Weeks 19 and 20: 2018

Two weeks in one for me this week for reasons I’ll come to later.  So two weeks ago I went up to Manchester for the Blogon Conference that I go to most years.  It’s a great opportunity to meet up with friends and hopefully learn a thing or two new things about blogging.  As I’ve been blogging for over 7 years I’ve had the opportunity to make some great friends through blogging and many of them have been blogging as long as I have. I arrived early in Manchester as I got a lift up with Mama Geek who was helping set up.  I spent the afternoon strolling around Salford Quays and visiting the Imperial War Museum ( I think I might go back there with H). There was a party on the Saturday night so I got the chance to spend time with other blogger friends ahead of the actual conference like Susan K Mann.

Sunday was conference day.  It was a lot of fun as quite a few of my friends were coming up for the day rather than for the whole weekend.  I met up with Sarah of Mum of Three World and Tas of Not My Year Off who I talk to every day on Twitter and went to have get fitted for Hotter Shoes together with the help of Prince Charming.   All too soon the day was over, but it was fun travelling back with Mama Geek and Brummy Mummy of 2.

Back home then to the pussy cats.  I took this rather cute one of Bracken with a paw round Amber.  They spend much of the day and night curled up together, although in this hot weather they sometimes sleep near, but not next too each other – I think that extra body heat and fur is a bit much when temperatures are high.

Back to work too with lots of pictures to take for a piece of work I was doing with Pomegreat.  I was able to put into use some of the tips I’d picked up from Blogon in the photography workshop.

It was lovely to get out in the Clent Hills with a friend and enjoy the bluebells.  This area was covered in conifers a few years ago, but now it’s a sea of bluebells.

H got to try out a new toy ahead of SATs week. SATs don’t seem to have worried him at all.  I have made it very clear to him that they don’t matter to him at all and are purely to the school.  He’s enjoyed the longer play times they have been enjoying after each test.  They seemed to do nothing educational really on Friday once they had finished.  Between now and the end of term there isn’t that much to do now I think.  They still have a writing assessment to take, but other than that it’s confirmation preparation (RC school), leavers’ assembly rehearsals and according to the newsletter the school nurse is coming in to talk to them about puberty.

One evening I went to see a tribute band.  This is a picture of the support band which was a Blondie tribute band.  I wasn’t that keen on them, although I do like Blondie’s songs.  The Duran Duran tribute band, Planet Duran, were excellent though and I really enjoyed that.

On Friday another treat: an afternoon tea with a friend.  It was a bit odd as instead of sandwiches there were mini-burgers and fries.  This was at Bardolino which is a Marco Pierre White restaurant in Birmingham.