All work and no play

Makes Jack a dull boy! That's me, Jack!
Easter was peaceful,  had some nice dog walks. This week has been really busy, helping neighbour, helping Mum, housework, keeping track of young lads going to the park, to their "tree camp" and going down to the backwaters.
I have however managed to knit this

Since this picture was taken I've also knitted the two sleeves and I'm halfway up the front, so hopefully the next picture will be of a completed hoodie.

A Relaxing Day

The first one I've had in ages.
We decided to walk the dogs along a local beach, although living on the Jurassic coast on a Bank Holiday with glorious sunshine meant it was very busy!
Fun was had by all though

I do love where we live.

Another Birthday

Stepdad this time. Ed was 70 on Monday. We were booked to go out for lunch after I'd taken Ed to hospital for a scan and brought him home. Cody was looking after Grandma. Unfortunately we returned to Mums house to Cody throwing up everywhere!
Plans were cancelled and rebooked for today, luckily it must have been something he ate as nobody else has had it ( she hastily touches something wooden! )
Ed blowing out his candles.

I had made him a cake but it wouldn't last until today so we had to make do with a shop bought one.
Soloman sucking a lime, as you do!

Callum being "cool"

Eden was with us but she doesn't like her photo taken unless it's a selfie!
Clark has been out visiting the seaside with a friend all day. He should be home soon, I should think he'll be blue, it's freezing here today.

In the scheme of things

I've just  spent the last hour writing a post about  the last three weeks, of several members of the families ill health, missed appointments, my general increasing busyness and also increasing stress levels.
I read it through before publishing and found I just couldn't click that button. In light of what's happened in Brussels this morning my last three weeks are nothing.
Just general inconvenience.
Last week we aquired another teenager in the house.

 I made the cake , he decorated it,

I sneaked up on him before he got up to open his cards and presents

The week that was my birthday

Tuesday!  Seems so long ago now.
The cake that Cal and I made

 I had a lovely day, we went out for a meal in the evening which was wonderful.
I received quite a few bunches of flowers, here's one of them.

We went to Southampton Hospital for Callum's year check on his back.  He was signed off only for us to receive a phone call when we got home saying that one of the clips and two screws had come loose at the top of his spine. Apparently they'd taken a closer look at his xrays and seen it.
We were meant to get a call on Friday morning to sort out what Callum's options are now, having heard nothing by lunchtime I then rang them about every twenty minutes for a couple of hours only to eventually speak to somebody who told me the person I needed to speak to had left at lunchtime.
So I left a rather sarcastic message on their ansamachine asking them to ring me first thing on Monday morning.
Callum was devastated by the news and is saying that he doesn't want another operation.
I can't say I blame him, he didn't have the best of times a year ago when he had his big operation. I'm just so annoyed that firstly he was signed off and secondly left all over the weekend not knowing his options.  He's been asking me so many questions and I just can't answer them as I don't have any information.
Yesterday was spent in A & E again with my Stepdad, he was diagnosed with pneumonia!
Today has been spent very quietly at home, we picked Eden and Luke up at 2 am as they'd been nightclubbing and although we didn't get up early this morning I think my body is too old for these odd hours! That's why you nightclub at eighteen not fifty!
I'm really hoping that next week is going to be a bit calmer, but I won't hold my breath!

Signs of Spring

Saturday was spent very quietly. We picked Eden and a few friends up from a party on Friday night, two of them were staying at ours. When they got home they decided they wanted noodles! We got to bed at about 1am! Luke had to be at work at 8am and Eden at 9am so I got up early to make sure they were watered and fed as I  knew that they would get up at the last minute possible .
I made muffins this morning and Clark decorated them.

I bought the little eggs for Easter cakes but I thought we'd start them a little early.
I've also made the sponge for my birthday cake which I'm hoping to ice tonight. I'm picking up a plaque tomorrow afternoon to put on it.
I hope to post a picture of it tomorrow.
My dining table is a blaze of beautiful colour and perfume at the moment.
The hyacinths smell absolutely divine, when you open the door in the morning it just hits you.

Not a lot to blog about really,  quiet weekend!

The scam that is car insurance!

We have spent most of this week looking at cars for Eden. We looked at a couple, looked up insurance and dismissed the car within five minutes of looking at it!

Eden's boyfriend was also looking at cars this week and on Wednesday evening he found one and bought it. He'd spent the day cleaning his inside and out ready to sell it.

As he didn't have to spend as much as he thought he would on his new car he offered his old one to Eden at quite a good price.

We knew the insurance would be fine as we knew what he was paying.

So Eden bought it.

(Not her car, she would never buy pink!)
Luke was gutted he'd spent most of the day cleaning it only for Eden to have it!

On Thursday we rang up the insurance company that she'd got the best quote from.

The down payment and monthly payments aren't too bad.  We went halves on the down payment and we're paying the monthly payments,  she's paying her own petrol and Tax.

Honestly how youngsters can afford a car nowadays astounds me!

Her excess is £500 but if she "volunteers " another £450 it bring her insurance down even more.

Basically if she has an accident the car will be a write off.

It's costing us £1,366 to insure a car she bought for £500.

So we are paying for fully comprehensive insurance which is cheaper than third party, fire and theft for any third party involved in an accident with her because if she has any damage to her car it won't be worth claiming!

What a  crock!