Catching up!

The sun is shining (unusual for this summer!) and the washing is blowing dry on the line. It's been an age since I last blogged, so here goes... though I shall have to do it in stages or you'll give up before you begin!

Phil has successfully completed his TEFL course and is back home now, awaiting final accreditation, and applying for jobs. He's decided against Indonesia for the moment, but is still planning to head out Far East. The course was very intensive and, as he hasn't really had a holiday this year, he's taken up an invite to go to New York with some mates.They are travelling up to Montreal and Back to Boston, and have two weeks altogether. He certainly deserves a good holiday.


Jobs are scarce over here, so Tim has been working in our garden to earn some cash, Bridgie seems to have nurtured her finances a little more shrewdly and has had some to spend. She's applying for some work while at uni which is a great idea... Costa Coffee or the like.


Meriel came to stay for a week in August and we went to visit Boughton House. En route, we stopped at Geddington to see the Eleanor Cross,




this is where the body of Eleanor the wife of Edward I laid on its journey to Westminster Abbey. Wherever they stopped he built a cross - I think there are only a couple left. The village itself was beautiful and had this pretty ford.

the house itself wasn't really my cup of tea, but the gardens were lovely. There was a beautiful walled garden,

with a wonderful sensory section. The garden had many water features, including this...

which if you can enlarge shows what it looked like before it was restored! There was also a raised mound - a bit like a pyramid with the top lopped off, and next to it a modern 'sculpture?' called Orpheus which I loved. We weren't allowed to walk on it as the grass had only just taken, but basically you can walk down the slopes to the pool at the bottom... and look into the Underworld. An amazing space :-)