New Years Weekend in Cambridgeshire & Norfolk

Finally managed to find a spare five minutes to write a proper blog post and include a few photos of our New Years break with family.

I headed back to Cambridgeshire back on the 30th to attend my best friend's Mum's funeral which was incredibly sad but also a beautiful service and so good to see just how many people turned up. Jess was incredibly brave and I know she's really struggling now that the funeral has passed and the reality of being without her mum is really sinking in. She has lots of family and friends that love her to bits though and are there when she needs us, so keep your chin up Jess xx

The beautiful Cattells Mill, windmill at Jack's Parents'

I stayed with Jack's parents on the night of the 30th without Jack as he still had to work on NYE, so Barry was my bed companion and incredibly smug about the fact he got to sleep on the bed (which he doesn't get to do at our house!). I say on the bed...  woke up the next morning to find he'd got under the covers and was snuggled up in a little ball right beneath my chin, very cute I must admit! Barry and I went for a nice walk around the Fens on NYE and it was nice to spend time in the countryside I grew up in, though it really is very flat!

The Fens

 

We had a great time on NYE with Jack's family and friends; there was quite a few of us and Barry loved all the attention he got. He was completely worn out though before midnight and not happy about me jumping up to chink glasses at midnight (he was quite snug on my lap!). Then on New Years Day we drove onto Overstrand, Norfolk where my parents live to spend a couple of days with them, my brother Simon and his girlfriend, Jenna. We managed a quick walk along the beach when we arrived while the tide was out and before it got dark and Barry seemed very happy to be at the seaside.

 

A quick walk along the beach in the last hour of daylight

 

We had a good laugh that evening playing the game Heads Up, have you heard of it? It's a guessing game you can download on your phone or ipad; one person holds it up on their head and the others have to give you clues in order to guess the name of the person/object/action on the screen - kind of like the game we used to play with post-it notes! "Act it out" was my favourite round and us girls beat the boys hands down in the 'guess the animal' rounds. Very funny indeed! Jenna and Simon headed off on Saturday morning, so Jack and I headed out for a walk with Mum and Dad. We eventually did a full circle and left Mum and Dad to head home while Jack and I continued along the beach to Cromer.

 

 

This is where we bumped into a wild Grey Seal! I wasn't expecting to see one on Overstrand or Cromer's beach at all, but know they're a few miles further around the coastline at Horsey (I think that's the name of the beach!), where they're currently raising their pups. Given that this little seal was all alone on a beach where lots of dogs are walked, I was quite concerned that a dog would hurt it and so rang the Seal Rescue. Having described the seal to them they said it sounded like it was just exhausted and having a good rest and at that the seal yawned, stretched and had a scratch! By this time Barry was crying at Jack's feet to go and give the seal a friendly lick to see if it wanted to play! It was lovely to see it anyway and hopefully it made it safely back into the sea unharmed by humans or dogs.

 

Having a scratch, or laughing at us?

 

Hello!

 

Happy Dog!

 

We eventually carried on our walk to Cromer before turning around and heading home again; it's a nice walk - about 5 miles in total so a good stretch of the legs and I think we've completely worn Barry out with walks recently! We're now giving him a little bit of a break and back to just two/three short walks a day as he was a tad stiff on his [previously broken] leg when we got back - not that you'd know with the way he throws himself around playing with all his new toys! It was nice to spend time with Mum and Dad too and I'm very proud to tell you that Mum has taken up loom knitting and is a complete natural! She often wonders where I get my organisation and creativity skills from but she's just trying to hide hers ;-) I'm just waiting for Mum to make me a bobble hat now. I might have to give it a go at some point as it looks like you can create scarves, hats etc. very quickly. I still love my crochet though!

 

On Sunday morning Barry and I headed to the beach alone for our last walk; it was nice to get some fresh air and have some thinking space and Barry enjoyed fetching his tennis ball as we walked along. I can't wait to go back to Overstrand again soon and my parents are very pleased that they have multiple bookings already, so will be heading out to France Easter-time. If anyone is interested in staying at my parent's place here is a link to the holiday letting agency; it's a great little property and is very near to everything you need. Norfolk really is a pretty place and there's lots to do and see along the coast.

 

Mariners Rest, Overstrand

 

We're now back into our normal routines and I've written out my New Years resolutions; apparently only 8% of people stick to their New Years resolutions... I won't say anymore than that! It's good to make a list of things you aspire to in the year ahead anyway. One thing I saw on Pinterest I thought was a fab idea was getting a large empty jar and filling it with happy memories throughout the year and then reading back through them again on the next NYE, I'm going to try and do this, though I tend to write things down in my journal anyway!

 

 

 

 

 

I hope all of your resolutions, plans and aspirations are coming along nicely in these early days of 2016 and throughout the year!

 

Em x 

 

Long Weekend in Norfolk

Morning all, it's a chilly one out there today but how pretty did everywhere look thanks to the frost :-) First time of de-icing the car this winter and Barry's first experience of a harsh frost that he can remember - I don't think we had many back in March when we brought him home with us. He liked the crispy grass and ran around a lot this morning to keep warm. There was a beautiful sunrise here this morning over the Berkshire downs and I loved donning winter clothing for a bracing morning walk.

We all woke up tired this morning anyway; it took us almost five hours to drive back from Norfolk yesterday, with a brief stop at Jack's parents in Cambridgeshire to say hello too. By the time we'd unpacked our bags, put some washing on and found something to eat I think we were all ready for bed. I could certainly hear Jack trying to coax Barry out of his snug warm bed this morning to go outside for a wee - the dog that is, not Jack!

We had such a lovely time in Norfolk with my family this weekend; I needed a break away from work and it had been a couple of months since I'd seen my parents or my brother (who joined us, with his girlfriend). The weather was rather wild this weekend and we experienced 50mph winds, rain, sleet and hail. We attempted a walk one lunchtime and could barely reach the Overstrand promenade, so instead ran back to the pub to warm up!

This photo made us all laugh!

We did however manage a few walks along the beach and Barry had a great time chasing seagulls and fetching his tennis ball. He also went jumping into pools of seawater left behind as the tide went out, many of which were very deep which he didn't realise!

 

There were some fantastic sunrises and sunsets while we were in Overstrand, made all the more spectacular by the storm clouds that were rolling towards us - the hail showers really did sting!

 

Overstrand Beach, Cromer Pier in the distance

 

It was of course very important that we got to enjoy some fish and chips while we were on the North Norfolk coast and it only seemed right that we visited our favourite chip shop, Mary Janes'. We opted to eat in though or my haddock & chips may have flown back into the sea!

 

Monster piece of Haddock!

We had a really lovely time catching up and as I mentioned, we had a lot of laughs - mostly at my expense... after one particular windy and wet dog walk along the beach, Jack and I headed to the village shop to buy a lottery ticket. Jack waited outside while I headed in to buy the lottery ticket - which I didn't manage to buy because the lady behind the counter asked to see some ID! I thought she was joking and I certainly didn't have any on me (we'd taken a few pound coins in our pockets), so I huffed out of the shop after telling the woman I'm 26 years old!! I sent Jack in (who's almost a year younger than me) and he had no problems. To say my family found it hilarious was an understatement and I did see the funny side later on, I was just amazed as it wasn't even for alcohol! I'm used to getting asked for some ID when buying alcohol, although the last few times I've not even been asked but it seems I look 10 years younger when it comes to buying a lottery ticket! Oh well, Mum says I'll be glad I look younger one day.

I haven't got a lot planned this week though I desperately need to do some sorting in our kitchen cupboards. Ever since we moved in I just put things in cupboards without giving it much thought but trying to get to my cake tins last week was an effort! I'm usually Miss Organised so I must do this at some point. I'd like to make another soup this week too; I'm fancying a pea and ham soup!

Have a good week all :-)

Vacances Français

My parents bought a house in France back in 2013 and so far we've enjoyed many lovely holidays out there in all manner of weather. Their house is typically French with quirky décor and used to be a cattle barn. It is situated in the beautiful Loire Valley, not far from the stunning riverside town of Saumur.

The house when my parents purchased it Autumn, 2013

 

My parents have done a wonderful job of giving the house a bit of care and it's beginning to look fantastic inside and out. My Dad is retired and spent much of last year out in France doing updates to the house which has included putting a small extension on the back of the property which now houses a kitchen (before it just had a sink, one counter and two hob rings!). My mum was still working last year and would visit Dad in France as often as she could in order to lend him a hand. They have a lovely spacious garden and views over the fields and forests nearby, with only a handful of houses nearby. They also have a very handsome Percheron stallion for a neighbour in a paddock opposite their house and I think they enjoy giving "Horace" his daily carrot.

 

The lovely new kitchen extension my Dad has done

 

My Mum retired earlier this year and my parents decided to sell the house my brother and I grew up in and bought a lovely bungalow in Overstrand, Norfolk. It's a lovely place and they have a generous garden here too. Their new home in Norfolk is now a holiday let and they intend on spending most of next year in France while renting out their place in Norfolk. I miss them a lot as we only see each other once a month or so, but I'm so happy they're enjoying themselves and believe it or not it's actually easier to see them in France sometimes than it is in Norfolk! My Mum has always wanted her "little place in France" and she's made me believe that if you work hard enough and keep believing, your dreams can come true.

 

As mentioned before, we've had some fantastic holidays out in France with them already. We even took our friends out there this year and had a great time. I'm totally in love with French food (all food actually) and I loved popping to the bakery each morning to fetch some warm fresh 'pain tradition'. The roof of my mouth is usually shredded to pieces by the time we get home from France after all the lovely crusty bread. Jack and I have been out to France a couple of times with my parents too; Jack isn't one for sitting around and I think my Dad is very grateful for Jack's help with DIY and gardening jobs at "Le Petit Noisette" (our nickname for the house). Mum and I tend to supervise from nearby sun loungers or we can be found pottering around Mum's new flower beds out there tending to the plants. Dad's next challenge is to build veg boxes for Mum, she's keen to get growing her own produce out there.

 

Saumur view: Chateau and Loire River

 

This shows some of Dad's hard work; he's landscaped the garden, built a proper Boules court and built a terrace to provide some shade from the summer sunshine!

 

Beautiful roses in Mum's French garden, this one I've nicknamed the Rhubarb & Custard rose!

 

Pretty Saumur in the evening

 

Watching a performance at the Cadre Noir, fantastic!

 

Anyway, just a small blog post about it, I'm sure there'll be plenty of French holiday photos to come on here, along with holidays in Norfolk too no doubt! We're out to France again for five days next month, can't wait... :-)