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Busy week!


Ah, this is not uncommon these days - leave my phone for a few minutes and someone has nicked it and taken a variety of selfies! I'm not sure what the joy of a selfie is really, but that might be because I no longer have perfect skin and a perfect smile. Actually I don't mind, I love coming across these little moments of happiness and as long as its only 3 rather than 300 photos I can live with it.


This week has potentially been one of cross roads. I've been meeting a few people with a view to taking on new roles or responsibilities and so I've been very focused on trying to be the best I can be, at least while under interview conditions! It's also meant that I've felt quite a lot of pressure so the bits of light hearted relief we have managed to get in  between has been just what I needed. On Monday this included a quick trip to Somerset to see Mum and Dad in the new house and allow Glenn to top up the chutney stores. We had to laugh on arriving to find that Mum had popped out to a new yoga class only to come home to find Dad had whipped out the chainsaw as soon as she was gone to cut down the apple tree. It's made an enormous different even if I think we would all prefer he doesn't get out the power tools when there is no-one else around! The views now from the sun room and upstairs are opening up and the whole place has more light. Definitely worth doing. Glenn and I both commented afterwards that they are looking so relaxed and as though a massive weight has been lifted. The house is already looking like home and I can see already it's perfect for them.


This weekend w celebrated Glenn's birthday. I say we celebrated, in fact he hates any kind of fuss for his birthday so actually we bought his present ages ago and he was well aware of what it was - a knife making course in a forge in Swindon. For ages he has been obsessed by a programme called 'Forged in Fire' where 4 American red-necks come together to battle it out to make the best knife. It's all a bit worrying - they have experts that then test their blade on various hard (or soft if it's a dead pig) items before announcing "Your blade will kill" in a voice that makes you think you really shouldn't be encouraging them! Anyway, given this Glenn was keen to make his own so this weekend he set off and has come back this afternoon with a very smart, totally hand forged knife. He met some nice, similarly minded men (all off a certain age of course!) and I can see he will be back there. Apparently it's easy to make his own forge in due course - brilliant, just what we need! I'm beginning to see the next chapter in our lives (post mortgage and school fees of course) where we open a 'craft shed' somewhere with forge / kiln / lathe / cafe etc for people to come together somewhere to practice their favourite craft with facilities that most normal people can't have at home. In the meantime I think I'll have to get Dad on handle duty and Glenn on blade duty and we could have a lucrative partnership!


In amongst all of this the kids it was the kids first full week back at school. By Friday poor Izzy couldn't believe she had yet another morning she had to get out of bed at the ungodly hour of 7am. At least she's had a couple of lie-ins before it all starts again tomorrow!

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