And this is my Monday....

counting my blessings for good friends to have a monday morning coffee with, friends who get it,  to share a pain au raisin with, to really laugh with, friends who nod in understanding & who let me tell the whole story from beginning to end. 

mutual support, patience & genuine care. 

we're all on the same road.

trying out some gorgeous new beauty products, amongst them this lovely day cream by REN

my skin feels tired, I need to spend more time on myself.

need more sleep.

must make smoothies & juices this week.

this friday I will be having a massage. 

a  m a s s a g e.

first one since I can't remember when.

my toothache has gone but the neckache it left me with lingers.

a massage. sheer bliss....

a friend is opening her stunning garden to the public this sunday.

i will be helping serve tea & need to bake a cake.

am thinking this or this....

the school half-term holiday is almost upon us, 

never have i known a school term fly by so quickly.

i am the first to tell my children not to wish time away but, secretly, i will be relieved in many ways when the school term finishes.

lots of challenges this year.

my daughter's situation at school has eased & improved.

now we have to work on putting her back together.

it's not easy.

her self-esteem is low in tatters & she doesn't like what she sees in the mirror.

it's so sad to see.

being 12 is hard....life changes every day, it's hard to keep up.

be yourself. don't compare. you are beautiful.

four weeks until we travel to italy for a cousin's wedding.

every evening at the tea table, my children discuss what the menu might consist of....

they are expecting big things, many courses, an true italian feast....

the best pasta they've ever had - and they've had a lot ;)

my son has never been to a wedding.

he asked if he could pack his bag tonight, "because we're going to be pretty busy in june".

we planned our august drive to italy yesterday....

my daughter drew a huge map of our journey....

not confirmed as yet, but possibly via france, belgium, luxembourg or switzerland

it's going to be an adventure, that's for sure.