UK Visit
We’ve just arrived back at our villa in Spain after spending most of April in the UK. Whilst there we experienced every weather pattern that exists - frost, snow, hailstones, rain, wind and sunshine. Having said that the weather was overall not too bad although not nearly as good as April last year.
So what did we do while there?
On the social front we spent quality time with both David & Alison and their families which was good and managed to visit and lunch with a few friends too and we went with Sally and grandaughter Robyn to London to see the West End Musical Billy Elliot which was excellent. This was a 40th birthday treat for the daughter!
Readers will know that Peter’s Mum passed away on 22nd March at the grand age of 90 so we, along with most of the family attended her funeral on the 9th April. Peter’s nephew Jim, Mum’s grandson, who is an ordained Anglican Priest and Minister of a Church in Southend, offiated at the service and Peter gave a very poignant reading. This made the proceedings very personal and family orientated and if you can say that a funeral is lovely this one certainly was. The following week in accordance with Mum’s wishes Peter’s brother Richard, his wife Joan, Peter and myself scattered Mum’s ashes in the garden of the Methodist Church in Sawtry where Dad’s ashes were buried 28 years ago. The Minister of the Church was in attendance and she conducted a very nice short service for us as we did the deed. Mum will be happy to be back with her beloved Bert after being separated for so many years.
As usual Peter had a list of jobs to be done while at the house in Warboys and in between the showers he did manage to get them all done leaving freshly painted shed and fences and a pristine weed free neat and tidy garden. We had the roof repaired which had suffered some damage in the high winds - no he did not do it himself and he has had enough of those long ladder jobs! He got the car serviced and had other problems rectified so we hope that will make it reliable car whenever we need to use it. Not content with doing his own jobs he and Sally layed a laminate floor in her kitchen!
I had some retail craft therapy - well I couldn’t not go to craft shops while in the UK could I! I also bought and brought back with us lots of goodies for the kitchen cupboards that they charge an arm and a leg for in Spain AND I bought 14 solar lamps from Wilkinsons at £4 each for the garden (much cheaper than we could buy them over here even if we could get exactly what we wanted!) and they all arrived in Spain intact. Another job for Peter to do!
I had all my usual health checks. Now completely discharged from Addenbrookes 5 years after my breast cancer surgery as all was clear on the mammo. Back now to the National Screening 3 yearly checks. All the diabetic related checks were good but my GP decided it was time to put me on Metformin as I have had a few other minor problems which have miraculously cleared up after only 3 weeks of taking the drug, so that’s good. She indicated that a side effect of this medication is that I might lose weight - one can only hope! No I’m not sharing the tablets with anyone! Peter, now that he is of a certain age had his Pneumonial injection, had his eyes tested and got new specs.
Now we are back in Spain to long sunny days, although there is a bit of a chilly breeze. I went to craft yesterday and Peter went to the driving range to hit a few balls but now we have to play catch-up again. The garden after being untended for a month needs a lot of Peter’s TLC again, he has to fit those lamps I bought, cut the grass, do some more cutting back, weed and turn the beds over, and my bedding plant seedlings that were tiny when we went away are now full grown plants and need to go into the ground pretty soon before they outgrow the pots - all 500 of them! I have just finished unpacking and now have cleaning, cleaning, cleaning to tackle. All the terraces need hosing down, plants need deadheading, the windows are shouting to be cleaned and although I left the house clean I need to clean it again to get rid of the dust, cobwebs and dead insects that have accumulated. No rest for the wicked!
