Friday Five!

1. Took care of some business and then crammed load of stuff in two bags.  DS finagled some time off work to drive us to Logan.  We had emergency door seats so not too uncomfortable.

2. Arrive back at LHR terminal 5 and stagger through immigration and security and wend our way to BA flight to Leeds/Bradford.  Taxi home.  Much less hassle than going to MAN plus train.

3.  Groggy.  Get some bread from the Artisan Baker (missed good bread)

4.  Time for our flu shots.

5.  Trek over to Waitrose to stock up but too late to enjoy a free coffee (gets v. crowded)

[Andee, saw the update on FB -- Monday the 13th  ]

1. Wedding planning is moving along quickly and smoothly. We've already found out reception venue and such so I'm quite pleased about that.

2. We set a date!! 10/10/15! Which works out quite well for our save the dates as we didn't have to switch the numbers around to make it make sense for both Americans and Brits haha.

3. We had our engaging photo short yesterday based on the blue umbrella Pixar short. I'm really really pleased with the few photos I've seen so far.

4. My mother was kind enough to buy me an early Christmas gift: a le creuset cast iron casserole. I've been lusting after them for years so I was really excited to get it.

5. Had an opticians appointment this week to see about getting registered as partially sighted and getting the aids I need. Everything went smoothly so I'm back in a few weeks to do a low vision assessment.

Saturday Five!

1. Jet lag. Ah, why must you show up? We're so out of it we have decided to give up our festival. The three hour drive there is what made our decision. Tired as we are we keep thinking we just gave up Judas Priest. What the heck?! We will see them on the 22nd, so that eases the pain.

2. Mom is healing wonderfully from her mild heart attack Tuesday. I am trying to get her to sit still, and she is up doing dishes, doing her laundry so I don't have to, went to Walmart with me for a few things last night, etc. She was given the all clear to return to work in a week, which means it isn't going to hurt her to do a few things, but I worry.

3. It is great being with Joey again. Funny how much we miss our feathered and/or furry friends when we are away.

4. We had a great trip, and are already planning next year's visit.

5. Back to work on Monday. Sigh.

Hope your Mom is OK, Tama, and not trying to do too much.

1.  Well, last night was the last night in the house.  I now go to stay at Hotel Mrs.Robinson (not Hotel California, haha!) for 5 days.   

2.  I will be getting regular updates on Dylan as his other 'Auntie' and I are now fb friends.  I will drop off the unopened bag of his favorite treats. 

3.  Yesterday was my pampering and healing day.  I got my hair done  and then had a reiki treatment and a nice chat with my new shaman friend (too bad I won't get to do another session with her, at least not for a while anyway), and then I had a massage and reflexology (for the first time) with another excellent healer. 

4.  Lovely cards are pouring in from friends who love me.  I will set up a little place to put them all when I'm in Ireland.  My leaving do for work is on Tuesday and I meet up with BostonDiner, mapleleafgirl, and Mrs.Robinson on Monday. 

5.  A new photographer friend that I meant while walking in the Dales (I will miss the Dales  ) is going to do a photo shoot of me with my harp on Saturday.  Good thing I got my hair done in time! 

Good luck with your move, Andee, and I hope things begin to improve for you very soon!

1.  The flat we are moving to in December is having a new kitchen, bathroom and central heating installed this week... I'm going down after work to check on the progress... SO EXCITED!!!...but...

2.  Need to keep my excitement under control, because my good fortune with this move, which is going to improve my life dramatically, has come at a crushing loss to someone else.

3.  Ikea cinnamon bun in the oven for my breakfast, with a strong milky coffee.

4.  Although autumn is my favourite season, I am really missing all the lovely, comical lesser black backed gulls out my front window... guess they've all taken off for wherever they go for winter.

5.  Gotta go queue in the post office at lunchtime today to post off some more eBay sales.

1. Posted my absentee ballot (in official envelope) for Nov. elections on Monday at local Post Office -- cost me 3 pounds 80 because it was too long for letter-rate.  (Elections for Governor and Senator so pretty important)

2. Ballot returned -- no hint as to why.  DH thinks it's because the official envelope did not have "USA" in the address (but otherwise lots of other clues that it was bound for US)  So I write that in.

3. Back to Post Office with offending envelope.  Clerk has no idea what the problem is.  She writes "To" in front of addressee and "Sender" in front of my return address in upper left corner  

4. We have coffee and then an Italian lunch with friend whose wife is away for a few days.

5.  Looking forward to meeting up with Andee and MrsR and MLG next Monday!  

Thank you albatross  .  I like autumn, too, hope it's lovely and magical this time of year in Ireland.  Most likely it will be wet!

Yay BD, see you Monday! 

Thanks, Andee! She is doing great, and doing as much as she is allowed, maybe a little more, since she didn't really have many restrictions. She says because of the stents, she feels better than she has in months.

It sounds like you are finding your groove again, and the healing process is firmly taking hold. I realize these things take time, and there are backslides from time to time, but you are finding ways to let yourself heal.

1. Mom hung out with us until Wednesday evening, then went home. It was fun having her, despite the reason for her stay.

2. It is cool and rainy today, and it has me in the mood to Christmas shop.

3. We have an inspection coming up at work, which means I can get all the hours I want (or more than I want) getting ready for it.  I want a new laptop for Christmas and hubby wants an Xbox One, so I suppose all these extra hours will come in handy.

4. Time to trade summer clothes for winter. Seems the seasons go faster all the time.

5. We've been getting caught up on tv since getting home, and it has been very relaxing.

1. I worked today on my day off. The extra hours are a good thing, but I have already said I'm not working next Friday. It is my shopping, errand and housecleaning day. It is just easier to get it all done on Friday than in bits and pieces on other days.

2. We ordered new phones today. Can't wait for them to get here, although it feels a bit spoiled since there is nothing wrong with the ones we have, and they are only just over a year old.

3. It is Joey's hatch week. He was right at 2 months when he moved in with us, but the guy couldn't remember the exact day he hatched. Hard to believe my boy is already a year old.

4. Judas Priest Wednesday!    We're going for Japanese before the gig. 

5. Six weeks until the Christmas tree goes up!  I know, I know, let's get through Halloween and Thanksgiving first, but you all know how I am... 

1] Not confirmed with scans, but my Chiropractor [who I see twice a week] is convinced I'm having twins. My size for dates, the earliness and intensity of my symptoms, and the unrelenting activity all over my belly have me thinking she might be right. Oh boy..

2] Mental illness. Seriously, it's a b*tch. Hoping this new B vitamin complex my Doc has me on helps lots.

3] ^^^Have decided to give my nerves a break and put my 4 year old in school.  Made some calls, and by some awesome miracle, the state sponsored PreK had an opening starting Monday.

4] ^^^Many hoops to jump through to be 'allowed' to send her lunch, which is a must because of multiple food allergies.  I have to include an insert every day with the ingredients of everything homemade. They had a hard time with the statement 'packaged foods that are safe for her either don't exist or are way out of our price range'. And also would seriously limit her choices. Yeesh.

5] Hopefully, Next week on Friday, I will be all unwound and totally zen.  Wish me luck!

Happy Friday UKY!

1.) Been a really quiet few weeks at work. So many folks have been on annual leave due to the October tattie holidays.

2.) Going to the cinema tonight. Not been to see a film in ages.  

3.) Have a party with the ladies of the brass band tomorrow night.  It's a drink wine-craft something-drink more wine-screw up our crafts-drink more wine-not care about crafting-party. Looking forward to it!!  All my craft supplies are in storage, so not sure what I am going to make yet.

4.) Making lots of home made booze this weekend.

5.) Also need to do lots of cupboard cleaning and organising this weekend. Purge!!  

1. Judas Priest was beyond amazing Wednesday night. They can still rock and put on a great show, for being around as long as they have.

2. We went out for dad's birthday last night. He and mom came over when we got off work and spent the evening with us. We took him to Buffalo Wild Wings.

3. After working the last two Fridays, I am enjoying being off today. While I haven't gotten to my 'big' project of the day and have decided to put it off until next Friday, it has been a very productive day of shopping, errands, laundry, house cleaning, getting my hair 'did'  , and other things that needed to be caught up on.

4. Joey and I are watching The Great Pumpkin at the moment. I have never known a bird to be so into tv and movies.

5. Our new phones arrived today! JOY! We had them sent to work in case they happened to arrive when we aren't home, so hubby already has his set and going. Mine will be done this afternoon.

1.  One more day of work, then a week's holiday! 
2.  We're going to be doing some work on the flat we are moving into at Christmas, and then going to Sheffield for the Steel City beer festival.
3.  Meeting my pal Eilidh for lunch tomorrow... going to a Chinese buffet.
4.  My man was the beneficiary of his late sister's life policy, which was paid to him yesterday.
5. This weekend we will be using a chunk of the money to buy a fridge, washing machine and cooker for the new flat.

1] Weekend before Halloween + Small kids + Hubby's birthday = Busy schedule morning, noon, and night.

2] OMG  I still haven't made my hubby's cake!

3] OMG  ONLY SEVEN DAYS TIL 5 YEAR OLD TURNS SIX! Haven't prepared anything.  Haven't planned a party.

4] Figured out this week that I do okay and don't feel super exhausted if I get at least 10 hours of sleep at night. This means I have to go to bed at 8:30 during the week, lol.

5] Really having a baby, y'all. I will be a mother of three.  We will be outnumbered. Midwife is convinced not twins, but a week further along. Ahh! I lost a week! 18 weeks now