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.