A Perfect Day

You know those perfect sorts of days; I mean the ones where everything just seems pretty great?  Well I had one on Saturday which requires its very own blog post.

Last week was great down in Devon with plenty of sunshine mid day and just the right amount of cool mornings followed by even colder evenings.  Cool, crisp and clear making evening walks a joy.  So when we woke up on Saturday we were greeted with true Autumn beauty. 

Even better was waking up in our magnificent new bed.  The much longer for, lusted after fluffy new mattress made our dreams come true.  So when we woke up to sunlight in a cosy new bed we woke up very happy.  TH was heading off to meet a organisation we could volunteer with in Exmouth so Daisy and I tagged along for the ride and took advantage of it being the first weekend I could walk her on the beach as it was after summer season. 

I wore my skinny jeans a t-shirt and a jumper and carried along my Barbour in case it felt chilly outside.   I looked my welly boots square on and then turned to pick up some flat ballet pumps – the one only slightly wrong thing with the day!  When we got to Exmouth TH popped right along to his appointment whilst Daisy and I trotted along the beach.  I’ve not walked on sand since we arrived in the UK in April, so I had totally forgotten how much sand fills up your shoes.  We walked the whole length of the beach and then back again just as TH was getting out of his appointment.  It was no trouble that I took my pumps off at one point and just started to carry them, and it was lovely for us to stop and look out at the sea (well, until Daisy started to cry and dig a hole right next to me).

Once we had met up again we took a leisurely walk along the sea front to a café where we sat in the sun.  Daisy sat under the table and TH got the breakfast whilst I went for a burger.  We both got tea, and I had a milkshake too.

After we polished off our brunch we headed home again, my cold had caught up with me, so after a bit of reading I went for a nap and woke up to the sound of the doorbell going.  TH and been battling his own cold that afternoon whilst I lay snoozing, and so had ordered us some delicious Chinese food…..just in time for Strictly to start.

A great day all round!

Whilst walking at the beach..

Weekends that Revive

Hello out there in Blog land. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are taking full advantage of all this great weather. It’s so cosy and warm-albeit a wee bit blustery, but who am I to complain?

It really cheers me right up to have days like this as they are so unexpected after last year, I really keep saying to myself as well as all that will listen, “we are so lucky it was this year we didn’t go on holiday and not next year.” If we had been staying in the UK then I’d be outside getting my bulbs in the ground, however that isn’t the plan this year. Because TH’s company is now saying they will organise everything we are presuming someone will knock on the door with a couple of boxes one day and somehow everything that needs done will get done. However, for now, I am enjoying this weather.

I met up with one of my dearest friends who lives far away and we laughed and chatted and made a great deal of noise late into the night. It was one of those evenings that lifts your soul right up and manages to fill you with lightness for no particular reason.

On Saturday we did the usual chores like tidying up and getting groceries as well as sorting out clothes that we’re putting into charity shops. By accident I managed to set my alarm for bright and early so ended up having a late afternoon nap right before The X Factor. I, by the way, can’t wait until Strictly starts again…you really know that the countdown to colder seasons has begun!  (Did you notice I didn't say any particular event in this cold season?  Much more of that to come anyway!)

 On Sunday we had the family round for Sunday dinner. It was so blustery and cold that we got a fire going as soon as we got down to the living room. We had about four massive packets of chicken browning at one point to make 2 dishes for fussy eaters. At least we could all appreciate and agree on pudding which was a giant strawberry/raspberry/banana Eaton mess.

TH had been a bit poorly all weekend and so we went to bed exceptionally early...although that didn’t stop Daisy Dog jumping up into bed at 3 in the morning only to stretch out and start barking at my feet…now if I could only have a nap on the grass..

Garden Jobs

There is something about being able to stretch and go outside after such a very long time inside that really does quite a magical thing to you. I have been experiencing this magic recently as we are now enjoying a short visit to the garden shortly after waking up. We take our tea and coffee and watch Daisy Dog potter about, investigating the same tree, and barking at the trees when the wind blows through them.


I have been making preliminary plans for the garden which right now is a patch of grass, moss and weeds. There is no bare soil and it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting any pleasant surprises popping through to greet us. I have plans, but it looks like a lot of what I want to do will be an Autumn job-remind me to save my holidays from work for then!

We have an area of the garden which seems to be in perpetual shade as it is in the middle of the house and wood shed/garage, if there were no windows facing it I think I would do the easiest thing and put some gravel over it and fill the area with boxes for wood. It is, however, right in front of the kitchen window, and although from there we get a pretty view if standing at an angle, I can’t stand the idea of making it so dark and boring. I am going to be trying to find the best plants for such a dark, dampish area so that I can brighten up one small corner at a time.

Until then I think we will spend some of the coming weekends at garden centres reading up on the plants they display trying to figure out what can be done now to brighten the place up. We will be busy enough quite soon chopping down three trees which cast a giant shadow and seem to be precariously close to the house and garage. The Husband is also in the midst of putting a fence up so that Daisy wont have to be supervised on her jaunts in the garden, with so many squirrels about I worry that she will dash after them.

It seems like everything is coming together nicely and I’m sure it wont be too long before it all falls into place and we’ll be sipping strawberry daiquiris in the warm sun!

Edinburgh

I love Edinburgh, I always have and I can't imagine ever finding it boring.  We went out when it was cool and crisp and very, very peaceful.  I wouldn't want to take little Daisy Dog out when there were lots of people, so had planned the trip around lots of lanes and parks...

We walked up and down lanes....

Daisy and I walked along Princes Street Gardens...until her legs could carry her no more...

so we hopped on a bus! 

Please re-direct mail to here, I love it!

Chance of a Get-Away

When the adverts for Summer holidays start being shown on TV all that I want to do is get organized. This year we are hopefully going away with another family, so I can’t be the only person in charge of this like I normally am and love being. This means that not everything is in my hands and I can’t start envisaging a nice break.

So when TH got offered the chance to have a couple of meetings in Exeter and one in Edinburgh I jumped at the chance to head off with him. It means I get to investigate a new place with Daisy Dog and have lunch and shop in a new area.

TH had to organise the venue and let me tell you it was not all a bed of roses. Once we got started it became a doddle, but I had started off by trying to ‘google’ them and I was going insane with it! He will have a meeting room, we will have a nice dog friendly hotel as central as can be-so that I don’t get lost!

Its not a mini-break but its my chance at a break from work. I find that as soon as I get a day off normally I manage to fill it with boring house-hold chores. This way I will be forced to get out and about.
I can’t wait to take some pics of Daisy and I roaming around a new location!

Daisy is practically a star!

Daisy is beyond excited at the chance to try out Pedigree Ultimate Joint Care+ which helps out dogs that are getting a teensy bit older and need a wee bit more help to get around – or indeed get up to the sofa or bed.


We’ve got some pics of her beside her little bag of goodies which will help us to help her.

I will do my utmost to keep you posted of her little trial and show off the newly energised Daisy Dog!

x x x