Things are falling into place nicely...

Hello again! 

I haven't blogged since November and I've missed catching up on what you've all been up to. 

You may remember this post from July about feeling lost, well... a lot has happened since then! I made a major decision back in June, that has changed my life and since then, apart from a short period of feeling quite low, things have just got better and better! This change means I'm more confident, happy, positive, outgoing and assertive.

I joined the gym in July and lost four stone in six months, which is a major achievement that I'm very proud of! I have started going out more and have made new friends, some of them are now close friends that I wouldn't want to lose. I've also lost a friend through something I said, which I still feel upset about and an old friend has come back to me. I've spent the last couple of months catching up with old friends too. My nan now has carers coming in to help her, although she hasn't met one she likes yet!

As if all of these changes aren't enough, I've got a job with British Gas! After being a carer for so long and being out of full time work because of that, this is going to be a big change. I start next week as a Trainee Smart Meter Expert, I'm really looking forward to learning something new and working! I'd thought about applying for this job 18 months ago, after a friend who'd worked there, talked about it. The situation I was in at the time, made me feel that I couldn't do it but after my lost friend said he was training to be a gas engineer, I thought 'I can do this!'.

It has been quite hard with my nan since I told her I was applying for this job, but me not being around is something she'll have to get used to. Another thing that may be on hold a bit longer is the travelling I mentioned here. I definitely still want to travel but when it will be, I'm not sure.

One of my new friends said "Sounds like things are falling into place nicely!" and they really are! After five years of putting off this major change, I finally feel settled and happy with my life, which is such a good feeling! This year is about focus, learning, being challenged and new beginnings.

Cake, cake, food and more cake!

The Royal Standard of England

I met up with an old work friend yesterday and we went to The Royal Standard of England, the oldest freehouse in England.

We went for lunch but didn't even think about booking a table, there was a large party and all of the other tables were reserved. Fortunately, some tables were free until 2pm and we got there just before 1pm. The large party were all dressed in medieval clothes, it was quite a sight! We ordered quickly before the large group and sat at table 13, we were a bit worried because my friend and I are both slow eaters! I had the steak and kidney suet pudding and my friend had the cottage pie, the food was lovely it was fairly expensive but worth it. We didn't have the time or room for pudding! 

A couple shared our table and I thought I recognised the lady and I was right - I looked after her son at a nursery about six years ago.

I took a few photos of the inside of the pub but only on my phone so they didn't come out very well. It was really nice but quite dark and cramped inside, they had a couple of fires going, the atmosphere was nice and the staff were really friendly.

2pm came round quickly but we had both finished our meals so we finished our drinks at the bar then went to sit outside at this tree table.

We sat for a while then we went for a walk. They had a map on the website of two walks nearby but the map wasn't very clear and we couldn't work out where it started! My friend thought we should go along the track in front of the pub and she was right as it led to, what we thought was, the first turning. When we got back we realised the first turning was actually right by the pub and we had missed it as it is quite overgrown.

We ended up doing the longer walk, which was nice although a bit muddy in places. We walked through the Wildflower Meadow, there wasn't much colour but we did see lots of, what looked like, chrysalis' on certain stems. I couldn't get my phone to focus but we think they were Burnet Moth chrysalis'.

This is one that was open so I brought it home. The brown bit was inside the silky, papery part. There were quite a few the same but also a lot more that weren't open.

This was a field further along, we could see three tractors in the distance.

One tractor was cutting the grass, one was putting it into bales and the third one (below) was picking up the bale then it spun wrapping around it and dropped it off the other side. We thought this was really clever!

Some horses, the one with a cover on kept nodding at us!

Now we were on the way back towards the pub. We passed some lovely houses behind where we stood here.

We walked quite slowly and it took us about two hours but we think we did an extra bit that isn't on the map!

I really enjoyed seeing my friend as I hadn't seen her since last summer and it was a great day but I did feel completely shattered when I got home.

I hope you've had a lovely weekend too!