lately.....

Lately, we have been enjoying the cold weather. Crunching ice or jumping on it is a favourite pass time. The puddles are frozen solid right down to the ground now. 'Our' pond is frozen over, too. That's the pond Jack fell in not so long ago. He could now skid across but he has not forgotten his ordeal and doesn't go anywhere  near.


Lately, I have been marvelling at the speed with which Jack has grown from a cute little puppy into a nearly full sized dog. He is self confident and bit naughty, too.


Lately, we've had the sick bug in the house. Annie was feeling poorly and has been off school. Apparently 11 children in her class were off sick. She is fine now and enjoying a sleep over with a friend.

Lately, I have been struggling with James, who is flying of the handle all the time. He is stubbornly refusing to take on board anything we talk about, resulting in yet more troubles. I need to take a step back and let him work it out of the system. Not easy.

Lately, my bike ride to work has been brighter. Today I saw the moon ahead of me and the sun rise behind. It was quite something but not easy to capture on camera. The photos below are of the nearly full moon at 8 am.



Lately, I have been learning to let my teenager go. He is in Italy with school and I have heard nothing. Not a thing. I knew he had arrived safely because there were no news of bus crashes in the Italian Alps and school had not called with bad news. I texted to ask if he was having a good time. Yes. And that was that. Until today that is, Sam texted to ask I wanted him to buy a blanket for me he had seen and could he have fish and chips upon his return.

Lately, I have been doing homework again. I had to analyse a short essay on capital punishment for my English qualifications.

Lately, I have been knitting so much that my shoulder hurts. My foot hurts, too but I am not sure if the knitting is to blame. I can't jog because it is so sore but it is worst at night, bizarrely. Getting old ain't fun.

Lately, I have turned into a bit of a middle age busy body. The other day I ordered a teenager (really, I did) to pick up his take away noodle box and throw it in the bin right next to him. After he complied meekly, I asked him to pick up the fork, too. I should have asked him to scoop the noodles up but by then I was feeling embarrassed about barking at the poor kid. I even offered him replacement food because it was quite clear he had dropped his lunch by accident. No reason not to clean up the mess yes? But he scuttled off giving me suspicious sideways glances.

Lately, the evening skies have been quite marvellous. It is almost impossible to capture the intense colours of the sky onto 'film'.


Lately, the light has been gaining strength and signs of spring are everywhere. We have been able to walk in the woods later in the day. Daffodils are emerging out of the ground in the woods, the snowdrops are looking very pretty and the yellow croci are flowering in my front garden.


Lately, I have been wondering if I should show you the weird and wonderful stuff I do at work.


What have you been up to lately?
 
Have a wonderful weekend! Cx

Comments

  1. What beautiful photos in this post... sounds like life is a bit of challenge at the moment but you've found lots of positives too. Lately, I've been having a really tough time at work and it's affecting my mood and energy levels at home, but I've managed to get out and enjoy the snow so it's not all bad! I'm really looking forward to spring this year. I don't normally suffer 'winter blues' but I think I'm suffering them a little at the moment - I'm ready for longer days and not having to get up whilst it's dark!

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  2. Fabulous pics, Christina! I sympathise with the silence from abroad thing and like you I end up taking comfort fom the fact that there are no phone calls from a hospital in Greece or wherever it is! But it's not easy the letting go thing. I think you are an amazing parent on all fronts though so am sure everything will be ok. I don't know what it is about these sickness bugs this year - they've been really bad. H was off school for a week - just couldn't shift it properly. Hope you are having a lovely weekend with lots of bright moments. E xx

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  3. The weird and wonderful work stuff sounds intriguing, I'm in. Sorry to hear you've had illness, I hope you're all better now. We've been enjoying little bits of ice where we can find them, although it's been pretty dry here. I hope James is happier soon, it's hard when they're going through things isn't it. I do hope you said yes to the blanket (I'm almost certain you did). And the fish and chips of course. Beautiful sunsets, the light at this time of year is wonderful isn't it. I hope you all have a lovely Sunday and that Sam has a safe trip home. CJ xx

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  4. Wow! Love those sunset pictures Christona, the sunsets are really breathtaking at this time of year, I have been marvelling at them too. I think Isaac has the same cold virus that Annie had, he has been very unwell with it and off school since Wed. High temps and just flattened out. X

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  5. Hey Christina,
    I would love to see your weird and wonderful work. You frosty photos are lovely. We have been enjoying getting out and about during the longer days too, although we aren't as frosted up as you. We have all had some kind of lurgy here. I am now nursing a rather sore throat. Learning to let go is tricky. I am already catastrophising about Sam and Uni.
    Have a lovely week. I hope stuff with James settle down. I always find it hits a crescendo, and you think you can't take it anymore, and then it seems to settle of it's own accord. But you have my solidarity while you wade through the tribulations of a spirited child. They ain't easy, but the rewards are bigger somehow.
    Leanne xx

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  6. What a lovely chatty post. Your sunset pictures are beautiful. Hard to say what I've been doing all week... Mostly work but we did have a lovely walk in glorious sunshine this morning although I didn't take a camera. Hope things resolve with James soon. x

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  7. Those skies!
    And well done you for telling the kid to pick up after himself. I hate litter-dropping. It's one of my pet hates. Although you never know what kind of response you'll get if you suggest someone uses a bin...
    Do share what you do at work, it sounds intriguing!
    S x

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  8. Wow, those sunsets are quite incredible! You've taken some great photos and I really enjoyed reading your post. Knowing when to step back is quite a skill, and I hope it has done the trick for you and James xx

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  9. I enjoyed your "Lately" post, Christina. Your pictures are terrific - especially the ones of Jack. He looks like a perfectly behaved puppy in the photos. It's hard to believe he could ever be naughty! :-)

    Sorry to hear you've had a sick bug in your house. Once it takes hold it tends to sweep through everyone. Your son's silence while away on his trip sounds perfectly normal. I think it was quite sweet of him to text and ask if you would like for him to buy a blanket for you. It shows he hadn't forgotten you after all!

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  10. Yes, I want to see what you do at work! Absolutely! I enjoyed this post so much. I feel like a busybody lately too. I can't help it, I just want people to behave and do the right thing, which I always know how to do perfectly, of course. :)

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  11. Beautiful pictures and an adorable pooch. Stepping back is quite the skill, so hopefully it will be OK and not hearing from your other son seems perfectly normal to me. You have me quite intrigued with the weird and wonderful work.

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  12. Such beautiful pictures, I love the sunsets they are so hard to get just right aren't they? It would be fascinating to see what you do at work if you want to share, I will be popping by to read :). I do hope you are all well now and
    James is feeling a little more settled.

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  13. Christina, those sunset pictures are AMAZING! I have been enjoying seeing the cold Winter moon here, but yes, taking a picture of it just doesn't do it justice. Sounds like you have a smart little dog - he learned his lesson! Your son sounds like a typical teenager - good of you to just let him be - if something is wrong, he'll contact you (says the Mom who does not have a teenage son yet).

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  14. What fantastic sunsets! Brill photos too. Yes please, weird and wonderful at work sounds interesting, do tell! Gearing up for half term here this week and a year 7 Humanties project looming. A model of a castle, I am wondering whether we should go traditional with cereal boxes etc or make it out of cake instead? Wish us luck xx

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  15. Lovely post, I really enjoy your norm it is like mine. Those sunsets are something else. We get good ones from our mid floor windows but there are pylons in the distance so I never take photos for my blog - how stupid, beauty is beauty. Jo x

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  16. Lovely post and photos to match...
    Amanda xx

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  17. I hope the teenager is safely home soon, I am just the same, I can't settle when they're away, and I hope that things settle down with James too x love the ice jumping (is this a bad time to mention the huge scar I have on my knee from a ice puddle incident........)

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  18. I love your photos of the sky and especially the moon. Jack is still very cute. Our Jack Russell must be about 10 years old now - maybe more - and is still mischievous. I know what you mean about getting old and the aches and pains. I'm older than you too! Last night I couldn't sleep well - if I lay on left side then my shoulder was sore(too much crochet?), if I lay on my right side then my hip was sore and no matter which side I lay on my knee was sore. Hopefully I'll be so tired tonight that it won't matter if any bits of me are sore!

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  19. Love the pictures. I have a son who is a junior in college.When he isn't here it is easy for me to not think of what he is doing all the time. Breaks are a different story and we expect to know general plans and on long trips a text of I got here or I am leaving. He has his own car. So you will find at times you are a wreck and other times you will not give it a thought. All part of us and them growing up.

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  20. Love all your photos, especially of the evening skies. We have fantastic views of sunsets over the Derbyshire hills but I've never seen skies so amazing as those in your photos. Just wow!
    Do share with us what you do at work.I'm intrigued! Have a good week. X

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  21. Wow, you have been busy! Lots going on at your house. I hope that the child wrangling/worrying/getting them better all goes/has gone well. Beautiful sunsets, they are stunning!!!!!! Hope you are having a good week. xx

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  22. Love this Post Christina! Those sunsets are incredible! I'd love to see what you do at work. As for the kids, I always say if it's not one kid, it's the other and if it's not any of them it's the dog!!! Hope things sort themselves out soon and everyone recovers from their colds and flus...Mel x

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  23. But I think you did manage to capture those skies, and so beautifully! What a lovely post. Your photos are fabulous. Our old house was near a high school and the students would walk up our road into town towards the shops, dropping litter all the way. I would often ask them to pick it up. The thing which always astonished me is how, despite their bravado in front of their mates, they'd meekly but sullenly so as I asked. I would also ask them to stop swearing if the kids were around. I think having my own children made me middle aged straight away! xx

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  24. Loved this post. Loved hearing about your lately goings on. Loved the photos. One of my pet hates is seeing teenagers with their feet up on train seats. It really bugs me that their dirty trainers are going to ruin someone else's smart clothes. I haven't yet had the nerve to tell them to move them but I give them 'the nodding the head look' on occasions but it never works. Good on you for having the gall to make him pick up his rubbish. P x

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  25. A wonderful post. I remember the day I went screaming at a man in my neighborhood for speeding with his car, I felt I had hit middle age right then and there. I love the photos of the sky, simply beautiful.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  26. Thsoe skies! Your photos are beautiful. What a lovely post Christina. I would really love to see your work :-) xxxx

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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment, I love to hear from you, I really do. I sometimes reply by email but I am not all that reliable... Christina xx

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