The End of the Week

Must say that I'm glad the week is over. Sigh. I haven't been that productive this week. I have managed a little walk each day, but I seem to get tired out still. I'm just taking it a little bit at a time. Not sure if it's a side effect of the Covid, but my eyes seem to be a lot more sensitive to bright light and today they are feel quite sore/tired/heavy. I heard on the news today that we are going to be able to get some more free Covid tests so I shall be ordering more. It was nice to be able to use a few of the ones we had on hand to test ourselves over the last couple of weeks.  

I didn't get to say much about my trip home to visit England. I had a really great time with my sister. We both like walking and there were several days we walked ten miles or so. It was lovely. We ate too much ice cream, drank a lot of wine and generally had a lovely time. 

I did get to see my other sister and my BIL. He seems to be doing well. He has a really positive attitude regarding his cancer diagnosis. He had a scan and his doctor's appointment while I was there, and the good news is that the tumours are shrinking. He has to wait for another scan where his other smaller tumours are before they decide what course of treatment will be next. So positive news. I think he's bored staying home all the time. He's a lorry driver and used to be gone from Mon-Fri. The place he works for has said that, once he's feeling well enough, he can have a job in the yard if he wants one. My other sister says that every time she talks to him, or drives him to his treatment, he's always concerned about other people. That's just the kind of man he is. 

Photos for today - Ice Creams. Don't know how many I ate lol. I'm pretty sure I walked them all off! 

If it's a normal ice cream it HAS to have a chocolate flake. Best flavour - Rum and Raisin. Had to take the photos quickly as they melt fast!

There were lots more. Lol. 

Hopefully back tomorrow. 

Ugh - The Week That Wasn't - Yup, It Was Covid

Thanks for all the good wishes. Unfortunately, it did end up being Covid. It's my first time having it - and hopefully it will be the last. I think in the whole time I had everything except throwing up. I'm on the mend now, but still feel out of breath and a little dizzy if I walk too much. I'm fine if I'm sitting down. I've had enough of sitting down though! I'm starting to take little walks again and catching up on some neglected housework. Each day I'm trying to do a little more. 

I haven't posted. I am playing catch-up again. Story of my life. Sigh. 

I'm going to do some blog reading and comments tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have more to post. 

For now here's a sunrise phone photo from this morning. I managed to walk down to the lake, sit for a long time and walk back to the car. 

Chocolate Wasn't the Only Thing I Brought Back...

I had good intentions of posting yesterday, but Sunday afternoon my throat started hurting and I really didn't feel good. Throat still hurting and my body is achy. Today I've got a bit of a fever. Yuck. I assume that I caught something in the airport or on the plane. Sigh. Hopefully I'll feel better soon. I was hyped up to get some sorting done and tidying up. That's not happening. I've barely got unpacked but at least the washing is done. 

Tales of my holiday will have to wait until I'm feeling a bit more up to it. 

For now here's a photo of The Waterfront in Ipswich. I love the reflection. 

A lot of the waterfront has been done up, but there are still a few abandoned buildings. I remember it as all old buildings - rather creepy - when I was growing up!

Hopefully back tomorrow

Checking In - It's been so long!

Wow, time has just flown by!

I'm back from my visit to my sister and family in England. I had a fantastic time. I've got a lot of catching up to do - with life, house stuff and blog land. 

I got back late Friday night and still have a bit of jet lag, so I'll probably do more catching up tomorrow. 

I had lovely weather while I was in England - though the last few days there reminded me too much of the weather in Michigan and I wasn't too happy lol. The rest of the time it was lovely, only three days with a bit of rain and even then it didn't spoil anything. Really lucky considering the weather my sister had said they were having this summer.

Time did go by too quickly though. I got to spend what would have been Mum's birthday at her bench with my middle sister. We got some fish and chips and took some flowers and a card and spent a couple of hours at her bench before taking a walk along Felixstowe. 

I'll share a couple of photos form there for now. 

Back tomorrow!

I Packed my Bag and in it I Put...

Well, I am packed, so that's good. I probably have too much of one thing and not enough of the other lol. I will be at my sister's house though so if I need anything washed it can be. If I need to buy anything that I've forgotten I can. 

I am checked in on my flight online. The airport I'm leaving from is here in our town. It's a small airport and I'll fly to Detroit and from there onto London. I have quite a layover in Detroit as there aren't too many planes leaving from our town and they changed my flight to an earlier time. Sigh. It is nice leaving from our town though as the airport is (as I said) really small which means no long queues at Security. Once I'm through there I don't have to pick up my case until I get to London so that makes things easier. I have packed my Kindle, loaded with plenty of books and my headphones so I can listen to things on my phone. 

I shall arrive in London on Saturday and my sister, and her husband will pick me up at the airport. I am really quite excited. Of course, I wish Mum could be there, but my sister will be. 

I will try to post while I'm away, but I am going to be enjoying time with family. I will be trying to post some stories over on my Instagram page. I look forward to sharing lots of photos when I get back. I'm not taking my big lens with me but something more manageable that I can walk around with and be in the moment. I'm not taking a computer either, so no camera photos until I get back. 

I am looking forward to visiting Mum's bench and remembering the good times we spent at Felixstowe, eating Fish and Chips from her favourite shop. I would drink a Gregg's Latte in memory for her as it was her favourite, but I'm not a coffee drinker. 

A couple of phone photos of my walk today. I managed to get in a small one before the rains came. By looking at these you'd never think that an hour later - and most of the morning - it was pouring rain and storming. 

Week Flying By - Again - Getting Ready

Had a nice day out on Sunday. We went to Kensington Metropark. It's pretty close to Detroit and a great place for city dwellers to get away. It's a 4,486 acre park that has a golf course, beaches, lakes, running and walking trails and a great nature walkway. We haven't explored hardly any of it as our favourite part of it to go to are the trails around the nature centre. There is a Heron Rookery, that has nesting herons in the springtime, a lake walk with all kinds of wildlife and (my husband's favourite) it's where you can stick your hand out with bird food and the birds will stop by and eat. 

We had a good walk around the lake, saw lots of bird including a wonderfully coloured Least Bittern. It's a pretty secretive bird and I was really lucky to get some photos of it. I have seen them before, but never so close up or when they were just sitting. 

Yesterday I went for a walk with my friend and then started to get the house in order and start picking out things I might take with me. My plane leaves on Friday. It's a busy birthday week too as oldest son's birthday is tomorrow, mother-in-law's on Thursday. I feel like I'm running out of time BUT I do feel somewhat organised (at least for me!). I have an idea of what clothes I am taking now. It's hit and miss with the weather but hopefully I'll pack the right sort of things. I don't think I'll take a lot of things to do. I MIGHT take a cross stitch project and my Kindle. I don't think I shall take any physical books. I always end up picking up some at the charity shops while I'm there, so I'll have plenty to read. 

It rained this morning, so I didn't go for a walk, but I did get more done at home than I expected. Tomorrow morning I'm going to take a break and go for as long a walk as I feel like. Probably more wandering around than walking. My friend won't be there so that frees me up to do as I please. In the afternoon when the guys come home from work, we're going to a local restaurant up the street to eat as that's what son would like to do. Over the last few years, I've not often been home when it's his birthday, so I think we're due a meal out!

I'll try to pop in again tomorrow.

I have some reading on blogs to do ! 

Skies This Morning - Video

 I made a video of the phone photos I took this morning before the storms came through. There was a gorgeous sunrise, a double rainbow and then the storms rolled through. I put music to it when I posted it on my Instagram Stories, but I have no idea how to put the same music to it now so it is without music. 

It was just wonderful and beautiful and so very peaceful to watch so I thought I'd share

I hope you enjoy. 

Another Week, another walk

Wow, can't believe another week has passed and I've got to play catch-up again tomorrow. It's not because anything of note has been going on, no house stuff except for the usual. I did manage to get a few things checked off my list. I'm starting to put together things I want to take with me on my trip home to visit my sister. It's only a week away now! I am desperate to get away - away from the day-to-day, a break in the routine, away from the bugs - and, most importantly, a trip to visit Mum's bench, just sit and enjoy a place I know she loved to be and a good visit with Sister.  

Daughter is doing well with her pregnancy. She is just tired a lot. To be expected. She says she is getting a little baby bump now (as she calls it lol). She is eighteen weeks along. So exciting! By the time I see her in September I imagine she'll have quite the bump!

I went out by myself for a walk today. It was lovely this morning, before the humidity set in and made everything feel like a sweltering mess. I didn't go too far. I don't think I shall tomorrow either. The price of petrol/gas is going up again (always seems to sometime in the summer) so I think our only adventure will be a trip on Sunday though not sure where. Tomorrow I'll just go out by myself I think, a walk at a park nearby. 

Some phone photos from today's walk 

Thanks for reading and for those who comment. I do really appreciate your support :)

Tuesday

Has anyone noticed that the mornings and evenings are getting darker? Seems like the days are getting a lot shorter more quickly. It's that time of year when the birds in the garden are going crazy. There are so many young ones around it is so very noisy outside - a nice noise, far more pleasant than the sound of traffic. The House Sparrows who had made a nest in the birdhouse are on their third set of babies. They have just fledged, adding to the numerous sparrows in the garden. 

I was pleased to see two hummingbirds visit the feeder yesterday. I was hoping to catch them today when I sat out while waiting for tea to cook, but it was not to be. I'm hoping I can sit out for a little while tomorrow and maybe they will visit. I want to take a few photos of them. 

I did not get anything extra done today. I did the regulars but that was about it. I had to end up going to the shops for something - not on the plan for today - so time was shorter. I should just have to go for a walk tomorrow and then come home, so I'm hoping I'll get more done tomorrow. There is some sorting and tidying to do before I leave on my holiday. 

Photo for today - one of the baby Sparrows likes to sit in the little container that has peanuts in it. This male Cardinal flew in and the baby looked a little confused. 

Back tomorrow - maybe with some house progress!

Sunday

I think I said in the last post that husband went over to his friends on Saturday afternoon. His friend's wife does a bit of photography too and somehow (he honestly says he's not sure how) husband ended up agreeing that we would go out with them on Sunday to visit the lakeshore and do some photography. Can't say I was overly pleased. I enjoy our Sunday adventures just to be the two of us. We wander along, stopping where we fancy. Husband's Friend's wife (call her L) is a planner. She plans well in advance. She already has their weekend trips planned well into next year! We were talking about a wildlife place that is closing for improvements. She says oh that's okay, we've not planned to go there until May! I swear I must have looked like a fish! She literally has all their days out planned. Husband and I, we have an inkling of what direction we want to go, but we usually wake up in the morning and drive somewhere - wherever the rain isn't to be honest. 

I'm not really a people person either, so it was a bit of a struggle for me to be social. I know L a bit, but she had a lot more in common with my husband (her husband sat in their car most of the time we were out walking) and my husband and her ended up walking and chatting. I felt a little like a bump on a log lol. I did manage to chat a bit though. At least I had the excuse of taking photos lol though it was a bit drizzly. 

A photo from yesterday

Everything does look wonderfully green though!

Back tomorrow!

Saturday

Husband and I went out for a little bit this morning. Mostly we drove a little way to our favourite Amish bakery/shop and picked up some goodies. Lol. They have some lovely cheese bread there that I can't resist. We don't go there all the time, but once in a while for a treat. 

This afternoon husband and son went out to husband's friend's house. I stayed home. Daughter video chatted with me and shared their progress on the baby's room and her latest garage sale baby purchases. She already has a lot of clothes. She has been going to some really good sales where clothes were 25 cents to 50 cents each. Can't beat that! I haven't bought any clothes. I told her that I will wait to see what they need unless something really catches my eye. Husband and I will be buying the cot and what goes with it. I think she said something about getting one that will eventually turn into a bed, so I think we'll get the bits to go with it. I'd hate for the cot/bed to be discontinued and not being able to find the other bits needed to turn into a bed. Apparently, it doesn't come all together.

Today was the first Saturday of the month and I did my #1Day12pics. This month I decided to take some photos of various bits of stones and sort-of shells that I found recently on beach walks. I like the way this has turned out!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Some Catching Up To Do

I can't believe the whole week has flown by since I last posted! I haven't been sleeping well - I think I'm in that no-sleep phase of menopause that I seem to go through every now and then. The other week I couldn't sleep enough, this week I am having trouble sleeping. The days have just been zipping by like crazy. Not much has been getting done at all. I'm putting a line under this week and will try to do better next week. 

In two weeks, I am off to visit my sister in England for three weeks. I am getting really excited. Between now and the time I leave I need to get a few things done so I need to buckle down. It's back to the list making again starting on Sunday. One list I have been sticking to is the meal planning. I've done a lot better with costs this week than I did last, but there is still room for improvement. I can't wait until things cool down a little so I can turn the oven on for longer. 

When I do go to England I think I'll take a note book with me and write down a few goals. Being away from here and having time to just breathe and relax and feel more like myself gives me a chance to reflect. I think it would be good to write some things down while I'm away. 

A couple of photos from this week - when it was cooler I sat out in the garden and took photos of the sparrows who occupy the bird house on the garage. They are having their third set of babies this year!!! Husband keeps meaning to clean the house out and the next thing we know there are babies again!

I shall be back tomorrow! It's on the list!

End of July

This month has really flown by. In fact, the whole year seems to be flying by. Can't say I got as much done around the house as I wanted to. I did get a lot of books sorted out. We went on two camping weekends. It's been a month of ups and downs. 

So, what's the plan for August? I'll only be here for a couple of weeks. I am leaving on the 18th to go spend three weeks with my sister. I'm not going to plan on any big projects. I do have some things packed up that need to leave the house for the charity shop and I want them gone before I leave. The library bookshop (where I'd like the books to go) now has open donation days on Saturday mornings, so I'm going to see if I can nip down there and drop some off. Before Covid, you could always just drop off the donations, but since covid they now had 'by appointment only' and when I checked the website, they have opened up the drop off Saturday donations. The last time I tried to ring for a donation time nobody rang me back! I am sort out a few to take to an old work friend. While we were talking today, she sounded as though she'd appreciate a few. Once she's done with them, they would get passed to another old work friend and she would share with neighbours. They would be well read!

We did go out yesterday. Not far, but a little walk. Everywhere was so busy. Honestly, I can't wait until places calm down a bit. My son says the same thing. He lives in a beach town and it's really busy in the summer with long waits everywhere and people who don't always think of others too much. I know holiday makers contribute to the local economy, but it's still nice when it's quieter!

A few phone photos from yesterday

I found a spot where I could take a photo with no people, but there are lots, just down to the left of the photo lol

Some beautiful clouds yesterday

This is supposed to be the accessible ramp to the beach, but I would not want to go down it in a wheelchair. It is really quite steep! Not sure who designed it. 

Some cloud reflections in a puddle on a pier. We got here quite early and though there were people out I managed to snap a few photos without people lol. 

A Week of Ups and Downs

Thanks for all the comments yesterday regarding our good news. 

It's been a rollercoaster of emotions this last couple of weeks. Glad to find out what the baby will be and that everything is going well. It was the anniversary of Mum's death last weekend and the lead-up to that brought all kinds of thoughts and emotions to the surface. Those last few months and days replaying over and over in my head, especially when I closed my eyes. Of course, wondering if there was anything different I could have done, wishing things could have been different. I am coming to learn that feeling guilt - whatever the circumstances of a loved one's death - is normal. I still come back to just hoping that Mum knew how much I loved her and how hard I tried to be with her. I know that all the times we talked and Skyped, especially in those Covid months (before she caught it) she knew how much I wished I could be there, how tempted I was to just fly there and spend the pandemic with her. 

Deep Breath. 

Good things. I remember when daughter was little my Mum got her this mint green TY bunny. She loved that thing. She would sleep with it all the time. I still have it, it was in daughter's room until she left for university and didn't want to take it with her, though it's a little battered. I was looking to buy a new one for the baby, but they sadly no longer sell it. I might try to clean daughter's up, but in the meantime, I found a lovely (albeit little expensive) mint green Jellycat Bunny that I'm having sent to daughter. 

I can't say that I've got a lot done around the house this week. I have got the basics and normal cleaning done which is good. Thank goodness for routines! 

The days just seem to have flown by. It's been rather hot and humid and I'm blaming that (among other things) for my lack of getting things done this week. I have been writing lists, though I haven't been getting everything done. 

Do you find the hot weather causes you to have less energy? 

A photo of something that made me smile this weekend.

A Red-Winged Blackbird Fledgling. The face only a parent could love lol. Its parents were close by not happy when anything came near. 

Hopefully back tomorrow!

Some Good News to Share

 I'm going to be a Nana!

I can officially announce it now as Daughter and SIL have announced it to everyone. Husband and I have known for a while, and we're both really excited. 

The Six - 2 parents (hearts), 3 dogs (pawprints) and 1 baby (feet). Lol. 

It's sad that SIL's Dad won't get to see the baby, but he did know about it and although at the time they didn't know what the baby was, they told him the name they had picked out for a girl. 

It's a bit of good news for all. 

Back tomorrow (hopefully!)

Plodding Onward - Lotus Flowers

 I feel as though I didn't get a lot done today, but I didn't seem to have a lot of free time! I did the food shop, something I hate doing. It was quite expensive. I did pick up a couple of extra items that weren't on my list (I actually did write one!). It was because they were on sale, and I will incorporate them into next week's menu. I've been doing really well keeping the refrigerator freezer clear and free. I've been doing well with keeping the fridge sorted too. 

I did write a list for me to do tomorrow. Seems silly sometimes writing it all down, but I have a memory like a sieve, and I easily get distracted. Having things written down, however little they are, seems to keep me on track. 

It's supposed to be quite hot and humid tomorrow. I shall do a quick walk (the bonus of not walking with someone is that I can get out early and back quickly!) and then come home and do The List. 

A little bit more from our weekend away - 

While we were walking the trail a lady stopped to talk to us and tell us about the Lotus Flowers that Monroe, Michigan is known for. We hadn't heard this! She let us know where to find them on the trail. The video and photos don't do the flowers justice. They were beautiful. Both husband and I were just amazed how lovely it was. 

A few of my camera photos. 

Hopefully back tomorrow

We're Back!

We ended up postponing the camping trip until Friday morning. There were storms and heavy rains going through that area and we really didn't fancy putting up a tent in the rain! I called the campground and let them know that we would be late and asked whether that would mean we'd forfeit the other days. The lady said no. We could arrive anytime on Friday (instead of waiting until after 3pm) and just set up then. We were glad we did that. Husband was more rested, not rushed to get everything together after work. 

We set off about 9am on Friday. The campground was a couple of hours away from us, over on the eastern side of Michigan, nearer to Detroit. It was on Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes I haven't been to before. 

It's really quite a nice park. It was quite big. I think the campground is a newer one as it was set up for caravans/RVs that sort of thing. There was plenty of room to put up our tent and the spaces were quite big. The only problem was that it was very open, no trees which meant no shade. It was quite hot and a bit uncomfortable. We did have a canopy thingy but it was still hot. The nights and mornings were okay. It was just when that sun was beating down on us!

We were well away from other people! It was a good thing as the campground was full and there were over 200 spots! 

It was nice being right by Lake Erie. I got up in the mornings and watched the sunrise. It was so very peaceful. I watched a couple of Ospreys and Eagles fly over the lake trying to fish. I managed to catch a picture of one of the Ospreys catching one. 

There were some nice trails at the park. We managed to walk one, all the way around the lake. It was quite hot though! We're thinking of coming back for a day trip when the weather cools down and walking it again. The trail was around one lake, but there were smaller waterways on the sides as you walked along. Lots of Egrets, Herons, an Eagles nest and other birds. Really lovely. 

I'll share more tomorrow. Got a few more phone photos and a couple of videos. 

Midweek

It wasn't a bad day today. I had texted SIL last night to let him know that I'd be thinking of him today. All went well at the funeral. His Mum received her flowers and he sent took a photo and thanked me. SIL didn't get any extra time off work. He only managed to spend so much time with Dad and his Mum last week as he had the week off for holiday as he and daughter were supposed to be going away. His work gave no time off for bereavement or even for the funeral! He had to take a holiday day AND provide them with an order of service, so they knew he was actually going to a funeral! Not a great place to work. Unfortunately, it seems to be the norm over here. 

Enough moaning.

My walking friend is off on holiday for a couple of weeks, starting tomorrow so I will have a bit of a break and be able to just wander and hopefully get some things done around the house! 

Husband and I are off camping tomorrow afternoon for the weekend. It is his 60th on Friday and the anniversary of Mum's passing on Saturday so we are off out of town. We will be tent camping. Unfortunately, it is forecast to rain tomorrow - only tomorrow around the time we will be putting up the tent (of course) - hopefully the weather people will be wrong. The rest of the weekend looks to be good. 

While I was out walking today I came across this painted stone. It seemed quite appropriate for today. 

Plodding Along

I haven't got as much accomplished so far this week as I had wished to. I've been plodding along. Not sure if I'm coming down with something, but I've been feeling a bit achy. I have been keeping up with the basics, so I suppose that's good. I have been walking. I've walked both days with my walking friend this week. I shall walk with her tomorrow too. She's off on holiday on Thursday. It will be good to have a break and just wander along as I like to do and, if I am feeling a bit off, I don't have to walk far!

We decided not to go to the funeral tomorrow. It is just too far away and husband's time off work is limited. He doesn't have a lot of days left. He turns 60 on Friday and has taken the day off and we are going camping for the weekend. If the funeral had been on Friday we could have cancelled the trip and gone to the funeral and came back on Sunday. We have talked with Daughter and Son-in-Law and they understand. Daughter says that SIL has lots of support from his brothers and friends.

I have been keeping up with lists. Not everything is being accomplished BUT I see the things written down and they are slowly being chipped away at. 

Photo today - something that made me smile. 

A Milkweed Beetle. I like the way it is peeking over the top of the leaf. Made me smile! I really miss taking the 'Things That Make Me Smile' photos. I think I will start it again next year!

Sunday - a Little Birdwatching

Not much got done around the house today. Husband and I went out for a bit of a walk, though not for long. The afternoon was spent relaxing, reading, watching some Midsomer Murder repeats and messing around on the computer. 

Although it's been humid, it's been a little cooler the last couple of days so I've been sitting out for a little while on the back porch and watching the birds. We are having a lot of visitors to the garden, mostly parents with their fledglings. My favourites have to be the Blue Jays. They are just so funny. They have this tufty bit (I'm sure there is a proper name, but it doesn't come to mind!) on top of their heads and the babies don't seem to know what to do with it. They are also very loud. 

And they flap around a lot!

Even with the bird seed around they seem to know that bugs can be really tasty too!

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Book Decluttering

Not a post about my day, but about the book decluttering. Again. I have too many books. I know that I do. I am beginning to feel a little hemmed in by them. I must say, at this point they are on bookshelves, in cupboards, drawers - you get the picture - what I'm really saying is they aren't cluttering the floor or tables, but I want to free up some storage for other things. That means getting rid of some books. I just find it tough. A lot of them are like old friends, or some friends I'd like to get to know one day. Reading is a solace. I don't remember a time when I didn't read a lot. It's a love I got from Mum as she really enjoyed reading too. It was something we always talked about in our weekly Skype sessions. We'd show one another the books we were reading. I'd bring some to her when I visited, and she saved some for me to read when I went to see her. 

Reading is just something I love to do. I do have a Kindle and I have books on there, but reading from that just isn't the same as holding a book. Books are also my go-to thing to shop for when I'm feeling down. I have been doing a lot better at not buying a bunch of new books (well, new-to-me as most I purchase used). So now it's a matter of getting rid of some of the ones I have. 

This week I have managed a grand total of (insert drum roll here) ....35!

They include books I have on Kindle (groan), books I've read and I can let go of, books I haven't read and don't seem to interest me and duplicates (yes I have those too!). 

I hope to keep going sorting through them this one before letting go of some of the ones that mean more!

Here's the pics 

Now I need to box them up before I change my mind!!

The Week - ugh

It's been a bit of a week. Daughter rang on Monday and said that they had been told to go up to the hospital for son-in-law's dad. He wasn't doing well, and they were calling people to the hospital. He's only fifty-five but has been having issues for about nine months now. He's been in and out of the hospital with infections and fluid on his lungs and such. Son-in-law (S for ease) had gone up to the hospital on Sunday. It's about two and a half hours drive from any family member (the only hospital that could take him!) so visits aren't as often as they would be if it was local. S said that his dad was actually awake and alert and joking. Monday, not so good. 

Sadly, on Tuesday morning he passed away. He was a nice man. We'd met a few times, mainly at Christmas get-togethers and a couple of meals we went out for with them. 

The funeral will be next Wednesday. Not sure if we will be going or not. We'd like to support S but it's such a long way for us. We also have a mini-camping trip planned for next weekend (Thursday night through Sunday) as it will be husband's 60th on Friday and the anniversary of Mum's passing on Saturday. I just didn't want to be home. I'd rather be on the beach, thinking of her and some of the holidays we shared. I can't be there in England this year at this time. Sister will be going to Mum's bench and taking some flowers for me. I'm travelling over there next month and will be there for what would have been Mum's birthday. 

So, as for the funeral. Not sure. It's a ten-hour drive. We would have to go Tuesday, drive back Thursday and then go straight to campground. Not sure if husband would be able to get time off work. Poor S doesn't get any bereavement leave. He was actually off this week on holiday as daughter and he were supposed to go away. He will have to take a holiday day on his dad's funeral and then present his work with an order of service from the funeral home to prove that's where he was!

Feeling a bit down with the 'anniversary' coming up. Can't believe it's been almost two years. 

I've been getting through the days, but not getting as much done as I have wanted to. I did at least reach my book decluttering goal the other day. I wanted to sort ten books, I managed thirteen. Not a whole lot, but better than none!

Photo for today - Clouds. Just because. It's a phone photo. I really think I need to do Phone Photos Things That Make Me Smile again next year. I'm missing it. It's always good, even on bad days, to look for something that makes you smile. 

Hopefully tomorrow I'll post a photo of the books leaving the house. I forgot to take a photo and it's too dark while I'm writing this!

Camping Weekend

We had a nice weekend away. The cabin was...well, it wasn't as nice as the last one! It was a bit primitive. Comfortable but certainly needs some upgrading. The door was like a garden shed door complete with a padlock! Usually there is a keypad that has a code so it's easy for all occupants to use. This one, well, with only one key it wasn't the greatest. 

That being said, the campground was nice. It was near a lake (not one of the Great Lakes) but pretty. The campground had a shop. There were a few trails. Admittedly, we didn't spend a lot of time at the campground. We were mainly there in the evenings. It was quite busy with children, but it did quieten down at night and there wasn't a lot of noise. 

The weather actually stayed good. It was forecast to rain all day Saturday. We had one shower when we were out just as we were finishing up our walk and one in the evening. We'd already lit the campfire. We ducked inside the cabin to wait it out and the fire stayed lit through the rain. So after the showers we went back out and sat and enjoyed the rest of the night. 

On Saturday we went to check out Fort Gratiot Lighthouse. 

It is Michigan's Oldest Lighthouse, the second oldest on the Great Lakes. Here's a little blurb of history

Fort Gratiot was built in 1814 during the War of 1812 to guard the juncture of the St. Clair River and Lake Huron. Named after the engineer who supervised construction, Charles Gratiot, Fort Gratiot would be occupied on and off  by the United States Army until 1879.  With a surge of vessel traffic on Lake Huron in the early 1800s, the need for a Light Station to guide vessels through the water way became very important. In 1823 Congress approved the funds to build the first lighthouse in Michigan and the second oldest on the Great Lakes.

A view from the beach (below)

Mostly stoney beach. 

Lots of boats in the water - and Canada just across Lake Huron (a phone photo)

On our way back we stopped at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. It's basically a huge area of wild land. There is a drive through some of the waterways.  We saw lots including this Eagle.

Now to get moving on house things!