How on earth can it be April 10th already? It feels like it’s only just begun but we’re already heading to halfway through the month. I guess the lovely, long Easter weekend made a difference, but really, time is more than flying right now.

We have a lovely weekend planned, with my niece’s 21st birthday ceilidh tomorrow night, which should not only be lots of fun but is also an opportunity for all the family to get together, so we’re really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, here are some things which have made me happy this week:

1. I’m loving the beautiful, sunny, warm spring weather! I was so ready for it and now it’s here, I really don’t want it to end. It makes the days seem longer, and seems to improve everyone’s mood  no end.

2. Our trip to Norfolk which was so lovely, as described in my last post – full of family fun, long walks, delicious food (the best cheese from Creake Abbey Food Hall, as always!) and, above all, relaxation.

3. I’ve mentioned this before but I want to include it again – the blossoming and coming alive of our lovely garden. It has been more apparent than ever this week with being away for six days – it was such a lovely surprise to see all the colour which had appeared during our absence. Unfortunately the grass had also grown a huge amount, so that’s another job for the weekend!

4. A lovely afternoon shopping with G. We went to our favourite shopping centre, Intu in Derby, and made some very satisfying purchases, particularly clothes and some cards and presents for the four birthdays we have within the next ten days!

5. The house is very quiet right now, as B has departed for his school trip to Italy. I’m not at all jealous of the amazing places he’s visiting – Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, etc. ! Oh yes, I am!! It sounds amazing and is a fantastic experience for him, but it is strange without him being here.

6. As well as the flowers which are blooming in the garden (and what about the magnificent magnolia trees which have suddenly blossomed everywhere? – just beautiful), I am so happy that my herb garden has survived the winter and sprung back into life with a vengeance. The parsley, sage, coriander and mint are looking great – I really need to add some basil now, as I love it!

7. After our excesses in Norfolk, it has been good to get back to juicing over the last couple of days. I love to start the day with a fresh juice – my favourite at the moment is pineapple, apple, lime, cucumber and courgette. So tasty and feels so good for you at the same time.

8. It was a year to the day yesterday that we viewed our house and had our offer accepted. We are so pleased with the changes we have made to it since moving in last June. The dining room has been painted this week – brilliant white – which doesn’t sound very interesting, but we love it -it’s so much cleaner and brighter. We just need to sort out the tiles for the floor now.

9.Sleepy dogs! They have been completely exhausted at times this week, after some pretty long walks (especially for Honey’s little legs!), which makes them so cute and cuddly.

10. The final thing for this week is the book that I’m currently reading, which is Jojo Moyes’ “The One Plus One”. I’m just short of halfway through it and loving it!