Bye bye old boy

Well, this year has been filled with ups and downs.  My stress levels have been tested to the fore and yet still all is well.  I am finally able to give myself time to blog again after months of long days working on many wild and wonderful and sometimes nightmarish projects.  There are so many good things in my life right now and when I next write something here I will make a note of the most heartwarming.  But for now just a simple note to say thankyou to our old boy Leo for 14 years of toothiness, bad breath, fur covered floors, stolen food and general doggy love.  This will be our first dogless Christmas in nearly 20 years as before Leo there was Blue Boy and the house is so strange and still now.  No more slippy paws on the terracotta floor, no more doors being opened by goofy jaws and no more wide eyed pleading looks when packets are opened.  So for now I will simply slowly adjust to this new way of life, but how we miss him.  Goodbye old chap x

These Days

Never seem to have the time or desire to blog these days, too much work, not enough family time.  However have kicked myself up the bum and am making moves to re-align myself.  Today is a glorious Sunday, bright skies, red and yellow leaves fluttering past my office door. 

Woke at dawn and plodded out into the garden with Herbal Tea in my Mother Christmas dressing gown (thanks Kate).  Looked at the view and could hardly take it in for all its beauty, quickly got into a busy mode and cleaned my office, made pate for supper tonight and tidied up.  Went and bought Foccacia and Sciacata to go with pate (carrots and apples for me the saddo gluten free one).  Now off to lunch with friends, I hope to re-visit my blog when time allows. 

Mad world

Last of the september sun - before the boy's haircut

The last few months have been crazy busy, here and there, near and far, calm and nutty.  Today Autumn is finally here for certain, went to the market for fresh veg, everyone wearing puffy coats and hats - me not wearing these and nose was numb.  Cured by machiato (excuse my spelling).  The girl is watching Rio dvd I am mid muffin making, office cleaning, filing, garden designing, loft rummaging and cleaning.  Off to wardrobe sort now and uncover the winter clothes, leg-warmers at the ready!  Cosying up with family this weekend as no other mad comittments, Chicken casserole for supper and chocolate and banana muffins for the kids midnight munchines. x

September - summer review

Not really felt like writing much this summer, the season has zoomed by and now we are in September.  It is all too easy for me to feel frsutrated by what I havent acheived this summer, the places we didnt quite get to and the crafty things that are still to be made.  However, I am luckier than most as my kids go to school part time and I mostly work from home, although it is a pretty full on amount of work I have to do.  So to remind myself of the good things we have done over the summer holidays here is a little review:

Made Cherry Jam
Went to the Beach
Visited the outdoor Pool - alot
Went to Lucca
Weekend Camping at the Beach
Found a tortoise in the garden
Turned 40
Visited lots of old buildings and Abbeys
Grew Tomatos, Chicory, Cucumbers, Squashes, Chillis and Herbs
Made scary Chilli Sauce
Children did a market stall and sold beaded necklaces
Practised Calligraphy
Made and bought Christmas presents
Went Cycling - alot
Remmy the cat recovered from an Eye op
Ate lots of Italian icecream
Made Pate
Started to learn to Knit - again
Visited the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
Had friends to stay
Grandma came on holiday
AA went camping with friends
The old hound kept on going - Hurray
Went up Monte Amiata for the day
TT lost her 2nd tooth, the tooth mouse and the tooth fairy came!
I got a new Garden Design job
Put on 3 pounds (Italian icecream)
Started learning about Italian wines
TT learnt to read in English
AA learnt to answer back -alot

We have done alot this summer it seems, but I do feel sad that school is starting, the boy is going to Media (middle school) and is growing up too fast. The girl wants to start ballet so we are going to find a class for her and I have finally joined a Yogalates class starting this month.  Next week I have a work trip to London and feel so weepy to be going away from home. 

September is without a doubt though the most beautiful month, the colours of the leaves, the bulging grapevines and ripening olive groves, the conker trees dropping spiky pods from above.  Soon we will have The boy's 11th birthday and the start of the Autumn Festas and Sagres (food festivals) Truffles, Porcini, Chestnuts, Olive Oil..... I can't wait.

I am in reflection mode at the moment feeling a little lost, last week the man and I had a lovely lunch in Siena then suddenly the chap behind us had want we assume was a massive heart attack, I tried to help his wife to stay calm and soothed her the best I could, but things looked very grim indeed. It shook me to the core and I cried all the way home, thinking how fast life can change so completely.  So I am reflecting on how I spend my time and with whom as we need to totally love every minute we have on this beautiful planet.

Into a rythm

Well it is ages since I last updated this blog, so much work and so little time.  My whole summer has been overshadowed by huge projects and very little energy.  My day usually consists of dragging myself to the shed where muy computor lives around 8am (when its still cool) then emerging to make lunch, spending the afternoon lolling with the kids whilst doing odds and sods of work, listening to them bickering and trying to stay calm and mellow, then I squeeze in a little more work before giving in around 6pm when the garden is dying for water and everyone else is overheated and a little stroppy.

However, things are definately improving.  Both children have found new interests this summer, AA with his Rugby blog and TT is loving reading and writing in English which is a relief as she was struggling as Italian is her 1st language when it comes to books.

Life has found its own rythm and we are getting small things done that have been bothering me for ages.  Last night we played scrabble and snakes and ladders sitting on the cool tiled floor.  Today I took the boy to buy his school things as he starts middle school (Media) in September and it was a lovely morning with coffee and panino for him, a walk in the old town of Colle Val Delsa and home for lunch.  We are now at 40 Degrees and it is too hot to be energetic but we are squeezing in trips to the local pool a couple of times a week which is so lovely, the kids watch the high divers and mess around whilst I dip in and out of the pool and in and out of my book.

This week is all work, work work (writing and garden design) but have promised myself next week is Mummy week where I will indulge the kids, take in a few museums, icecreams and enjoy some lazy homey days.

Last week we went to Monte Amiata whilst the boy was at the beach with friends and stopped at Sant Antimo on the way home, it was beautiful, breathtaking.  Gary put up with my fascination for Abbeys and Cathedrals and sat in the sun whilst TT and I explored inside, lit candles and enjoyed the Music and insense.

This week our rather dried out garden has given us tomatos, Chicory, Lettuce and a few lovely herbs.  Water is running so low and everywhere is suffering, I hope we have rain soon, nothing for nearly a month and the tank is nearly empty.. fingers crossed.

Smiling Sunflowers

Birthday pics of San Galgano - such a lovely day x

San Galgano Abbey

Church roof

Birthday girl

TT in angel light from church window

fresco

happy sunflower

sloes ready for gin

hide and seek

cheeky chap

Always smiling

Abbey window

Peace and Tranquillity

The Waiting Man

Wide View (my bum)

Chiesa on hill

The waiting staff at my meal

Birthday Joy

Enjoying a small rest on my birthday (40).  The man is cooking supper and the kids are out in the garden playing with friends.  Spent today out rambling around an ancient monestry, had a picnic lunch, then icecream and prosecco in a lovely old town near here.  Off for a walk soon then my birthday feast!!! Have had amazing goodies.  Homemade cards and posters drawn by the boy, organic smellies for the house, a super sturdy food processor with a dough hook - cool, winning lottery tickets (i hope) and lots of love, hugs, sunshine and chilling down time - perfect day for me.  Also spoilt myself with lots of books and films from amazon in English as my Italian is so rubbish.  Wishing I could see some people who are far away in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and of course Blighty!!! x

Slowing down a little

Right now I feel very tired, I have big bags under my eyes and my limbs feel like lead.  However, with two children on holiday a business to run and an out of control garden to tend I am forever on the go.  I must not complain as the good totally outweighs the bad, but sometimes I need to listen to my body a little and right now it is telling me to rest!!!  This is so hard with a racing mind and worries about many things but this weekend I will try and nourish my soul and be a little self indulgent.  I hope to: finish my sewing pile, start drawing and painting again, plant some late summer veggies, make a lovely gluten free pudding, read and watch some classic old films.  But today I must catch up on writing (work) projects and maybe take the children for a walk or cycle.

Here are some pictures of a recent visit to Florence:

Princess and the Pea

I am slowly, in fact dreadfully slowly trying to get the house more organised as I can never find anything and I get upset and frsutrated.  I started with the girl's room and I made up her bed with fresh linen, sorted her books and clothes tidied her toys and the room smelt of lavendar oil.  The cosiness was so beautiful - guess where she slept?  Yep in our room on a spare mattress - typical.

Museums & Leonardo Da Vinci

We took a trip last week to Florence on the train, I was pretty excited about visiting the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum.  Let's just say my excitement was somewhat larger than the museum.  We did have fun though, it was very hot (40 degrees) and we just about made it through the day, we spent an hour in a lovely kids centre where they hold art and craft workshops - no workshop whilst we were there but the kids chilled out and actually played together which is a rarity.  I am trying to focus on the good things, the lovely shiny happy moments as there are many troubling things happening in our lives at the moment with very poorly relatives & friends and heavy work comittments.  Also I am so tired and feeling fat!  However, here are some reminders of our lovely day in Florence x

Medieval Festival Monteriggioni

Last weekend we enjoyed a trip to Monteriggioni where they had a Medieval Festival, it was such a lovely evening, kids a tad grumpy as overly hot but we had a great night x