Loving the peace & quiet

I've been at my laptop for a while now, posting on my blog, catching up with friends blogs, Facebook etc chilling in the garden.  It's still so warm out there and I'm enjoying just chilling and watching my new fairy lights come on as it's got dark.

I had to light the citronella candles and cover up to avoid the mosquitos but it was still relaxing.

I've had to retreat now as my laptop needed charging and I need to water the garden.  This weather is lovely but the garden is suffering.

Friday's Fave Five - 29/6/18

If you want to join in with the Friday Five you can find all the details here, on Susanne's site.

It's where we look back on the week and find things we're grateful for.  

Well this has been another busy week for me, (apologies if I've not got around to visiting all your blogs/responding to comments) but lots to be grateful for:

1)  I made it to another birthday!  I spent the actual day (Tuesday) looking after Nathan as usual.  Nick joined me for the whole day and the girls had bought a cake and we did the whole "Happy Birthday" thing with candles and singing.  Nathan was totally bemused.

 

In the evening Nick and I went out for a meal to a recently opened mediterranean style restaurant near home.  I had garlic mushrooms to start followed by a salmon dish with tomatoes, onions etc on a bed of mashed potato.  Both were delicious but I had no room for dessert!

(These tasted better than they look here - I forgot to take pictures until after I'd started eating!)

2)  Afternoon tea outing with hubby last Saturday - this was actually a voucher I'd had for last year's birthday that we finally got around to using.  We started with a glass of champagne followed by sandwiches, lovely little cakes and scones with jam and cream.

Yummy.  We also had a walk around Covent Garden and nearby Somerset House.

3)  On Sunday Becca & Vicky took us out for lunch for my birthday and belated Father's Day.  We went to a family friendly Italian restaurant.  The staff made such a fuss of Nathan.  Afterwards we babysat for them while they went to an open air concert - the weather was lovely fortunately.  We got to do the whole bedtime routine with Nathan for the first time - bath, stories, milk and then bed.  They've started to try and put him down awake in his cot in his own room now.  It's proving a challenge but for us he was asleep within 5 minutes.  Of course he woke just after his Mummies got home and then was difficult to settle.  He does not like going to bed!

4)  Monday and Wednesday were spent catching up with friends.  Always good to get together and just chat and relax.  We also had Michael, Liz and Rory here for dinner on Wednesday.  He's 4 weeks old today - time is flying!


5)  Good weather!  It's been hot and sunny all week and I'm so grateful that I don't have to be at work.  We're lucky that our garden is south facing so it gets the sun most of the day but there are always cool spots in the house and I'm composing this on the patio which is now in the shade.  It's quiet and peaceful and it's a good place to reflect on a good week.

We're off to Nottingham on Sunday to catch up with Noah.  Can't wait!

Have a good weekend all.

Wednesday Hodgepodge - 27/6/18

Wednesday's Hodgepodge is brought to us courtesy of Joyce at 

 From this side of the pond

Pop over there to see other posts and if you want to join in add the link to your Hodgepodge blog post to the Linky List at the end of Joyce's post and don’t forget to visit at least your neighbours on the list.

Have fun!

1. Security or freedom? Can you have both? Explain.

Both.  I definitely think it's possible to feel secure e.g. in your home, your surroundings  but also to have freedom to make your own decisions and choices.

2. If you could visit any historical American site what would it be? Why?
Possibly the Grand Canyon, because it's so vast.
3. Free as a bird, free reign, be free of, free enterprise, free trip, walk away scot free, free for all...which 'free' phrase can best be applied to your life in recent days or weeks? Explain.
Be free of (responsibilities)  Of course as a Wife, Mother and now Grandmother I will always have responsibilities but I've opted not to sign up for anything where I feel responsible to anyone or anything now I'm retired.
4. Something in your fridge that's red? Something in your house that's white? Something in your view that's blue?
Red tomatoes, white bedding, blue sky.  We're enjoying a lovely spell of blue skies and hot weather.
5. July 27th is National New Jersey Day. Have you ever visited The Garden State? If so where did you go? Are there diners where you live? Have you tried Taylor Pork Roll? Do you like to play Monopoly? Salt water taffy-yay or nay? How do you feel about shopping at the mall? Springsteen, Sinatra, or Bon Jovi-you have to pick one.
Never visited New Jersey.  Not tried Taylor Pork Roll, Played a lot of Monopoly.  Salt water taffy?  I'm guessing toffee? So leave out the salt water thanks.  I only shop at the mall if I know exactly what I'm shopping for and where to find it.  Sinatra.
Raise your hand if you know why these add-on questions are appropriate on National NJ Day.
My hands are down!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

I'm answering these on Friday.  Where did the week go?

These two had something to do with it so I'm not complaining.

 

Review: Foreign Fruit

Foreign Fruit by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When a group of bohemians takes over Arcadia, a house on the seafront, Lottie Swift and Celia are as drawn to its temptations as Merham's citizens are appalled by them. They set a chain of events that have longstanding and tragic consequences. Now, fifty years on, Arcadia is returning to life, and its inhabitants stirring up strong feelings again.

Took me a while to get into this, I enjoyed it more when it moved to present day.

View all my reviews