The End of Another Month

 I can't believe it will be August tomorrow. It's usually a hot month here, but towards the end of the month the days are definitely shorter and the mornings cool. I can't wait. I am hoping that some of those cooler mornings get rid of the bugs. I did not miss that while I was in England. We went out for a walk this morning and, despite spraying myself, I got bit several times. Yuck. 

We did go for a walk this morning. Not a long way away or for long, but it was nice (apart from the bugs!). We took a little walk along the beach before the crowds started to come and then we went into the woods and along a nice path. It was warm and muggy though. I don't suppose that helped with the bugs either lol. 

Here's a couple of phone photos from our walk 

Up in the sand dunes. It is so much easier to walk here during the winter as the sand is harder!

Into the woods. Everything was so lush and green. It was also a little wet so I suppose that doesn't help with the bugs either. At least those pesky bitey flies seem to be (mostly) gone. 

This is my Things That Make Me Smile photo Day 212 

A woodpecker has been busy on this tree! These always make me smile. I imagine one day I shall catch a woodpecker coming out of one I just happen to glance at. 

So, what's the plan for August? I want to start sorting through some of the things I have to put up on Ebay and list some of them. We don't have any trips planned for August. We might go away for a Saturday night but it's nothing planned yet so listings can stay up. 

I want to at least get a book a day out the door. That means at least 30 books. 

I want to get up in my crafting room. I want to make a start on sorting and tidying so I enjoy being in the room. 

Back on the no-spending wagon. Finances have taken a little bit of a hit, so I need to bulk up savings. That also means back to better food planning again. I was doing really well especially since I was at Jane's 3 days a week so I didn't go to the shops. I need to try to still do that. 

Tidying and organising. I find it really difficult but I like having a non-cluttered house and it's definitely not looking that way right now. I don't know where to start and sometimes that makes me not start at all. I have to do something even if it's something little. I think having a more organised house will make me feel more creative and less anxious. 

What gets you motivated? Where do you start? Do you find organising and decluttering easy or hard? Any tips will be appreciated!

Well, that's it for now. More catch-up on the Photo-a-day

Day 195 (July 14th)

Sister and I took a trip to Colchester Castle. This was another of the places Mum always loved to go. It was always fun to see that the flower display was in the castle gardens for the year. Mum would have loved this one. It was for the Jubilee. 

Day 196 (July 15th)

A walk around Ipswich looking at some more owls and another of Mum's favourite places. I can't say how many lovely hours we spent at Christchurch Park. We would go into the Mansion (which is a museum) and then sit and have a read in the park. So many good memories and a favourite place of mine too. I miss this park. There is nothing quite like it where I am now. 

Day 197 (July 16th)

It was a beautiful day. Sister and I took a trip to Walton-on-the-Naze. We have been there lots of times before, as children and with Mum. It was sort of funny as we happened to bump into our other sister and her husband there too! We ended up going to a cafe with them. Anyway, usually when we're with Mum we stop walking at the cafe on the corner and turn around to go back. This day we decided to make some new memories and see what was beyond the cafe. There were gorgeous cliffs and a sandy beach! It was such a lovely surprise. Made us both smile. 

Day 198 (July 17th)

Another of Mum's favourites, the Abbey Gardens at Bury St. Edmunds. Another lovely day. We met up with niece and two of her three children. Niece's whole family was recovering from another bout with covid. She had recovered, as had her youngest son, the oldest hadn't got it. Unfortunately, her husband and middle son were still testing positive. We had a lovely day in the gardens. I love this place!

Day 199 (July 18th)

Today it was this picnic basket that made me smile. Sister had found it up in the attic at Mum's flat. It brought back memories. There weren't many pieces left but still lovely to see. 

Saturday

 Ugh. Another nothing day. I didn't even go for a walk this morning. I did manage a bit of a lay in this morning. Not a lot, just a little. We did go out and do some errands that I've not been doing. Middle son came up for a visit later in the day so that was nice. Other than that, I napped for a little bit, sat out in the garden for a bit and did photos for a bit. Tomorrow husband and I are going out for a little walk early in the morning. I shall try to make a plan for the week going forward. It's the last day of July tomorrow, a new month beginning on Monday so a good time to start again. 

I've got to play catch-up with my Phone Photos Things That Make Me Smile. I was thinking the best way to do it was to start with the ones for the current day and then add a few from my two-week gap each day. That way I'm not making my way further behind. 

Today's photo - Day 211 (July 30th)

We stopped in The Dollar Tree today. Everything is actually 1.25 but no name change lol. Anyway, we went in there for a couple of cleaning things and I ended up coming out with a bunch of Halloween/Autumn Stickers. They had a great selection that really made me smile! I got them now as they will sell out really quickly. 

The last photo I posted before my break was day 189 July 8th. So I'll start with 190 (July 9th)

Last leg of the jouney - bittersweet, but almost there!

Day 191 (July 10th) 

Was lovely to finally visit Mum's bench. There were tears, but smiles too. It was so good to go with sister. She has been a really great support this past year. It was nice to be with someone who understands and knows how tough it is to move on when the rest of the world seems to be doing it. 

Day 192 (July 11th)

A Belgian Bun. Yum. What more can I say? 

Day 193 (July 12th)

A lovely walk at Dovercourt. We walked from here to Harwich. Lots of smiles and fun on our walk. I'm so glad that sister enjoys walking as much as I do!

Day 194 (July 13th)

Lots of things made me smile today. Had a walk with both of my sisters. We met up between sisters' houses and walked right along the riverfront looking at some owls and up to Holywell's Park. It was a favourite of Mum's. We walked past the house where she grew up. A little sad but it was a lovely walk and I know Mum would have loved it. I saw this painting on a wall along the riverfront and it made me smile!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Still Not With It

 I don't know whether it's a case of post-holiday blues, not feeling the greatest or what, but I'm not quite back into the swing of things. I finally finished unpacking the suitcases. I managed to get all the clothes done and washed on Monday, but the other stuff just sat there in the cases for a few days. I think it was because a lot of the items I brought back were from Mum's house. There were lots of photos and a few other things I had put back last year. I still have a few more things at my sister's house. I struggle to look back through the items. It just seems really sad still. It was good to spend time with my sister. She understands more than anyone else how I'm feeling. Sometimes it seems that everyone has moved on and I just can't seem to. I miss mum a lot. Sister does too. 

I'm going to give myself to the end of the week then I will make a list of what I need to start working on. I shall strive to do something off the list each day. Of course, this will be in edition to regular household cleaning and such. 

Starting with the next post I'll try to start catching up with my photo-a-day as this is the place I am documenting it. I am starting to sort through some of my photos from my visit.  Though to be honest I haven't even felt like doing a lot of that. 

A couple of collages from my trip - these are some of The Big Hoot owl trail in Ipswich. These benefit St. Elizabeth's Hospice, a wonderful organisation. They were so fun to walk along and visit. I'm not sure how many sister and I saw while I was there - quite a few. She'd already seen a lot of them, but was more than happy to walk with me. 

A visit to an old town I used to live in. This was a collage I sent husband. It made him laugh though he wished he was with me! We used to live in Shotley. Actually, we lived in Shotley Gate. Shotley is a small village in Suffolk. It is by the River Orwell and River Stour. Although it is quite a way from the Air Force Base where husband was stationed there was some off-base housing there that we lived in when we first got married. This is the pub that we used to walk down to from our house. I'm pretty sure that the desserts weren't as nice when we lived there! 

Just one more photo. We had some laughs as well as tears. On Southwold Pier there are some lovely old-fashioned mirrors that change the way you look. I remember going to an amusement arcade when I was a child and thinking they were hilarious. This is me in one. 

Been a While - Back from England

 Two weeks went by too quickly. 

This won't be a long post. I'm still a little jet-lagged and not feeling the greatest (hope I didn't pick up anything on the plane). 

I had a good time. I was a little apprehensive as this was the first visit since Mum died. I stayed with my middle sister. We got along really well and had some good times as well as tears. The weather was really fantastic. The trip home - mostly Heathrow - was a nightmare. 

I'll post more later. 

And, of course, here's a photo. A Walk Along the River. 

More tomorrow. 

Off on my Travels

I leave today. This week has just flown by and so have my good intentions. I haven't posted at all and I have yet to catch up on blogs. I am going to read some while waiting to leave for the airport. The anticipation of travel makes my stomach hurt. I'm okay once I get going but sitting and thinking about it, waiting to leave for the airport, that makes me anxious. 

The last couple of days have gone in a blur. It seems I haven't got a lot of house stuff done but there will be time when I get back. I've been trying to get ready to leave. I packed last night. I think I have everything. I always take an extra case to bring things back (usually I'm gone for 6 weeks, this year just 2). I still have some things my sister held on to from Mum's place so I will bring some more back with me. As I wasn't taking as much this time I put the smaller case inside the big case and packed around and inside it. Saves me trying to get it on the plane. I will just be taking a backpack with me onto the plane with my kindle and my camera in it. It makes me feel a little better as the backpack can fit under my seat if there isn't room in the overhead bin. I hate having to worry about whether I'll be able to fit my bag up there lol. 

I'm hoping to blog while I'm away, at least a little. I'm not taking my computer but I will have my Kindle and my phone so can do little posts (I hate typing on phone). 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 188/365 (Thursday)

A nice, non-buggy walk with my friend. It was a beautiful morning, if a little hot, but was nice to walk around without being chased by bite-y flies!

189/365

I'm sure other things might make me smile today, but it was a beautiful morning on my walk. The sun was shining and there was a slight mist on the field. Really lovely way to start the day. 

It's Wednesday Already

This week seems to be flying by. I almost missed posting today. I shouldn't wait until so late - I think I've said that before! I haven't been doing too much of anything. It's been humid and buggy and, although I've walked, I haven't really enjoyed it that much. I think the holiday visiting England and family comes at a good time. It will be good to get out of routines and just do a little wandering around. Maybe it will be a good day to think of what comes next. In years gone by my time in England always sort of resets me and makes me appreciate what's important. Although it isn't the same this year maybe it will make me think a little. 

I'm not packed yet. I'm one of those last-minute people. I shall probably pack on Friday. I do want to at least sort out a few clothing options and make sure I have enough of the essentials to pack. I really don't think there's anything I need but I do want to give myself a little time in case. 

Tomorrow we are walking somewhere different. It's a little more open so I'm hoping it's not going to be quite as buggy. I don't mind (well, they aren't great) the mosquitoes, but these pesky biting flies are horrible. They seem to like my hair and buzz around my head and when they bite they hurt! I don't think it helps that it has been so muggy and rainy. 

Well, that's enough moaning. I'm going to catch up on blogs in the morning as I'm off to bed. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile 186/365 (Tuesday) 

One of the bunnies in my garden. They really made me laugh yesterday. There were two of them and they were bouncing around. Really funny.

187/365 (today)

A book I'm reading. I'm not quite sure whether I like it or not. There were parts that were making me smile today. It's been one of those down-in-the-dumps days so any kind of smile is nice. 

Are the Fireworks done yet?

 I understand it's a celebration but there have been four days of fireworks and frankly I'm ready for it to be over! Friday night a nearby country club had their fireworks and they were so loud I was sure that some windows were going to be broken! I'm hoping this is the last night of them. 

Thanks as always for the lovely comments. It does feel rather strange to be done with Jane's. I'm not quite sure what I'm doing tomorrow. Hopefully a walk and then I might get motivated to sort out a few bits around here. I shan't start any major projects until after I get back from my visit to England though. 

It's been a rather lazy weekend. I did go for a walk on Saturday and today. Yesterday husband and I spent a little time at the wildlife refuge. I spent some time reading and - gasp! - I actually went up in my craft room. Although it needs a major sort out, I did clear off my desk and made some space to work on a project. It's been so long since I've done anything crafty. I haven't stitched or made any cards for a long time. I just haven't felt like it. Maybe this signals and end to my non-crafty period. 

Phone Photos - Things That Make Me Smile (184/365 Sunday)

Working on a little project in my craft room. It was nice to be back up in my room again.

185/365

I really got distracted by this fiction book. It's one off my bookshelf. I really enjoyed it. It was a murder mystery about a student doing a podcast project trying to solve a cold case and an investigator who helps him. I had plans to do other things and ended up just sitting for hours reading just wanting to know how it ended and whether they solved the case. I suppose not being able to put it down is a sign of being a good book!

Hope everyone had a good weekend. 

Just a Saturday

 Thanks for all the comments about Jane's house - it is lovely to be done!

Ana and Bless, you are right, the flower is Chicory. I don't know why I thought otherwise. I remember looking it up the other year and talking to my friend about it recently. I can only claim to be distracted by other things! 

Today was a pretty lazy day. I did go for a walk this morning, by myself, just to the local park. It's the first Saturday of the month and for people who did A Year with my Camera that mean it's #1day12pics. I've been participating each month this year with a theme. As I am doing a yearly project at my local park I thought that today I'd concentrate on Little Things for my Big Project. Armed with my macro lens I went in search of flowers and bugs and the like. It was a little windy for macro photos, but I patiently waited in between windy bits to take my photos. 

I put twelve of them in a collage. 

I must admit that after that I did not have a productive day. I've been relaxing most of it. Tomorrow husband and I are going out for the morning. Early. He's then going out with son so I'll have a few hours by myself. I shall try to at least get something done. 

My phone photo for the day is just one of the calendar on wall turning over to another month. I can't believe it is already July! I can't believe I forgot to mention it yesterday either. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend! For those in the US hope you manage to get some sleep with all the fireworks going off!

Finished at Jane's!!!

We are finished at Jane's house! Husband worked longer days this week, took a couple of hours holiday and came over with us and helped finish up. It feels so strange to be done. I imagine next week will be weird when I don't have to go over there. I hope to be able to work on decluttering my own neglected home. It's been a long time coming, a lot of hours and hard work. I take my hat off to people who do this for a living, though I suppose you aren't emotionally attached to the person it makes things a little easier. The things in someone's house are just so personal to them and you don't want to just seemingly throw their life away. Jane lived such a full life and experienced so many things. Along the way she collected a lot of things that reminded her of these times. They meant a lot to her, but some of those things weren't memories to us. It's just a difficult thing to do. 

I didn't take a lot of photos of the house as it was (I didn't want Jane just to be thought of as her hoard) and several have been lost due to my phone being broken, but I found this one of the living room before we started and after

This was one of the tidier rooms.  I think that second photo is my 182/365 Things That Make Me Smile. 

I did go for a walk this morning and took a couple of photos of other things that made me smile. It wasn't until we were done at Jane's that I knew the one above had to be used. 

I think this is a Cornflower. Such a lovely beautiful colour - the phone photo doesn't do it justice - it's one of my favourite wildflowers in the field where I walk. 

I think this is a moth of some kind. I need to look it up!

Hope everyone has a good weekend!