How lives can change in an instant

This time last year we were both blissfully unaware of what the coming twelve month would bring.

Following a terrific walk on a glorious summers day the day before, Wendy suffered a stroke.  This was Monday, 22nd July 2013.

A busy summer

Well so far it's turning out to be a pretty good summer and what a busy one for us.

Following our return from our winter vacation in Spain it stayed cold for a couple of months and it was not until late May that temperatures began to suggest summer was here.

We had decided that, if we had a summer similar to last years, ie. very wet and quite cool, then we would leave for another winter in Spain.  If however we had a decent summer, and we managed to get away in the caravan a few times then we would stay home for winter but take an extended holiday in France, in September. And that's what we're going to do.  I will book the Eurotunnel, as for the last few years, with our Tesco Vouchers.  Every little helps.

So what's happened to us since our return from Spain?

Well, we'd only been back a week when we were invited down to Geoff and Anitra's to see the snowdrops.  We met Maggie and Dave down there and the six of us started with lunch at the Blue Ball Inn, at the top of Countisbury Hill, after a delightful drive across Exmoor.

As we began our wander through the Snowdrops the day became dank and dull although not particularly cold.

After an hour or so we returned to our starting point

Autumn's knocking at the door

Five months now of retirement and continuing to love every minute of it.  Still plenty to do though.

We're almost at the end of August and wondering just where the summer went if indeed it ever arrived.  Oh yes, we've had a few wonderful days and we managed to be away on those days and both of us have picked up quite a good tan this year but it's been a very on and off summer.

What a busy day!

The rain has stopped and the sun's shining.  All around are the sounds of lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, the clip clip of garden shears, even a whiff of barbecue during the afternoon.

And so I joined them. I cut the grass, front and back, trimmed two Euonymus', cleaned and polished the front windows and finally brought the window boxes round.

Our back garden is waiting for a patio to be laid, meantime the self seeding Love in the Mist or Nigella damascena have taken advantage of the lack of maintenance and put on a spectacular display.




























We've not put the window boxes out the front of the house before now as it's been so windy and we wanted them to firm up a little from planting.

Our only concession to The Jubilee this summer has been to bring a patriotic  RED WHITE BLUE flavour to our window boxes. We planned to have red geraniums, white Petunias and blue Lobellia but the Petunias got severely eaten by the slugs and snails following the recent torrential rain.  Petunias should be labeled "Slug Feed" they just love 'um. They do however dislike geraniums and so we've doubled up on them.

Summer's here?

 Almost 10 weeks of retirement under my belt and loving it. Kept saying "Oh, I'll be fine, just need to settle into a routine"  That's what I thought! Couldn't be more wrong.  Perhaps I will change my mind at some time in the future but for now no routine is best.  Being a newcomer to Pensionville I hadn't given thought to there being any other course in retirement for keeping me content than routine.  However, on a walk last month, a friend suggested to me that routine was almost as bad as being at work. It removes the ability to be spontaneous, to push off somewhere for the day when the sun shines, to stay in bed just that little bit longer after a late night, or to just do what you want to do.  It has been suggested to me I might idle my time away in (part time?) employment rather than at home as I've just lost out on a few weeks temping at my old firm.  50 years is enough but thanks for the thought.

It's early June and it seems we may have had our summer.  It's 15° C outside and raining steadily and it's been like that most of the day.  We've just booked 5 nights away at Sturminster Newton to coincide with Janey's party.  We're away Thursday to Tuesday so will drive back to Sturminster after the party on the Saturday.

Talking of the weather. Friday morning brought heavy rain and strong winds and, combined with a Spring Tide scheduled for 10.30am we decided to put our wet gear on and go off down the seafront.  This is what we saw.Look out for Zak (in the shorts!!) Wendy and Becci walking past.

Nearly there

Can't quite believe it but in exactly one week I will be unemployed, retired. On Thursday 15th March 1962 I started out on a journey that was to continue for another 50 years. Eight employers over the years from engineering to policing, cinema management, pub management, retail office management, sales representative and finishing as a basic office bod.

Will you still need me, will you still feed me....

Aaaaahg that's it. I am officially a pensioner.  No, I'm Not.  I'm a Pensioneer, as quoted by William Shatner on HIGNFY a couple of weeks ago.  A Pioneering Pensioner, overseeing my Pension.  Love it.

Enjoying Semi-Retirement

It's mid October and I am basking in a bright late Autumn sun. Unfortunately it's shining on me through the window in my office. I do hope it shines over the weekend as we are busy busy busy. We're having our conifers cut down this coming Monday and we haven't properly sorted out the garden yet. There's the seat to move, and the bird bath and a few shrubs. I am all for taking out the cotoneaster but Wendy wants to keep it. It's a great hiding\sheltering place for the birds as they dart to and from the various feeders we have in the garden but it's got to go.

So that's something to do on Saturday but we're out for a cards night at Maggie and Dave's that evening and I do enjoy my Saturday afternoon with feet up and listening to the afternoon play on Radio 4. We'll see what gets done. A lot of course depends on the weather.

We must get it all done though because on Tuesday they are coming to put up a fence in place of the trees. All in it's costing around £1,000 but should look tidier plus I won't have to cut the trees back twice a year, a job I've done now for the past 20+ years.

It will be our last evening playing cards, at least with the 6 of us. On 26th of this month Geoff and Anitra migrate south from North Somerset into Somerset proper and take up residence at Dunster Beach. We'll miss them both. I 12 stepped Geoff around 25 years ago and we've pretty much been friends since that time. We've had many a good walk both out there in the countryside and around the streets of London and Birmingham. We've seen many art exhibitions, lots of gorgeous pre-raphelite paintings, stain glass and pottery. I will miss him.

Beccles

Matt Harvey is a writer, poet, enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting (his words) but above all a thoroughly nice person and we've been to see him in action on several occasions. Checking out his website earlier in the year we saw he was performing in Beccles, Suffolk in September. Now we always have a week away in the caravan in September and were debating where we should go when I saw Matt's site and suggested to Wendy we take a look at East Anglia, a part of England we've never explored.