Gingerbread Travel - August 2020

Day tripping

I had grand plans to go to Scotland, Norfolk, Sherwood Forest and in the end I was just too tired/scared to arrange anything.  So we went on localish trips.  We visited places we’ve been to before and visited places we will visit again, it’s been nice, it’s been relaxing.  Maybe that’s what we really needed. 

Kendal

Burnley 

Lytham

Preston

Gingerbread Life - August 2020

Well the global pandemic has brought many changes to lives around the world one are the many birthdays that have been celebrated in lockdown.  I had faith that my family’s batch of August birthdays wouldn’t be affected but they have.  

As much as I’d like to celebrate Mamilein’s birthday in person we have, as many have, had to make do with Skype chats and FaceTime calls. It’s not the same but it is birthdays in 2020.  The beginning of August is Mamilein’s birthday but she also squeezes in her Namenstag (who doesn’t celebrate their name?) a couple of days later.  Always wanting to be the centre of attention she has struggled with having a birthday in lockdown.  When asked what they planned to do for her birthday “nothing!”  Was the response and that is just what they did.  We all called and played music.  We sent her some birds for her Christmas tree (although I now realise that the tree is in my garage) and made a virtual fuss of her.

Happy Birthday Mamilein

Another morning, another birthday.  From across the miles I wished my biglilbro a happy birthday he is now officially in his forties.  I have known him all his life (hee hee) and watched him develop from a snotty teenager to a grumpy old man.  He has always been spoiled rotten on his birthday, he got the brand name shoes, I got the key ring.  He got the roller blades, I got the knee pads.  Not that I am bitter because now I am officially the favourite child. This year, due to the enormous custom charges from the US postal services he received no gifts from us.  £20 gift £90 in taxes, not worth it.  Hopefully soon we’ll be able to celebrate together.  Our next round of birthdays is November, let’s see what Covid brings then.

Happy Birthday Biglilbro 

Gingerbread Haus - August 2020

         Birthday At Home

I’m not going to lie, I do love being spoilt on my birthday, nothing too big or extravagant, but I feel you can’t go wrong with a few cards, some balloons and a yummy cake.  A few years ago GO failed on all accounts, I didn’t even get a cup of coffee in bed.  I was not best pleased and let him know in no uncertain terms.  He learned his lesson and has not let me down.  I’m not a diva, Prima Donna or high maintenance in any other respects but my birthday comes two days after my brothers and we have always had to share celebrations.  We never had our own days we shared everything, even having to compromise on days out (which took place on the middle day).  As it’s a summer birthday school/uni/work friends never made/make a fuss because they were/are never around.  This year has had to be different, Lockdown and all that, so I was fully expecting just another day.  Nice, but nothing special.  How wrong from the beginning of the Month I was treated.  GO bought me a Lego Gingerbread Man, I treated us to a trio to the Ivy, we watched The Rocky Horror show at the drive in.  I was spoiled with a living card, a balloon sculpture and Aldi’s finest celebration cake.

As we had been out a few times over the course of the month we decided to have a Raclette meal.  It is fast becoming our favourite meal to celebrate.  I love the fact that we can have exactly what we want, how we want it.  

Skills To Foster

We were both quite nervous about the skills to foster course, we remembered the pre adoption course we had attended a couple of years ago and how interactive and sociable it was. In this day of Zoom meetings and conference calls, how would we all feel like we could participate equally?  Would we be able to build relationships with the other prospective carers?  We needn’t have worried it was actually more friendly and interactive than we could’ve imagined.  

We logged on from 10.30-3.30 for three days, we had lunch together and carried out tasks in break out rooms. We learned about the many, many reasons why children are put into care.  How carers can provided help and support and the role of foster carers.

Gingerbread Familia - August 2020

August Is Date Night Month 

Since GO changed jobs and has had school holidays off with me August has been one long, amazing date night.  I am not going to harp on about how we are in the middle of a pandemic/lockdown.  What I will share is that we have had some lovely evenings out together.  Our first evening out was an evening in the Ivy, Spitalfields Manchester.

The Ivy - Swanky Birthday Treat (for myself)

The Lawrence - 7 Course Meal

As a celebration of their new chef The Lawrence Hotel in Padiham held an eight course Lancashire Taster Menu Evening.  I was so busy enjoying the amazing food that I didn’t take any photos, (these are before we left and photos from their Facebook page) so unlike me.  The selection of food was incredible, I will most definitely be returning.

Gingerbread Haus - Juli 2020

Garden Living 

I like to joke that up North when the sun shines you have to make the most of it as that will be the quickest hour ever.  So with that in mind when we heard that July was ending with a mini heatwave (how can it be a heatwave, isn’t it just summer?) we decided to make the most of it. 

We didn’t want to go anywhere as we knew the beaches, parks and any public space would be heaving.  No chance to socially distance and as we were placed into a local lockdown the thought of crowded places gave me the heebie geebies.  

Our/my plan was to spend the day in the Costa Del Burnley, we have put a lot of work into tidying up the garden, we wanted to enjoy it while we could and, also, I had acquired a paddling pool, so it made sense to enjoy it all.  The gin was in the fridge, we had snacks and lots of sunscreen.

Gingerbread Travel - Juli 2020

Gingerbread Travels

Where can we go in the middle of a global pandemic?  The government are opening “travel bridges” I haven’t seen my parents in five months, we had plans to travel, the plans have changed.  We are day trippers now, bonus I can sleep in my own bed.  If we don’t feel like going anywhere we can stay home and chill.  This is a new concept for me and GO we are used to being on the go all of the time.  Here’s to 2020 the year we stood still.

Hebden Bridge 

What a way to start the holidays; a trip to the optician.  It’s been two years or so since my last visit and no real change.  We got the first appointment of the day so after my check up and before GO’s we headed to the local cafe.  It is our first trip “out” for a meal and I am very conscious of keeping my distance.  We decide to sit outside where we can sit 2metres away from others so we don’t need to rely on face masks.  When we return to the opticians for GO’s appointment I try on some glasses.  I pick out four that I like and I am shocked to find that they all cost more than £275 each.  I work with children I cannot spend that much on glasses in case they break.  Before we get home I’m on Glasses Direct looking for a bargain or two.

The Atom 

I can’t believe how stunning Lancashire is.  The holidays had been a wash out ever since our trip to Hebden and we had been housebound.  I was going a bit stir crazy so suggested a welly waddle.  I convinced GO to visit the Atom, another East Lancashire Panopticon.  We have visited the Halo and live down the road from The Singing Ringing Tree, we had tried to visit the Atom in Lockdown but the council had closed it.

Worsthorne - Hurstwood

You can’t take him anywhere, after finding a termite riddled gun shaped log.  He spent the entire time running around the wood shouting “pyaow pyaow!” looking for Stormtroopers.  We got lost and ended up climbing up the slopes, I managed get to the top and then slid all the way back down.  What did he say? “I know, I saw you, so now I am walking where you haven’t been.  I don’t want to get dirty too!” 

Crosby Beach 

Speaking of standing still....

I shared these photos on a family chat and the first thing my mother and brother noticed, wasn’t the statues, the glorious weather, the calm sea, or empty beach, it was the..... willy!