Back from an amazing holiday....
Our holiday this year was a holiday with a difference.....Apart from 1 night in a hotel, the rest of our holiday was spent with friends and family. LSP comes from Scotland and we go up as often as we can. The difficulty is there is never enough time. We always seem to be popping in and popping off again. So we decided to spend some quality time with people.
I have taken far to many photographs which I will share with you over the coming weeks I also ate far to many wonderful home made treats.... I have not dared the scales yet. We managed to get some cycling in over the most amazing countryside.
When I was cycling in very remote countryside in the north of Scotland,the roads were so quiet, you could hear every car and tractor coming, but you could also hear the birds, the animals and the sea. It reminded me of when I was young, cycling through the villages in Oxfordshire (without the sea). Now there is so much more traffic its not the same. The weather was really good, (except for one day when we were climbing a hill that went on forever and the rain was horizontal)
Blue Sky to start with....
light rain at 10 miles...
(Last picture, Camera became so wet it had to be dried out by the fire overnight as it stopped working.)
We are blessed with some amazing friends. We have enjoyed some wonderfully prepared meals, fresh herring's, home made scones, amazing steak, pork, amazing egg dishes from free range home reared hens......
I have drank more wine in 2 weeks that the whole of the rest of the year ........
We have had time to chat often into the early hours....
(yes we did need a fire)
I love my job and hate my job in somewhat equal measures. my job steals time, not just the 37-47 hours I spend doing it each week, its the energy the mental and physical energy that it occupies. Even in my quiet moments at home it creeps in and a problem or situation will be mulled over in my mind. When my waking hour's are not enough it occupies my dreams as well.
However, the part of me that loves my job could not imagine doing anything else...Just variations on the same theme.
So I want a different life, a change of pace, more time, more headspace......I want to not feel permanently tired........I want to not have to see an osteopath to relieve the tension in my body..........I want to have quality time for people and friends not just 1 hour here and there and a bunch of apologies and excuses for not having time..........I need to enjoy my time......We only have 1 life and we do not know how much time we have on this earth........I need to be able to improve my quality of life........Not to be lazy..... I do not want to be sat watching the Jeremy Kyle show.......I want to grow veg.......I want to have Chickens......I want to be productive in a way that will benefit my family.......
I know that this is a big list of wants....But what is wrong with wanting?
I have a new 5 year plan.
To live in Scotland and to work part time.
In order to achieve this I need to save as much money as possible and to take some additional training, so no more weekends away, (apart from the one we have booked for our anniversary) No more meals out, no more non essential shopping and to be as frugal as possible. Save, Save Save....... To buy a little cottage, not to big, that needs a bit of work.
It will be worth it in the end......
Anyway, today I am back to reality, Making home made soup ( leek and potato), chicken and skirlie for dinner (skirlie is a Scottish Oatmeal stuffing), tidying, sorting and hanging washing on the line.... (and dreaming)
