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

Next Monday is the start of Wimbledon Fortnight and the highlight of the grass court season.  Although with so many of the past years Tennis stars retiring and I have not had chance to see many other matches this year, I can honestly say I do not know many of the players, particularly on the Women’s side.  It will certainly be great to watch these new players who will no doubt become stars of the future.

Coco, like Treacle, is a huge fan of tennis balls and we will have to see if she watches the tennis matches like Treacle used to.

Another thing which features heavily at Wimbledon and this time of year is Strawberries.  They are one of my most favourite fruits and when I was expecting both Boys must have eaten pounds of them!  I do try and grow them at home but find that the birds usually get them before I do!

Because they have moved Wimbledon now into July it clashes with the Village Carnival but that is not a problem as DH is out every evening and I can watch the matches! 

The last few days have been very warm and sunny and we are not complaining but in the UK the weather is a big topic.  People often wonder why we do not have air conditioners in our homes, mainly because our Heatwaves only last a few days!  Today and into the weekend it is going to be nice but not as hot and a couple of days it is going to be cloudy.  Next week, of course, with Carnival events on it is due to rain!  Welcome to a British Summer!

The other problem we have with hot weather is what to eat?  The first hot day you have a salad which is great and then the second day someone suggests salad again and then you think okay it is still hot but by the third day you do not want salad!  But then what do you eat?  Something warm but then it is hot outside….   I solved the problem on Monday by making Lasagna and we had salad with it (and a few chips).  Last night as we had all been busy we had what we call “Freezer Food”  this is quick dinners so DH had fish fingers, I had battered chicken and Eldest & Girlfriend had pizza!  Tonight as it is cooler today I am cooking!

Home jobs did not get done today because of work (!) so they will be done tomorrow now and I will not sit down at my desk until they are all finished.  I make the mistake of sitting at my desk to just sort out a few emails and things and then I look at the clock and I have been sitting there for three hours!  Tomorrow I will start my jobs before I do anything else!  Saturday is still looking good for getting our garden done, it is due to be cloudy but warm which will be ideal for gardening!

Next week will also be my decluttering and sorting out week as well whilst DH is busy.  I will try and get some pictures.

I hope you are having a wonderful Thursday.

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

Thank you for all the lovely Birthday Wishes.  I had a lovely day doing not alot!  The weather was nice and I got to see both of my Boys and Little Man too, so a good day all round.  I also had the week off work, I did do a bit of work but not much but I did get some other jobs done which I wanted to do.  Jayne and I went for lunch which was very nice and had a lovely catch up. 

I had some lovely presents from the family and friends.  Jayne bought me a lovely plant and some earings and DH and The Boys bought me some things for the garden and some body lotions and DH got me several books which are now on my TBR shelf!  I need to get reading!

Saturday we were at the swimming open and the day went well although it was very warm outside which meant it was like a sauna inside!  The swimmers had a good session and then after it finished DH had to load everything up and go and set up for the event on Sunday at a different pool. I went with him but stayed in the car and read my book, although because it was warm I did doze off!!!! They had a hotter day on Sunday and the pool again was like a sauna!  I spent the day getting jobs done and everything sorted for the new week. 

Monday I was at Eldest’s work, which I usually do today, because their dog, Honey was at the vets for her to be spayed and I was on hand to collect her incase Eldest had a fire call.  We took her home as she was a little woozy from her Op but she was fine.  We stayed for a while and visited with The Girls and Little Man and then got home about 8.00pm.

Yesterday and today has been very warm, 26°C, and so I have spent both days at my desk with the fan going.  Coco is a mad puppy who loves being outside, she runs around for a bit and then comes in and lays on our tiled floor to get cool and then goes out again!  Although I did shut the door in the afternoon so she went and lay in her crate as it is cool in our dining room.  The rest of this week is still due to be warm and sunny but not as hot which will be very nice!

Little Man asleep with arms apart keeping cool!

I have home jobs to do tomorrow as well as the washing & ironing.  Friday I have some other jobs to do and then Saturday is supposed to be nice and warm but not hot, so we will be doing the garden because Sunday is the start of Carnival week in the village.  I will not see a lot of DH all week and I will be cooking and leaving dinner out for everyone to eat when they get in.  The Boys have for many years helped out at the various events but not this year as Youngest is busy with his business and swimming coaching and Eldest is busy with his work and being an on-call firefighter so they will not be around this year.  I am going to spend the weekday evenings and the following weekend, getting some more jobs done especially if it is warm.

I hope you lovely lot are having a great week and the weather is being kind to you.  A good friend flew out on Sunday (after spending all day with us on Saturday at the pool) to Alberta, Canada to see her brother and sister-in-law who she has not seen for a while.  She was busy packing summer things until her sister-in-law sent her a picture a week ago with it snowing!  Snowing in June would you believe it?!!!!!!  

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xxx

I have quite a bit of baking to do before the weekend.  It is Eldest’s Partner’s Birthday Saturday and she loves Victoria Sponge cake, so I am going to make Nigella Lawson’s version,below.Nigella always puts a spin on traditional recipes and this one she puts pieces of fruit on the jam and before the cream goes on.  I am going to be using strawberries as they are in season at the moment and June is meant for strawberries!  I will remember to take pictures before we cut it. 

We are going to get a Takeaway for main so all I have to do is dessert and another favourite of my family is a no bake cheescake which has orange zest in and again has strawberries on top it is such a refreshing pudding. 

Also have a few other cakes I want to make whilst I am in baking mode!  A lemon drizzle cake which I am also going to modify and put a layer of lemon curd in and some of my Christmas cookies (I know it is early but they are great any time of the year!) and I also have a request for some cheesy stars which I usually make at Christmas as nibbles which I thought I would do for Saturday too.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

The Cheesy Stars on the right

Still keeping up with all my jobs so baking will be done on Friday.  The weather still looks to be raining on Saturday, so we may be sitting inside which is not a problem, it would have just been nice to be outside it is summer supposedly!  They are saying that the jet stream is sitting too low at the moment so we are getting cold air from the Artic instead of warm air from the south!  It certainly has been very cool in the evenings!

I hope you are all having a lovely Wednesday.  Today is Jayne’s Birthday and we are going out next Tuesday for Birthday Lunch together, can’t wait! 

Hugs & Love, Susie & Coco xx

I don’t know what has happened to my Blog and why it has changed without me changing it! 

I am contacting them to see what they are playing at now!  Hang in there with me!

Susie