Moving on up

Nearly managed to not blog at all in September. Really, that won't do.

Apologies for my absence [did anyone notice?]Been a bit low over the past few weeks, and didn't want to turn to blog into a whinge and rant fest. No - I have another blog for that..hee hee!

So, we holidayed. Gite No. 1 was lovely. A new area for us. A covered pool, which Laura adored, and even made me consider [very briefly] rejoining a gym so i could swim more often. Gite No.2 was our usual haunt : Penderff in Brittany, and was fantastic. Felt like coming home, which after four vists is hardly surprising. It's like staying with old friends without the hassle of hogging the bathroom and using all the hot water. We socialised with our hosts at least 4 nights out of 7, and when I say socialised I really mean drank enormous quantities of cheap french wine. It was lovely, and was really the relaxation I needed. A more detailed holiday post with photos (for marketing purposes!) will appear shortly. Anyway, holiday was OK...but two weeks in the company of family 24/7 seemed like a long time to me.

I had another birthday, and channelled my inner Kirstie Allsop by getting gorgeous bric-a-brac from a Bricante. Honestly this chap must be praying we come back next year the amount of money husband spent at his shop! Photos of purchases also to follow.

My parents gave me Lakeland vouchers, and I bought icing kit, because I am heavily into cupcakes at the moment. I actually have a photo this time:



My fantasy is to set up a little sideline in cakes and facepainting....watch this space.

Relax...

I haven't blogged for an age, and now I am popping in to tell you I'm going on holiday at the end of the week. However, now that I am the extremely proud owner of an iPhone, I *plan* to blog from France.......well, we'll see....

Anyhoo, this year I am taking about three-times the usual number of books with me as I regularly run out of reading matter after the first week and am left to raid the shelves for items left by previous holiday makers....usually Catherine Cookson or books about the SAS (why is that?)

So here is the current holiday reading list (and of course a bit of product placement...) click here...

He's on the beach

I've been reprimanded by Veronica for not mentioning the highlight of the holiday - the annual sunday trip to the beach, with chips from the chip man. I think this is because I had tried to erase the memory of being FORCED to stay on the beach, under the beach umbrella (kindly lent by the chip man) in the RAIN. I was wearing sweatshirt AND waterproof. Veronica "hitler" Woodward wouldn't let any of us off the beach. Finally, her family were brave enough to defy her, and went and skulked in the car. We stayed.....Still it rained. Her family drove off to look at trains (!). We stayed.....and....it stopped raining....and it actually got quite pleasant. All the beach photos in the previous Penderff blog are taken that very afternoon, after it stopped raining. You were right, V, and the others missed out!

Lost in France - Penderff 2008

So, a summary of our holiday. Another lovely lovely time in Brittany, and although Canada is defo. on for summer 2009, we are aiming for visit number 4 to Penderff in May.

This year we
*went to the medieval fete in Hennebont.

*entertained my stepson for a few days. Actually, bless 'im, he entertained Laura in his role as chief swing-pusher

*were saved from the smallest lasagne in the world and certain divorce by our wonderful friends (and landlords) Judith & Jeremy

*spent an enormous amount of time
here

*Went on the ponies - twice for Laura, once for me.

*Went to the Zoo with half of the Woodwards and one Pollington, then on to the Interceltic Festival.

*Went to the Oceanopolis Aquariam in Brest, but probably enjoyed the smaller one in Vannes more....along with the Butterfly House, and most importantly for Laura, a shop which sold Leily Kelly boots. Most importantly for mummy, the boots were half the price they are in England.

*Ate in all our favorite restaurants with our favourite people

*Shopped for handbags (me)

*Shopped for music and junk (Peter)

* Had a wonderful time, and agreed to go back next May!

All the photos can be viewed here, although those of a delicate disposition may wish to avoid the shots of my fat a**e getting off the pony.

We're all going on a summer holiday...

We apologise for this break in service, but Team Robinson has naffed orf on holibags. Two weeks in Brittany again, but we are banking on a trip to Toronto next summer....so I hope your offer was serious, Kate'n'Chris! And I am looking forward to a bit o' traveling that doesn't involve airports or lugging a bloody great laptop with me. Actually husband is taking his laptop I think. Me, I've got a pile of trashy (seriously trashy) novels, a soduko book and my embroidery. Luxury.

Penderff 2007

Another lovely summer holiday in Brittany. A selection of highlights above: we spent lots of time with The Woodwards et al, Camilla joined us for a few days, we went to Jeremy & Judith's 25th Wedding Anniversary party, I lusted after Judith's car, we went to the dinosaur park, and we eat lots and lots of lovely stuff! The full holiday can be viewed here . Be warned - it is 171 pictures. (Well, we were there for two weeks!)