Birthday, Boat, Broads, Buffet........

I really wanted to do something a little different for this year's birthday as we normally get together for a family meal but as we all have varying dietary needs and some fidgit if we sit still for too long it can be challenging.

I mentioned this to a friend just in passing and she suggested hiring a day boat on the Norfolk Broads! I told Hubby, Daughter and Son adding that I'd like a picnic on board and everybody loved the idea.

Early gathering at our house, which daughter called Parental HQ, then because unfortunately a few family members couldn't come, we all fitted into Daughter's car. Just under two hours to get there. The boat handover at was really straightforward and efficient. We were kitted out with life jackets and Hubby and Son got on board for a guide to what's where and how it all works. Then we all installed ourselves and our stuff and we were off.

As you can see in the photos we had a really nice boat, very well equipped with two ring burner, kettle, plenty of crockery, cutlery and tea towels and dishcloths etc, we had a loo too!

Hubby and Son were in charge for all the busy areas or tricky moorings but O took the wheel as Captain for a lot of the time and quickly got to understand the delay in reaction time when steering and the drifting just with the water movement pushing on the boat. So a happy 10 year old makes us all happy.

We really didn't know how the dog would react as on land she will often bark like mad at other dogs or people. So having never done anything water based or boaty before would she bark at every goose, swan or passing boat? No! She seemed interested in everything, constantly going from one side to the other to look out, loved getting off each time for walks and happy each time to get back on board. So well behaved, although she was kept on a very short lead the whole time.

Daughter and Son had brought so much food and a birthday cake plus candles. When we got home M joined us too and we still didn't finish off the food hahaha.

Such a lovely day with my favourite people and good weather for a fun activity. Memories to keep forever.

The rest of the photos are HERE
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Hope you don't mind.......

This is one of those times when I don't really need to write down all about today's lovely walk through a park I've never been to before, or say about Daughter's early message invite to join her and O on this lovely sunny day. "I'll come get you, pack yourself some lunch, we are meeting our friend there" she said.

So after the inevitable what-shall-I-wear debate, not knowing if sunshine means warm or not we set off and arrived after our friend had already had time to buy and drink her first cuppa. Lovely hugs as I hadn't seen her for some time. Lots to chat about, fun in the maze, finding the panda, O setting riddles and wanting passwords, picnic in the play area and baby ducks in the pond but no photos.

Of course I don't need to write it here as our friend is my blog-buddy so she knows it all already!
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Phew it's hot. ....

But you knew that already!

Last Sunday was warm too but unfortunately it turned out to be a very wet day and in great British tradition we had plans for watching a band live in the park and starting with a picnic.

We couldn't change our plans as E is a percussionist for the South Suffolk Youth Orchestra who were the ones performing, so we went and got a bit wet and mostly sheltered under a tree, but were rewarded with a great concert and this xylophone duet which made me a very proud grandma as granddaughter E is only just 13 years old.

Buggar it won't let me put the video here, says it's too big,

and I'm not sure how to link to it either, but you can
 find it on my Facebook page if you're a friend. 

Please let me know if there's a way I can do it! 

I think this is a link!

Monday I met friendJ (we go back some 40+ years) so a very long lovely catchup lunch, and she got me back in touch with another friend from our youth ☺

Tuesday hubby and I met friendsL&K at Audley End, which is an English Heritage manor house and we did the garden tour before a lovely lunch.

We've been trying to do a little gardening as early in the day as possible before it gets hot and I've been taking my sewing outside but staying in the shade. Our pond is really overgrown but as it's shade for the fish Hubby won't thin it back just yet.

I have to share this.......I showed Hubby my friend's daughter's yoga pose photo and he proved he could do it too. Not bad for a 63 year old man eh?

It's a bit awkward in our Close this week as the gas board are replacing old pipe work with new, so lots of hole digging with noisy drills and lots of lorry road blockages but thankfully not causing too many inconveniences and they do keep letting us know what is happening when. Think they are messing up our drive and possibly having to lift a lot of our patio next Monday. ...fingers crossed it all goes back ok.

Last night I cleaned the oven, you see life isn't always so glamorous!

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As an extra note all bloggers love getting comments, however, occasionally I comment on other blog posts and they never show up because for some reason their filter hadn't liked me. So may I suggest all bloggers regularly check their spam folder incase I'm caught in there desperate to be set free.
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