tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41650405014409912622024-03-13T19:30:20.804+00:00One stitch at a timeNever travel without a suitcase full of dreams (Dirk de Herder)Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.comBlogger391125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-13329827044374840952020-05-22T15:00:00.001+01:002020-05-22T15:00:56.830+01:00Friday 22 May 2020I've gone a few weeks without posting. Not intentionally, but mostly because work has been busy and when I'm not at work, I'm trying not to think about work. Since my last post, I found myself getting increasingly angry and irritable. I have been trying to work out where the anger and irritability is coming from, and so far have only come up with various complex reasons. Of course, one of the main ones is probably that our locked down state has lost its novelty. That might sound superficial, but I don't mean it in that way. I feel very strongly that lockdown was the right way to go, albeit, in my view, far too late. I'm more than happy to comply, as it is the right thing to do - protecting lives. I also feel that lockdown should have been extended. The current message, 'stay alert', is too vague - people need clear rules, clear guidance. I am sure there are many, many people still obeying the rules, still staying home as much as they can, only going out when it's needed. Sadly, we are now allowed to go out for exercise for as long as we want and where we want. The weather has been glorious (I keep thinking that is at least one good thing about this situation - how awful it would have been if we'd had constant rain!) so what do people do? They flock to the coast. It doesn't seem to matter that various tourist boards are saying, don't come here, please stay away, we'll still be here in a few months' time, next year. There are news reports of gridlocked areas around the coasts. This is not what 'stay alert' means - but what does 'stay alert' really say? It is vague and unclear. It is not as if you can see the virus and run away from it if you spot it.<br />
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So, as a family we're still practising lockdown. The golf course has reopened, under strict rules, and Simon is out from time to time, but the children are still home, and I still only go to work and home, nowhere else apart from a bike ride on days I'm not working. And I know this is for the best, and I have lots of hobbies to get on with, but there is so much I miss. Going out for breakfast on a Saturday morning, reading the paper and drinking coffee for a few hours; spontaneously driving to Ikea for a bit of retail therapy, pottering over the market and coming home with some cheese and ideas for that evening's supper. I have found myself unable to focus on anything for very long. I want to make the most of the days off work, and frustratingly I spend them with very little to show for it at the end. I don't seem to be the only one. which helps a little. It's a feeling that I keep trying to fight, but I seem to be fighting a losing battle.<br />
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Another factor is being at home with the same people all the time. The other day I bumped into a friend from knitting after my study day. Her daughter has recently been diagnosed with diabetes and they'd obviously just been for an appointment. As she was on her phone, I didn't want to loiter, but it made me realise with a shock how long I'd not seen her. We have done a few zoom meetings where we try and catch up, where we even sit and knit, but it's not the same as meeting in a cafe in town or at each other's houses where we eat together, knit and set the world to rights. I stay in touch with my old Dutch colleagues through Skype, and normally we'd meet up every few months for a coffee and a chat. And again, last week I realised how much I'm missing that contact. I sing with a choir in Stowmarket and we have set up a WhatsApp group which has been great. I've got to know people who I only knew by face. We've laughed, we've cried, we've shared news, ups and downs. I've gained a lot of support from it. But I also miss going to rehearsals, the uplift you get from singing together, from getting to grips with a piece, from meeting in the interval and buying a jar of homemade jam or chutney, from chatting with the two friends I share a car with. At the moment, I see people from work or the people at home. Normally we each have our own activities - sometimes these get so busy that we're like ships passing in the night. It makes you appreciate your time together even more. But right now, we have all our free time together - and I crave a bit of alone time. It's been hard to find a space that doesn't get invaded. I think this might be partially to do with work. At work, I spend 12.5 hours looking after people, ensuring they are comfortable, safe, minds put at rest. You give, give, give. Now, because there are constantly people at home, I spend more time than usual at home too, giving, giving, giving. And there are days when I just don't want to have to look after anyone. It's like I've got nothing left to give - and in a normal situation, I'd get that alone time and the chance to recharge my batteries, but that is not possible at the moment. It's that old cliche of 'you can't pour from an empty cup', and right now I really don't know how to fill that cup.<br />
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And the last but not least factor playing a part, is that the current situation and how the government has responded, is creating deep political divisions. These divisions seem to become clearer as never before on social media. Everyone has an opinion, that is only natural. Personally, I feel deeply upset about the number of deaths, and deaths of keyworkers in particular, and think this could have been avoided to some degree if action had been taken sooner. But that is my opinion, and someone else may well disagree - which they're entitled to. But any of these opinions seem to create heated arguments on social media, and I hate that it causes arguments with people who I'm friends with in 'real life'. At a time when a lot of people are dealing with a fragile state of mental health, we don't need arguments, we need each other for support. The only way I can deal with it is by staying away from the news (I can't get cross about the current situation if I don't know too much about it) and social media (too much being posted about what's happening and whether or not the government is doing a good job or not). I feel sad about it because I miss out on all the lovely news, and I admire people who feel strong enough to post their opinions without worrying about the possible responses, but it's not for me - peace of mind is more important for me.<br />
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Many people ask how work is going. And I usually respond with, an emotional rollercoaster. Physically, nothing much has changed since my last post. We still have the plastic sheeting in place, sealing off the five different bays, we still wear as much PPE as possible, including a surgical mask all day long. We have had funny moments: pretty much everyone has put on a mask inside out by now. I've attempted to clean my visor only to discover I wasn't actually wearing it and was wiping my glasses and face instead. We all agree that the best bit of the shift is taking your mask off. There have been uplifting moments: the patient who had spent 3 weeks in ITU with Covid19 and who I didn't think they expected to survive, but came to us for recovery, and was discharged from us. When IT set up a FaceTime call for an elderly patient with her son, and she didn't understand at first she could see him 'live' and talk to him, and the way her face lit up when she figured it out and then spoke to him for 45 minutes. Feeling part of a team and that they'll be there for you if you need them. And of course there are low points. Being short-staffed can be so hard, when you wish you had ten pairs of hands. When you're in the middle of looking after someone's needs and another patient calls out that they need to spend a penny - now! and you can't just leave the first patient. When one of your colleagues returns to work after recovering from Covid19 and hurts her back on her first shift because the patient we are looking after, misjudges a distance and has a fall, and said colleague tries to break his fall and ends up in tears with pain and guilt. And discovering a patient who has become unresponsive, which means calling an emergency, everyone coming running, crash trolley, CPR, the lot. Patient rallies, we carry on our job. Doctor comes to talk to me and asks if I've had a break - no, no time, and you know, these things happen, glad patient is okay. He tells me to make sure to have a break, and suddenly I feel tearful. It is my first proper emergency and yes, it is quite something. This doctor with far more experience than me might actually be right about having to take a break after such an episode.<br />
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A part of me sort of feels like I'm waiting for things to go back to normal. But another part of me is beginning to wonder if we'll ever go back to normal. And I haven't got used to that idea yet.<br />
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(Photos all from recent bike rides)Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-49502662495246089592020-05-07T09:14:00.000+01:002020-05-07T09:14:19.396+01:00Saturday 2 May 202Vaguely back to normal, that's what I was expecting when I went back to work on Wednesday. Whatever normal is, these days! It may have been wishful thinking.<br />
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When I got to my ward on Wednesday, a few things had returned to 'normal'. We were all in uniform rather than scrubs, which makes it far easier to see who is who. The plastic sheeting that had been covering the entrance to the bays was still in place, but rolled up, which much improves visibility. And as far as we knew, our patients were now all non-Covid19 patients. We're a so-called Green zone. In a way, it's a positive sign: the hospital is probably able to cope with the number of positive patients and doesn't need as many Covid19 wards as were open. Great news.<br />
However, in the course of the day it became obvious that things aren't back to normal by a long shot. We're still wearing surgical masks all day. They are a necessary evil. They're warm, they hurt your ears, they dehydrate. We still have relatively few patients. To observe social distancing, we only have 4 patients to each bay, rather than 6, but not all the bays were full. I had two bays to look after with 6 patients in total, alongside another nursing assistant and a brand new nursing assistant who was doing her very first shift. When you first start, you don't get assigned a bay of patients on your own yet, but you shadow someone with more experience for a number of shifts. More often than not, these 'shadowees' soon start to build confidence and it's great to have them work alongside you, as it's an extra pair of hands.<br />
On Wednesday, we looked after a patient whose Covid19 test result was still pending. At the end of the day his result came back and it turned out to be positive. He was very swiftly transferred to a Covid19 isolation ward, and the patient who was in the same bay with him, was moved to a Covid19 specific ward. It caused a lot of confusion and many questions among the staff, and morale took a bit of a battering. Slowly but surely you are beginning to tell that all the uncertainty, all the changes are taking their toll. Some staff members are worried about their health, others become snappy and irritable. I thought I was doing alright until I came to realise that maybe I was getting a bit short-tempered. It is sometimes easy to forget that everyone is dealing with it in different ways and to make allowances for that.<br />
I had another shift yesterday. New rules yet again. Now it feels as though we're a halfway Covid19 ward. The plastic sheeting is down again, which means the corridor gets very full and very warm. We've been advised to wear visors again when in direct patient contact - pretty much back to full PPE (for us). And we do have patients whose test results have not yet been returned, although they are not symptomatic. But we all know there are patients who test positive but show no symptoms. Allegedly, these people are less infectious, but whether that is true? There is so much still to learn about this virus.<br />
Yesterday was a very busy shift and felt almost like the ward in the 'old days'. Patients being discharged, meaning there is a bed space to clean and prepare for the next patient - who in one case turned up while I was still cleaning. A fairly new colleague who needed some extra time and support. A patient who during the course of the day started to deteriorate, meaning the frequency of all clinical observations increases. Patients with very different emotional needs - one who was rather unpleasant to most of the staff, but mellowed a little when I took a bit of time to sit down and just listen to him. A patient with communication problems and at the end of life. Another patient who was obviously lonely and just enjoyed having someone to chat to. A very varied shift, a very tiring shift but one that in some ways is immensely rewarding.<br />
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Earlier this week I was talking to a friend about nursing and having changed career. She asked if I ever regretted it. And the answer was, without a moment's hesitation, 'not a single second'. Yes there are days when I come home and I'm so tired I can barely move. There are days when I want to cry. There are days where I feel frustrated at the workload. But always, there will be highlights, something that makes me smile, feel grateful, be humbled, and always there will be something that makes me think 'I love this job'. Every single shift.Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-89302318283228782952020-04-28T13:54:00.001+01:002020-04-28T13:54:43.689+01:00Tuesday 28 AprilAnd then I ended up off sick. On the Saturday or Sunday after my last shift, I can't remember when exactly, I started to feel achy, headache, sore throat, tired. Nothing major really, just under the weather. A few days in I developed a low grade temperature. Which was still there by the time I was supposed to be back at work (last Thursday), and I didn't dare take the risk. It didn't sound like Covid19, but then not everyone presents with classic symptoms.<br />
By this point, all self-isolating keyworkers were eligible for a swab, so my manager referred me and I had one done on Friday. Not particularly pleasant to have a cotton bud shoved up your nostrils until your eyes water, but heyho.<br />
Of course, this meant we all had to self-isolate. Minor panic ensued. Lots of offers of help from neighbours, colleagues etcetera, but it still feels awkward to ask! Fortunately, the milkman came to the rescue (ouch that was expensive), and then teenage son with his lightning fast internet fingers got us a Tesco delivery slot. He now knows exactly which ones are released when - and promptly got us a click and collect too. I think we have enough food coming to last us a month!<br />
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My swab results came back on Sunday morning as 'invalid'. By this point Simon and teenage son both had vague symptoms similar to mine, and I still had a slight temperature. As a keyworker, you can have members of your household tested if you are self-isolating - of course, the NHS would rather have you back at work if you can. So I'd managed to get us an appointment for a swab in Ipswich, but the only way to do that was to have me tested too. I had planned not to use it, but now that my test was invalid, I needed to be tested again so this worked out quite well.<br />
This was completely different from the first swab, which was fairly relaxed apart from the mild discomfort. It was a warm day, full sun, and of course we couldn't open any windows. We had to pass several 'booths' where staff would hold up signs telling us what to do - show my NHS badge, ring this number, don't do this, go there. We had been told you could either do the test yourself or have someone do it for you, but nobody actually offered so we ended up doing it ourselves. The instructions we were given on the phone were rather concise and very different from the instructions in the pack, and even those weren't 100% correct. It was rather obvious that this was all set up very hastily. After a stressful 10 minutes where teenage son kept saying he couldn't do it and Simon was making retching sounds for swabbing his throat and I thought I would faint with the heat, we threw our biobags in the collection bin and were off again, not feeling particularly confident that these had been done properly.<br />
We spent the next day or so trying to come up with all the different permutations of test results and the consequences. To our surprise, last night during supper teenage son suddenly said he'd had a text saying his results had come back negative. Much to our relief, all our tests were negative. I have no idea what I've had, but I've definitely been under the weather with something that is still lingering. However, the test proves I have no active disease at the moment, and so I'm safe to go back to work. Tomorrow is my first shift in 10 days or so - and in the meantime our ward has gone from Covid19 ward back to a normal ward again! There is still a possibility that we will return to Covid19 ward, should we suddenly have more Covid19 patients again, but for now, it is good news. Still the stricter rules, as in getting changed at work, wearing surgical masks at all times, no visitors and restricted numbers in the staff room, but we're not receiving Covid19 patients, the bays aren't sealed off anymore and things should feel a little bit more normal.<br />
Ten days in isolation, and I'm looking forward to a little bit of normality!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patchwork cushion finally finished, plus painted garden chair</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat approves...<br /></td></tr>
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-73883448119566505902020-04-18T14:23:00.000+01:002020-04-18T14:23:04.854+01:00Friday 17 April 2020I've had 5 days off. Originally we were supposed to go on holidays to celebrate a few big birthdays, but because of lockdown that obviously didn't happen. I'd offered to return my annual leave in exchange for shifts, but I was the sixth person to do so! And in the end I was actually quite glad I had some time off. After the uncertainty, tension and emotions of the last few weeks, I was more tired than I realised and a break was definitely needed. When I first started in this job, my then ward manager told me one day that you need a bit of time off every 2 months or so. You give so much in this job that you need time to recharge the batteries.<br />
I thought I'd feel confident about going back, having done 2 shifts already. Oddly enough I felt nervous. Our WhatsApp group had been much quieter of late, suggesting we are settling into the new routine. There had been a few texts with do's and don'ts, a few supportive messages here and there, a happy birthday, but that was it.<br />
So I really didn't know what it was like on the ward at the moment. Were we full? Lots of confused patients? Would we cope with increased patient numbers and the more demanding routine, where everything inevitably takes longer?<br />
Annoyingly enough, I'd accidentally had a cup of caffeinated tea at 9pm. I turned the lights off at 11 and was wide awake. Normally I fall asleep within seconds, now I lay awake for hours. I must have dozed a few times because I had weird dreams, but it never felt like a proper sleep. Not a good start to the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many gifts we have received. Lovely surprise and much appreciated<br /></td></tr>
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Another beautiful morning sky on my way in, which helped settled nerves somewhat. I found myself a set of large scrubs hoping for length - instead they were short and wide. Not the most flattering of looks! (see photo at end of post for a laugh)<br />
We had about 15 patients in total (capacity of 23 beds with social distancing). A very manageable number. Originally I was supposed to 'float' which means not having a dedicated bay but helping out where and when needed, but because of a confused patient who needed regular supervision, I ended up assigned to two bays along with another nursing assistant and two nurses (one of whom was supernumerary).<br />
This was the first shift since we had transformed to Covid19 ward where I had someone confused to look after, and it threw up a few new challenges. PPE isn't quick to put on, and no PPE means no care. You can't just quickly nip into the bay when someone is attempting to do something that puts them at risk (this usually means a patient is trying to get out of bed or chair when their mobility isn't good and they are at risk of falls). These patients often wear what's called a 'wanderguard', a device that sounds an alarm when they try to get out of their bed or chair. It gives you the chance to do some of your other tasks without having to stay with the same patient for your entire shift, which isn't really possible or practical. Our patient today was wearing a wanderguard and set it off several times, but by the time you have put on your apron, visor and gloves, the alarm is driving everyone spare - sometimes even including the patient! Fortunately she didn't put herself in any danger and the wanderguard was more of an extra precaution. We spent most of our time when not in the bay, by the window in order to keep an eye on her. It did make me wonder though how we'll cope when we have someone who is more at risk of falls.<br />
We started off with five patients in two bays, but two of them were discharged in the course of the day. It meant we had plenty of time for our other patients, and I noticed we're gradually getting used to the new normal. New routines don't seem quite so strange anymore, and in some ways this makes me sad - of course it is good we're getting to grips with the new ways of working, but I don't want to forget this isn't normal. Because we had a confused patient, we spent more time inside the bays than during my first two shifts. You start to realise how uncomfortable, hot and sweaty it is to wear all your PPE for longer periods of time. We wear our surgical masks all of the time, and the elastic starts to hurt your ears after a few hours. Most of us now wear a strap of fabric with buttons on at the back of our head that the elastic attaches to.<br />
My biggest realisation today though was how isolated and lonely patients must feel. We have had a no visitors rule for a few weeks now (apart from patients who are in their last few days or hours), and in some cases, patients have already been self-isolating at home. It's sometimes easy for us staff to forget that a hospital stay can be an anxious experience. Quite apart from the health worries, a lot of things happening in a hospital are familiar to us, but new, unknown and possibly frightening to patients. Add to that the lack of familiar faces, the reassuring presence of a loved one, having to stay in an isolated ward plus staff so dressed up that it's hard to make proper eye contact, and you can understand why now it is even harder to be in hospital.<br />
One of my patients today needed a little help using the commode. As she got ready to sit down in her chair again, she remained standing, saying it was good to stretch her limbs after sitting down for a while. She then looked at me almost guiltily and said, I know I'm probably wasting your time. My heart just broke. I reassured her that I only had three patients to look after and that she could 'waste' as much of my time as she liked.<br />
Every shift, it is obvious that we have to work in a more business like manner if we are to stop the virus from spreading. We have so many new things to remember, things that aren't second nature yet. With every shift it also becomes more obvious though that this pandemic doesn't just have an effect on our mental health, but on patients just as much. It's a balancing act - keeping patients and ourselves safe, while looking after their emotional wellbeing too. One I'm determined to master.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In full PPE kit, about to enter the sealed-off bay. I'm smiling - not that you can tell! </td></tr>
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-59011901997719900652020-04-12T15:46:00.000+01:002020-04-12T15:46:59.169+01:00Sunday 12 April 2020It's been almost five years since my last post. 2015 was rather an eventful year, and for various reasons I didn't feel like writing, or if I did, I didn't feel like publishing. But in the last few weeks, for us, as for so many other people, life has changed considerably again. Whenever I feel stressed, I tend to find writing things down helps me, and suddenly the urge to not just put pen to paper, but to actually publish it, was there again.<br />
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A quick update: just over 5 years ago, my relationship with B. came to an end very abruptly. Although it wasn't my choice, with hindsight, it should have ended much earlier, but then hindsight is a wonderful thing. A few months later, in fact, three weeks after my last post, I met Simon, funnily enough at the concert at the church that I mentioned in my last post. I was helping out, he was part of the 'choir' that came to sing (it's an octet), we got chatting at the end, and four years later I walked down the aisle of that same church to marry him. In 2017 I sold the house that we'd lived in since 1996 and where the children were born. Not an easy decision, but the house needed so much doing to it which I couldn't afford on my own, and we were getting fed up with living in two houses. The children are now grown up and live with us full-time. 21yo is reading English Literature which suits her down to the ground. 18yo was doing his A-levels which obviously stopped very suddenly. He is hoping to go to university later this year, all being well.<br />
The last of the big changes is my career. After 23 years as a translator, I resigned in September 2018 and joined the NHS as a nursing assistant in our local hospital. 18 months on and I've not regretted it a single second yet. I sometimes wonder if I should have gone into it sooner, but I think having a bit of life experience helps me.<br />
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Of course, being in the NHS means I'm in the thick of the corona pandemic. And that is why I've started writing again. Emotions and tensions run high and one way of dealing with it, for me, is to write. I've noticed that people on the outside seem to be interested in hearing what life is like 'on the frontline', so I thought I'd resurrect the blog. And even if nobody reads it, it will still help me by writing about it.<br />
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A bit of background: I work on a ward that specialises in diabetes and kidney disease, and acute general medicine. In the main, we see a lot of elderly patients, often with dementia. In the last week though, we have become the latest Covid19 ward in our hospital, the 8th ward to date. So far, we have patients who have tested negative, but where there is strong suspicion that it was a false negative. I have done 2 full shifts now, and started writing the day before my first day shift, just after we had had our training:<br />
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Thursday 9 April 2020<br />
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Tomorrow is my first shift on a Covid19 ward. There had been rumours for weeks that it was going to happen, but apart from getting fewer and fewer patients as the pandemic grew, nothing much changed on our ward. At first it seemed so far away. Of course we talked about it, at work, at home. Then the first case was confirmed in the UK and everything seemed to happen faster and faster. Still nothing much changed on our ward. It became quieter, most bays having an empty bed or two. Then we started talking about staff getting ill. The first case was confirmed in our hospital. The first Covid19 ward was opened in our hospital. There were lots of goodies for NHS staff, which made me feel weird: it was nice but I felt it was almost undeserved as I wasn't doing any of the scary work that you'd see pictures of in the news. Then the lockdown came into force, and there were lots of new rules. We had to get changed at work rather than come in in our uniform. Visitor numbers got limited and then had to stop altogether. And then the ward next to us, separated by fire doors with windows in them, was turned into a Covid19 ward. We knew it wasn't long before it was our turn.<br />
We got the go-ahead on Saturday. At this point, most of the staff started to feel nervous and jumpy. Some staff were off with possibly Covid19 (no way of telling unless we're tested), some were isolating because of household members showing symptoms, some were shielding, some were off with anxiety. I felt (and feel) very lucky that the four of us at home aren't vulnerable. The next few days were very strange - so many questions, so much nervous energy.<br />
During yesterday's shift, the five remaining patients were either discharged or moved to other wards. We were empty from around 11 o'clock, and we spent the afternoon tidying, studying, talking about our worries and making a silly little music video.<br />
This morning we had a ward meeting with the whole team, our CEO, and various other people who you know by face but can't quite place unless you've worked with them. All very knowledgeable, experienced, approachable and reassuring. We had our masks fitted. Mine failed and I felt like a failure for not being able to get it airtight. I thought I'd come away from the meeting feeling reassured, instead I felt tired, scared and tearful. I came home and cried - at people flouting the lockdown rules, at my stepdaughter-in-law for working in ICU, for not having bought any Easter eggs for our mad Easter egg hunt.<br />
I spent most of the afternoon knitting and chatting in our ward WhatsApp group. The anxiety is quite overwhelming and I just wanted the comfort of the others going through the same thing.<br />
I'm now all packed, alarm is set. 18 months ago I took a huge step into a brand new world. So much I had to learn from scratch. But just as I felt more confident, this world is turned upside down and I'm having to start all over again, but this time with a scary, unknown and sometimes fatal virus in tow. And I'm frightened.<br />
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Friday 10 April 2020<br />
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I don't think anyone doing today's shift slept very well. By 6am our WhatsApp group was already chatting, mostly about sleeping problems.<br />
I got to the ward early and sorted out a set of scrubs. The two patient bathrooms are now for the staff to use, and both have sets of scrubs in them in various sizes and states of wear and tear. The uniform dress I normally wear, has four deep pockets and I can carry so much stuff with me - scissors, tape, sachets of cream, handover, my FitBit, lip balm. Scrubs mostly only have one pocket and a shallow one at that. Anything you don't want to lose, can't go in there. The trousers were too short of course, and you have no idea what people's roles are anymore. After 18 months I have a pretty good idea of most uniform colours and who wears what, but scrubs come in a rainbow of colours and everyone wears whatever they can find. I didn't realise until now that I feel quite proud of my uniform - to me, scrubs just look scruffy.<br />
I had 4 patients on my handover, with two other nursing assistants and two nurses. One female bay and one gentleman in a side room. After handover was finished, we were all a bit of apprehensive. It was obvious that our normal routine wouldn't work. Normally you nip in and out of your bay, but all bays are now sealed off with plastic (with zips in them to create an entrance), and you spend as little time as possible in there to minimise the risk of getting infected. You go in there and try and combine as many tasks as you can. We also quickly found out it was easier to have one person outside watching and waiting, who can pass things into the bay or take them out without the person inside the bay having to leave. We all wear surgical masks at all times, but getting into the bay means more PPE: plastic apron, gloves, visor. When you exit the bay, the apron and gloves come off and go in the bin inside the bay. You use hand-gel to clean your hands and leave through the entrance in the plastic. You then clean your visor and store it away for the next time, and you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. It's not something you can do quickly and you don't want to do it too often if you want to save on PPE.<br />
I didn't actually go into our bay until 10am. I'd just happened to be the one staying behind and handing things in or taking them from the nursing assistant or nurse inside. I was nervous about going in, although I'm not sure what I was expecting. But as soon as I was in there, I realised the patients were no different from our usual patients: human beings who needed care. And once I realised that, all my fears were gone.<br />
We spent the rest of the day trying to get to grips with the PPE, the most comfortable way to wear a surgical mask (the elastic does hurt your ears), telling people when they weren't using PPE correctly (including doctors). And cutting and laminating shapes for our new board with post-pandemic wishes, trying to bring some positivity to it all. Lots of people taking part and lots of lovely wishes appearing.<br />
We visited a colleague who had been admitted to hospital and had tested positive.<br />
We chatted, we laughed and we all felt very tired - the release of weeks of tension.<br />
I'm going to sleep well tonight. Tomorrow's shift will feel far less daunting.<br />
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Saturday 11 April 2020<br />
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A far less anxious start to today's shift. Beautiful sunrise as I drove to work. The weather has been glorious the last few days, in fact, for most of the lockdown period so far. I deliberately arrived early so I would have enough choice from the scrubs. They are still a novelty; today we seemed to have only large sizes, making some people look like they were wearing pyjamas. They come in various colours, and the aim is to find a matching set. Oddly enough most of us were in blue today, with the nurse in charge in turquoise, which set her apart a bit. There is still the weirdness of seeing your colleagues in ordinary clothes as they arrive for their shift, although most of us are now in clothing as close to PJ's as possible.<br />
I had the same set of patients as yesterday, albeit with a different team. The nursing assistant I was paired up with, hadn't done a Covid19 shift yet, so there was lots of telling her what we'd done the day before, what worked, what didn't. Having someone in the bay doing as many things as possible in any one visit, while the other stays behind to be on hand for passing things in and out, that works well. The problem arises when people don't understand the rules: the patient who comes out of his side room to let us know his water jug is empty, instead of using his call bell; the doctor who doesn't realise that there is a computer inside each bay to be used and comes out with gloves on to use the clean computer in the corridor. The principle is very simple: what is inside the bay, is potentially contaminated and has to stay there. Patients aren't allowed outside of their bay (or room), so we try and keep as much as possible of what they and we need in there: computer, obs machine, commode. Anything that comes out, has to be thoroughly cleaned, including us. Today I tried to keep track of how often I'm washing my hands, but I lost track very quickly. I think it might be close to a hundred times a day (a long shift is 12.5 hours) - our hands are definitely showing the signs. I'm going through endless tubes of handcream, but more often than not when you have only just applied the cream, you have to wash your hands again. I don't think my hands have ever been this clean, and my skin is very tight.<br />
Although all our patients have tested as negative, these might be a false negative as the test is only 70% accurate, and we have to work around and with them as though they are positive. So far, we have had two patients become poorly; one of them was moved to an isolation ward and the other seemed to have something not Covid19 related.<br />
The type of patient seems to have changed. I don't know if that is a coincidence: does Covid19 not occur in our usual type of patient or are they going to other wards? We usually have a lot of elderly patients, often with dementia in various stages. They pretty much always need our help, washing, dressing, moving, feeding. It is the part that is the most tiring, but I often find it the most rewarding too. If you have an independent patient, which doesn't happen all that often, you're usually relieved as it means that you have more time for the people that need help. There are plenty of shifts where you need more staff and you wish you had ten pairs of hands. Now, most of our patients are a bit younger and independent. Of course, it is only the second day and it is the Easter weekend, but right now it is working well, as it gives us the chance to get used to the new routine and we don't have to spend long periods inside the bay. It might all change still, I'm very aware.<br />
The downside of the new routine is that I'm missing the patient contact. All the bays are sealed off which means there is far less visibility. Normally I pretty much know all our patients at least by face, and often most of them by name. Now I have no idea who the patients are in the other bay or even how many there are. When you go inside a bay, your mask and visor make you sound muffled, and patients can't really see much of your facial expressions either. None of this benefits patient contact. Not being able to wander in and out of a bay doesn't help either. It feels functional, which is how it has to be for now, but I miss the human side of nursing.<br />
At the end of the day though, when I go in to a patient's room to take his observations, he tells me he has a relative waiting by the hospital entrance with some things for him, including his phone charger. I've come to realise how incredibly isolating a hospital stay is now and being without a phone must be very hard. He says someone was going to fetch his things, but that was 20 minutes ago and his family are still waiting. I tell him that after doing his blood pressure, I will go and find them. I meet a very grateful granddaughter, talk to them briefly about the lovely summery weather that we don't notice at all on the ward, walk back through an eerily deserted hospital and deliver the bag to the equally pleased patient. He asks my name. At the best of times most patients struggle with my name; add a visor and mask and it's worse. After a couple of attempts this patient gets it. Half an hour later I pop my head around the door to ask if he's been given something he'd asked for. Yes thanks Cybèle, he says. He's remembered my name and I leave the room with a smile. This is what nursing is all about for me. I think in the weeks to come, these moments are going to be even more important to hang on to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2uV1PpZiuxM/XpMoyW_4KEI/AAAAAAAAncQ/Z2RX-0US9SI-H8Bu9LnNeMw8ezXLjIcYACEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBHYD5qzCqWA9yK86oGDKtX88b7rUKa5ie0Yqai3PQSiwwE9gSEBAmm_75B_EyPyb-mU6h6Q2_g06zG_6bKGHpqqILgcXHJngVdXfOKHgVmIAA0b2kfI02WQgsfhJapAxX_Xi-2_GdhS_JWYi8uUmBv_VEBIFvfxpVqopqCdioCkpLddWzUcbfLyMwizddvd3OarxxYfpyimanh7Hfs_rmzWhnL6Ww8Qg8-px7Cjn0M8loB57OMPlXtcb7_gbRUr9fo_s2-TbjmXxYk4JQuhE8-4QmBwWXf_DhOocc07sUaFPKsLHwl7l6wyvqa6tFB_tcFnIs6k_4pRea4HNy1Oe7x6HWxxOjhMsiy2sLa9vvv9sj2pSFqVUR3bfKO8fYl93Gsxi-dnw8uqfeoH02BfhD1DPA5FwsghoBLdwTb-vkpTzA7XnhBobjrgacMz97XuCvnzCffFs6kyjeYnurYKiW5jnYCuzVotvp51qWxfcr9h3ZkW6mnDGnH-Rc2d3EUF9XjWwKx5D010vUiU2UArUnhgAnNXmnuPRxgDNbWKh0EGMSTl-XLHLQc-XPCUqvIXKnHqQ5J2yTgD_MywuvaxZq1Qwc98x3cxiIZMNbWzPQF/s1600/67079526_2828666763817336_6523430001155506176_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2uV1PpZiuxM/XpMoyW_4KEI/AAAAAAAAncQ/Z2RX-0US9SI-H8Bu9LnNeMw8ezXLjIcYACEwYBhgLKs4DAMBZVoBHYD5qzCqWA9yK86oGDKtX88b7rUKa5ie0Yqai3PQSiwwE9gSEBAmm_75B_EyPyb-mU6h6Q2_g06zG_6bKGHpqqILgcXHJngVdXfOKHgVmIAA0b2kfI02WQgsfhJapAxX_Xi-2_GdhS_JWYi8uUmBv_VEBIFvfxpVqopqCdioCkpLddWzUcbfLyMwizddvd3OarxxYfpyimanh7Hfs_rmzWhnL6Ww8Qg8-px7Cjn0M8loB57OMPlXtcb7_gbRUr9fo_s2-TbjmXxYk4JQuhE8-4QmBwWXf_DhOocc07sUaFPKsLHwl7l6wyvqa6tFB_tcFnIs6k_4pRea4HNy1Oe7x6HWxxOjhMsiy2sLa9vvv9sj2pSFqVUR3bfKO8fYl93Gsxi-dnw8uqfeoH02BfhD1DPA5FwsghoBLdwTb-vkpTzA7XnhBobjrgacMz97XuCvnzCffFs6kyjeYnurYKiW5jnYCuzVotvp51qWxfcr9h3ZkW6mnDGnH-Rc2d3EUF9XjWwKx5D010vUiU2UArUnhgAnNXmnuPRxgDNbWKh0EGMSTl-XLHLQc-XPCUqvIXKnHqQ5J2yTgD_MywuvaxZq1Qwc98x3cxiIZMNbWzPQF/s320/67079526_2828666763817336_6523430001155506176_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last summer, long before lockdown</td></tr>
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-50753781477500779112015-05-18T08:49:00.000+01:002015-05-18T14:52:22.892+01:00Saturday 16 May 2015Having taught a knitting class on Saturday last weekend (knitting on a train full of cheery football supporters was interesting!), I didn't get back on time to go for a bike ride in the evening, so I got up early on Sunday morning and was out there by 9AM. It was still quite cloudy when I set out but the sun broke through the clouds and it actually got quite warm. I have a merino wool underlayer, but I think that might need to be retired for the summer!<br />
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Because the main road where I live is so busy and really not suitable for cyclists, I try and avoid it as much as I can. I cycled a short stretch of it a few weeks ago but when I found motorists here have no regard or respect for cyclists, I decided this road is out of bounds. It does mean I sometimes have to go a long way round to try to get where I want to go. I suppose it improves my fitness and helps build my muscles!<br />
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I had recently seen photos of the interior of the church at Hawstead, and it looked spectacular, unlike anything I'd ever seen before. So that was definitely on the route, but as I had several hours, it turned into a much longer route with Hawstead as the last church.<br />
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I started off in Stanningfield. Here I managed to put my foot in the deepest puddle ever - so I ended up cycling with one very wet foot... not pleasant!<br />
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It was on to Lawshall, where in the church I found a monument to a fellow countryman. I had no idea that the Dutch fought alongside the British in the second world war. So poignant, especially as he was killed so close to the end of the war too (the Dutch still celebrate the end of the war on 5 May, Liberation Day).<br />
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It doesn't happen very often but Lawshall church failed to charm me. Most of the time when I step inside or even when I spot a church from a distance, something will make me smile. Not so here. I don't think there was a church guide either. Maybe I need to go back and spend a bit more time there.<br />
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The next stop was Brockley. This is an odd village - the church and the manor house are completely separate from the rest of the village, which is further south. It is very peaceful and quiet though.<br />
A service had just finished and they were still clearing up, so I got invited in to have a look around.<br />
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The porch and ironwork date back to the 15th century (hope I got that right...), and it might not everybody's taste but I liked the yellow inside.<br />
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On my way back to the road I spotted this. I had no idea what it was, it was just lying there by the side of the path, but not hidden at all so almost as if it was left as a photography object! I posted it on a Facebook photography group where I thought someone would know what it is, and it turns out to be a boiler from a steam engine. Mysterious!<br />
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Next stop was Rede. It doesn't really show from the photos very well but the church has a very slender tower, very elegant. The coloured houses are right next door to the church - I wondered if they talk to each other every year: what colour are you going for this year?<br />
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After something to eat (those Suffolk hills make you hungry) I cycled on to Whepstead.<br />
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Unfortunately this one was closed. The photo of the interior was taken looking through a window. The lead glass window above was in the porch.<br />
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And the last stop was Hawstead. If I'd visited it at the start of the ride, I wouldn't have done many miles more - there is SO much to see... it is completely bonkers. Wherever you turn there are monuments. It reminded me of a garish circus or fairground.<br />
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There are about 40 monuments, each more spectacular and over the top than its neighbour. The poem on the monument in the top photo is most likely by Donne, as he was friends with the father of the (14 year old) girl buried here.<br />
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It does make you wonder how this church came to be so over the top. Were they all showing off? Keeping up with each other? Rich benefactors?<br />
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I had to get back home as I had something else on later that afternoon, but I'm definitely going back here one day to spend more time looking around and finding out more about its history. The church made me smile the rest of the day though.<br />
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And this made me smile too on my way out of the churchyard - someone with a sense of humor? Madly in love?<br />
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In the afternoon I helped out at a concert of the <a href="http://www.aquarius-singers.co.uk/home.php">Aquarius singers</a> at Ickworth Church. They were fantastic and it was great to see the church full of people. Afterwards there was a glass of white wine and as it was such a nice sunny evening, we all went outside in front of the church. There is another concert in June, but this time by a male choir. Fingers crossed for more sunny weather!<br />
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I have been knitting and sewing as much as always, but nothing to show at the moment, as two items were presents not yet received. The other is my fishing gansey blanket that I'm a bit behind on. Now that the presents are out of the way though, I can get on with it again. 14 blocks out of 25 are done, so over halfway now, and still enjoying every single block.<br />
And with GCSE exam season now having started and me being almost as nervous as 16yo, I do need my knitting to keep the nerves at bay...Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-50416953312692039442015-05-10T22:05:00.000+01:002015-05-10T22:05:45.737+01:00Tuesday 5 May 2015Last weekend was a long weekend in the UK, the May Bank Holiday. One of the best things about going to bed on Friday night is switching off the alarm clock, but even better is not having to set it again on Sunday night, knowing that you have another full day off work.<br />
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The weekend was full of simple pleasures - having 16yo with me most of the weekend, 13yo winning a squash tournament for the first time (he went from losing all his matches in his previous two tournaments to winning every single one in this one!), good food, a nice bike ride, even though it was a bit of a push to make it home before it was dark, spending a few hours both on Sunday and Monday at Ickworth Church and learning more about its history, hearing a cuckoo in Ickworth Park and last but not least, a few hours on the beach at Felixstowe.<br />
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16yo is spending increasing amounts of time revising. I think by the end of the weekend she was ready for a bit of a break, so she'd asked to come to Felixstowe with us. Not sure if it was the lure of the beach or the chips at the cafe there! It had been a lovely sunny day all day but as we drove down the A14, it became very overcast and we even had some spots of rain. According to the local weather forecast, it was supposed to be raining heavily in Felixstowe - not really beach weather! Fortunately, when we arrived, it was dry, if a bit colder than I'd hoped.<br />
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We started off with a slap-up meal at the <a href="http://www.discoverlandguard.org.uk/attractions/landguard-visitor-centre-view-point-cafe-and-ferry/">Landguard Point cafe</a>. I really think you have to go for a bracing walk first, but as the cafe closes at 6, we decided to eat first and then walk. The nice thing was that it was much quieter by now, most visitors had gone home and we had the beach almost to ourselves. We watched a Holland America Line cruise ship leave Felixstowe <br />
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and then walked towards the old jetty where we can normally find a starfish or two.<br />
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What I like about Felixstowe is its total lack of obvious tourism. It's not particularly pretty, there aren't miles of sandy beaches or pastel coloured seafront cottages, but it is nice and quiet, you can watch the big cranes and container ships, and it's perfect for a bit of fresh seaside air.<br />
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Last night we also watched the Stenaline ferry from Hoek van Holland come in<br />
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I was told 'not to wave'.... Don't you just love teenagers?<br />
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By now we were all getting quite cold, so we wandered back to the car park.<br />
In the car on the way home, with a sneaky icecream, we all agreed that even though we'd only been out for a few hours and we had only had three days off, it felt as though we'd been on holidays.<br />
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I'm sure it won't be our last visit to Felixstowe this summer!Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-30496750536913148632015-04-28T18:00:00.000+01:002015-04-29T12:27:47.157+01:00Tuesday 28 April 2015Last week we had beautiful weather all week. Sunshine, blue skies, soaring temperatures. We drank tea and had meals outside in the garden, and 13yo and I did a fair bit of gardening too. But as is so often the case, the weather turned for the weekend and I woke up to rain and much lower temperatures on Saturday morning. Quite good weather to spend the morning in a <a href="http://www.cafeknit.com/">knitting cafe</a> then! <br />
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I still managed to get out in the fresh air though. Late Saturday afternoon the weather cleared, leaving some blustery blue skies. So I got out the bike and decided to head towards Woolpit, a pretty village about 10 miles east of where I live.<br />
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Pretty thatched cottage with Felsham church in background</div>
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I stopped in Rattlesden, another village I've driven through many times, always thought it was pretty but never stopped. The church is on a hill overlooking the village</div>
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It's a beautiful church, very richly decorated for such a small village. The only drawback of going for a bike ride at the end of the afternoon/early evening is that most churches are locked up and I can only look around outside, and not really find out anything about its history.<br />
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There was obviously a porch here before, but why and when did it go?<br />
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Just outside Rattlesden, next to the village sign<br />
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is the first Suffolk hill that has defeated me. I had to get off the bike and walk. It was actually so embarassing that every time a car came past, I pretended to be looking at the view down to the valley - how silly is that!<br />
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From Rattlesden it wasn't far to Woolpit. This village has a church that you can see for miles around and as I'd recently seen some photos of its interior, I wanted to go and have a look.<br />
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This church was still open, but there was a service going on and I never feel comfortable looking around during a service in my cycling clothes. There was plenty to see outside though.<br />
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I am still not sure if he is a green man... that elusive green man! Apparently I have photographed green men before, but that was before I realised what they were. Now I know what they are, I can't find them...<br />
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On one of the FB photography groups I belong to, I was told about the green children of Woolpit - apparently one day two children appeared in the village, looking like perfectly normal children, apart from their green skin. They spoke no understandable language, but were taken in by Sir Richard de Calne of Wykes in his house north of Woolpit. The boy died young, but the girl grew up and when she'd learnt to speak English, she claimed to have come from some underground fairy world. Lovely legend!<br />
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Very wonky chimney on house next to churchyard</div>
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From Woolpit I headed back home via Drinkstone, Beyton and Hessett. </div>
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Drinkstone had a neglected mill - right in someone's garden!</div>
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And Beyton has one of the few circular church towers in Suffolk - they are pretty much only seen in East Anglia, but mostly in Norfolk. There are only a few in Suffolk.<br />
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Poor bike, seemingly slung against the fencing! </div>
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Made it home dry, an hour later it was chucking it down with rain. Another 20 miles done.</div>
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Sunday morning was yet again wet and blustery. I'd arranged to meet up with H, my friend from knitting group, for tea, cake and knitting. We had a second breakfast with scones and boterkoek, and decided to take her dog Lupin off for a nice brisk walk to work off those calories. </div>
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The beautiful mansion is <a href="http://www.columbinehall.co.uk/">Columbine Hall</a>, a house in private hands but open for viewing by invitation and for weddings, concerts and other events. <br />
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Stowupland is in gently rolling countryside, and the rapeseed is in full bloom at the moment (no wonder poor 16yo can't stop sneezing).<br />
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H. says he's only looking well-behaved because she was trying to get him to look at the camera with a piece of livercake. I know better - he is a very well-behaved dog!<br />
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In the afternoon I had my first session as volunteer for Ickworth Church. I knew the church is without heating/electricity, but after a couple of hours inside, boy was I cold! It was much warmer outside, and that was with autumnal temperatures...<br />
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I'm sure I'm going to bore this blog silly with photos of this church... I'm enjoying the volunteering, which really is just a sort of meet and greet, telling visitors about the history of the church. Lots to learn and remember still! There is a <a href="http://www.ickworthchurch.org.uk/whats-on">concert </a>in a fortnight where I'm helping out. It'll be interesting to see the church being used by lots of people. <br />
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I'd gone out in the morning knowing I wouldn't be back till late afternoon, and had set both the slow cooker and the bread-maker, so we could eat pretty much as soon as we came in. The house smelt mouth-wateringly nice!<br />
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Chicken legs with chorizo sausages and pork belly, with salad and homemade bread. Yum. Dessert was apple custard but although that tasted good too, it looked so revolting that I didn't dare take a photo...<br />
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Batteries well and truly recharged for the week ahead!Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-23212472846155969422015-04-22T10:17:00.000+01:002015-04-22T10:17:59.749+01:00Wednesday 22 April 2015In the past few weeks I have been spending a bit more time with my sewing machine again. I had forgotten quite how much I like sewing. Knitting and crochet are a bit more portable and it's something I often do when we're out and about - if we stop for a coffee in town, the kids will go off and have a look at shops they like, leaving me behind with my cappuccino and my knitting. They're also hobbies you can pick up for just a few minutes here or there, but sewing is something you have to make more time for.<br />
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I'd had a denim dress cut out for ages, but as it consisted of 20 pattern pieces, I was a bit reluctant to start. Once I got going though, it went together very quickly, and when you can see it coming together and looking how you imagined it, you just can't stop!<br />
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I'd finished the dress the day before we went to London and insisted on wearing it, but it was really a bit too cold. It is very light fabric which gives it a nice drape, but although we have had lovely Spring weather, there is still quite a cold breeze too when you'd rather be wearing jeans and a fleece top! I'm hoping to get a lot of wear out of it this summer. <br />
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I spotted the red buttons when I was in the fabric shop for some more thread. I tend to wear a lot of blue as it is by far my favourite colour, and I had planned on getting blue buttons to go with it. Red buttons never crossed my mind, but these little flowery ones were so cheerful and actually went really well with it, that I couldn't resist. And then it was only a small step to red shoes... (ha - see what I did there?)<br />
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It's a bit of a step out of my comfort zone of jeans and tshirt but I love the dress, it was so much fun to make. The biggest compliment was being told by a friend that she hadn't realised I'd made it.<br />
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Talking of making things, this is happening in my conservatory:<br />
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16yo and I started a collection of cacti about a year ago, that is now taking over the table (we probably have about 25 of them). In my kindness I managed to kill one, after which I was under strict instructions by 16yo not to water them so often... They obviously like the regime of neglect and sunshine and heat, because this little one is flowering its heart out. And there is another one with buds that are just about to open. It's a different type of cactus and the buds are really unusual, and I can't wait to see what the flowers will be like.<br />
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We're in full-blown GCSE revision mode here, with regular Fashion&Textile crises, notes spread all over the house and Post-Its stuck to doors... Another three weeks until the first proper exam!<br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-46889190390595590882015-04-19T20:43:00.001+01:002015-04-19T20:43:56.760+01:00Sunday 19 April 2015I'm not quite sure why but I hadn't been out on the bike for a few weeks - I had a few other things on, amongst others a weekend in Derby meeting up with friends from an online group that has been going for years. Was lovely to see them all, catching up, going for an Indian, drinking coffee and doing lots of crocheting.<br />
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Now that the evenings are lighter again and yesterday being a lovely Spring day, I got into my lycra as soon as the kids had gone to J.'s and set out, with no real plan of a route. I discovered quite quickly that there was quite a strong easterly breeze, so decided to keep heading east and then at least I'd have the wind in my back on the way home!<br />
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I stopped at the church in Bradfield St. George. I've come past this church so many times and have always wanted to have a look around.<br />
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It was also a good excuse to catch my breath...<br />
As I wanted to get as many miles covered as possible before it got dark, I only had a brief look around, but it's a very bright, airy church.<br />
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I only discovered the guide book hiding under the visitor book as I was about to leave. You can learn a lot from the guide book, even though often they're not very well written and badly photocopied - but they're full of interesting bits of history and tell you about parts of the church that you wouldn't normally notice. A good reason to return soon.<br />
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(the little holder on the left of the last photo is for an hour-glass that would show how much longer the sermon would be...)<br />
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Onwards, just following a well-known road but not knowing where I'd end up. <br />
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Very protective mummy sheep. Lamb refused to look at the camera.<br />
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After several miles I found myself in Preston, which is a little village I'd heard of when the children were still at primary school, but had never been to. By now the sun was beginning to set and the evening light was beautiful.<br />
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On my way through Preston, I'd cycled past a pub where a wedding reception was taking place, with a barbecue outside, plenty of smartly dressed guests, and a steel band. I could hear the steel band as I was wandering around the graveyard, which felt very surreal - very Suffolk countryside with Caribbean music in the background!<br />
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Unfortunately the church was closed already, probably because it was early evening, so this is another one to return to in the future.<br />
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From here it was still quite a push to get home before it got dark. I braved half a mile on the main road where my house is. When some boy racer in his clapped-out red BMW decided he needed to overtake another car right in front of me, I realised that the A134 really isn't a road for cyclists. At least there are plenty of countrylanes around here to choose from.<br />
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20 miles in total and pleasantly worn out!<br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-69223667543130933692015-04-18T21:58:00.000+01:002015-04-18T21:58:13.455+01:00Wednesday 15 April 2015Over the past few months, I have joined a number of Facebook groups for photos of the Suffolk countryside and church architecture. I've seen stunning photos, learnt about places I'd never even heard of before and am getting to know some new people.<br />
Recently in the Suffolk churches group, a tour around <a href="http://www.ickworthchurch.org.uk/">Ickworth Church</a> was advertised. I knew of Ickworth Church, which is situated in the grounds of <a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ickworth/">Ickworth House</a>, but had never really visited. So I got a couple of tickets and last night 13yo and I drove over at the end of the afternoon. It had been a beautiful, sunny day, almost summery, and it was lovely to walk down from the grand house to the church in the valley below.<br />
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We had a quick chat with the tour guide who turned out to be the church coordinator. The church was closed down in the eighties and fell into disrepair. In 2006 the Marquess of Bristol set up the Ickworth Church Conservation Trust with a view to restoring the church, as his ancestors are all buried in the vaults. The restoration started in 2012 and cost more than a million pounds. The church was reopened in 2013 and is now permitted to hold six services each year - the harvest festival, a Christmas carol service and 4 wedding blessings. They regularly hold other events, such as concerts, exhibitions and the tour we were about to do.<br />
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There were about 8 of us altogether, mostly volunteers and employees from the National Trust, which was really interesting as they knew quite a bit about the history of the family.<br />
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The building has several fascinating parts, such as a rare double piscina but not anywhere near the altar, a squint but so incredibly small that you can't imagine more than one person at the time being able to look through it, and a triple-decker pulpit. The reason the pulpit was so high became clear as we went up in the family pews - which were in the south aisle, completely separate - the only way you could see the priest from there, was if he was on the top deck!<br />
We also had a look in the bell tower and were taken down to the vaults, where all the marquesses and earls, and their wives and children, are buried.<br />
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The tour took about an hour and both 13yo and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked it so much that I signed up to become a volunteer - it will be nice to spend a bit more time in a place with so much history.<br />
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We were told that the view from the top of the tower is stunning, but weren't allowed up there ourselves. As we walked back to the car, the first thing 13yo said to me was 'I want to go on that roof!' Well, with a bit of luck, they may just let him sometime! <br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-53696092762934629322015-04-10T20:55:00.002+01:002015-04-10T20:55:56.247+01:00Thursday 9 April 2015<br />
I think it was last year or maybe even the year before that 16yo
asked to go to London for the day as one of her birthday presents. She
loves going to London and would go every weekend, given the chance. I'd
be pretty surprised if she ends up going to university somewhere else.
She regularly goes with J. but then they go with the three of them, and
sometimes she likes going with just me. Most of the time we do one or
two of the walks from this <a href="http://www.hive.co.uk/book/city-walks-deck-london/10247184/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwxpipBRCap8PR2Om7vq4BEiQA6V7OVeijuaOkGW5rMPrVL4AaZInPg47Cjm5qXUmv9OJh_-YaAsjF8P8HAQ">set </a>that my dad bought for me a few years ago and has turned out to be really good. <br />
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This
year we set out rather early on Good Friday - getting up at 7 on the
first day of a long 4 day weekend was not what I had planned, but it was
worth it as we arrived in London at 10 and it was so lovely and quiet.
Because of the holiday weekend we were worried it would be very busy, so
we avoided the main tourist areas and headed towards Farringdon. <br />
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The
walks in this set often start in areas where you don't expect to find
anything interesting. You wonder what you're going to see and if this
one is going to be disappointing, when you'll turn a corner or be led
down a small alleyway and suddenly you end up in a very pretty part.<br />
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Farringdon
feels very much off the beaten track and miles from the city centre,
but in truth it isn't that far and we suddenly found this view - St.
Paul's and the shard shrouded in mist<br />
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Next
it was time for a coffee stop. A few years ago we discovered WholeFoods
in Kensington on a trip to renew our passports. We often go there for a
coffee but as it was completely the other direction from where we were
spending the day, we decided to see if we could find something else.<br />
We saw this little French brasserie, <a href="http://cafepistou.co.uk/">Café Pistou</a>, on Exmouth Market that immediately took 16yo's fancy and where we ended up having a second breakfast...<br />
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Possibly the best coffee I've ever had, plus crepes for 16yo and eggs royale for me - yum!<br />
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And if this had been open, we would have gone here for lunch... Unfortunately they were closed for refurbishment!<br />
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Myddelton
Square was almost at the end of our first walk. From Angel it was only a
stop or two to Hoxton, where our next walk started.<br />
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Although
it was an interesting walk, it was definitely one we enjoyed less than
others we've done. We got lost several times, it was along a very busy
road and it had you retrace your steps several times.<br />
<a href="http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk/">The Geffrye museum</a>,
which sounded interesting and looked very pretty too, was closed for
the holiday weekend, which was disappointing. And then 16yo started
complaining of needing the toilet, which doesn't help when you're trying
to enjoy yourself!<br />
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So, time for a toilet stop and a spot of lunch and then the last walk of the day from Old Street to Liverpool Street.<br />
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<br />We
started off at Bunhill Fields, a small, quiet and very full old
cemetery where we found Daniel Defoe, William Blake and John Bunyan. You
couldn't actually walk among the gravestones, in order to protect them.<br />
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Next
was Finsbury Circus, where most of the buildings miraculously survived
the Blitz. Beautiful buildings, although the center was a building site
for Crossrail.<br />
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The Gherkin<br />
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According to 16yo this building is called the Walkie-talkie. You could see the lifts going up and down.<br />
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I'm
sure she's texting her best friend here 'mum's busy photographing
churches again. I thought this was supposed to be MY birthday treat'.<br />
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She was right, I was photographing a church... this was Bishopsgate Churchyard with St. Botolph's church.<br />
<br />
And
that got us to the end of our third walk and back to Liverpool Street
Station. We both fancied a visit to Foyle's so we walked down there, but
by the time we got there, we were both so tired, that neither of us
could really be bothered to look around for long! So it was a cup of tea
and then we headed back home.<br />
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Lovely day though,
exploring another part of London we'd not have gone to if it hadn't been
for the pack of walks. I'm already mentally planning our next visit... <br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-54547344472544331822015-04-05T08:30:00.000+01:002015-04-05T09:38:06.900+01:00Sunday 5 April 2015To my big girl<br />
<br />
Today is your sixteenth birthday. Sixteen - it sounds as though it should be a milestone birthday. It sounds so grown up. And that is what you are, getting very grown up. You have become very independent, very self-reliant in the last year. It is an important school year, as no doubt school is telling you over and over again, taking your GCSE's. I always knew you were a hard worker but you have impressed me so much with your motivation to do as well as you can. An A isn't good enough, it has to be an A*. I don't have to ask you if you've done your homework, I know you're getting on with it. I love seeing how pleased you are when you come home with a better-than-expected grade, and I'm sure you're going to surprise yourself when you come to pick up your grades in August.<br />
<br />
As you're getting older, you are becoming such good company. You are much quieter than your brother, and you and I don't have endless conversations. But there are lots of things we enjoy together. We both relish our Saturday mornings, with our ritual of a coffee in Cafe Nero, people watching, you playing Candy Crush and me knitting for an hour or so. I can always rely on you to give me an honest opinion when I want to know if I look good in something. You tell me off when I need telling off. You support me when I need a hug. You even make my cups of tea how I want them, even though we don't really agree on what brand of tea is the nicest.<br />
<br />
I've always felt that when you become a parent and see your children grow up, to start off you need to hold your child firmly by the hand. As they become more independent, you can slowly let go of that hand, until you walk behind them, ready to catch them if they fall. That's where we are now.<br />
It's only another two years until you go to university. You're so excited about this that you've already ordered some university brochures. And although I can't imagine how much I'm going to miss you, I'm also so very proud of the young woman you are becoming. The world is a better place because of you and it is an honour and a pleasure to be your mamma.<br />
<br />
Happy birthday mijn grote meid, I love you lots.<br />
Mamma xxx<br />
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Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-28126167185461331852015-04-01T07:00:00.000+01:002015-04-01T07:56:10.741+01:00Wednesday 1 April 2015To my little man<br />
<br />
Today you turn 13 - finally a proper teenager!<br />
<br />
You've been showing teenage tendencies for a while though. You're beginning to sleep longer in the mornings, although I think you will probably always be an early bird and not so much of a night owl. You love your computer and you're a little bit lost when I say it's time to shut it down and go and do something else. When I ask you to do something in the house, I usually have to ask three times before it gets done.<br />
But to me that's all normal teenage behaviour and something to be expected. It is such a pleasure to see you grow up and develop into an adult. You're such a generous, caring young man. Whenever I feel unwell or a bit sad, you will go out of your way to try and make me feel better, with blankets, a cuddly animal and the remote within reach. A few months ago your older sister was feeling unwell and stayed home from school. Before you caught the school bus, you put her duvet and pillow on the sofa, there was the bear that is yours but that she likes so much too, and there was a drink in her favourite glass on the side.<br />
You also have a very patient side which is completely opposite to me sometimes getting stressed a bit too quickly. You stay calm, push me out of the way and quietly sort out whatever it was that was making me cross.<br />
You are great fun to be with. I love going to Holland with you because you like everything there and you like the same things as I do, even the very simple things like going for a very quick bike ride on the little folding bikes that opa bought for us at the Hema a few years ago. I enjoy having you around in the kitchen because you have such an obvious talent for cooking. I like spending that half hour in Costa with you every week while your sister does the shopping and you do the Maths puzzles in the newspaper ever faster. I love cycling and playing table-tennis with you - specially because really, you're much better than me but you obviously still enjoy playing with me.<br />
You often make me very proud, like last weekend when you took part in the squash tournament and you lost every match but you still enjoyed yourself. The way you never ask for big presents. How you didn't mind not having a television for a while. When I get told by your teachers how hard you work and how polite you are.<br />
<br />
I say it every year but I am so very proud to be your mamma and I love you lots, exactly for who you are.<br />
<br />
Happy birthday mijn kleine mannetje,<br />
Mamma xxx<br />
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ETA the only photo I have of you from this year, as you hate having your photo taken...<br />
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Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-83603569613720243442015-03-24T18:00:00.000+00:002015-03-24T18:00:03.643+00:00Tuesday 24 March 2015Last Saturday, I helped out at a Knit and Natter day at <a href="http://www.kentwell.co.uk/">Kentwell Hall</a>. Although Kentwell Hall is just down the road from where I live, I can only remember visiting once, probably at a similar time of the year as it was to see all the lambs. It was so foggy that you couldn't see the house at all. It was years ago, when the children were still small and you try and find things to do with them because staying cooped up at home drives you crazy.<br />
Someone from knitting group is very much involved with the re-enactment society at Kentwell Hall and asked recently if anybody wanted to come to the Knit and Natter day that was being organised. If visitors brought their knitting, they'd get a free coffee and piece of cake, with volunteers also on hand to help teach. For us it meant a day of knitting, with tea and cake and good company - what's not to like!<br />
Unfortunately when I got there, it turned out the location was just too cold - an open barn with a tent attached to it, but no heating and no electricity. So we ended up in the cafe, which was warmer and smelt delicious with hot coffee and cakes and lunchtime foods. The Knit and Natter event was going to run all weekend and I only helped on Saturday, but we didn't have that much interest. I don't think the event was that well known and most visitors were young families coming to see the baby animals, like I did all those years ago. A few people would look over and smile, but not really come over.<br />
Still, it was a day's guilt-free knitting with friends, which I'm not complaining about! Besides, I got the chance to have a wander round and take a look at the house, and buy some of the wool from Kentwell's own sheep for my knitalong blanket.<br />
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I thought the house was National Trust or English Heritage property, but it turned out it's in private hands, bought 40 years ago as a near-derelict building and since been done up. No wonder they organise plenty of events to get the public in - it must cost a fortune to maintain a house of this size.<br />
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The back of the house isn't nearly as pretty - it was the servants' entrance, so didn't need to impress...<br />
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The house doesn't open to the public until Easter but there is another Knit and Natter event planned for June when they hold the sheep shearing weekend. I'm hoping to be involved in that one too and then maybe get the chance to visit the inside of the house.<br />
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On Sunday I'd arranged to meet a friend for coffee and a long overdue chat in Ipswich. I'm still not back to sleeping very well (very frustrating for someone who normally sleeps like a log, and the world doesn't feel like a nice place at 5am) and was awake so early on Sunday morning, that I was out on the bike by 8.30am. I knew I only had a couple of hours so I'd planned a vague route the night before. <br />
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This is St. Clare at Bradfield St. Clare. There is a better view without the hedge in front, but I quite like how you can see the church through the bare trees still. In another month or so the buildings will be hidden.<br />
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Then onto Gedding. The map didn't really show a church as such, just a little plus sign which usually means a chapel of some sorts. But hidden behind a hedge in a turn of the road was St. Mary.<br />
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Sadly the church had no leaflet with information which is unusual. These often hand-typed leaflets can contain lots of history and other little facts that you wouldn't notice if you walked around just looking. I've even learnt some church architecture from them. I'd really like to learn more though. One day, when a day miraculously contains more hours!<br />
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The map also showed Gedding Hall, with a moat around it. It wasn't really on my route but I'd already spotted a large country house from the graveyard so decided to cycle up to see if I could get a better look.<br />
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This was the best view I could get. When I got home, I looked it up and it turns out it belongs to Bill Wyman, but in the past it was <a href="http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/kray_twins_link_to_historic_suffolk_hall_1_186580">allegedly used</a> by the Kray brothers as hide-out.<br />
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Next was St. Mary at Brettenham. The tower is in an unusual position and seems to take the place of what is normally the south porch. A service was just starting with several very well-dressed people attending - I felt out of place even in the graveyard, so decided to put this one on my list of churches to come back to in the future.<br />
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Another St. Mary and the last church of the ride - this is at Thorpe Morieux (pronounced M'roo). By now I was running out of time so I didn't even stop to look at the exterior but pedalled on towards home. <br />
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My house is on a busy main road which is not really designed for cyclists. If I want to avoid it, I have to start my bike rides down a fairly steep hill. Which is lovely at the start but also means that coming home, I have to go UP that hill. Suffolk really is hillier than Norfolk and this hill is a bit of a killer when you've already done several miles. I'm proud to say I've not had to get off the bike and walk yet!<br />
A nice 18 mile ride.<br />
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After putting the world to rights with my friend in the very overpriced Suffolk Food Hall (the view is great though), I came home and made what 15yo later described as 'chocolate brownie cake'. Yum.<br />
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Another few days until the children break up for Easter. They both have their birthday in the holidays, which means I'll have two proper teenagers at home. I'm sure there will be more cake, although having said that, 12yo has asked for trifle for his birthday cake. I suppose it makes a change...Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-13398012030281168602015-03-16T18:30:00.000+00:002015-03-16T18:30:00.735+00:00Monday 16 March 2015After all the emotional upheaval of the last month or so, at some point it was bound to happen that tiredness would hit me. Apart from a few days' sick leave back in February and a day off work for dad's operation, I've carried on working. And although it's not always been easy and my concentration hasn't always been what it should be, being at work provides a sense of normality and routine that I've very much needed. However, there is only so strong I can be, and by Friday afternoon I was completely shattered. I could just about face the commute from Cambridge back home, but for the next 48 hours or so I had no energy for anything else. I'd made a list of things I wanted to do over the weekend and did the bare necessities, but apart from that, did little more than sit on the sofa.<br />
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One of the things on my list was a bike ride on Sunday, but the weather forecast wasn't particularly good. By Sunday morning I'd managed to catch up on some sleep though and when I went briefly outside to the wheeliebins, I noticed it wasn't a bad temperature at all. It didn't take me long to find my cycling leggings and merino top and twenty minutes later I was out in the fresh air, intending to explore the <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/news/church-england-and-sustrans-team-towers-and-spires-cycling-tours">Towers and Spires</a> cycling tour. I'd picked up a leaflet in a church a while back and as the starting point for the ride wasn't that far away from me, plus plenty of options to shorten the route should the weather turn horrible, it sounded like a good one to try out.<br />
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Only two miles down the road I turned off and found myself on a little countrylane I'd not known before. I've lived in Suffolk 20 years but have never really cycled here, and it's the perfect way of getting to know my own county a bit better.<br />
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The first church, St. Nicholas in Rushbrooke, wasn't actually part of the tour but it was one that was worth visiting anyway. From the outside it doesn't look much different from so many other churches in Suffolk, but the inside was a real surprise...<br />
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I've never seen a small country church before where the pews were 'collegiate' style. Apparently a lot of work was done by a Captain Rushbrooke in the 19th century - he lived in the Hall that burnt down in a mysterious fire. At the western end was what looked like an organ, but apparently all the pipes are made of wood and painted - I had no idea until I read up about this church on the fabulous <a href="http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/rushbrooke.htm">Suffolk Churches website</a>!<br />
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Onwards towards Bury St. Edmunds. The route was a combination of National Cycle <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-13">Route 13</a> and <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/route/route-51">51</a> - part of which 12yo and I had done a few weeks ago in Felixstowe. I was pleasantly surprised to find that around Bury St. Edmunds, there are several dedicated cycle paths. The UK has a long way to go where cycling safety is concerned, but Bury is doing a great job.<br />
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The route took me through the Abbey Gardens and past the cathedral, where I've walked and driven countless times before. It was very quiet, only about 10am, and lovely to ride where it's normally busy with people.<br />
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Left Bury by re-tracing my 'steps' and then rode towards Great Barton which has a very large church. I'd meant to go and have a look but as there was a service just finishing and I was in my cycling clothes, I didn't feel comfortable enough to go in. Onwards towards Pakenham - this was a hard part of the ride as it was all open countryside, heading east into a bitterly easterly wind. The church there was well worth the effort though.<br />
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Another first for me: a cruciform church - the tower in the middle rather than on the western end. It also sits high up on a hill, overlooking the village. Entrance was through the north porch which along with the position of the tower confused me a bit!<br />
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The interior was having work done and unfortunately a lot of the interesting parts were covered up. I really liked the colours in the chancel, it created a very different atmosphere and blue and yellow are my favourite colours anyway.<br />
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From Pakenham the route led down to Tostock but as the weather was turning colder and threatening with rain and my thighs were beginning to protest at the Suffolk hills, I decided to ride home from here. 27 miles in total, and plenty of the route left to see, so that's another ride sorted out.<br />
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The fresh air had done me good and with it my interest in cooking, which had disappeared in February, returned. It was Mother's Day in the UK yesterday, but rather than expect my two to cook, I quite enjoyed cooking a meal for them.<br />
I'd read the Observer magazine on the ferry a while back, which had an 'easy midweek' supper by Nigel Slater - baked camembert with hasselback potatoes.<br />
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Not sure why I've never tried baked cheese before! I suspect that I have to cycle another 27 miles to work off all those calories...<br />
And I'd promised 12yo that I'd make the cinnamon swirls from the latest Tesco magazine, so that's what we had for afters. Quite a lot of work but good fun and according to 15yo, they could have come straight from a bakery. In fact, she said straight from <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/">Wholefoods </a>- well, if that isn't a compliment :-) <br />
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Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-16744257576721541042015-03-10T08:42:00.000+00:002015-03-10T10:00:23.197+00:00Tuesday 10 March 2015Spending a few days in the Netherlands to help my dad recover from an operation (all going well - I'm hoping to travel back to the UK in the next couple of days). Not had much chance for photography, what with work and hospital visits and catching up with friends, but the weather has turned decidedly Spring like while I've been away. Still have dewy mornings though, and this morning I couldn't resist taking a photo of his barn owl statue on his balcony...<br />
(ETA: just been told this is a long eared owl, not a barn owl - you learn something new every day!) <br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-32526134455202513022015-03-01T18:43:00.001+00:002015-03-01T18:47:14.076+00:00Sunday 1 March 2015Earlier this week I agreed to meet up today with a friend from knitting group who has three dogs, and join her on her walk. Some fresh air never fails to make you feel better. As she doesn't live that far away from me, I thought rather than drive down to hers, I'd get on the bike and cycle there. Bit like a biathlon - bike, walk, bike!<br />
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It was a beautiful, sunny morning, just rather windy. Which was fine on the way there, as I was headed west, but coming back was hard work... and it turns out Suffolk's a bit hillier than Norfolk too!<br />
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Eight miles on the bike, 2 or 3 mile walk with dogs, cup of tea with German apple cake, 11 miles on the bike returning home. Good to be out there.<br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-6617957875716003792015-02-24T19:10:00.001+00:002015-02-24T19:10:59.904+00:00Tuesday 24 February 2015Almost two weeks ago, my life was completely turned upside down. I have thought long and hard about whether to say something on this blog, whether to take a break, whether to start afresh. I still don't know whether saying anything at all is a good thing or not. I do know though that I don't want to stop writing this blog and I don't want to carry on as though nothing has happened and everything's the same as it was. Because it isn't.<br />
Without going into too much detail, my future has changed completely and I'm having to rebuild my life. The holiday let is on the back burner and when it does happen, I don't know if I'll be involved - I don't know if I'll be able to. Very much out of the blue I'm having to put 10 years of history and what I thought was happiness behind me. I am a strong person and I know I'll get through it, but right now, the confusion, anger and above all the sadness is overwhelming. To have my trust so completely betrayed is a bitter pill to swallow.<br />
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Last weekend, I put our two bikes on the back of the car and drove to Felixstowe with 12yo. Like any other 12yo, he loves his electronic gadgets. His iPad, Minecraft, YouTube, headphones, lots of giggles - I'm sure it's a scene familiar to many with a young teenage boy. But 12yo is also always up for going out, specially if it involves physical activity. He loves cycling - definitely some Dutch genes there! Like me, he likes the beach and Felixstowe, and I figured a day by the sea and some exercise would blow some cobwebs away. <br />
We started off at Landguard Point, the most southerly point of Felixstowe where all the cranes are and you see all the big container ships coming in.The plan was to cycle north along the coast towards Felixstowe Ferry where I'd only been once before, with parttime dog. There was a cold wind, but the sun was shining and as soon as I was out on the bike, I felt better for it.<br />
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The southerly and northerly point of Felixstowe are very unspoilt. Not touristy pretty, but quietly unassuming, whereas the middle bit is full of arcades and seaside snack stands. We stopped at Felixstowe Ferry by the river Deben and warmed up with a hot chocolate (that in fact, was so hot that I burnt my tongue and mouth!) while watching the seagulls and a little boat being dragged onto a trailer. I let 12yo decide how he wanted to cycle back - retracing our 'steps' or another part of the circular route we were doing. He chose to go back the same way - which was with a strong headwind that had picked up during our ride, and a lot of uphill too.<br />
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After another hour we were back at the car park at Landguard Point, by which time we were both ready for a spot of lunch. There is a new-to-us visitor centre with a little cafe doing, by the looks of it, a roaring trade - we were lucky to find a table near the window. Not that 12yo had much time to look out of the window...<br />
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Fifteen miles and he was HUNGRY - I just about had time to take a picture because five minutes later his plate was clean!<br />
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Although initially I found it hard to pick up the needles again, now I find it brings me some calmness when my thoughts won't stop falling over themselves. It's odd, because I don't need to concentrate on knitting, but the repetitive action seems to be therapeutic.<br />
Back in January, I signed up to take part in a Dutch blanket KAL or knitalong. Dad bought me a book about the history of Dutch fisherman ganseys, a garment I have always liked. Last summer an exhibition was held in the south of the Netherlands to go with publication of the book, but rather than have all the visitors touch all the old and sometimes fragile sweaters, the organisers decided to knit squares with all the different motifs and sew those up into a big blanket. It proved to be a huge hit with visitors and the idea of a knitalong was born. For five months we get sent 5 patterns for 5 different blocks, and you end up with a blanket of 25 different blocks. I'd been given some undyed sheep's wool for my birthday and decided to use that for my blocks, so my blanket will be varying shades of brown. I'm really enjoying taking part - there is a very active <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/655045194617641/">Facebook page</a> with 416 members where we all show our progress and exchange hints, advice and lots of laughter. I believe the total number of participants is more than 1000 already...<br />
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Anyway, these are my first five blocks:<br />
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And the first block in more detail:<br />
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I'm going to knitting group tonight where I'm planning to cast on for the sixth block. I'm not sure my blanket will be finished by the summer, but I love knitting it and I have seen so many different colour combinations, that I suspect I will be knitting a few others when this one is finished. One in traditional fisherman gansey blue for example...Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-30586908863758425052015-01-21T15:09:00.001+00:002015-01-21T15:09:50.209+00:00Tuesday 20 January 2015In a fortnight where there was a little too much upsetting news for my liking (ageing parents...), the one thing that has kept me cheerful is our holiday cottage, that I mentioned in my last post.<br />
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As I've mentioned on this blog before, B. lives in a house that he built himself, in the same grounds as his father who lives in a big farmhouse behind B's house. This farmhouse has several barns and outbuildings, in various states of disrepair. One of them in particular always looked like a perfect candidate for converting into a holiday cottage. I used to joke about it, then my jokes became a bit more serious and one day B. agreed that it might be fun.<br />
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The renovation started 5 years ago and B. worked on it in his spare time, the holiday cottage competing for attention with skiing, tractors and motorbikes! We never really knew when it would be finished, often it would be 'next Easter' and that Easter would come and go and still we wouldn't be done. But there wasn't any real rush.<br />
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Cat helping out</div>
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After B. built pretty much everything himself single-handedly (my contribution being the occasional sweeping of the floor or, more likely, tidying up the kitchen in his own house or running another load of laundry so he could concentrate on this building), we are now at the point of furnishing, as you can tell from the last couple of photos. It's not quite finished yet - we are now having heated discussions about pieces of furniture and every day the post arrives with several parcels containing glassware, duvet covers, bath mats and everything else you need to run a home. Last weekend the sofas and the white goods arrived, and it's looking more and more that we can take paying guests from Easter - yes, this Easter!<br />
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There is still a lot to do, but I've started thinking about creating a website and marketing the holiday let in order to make it profitable. It is a steep learning curve but I'm very much looking forward to having people there, enjoying a holiday in a cottage that we think is very cosy!<br />
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A few details: it's a 2 bedroom cottage which sleeps 4. Downstairs is all open plan with a kitchen with woodburner cooker and induction hob on one side, and living room with woodburner on the other side. The back doors open onto a patio/seating area that is completely private and overlooks a large field with hedges.<br />
Upstairs are two bedrooms, one main bedroom with double bed and one smaller bedroom with two single beds. Bathroom with bath/shower over bath/basin/toilet/bidet. Bedding/towels/logs/electricity included. The cottage is situated about 2 miles outside Pulham St. Mary, which has a village shop and a community centre with a cafe, open 6 days a week. The next village along, Pulham Market, has two pubs. The market town Diss is a 20 minutes drive away, Norwich half an hour, Cambridge is 80 minutes and the coast about 40 minutes. There are lots of public footpaths near the cottage and of course when you come back, you can warm up by the woodburner or have a barbecue on the patio!<br />
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The website should be up and running very soon, but in the meantime you can start to follow us on Twitter (@oldhorsestable) for updates... (and some more photos of furnishing in progress are here https://www.flickr.com/photos/38243956@N00/sets/72157627375567336)<br />
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Maybe see you there sometime?Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-88599144255680821582015-01-14T14:16:00.000+00:002015-01-14T14:16:39.237+00:00Wednesday 14 January 2015I still do bike rides, at least once a week. Every Sunday morning B. has race training at the dry ski slope in Norwich, and I come along and cycle for almost 3 hours. Getting up at 7.30am on a Sunday morning isn't always easy, but then when I ride out of the ski club into the fresh air, I feel quite smug at being out there so early.<br />
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Of course, the location and time limit my range a little bit - always starting from the same location means you always explore the same area, and I have to be back by the end of the morning, even though B. doesn't complain about a few extra runs if I'm late. Oddly enough, most Sundays I seem to be able to find something new - a little country lane I hadn't spotted before or had always wanted to go down but had never made the time for, a church or nice building I haven't seen previously - and I've also developed the knack of being back just when race training is finished and all cleared up.<br />
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Last Sunday was my first bike ride of this year. During the week I keep a close eye on the weather forecast - I can cope with most weather conditions but relentless rain is not one of them. I'm very fortunate in that most weeks, the weather is kind enough for me to go out. I sometimes get the odd shower, but lycra dries very quickly (and by now, I have a big sports bag full of tops and leggings!). This week it was windy - very windy - very icy windy! I thought beforehand that it was warmer so only wore my leggings, not my thermal leggings underneath, and boy, were my legs cold at the end. I only warmed up properly once we were visiting B's dad in hospital that afternoon.<br />
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Anyway, on to some photos.<br />
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St. Remigius at Dunston</div>
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First snowdrops!</div>
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St. Mary's at Swardeston. The father of Edith Cavell was rector here, and she is mentioned on the <a href="http://www.norfolkchurches.co.uk/swardeston/swardeston.htm">war memorial</a>. Last Summer I had a proper look inside the church, where there is lots of information about her. A very sad story.<br />
The lychgate was built and donated by a member of the congregation in memory of his wife at the end of the 19th century. I don't know why but I do like this lychgate - maybe because of how it came to be, because of how good it still looks more than a 100 years later, of because of its honest simplicity.<br />
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St. Peter's at Swainsthorpe, sadly locked, but with a bonus cat...</div>
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St. Edmund at Caistor St. Edmund. I've cycled past this church many times and you can also see it when you drive along the A140, the main road for us into and out of Norwich. Considering its location (at the edge of a Roman town), I had expected a bit more of it, but I found it slightly disappointing. It probably didn't help that every time I stood still, I noticed how cold I was, as this was towards the end of the bike ride!<br />
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<br />Every church has something unique though, and this one's no different. Most porches have corbels and they're often angels facing outwards. This one has a bishop and a king, and unusually they face each other.<br />
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The highlight for me was the church graffiti - which you find very often - but this one, they think, represents Norwich Cathedral. It certainly looks like the cathedral! <br />
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20 miles in total - a bit shorter than usual because of the strong wind. We warmed up with a hot chocolate at the club house and then went on to Hughes Electrical to buy a fridge/freezer, dishwasher and washer/dryer for our almost-finished holiday let - but that's a blog post for later this week!Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-67997311824163999772015-01-06T09:04:00.000+00:002015-01-06T09:04:53.763+00:00Tuesday 6 January 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy New Year! </div>
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It's the 'twelfth day of Christmas' today and our first day of back to normal. The alarm clock went off at its usual time of 6.29am this morning, and to my disappointment it was still dark when I opened the curtains and the kids were just as reluctant to get up as they were before Christmas. It feels like December, the midst of winter, but without the warm glow of Christmas lights. At the moment I can see why January can be such a depressing month!</div>
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We had a lovely break though, and it felt like much longer than just two weeks. Lots of lie-ins, pyjama days, endless cups of tea, knitting, reading and plenty of good food - for me that is what the Christmas period is all about. </div>
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The Christmas holidays aren't complete without a trip to Holland to celebrate New Year's Eve and my mum's birthday on New Year's Day. So on Tuesday last week 12yo and I set out very early in the morning to catch the daytime ferry to Hoek van Holland. We almost missed it because of an unexpected flat tyre, but the AA delivered fabulous service and half an hour after ringing them, we were on our way again - phew! </div>
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When I go to Holland with 12yo, we always visit the <a href="http://www.hogeveluwe.nl/">Hoge Veluwe</a> - I'm sure photos of the National Park have featured on my blog before. It doesn't matter what time of year you go, it's always a special place to visit. This time we went on New Year's Eve, hoping it would be quiet as people were busy preparing for the festive evening. We managed to grab the coveted seats in front of the fire with a coffee before we set off on a bike ride</div>
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Twenty miles in total in a frosty, snowy, foggy landscape<br />
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<br />We normally pack quite a lot into our trips to Holland, but this time 12yo came down with a bit of a bug (probably just a little overtired) so we were forced to slow down a little. Not a bad thing and we still managed to do the things that made me feel that I'd been 'home' for a few days.</div>
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12yo is such a good travelling companion for my trips to Holland - he just loves being there and is enthusiastic about all the things I want to do. A few years ago my dad bought us two little folding bikes from the <a href="http://www.hema.nl/">Hema </a>(my all-time favourite shop), very basic but light and easy to manoeuvre. We love riding these bikes into town, which means being a proper part of traffic - cycling is very different in Holland from the UK and much more fun really. Another favourite ride is to cross the river with a little ferry and then cycling back and riding over the bridge across the river. <br />
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All too soon it was time to head back to Britain again. A very busy ferry and 12 hours later and we were home, and at the moment it looks as though I won't be back till May. At least I have our week in Lyme Regis in February to look forward to, else January would really be a very depressing month!<br />
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Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-82627576486943747052014-12-17T15:45:00.002+00:002014-12-17T15:45:36.562+00:00Wednesday 17 December<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night was our Christmas get-together for my knitting group. We meet up once a month, taking it in turns to host, and we all bring something to eat. We start off with a nice meal, trying to stay fairly healthy since one of our members was diagnosed with diabetes type 1 (sometimes we fall off the wagon a bit and have naughty desserts such as meringue or strawberry mousse cake!), and then drink copious amounts of tea and knit or crochet amongst lots of chat and laughter. It's the one night out I always look forward to, as we just get on really well in so many ways. I feel I've gained several friends, rather than just 'knitting buddies'.<br />
Last year we decided to do a Secret Santa and that was so much fun that we did it again this year. I loved seeing how different the presents were - <a href="http://crymamma.blogspot.co.uk/">F.</a> was given a book about sock knitting as she's just discovered how much fun it is to knit socks, <a href="http://stephparmee.wordpress.com/">S.</a> received a display box with balls of yarn inside and a note on the back 'break in case of emergency'. There was a knitted Christmas decoration for new member C., J. was given a vintage needle gauge in a lovely knitted bag, and I knitted fingerless gloves for H. And H. knitted me this fabulous pink tractor. <br />
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A week to go till Christmas and there is still so much to be done. Parcels to be sent, knitting deadlines to be met. One year I'm going to take the whole of December off and just enjoy preparing for Christmas. The tree is up though, the house is decorated and the kids come home every afternoon telling me what film they've watched at school. And although I would love to have a house that looks like it's walked straight off the pages from an interior decoration magazine, I'm secretly very proud that so many of our decorations are handmade. With all that lack of time that I moan about every year, I'm obviously still doing something right somewhere along the lines. <br />
Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-11016628181383948552014-11-05T15:04:00.002+00:002014-11-05T15:04:59.694+00:00Wednesday 5 November 2014Half term was taken up with a flying visit to Holland with the 12yo man. He loves going over, likes everything Dutch, starts speaking Dutch and this time even ordered his own drink in Dutch - I love seeing how his confidence grows. He's the perfect travelling companion for trips to Holland and I relish my time with just him....<br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4165040501440991262.post-38214341483844382142014-10-21T15:40:00.001+01:002014-10-21T15:40:46.786+01:00Tuesday 21 OctoberI think I've mentioned my parttime dog in the past on this blog - I can't be bothered to scroll back to find if I have! (parttime dog belongs to my elderly neighbour who can't walk him anymore, so we take him for regular walks).<br />
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He turned 15 in July and his age is really showing now. He's completely deaf, he's stiff, he can't go as far as he used to and he definitely doesn't run anymore. Every time I knock on my neighbour's door, I'm scared she'll tell me that he's passed away. But every time she opens the door, he's there pushing her out of the way and giving me an excited bark, because when he sees me, it's time for walkies! So now we do slightly shorter, slower walks and I keep a close eye on him in case he's having a bad day and can't go as far as I'd hoped.<br />
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These photos are all from a walk that I start from my own doorstep. It's about 3 miles in total and mostly downhill (parttime dog really struggles uphill), it has views, a pretty country church and quiet paths. Enough to feel I've been out in the fresh air and got some exercise, but not so long that parttime dog can't cope. <br />
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I'm on a bit of a roll finishing off craft projects at the moment. After my last crochet class in Ipswich, I popped into Zoe's <a href="http://www.craftybaba.co.uk/">brand new fabric shop</a>. And of course it's nigh on impossible to leave a fabric shop empty-handed. I knew straightaway that this fabric combination wanted to be a bag. I've had two or three Amy Butler bag patterns for years but never got round to making any of them up, as I always found the pattern pieces a pain in the neck - the patterns I have, are for quite big bags, so you need a lot of fabric.<br />
Well, with a bit of juggling and some creative thinking I managed to cut all the pieces from the fabric I had, leaving very few scraps. It took me a few hours during a couple of home-alone weekends but then the bag was together and I'm really, really pleased with it.<br />
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And yes, that last photo was taken at the church on the walk that I talked about above...!<br />
I think the bag might become my ferry bag. Stupidly enough I forgot to take photos of the back, where there are two pockets on the outside too. I tend to carry far too much onto the ferry and usually in several bags. This bag is big enough to fit a book, our passports and tickets, keys, phone, laptop and knitting. What else do you need on a daytime trip really? O yes, camera. That might fit too.<br />
12yo found the bag on the side of the sofa the day after I'd finished it and said 'where did you get that?' So I told him I'd made it. 'Really?! It looks like you bought it from a shop'. High praise indeed!<br />
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Last but not least a new crochet cushion. My sofa cushions had long seen better days - you know the sort, flattened, stains that won't wash out anymore, and just a bit meh. But I'm not one for going out and buying replacements, no, I wanted to knit or crochet a cushion. Aiming for a 40x40 cm square, it turned out much bigger than I'd intended to and so it took much longer than I'd wanted. But it's done now, it goes with an Ikea fabric remnant that was too small to be any good for anything else. I even made the inner cushion myself from an old sheet and the stuffing from an old sofa cushion. It's comfy and squishy and matches the other cushions.<br />
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My next project is, gasp, Christmas presents... Only 66 days to go!<br />
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<br />Cybèlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15470546757550328725noreply@blogger.com0