A little catch up!

I have sadly been neglecting my blog these past few weeks, mainly because I've been shattered and we've been so busy. Its been a difficult summer, and a very unhappy one. But hopefully those unhappy days are way behind me now! If nothing else, I have learned some valuable lessons this summer. For example -

• its not always just those you consider your closest friends that will step up to the mark for you, sometimes support comes from unexpected sources!
• just because you work in a professional environment, it doesn't mean the people you work with are going to be professional!
• Giving up is never an option, you have to keep hoping and believing that things will get better.....even in your darkest hour.
• Buying a National Trust membership was a brilliant idea, it has kept me sane this summer!
• Even out of the most negative experiences, positive things can be born.

With these things in mind, I've tried to make the most of the time i had at home with Paul. We've been on all sorts of adventures these past few weeks, visiting lovely places, exploring many beautiful national trust properties and spending time with good friends.

This Sunday we visited the Derbyshire Show at Calke Abbey. Its the first time we have been, and we really enjoyed it. I am so glad we went early, the queue of cars waiting to get it was getting longer and longer by the minute. The weather was beautiful, and there were lots of stalls to wander around, all selling a variety of things....food, jewellery, crafts etc. There was live music, dance displays, and many exhibits about WW1. We stopped by one of the tents to listen to some guys dressed up as soldiers singing old songs from war time. There really was something for everyone. We had a coffee at Calke's coffee shop, and finally left at noon so we could head over to Belper to visit my old boss Sian. Oh wow, the traffic was horrendous! We finally arrived tho and spent a lovely afternoon with Sian and her beautiful baby Rhian. It was so good to see them both. I miss Sian and all my old colleagues so much, its hard to put into words. It was devastating losing my job in June, and I know at some point I will come to terms with it, but that hasn't happened just yet. But seeing Sian, and knowing these lovely people are still part of my life helps!

So with the summer drawing to a close, and me settling into a new job I am hoping there are way better times a head. I like my new job, the people are friendly and I am back working closer to home. Those are good foundations to build a better future on.