birmingham in the afternoon, had something to eat, wandered round a couple of shops, treated myself in the Stadium shop and settled in my seat for the first home game of the season against Ipswich, back in the Championship.

I'm off to watch them play Sheffield United in the Carabo Cup next Wednesday.

I've accidentally bought a ticket to the Oxford game on August 23rd, when we're away.

The next home game I'll be going to is on September 20th v Swansea, a 12.30pm kick off.

Post Comment Love. 8th-10th August 2025

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

Post Comment Love #PoCoLo is a friendly weekly linky where you can link up any blog post you've written this week. If you're new or a regular visitor we're sure you'll find something of interest.

We'd also appreciate your help spreading the #PoCoLo word on Twitter, tag us and we'll RT. You can find us on twitter here: Stephanie - @BosworthLife and Suzanne - @ChickenRuby 

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

We've had a good week getting lots done in the garden and making the most of the weather.

I've had my nails done, had coffee with an ex student and her mother and bumped into lots of friends for random chats.

Levelling off the front lawn.

Border built and stones laid.

We kept the soil from the building work 2 years ago for this job and had to sift it and move it front the back garden. 8 wheelbarrow loads so far.

The tree stump finally rotted enough for us to remove it. The tree was cut down 5 years ago.

I've signed up to do a walk to raise funds for Bowel Research UK in memory of Stephanie our daughter.

Stephanie died on the evening of October 7th 2024. She was taken ill during the day. She had intestinal ischemia and did not survive the surgery.

One of the few things Stephanie did well was to walk, although she didn't do that until she was 8 years old. Walking was the only independence Stephanie had. 

We also have a grandson now 3 who was born with Hirschsprung Disease and I've recently been diagnosed with diverticulitis.

I'd really appreciate it if you could share the link on your social media sites. 

Want to find out more about Post Comment Love #PoCoLo? 

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