Well it's cooled off as the weeks gone on. Tuesday I worked and when I woke up I could hear rain absolutely beating against the windows but, by the time I left, it was dry and reasonably sunny. We had a day out at World of Country Life which is just outside Exmouth. We had four little ones and three school age children and it was a lovely day out. It's somewhere I have never been before and I was very impressed. The last Tuesday I am working in the holidays we have one spare seat in the van so L is going to come along as we will be going back there. We had to have a very quick dinner as K had a trial for a local athletics club which she really enjoyed, however, she now has a dilemma as in term time she has Guides on a Tuesday.

On Wednesday K was invited on a birthday outing for one of her school friends. The parents took 5 girls down to Liskeard to Adrenalin which is an aquapark in an old quarry with wipe out style inflatables. She had a great time. Meanwhile L wanted us to walk down to The Lawns (our big park area) to have a knockabout on the tennis courts. We had fun playing our amateur tennis and at half time we walked up to the carpark where Crew Coffee was parked up and got a coffee for me and a cold drink and an ice cream for L. We are lucky to have such good facilities in our village - the courts are free to use all year round and there are toilets which are always a good thing with children in tow. 

Today we have been pottering at home and packing for our trip up to Wiltshire tomorrow to see my Dad for a few days. We are taking out tent and staying on a nearby campsite so a fair bit to pack for just a three day trip! We are coming back Monday afternoon, doing a load of washing and a food shop and then going off down to a campsite near Hayle in Cornwall for three nights. Unfortunately, after all the lovely sunshine we have had the weather is set to go downhill. Raincoats will need to be packed.

I will try to remember to take photos to share when we are back.

These first few days of the school holidays have flown by.

On Friday we were over in Torquay for when the uniform shop opened. You are still not allowed to try anything on so I took her current sizes and asked for the next size up. Well, when we got it all home only the blazer and PE top fit. The rest all needs to be another size up so that needs another trip over there when I've got a moment. Afterwards we went to Meadfoot beach and spent the rest of the day swimming and lazing in the sunshine, which thankfully was cooler than the previous few days.

It got very windy for a few hours late Friday evening and we had some rain but not the thunder storms that were forecast. It was damp first thing Saturday so we went into Newton Abbot in the morning to collect some reserved books from the library and run some other errands. By the time we left late morning it was getting very warm and humid. After lunch L and I pottered in the garden doing some tidying up and then we went over to Teignmouth for a nice walk along the seafront.

Sunday was a quiet day, the older girls had their own plans, K went to Torquay on the train with some friends so L and I walked to the park with the tennis rackets and had a bit of a knockabout and she had a tub of ice cream from Crew Coffee our mobile coffee van.

Today, the forecast was sunny in the morning changing to thunderstorms by the afternoon so we were out and on Teignmouth beach by 10 am and it was lovely. I read my book while the girls spent ages swimming in the sea. We left around 1 and came home and had lunch sat in the garden. I then got on with some chores until late afternoon when L had gymnastics.

S is working in our village Hotel this evening. I am working tomorrow, as is  S  doing a split shift and D is in the village hairdressers all day so we will all have to be up and at it tomorrow. Hubby will be left with K and L to entertain. We shall need a prompt dinner tomorrow as K is doing a trial with Newton Abbot Athletics Club at 6.30 and they use a playing field the far side of the town. It's always go go go here!.

 Well Monday was lovely and sunny so Daughter S and I decided to drive up to Exeter to our nearest Waitrose. We used to have a branch in Teignmouth and Torquay but they were both closed a couple of years ago due to them not being viable. Too many basket shoppers as opposed to people doing their full shop. I love having a look around Waitrose as it is always so nicely laid out and there is always an interesting entrance display. For someone who does their weekly shop in Aldi, however, the price of some of their products are eye watering. I only usually buy a few things that are on offer but I like their free magazine and weekly newspaper. We also had a coffee in the cafe. Afterwards we had a quick wander around Next and TK Max but nothing took our fancy.

Tuesday I worked, which is still enjoyable.

Wednesday morning I called for a friend who I used to work with. We walked down to our village park and got coffees from the mobile van, and sat on a seat under a tree as it was so so hot already. In fact we had so much to talk about we had two coffees! K finished school so she got the train over to Teignmouth from school, rather than catching the school bus, with some friends, and went to the beach for a couple of hours. D's actual last day landed up being Monday as they have an outbreak of Covid classes in year 10 and the 6th form so I didn't want to take any risk of her catching it. She only had photography lessons this week so has been able to do the work at home. She has also spent most of this week at the beach either with friends or her boyfriend.

Today, was L's last day at school so we picked her up at 3.15 and then went over to Teignmouth to the beach. Unfortunately, there was a lot of seaweed floating about which initially put L in a bit of a mood but once we persuaded her to go in she was fine. We managed just over an hour but we were getting close to high tide and the stretch of sand was getting smaller by the minute. We rounded off with ice creams from one of the kiosks on the seafront.. 

I am looking forward to a bit of a lie in tomorrow and then I need to be in Torquay for 10.00 when the uniform shop opens to get K a full set of uniform and PE kit. She has been wearing the current set for two years and its all too small and worn out  now. I shall need to brace myself to part with a couple of hundred pounds - ouch! Afterwards we shall go to Meadfoot beach for the rest of the day with the paddleboard and a picnic.

As for the weekend, it will be weather dependant, as I think we are due some rain. 

 Well it's been a bit of a long old week with L having to isolate. I escaped to go to work but other than that I have had to stay at home with L.

S got home from Snowdon Monday lunchtime and said she wants to climb it again she enjoyed it so much. She said 2 nights wasn't long enough to fully appreciate the area and that the campsite they all stayed on was lovely. She got on well with everyone and some of them are meeting in Liverpool for a weekend during the summer for a get together. L and I started on the home learning which I have to say I thought I'd finished with for ever back in March!

Tuesday, I escaped for the day working. Even our Music with Mummy group was cancelled because the woman who runs it had her Daughter at home isolating. More and more cases cropping up around here which won't be helped by the massive influx of holiday makers next weekend when schools break up.

Wednesday was our wedding anniversary. In the morning I had my haircut so a nice bit of pampering and then in the evening the two of us went down to our village Hotel for a meal. The food was great and afterwards, as it was still lovely and sunny, we sat out in the Hotel garden having a drink.

Thursday morning I worked and like Tuesday the baton of home learning was passed to Hubby!

Friday, we had elevenses and lunch sat outside and some of our home learning was done whilst enjoying the sunshine. S went to the beach with a friend, lucky thing, and after school K went with some friends to the Lido in the next small town, swimming, so lucky her as well!

Depending on what shift S is working Monday we are hoping to have a trip out somewhere and a coffee to make up for my quiet week, and I am meeting a friend next Wednesday for coffee. K finishes school Wednesday, L on Thursday and D on Friday lunchtime and that will be another academic year over.

Have a good weekend everyone and enjoy this sunshine. I shall be reading, doing a bit of gardening, drinking wine and having a bbq.

I can't believe it was Tuesday I last posted, the days are just flying by now we are busier.

I met a friend for coffee on Wednesday morning at our village garden centre where we had a good catch up. I've known K since I moved to the village 17 years ago and two of our Daughters have been good friends since pre-school. She also worked at the village pre-school with me but has handed in her notice and leaves at the end of this term.  They have converted a barn in their garden and she is going to do holiday lets as a new venture. After school L had a friend back for tea, the first time since February last year! 

On Thursday I worked in the morning and then after lunch Hubby and I went over to Morrisons and I bought 16 plants for the garden and got another couple that were free as they were past their best! They had a really lovely selection especially of cottage garden plants. After dinner S set off up to her house in Bath for an overnight stop as Friday she was driving to Snowdon. She was meeting up with a facebook walking group to camp there and climb Snowdon on Saturday. It was a group of thirty, none of whom she had met before, but things like that don't bother her.

Friday was D's late start at school so we went into town to visit the library and get a few things in Asda. She didn't fancy breakfast this week so we just had coffee out. Once I'd dropped her at school I had a good tidy up at home and rang my Dad to check everything was okay with him. My day went downhill at 2.45 when sat in the car over in Teignmouth, waiting to pick up D and her boyfriend I had a text from the Primary School to say they had had a positive Covid case in the year5/6 bubble and could I come straight away to collect L. There are two year 5/6 classes and although they are not currently mixing they share toilets and the communal areas. The girl concerned is in the other class but everyone has been sent home to isolate. She is off school all this coming week so I shall have the joys of home learning again and apart from work will not be able to venture out much as she is too young to be left alone. 

Obviously, as a consequence of L having to isolate our weekend has been quiet. On Saturday Hubby and I spent a lot of time in the garden tidying and finding homes for our new plants. Heard from S that it had taken them just over 3 hours to reach the top of Snowdon and they were lucky that it stayed dry as we've had yet more rain here most of the weekend.

Today, before the rain got really heavy, I got the last of the plants in. The garden will have to wait till later in the week now as both our green bins are well and truly full and will be emptied Wednesday.

Well I am off to make a fish pie for dinner and then it will be the serious business of football. Fingers crossed for a good result.

 Well it was another dismal Sunday here. It really rained in the morning which was a shame as there was a garage sale around our village raising money for the School. Mid afternoon it looked a bit brighter so K, L and I went for a walk around the village on what we call our lockdown route. This is the minimum walk we did every day in all the different lockdowns and takes us around the village via the park. We had only been back 5 minutes when S got in from her shift at the Hotel and said she needed some fresh air and would I like a walk along Teignmouth seafront, so off we went. It was cloudy and breezy but not cold so a pleasant walk.

Monday S and I went to Torquay to go to our nearest Primark. S needed another pair of black trousers for work, but didn't want to spend a fortune, and I hadn't been there for a couple of months so off we went. There was nothing I liked but I picked up a dress each for K and L and some shorts reduced for Hubby and S managed to find some trousers so a successful visit. Afterwards we had a coffee in Costa and then came home. I did some jobs and we had some lunch and then S was restless! So we went for another walk along Teignmouth seafront and I remembered to take some photos this time. What with my walks down to school and back I managed a whopping 23000 steps, the most for a long time.

Today has been an enjoyable day at work and tomorrow I am meeting a friend for coffee and a good catch up.

 Friday morning it was sunny so Me, Hubby and S went over to Teignmouth first thing and got coffees and bacon rolls to eat up on the seafront.  We were having a lovely peaceful time when suddenly a huge seagull came from behind and tried to take S's roll pecking her finger in the process. That somewhat ruined the moment and S was tearful as it had frightened her. We had a nice stroll along the front and then came home to do some preparation for S's gathering in the evening.

S had her 21st birthday in lockdown and has just completed her midwifery degree so Friday night was a celebration of both with a dozen of her friends, out in the garden. Hubby mowed the lawn and swept the patio whilst we blew up balloons and put fairy lights around my arch. The rose that I planted in memory of my Mum has flowered this week so in a strange kind of way it felt like she was there for the celebration. Once people had started to arrive we decided to leave them in peace for a couple of hours so took K and L over to Teignmouth for a swim. It wasn't the warmest evening but it didn't bother them and when they'd had enough we got some nice hot fish and chips to eat. We then had a  long walk along the beach where I found a lovely heart shaped pebble. It was just there, very prominent, so I took that as a sign and it is now out in the garden at the base of my Mum's rose. 

My Sister and Brother in Law have been down this way for the week, staying in a holiday cottage near Totnes. They had to be out by 9 today so they came on up to us and Andy decided he wanted to treat us to lunch out which was lovely of him. We walked down to our village Hotel and sat in the garden, managing to miss the showers of earlier, and spent a lovely couple of hours eating, drinking and chatting. They have had a lovely week visiting lots of different places.

It is quiet now, Hubby is doing diy in the hallway until the football starts, D is out with friends and S is back down at our village Hotel working the evening shift. She cannot start working as a midwife until she has formally graduated and been given her NHS registration so until then she is working in the Hotel to earn some money.

I am going to go and cook a curry for me and Hubby and then I shall have a glass of wine or two and read my book with one ear on the football.  I'm afraid I am still forgetting to take photos.

Flowers that S bought me as a sorry as she was a little worse for wear last night!! We've all been there in our youth!