In wanting to update everything about the sticky work situation, I have neglected to write about the lovely bank holiday weekend we had, and lovely it most certainly was. For a start, this was the first year I’ve been able to fully appreciate a four day weekend for what it is, being the first year I’ve been working full time either side! It just seemed to go on forever, despite being filled with enjoyable stuff!

I made it down to London late on Thursday night, and on Friday we spent the day with Chris’ older brother and family, chatting, eating, drinking and all that stuff. As well as a rather entertaining trip to the Natural History Museum at Tring. Think lots of stuffed animals and you’re about there. Very odd to see all sorts of animals we encountered in Kenya stuffed and behind glass. Friday evening saw us return to London to meet Never Conforming and her missus, have a nice dinner in the crypt at St Martin in the Fields, and then a trip out to Greenwich on Saturday. A good amount of time to chat and catch up on the various happenings in each of our lives, of which there seem to be many! Nice to have a few days to chew the fat when recently we’ve only had one or even just an evening.

Saturday evening some of us, along with some other friendly folkie types went to see our favourite Barnsley lass in a rather nice venue. Kate was on good form, but also well matched by the accompanying Red Skies string ensemble. Difficult to find a website for them, but suffice to say, if you get a chance, they’re worth a listen.

After Easter Sunday service at Hinde Street we headed out on our travels again, this time in the direction of Leamington Spa for Chris’ brother’s 21^st birthday. One night staying in a student house reminded me just how long it was since I was one, and that single beds are definitely only made for one. On Monday, Joe’s actual birthday, we went out for a rather posh meal at a restaurant nearby. You can tell its posh when you have luncheon not lunch. But the place was quiet and sophisticated, the boys (mostly) wore jackets, and some had fun trying to decipher the menu! French speakers are handy to have around. The food was lovely, the setting very pretty, and the company wonderful. Some photos in the grounds while the sun was shining to show the gallivanting parents that their sons do scrub up well when pushed!

All in all, a jam packed but relaxed and easy weekend. A perfect introduction to the delights of double bank holidays!

And a season for every purpose under heaven. Thats the way the verse goes right?

Time is a funny thing. When you want it to pass quickly, like a school child waiting for the holidays, it can seem to last forever. Time drags, every minute lasting a lifetime, and it can feel like you’re never going to reach the end you’re waiting for. In the same way, when you want that day or even that hour to last forever, to be able to keep it, hold it in your hand and never let go, time slips through your fingers like grains of sand.

Well this may seem a little depressing (I think I’m allowed at the moment, I have a bit of time which I know will drag and which I want to be over in a blink). I think also there’s more to it than this. Maybe part of the benefit of blogging is it forces me to write these things down and then I think about them in different ways.

This weekend, like many this summer, was one of those in the second category, which I wanted to be able to hold on to, to make it last. If I could, I wouldn’t let go. But the good thing about that, is that even though the time itself has gone and I have to face the week (and the next) which follows, the memories of these good times are something that can’t slip away. I have them always, each time I close my eyes, whenever I want to think of them. This weekend, the one before, the good times we’ve had. Laughter, hugs, cooking meals and sharing milestones. And these things are what will get me through the time of the first category, which lasts forever and makes me feel so weary with its passing.

When time is slow, the memories of the good things keep me going through the tough times.

I wasn’t working this weekend! For the first time in several weeks I had a whole weekend to play with :D:D So I’d planned a weekend in Bristol with Chris, with no plans! And it was mostly sunny as well, anyone would think it was summer

I got down to Bristol Parkway (my favouritest station in the world ) later than I would have liked on Friday evening, but with no major delays, spent a nice evening doing not a lot, eating dinner and chatting about life the universe and everything. On Saturday, after a lazy morning we headed out to Cheddar for a lovely walk along the gorge with a stop off in Cheddar itself in the middle for (late) lunch in a nice pub. Then up the other side to complete the circle, although whoever thought lunch should be at the *bottom* of the hill was slightly misguided. And though a short ramble along either side of Cheddar Gorge can’t really be called a walk, it was nice to be outdoors again. And it meant I managed to educate/scare/bore/amuse Chris with my botanical geekery.. I think he’s learnt his lesson about taking me near anything plant-shaped for a while!

That evening was a birthday celebration, which involved a meal we didn’t know about till that afternoon, but which was nicely veggie friendly and rather yummy (with chopsticks a-plenty but no moving food this time!), and then drinking in various locations which meant I ended the evening completely knackered and quite a bit less sober than I’ve been in a while… but it was good fun, and nice to just relax for an evening. And we still managed to be up for church in the morning Church was followed by a nice relaxed sunday lunch, sitting in the garden enjoying the sun, and flopping in front of a film before having to catch the train home.

All in all, a rather wonderful weekend, with some good quality ‘us’ time, spending time with the family and with friends, and just chilling out and enjoying the weather. But now I don’t want to have to go back to the ‘normal’ routine of things.. bring on the holidays!!!