runningin3time

Where did the week go?  I intended to write this post soon after returning from my weekend away in Windermere – but somehow ran out of time.  Possibly because I was focusing on the Mozart Requiem (yesterday at St Cuthbert’s Carlisle), in which I was singing the soprano solo part.  I’m glad to say that went well and my next singing goals are in many ways a little less demanding: or at least perhaps less nerve-wracking.

I had been invited to spend a weekend with Davina and Colin at their house near Blackwell, the ‘Arts and Crafts’ house.  I was a bit late arriving on Friday night but after a glass of wine and a light supper, Davina chauffeured me to see Voulez Vous, the Mamma Mia tribute band, at the Lakes School.  What a fab. evening!  For the second half I stood at the side and danced (or at least wobbled) as the music was so toe-tapping.

I had a glass of wine in the interval and another when we got back to Davina & Colin’s house, where Davina’s friend Eileen was also staying.  Davina’s glasses are quite large – but I didn’t feel particularly tipsy…  Eileen is a lovely lady who lives in Linlithgow, where she has created an award-winning community garden.  She’s a very creative woman who was having to get back in time to go into a school on the Monday to teach crafts to the children: she showed me photos of some of the angels she made at Christmas.  They look especially effective when lit up with fairy lights.

I woke up the next morning feeling awful: headachey and sick.  I tried Colin’s lovely porridge for breakfast but it didn’t help.  We headed out to the Damson Day in the Lyth Valley with Davina’s fascinating next door neighbour, who is a judge, and whilst it helped being outdoors, I didn’t really feel up to walking around: in fact all I could think of was wanting to lie down in a corner and go to sleep.  When we got back that was exactly what I did, waking sometime around 2pm feeling fine (thank goodness).

While Davina was doing blood pressure testing at Booths in Windermere, Eileen and I went out for coffee (at Booths) with more people and then I did a bit of shopping in the supermarket.  It’s such a lovely store: I came across some individual puddings in pastel-coloured ceramic pots (http://www.potsandco.com/ )and bought the entire range, though I see from their website that there are two other colours to purchase.  Sadly Isabella broke hers so I’ll need to get a replacement orange cheesecake in an orange pot as well…

We then took the dogs for a short walk up to ‘Richard’s Seat’ and back.  What stunning views of Windermere and the Lake District Fells to the north west!  It was very windy and rather chilly, but blew the cobwebs away.

That evening we went out to dinner at the Brown Horse at Winster, which has a menu of 56 different gins.  I had a delicious steak pie; Davina & Colin had fish and chips – I can’t remember what Eileen had.  But it’s a pub which is well worth going to if you’re down that way, and is deservedly well-known: http://www.thebrownhorseinn.co.uk/.

On Sunday morning it was pouring with rain, so the planned dog walk along the side of Ullswater didn’t materialise, but instead Eileen, Davina and I went to Blackwell (https://www.blackwell.org.uk/).  Not somewhere I’d want to take the children but I love the peaceful atmosphere of the house.  Davina & I both said how much we love the ‘white room’, which has windows with windowseats looking across the lawns towards the lake.

A quick lunch and then it was time to go home and to take Edward to his friend Alfie’s birthday party, and to return to the semi-chaos of everyday life with three children.  As I write this Edward has his arms round my neck in a rather boisterous way, reminding me that it’s time to go to get dressed and give them all some time.