My week of relaxation and last weekends mammoth grass seeding

I have spent this week on a residential course for work. About a month ago I changed jobs again! I am doing a few days a week in a local GP surgery as a practice pharmacist, with the other days spent locuming in community pharmacy. There is a fantastic training program at the moment that is sponsored by NHS England to help increase the number of pharmacists working in practice to improve patient safety and increase the number of appointments available. So I spent four days brushing up on my communication and diagnostic skills using medical actors. The hotel was near Reading and was set in beautiful grounds. The people were fun too and I managed early nights reading my book in bed and having a lie in to 8 every morning; poor James had to manage the kids at home.

My very pretty hotel

Last weekend was spent in levelling the garden out as best we could using a roller and rake, followed by sowing grass seed, re-raking and watering. It's not that huge an area but it didn't half take forever and I got blisters on my hands from the rake. Still no sign of grass but I live in hope that I won't have to do that job again!

The back garden after levelling and sowing

Whilst I was enjoying a restful break my hard working husband (as well as keeping the kids alive) managed to get the bath tap plumbed and mounted to the wall, so upon my return I tested the facilities and it was amazing to have a bath inside my own house. It wasn't quite the peaceful scene you'd imagine, James was putting some plasterboard on the ceiling and there's no electricity so it was a bit dark.

The hole in the wall is where the bathroom cabinet will sink into the wall, but for now it acts as a good window to let in some light. We are thinking that next year we'll put in a Velux window so that there is some natural light, but as with all things it will wait for some money.

James has continued to put up more plasterboard on the ceilings in preparation for me to be able to unroll the loft insulation.

This morning I did some locum work and when I got home we had a family session making blackberry and apple jam using fruit which James and the kids had picked from the common. The house is coming along great guns now, we're on a roll.