Thursday 7 September 2017

Back to life, back to reality...

Hello again everyone! I hope you've had a wonderful summer.


Back to life, back to reality is the title of a song by Soul II Soul and it perfectly sums up how I felt on my return to the UK last weekend! After eight weeks of holidaying in Ireland with no responsibilities, no commitments and just the need to amuse myself, it was back to household chores; volunteering, grand parenting, school runs, Lidl and Sainsbury's shopping, child minding etc etc. As you can tell I had the most marvellous time in Ireland and I really didn't want to leave. I did miss the children and grandchildren terribly, though...

The photo above was taken on our last day in Donegal and it turned out to be a lovely sunny day. I'm wearing my (charity shopped) Primarni kimono over charity shopped green top and trousers. I bought the necklace in a Derry charity shop for £3.00.



Here I am with my cousin Doirin and her husband, John. We went out for a farewell meal on our last evening.  That's Bundoran, Co. Donegal in the background. Doirin is a fashionista with a love for bright colours, sparkle and glitter. All my cousins are tiny and I always feel like a giant next to them even though I'm only five foot three inches!


The first few weeks in July were very pleasant weather wise. It was sunny and there wasn't much rain. I managed to sit out on the decking and enjoy the weather which is not always possible in Ireland...

Everything is charity shopped; necklace a present from OH bought on a Kettering charity shop rummage earlier this year.


A selfie in Killybegs.
Jumper by Marisoto bought for 4 euros in a Donegal town charity shop - it  must have been a cooler day.


Another sunny day -  again in Killybegs. Purple top by Monsoon; charity shopped in the UK for 1.00.

I spent the first fortnight on my own in Ireland and then Hilary came and spent a week with me. We had a great time walking, sightseeing, eating out, talking, reading...

We went to visit Slieve League cliffs (Sliabh Liag in Gaelic) - the highest in Europe, apparently. Here's Hilary looking very relaxed on our ascent to the cliff top.



Here's a view from further up the climb.

 

We also visited Glencolumcille Folk Park which I discovered last year. See here for photos. This switchboard was in one of the cottages in the folk park as an example of how things used to be. My second job in 1970 aged sixteen and a half involved the use of a very similar switchboard - a 'Dolls Eye' PMBX switchboard; so called because the extensions flipped up and down like a doll's eye! 


We visited Donegal castle.


There were some lovely sunsets.

When Hilary went back to the UK I was on my own until OH came out for the last two weeks. In the meantime I met up with a range of cousins and attended a family christening and a couple of the cousins came to visit me...


This is Martina and Caroline - we went to Slieve League and Glencolumkille again.


Here's me and Caroline. Tunic bought in a Donegal town charity for 3 euros.


Martina is a hairdresser and she cut my hair for me.


I bought the pink suede shoes in a Donkey Sanctuary charity shop in Ballyboffey, Co. Donegal. Purple shirt from the £1.00 rail at the Red Cross.


I visited my maternal aunts in Leitrim along with cousins Doirin and Linda and we stopped at a tiny little chapel in Carrick on Shannon on the way. This tiny chapel was built by one man for his wife and it is rather beautiful - as are the cousins!



When OH arrived in Ireland we went to Galway and stayed over night and explored Galway town and Galway Bay. This is the Spanish Arch at Galway Bay. 

I saw Dunlins and Oystercatchers at Galway Bay and got very excited as I always do when I see a species of bird I've not seen before - or in the case of Oystercatchers, not for a while.

I'm wearing an Anthropologie tunic I bought in a Donegal town charity shop for 7.00 euros and I bought my handbag at a jumble sale in Sligo for 1.00 euro! I was on my way to my cousin's in Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo (below) when I spotted the sign and popped in....


Here's himself with Galway Bay in the background.

We then set off to stay with cousin Linda, in Co. Kerry for a few days. We drove round the Ring of Kerry and on the way visited Kells Bay Gardens.


The gardens were beautiful and some trees had been carved into 7 different dinosaurs for the children to find. This is me, Linda and one of the dinosaurs. 
I bought the kimono in a charity shop in Galway for 4.00 euros. 


The gardens were filled with tropical trees and plants which seemed weird in south west Ireland but no different, I suppose, to tropical trees and plants in parts of Cornwall in the UK.


We also stopped at Torc Waterfall as part of our drive around the Ring of Kerry.


And of course no trip to Ireland could be complete without a donkey. This beauty was seen on the Ring of Kerry drive and we just had to stop and say hello.


We had a relaxed week back in Donegal. We went out and about visiting relatives in Leitrim and Offaly, but stayed local the rest of the time. We had a walk around Eske Castle grounds in Co. Donegal. 

A friend from my Bedford walking group; the Ivel Valley Walkers, came to spend a day with us. He was in Ballymena in Northern Ireland visiting his niece. We went out for a five mile walk - naturally - and then went to have something to eat. It was lovely to see a visitor from the UK.

We visited Coral Beach at St. John's Point. I only managed one swim here this summer but it was wonderful.


We found this cave at St. John's Point and went exploring...we've been coming here for four years now and this is the first time we noticed it! We found several other caves but exploring those will have to wait for next year.


On another day we went to see the newly renovated St. John's Point Lighthouse cottages which are now open for holiday lets. They are rather lovely but very pricey - nearly 400 euros for a 2 night stay...

 Information about the lighthouse on St. John's Point:
A harbour light designed to guide sailors from Donegal Bay, St. John’s Point exhibited its first light in November 1831, almost 250 years after more than twenty doomed Spanish Armada ships sent by Philip II of Spain to invade England washed up on Irish shores – three of them across the bay on Streedagh Strand. With two light-keepers’ cottages, this lighthouse is set on one of the longest peninsulas in the country, looking towards Mullaghmore and the County Sligo coast, and out into the North Atlantic. 
See here for source.


 So that was my eight weeks in Ireland. I'm back to reality and back in the groove. There's been some developments on the volunteering front and I'll tell you all about them in my next post.

It's good to be back!







Tuesday 27 June 2017

Good bye....for now

All jewellery charity shopped.
Our heatwave finally departed last Thursday. On Wednesday it was 31 degrees and by Thursday it was much cooler at around 20 -21 degrees, cloudier and with a slight breeze. Thank God, I said.

This was last Tuesday's outfit. I just wore the jacket to and from my volunteering and stayed sleeveless the rest of the time - bingo wings and all!


Everything charity shopped except the watch (present) and sandals which I bought in the Clark's sale about six or even seven summers ago. Note I'm not wearing any bangles in these photos but see below...


The cotton trousers are by F&F, the jacket is by M&S and charity shopped in Kettering just before Christmas 2016. I've had this sleeveless navy top for donkey's years...

On Monday and Tuesday I volunteered as usual at the Red Cross and the Food Bank. When I was at the Red Cross on Tuesday afternoon I finally began my training on the till. Whilst the manager was training me, my colleague; who had been previously been on the till went out to the sorting area and took over from me. I'd been sorting the jewellery. 

When I got home from the shop I realised I wasn't wearing my bangles. The last time I'd seen them they were on the sorting table at the shop; I always take them off as they get in the way when I'm writing the price labels. Yes, you've guessed it - my colleague had priced them up and put them out on display! Luckily, they weren't sold and I picked them up the next day.

I had my hair cut and eyebrows done on Wednesday and ran a few errands in town which included a visit to the 3:16 shop. I bought a tunic and a couple of winter items for 1.00 each. When I finished I came home and stayed in the coolest room in the house reading.  I didn't do the Weds evening Summer Solstice walk as it was still too hot at 8.30 pm.

 I've relegated these trousers to the charity shop bag. They always wrinkle around my calves
I don't know why...




I managed to get out for a walk on Thursday and walked almost 6 miles in a much cooler temperature. 

This was Thursday's outfit - everything charity shopped except the shoes which are from local retailer PJ shoes. Trousers; H & M; t shirt; 1.00 rail somewhere; green kimono jacket from a 50 p bin in a charity shop. What a bugger it was to iron - I can see why someone donated it! I've donated it too...



All jewellery charity shopped.


I passed this colourful front garden on my walk and had to take a picture of it.

On Friday the weather was cool again so I went for another walk after the school run. I started out from Great Denham; having had a look in Barnardo's first, then walked to Kempston Mill: along the river Great Ouse to the Queen's Park area of Bedford. From there I walked back to Great Denham along the the other side of the river; 6.42 miles in total. Queens Park has a beautiful Hindu temple:



And on the return journey I saw these magnificent, huge willow trees:




Everything charity shopped. The yellow tunic is from the 3:16 shop on Wednesday and I bought the beads in Barnardo's. Jeans from Red Cross charity shop.


I can't remember where I got the white lace top but I bought earlier this year somewhere. Sandals also charity shopped.


All jewellery charity shopped.


On Saturday OH wanted to go for a rummage. We had thought of going to London where we could fit in a visit to his mum but we ended up going to Luton and Dunstable instead!

Everything I'm wearing above is charity shopped except the sandals - my comfortable Clarks. The kimono is from Primarni; the top is a M&S one and white jeans are from Matalan.


All jewellery charity shopped except the earrings - from Sainsbury's.


My jacket was much admired by total strangers. They were very surprised when I told them where it came from. When I was last in Devon visiting Hilary I found another similar one - also by Primarni;  it had a beautiful print on it and Hilary bought it.

Of course you want to know if I bought anything. I did. I bought some interesting mustard colour cotton trousers in the Red Cross for 1.99; a blue kimono jacket from the 1.00 rail in Keech Hospice and some padded hangers; a pair of earrings and a yellow sleeveless top for 2.00 in Age Concern. (The earrings seem to have disappeared. I remember taking them out of the bag at home but haven't found them since - they'll turn up somewhere). There were only six charity shops in Luton town centre which I found surprising. Bedford is a smaller town and has twelve. Dunstable had about five charity shops and I din't buy anything in them. I don't think I will be rushing back to Luton or Dunstable for some rummaging any time soon...


On Monday I stayed at the Red Cross until it was time to pick the grandchildren up from school. Two of the volunteers were off to celebrate Eid and the manager had a day off leaving just myself and the assistant manager. There were so many donations to sort and I served at the till, too.

This is what I wore. Everything is charity shopped except my underwear - and you're not seeing that! Jacket; Next, 1.00 Red Cross, zebra print trousers from Barnardo's last week: 2.49. Next top; charity shopped last summer.


Sandals; charity shopped.


All jewellery; charity shopped.

This is going to be my last post for a while. On Saturday I'm going to drive to Holyhead and catch the ferry to Ireland on Sunday morning. I should reach the van about 4 pm having stopped off at Lidl to do some shopping. As I've said before the internet connection at the site is both weak and intermittent so I doubt that I'll be able to post more than once every couple of weeks and then only when I'm somewhere with free wifi.

I'm so looking forward to the next couple of months where I will just be chilling out; reading, crocheting, walking; visiting family, sight seeing and a bit of charity shopping of course! I'm looking forward to having a few visitors to stay. I shall miss my children and grandchildren and OH but I will see them in Ireland. Whatever transpires I'll be back in September so I hope you all have a wonderful summer.

Monday 19 June 2017

Phewww what a scorcher it's been!


Yes, a whole week of a sunshine and high temperatures...


As well as the heat something else happened. My poor little donated laptop died on Tuesday. I had to go out first thing on Wednesday and replace it. Just what I didn't want to have to do as I'm going on holiday in two weeks time..


Anyway I have a new one now and I'm very lucky to be able to get another one.

Everything above is charity shopped. Trousers and white top both from assorted 1.00 rails; trousers are by George and the top is by F & F at Tesco. The sandals were charity shopped in Donegal last summer for 2 euros.


All jewellery charity shopped.


On Thursday Ann and I went out for the day. We went to Uxbridge as I had something to do in a little town near there called West Drayton. We had lunch out and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

 I'm wearing white trousers from F&F; a no label green tunic and my lace top/waistcoat/vest - all charity shopped. I think the green top came from the 1.00 or 99p rail in Barnardo's in Ampthill; the other two items  came from the 1.00 rail in the Red Cross and the 3:16 charity shop. Red Mary Jane's from local shoe store; PJ Shoes.


Scarf charity shopped (1.00) from Stevenage charity shop.


Earrings; Christmas present from Ann years ago - I had a matching bracelet but it broke...necklace from local shop Simi and Lola. Only the bangles are charity shopped.

 Of course we looked in some chazzas and yes, I did buy a couple of things. I spent 3.50. I bought a brightly coloured and patterned pleated skirt for 1.50 in the Harlington Hospice shop in West Drayton and a new spotted cup (I had two and one broke) which cost 1.00. I also bought a pink Principles cardigan for 1.00 in the Thames Hospice shop in Uxbridge. The piece de resistance though was the 'Everything 5.00' shop where I bought this oversized striped linen tunic and wore it on Friday.


Being linen it creases like anything but I find it so cool in the sweltering temperatures we've been having lately. I'm not good in the heat; I wilt and my energy seeps away. Mind you, that could be old age!


Same trousers as yesterday and charity shopped Mary Jane's.


All jewellery charity shopped. The necklace has gone a little off centre...

I did the school run on Friday, did the food shopping, fitted in a 4 mile walk and went for my induction at the library. I'm taking on another volunteering activity at our local library. I start the week I come back from Ireland and will be doing a few hours on a Tuesday afternoon. Apparently, our main library, which is my local one, is becoming digitised from September. It will be staffed from 11 am to 4 pm and will be self service only outside of these hours. I'm really looking forward to starting but wonder how many people will have lost their jobs through the new changes. We are lucky to retain our library; there have been several attempts to close it but public protest has intervened.

You may be thinking I've been very muted in colour choices this week but never fear; I went for colour in a big way on Saturday when I went to see my son -  in temperatures of 28 degrees I might add!


Skirt; 1.50 West Drayton charity shop; M & S jacket from the Guild House in Bedford and the white top by Monsoon from a 1.00 rail somewhere...


Black sandals charity shopped two years ago but can't remember where or how much. I also got round to painting my toe nails at last!


All jewellery charity shopped.

On Sunday my youngest grandson was seven. We went to Milton Keynes to one of those 'eat all you can' places to celebrate. It was unbearably hot all day and I did very little. I am afraid I do not like high temperatures; about 23 or 24 degrees is what I can cope with. The flowers in the garden seem to like it though!


As I type this OH is in the garden watering the plants and talking to them...


Everything charity shopped except shoes and watch.


I've had this cardigan for years. The skirt is from the Red Cross shop last week; 1.99 and the white top is Land's End from a 1.00 rail somewhere.


All jewellery charity shopped.

Have you been enjoying our heatwave? Or is it cooler where you are?

I hope you have a fab week wherever you are!

A weekend visitor and an exhibition

 Hello!  I'll soon be off to Ireland  so let me tell you what I've been up to over the last two weeks.  I'll start with a whinge...