The whippet and the hare

I am all about the fermenting at the moment. Nothing is safe. There's yoghurt, kefir, celery, kimchi and sourdough. I'm a fermentation maniac. Lynda of Sultanabun has an excellent post here if you'd like to know more about the benefits. Gut health is linked to so many other things, possibly including allergies, blood sugar stability and inflammation, all of which I find quite fascinating. I am all for treating things naturally where possible. Prevention and all that. The littlest boy has some allergies sometimes, and my blood sugar levels can be a bit wobbly at times. I'm hoping an increase in fermented things will help.

It's at this time of year that I shall start to miss the allotment I think. The possibility of all that fresh organic food. But I'm fairly overwhelmed with everything anyway, I do know it was the right choice to let it go to someone else.

Yesterday was a case in point. I just about survived a ridiculous morning with every possible drama, you know the kind of thing, one of those days when everything goes wrong, when the littlest boy's school rang to say he'd cut his leg. The rest of the day was spent at children's A&E in the city getting stitches. And that was the end of Wednesday. No big deal, I'm happy I was around for him, but honestly, sometimes the days just seem to evaporate.

His leg is fine, but he did take a big chunk out of it leaping at a metal edged picnic bench in some complicated parkour manoeuvre. If I've told him once... Someone suggested to him that he probably wouldn't do it again. He said he thought he might well.

I never fail to be grateful for the medical care that's available here. And for everything really. As I said goodnight to the children tonight I felt very aware of the children in Syria. There aren't any words really, but my thoughts are there, and I try never to forget how much we have.

Half term was good. I even managed to read a book. This is me at the skatepark. It was so lovely to sit and read in the afternoon, honestly, undreamt of luxury.

The book was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. I really enjoyed it, as I know many of you have too.

Back to the grindstone now though. I am taking a little hour this evening to write this, but otherwise I'm pressing on with the freelance writing malarkey. Onwards and hopefully one day upwards. I live in hope.

I went to the biggest boy's school earlier for GCSE options evening. I am trying hard to let him do what he wants to do rather than what I want him to do. It doesn't come naturally though. The bottom line may be, does he do what his friends are doing or what his mother tells him to do. I shall try and rein myself in.

The puppy is sleeping blissfully as I write. He went down to the river this morning with his whippet friend. She was the whippet and he was the hare and a lot of really, really fast running was involved. He loves it, but in a slightly hysterical, whites-of-the-eyes sort of way, and afterwards he has to have a lie down.

Hope everything is well with all, and that you are feeling more whippet than hare.