The summer seems to have passed in a blur of activities. Over the last couple of months I've tried my hand at some new stuff; mastered pinball at a basic level (thanks to the tuition from the Middle Eastern correspondent), been taught the tricks of table football (Miss Sensible's forte) & indoctrinated into pool (courtesy of Minor Mayhem)...it’s been great fun to regress but despite plenty of practice all I'm still no good at any of them and now it's time to go back to being a 'grown up'.

This last week of the hols always seems a bit of a break-point between one world and another…there’s a set of activities that define the transition into the new regime; purchasing school uniform & shoes (mission now successfully accomplished), sewing on name tapes, and organising stationery; all signals that the vacation chapter is coming to an end...

I'm an Aunt!!

Welcome to the world Daniel x

What a complete cutie...even Minor Mayhem is taken with him!

Pack -> Unpack - > Pack

feels like a never ending cycle. Got back late last night and had to rapidly unpack case and re-pack holdall etc. in preparation for commencement of Pony Club camp at 7.30am this morning. House now looks like a bomb's gone off but Miss Sensible is in her element. Wonder when 'Charlie Brown' will lose out in favour of the male human species? Much as at times I hate the hassle factor, I strongly approve of her affinities... long may it continue, horses are way less trouble than blokes ;o)

Les vacances

Just returned from a much needed chill out session in Turkey. The break was as laid back as ever; chance to switch off from some of life’s hassles doing mostly nothing other than sitting alone on a beach reading. Got through some excellent books… Engleby (Sebastian Faulks), The Help (Kathryn Stockett) & The Other Hand to name but three that are well worth snuggling up with.

We decided to brave the haranguing of the Marmaris bazaar to visit one of my favourite places ever, it's a cross between the shop in Mr. Benn and a curio emporium…sells an incongruous mix of everything you can imagine from original copper diving helmets, to religious artifacts, to antique saxophones & gramophones, to fabulous items of Chopard jewellery. Unlike the hassle from other store owners, in this place they delight in showing you the pieces against Gregorian chant background music which when listened to carefully turns out to be a pretty unique version of Fade to Grey by Visage and other similarly bizarre cover versions...all slightly surreal.