Thursday 30 September 2010

How time flies......

27 years ago today we moved into this house!
Since then our toddlers have grown into adults and we watched them go through nursery, primary, secondary and college schooling.
Since then our children have had various friends, boyfriends and girlfriends coming through this house and have now settled into homes of their own.
Since then we now have grandchildren coming to stay who are older than the children that first lived here!
Since then we have decorated every room more than once, needed to replaster almost every wall, and the kitchen has been completely rebuilt and the bathroom rebuilt twice too.
Since then we've change the building we moved into by adding an extension and porch roof and patio area too.
Since then our 'games room' with pool table and gym equipment has changed more to the 'arts & crafts room' housing all the grandchildrens' projects.
Since then we've had various visits to the hospital, mostly for minor injuries but a couple of episodes that were more scary but we survived them all.
Since then I've had lots of different paid jobs and now enjoying an early retirement.
Since then cassette tapes went out and CDs came in......what should we do with all our old tapes?
Since then videos went out and DVDs came in.......what should we do with all our old videos?
Since then we have made real friends that I hope will last forever!
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Tuesday 28 September 2010

Friends for the weekend

Hubby and I spent last weekend with friendsL&K......but separately!
They arrived early Friday morning then hubby left with friendK, plus some wood, to go back to their house to help with some decorating. FriendL stayed with me for a girly couple of days.

Around midday we parked the car at the Ipswich Waterfront an walked through the marina and then into town where we walked from end to end stopping in almost every shop. We bought some clothes each and browsed lots more stopping at Jacey's for tea and cake/sausage roll for lunch. Then shopped lots more.

Eventually we headed back to the Waterfront and took a well earned break in Isaac's bar then to Pizza Express for dinner. FriendL had brought a large tin of Quality Street which we attacked as our extra dessert when we got home.

Saturday we went to Snape Maltings for the Aldeburgh Food Festival. Lots more walking around and sampling all the goodies on offer. Lunch in the cafe there and home and out again later for dinner at The Oyster Reach. Late home but still time to watch the recorded Simply Red concert and a glass or two of wine!

It had been a rainy weekend but we both had coats with hoods so it wasn't a problem. I had suggested we go to Felixstowe Sunday market but when we got up it was raining heavily so neither of us could be bothered with battling the elements for more shopping we didn't need so spent a lazy morning at home. We were soon joined by my Darling Daughter and the three children and then friendK brought hubby home and we all sat for dinner. The girls were really busy being ever so creative and LittleOne was so entertaining that we all had a great afternoon.

I don't think friendL and I stopped talking for three days which was lovely. We have been friends since school days and know each other's families well so it was great to catch up properly.

All too soon everyone left, including hubby who went bowling, and I was left to flop on the sofa exhausted :o)
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France holiday

Really bad at keeping up to date with this blog - sorry!
Our holiday to France was 5th - 13th September and hubby and I went with friendsP&A who happen to be our next door neighbours and we get on really well with them.

We travelled by Eurotrain and hubby did all the driving. Setting off Sunday afternoon we arrived in France and drove to our first stop which was an Ibis hotel about half way to our destination. Monday we did the rest of the drive and reached the house we were renting mid-afternoon. Unfortunately I had slept badly at the hotel and woke with a painful neck.....this lasted all of the week and actually is still painful now, but I didn't let it stop me doing stuff and tried not to complain too much!

The house we had rented belongs to a chap hubby knows from bowling and it's mainly their holiday home but occasionally they rent it out to family and friends. It was very well equipped and we were so grateful not to have to bring our own bedding or towels etc.

During the week we visited lots of local places including Biarritz, Arcachon and the Dune de Pilat at Pyla. We ate out some of the time but also made good use of the BBQ at the house. We started each day with friendA making us a cooked breakfast which was yummy and set us up for hours! Evenings were spent 'at home' watching some very old DVDs and videos mostly comedies like Only Fools and Horses and Dad's Army, not really my choice but relaxing.

Weather was good, not too hot, but a bit of rain some of the time.
And at this late stage of writing that's about all the main events covered!
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