a mini holiday

We were off work and school Thursday and Friday and enjoyed a long weekend. I needed it, I always do. I am preparing mentally for the next six or seven weeks, always my busiest of the year at work with assessments and marking for three courses. One of the exam was taken by ~ 350 students. It was a three part exam and if we still used paper to assess students, my the height of my marking pile would probably rival the laundry mountain. Alistair ran out of pants, that is how much laundry there was. 

Anyway, back to the long weekend. For large parts of each day I was just chilling out. We all were, each in our own way. I pottered around the house, tidied up a bit here and there and admired Richard who was installing our new dishwasher. Some highlights follow.

On Thursday, I took Sam to Ikea to buy a set of curtains for his bedroom. He also wanted a desk for work. He is keen to get a sofa but has no spare cash and decided to keep an eye on Gumtree and Freecycle. Our neighbour got a really nice red leather sofa for his summerhouse (aka garden shed) free on Gumtree. A great find and I hope Sam finds something suitable, too. We gave him our old dining table, a solid square oak table that I got from my godmother before I left Switzerland. It is well loved if a bit battered and I am happy it is being used again. We found a couple of rugs in the attic for Sam's hallway. One day soon I am going to put my survival kit in a backpack and spend a few days exploring the attic. Treasures are awaiting, I am sure of it.

On Friday, I spent some time working in the garden. I am not an enthusiastic gardener but there are key points in the garden year that require some work. I tidied up a flower bed just outside my sewing room/office, the carpet of forget-me-nots has gone to seed and needed pulling up to give space and light for the later perennials underneath. The climbing rose is going wild but I think we'll leave it like that until it finishes flowering. The garage window is almost completely covered with it. Our neighbours fuchsia is competing with it and the resulting thick hedge is perfect for wild life. The hum of insects is really noticeable when we sit at the garden table. Our wildflower meadow out front is at its best just now.

We also visited our neighbours for a BBQ on Friday. It was very relaxing and we all sat in the sun, chatting and eating good food. Our back gardens are proper sun traps. The sun is warming the sitting area until sunset, perfect. Sunset now if of course late, 21:56 today. I love having so much light. I discovered a new to me vegetarian burger from Tesco. It was delicious, better than any other veggie burger I have previously eaten. On the note of veggie food, I have learned to make a beautiful baked tofu, crunchy on the outside, soft and squishy on the inside, and full of flavour. Beats pork chops any time.

Alistair had a sleepover guest on Saturday. It is easy now with teenagers as they don't need entertainment. I went for two walks with two different friends and our dogs. Jack was naughty on the morning walk. He found a half empty tub of Dairylea (mouldy) and would not let go of it. The evening walk in Mugdock country park was particularly delightful. We sat at the wee loch for ages, watching the dogs swim, sipping our San Pelegrino lemonades and discussing how we need strong women like us to put the world to rights. 

On Sunday we forgot to got to the Scout AGM. Embarrassing, Richard is a Scout leader... instead we had dinner in the garden with Sam. I also made a new wash bag from small square scraps of fabric. It is slightly larger than I thought it would be but so adorable. Each little square is a memory of a quilt I made in the past. I'll be able to use it four times this year. I am traveling far too much...  first to London for an exam board meeting, then to Switzerland to visit family, later to Copenhagen for a conference and finally to Turkey for family holiday. I feel slightly dizzy just thinking about it. Must remember to check with the Home Office if I need a new electronic code for each trip abroad or if one will be valid for all. Trials and tribulations of an EU citizen in the UK... I don't want to be deported to Rwanda accidentally for having an invalid proof of my settled status.

I had a weird experience with a WhatsApp call last week. Sam called me while I was out on a walk, being drenched by torrential rain. It was too wet to answer but I called back about 20 minutes later when the rain had turned into a gentle drizzle. Sam and I were talking for maybe half a minute when suddenly my friend and colleague Mike said hello and asked what was up. On the same call. It was weird, an accidental group call. Later, when I was home and in dry clothes, I checked my phone. When I returned Sam's call, three other people were invited to join, none in any shared groups. A mystery.

I leave you to to ponder life while you tackle your own mountain of laundry. Thank you for visiting. I am sorry I have not been commenting much on your blogs. I do read and always intend to write a note but then life distracts me again. 😊