Week 43 and 44 - I Can't Count

So firstly, it turns out I can’t count……I’ve been miscounting my weeks somewhere along the way, and although the last blog a fortnight ago said it was Week 40 – 44, I’ve recounted and I’m actually writing about Weeks 43 and 44 this week. Maybe they put an extra week in the year without telling me?
The last 2 weeks have been busy with yet more DofE expeditions, my Gran’s 90th Birthday party and some time with my aunty and cousins.

From last time’s blog writing (sat on my Dad’s sofa) we drove straight to my Gran’s house in Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons and had a lovely dinner. Dad then returned home, and I spent a week staying at my Gran’s house, and hanging out with my aunty, my 2 cousins and their 4 kids. This involved a 54 mile cycle ride to Hay-on-Wye with my cousin – my aunty has 2 electric bikes which made the hills much easier. This completes one of my challenge items of cycling 30 miles in a day. We enjoyed some beautiful views, and a delicious elderflower sorbet in the ice-cream parlour.

We also went to Puzzle Wood for a day – a day out that I remember from my Year 6 school trip when I was 11 – it’s an old, magical wood that has a maze of paths through it, plus you have to find a 2 dead ends, 2 bridges, 2 look outs and a bench. In recent years, they have also added some other things to find, such as dinosaur feet and a crocodile. The 4 kids had a fantastic time in there, and also enjoyed the willow maze and the indoor maze. I also spent about 20 minutes helping 4 year old George on the monkey bars in the playground as he kept wanting to do them over and over again but didn’t have the strength to hold himself up. I’m counting this as an act of kindness while all the other adults sat down and watched!

​​While at Gran’s, we watched a couple of films, but I only needed one more to complete my film challenge, which was Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. This was a 1967 comedy-drama about a young white girl who was marrying an older black man, and was pretty entertaining. I also got to take my Gran out shopping, where we spotted the fantastic, recycled shopping bag with the words ‘Take An Old Bag Shopping…..’ Gran duly obliged for a photo. 

​Being around kids for the week also meant I managed to claim some more books for my challenge. I did one stint where I read 9 books to Rhianna aged 6 and George, aged 4, ranging from old favourites (the rather disturbing) there was an old lady who swallowed a fly, through to newer favourite, Aliens Love Underpants. I also managed, in quieter moment, to finish Lady Chatterley’s Lover, one of those old books where nothing much happens. I was also surprised as the frequency with which the word c*nt was used……I can see why it was banned in its day. 

The weekend culminated with my Gran’s 90th birthday lunch, a lovely sunny day at a stunning country hotel. I had taken the opportunity to write a poem, as my Gran is famed for writing funny poems for events and often to raise a point that would be hard to do tactfully with normal speaking. She had also written one for the occasion, so I got to do the reply. I really enjoyed writing the poem, it was a great way to revisit memories, and I also discovered that using the internet to find words that rhyme makes it much easier. It also counts as another card written, and was also an opportunity to catch up with 2 of my favourite people, Aunty Rosie and Uncle John. They are my uncle’s sister and brother-in-law, so distant family, but a lot of fun to be around.
​
Upon getting back, I had a couple of days to catch up on office emails, and then heading out for a 3-day Silver Duke of Edinburgh assessment. This was particularly easy, as I had my car, a good road network interacting with the route, and as it was an assessment, they are meant to be left alone for most of it. I therefore got 5 colouring pictures done while sat in a layby all day waiting for the groups to come through. I also claimed another 2 nights under canvass for my challenge, and finished another book, Me Before You. It’s being made into film at the moment…..tissues at the ready!

Since getting back this week has had one networking event, as I’ve joined a new Mastermind Group to try and focus on a business goal, and some thankyou letters being posted to my Gran and my Dad for having me to stay.

​Here’s what I’ve learnt these 2 weeks:
 

1. I really enjoy writing poetry, particularly if I can make it funny. None of the airy, fairy nonsense.
2. I can’t count weeks in a year.
3. At the risk of sounding like an old lady, they don’t make films like they used to. Guess who’s coming to dinner had a cast of about 8 people and was all set in one house, yet it was interesting and captivating from start to finish, without any explosions, or sex scenes.