Holiday traditions

Every time we go on holiday, we do the same things

The day before, we head to the airport, stopping at Oxford Services

 For a Starbucks

 We arrive at the Hilton

 And head to the airport for dinner here..

 The next morning, we head into the terminal

Then we cover ourselves in perfume in duty free, buy a big load of magazines and board our flight.. I love it, it really starts the holiday off.

Elvis and housework

In preparation for my holiday, I am getting my house all ship shape. I like the feeling of coming home to a lovely clean home after a great holiday, so yesterday- I put on my favourite Elvis CD and got cleaning!
It was very satisfying to be loading laundry, sweeping and cleaning to the sounds of The King.

Thinking Ahead

As a teacher, I love my Summer holiday.
I love having a long time off to pursue projects and to make the most of travelling and visiting friends etc.

In the midst of all this Summer though, my thoughts always turn to the Autumn.

It is my favourite season of the whole year.
I love the 'back to school' feeling, the nights drawing in, crisper air in the morning, those leaves falling, the sound of tyres swishing through the rain in the morning and those snuggly lamp and fairy light filled darker evenings.

I don't like to wish my life away, and I am enjoying the Summer a lot this year, but Autumn- you are mine.

Corners of my house

A poem for my Mum

A Pocket Full of Pegs

On windy

Or sunny

days.

I plumply dance on dewy grass

my mother pinny pocket full of pegs

reaching down to basket of wet

flapping sheets.

hand in pocket and out again

fast

machine gun

pegging out

The line propped high

by

my

pretend

maypole.

‘Go and leave that pole alone…if….’

I miss the end

loving threats

underneath the washing

lying

on the grass

the sun

flappily covered by my mother’s knickers

and then out again

shining

 in my eyes.

The washing

blows whisks

swinging

over

 itself

hiding

the

pegs.

Tea towels

cuddle flick

swaddle my socks

my job

later to

get the washing in

end of the dark falling garden

cool

twilight

unidentified rustles

twitch

the

end

of

the

line

by the bottom gate

where

the

wild

things

are

Collecting pegs

in a big

spiky

pinny

pocket

too much washing

for little arms

dragging dangling on grass,

catches rubs between running chubby knees

tripping

me

safely

through

the

back

door.

Summer of Repeats

This summer, I am going to be doing a lot of things that I have done before. They are little traditions that I really like.
I will be:

 Drinking a lot of coffee with friends

 Visiting my local towns and browsing how pretty they are

 Visiting Poole and staying with a friend's sister.

 I love it here

 The beach at night is so gorgeous

 There are lots of little cafes

 We have breakfast in a great deli at Poole harbour

 Then, I'll be off to the Reading festival

I like doing things I have done before, I love it when you start to build a set of traditions.

I love Brighton

One of my favourite places in Britain is Brighton. I have been there lots of times and I am definitely going to try and fit in a visit this year.

 I love the fairground rides

 Great little quirky cafes with the BEST vegan and vegetarian food

 An American diner on the seafront

 Arcades and night time walks along the front

 Breakfast at the marina in the morning.

It is lovely at all times of the year, The summer is great but I also like browsing the lanes in the autumn and getting a head start on my christmas shopping.