Lake District

I've had a great few days. Last Friday I went to a health spa with 4 friends for the day and the following day, with four other friends I went to the Lake District for a climb. We set off at 5.45am and arrived at Glenriddin at 10.30am. We started the climb/walk up Helvellyn which is the third highest peak in the Lakes at 10.45am and arrived at the summit at 3pm after an arduous walk. The weather was brilliant and the views absolutely stunning. The climb over the top of Striding Edge was exhilarating. At the bottom we drove to Cockermouth, about forty minutes away where my friend's parents have a cottage. We all showered and then walked to the town centre to a pub for a lovely meal. We walked back and were all tucked up in bed by 11pm! We were shattered. The next day some of us struggled to walk, but nevertheless we were up at 8am and after breakfast we drove to Buttermere and walked around the lake. After the walk we had lunch and set off home. Graham and the children were pleased to see me.

Charlie has now officially left the senior school and is on exam leave. It seems very strange, but he is busy working and really wants to do well. Harry and Rosie are looking forward to half-term which is only the week after next. I can't believe how fast time goes. The weather has really picked up and it is lovely and hot. The birds are singing and all the trees and shrubs are in flower. I so love this time of year. The horse chestnut trees on Manton Lane are resplendent with their white 'candlesticks'.

Supervision tomorrow where we'll discuss the 8,000 word draft methodology chapter. Thankfully it is my first draft. I have been extremely busy with my work and have managed to recruit five participants for the study. So I am trying to focus myself so I can transcribe interviews, which is really dull.

Looking forward to growth group and church this week. I so missed Sunday.

Wednesday 5th May

Another month goes by. I've had a great week so far, despite a day spent in bed with a virus temperature buggy thingy. Thought it was hayfever symptoms at first. Feeling better now though and trying to get fit for my walk up Helvelyn via Striding Edge next week-end.

The Bank Holiday week-end was good. We didn't do much apart from a barbeque one day and another we went to see Graham's parents. Charlie has his first proper gcse tomorrow so we need to tread softly around him for the next few weeks. Harry got a distinction in his grade five guitar exam and is very pleased with himself. Rosie is also getting ready for exams.

Just about to start my 10,000 word draft methodology chapter and I will be very happy once I have finished it as I'm so busy with recruiting participants at the moment. I went to an Age Concern meeting this morning which was a good networking event.

Sunday 25th April 2010

Church today was completely amazing; as Acts 1-8 was preached on I felt so stirred by God's word I literally felt my heartbeat quicken. Richard spoke prophetically and what moved me the most was when we prayed for people whose origin wasn't the UK. About a third of the congregation walked to the front and we prayed that God would bless them. Bedford is a multi-cultural town and many nations are represented within our church. Praise God!

The week-end has been restful with glorious weather. We even managed to get the barbecue out. We felt encouraged by the addition of a wonderful family at home group on Saturday and spent the rest of the day chilling in the garden after painting the garden furniture in an attempt to rejuvenate it as it is falling apart a bit.

Harry had his grade 5 guitar exam first thing this morning. Hopefully he did ok and at least it's out of the way. Charlie is preparing for the start of his gcses with a Spanish oral exam on Friday. He also had his last rugby game of the season this morning and scored two tries- his only ones this season. He was really made up about it. Rosie had a friend over yesterday and met up with some more friends today. She has been complaining of a sore ankle for a few days now. It doesn't look swollen but I may have to get it checked out this coming week. Graham has had a very busy week driving to a different town every day. Thankfully next week won't be as bad.

I had supervision last week which was really productive. Despite the criticism ( constructive ) about my interview technique it was a really good two hour session about the thesis. My supervisors all gave me great help and advice and will really try and help me finish by the end of the third year. So, that is 18 months to go which means I really need to start writing! I have a whole chapter to produce by next month ( 10,000 ) words, a conference abstract to write, a Website piece to write, a poster to produce for a presentation and continue with the fieldwork and literature. So, less facebook, less Internet browsing, less coffee and lunchtime chats with friends ( well, a little less) and more focus required. But with God's help I will do it.

France, mum's 80th and end of holidays

We have had a lovely break in France. We went to Center Parcs in the Loire valley with some friends and had a relaxing time. Charlie also brought a friend with us and the 7 children got on really well together. The journey home was not so good, probably due to the airport closure as a result of the volcano eruption in Iceland causing a cloud of volcanic ash above most of Europe. The sheer volume of traffic was horrendous throughout northern France. We eventually arrived home at 2.30am and then had to be up bright and early for a three hour journey to Stalybridge, where my brother lives. He had organised a party for my mum's 80th. The weather was superb and the journey and views across the peak district and moors was stunning. It was good to see everybody and catch up with all their family news, some good, and some not so good. But that is life.

Have just taken Harry to church for band practice before the service. Graham has taken Charlie to Aylesbury for hopefully his last rugby match of the season. Looking forward to worshipping God this morning and listening to His word.

The children are back at school on Tuesday. It has been a good break for all of us, even though I have managed to do a lot of work during the last three weeks.

Holidays

The children have broken up from school and I'm particularly looking forward to a break from sitting in traffic for long periods several times a day. I have got lots of work to do but I have got a few days holiday to look forward to in a couple of weeks.

Still continuing with the weight battle and it is slowly coming off. If I could maintain my focus for more than two or three days a week I would lose more than 1.5 pounds a week.

Enjoying the book of Proverbs at the moment. What wise truths God has given us to put into practice.

Week-end

Spring is well and truly here and whilst it has taken a long time to get here I am so appreciative of the changing seasons that God has given us and am enjoying so much the lighter, warmer days, the birdsong and the flowers. There are daffodils everywhere. My poinsettia plant which I bought at Christmas finally died so I have replaced it with a large vase of daffodils on the window bottom.

The children broke up from school yesterday and have three weeks holiday, which is great. The week has gone well and I had supervision on Wednesday which was ok. I'm conscious of the amount of work I have to do and also the groundwork I need to cover in order to recruit further participants. I will need to go to Luton to visit carers groups next week sometime and revisit my contacts here so not to lose the momentum.

A quiet week-end is planned. Charlie has his last rugby match tomorrow. Graham has sold his car and we are getting a company one next week. We have bought a little mini-convertible which will be fun to drive for me, as I'm so used to driving a bus! We pick it up today.

Remembering dad

It would have been my Dad's 89th birthday on Saturday. I had been thinking about him during the week and my ancestors. This prompted me to look at the family tree again which I had previously traced to 1798. My maiden name is pretty uncommon so it was relatively easy to do. Anyway, I found a Website from my ancestors' area in Lancashire. On this Website somebody had posted a family tree of a man with the same surname dating back to 1580. Imagine my surprise when I saw my grandparents names on it! I contacted the Website and they are interested in my old photos from both World wars as they contain people from that area. So I scanned 23 photos of my dad and his family plus war photos and emailed them to the Website. The Website is amazing and I was moved and delighted to see photographs that someone had placed on there of about 15 gravestones with details about my ancestors. Not only that but they are in a Baptist Chapel graveyard. My Christian heritage. My grandad was a lovely humble Methodist who worshipped at a Wesleyan Chapel so it is news that ancestors from 100 years before were Baptists.

We went to the leaving party of one of our church leaders on Saturday. Whilst we are really excited about his future we will really miss him, his teaching and preaches. He preached for the last time yesterday and what an amazing sermon it was too. He preached on Joseph and how God has been working for our good before we are born, is working for our good whilst we are alive and also in the future.

Yesterday afternoon was glorious so we went for a long walk across the golf course. Spring has definitely sprung.

The children break up from school on Friday which I'm looking forward to. Worked hard today transcribing interviews and writing field notes and memos.