A Quick Read........

 
I know I say this every year, I love our tree in her autumn gold. 

Had to keep checking on our children as Son and fiancé gradually recovered from covid and Daughter started a really bad cold, she went to work on Monday afternoon but chose to wear a face mask so she didn't spread germs. Then M and R  both tested positive with covid !!!

My handyman Hubby had the carpet up in the bathroom and with lots of sawing and banging he replaced the floor boards that had recently felt a bit too bouncy to be safe. 

I've started the marathon card writing, takes me a while as I get distracted/ bored/ achy from sitting. I won't post any yet but I will post early enough to only need second class stamps because 75p is already expensive (£1.75 for 1st is ridiculous when I'm sending so many) and I'll try to deliver by hand as many as I can. Our local Scouts are providing their card delivery service again at just 35p each and of course the Scouts, leaders and parents do it voluntarily so what we pray is all fundraising which makes me happy. 

Seems like a short review of this week but it's mostly been our usual routine stuff and I'd hate to bore you. So stay warm and I'll see you next week.

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Happisburgh Pics........

 

In case you didn't read last week's, I'm on holiday with Hubby, Daughter, O and their dog. We all arrived last Friday afternoon. 

Saturday morning, after a very comfortable night, I was up before 7am however Daughter was already out walking the dog. She came back with this early morning photo of the lighthouse, we can see this from the house we are staying in. 

After breakfast three of us decided to go out, but O declined and stayed in bed. This is Mundesley beach. 

Back for lunch and O was up then. After their five hour drive from Dorchester E and her boyfriendC arrived about 1:30pm.

Our evening meal was at The Lighthouse Inn followed by another three hours of trivial pursuit hahaha, team Daughter and I eventually won! 

 

Sunday had a bit of this 

And this

Then all out to Horsey wind pump. I stayed outside with the dog while they all climbed to the viewing platform at the top of the mill, too many stairs for me anyway and they reported the top bit was just a ladder. 

We went for a lovely but muddy walk before heading back. After dinner, the yummy vegan Shepherd's pie Daughter had made and brought with, O, E and boyfriendC made full use of the games room playing pool and table tennis, staying in there long after we went to bed. 

On Monday Daughter had to drive back to Ipswich for work, she set off about 10am. The weather was really wild wet and windy so we had a very leisurely morning, in fact it was 1pm when I went up to wake O so we could all go out somewhere while it was looking a bit calmer. We just walked locally towards the beach, avoiding the cliff edges as there has been so much coastal erosion here. 

I tried to pick up the lighthouse as a souvenir, but failed. 

We waited for Daughter to get back, about 6:30ish and had a dinner of the previously bought meat pies and vegan pasties with curly fries and carrots. 

Then there was some of this. 

Daughter played a game with E and O at the dining room table. C was on his laptop. Hubby watched a Terminator film and I read my book. 

Tuesday early morning Daughter and Hubby walked the dog. Then when everyone was up we all went to Cromer. 

Obviously not the weather for lunching outside with the dog, so we looked for somewhere suitable while E went into every charity shop but sadly couldn't find anything she wanted to buy,  then we found this place that thankfully serves humans too. 

All had our fill even our dog had sausages from the dog menu. Then a walk along the prom and eventually back to the car park. 

About 4pm E and boyfriendC left as planned for Norwich to spend two days with friends and family there before they have to head back to Dorchester and work. O decided he wasn't finding enough to do here and it would be worse without E so they gave him a lift to Norwich Station and he got the train home, so now there's just three of us here and the dog.

It turned into a reading evening and Daughter had an early night. 

Wednesday Hubby managed to book Daughter's car into a local tyre place as she'd discovered a screw lodged in one of the back ones (they had wondered a few days ago why it had been very slowly going down). So a lovely walk along Happisburgh beach then a very short drive to the tyre place. 

while it was being done we found The Swan Inn at Stalham to have a meal (great fish and chips) then back to collect the car with two new back tyres.

No need for a dinner in the evening so used up some of the fridge stuff. Hubby and Daughter watched the football and I read. 

Thursday woke to a greyer day, I say woke but I'd not slept well at all and Daughter reported not sleeping much either, dunno why.  Hubby and Daughter decided to go for their long dog walk early as the forecast said later was horrid. 

A very empty beach because almost as soon as they got there the rain came quite heavily. Daughter took this photo of the very soggy pair that returned, they were soaked through to their underwear. 

Daughter had planned to leave this afternoon anyway and as the weather wasn't going to encourage Hubby and I to do any more sightseeing I also packed our things and we had lunch here to use the frozen pizzas and then headed home. Only half a day early and we would have needed to be out by 10am anyway so nothing lost really. 

The drive home was mostly in very heavy rain which helped confirm it was the right time to leave. We were also home for our usual Thursday evening YouTube quiz. Had a lovely long phone call from Son, they were both so upset that they missed this holiday, but neither of them were over their covid symptoms, horrid eh? 

Friday of course was all the unpacking, putting stuff away and three machine loads of washing (probably need another two loads to catch up but that can wait so I can make space to get it all dry indoors). 

Till next week then, stay warm.

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Pronounced Haysbruh.........

 
We are going on holiday at the end of this week, so the beginning of the week is deciding what we need to take. It's self catering and on the Norfolk coast, so not a warm location in November and could be very wet. I started off gathering roll necks and jumpers, blankets and hot water bottles! 

Monday morning was dentist with Daughter and O. We always go together when it's just the six monthly checkup. She dropped me back home in time for half of the coffee morning so I still got to see everyone. 

Quite a while ago Tesco reduced the value of their points reward so just before the deadline we cashed some in for Pizza Express vouchers. This wet Wednesday, as we weren't eating out in the evening, we treated ourselves to a free lunch. 

Turns out the price of all we ordered and the amount of vouchers we actually had it was a half price lunch. Thoroughly yummy though. 

Sadly Wednesday afternoon Son reported he has covid again. So we are not looking after their dog on Thursday and they'll not be sleeping over,  they've cancelled the concert they should have gone to and they'll not be coming on holiday with us Friday as planned. Then Thursday fiancé tested positive too so really hoping they get negative tests very soon and can join us partway through the week. 

This is where we are staying

The week was bought by Daughter and Son for my big birthday last August and it's big enough for Hubby and I, our children and partners, grandchildren and a partner and even the two dogs. November was the only week everyone could do, and even then we knew they couldn't all do the whole week.

That was the plan and what actually happened was Friday Hubby and I loaded the car (seems like we covered most eventualities) and with only a couple of hold ups en route we arrived about 3:30pm. We had a full nosey round the house, which looks very well equipped and found some cookies left as a welcome gift, we chose our bedroom and settled with a cuppa. 

Daughter and O arrived about 5pm. The dog was pleased to see me. 

We decided on fish and chips for dinner which Hubby and Daughter went out for, then O found trivial pursuit in a drawer so we played that.... for two hours hahaha. 

I was awake a lot of the night, which is normal for me in a strange bed, but the bed was really comfy and the house very warm, a bit too warm in fact. So this morning after hearing Daughter and the dog up I got up which was about 6:45am. Daughter had already gone out for a walk with the dog. 

Time for breakfast so I'll post this now and hopefully have lots to report in next week's.

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Powerful Weather Powerful Play..........

 
Well of course the grandchildren have outgrown Grandma's Halloween fun but there are still young children that live locally so we decorated the door and put a candle lit display in the front window so they knew they could knock. 

We filled a big bowl with chocolates and lollys. Hubby answered the door to one young girl and that was all, yes that was all the whole evening. Maybe it was the weather putting them off. Guess who's eating all the chocolates now? 

Had a lovely catchup lunch with friendsL&K. Serious family news from them but we always find things to laugh about too. Went to our favourite steak house and I had the ribs as always and so good, mmmmmm

The weather has been awful with high winds and very heavy rain. The second named storm hitting the UK within two weeks of each other. So many people have been flooded out of their homes and locally some roads flooded. I did send messages round and nobody I know has suffered thank goodness. Now hearing of so many organised firework displays being cancelled due to waterlogged fields and high winds forecast. 

Another evening dog sitting for Son and fiancé. First time they'd been to the Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich and they really liked it so will keep a close eye on their program in future too. 

I booked for six of us to see The Ungodly, a play by Red Rose Chain, and R is in it. 

Set on the Stour estuary in Mistley, East Anglia, The Ungodly explores the events which led to the terrifying witch hunts led by Mathew Hopkins, Witchfinder General in 1645. The play is inspired by new evidence suggesting that Hopkins’ own family tragedies were a catalyst for his reign of terror. It explores the reality of good people being drawn into a movement which persuades them to do terrible things and draws parallels with the polarised world we live in today.

Hubby was dog sitting (theatre is not his thing) for Son and fiancé and I went with them and met Daughter, O and my friendKK there. The cast of just four were perfect. The chemistry between them made it so real. The script was really powerful and especially knowing it was all based on well researched fact. It was delivered with such intense passion by them all. Amazing. 

I'll hit send on this now as we have another day of dog sitting, Daughter's this time, so have a good week and I hope you stay dry.

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