Birthday, Balloon, Old Friends and Rose Cafe

Monday and Tuesday 12th and 13th August

J and Freya went shopping for birthday things for me. On the Monday Freya came home from Brighton on the train on her own, as J was staying in Brighton to meet up with a friend and go for a drink and a curry, so I went and met her at Lewes station, she did fine, another big first! She and I had chips and wraps from the kebab shop and watched several Big Brother episodes I think. She watched the whole series with me this time round, and it was really fun to share it with her - we're not watching Celebrity Big Brother together though as the tone, from what I've seen, is really a step further than I'm happy to go! Yes, even I, Mrs LiberalFudgingtonParent, do have some limits, good to know I think, as I climb back to sit on my happy fence.

Wednesday 14th

was my birthday and they made me a beautiful scrummy lime cake with lime icing, all vegan. While they were being productive I had a bath. Had lovely cards and prezzies including New Leaf 3DS XL and books and vegan truffles and body butter. I decided in the end to spend the day at home, which was lovely and relaxed and we had curry and all watched Warm Bodies later, which I enjoyed, having read the book and even made other people read it. Really nice cosy birthday.

Thursday 15th
F walked most of the way to her friend N's by herself, played there and then went with them to the swimming pool where they met up with some other Friday Club people. I went to meet them later, and at home I did a bit of paid work and then a bit of improving of some cluttered areas, disposing of rubbish, sorting things and changing storage around.

Friday 16th
F went to play at L's house, they started writing a play I think, amongst other things, and again I did some declutteration and was rewarded by finding the key that opens some windows in the hall/landing that we've never been able to open I think, since moving in. So can get air flow up and down, so much better. And hall now has just coats, shoes and bags that are actually likely to be used, instead of random rubbish deposited on way in and out. And window sill has a vase and pretty jars on instead of more random rubbish. Bought a nice oil burner with some birthday vouchers to go there too, changed the whole look of it massively. Very satisfying. Enjoying it still 2 weeks later as it is an area you have to go through all the time.
Hall Before and after and oilburner:

Saturday 17th
I went to a writing workshop in Hastings and C was able to come too, so we had a nice chatty train journey and then an excellent workshop, really enjoyed it. Have done a bit of poetry writing since, the workshop used poems as prompts and inspiration, really good stuff that made me use my brain quite a lot in ways it doesn't often get used. Have been having snippety bits of poetry come into my head here and there since and might put something together if I ever find the time. Was a good workshop in particular for jumpstarting the desire to write again. I also really enjoyed hearing a bit of C's writing, which made me want to hear more - we've talked before about some sort of writing group in Lewes or something. Would be good to have that regular motivation and sharing.

Sunday 18th
Did a bit more clearing and cleaning with J this time, and he had done some on Saturday too. I got the bathroom in a better state. Probably did a bit of work, can't remember.

Monday 19th to Friday 23rd
J took time off work and friends came to visit - an old college friend of J's and his wife, who we have known for 20-something years but seen not enough of, and their youngest child, daughter L, a few years younger than Freya - they were staying at a campsite nearby for the week and so we got together with them every day. It was lovely to be able to spend so much time with them, golden days indeed. 
On the Monday we just saw them in the evening, bit of excitement first as Freya shouted out from the trampoline that she had spotted some hot air balloons approaching. One sailed right over our street and J, Freya and I were all out oohing and aahing and taking pics. Beautiful, and it had sailed over friends' campsite shortly before of course, so felt extra special and symbolic.

They came over a little while later and we had drinks and chat and laughs and much excitement and nostalgia and a general warm feeling that lasted through the week. And they brought home-made bread and potatoes and apples for making crumble. Truly the Gift of Carbs is The Gift of Love.
Over the next few days, we went to Pells Pool with them, and into Brighton, went on the Wheel and had a fab meal at Terre a Terre, went in the Selfish Giant Themed Maze at the Pavilion. Everyone except me went to Lewes Castle the first morning, as I was working (but met them at Pells later). In our time together at ours we all played Cranium and Doctor Who Monopoly and the girls made apple crumble and went in the pool, all was very lovely. Think my favourites were Pells Pool and Cranium maybe, as well as just the hanging out time. I didn't have too much work to do and I even fitted in a coffee and chat with a friend in town one morning too, a really special week. Shameless number of photos included...

 

Was bloody hard to say goodbye, especially for J and Jonathan, we must make sure we see them again soon.

24th to 30th
Late in the afternoon of the day that our friends left I landed a massive job, which I have spent most of the week since doing! Not really how I had planned to spend the last week before term things start up again, but it was such a good offer I went for it and delivered it yesterday - 53,000 words. Needless to say I had a few nights of only 4 hours or 2 hours sleep to make that happen, so had a long catch-up sleep last night. And wine. And curry.
Freya had a quiet week with me doing all that work but she did find time to open up the 2nd version of the Red Rose Restaurant, with a friend on Tuesday (see here for bloggage for Red Rose Restaurant 1). The new version was the al fresco Rose Cafe, featuring such delights as "Vegetable and chippie soup", which was quite Borscht-like, and "Scrambled cornetto in a small Chocolate Pool":

Yesterday, various opportunities for Freya appeared by text and e-mail for the new term, local home-ed things that look good, will be interesting to see what this year ahead holds. In the meantime she has been looking at some textbooks and doing exercises in workbooks on English, French, Geography, History, ICT, Maths and Science!

Earlier in the week J made bread, as we were rather inspired by the loaf that our friends had brought and we also watched Bake Off, as well as our usual Angel and Quantum Leap episodes and Gulliver's Travels.