What I Have Done On My Holidays...So Far

So far, this week has been a blissful break from routine. Last night, as I lay in bed listening to thunder crash and rain that sounded like tiny pebbles against the glass, I decided that the one thing worse than a wet week off is a wet week at work! So although it has been pretty wet, it has been lovely to know I haven't got to splash to work through the puddles.

It has been a busy week so far. I have posted about some of it already, but we started with the Sparks Will Fly event to celebrate the Olympic Flame coming to Chelmsford, on Sunday we went to the Grand Prix, on Tuesday we spent the day at the CAMRA Beer Festival in the park. I don't like beer as a rule, but I do like Belgian Fruit beers. They are a little more expensive than regular beer but taste so much nicer! I enjoyed strawberry beer which is almost like jam, cherry which tasted of marzipan to me, and a delicious peach beer too. It makes me smile, as I don't really drink a lot, and when I do it is never beer, always wine or a cocktail.

I have been to the yarn shop to get some more wool for my ripple stitch Lyme Regis blanket, and I happily added a new ripple to it last night. I have really missed it! I am using the pattern from Attic24 and really enjoying the soothing rhythm of it.

Today we drove out to Goldhanger, a little coastal village not far from us, parked up and took a walk out along the sea wall. I just adore it down there. My Grandparents used to live on a houseboat, which is where my Mum grew up. It was permanently moored with a lovely garden, and I have lots of happy childhood memories there, although that was in the next village or so over. My great-great-grandfather used to race yachts in the Americas Cup, at one time captaining a yacht for the king of Spain. So being on the estuaries and salt marshes is really in my blood, and it calls to something deep inside me. It was more luck than judgement, but we arrived at low tide, so all the mud flats were exposed which is the most beautiful time to go. We walked out for an hour or so, in which we managed to reach a kind of beach hut, but built behind the sea wall, and on stilts so it was level with it. We sat and watched oyster dredgers at work for a while before turning back. It was then we noticed that the church we had parked next to was nothing more than a tiny dot in the background! Happily though, while it had been pouring with rain last night, today has been the perfect summer day. I had taken an umbrella just in case of sudden showers, but in the end I had to use it once or twice as a parasol for some shade!

I can't believe that it is Thursday evening already. The days seem to be slipping away very quickly. I have also found some time for some organizing, which has felt really good. I have put together a new skeleton for menu planning, a rhythm of themes for each day. Wednesdays are down as 'Burlesque Picnic' because on that night several of the girls gather at mine, and we all bring things to share such as bread and hummus and it is a really lovely evening in the week. I have down Souper Sunday and also 'homemade takeaway' for Fridays. I have done the same for lunches and breakfasts, and hopefully this will make menu planning and shopping much quicker. I have also put together a new set of housekeeping routines. I have a morning and evening routine to do every day, and then each day has its own task, and there are a few tasks to do fortnightly as well. It has been nice to have some breathing space to think about this kind of thing in.

It has also been a week of lovely visitors - the ever bubbly and enthusiastic Carla, and the ever inspirational Anna - and tomorrow I am off to see Mum for only our second proper day off together this year. Carl asked me earlier if this week had been special enough, exciting enough (we had been planning to go to Scotland)...and you know, it really has. Some big adventures mixed with lots of little ones, time to wake up when your body is ready to (about 7.30am for me, so not a major lay-in, but good, good, good!) and time to talk and think and plan.

I hope you are having a wonderful week,
love
Mimi xxx