And that’s why Summer is our #Word of the week. One day this week I felt really down and sad and it had me wondering why. Usually at this time of the year (Summertime) I am chirpy and happy and in a generally good mood. It felt strange to be down in the dumps. Then I took stock and realised that my ankles still hurt (I was walking), my neck also hurt and felt crooked and I also felt like I need to see a doctor about a ‘lady’ issue I’d been having for a few days. I rang up the doctors but of course, didn’t get an appointment. I took myself home, had a good cry, and I’ve been fine since!
After all, Summertime is when the happy hormones should be bobbing up and down. To be honest, there isn’t much specifically that I can put my finger to, to make me say this week was summery, but let’s give it a try.
Summer weather
The weather wasn’t bad at all this week. We had a mixture of rain and sunshine, wind and clouds. I think I got to do a walk every day and that certainly cheered me up. Having the sunshine on my skin, and having to wear sunshades, and lighter clothes certainly made me feel good this week.
One day I had a good laugh as I headed out to the High Street with a black coat on as it had looked overcast and ‘Alexa’ had promised rain. By the time we got there, the sun was out in all its glory and the first half of the day was actually a scorcher.
I don’t know about you but I hate to see people out in padded, black, hooded coats in the summer. It seems to make the place look drab in my eyes. Well this week, I joined them and was made to feel a fool, lol. What do you guys think? I think one of these days I am going to buy myself and a light blue, pink or green jacket for use in the summer months.
Food and drink
This week the kitchen was mostly out of service too, so we spent some time working outside. Outside on one day meant being parked across from the park and having a Jamaican lunch which we bought on the High Street. The braised oxtails and rice and peas certainly gave us the summer holiday vibes. I wanted to order curried goat but they only had boneless ones. That was a big no-no for me.
We have also been experimenting with some refreshing drinks and we are loving it. We do a nice cold coffee with coconut milk and ‘skinny syrup’. That was the bomb! We got the coconut milk as samples when we went to the BBC Good Food Show the other day. Today we also made a ‘melonade’ accompanied by orange slices. That was really nice too and very refreshing.
Outdoor space
You might have seen the garden makeover that we did 2 weeks or so ago and it is still doing well. This week we made it even better by purchasing a tin of black heat-resistant paint and painting over the rust on the old barbecue. We actually have two of them (bbqs) and the older one has always been heading towards the back gate and on the way to the tip. Well, this week we decided to replace a screw that was missing on the lid, and just give it a fresh coat of black paint. The one we used is guaranteed to cover rust for at least 8 years! It only cost us 11 pounds at Wickes and that comes out much cheaper than buying a new one. We found a similar one on Amazon that was slightly cheaper. That was also a fun, summertime activity for us too.
Summer plans
We might have gone ahead and booked our summer, birthday, and Christmas trips already too! Shhh! The kids (young people don’t know yet!). But even that has given us all the feels for the summer. We are also looking forward to the Commonwealth Games which our city, Birmingham is hosting. Some of the events are going to be so close, I think we will be able to hear the crowds. We will see it all on TV, so no need to book those expensive tickets and still not be able to see the action up close and personal. We don’t like those big crowds anyway.
We also have to look out for some other local events to go to so that we enjoy most of the summer before the dark days roll back around.
Tell us how your week has been and if you are a blogger, feel free to share in the weekly linky party.
awww, I’m sorry you had your low moment, but glad you are feeling a bit better now, getting summer ready is always a boost. My husband is the one who finds it hard to give up his winter coat. The BBQ looks great, I didn’t even know you could buy that paint. We are gearing up for our holiday in a few weeks time, but first I’ve got my week at the hospital next week and we will be having to go past a few of the Commonwealth Games venues to get there, fingers crossed the traffic isn’t too bad. I love the look of your melonade.
Anne recently posted…Word of the Week Twenty Six, Celebrations
Oh so, sorry to hear you weren’t feeling great during the week. I am glad things are better now.
I love this time of year. Warm but not too hot and the summer showers are quite welcome especially for my garden. I need an in-between jacket for when it looks like it’s going to rain. I always get caught out and take a big coat and end up sweating or carrying it. Your cold coffee sounds so good, just what we need in the summer and the barbecue looks fantastic! x
Kim Carberry recently posted…This week my Word of the Week is: Easier! #WotW