Tuesday

I packed my bags and in them I put...well, a lot of stuff lol. No, I actually haven't packed yet. I'm a procrastinator. Who else leaves packing until the last minute? I do have a suitcase upstairs and I do have a few things in it. I'm trying to decide what to take. It's supposed to be cool, but with a couple of warm/hot days but daughter keeps the house rather cool. I suppose I worry too much that I won't take the right stuff. I suppose if all else fails I can pick up a couple of cheap items while there but I really don't want to. I also have a bunch of stuff I brought back from England for daughter. 

Usually, I wouldn't be putting a suitcase on the plane for a trip to daughters, but I really want to take my long lens for my camera and that needs to be taken on the plane. So, any camera accessories will be taking up my hand luggage items. I am planning on several trips to the wildlife refuge. I also want to take some pregnancy photos of daughter and her husband which requires a different lens. I suppose at least I'm organised with the camera accessories lol. 

I went out for a little walk today. It was quite pleasant. I also had my haircut. My hairdresser said I was the fourth client she'd had with Covid. Apparently, it's on the rise again. This afternoon it started raining and raining. I'm not sure it will stop before the morning so maybe not a walk tomorrow. We shall see. 

I also watched/listened to a really inspiring Webinar through the Sheclicks Facebook group. This is a large, very supportive group of female photographers. The webinar was on Multiple Exposure, something I've been playing around with for a while. The talk made me want to get out there and take more! I'm hoping to take some while away. 

I understand this isn't for everyone, but it's something I enjoy. 

This was an in-camera multiple exposure - three I think. The lighthouse. Some Waves. Sand. I want to try more out of camera multiple exposures but that means coming to grips with photoshop. YIKES. 

Nice Weekend

The weather was quite nice at the weekend. It was middle son's birthday on Saturday so we went to visit him, took him out to eat and then we all went down to the beach and watched the sunset over the lighthouse. It was really quite beautiful.

It was quite unseasonably warm so there were lots of people around. 

Sunday, husband and I took a little drive further up the Lake Michigan shoreline and took another little walk on the beach. I was quite tired out by the time we were done! It was just a little walk, but the weather was nice again so it was good to get out. 

Phone photo - from behind the lighthouse. It was actually quite windy while we were out there! 

When we got home later I didn't do a lot. Sat in my chair and dozed. 

Today I went for a little walk. I sat more than I walked, but by the time I had done the food shopping I was pretty tired - again! I did do a couple of small things that I wanted to get done. 

Tomorrow, I have a hair appointment - rescheduled from last week when I cancelled it. I also have to think about starting to pack. I will be leaving for daughter's on Wednesday afternoon. I am going to be dog sitting next weekend while she and her husband go away for a couple of nights for his brother's wedding. Then I shall be spending an extra week before coming back. I am planning on taking my computer and camera - as long as I can fit it all in! 

Hope everyone had a good weekend! I'm still playing catch-up but I am getting more caught up, 

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 :)