Do you get weeks where they just happen with no annoying little things happening?  Well this week for me I have had a few!

Now I understand security on line is a big thing these days especially for financial records but why oh why do I need two step authentication for my phone bill?  If someone wants to break into my account and pay my bill for me go for it!!!!!

Thursday evening I had to go up to the swimming session to see one of the parents at 7.00pm.  However a lorry had jackknifed on the dual carriageway, no one hurt, but it caused so, so many local roads to be blocked with cars trying to avoid it.  We did get there in time fortunately but it took quite a few hours to get the lorry clear.

 You plan your week and then, obviously, other things get added but do they all need to be on one day?  Friday turned out to be that day for me.  Blood test at 7.00am at the local hospital (fortunately not the main hospital where you can never park!), then drop off a sample at the Doctor’s surgery, then to Eldest’s to catch up on his work, then to the swimming pool for DH to set up for the two day event and home by 8.30pm!!!  

Finally, and in true British fashion, our weather!  The start of the week was mild and sunny and by the end of the week it was freezing.  Please decide what you want to do, be mild and sunny or cold and frosty.  At this time of year I prefer the cold and frosty especially after all the sun and heat we had this summer.  The next week it is going to be more normal October temperatures, cooler but not yet any frosts which is a shame because I love a frosty morning. 

I hope you lovely lot had a great week.  I have home jobs to do today (did not have time to get them done in the week!) and then tomorrow will be quilting time.  DH has the village fireworks tonight and the final day tomorrow of swimming.  He does have another event a week on Sunday and then the following weekend will be a weekend off although we will be celebrating his Birthday.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

I cannot believe where the weeks go to?  Since my last post it has been so busy with work, ours and Eldest’s.  He has also managed to now rent out the Unit next to his for use as storage and to put cars in waiting for service.  However we have had to clear it out first so that has been hectic. 

The Swimming Club on October 1st became just Swimming and we had to do a lot of work to move things over to that, along with the the Quality Standard renewal.  This was complicated as Swim England are putting in a new Membership System so had moved up the date for when the Quality submission needed to be in by!  I got it done, so one more job ticked off my very long list.

Above and below are some pictures of Nottingham’s Goose Fair, in the end we drove round as it was late, we had been at Eldest’s for a long while, but we did get to see the sights and sounds of it.  Next year we will try and go.  

The weather here has been up and down with warm days and cold nights and then some days when it has been cold all day.  We have had a few days of high winds which is from the hurricane from the US which has meant that a lot of the leaves are beginning to fall.  Although it has been so hot and dry this summer the leaves are hanging on pretty well but are now starting to fall.  I did put the heating on the other day, I was sat at my desk and it was freezing in the house.  It just took the chill off.

Coco was not amused as it was cold either.  She has got so used to having the door open all summer for her to run in and out when she liked that this cold spell has sent her into her mini hibernation mode!  As you can see.  This is her basket next to my desk.

I have also had some more medical tests to get through at the GP and the Hospital.  A trip to the Hospital can take up to three hours, as it is very busy so to ensure you can park you need to get there at least an hour earlier than your appointment and then obviously wait to be seen.  One week I ended up going three times.  So three of the tests have come back okay but some bloods did not so I am having to repeat those.  Jayne also had a small Op and we sent her some flowers, above quite appropriate for Autumn.  

DH has also been busy with swimming commentating.  Last weekend he had three different events on Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday.  I decided to go with him on Saturday otherwise I would not have seen him all weekend.  It has meant that we have not got into the garden for a while.  These are the new plants we have put at the back of our deck, where the Boys old Play fort was.  It was a little bare so we put four plants in there along the fence and they are loving it.  You can see the leaves are beginning to fall.  Am hoping that we get into the garden before the bad weather starts to tidy things up for Winter.  

This weekend DH is out again at one swimming event but setting up Friday evening and then at the event both Saturday and Sunday.  He also has the village Fireworks event on Saturday evening.  Hopefully Eldest, Partner and Little Man are coming and we will be able to see the Fireworks from our sitting room.  During the day I am going to get some quilting done.  

Next week besides work, I have a fun week as Jayne and I are out for lunch on Tuesday, I have a hair appointment on Friday and then Friday evening we are out with friends celebrating their big Birthdays this year which I am looking forward to.  Saturday evening we put our clocks back an hour and I love that.  Sunday DH has another swimming event but again I can do some quilting. 

The week after that I am going to take the week off, I may need to do some work, but I have some Christmas preparation to do.  I have really been sticking to the not thinking or doing anything yet for Christmas until at least middle to end of November.  DH and I have a Friday put aside to go Christmas shopping.  I am just enjoying the days and weeks of the months now rather than being all Christmas until the actual day.  Although saying that I am getting a lot of “Christmas” thrown at me with emails and adverts already for Christmas things!!!  Including people who are already thinking of or have put their Christmas trees up!!!  No, not doing it!

Sorry for the radio silence again and especially for Book Club which I am going to get back on tract with during this week.  I will try and post every day!!!!! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

You know how you think at the beginning of a week it is going to be quiet and you can get lots done?  Last week did not turn out like that at all!  I have had some appointments at our local hospital and because it is so busy you have to get there at least an hour if not more before your appointment!  Anyway I was there on Monday morning at 9.00am and then Wednesday at 4.00pm and then back at our Doctors on Tuesday at 4.00pm!  Now waiting on tests of course which can be anything up to two weeks. Oh joy.

For anyone who has followed me for a while knows I love Christmas and even have on my sidebar a Christmas planner.  However this year I have decided to do things a little differently and not get sucked into the get ready for Christmas in September!  Surprisingly enough I have seen so many things for Christmas already and there is even Christmas chocolates out in some supermarkets!!!  This year I wanted to appreciate each month before we get to Christmas and this month means the start of Autumn although during the day we are still have warm temperatures, dropping cool at night.

They keep saying that we are going to have some spectacular colours in the Autumn leaves this year however some of the trees have already begun to drop their leaves after all the heat we had in the summer.  Our grass has recovered from the heat and is now green again after the days of rain we have had and the garden is looking surprisingly well.  Next weekend we have free so hopefully we can get some tidying up jobs done.

There are some other events coming up before we get to Christmas, the first weekend of October is Nottingham’s Goose Fair, where DH and I had our first date which this year would be forty years ago, oh my.  Of course it only seems like yesterday.  I will be keeping my fingers crossed that it is not raining on the Friday evening.  

Unfortunately DH has swimming events most October weekends but that means I will be able to get quite a lot of jobs done including some quilting which I need to get done too.  We have a dinner out in October to celebrate some friends birthdays and it is also DH’s birthday at the end of the month so busy again.

November is of course Bonfire Night and then DH and I are away, with Coco, for a week in Hampshire over our wedding anniversary.  Really looking forward to that and of course more swimming events.  We are planning a day off to do our Christmas shopping and get things organised for Christmas.  We are also seeing Youngest, Wife & Little Miss for a few days when they come down to see us and then of course we are into the chaos of December although as I say this year I am trying to be more relaxed about it!!!!!

We shall see how it goes!!!  

I also forgot to tell you that we had Little Man and Honey for the second week of this month when Eldest and Partner went away for the week to The Canary Islands.  It was a shock to the system having a two and a half year old all the time again, something which I had not done for twenty five years!  By the end of the week it was like he had never not been here and he just was going with the flow.  He did get to go out to work with Grandad a couple of times which Eldest said he remembered doing which was so great.  

Anyway within all the chaos I will try and do more posting. It is not that I have forgotten you lovely lot it is just time to get all my work done, as well as trying to sort out some major things for the swimming club too, although hopefully that will be done by the end of next week.  Why do all these things happen at once?  Have a wonderful week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Where has 25 years gone?  A day I will always remember.  Eldest was six and Youngest was almost two, Eldest was at school and Youngest at home with me and I was working as usual and he had been watching Thomas The Tank Engine on the TV when he told me that there was something wrong.  I checked and the news was scrolling at the bottom of his show.  I distracted him with some books and turned the TV to BBC News and it was there.  DH got home about an hour later and we just watched it all unfold.  It was our generations “where were you when …….”, our parents had been when JFK was shot or the moon landings and before that the abdication of King Edward VIII.

I am sure for all the families who lost loved ones on that day it only seems like yesterday but whether it is one month, one year or twenty five we will always remember.

Susie xx

Apparently now this is what the next four months is being called, The “BER” months!!!  and yes September 1st the start of Autumn although I am not sure I want to say goodbye to Summer just yet!.

Autumn

“Don’t you love New York in the Fall?  It makes me want to buy school supplies.  I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address”

Nora Ephron from my Favourite Film “You’ve Got Mail”

In fact I have seen quite a few Instagram posts about films to watch as we go into Autumn and this one and my other favourite film, “When Harry Met Sally”, are on the list!  I have not had chance yet to get all our Autumn decor out but will do this week.  DH and I spent the long weekend doing a few jobs but also had a chill day too.  I sometimes think that you need to have a purposeful chill day, otherwise you just spend all your spare time doing those jobs.  Yes I still have a load of jobs to do and could probably find about ten more to add to my ever growing list, but we also need the downtime too.  

DH and I are having a steady work week, missing one day of course, although we were at our Accountants this morning.  This coming weekend and next week are going to be very busy though as Little Man is coming to stay for the week!  Eldest & Partner are going away for the week, something they have never done before and so we have the joy of looking after Little Man.  Now I have not looked after a two and a half year old for twenty five years so that is going to be interesting.  DH is going to also be working from home that week to help out and to be honest, and I am sure there are other Grandmother’s out there who know this, Little Man prefers Grandad over all of us, except Coco!!!!  I will let you know how we get on.  Not sure how Mummy is going to cope though?!!!!!  Also Honey their dog is coming to stay too!  Oh boy.

©Dolly Parton Instagram Account

I have also been reading and seeing a lot about Dolly Parton over the last week and particularly about her sayings which I hope that someone puts into a book if they have not already done so.  One of my favourites is “It takes a lot of money to look this cheap”!  Just love that one and I have also seen a lot of tributes to her and so :

“I tumbled out of bed and stumbled to the Kitchen, poured myself a cup of ambition, yawned and stretched and tried to come to life.  Jumped in the shower and the blood started pumpin’, out on the street, the traffic started jumpin’, with folks like me on the job from 9 to 5”

When this film came out in 1980, I actually started work in 1981 and worked 9 to 5 at a Lawyer’s office and it was very similar to the film in that you really did not move on up you just stayed in the job you were employed to do!!!  I loved the film and have this song, along with many others of Dolly’s, on my phone.  Not only was she a great singer/songwriter her charity work especially with the Imagination Library, another great love of mine books, has done so much for so many.  She will really be missed.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and a good week to some and I will try and get some pictures of my Fall decor and the garden too.  Also will update my reading lists here soon as well. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

 

As we have had quite a few periods of hot weather here in the UK, which is unusual for us, our gardens and more particularly the land has become very dry.  The last time it was like this in the UK was 1976 which I remember very well.  I was at Senior School and I remember walking to and from school and everywhere looked like a desert, especially our school playing fields where the grass disappeared and the ground started to crack through lack of water.

It has certainly been brown and dry but not quite ground cracking yet.  It has also meant that around the country our Fire Services have been dealing with a lot of Moorland fires and fires that have started on land which is very dry.  Eldest was out a lot with his Station on a big Moorland fire in the Peak District and then just before we all went away, at a big farm where their entire hay and straw bales went up.  

Around the country there have been a few other Moorland fires and sadly one fire got out of hand and did destroy some homes which is, of course, devastating for the home owners.  Several farmers have had crops set on fire too and of course this is their livelihood.  Some of these fires have been from careless use of BBQ’s and discarding of rubbish.  If they are caught they are now being fined.  

So Thank You to all Firefighters, Forestry Workers, Mountain Rescue Teams, Land Agents, Farmers and people who have provided support be it with help fighting the fires, food and drinks and clearing up afterwards.  In a normal year Eldest’s call outs are pretty steady but they have been doing double duty this summer.  

It just shows you how different our weather can be, because at the start of 2026 we had fifty days of rain from January into February.  We thought then that we would never see the sun again!!!!  

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

©Dolly Parton Instagram Account

It has just been announced that the great Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80.  I think we all have one of her songs that we like and mine was “9 to 5”.  In my early career I was a secretary so this song was very apt. 

Rest in Peace.  

Susie x

 

Sorry for the radio silence over the last month, it has been a bit of a roller-coaster!  June is always a busy month anyway but this year it seemed to go mad.  May is our business  year end so I have to do a lot of work to close the previous year off and get the new year up and running.   We have had swimming competitions for both myself and DH which has been busy and next week we have an SGM meeting which is to discuss and vote on the future of the Club and how we move forward and as you can imagine this has created a lot more paperwork, emails etc. 

 I continued with my Spring Cleaning, although we were in the first month of summer, with help from DH doing Eldest’s garage.  I had not done it for two years due to waiting for my Hip Op and it definitely needed doing.  We were quite grimy when we had finished but it did look better.

I have been keeping up with our work and Eldest’s work which is one good thing, although I have not had any opportunity to do any quilting.  Although I have been reading in between work, home jobs and everything else.

Last week was HOT, no way to describe how hot it actually was.  It hit 37°C in parts of the UK and 34°C here in Derbyshire and 29°C in our den where Coco and I spend our days!!!  I got up very early every day and worked in the morning and then gave up by lunch and sat outside until it got too warm and then our sitting room which is at the front of our home and a little cooler.  Our homes in the UK are not built/set up for this type of weather.  We are so used to keeping the heat in during the cold months so in this heat our homes get hot and then we cannot cool them and of course we do not have air conditioning!  It is a cool 23°C this week but getting warm again next.  Of course people in the UK are never happy unless we are discussing or moaning about the weather, it is a National pastime!!!  

We have also been dealing with some other things which I won’t go into here but it has been, along with everything else, a lot.  

One of the nice things I did in June, Jayne and I went out for Afternoon Tea for our Birthdays.  We went to The Cavendish Hotel at Baslow, https://cavendishhotelbaslow.co.uk/, Derbyshire where Jayne and I go for our Christmas celebrations too.   The above is The Gallery Restaurant at The Cavendish and Jayne and I sat at the table in the window.  The Afternoon Tea was lovely

It was a Big Birthday for Jayne (!)  The sandwiches and sausage rolls were lovely and the cakes, well as you can see wonderful.  We had a glass of champagne to celebrate Jayne and then moved to tea.  

We also had Partner’s Birthday three days after Jayne’s and five days before mine!  I told you it was busy. 

In fact I was thoroughly spoilt for my Birthday with dinner, again at The Cavendish, on the Friday with DH.  The dinner was lovely and as it is June it was sunny and warm when we got there and slowly moved to dusk and then full dark.  The last picture is Chatsworth in the distance all lit up for the evening.  

On my Birthday I went out for lunch with Eldest and crew to The Hug & Heave, https://www.thehugandheave.co.uk/  in Ashbourne.  This is owned by one of the Firefighters and family in Eldest’s Station and it is run entirely by them too.  The food is excellent and it is very cosy inside even though it was a very warm day.  Then in the evening we had to go to Matlock pool to set up an event that DH was commentating at on the Sunday.

Sunday I got to see Youngest & crew which was great and we got to sit outside for lunch as it was lovely and warm again.  DH was doing the event and getting very warm as you can imagine in spectator area of the swimming pool.  It was also Father’s Day and DH had some lovely gifts and I gave him this:

A large pork pie from Fortnum & Mason, a link to his family past and it was very good.  I will be ordering one for Christmas.

Coco was taken for a Spa day and I am so pleased I got her clipped before the hot weather last week.  However DH mowed the lawn one weekend and that evening Coco did nothing but sneeze and scratch at her back, neck and anywhere else she could reach!!!  Off to the Vets she went and apparently this is a common thing for dogs this year, it appears that there is a lot more pollen this year than normal and lots of dogs who have not been affected previously have got a canine hay-fever!  As we had taken her in straight away she was not too bad but has now got tablets, which did work straight away and stopped her scratching.  

On the way to the Vets in Daddy’s truck!  

When we were on our way to the swimming pool on my Birthday we called in at home to just put something into the garage and did not need to go into our home.  Someone was not happy and this is the face that appeared at the dining room window:

She pokes her head through the curtains, which are drawn to keep it cool in the house, and looks out!!!!  Little monkey! 

Sunday was the start of Carnival in the village, the above picture was from  2015, but it is as always a frantic week.  Monday was The Dog Show and Junior Football.  

Top picture is DH and The Carnival Queen for this year, Erin, at The Dog Show and The Best in Show winner was Gentleman Jack, an Airedale!  Monday evening was also Junior Football and last night it was the turn of The Senior Football teams.  Tuesday evening is also the walking Treasure Hunt around the village.  It started with rain but cleared up quickly for all those attending. 

Tonight it is the annual Duck Race in Bottle Brook which runs through our village.  DH is, as always, commentating and Eldest is helping, although this year Youngest cannot.

These are My Boys from last year. 

It is always a manic week.  This coming Sunday is supposed to be a day off but we have to go to Eldest’s work for me to do all the paperwork and we have some home jobs to get done too because next week is going to be even busier. 

Monday DH is going to a work colleague’s funeral.  We have known him for a long time and he had had some medical issues and sadly passed away two weeks ago.  In the evening we have the SGM meeting for Swimming which we are doing over Teams which will help as emotions are running high on this subject.  Tuesday will be another busy day and I will be thinking about a very good friend who has to visit the hospital for some assessments.  Wednesday I have to go and get a chocolate cake for the swimming Head Coach as it is  his 30th Birthday a week on Sunday so the Club want to present him with a cake and card etc but I have to take it up on Wednesday to swimming as DH and I may not make it to the presentation which is happening on Thursday evening as we are out all day on Thursday at a wedding!  We are hoping to get there as the wedding is during the day.  Friday DH and The Boys are going down to Goodwood as it is The Festival of Speed weekend and they are there on the Saturday!  I will be going over to see Partner and Little Man on the Saturday evening.  Of course at the present moment I am still car-less as Eldest still has mine as his is currently being fixed and we are both hoping it will be done by next week.

So that rounds off next week as well.  I think the following week I will need Monday off to recover!!!!

Wimbledon started on Monday and I have been enjoying watching the tennis although I do not know many of the players names this year!  This coming Sunday is also the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone in the UK so again very busy weekend.

I hope you have enjoyed this catch up of the last month and I will get around to doing a catchup on Susie’s Book Club Friday too at the end of the week.  Happy Wednesday you lovely lot.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Today has been a lot cooler than yesterday!  In our Den yesterday it hit 28°C and it was about 34°C outside.  Coco stayed in her crate much of the day as it is cool in there.

Although cooler it has been very sunny again so I have taken the opportunity to get a lot of washing done and out on my line to dry in the sunshine, particularly curtains, throws, cushion covers etc.  This is the last of the Spring Cleaning and I still have Miss Coco’s bedding and throws to do, the door mat from our back door and then tomorrow all the bedding and towels.  

The worst bit of the extreme heat is knowing what to eat for dinner!  Cooking hot food is just awful and I hate to say it but I get so tired of just salad!!!  I did sweet and sour chicken and rice last night which was quick.  Tonight  will probably be Spaghetti Bolognese.  Tomorrow is again going to be 30°C so I will be getting up early and doing all my jobs before it gets too hot and then have a chill.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday is warm but cooler again and then Sunday evening into Monday and Tuesday we will have some rain.  However this is what it is like in the UK swinging between really hot and then rain!!!

Friday I will be at Eldest’s doing his work and hopefully his car is going to be sorted soon and I will get mine back.  At this rate I will have forgotten how to drive!!!  The weekend will be sorting out the final jobs, one of which is to clean our patio and get the outside furniture out.  Of course doing that will ensure that the weather is not good when we are able to sit outside!

I am continuing to read this but so far it is quite slow!  I will probably finish it but not so sure about it!!!

Happy Wednesday half way through the week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx