Saturday 20 August 2011

Holiday Diary Pt 4

Another rainy day with a few nice sunny spells.  We spent a long time discussing what to do today and finally decided to go into Padstow.  Ben and Daisy wanted to go crabbing so we bought some crab lines and some gross bait that once was squid and dangled off the harbour wall trying to tempt the Padstonian crabs.  They really didn’t want to get caught today, we were there for ages.  Nathan sent me up the shop to buy some smoked bacon, he whispered this to me so none of the other crabbers heard his secret plan but I think that maybe the crabs had been fooled by this before as they still weren’t biting.  Eventually we took a break and had a hot chocolate in The Shipwrights, then everyone else wanted to walk to the beach so we left Nathan and Ben crabbing.  Although I am not a fan of walking I have to admit the walk to Padstow beach has my favourite views in the world.  When you stand up at Chapel Stile and look up the estuary to where it meets the sea… wow.  When the tide is out as it was today the sand stretches from Padstow beach over the water to Daymer Bay, it really is pretty special.  Jacob and Daisy had a paddle in the water and Jacob who has had his iPod glued to his ears for the whole holiday finally removed it so it didn’t get wet and handed it to my mum.  Who dropped it in the water.  Poor Jay, it’s his lifeline and he is never without at least one ear piece in but he took it very well and we walked back to the town to try and dry it out.  This evening we went out for something to eat and then ended back on the beach to watch the surfers riding the waves in the cold sea.  Then all of a sudden Nath and the children decided it would be a good idea to get in the sea in their clothes.  Mad!  But they had great fun and kept saying how it wasn’t cold, trying to tempt my in.  Not on your nelly!  Home, hot baths and bed.  Another lovely day….


Friday 19 August 2011

Holiday Diary Pt 3

Today was not the sunny beach day we had hoped for so the barbequed bacon rolls we had planned to have sitting on a picnic blanket at Harlyn Bay were swapped for bacon sarnies at home.  The rain has been on and off all day so we went into Wadebridge to have a look around the shops.  My brother, Abby and the baby went for a drive up to the lighthouse and had planned a walk along the coast but we found them in Wadebridge having lunch instead.  There really are some lovely shops in North Cornwall and I am going to do a shopping guide with all my fave shops in a few blogs time.  As I was saying we met Ben and Abby, Jacob stayed with them and Nathan, I, Daisy and Ben headed back to the house via Tescos.  When we got back Daisy and Ben put on a film and I coloured my hair.  I know this is not your average holiday activity but I don’t get that much spare time at home so thought I would treat myself to less grey hair.  As it’s not my house I was extra careful not to get bright red hair dye ANYWHERE.  I even tied my hair up in a plastic bag so I didn’t drip.  Managed to wash out the colour, dry my hair and felt quite proud of how well I had done mess wise and then I looked at my gorgeous man in his best new t-shirt and saw that somehow I had managed to get colour on him. How?  I didn’t go anywhere near him!  But alas Nathans new, best shirt now has a large blob of red hair dye on it.   Shortly after the hair dye incident my brother returned with a very un-amused Jacob and Abby looking a bit wet and weathered,  my brother had taken them for a long walk in the rain and the wind which he enjoyed but they did not.  The children went to bed early tonight, they always get more tired on holiday and Ben was in a mood after bouncing a ball off a wall and it hitting him in the face so they should all be fresh-faced and well rested in the morning.  My mum will be here in the morning, can’t wait to see her! 

Tuesday 16 August 2011

Holiday Diary Pt 2


Today we did as planned and had a nice lay in, then my brother and Abby took all the children off to the beach (which was supposed to be 10 minute walk but turned out to be more like half an hour).  Nathan and I cooked the brekkie ready for when they got back.  Around lunchtime we headed into Padstow for a window shop and an ice cream.  I found lots of things that I really needed to buy but talked myself out of it, may have talked myself back into it by the time we go back.  I found THE lamp that I have been after for ages, a vintage green metal desk lamp, but it wasn’t for sale so I persuaded Nathan to ask if we could buy it anyway.  The shop assistant said it belonged to her sister so we will definitely be going back to convince her that I need it in my life.  The weather has been beautiful today and we have been sat in the garden this evening, the boys have been playing football which kept getting kicked over the fence so it the turned into a contest of who could jump the hedge which is about 5ft.  My brother always has to go one step further to impress the kids and jumped one way, then took a run up, jumped back over the fence incorporating a somersault which didn’t go to plan, fell head first off the hedge onto a slide.  Very, very funny.  (He’s ok by the way.) 
A couple of years ago my brother and Nath took the boys on a ‘night time adventure’, an evening walk with military precision, a bag of emergency equipment and a big imagination.  This still happens every holiday and tonight they went to investigate an old barn at the end of the field behind the house we are staying in.  The found a ‘torture table’ (they took a picture of it and actually with a lick of paint could be a shabby chic masterpiece) and some bats.  Then they got ‘chased’ by a farmer.  My brother and Nath like to bring the excitement up a notch with “Quick! Someone’s coming!”   The kids are all in bed now, exhausted and full of lemon cheesecake supper.  We have just been sat out on the patio watching the bats when we could hear someone talking, would have been a bit scary but all they were saying was “Poo… Poo…”.  Think they were calling a dog, hope they were calling a dog.
Plans for tomorrow are, get up, if it’s good weather miss breakfast and head straight to the beach, bring a barbie and make bacon rolls.  In the meantime I will be dreaming of my green vintage desk lamp…  


Sunday 14 August 2011

Our Holiday Diary Pt 1


We are all here down in Cornwall now, Nathan and I, the three children, my brother, his fiancĂ©e and their little boy and we having a lovely evening just chilling, bliss…
Last night we got in from work really late, getting last minute bits done and we were just too tired to pack.  The original plan was to leave really early and be super organised and pack a few days before.  That didn’t happen.  Last night we just rolled into bed and got up this morning, not that early and packed.  It’s never a good thing packing in a rush.  I have just unpacked and realised that the bath sheet I thought I had grabbed was actually more like a hand towel so the walk from the bathroom to our room will be swift.  I have totally forgotten to pack any underwear so have had to pay a quick visit to Tesco to stock up.  The clothes I stuck in a bag this morning are the most random collection I have ever gathered together without one actual outfit that goes together (and I am known for my eccentric dress sense so that is saying something).  The car journey was extremely long, a lot of traffic jams and a lot of word-based car journey games.  But all that matters is that we are here sat around planning what to do tomorrow – a lie-in followed by a big full English breakfast and a walk down to the beach and a board game night.  It doesn’t get better than that.
We have had fish and chips for supper and fed the left-overs to the sea gulls, a tradition from my childhood which we have passed down to our children.  Great fun!
 


Tuesday 2 August 2011

Busy Bees

We have had a super busy day at the shop today despite the heat, we've had some lovely customers in and finished some really nice pieces, I love days like today when we can put pretty new items into the shop!  I love this bookcase, one of my favourite items we have had and it very nearly didn't make it into the shop (my house was the other option).  It is huge!  Just what I need for all of my books.