The Hangover

It's been a VERY exhausting week. Too many late nights. I am flagging at 8.15pm on a Sunday night. It's a kinda tragic, I know.

I hosted Book Club on Thursday night. Ten women, including yours truly, huddled in my lounge with more drinks and nibbles than you can shake a novel at. We discussed The Catcher in the Rye in great depth. We then discussed the merits of guzzling Champagne on a school night in great depth. Then I felt out of my depth when at 2.15am I was propping my eyelids open with matchsticks and they were STILL in full swing. The husband went to bed at 1am with three pillows on his head. He never goes to bed before me. Ever.

The Prince came to the rescue by having his regular night terror at 2.20am and the girls decided to call it a night (after consuming nine bottles of wine, a massive vat of Nigella's humous and flat breads, my dodgy looking but lush tasting vanilla cupcakes, savoury-coated soya beans, a cheeseboard, pistachio nuts, fruit and millionnaire shortbreads).

I went to bed with a spinning head and a smile plastered over my face though. Not so much in the morning when the alarm went off and I remembered I was meant to be doing the "reading with parents" bit in the classroom. I couldn't get my head off the pillow. The husband, he in shining armour, offered to do the school run and reading while I slept it off. I was delighted. Not so much so when I later discovered from the husband that all the women from Book Club were at school, reading with their children with faces fresher than morning dew. Not one was hung over or tired...how hard core is that?! Yet I looked like the freaky girl from The Ring (god that film freaks me out). It was a great night, we all had a laugh and it once again helped me feel like one of the gang. They're lovely girls.


This week I have spied (with my cherry shop eye) the following books from Link Romania, one of my all-time fave charity shops.

I am kidding. I did NOT buy this doll but she is still haunting me.
She looks like she has cataracts or something...

It's a large shop, with plenty of space for pushchairs and it also has furniture, toys, books and clothes. Plus a tiny vintage section although I never seem to find anything from that little area that really catches my eye, other than the odd teacup and saucer. I've not found anything else though, certainly no clothes have caught my tired eye.


The husband got help from a little gardener on Friday afternoon. They make my heart melt faster than Vienetta in a sauna.

What a glorious weekend! One of my best friends and her family came to stay. We had a brilliant time and were sad to see them go today. I tried hard to tempt them with a cream tea in the garden but they were still full from lunch and knew they had to make tracks. It's hard to think of them back in Berkshire now, while we are here, but they loved visiting and the kids loved the beach.

Our girls are very close friends and our boys are just a year apart and although we had to break up a couple of fights, they played really well.

I did lots of nice food and we ate every meal in the garden - serving up a hearty casserole and dumplings under the shade of the tree is quite pleasurable at this time of year (hark at me being all Cherry Menlove here). I made keylime pie for dessert which was gorgeous, although my insides feel congealed now and I think the cellulite may be upping its pace. We had a late night last night with them, as standard, so I hope my bed will be giving me that "come hither" look early tonight.

Pics from the weekend:

This makes me a bit sad. I know how much they miss each other.

The Fab Four

Look at the colour of that sea!

Friends Reunited

Eat your heart out Hepburn...

Too cool for school

Very Brokeback Mountain...

I'm up to date with my freelance work, the washing basket is E.M.P.T.Y. (this never happens so is worth the emphasis, believe me), packed lunches sorted, school uniform laid out, shoes polished, clean bedding for us all, a brand new book to start for Book Club awaits me  (we're now reading Salmon Rushdie's book The Enchantress of Florence) and I now have to cut down on my pork life. I've eaten ridiculously the past few weeks, and now is the time to rein it in. My jeans are too tight, and my tummy looks like it houses a baby or two. And I feel sluggish and portly.

Oh, on a final note, I was reading the local rag this week and scanned the adverts as I always do:

Then something caught my eye...

Only in this town.....as always! I was very tempted to phone up and see if it was still available. But then remembered I am on a diet...

Zooming around and swimming

I bought this little number from the charity shop yesterday for £3.99. FYI, for my new followers, I refer to charity shops as cherry tree shops. It's just something my mum and I call them. Makes it sound quaint. Or something.

Moving on from cheap retail therapy, the Princess has one hell of a shiner on her cheek/eye after falling in her wooden playhouse late this afternoon. There I was, having a leisurely chat with my neighbour who popped over, and we heard muchos dramatic screaming that only the Princess can pull off.

"Here we go again", I sighed. Then immediately felt guilty when I saw her face. She has a very pretty little face so I was rather shocked to see a rapidly swelling eyelid and red bruise forming over her eye and cheek. "Mum, do not take even ONE photo for your blog. I mean it. I know you too well. I don't want anyone to see me like this" she said, while looking at me sternly with one eye closed.

Poor girl. She really does need to slow down though. Bull in a china shop springs to mind. She is a tomboy, she climbs trees, plays a mean game of football and loves dead frogs, Harry Potter and Horrid Henry. But she also looks gorgeous in pretty dresses, has lovely long hair and plays elaborate games with all her teddies who all have names like Ian and Stephen (with a 'ph' not a 'v'). She's unique I'll give her that (this is the girl who owns a baby doll called Derek-Tom).

So that was today's drama. Along with the fact I overslept and literally RAN the 20 mins walk to school. I left the Prince with the Husband and the Princess and I belted it all the way. Sort of like a poor man's Paula Radcliffe (without stopping to "relieve one's self" on the pavement half way through the race.....)

Talking of running, there's such a eclectic mix of mums at school, it's unreal. One mum apparently runs for eight hours a day. No, really. EIGHT HOURS. I just assumed she worked in a gym, hence all the running gear but apparently she just runs a lot at various points of the day. Complete with full make up and coiffured hair. How she maintains this look is a mystery. To balance it out though, I have seen another mum who shuffles to school in her pyjamas (and not in a cool ironic Slummy Mummy type way).

After checking out jogging mum and PJ mum, I walked the five minutes further to the beach. It was a gloriously warm morning but the cool sea breeze made my cheeks tingly and I hugged myself with excited glee for moving here (must have looked like some self-loving freak show).

But look at it! The sea was far out and it was slightly hazy.

Total "cherry tree" outfit - (except tights which were £1.50 from Primark)
Skirt  (White Stuff £4.99), boots (originally Gap £4) and bag (M&S £2.50)

Love this fabric

I can see for miles and miles 

 Had to get my camera out yesterday. Look what I spied in the sea yesterday morning.........

It would have been rude not to

The sea was FREEZING. I tested it.
But doesn't it look peaceful and serene?

Even some random dog was impressed by this man's actions

 I discovered he swims in the sea every morning in all weathers (even snow storms) - that's more impressive than someone who merely jogs for eight hours a day.

While he swam in the tranquil waters, I watched the morning sky slowly wake up.

Two hours later the skies were blue and sunny. I love watching it try to burn through.

I also made two new friends yesterday on the pier. May I introduce the young whippersnapper Nora who is 97. Yes really.

Love it!

Here she is with Michael who is less than 97, by several years. They took a shine to the Prince (who wouldn't?!) and took him for a joyride.

The hooligans revving it up on the pier.
Boy racers, eat your hearts out

Hanging out with the Homies

And as I watched them trundle home, I had a warm feeling in my heart.

People seem to be friendly here, always willing to stop and talk. A mum at school (who I haven't seen before) flung her business card into my hand this morning and said "I know you are new, come over for a coffee." She has the same Doc Marten's as me but green and wears a funky pink lipstick.

Another one has invited me to her book club. Can't wait. We've started reading Pigeon English and meet at hers in a month's time. Apparently they talk about the book for half an hour and then drink wine and have a laugh. Sounds good to me!