“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”

As we say Goodbye to the Summer months and move on to Autumn our weather here must be taking notes.  Although it has been a little sunny and warm over the weekend,  we woke this morning at 5.00am to find it misty and overcast!  Some of our leaves are starting to fall too, so we are definitely getting into the swing of Autumn.  I have also noticed it from the amount of Autumn posts on Instagram!!  Also quite a few Christmas ones too, including there are only sixteen Fridays until Christmas!!!! 

The children are back at School this week for the start of the new year and before we know it, it will be Halloween!  I did see a funny Instagram post the other day of Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson in Hocus Pocus where she is leaning out of the window saying “oh look another glorious morning, it makes me sick…”  🙂 Hocus Pocus was a great favourite in our home and especially at Halloween.

We got quite a lot done at the weekend and the Boys old Den/Fort that they used for years is now down and put out for the bonfire and we will be replacing it with a small utility shed to store the mower and other machinery in.  We got some bits in the garden done too. 

DH and I also got our new mattress delivered on Saturday morning and it is one of those purchases I hate to make because I am never sure if we have made the right choice.  Will it be the right firmness? Will it make us too hot?  Will we actually sleep better on it?  Fortunately we bought it from John Lewis and if it is one of their mattresses you get sixty days to try it and if it is not right you can exchange it.  So after two nights DH thinks it is great (although he could sleep on a washing line!) me, I am not so sure!!!!!

This week is a quiet week for business as not that many meetings just work, I will be with Eldest at the garage on Wednesday and then next weekend is the first of the two day events for DH announcing.  I am hoping that I will get some time on Friday to plan out my Quilting that I want to get done over the coming month.

Coco busy helping with the demolition!

Coco didn’t get any sleep, but she did have a sit down for a bit for a rest!!!

Coco has been having a busy week, Blaze has been out and about and the two of them spend the day following each other about. Coco is very good and does not chase him just following him and when Blaze sees her he puts his tail up and goes to talk to her.

This was this morning whilst I was working at my desk.

Blaze is very inquisitive and he jumped into my washing basket to have a look.

The washing basket is soft so does not offer much support when you are trying to jump out!

Coco awake after her morning snooze.

Last weekend was a three day weekend for us in the UK and on Saturday morning DH and I went to Chatsworth Farm Shop & Cafe for breakfast and to get a few things from the shop.

The cafe, above, is very nice and the food is great.  Unfortunately it was quite a cold day so we sat inside.  Breakfast was lovely.

This is the entrance to the Farm Shop and they have some lovely things.  We bought some meat, which is locally sourced, eggs and some local bread. 

Sunday we did a few jobs inside and I got a basket of ironing done and not a lot else.  Monday DH went to help Eldest at the garage and I spent the whole day getting his accounts up to date, which they now are!  In fact our work and his are all up to date!  Also home jobs are up to date too!

This coming weekend we are due to have some nice warm, sunny weather but not too warm so DH and The Boys are going to demolish the old den at the top of the garden.  It served its purpose when the Boys were little but it is made of wood and although treated it is starting to go so DH decided it would be a good idea to remove it and put a smaller utility shed on the platform for the garden tools.  I will be making a big Lasagna for when they have finished.  Partner, The Girls and Tobey will be coming too.  You never know we may get to eat outside, which has not happened a lot this year.  Every time we have decided to eat outside it has been raining!

Next weekend is the last weekend that DH has off because every weekend in September he has some announcing duties!  Some are on both days and some are in the evening only and some on one day only.  September is the start of the swimming season again, although we never not swim but it is usually quieter during the summer.  Fortunately for us October is not as busy and DH has a few weekends off.  As I said it will mean that I can get some quilting and other jobs done. 

Hope you are all having a wonderful week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

So we managed to get everything sorted the week before we left for our vacation although the few days in the run up to leaving seemed to fly by with jobs and making sure we had everything to go away (I forgot my camera!) but we set off on the Saturday early.  We stopped for breakfast and so Little Man could eat and be changed of course and it was just at the right time.  We pulled off the main road into a little village and found a wonderful cafe and the food was lovely.  We got to the cottage around 5.00pm unloaded the vehicles and got everyone unpacked and settled and had dinner.

The first week Eldest, Partner, The Girls and Little Man were with us and it was a fund time if not busy with walks, swimming, visits, a little shopping and a special walk with some Alpacas down to the shore of Loch Ness.

The Family with the Alpacas, Partner now wants one in the garden!!!!

Eldest, who said his who was called Aero, was very funny!

The Highland Cows near the cottage.

Loch Ness, above and below.  We didn’t see the monster but took two of them with us!

The Walk along the shoreline.

Two weeks before our holiday Eldest had a virus and actually had time off work which is not like him.  Anyway on the Friday before they came home I started with a head cold which I usually get in the summer for some reason but by the time they left on the Saturday I felt dreadful.  Very long store shourt the final week of our holiday which was just going to be DH and I, so  a week together I was ill.  I went to the local Doctor before we came home and he did all the checks and I was okay it was a virus and just had to get through it.  Then to add to all this DH’s truck decided it was not happy and went into limp mode on the way home so it took us longer to get home than normal.  Unfortunately Youngest & Girlfriend couldn’t come up and see us due to work which was probably a good idea as I was ill!

I had Monday off as well but was back at work yesterday and got caught up on all the work.  Today has been busy too and I just now need to catch up with Eldest’s work and then everyone is up to date!  I am starting to feel better but have cancelled my appointments for this week and next just to be sure.

This weekend is the last long weekend in the UK and after all that has gone off in the last couple of weeks I have decided we are not doing anything over the weekend!  Although there are a million jobs we could be getting on with at home and in the garden I think we will take it easy!  The weather is supposed to be nice for once over the Bank Holiday Weekend but there is time for that to change.

Coco had a wonderful time on her holiday although they did say she was a little obstinate!  Of course we know this!!!  I had to use a before de-floofing photo as she has been too busy since she got back.  Blaze has been busy whilst we were away and the two of them are getting on well.

Friday evening we are all together as it is Eldest’s Birthday and we will be having a Takeaway   You never know we may be able to eat outside!!!!

Cannot believe that we are at the end of August almost and September is going to be busy for DH with announcing duties, which is great for me as I can get in my sewing room to sort out some quilting jobs I have to finish and planning my Christmas items to do!

I hope you lovely lot are having a lovely summer. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

I don’t know about you but the news is just full of angst at the moment.  Our new Government has not been in long and already they have broken half of the promises they made during the election campaign (what a surprise) and forecasting that there will be even more tax rises! Even with our weather being nice and warm at the moment it is not really making up for everything going off!  I am even more determined not to read/listen/watch the news from now!!!!

I have been to Eldest’s business today to get all his work up to date so that there won’t be as much to do when we get back from Holiday.  Also keeping up with our work too.  I have a basket full of ironing to get done tonight and tomorrow some other jobs.  Thursday will be home jobs and then Friday will be sorting out the packing and getting things sorted to take away. It is amazing when you have a very busy weekend especially going away how fast the week flies by.

Have been enjoying watching the Olympics and the various events. Saw the Nadal/Djokovic match yesterday and the swimming events and also some equestrian events too.   Hoping to watch some of the events next week whilst we are away.  Our swimming club swimmer Jacob Whittle swam the 100m Freestyle Heats this morning and just missed out on the semi-finals tonight by two places.  I think he may have one more relay event to come. 

Madam is enjoying the warm weather and loving the back door being open all day for her to run in and out as she pleases.  Although I did catch her the other day lying in the sun panting!!  I brought her in for an hour or so and she gave me the side eye, as if to say I don’t need to come in, a similar look to the one above!

I hope you are having a terrific Tuesday. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Well it all started with Youngest who had a cold, which progressed to a swollen throat and then an abscess on it, so he was on antibiotics.  Then Eldest got a head cold which meant he had three days off work (which he never does) because he had a temperature.  Of course that meant that Little Man got it and to add to his misery he also got conjunctivitis which he then gave his Daddy too.  DH has managed to get cellulitis in his left arm (which is his dominant hand) so he is on antibiotics and finally I won’t tell you all that I have had at the moment.  This has all been in the last two weeks. Hence the reason for no posts at all last week!!!!!

They are all, fortunately, on the mend and just in time with our vacation beginning on Saturday.  I am keeping everything crossed that we have got it all over and done with before then.  Of course this week will fly by trying to get everything done before we go away, including work, home jobs and getting all  the washing and ironing done for us to go away!  This is one of my nice jobs to do later, choose the books I will be taking away with me.  I had quite a few given to me for my Birthday and several already on my TBR shelf so I am going to sit down later and go through them all.  I don’t know about you but when making any of these decisions I am always nervous that I make the wrong decision!  DH and I need a new mattress for our bed and there are so many out there now and are quite expensive, I am worried about making the wrong choice!!!!

The next job will be packing and again similar problem, what do you take to wear? Sometimes it has been really hot in The Highlands and sometimes it has been really cool, so we have to take clothes which fit all eventualities!  To be honest I don’t care what the weather is doing, I am just looking forward to being away!

Did you watch the Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics?  DH and I watched some of it, muted the sound during some of the set pieces (!) including Lady Gaga and Celine Dion and I did not like the catwalk show at all.  I also thought it was a mess with the Teams being on the boats but that is my opinion.  Have been watching the swimming of course and saw Adam Peaty win Silver.  Alot being said about it ONLY being silver which I think is a shame as it is still a great achievement but then this now seems to be how people are these days.  Also been watching the Tennis, of course, and the Equestrian competition and will try and catch the rowing.  I think the Equestrians have the best venue of all at the Palace of Versailles, great views.

Madam has had her Spa Day on Friday and has gone from this, above, to this below Also modelling her new necker I made her.

It is going to be nice and warm this week with plenty of sunshine, making up for all the days we had with it being cool and rainy!  I am so glad Coco is in her skinny mini mode and not her Miss Floofy Fluff mode!

I hope you lovely lot are all keeping well and I am hoping to post every day this week. 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xxx