Thursday 12 July 2018

502













For a brief interlude this evening, the children were out and so was the dog. I swept and washed the kitchen floor. Then I watered the garden. And dusted and hoovered, upstairs and down, got the sewing machine out to do some repairs, put away laundry and did some research I needed to get done. It astonishes me how much I can do when everyone goes away. It's like some sort of time warp.

Since they've been back, which has been about twice the length of time, I've banged on and on and on about it being bedtime, wandered round picking things up and washed two water bottles. I have all sorts of big plans about them Helping Out during the summer holidays though, I am very excited about it all. I envisage the sort of blissful domestic scene where children cheerfully set the table for lunch, help wash salad, pick berries from the garden, play happily (and quietly!) with the dog and each other and maybe even run the vacuum about the place a bit. Oh it's going to be wonderful. I wish I'd thought of it earlier.

Here at Above the River it turns out I have written 501 posts, this being number 502. I tend to miss the actual milestones of things. It all began five and a bit years ago. Goodness knows how many photos there are here. But I would just like to say, thank you all for stopping by and reading and commenting and being generally good eggs, it really is a very nice thing to have a little community of like-minded chums being all supportive and lovely.

We are hurtling towards the end of term at a rate of knots. Sports day - check, second inter-school sports day - check, school play - check, five hundred hours of cricket - check, ninety-eight hours of World Cup football  - check. Well, maybe I didn't watch the entire ninety-eight hours, it just felt like it. I shall say nothing more on that subject.

I see Donald Trump is in town. As a nation I feel we are all waiting with bated breath to receive the benefit of his wisdom. No doubt the Germans have been glad to have it explained to them that their problem is that they are totally controlled by the Russians. I should probably say nothing more about all that either. Instead I will bid you a fond farewell, until post number 503, all being well.

25 comments:

  1. Good luck with your summer holiday plans :-) Congrtulations on the 500+ posts.

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  2. Congratulations. I envy your time alone; I haven't been alone in more than two and a half months. Summer break is entirely too long here. I'm holding out for mid-August. I really do get much more done when they're out, but I do eventually miss them by the time all the work is done!

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  3. Sorry, one and a half months. See, my brain is melting.

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  4. It's funny if my kids and dog were away realistically the first thing I would probably do is wash the kitchen floor too. Congratulations on all those posts, I've been following along for prob the last year and yours is one of my favourite blogs, I enjoy your chatty style of writing and appreciate you taking the time to write it.

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  5. I totally feel you on how time flies out the window when the kids are around. Even when I'm alone, as in much of the time, I have a way of getting behind!

    I appreciate your words on our leader, bravo. As an American, I can only ask for prayers.

    Jane x

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  6. What beautiful butterflies! I have two or three colors of the creatures flitting about here but they will not stop for even two seconds to let me take their pictures!

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  7. Congratulations on 502 posts! I always enjoy your snippets of family life and beautiful photography. Well done on all the cleaning. I used to find it impossible to keep a clean and tidy house when the girls were home; they gain on you. It's one of the few benefits of them going off to uni - I may miss them terribly, but at least I'm doing it in relatively clutter free space! Good luck with the summer holiday chore plans! xx

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  8. Great photos as always. What is the second butterfly called please? I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those. I don’t know how you are managing to clean in this heat!

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    1. It's a comma, a bit of a faded one though. And yes, I was a bit hot and bothered by the end of it all! CJ xx

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  9. Lovely Comma and Fritillary. I envy you the latter as I’ve yet to see one in Jersey. Wrong landscape I guess although I’m sure there are a few around. Not long now till six weeks of unscheduled life. Hope those boys are super helpful and give you a little downtime. Maybe a hammock and a good book with something long and cool to drink. Well done on the 502 posts, always love your witty prose, well worth reading. Here’s to 502 more at least. Have a good weekend b x

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  10. I, for one, was pleased Mr Trump confidently told the rest of the world last night that the people of the UK really liked him because I hadn't realised I did, but as he never gets anything wrong I must have been misinforming myself all along. He seemed genuinely puzzled that Mrs May hadn't done what he'd told her to over Brexit either. But then she is only a woman so what does she know of politics and business?

    Many congrats on your 502 and the preceding 501. I always look forward to stopping by and seeing how you all are. If you crack domestic harmony over the holidays I do hope you'll share the secret. We break up at lunch time today so I'll be waiting with baited breath :O) XX

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  11. Whooping noises from N. Ireland on your milestone! Hurrah for being a blogger for so long and producing lovely posts 502 times. Your dog is the cutest, he just melts my heart every time I see him. xx

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  12. Lovely post and pictures as always. Well done on reaching 500 posts, and I look forward to next 500. I like the butterfly pictures, especially the first one.
    Enjoy the weekend. xx

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  13. Hoping the summer hols go well for you and all your plans re helping out come to fruition! As regards Mr T, I think Countryside Tales has hit it right on the nail!. Congrats on a lovely 502nd post.

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  14. Congratulations on over 500 posts. I'm mightily glad I discovered your blog as it is always a joy to read. I'm impressed with your summer holiday plans... good luck with that!

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  15. Congratulations on your milestone and then some!😁 I always enjoy reading it, though I don’t usually comment. Just want you to know that your work is genuinely appreciated.

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  16. I'm looking forward to reading how your summer Helping Out plans develop. I'd pitch it as Life Skills. Well done for writing 502 entertaining posts - hope you find the time to continue as I always enjoy reading.

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  17. Just re-entering reality after a holiday and thought I'd pop in to see how you are doing. Congratulations on your five years of blogging, it has been a pleasure to be on this journey with you. Good luck with the Helping Out this summer. I find it comes in in random spurts, the willingness to help out. Mine always help a bit (but rarely willingly) because I am a demon mother. It is tiring though, standing there with a megaphone in hand and shouting. They'll put on my headstone the inscription "may she nag someone else now". In a way, it is easier to just do everything yourself. I am immensely excited about a full week ON MY OWN, when Richard takes all offspring to see granny in Switzerland. Well, the dog will be here but he is easy going. I shall clean for a full day (maybe even rent a rug doctor machine) and then enjoy the sparkling tidiness in blissful silence, or maybe with some gentle cello sonatas in the background. It'll be like being in an parallel reality. Would you like to visit maybe? Have a good Sunday evening. xx

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  18. Congratulations and may I recommend Helping at Home by Margaret Elise Gagg pub. Ladybird Books as your vital handbook? You could leave it lying about.

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    1. Oh yes, this is an excellent tip, I'm on it. CJ xx

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  19. Congratulations on five years of wonderful posts, long may they continue. You do make me smile, good luck rallying the boys, may the force be with you on that one! I only have one child yet our house was always full of kids trashing the place and raiding the fridge.xxx

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  20. There are not enough words to explain 45's actions of statements. As for his opinion that all of you liked him, it's just water through a sieve. And in the words of Forrest Gump, "And that's all I've got to say bout that". Congratulations on 500+ posts. I hope your summer routine goes as planned.
    Hugs
    Sharon

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  21. Hey CJ,
    Just catching up on all of your posts after an internet issue (I pulled it out of the wall in an angry, shouty, middle son/Mum moment). Congrats on the big 500. I for one look forward to every word you write, my wise friend. Here's to 500 more.
    Leanne xx

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  22. I am getting caught up after a few weeks away. You poor souls having The Donald in your country even for a short time. No bowing to the Queen and walking in front of her, what a buffoon.

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