Blue ar**d flies!

It is my own fault........14 days seemed like a long time but I am stunned at how quickly 14 days fills up and becomes one long hectic dash.We arrived on Wednesday evening and had a flying visit with my friend Paul in Bolton before heading to Heywood on Thursday, caught up with my sister and my Auntie Joan and then drove up to Cumbria.It is soooo green here and Will is constantly exclaiming "Wow!" around every bend.We have set up base camp in my brother Rod's flat, which is over his garage at the bottom of his garden. It is such a lovely spot here at the foot of the Pennines and green rolling hills all around.On Friday we went into Penrith where we used to live. Will needed to get our old doctors to send his medical records to Australia so that he can renew his epipen....he is allergic to bee venom and the next sting could kill him.....they were very helpful, said they would send the records and have provided him with two new epipens!We then called at our house, which is being rented, and met the new tenant, a lovely lady from Edinburgh who has moved to Penrith to be nearer her grandchildren. We grabbed some essential things from the loft that we wanted.......Will, his roller skates and I, the Playstation and then we went to Booth's for lunch.We were in Carlisle in the afternoon, hoping not to bump into my parents, to pick up the cake for Mum's birthday from our friend Margaret and we managed to surprise two past work colleagues, Kath and Sue by walking in on the end of their lunch out.We dropped the cake off at the party venue before being able to go back to Rod's and catch some breath.We have been heading to bed much earlier than normal, we just get to a certain point and start to flag. I hope it is still travel related and not old age.Saturday was the whirl of the party and catching up with all the family.Yesterday Will, my son's Lewis, Nathan and I went for a lovely walk near Buttermere with Barbara, who was my classroom assistant and her husband Neil. We took Will up to the Bothy Barbara, Neil and I had walked to when I came over last year for my brother James's wedding. We didn't have such a sunny day as we did the first time we visited but the cloud and some drizzle made the walk much more atmospheric.After dropping Lewis off at the station to go back to Edinburgh, Will and I rushed back to Rod's, got changed and were out for a meal with the lovely ladies I used to work with when I first moved to Cumbria in 1986. We had a lovely meal, a catch up and a good laugh about the 'old days'.It is Monday.........and we are meeting our friend Steven today, have another meal out tonight before heading to London tomorrow for two days to stay with Josh and Helena.We are back on Thursday but got to Glasgow on Friday to catch up with friends there, head to Edinburgh on Saturday to stay with Lewis (Nathan is also going to be there) and return to Cumbria on Sunday. Monday 28th is my Mum's real birthday so we will spend that day and the following day with them before heading back to Manchester and flying out of Wednesday 30th.Next time we will come for longer and plan in time to breathe!