Sunday Sevens

Sunday Sevens #168 23.12.18

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Christmas is so close you can almost touch it, schools broke up here on Friday, and Christmas begins properly now. Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens:

Farewell

Some friends of ours left Gibraltar this week to move back to England. We went to a little party in Queensway Quay last Sunday to wish them well and say goodbye. It’s a shame when people leave, but that’s very much the nature of this place within the expat community, it can be transient at times especially when people are brought here by work.

Med Steps

I had a lovely trip up the Med Steps on Monday morning. I could see the way the week was panning out (ie extremely busy) so I thought I’d better make the most of the window of opportunity and the good weather and get up there while I could. It was stunning up there and as I’d not been up there for a while I thought I should pace myself and walk up slowly, I took loads of pictures and was hoping to write a blog post all about it, but as I mentioned before – it was a bit busy this week so that didn’t happen. All being well, a Med Steps Post should materialise this week.

Bunny

Bunny Postcard aka Diamond hasn’t featured in Sunday Sevens for a while, so here he is chillaxing on the rug after one of his crazy evening run arounds. He’s a lovely little chap.

Sunset

On Wednesday we had a terrific sunset, we’d had a lovely day and it was rounded off with this amazing light show. The sky was on fire.

And twinkly lights…

And after the sun had disappeared on Wednesday evening, we had a crystal clear night. It was so clear you could make out the coloured lights at the entrance and exit to Ceuta port in Morocco as well as the red twinkly lights on the top of the wind turbines on the hills above Tangier.

Crafty frustrations

I haven’t done any crochet for ages and was feeling a bit frustrated this week, so managed a quick wonky crochet star in time for the Friday photo challenge. I have a backlog of WIPs and future projects to do… I’m hoping the Christmas break will mean I can get cracking with those.

Full moon

There was another clear night last night with a huge full moon. This photo doesn’t really do it justice but the moonlight on the sea was lovely.

And that, my friends, is the last Sunday Sevens before Christmas. However you spend yours, I hope you have a very happy one with your loved ones. Until next week, goodbye for now.

As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #167 16.12.18

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The sixteenth of December already?! Just 9 days to go to the big day – crumbs. Christmas has been looming but at last it’s just around the corner. We have had yet another busy week with end of term excitement, I’m hoping things start to calm down soon!

Visitors arriving

Last Sunday, my Mum and Dad arrived on the Rock for a couple of weeks. As I went to pick them up from the airport, the traffic came to a standstill to allow a plane to take off. It may be a bit of a pain at times but I still find it rather dramatic….

Birthday celebrations

My Dad arrived just in time to celebrate his birthday. Any excuse for a thickly laden chocolate cake! Crazy end of term madness meant no time for a home-baked cake, but this one was rather tasty.

Last dressmaking class of 2018

The jacket I’ve been working on has progressed as far as it can for this year. It’s hanging up now waiting patiently for sleeves…

That’ll be why it was busy in town…

Town has been swarming with people this week, Christmas shoppers, visitors from across the border and one day, two rather large cruise ships paid us a visit too. The one on the left was gigantic!

Double rainbow

We have been blessed with lovely weather this week, Sod’s Law meant that Thursday morning brought rain and strong winds just in time for my long-booked hair appointment! Still at least we had a gorgeous rainbow (and faint double rainbow) in the Bay. That’s always got to lift your spirits. A pair of bunkering ships were the pot of gold at the end.

Bye bye HMS Astute

On Friday the visiting nuclear submarine HMS Astute left Gibraltar. You may have seen it feature in last weekend’s Sunday Sevens as it arrived. I missed seeing it moving away from its moorings but caught a glimpse of it out in the Bay. Never a dull moment in Gibraltar – there’s always something going on!

And relax…

Yesterday evening I found myself on the Eastside of the Rock. It was so peaceful and the sky was changing colour as the sun went down behind me. That’s another week done, just one week left of school term craziness before we can all relax and enjoy our festive celebrations. Things have been at fever pitch in our house just lately with all the extracurricular goings on in the lead up to the big day – I’m ready to stop the ride and get off!

I do hope that you have had a good week and that this week is a good one for you too.

As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Before I go though, I have to recommend a YouTube video. Gibraltar vlogger Ninja Monkey has just posted a fab video showing him climbing the Med Steps. It gives a great idea of what it’s like for anyone who hasn’t walked up them themselves and if you are thinking about tackling them yourself, you’ll see what you’re in for. Do give it a watch – you won’t be disappointed. The link for it is here.

Sunday Sevens #165 2.12.18

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Hello and welcome to the first Sunday Sevens of December. The advent calendars are being munched and there’s no denying that Christmas is around the corner – so far, so good on the planning stages, but still there’s lots to do! I hope you’ve had a good week! Here’s what I’ve been up to…

Black Sunday rainbow

Last Sunday afternoon I took a trip into town to go shopping. The shops in Gibraltar are usually closed on a Sunday but as it had been Black Friday, the sales and opening hours continued into Sunday for one weekend. I was lucky and got a few things at a discount and we even had a rainbow to kick off our shopping trip. Casemates Square was the pot of gold!

Dressmaking class

I’m finally feeling like I’m getting somewhere with my jacket at last. After weeks of drafting a pattern and cutting out a gazillion pieces of fabric, lining and interfacing, I have done a bit of sewing. I have a collar attached to the outer bit and a nice pleat in the back of my lining.

Watercolour class

Wow I have spent hours sketching this ceiling out at my watercolour class, and finally put paint on it! Now that the colour’s gone on, I can see some wonky bits but I’ll try to sort that out later!

Convent Christmas Fair

The annual Convent Christmas Fair was on this week. I love going along and picking up some Christmas presents, especially unusual handmade gifts. I can’t show you what I bought, but I’m sharing a photo of a gorgeous fused glass Christmas card I got. It’s amazingly lightweight.

Like my super yacht?

How’s that for an impressive boat? I had to park my car out by the quayside this week and was rather bowled over by these huge boats which were moored here. That’s some serious money. I don’t really fancy one myself – but I wouldn’t say no to a trip on one ;-).

Now that’s magic!

It’s been a bit magical in Gibraltar this week! Hot on the heels of the Gibraltar International Literary Festival came the Gibraltar International Magic Festival. I took the Little Postcards along to watch and really enjoyed it. Some of the tricks were amazing.

Bon voyage!

It’s been rather quiet around these parts for the past 24 hours. Mr Postcard headed off on a work trip in the wee small hours of yesterday and then Eldest jetted off on a school trip around lunchtime too. Our household shrunk from 5 to 3 in a matter of hours. I’m used to Mr P going away for business but it felt weird waving Eldest off on his way… he’ll be back soon!

That’s it for this week’s Sunday Sevens, thank you for stopping by! As always I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #149 12.8.18

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We’ve had one full week back in Gibraltar after our trip to England, and blimey it’s hot here. The weather has been so humid that everything’s so exhausting and wearisome. I’m counting down the days to my next trip back to England!!! Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens:

Back home

It’s been a few weeks since a sunset view like this has appeared in Sunday Sevens… the humid weather has brought with it lots of murky misty days and this evening last Sunday was no different.

Street Art

A new Government initiative to have legally created street art is underway in Gibraltar at the moment. Apparently a number of different murals will be appearing over the coming weeks and months. This one is being painted by a local artist and is meant to signify her childhood memories growing up in Gibraltar. It certainly brightens up this gloomy underpass, I’ll include an ‘after’ shot once it’s completed.

Gecko watch

Nothing represents hot steamy Gibraltar summer nights to me more than geckos on our kitchen windows. We’re having these windows replaced soon, so I do hope they still visit us on the new ones!

Sandblasted

Fancy having the beach to yourself in August?? Well the secret is to go on the windiest day of the summer… we didn’t last long. We looked like sand monsters when we gave up and packed up our stuff to head home, every exposed piece of skin had sand stuck to the suncream…. delightful!

Fun in the sun

The sandy beach day was rounded off nicely though, we were invited to a barbecue at some friends’ villa in Spain. It was a lovely evening and the Little Postcards loved the use of the pool!

Summer nights

Every summer for a night or two each week, the Government in Gibraltar lays on free performances with bands, local dancers and so on. For the first time in the nine years I have lived on the Rock, I attended one of these ‘Summer Nights’. There’s no particular reason why we haven’t gone before, it just hasn’t happened.

The event was great. Entitled Magic Circus, it featured acrobats and magicians and was fab for the children and grownups alike.

Dinner with a view

Last night, we were very fortunate to be invited to our second barbecue of the week. This time it was in Gibraltar on a roof terrace with this fabulous view! How lucky are we?

So that’s it for this week’s Sunday Sevens. I hope it’s been a decent week for you. Thank you to everyone who has commented on my recent posts, I haven’t had the chance to respond to several of them, but I will as soon as I can. Things have been a bit hectic with the boys off school and windows of peace and quiet seem to be few and far between at the moment!

I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #146 22.7.18

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Greetings from sunny Suffolk, here’s this week’s edition of Sunday Sevens:

Bird family update

A few weeks ago I told you about the couple of collared doves who appeared to be making a nest in the eves above our apartment. Well it looks like they didn’t fancy the location and have gone elsewhere. They have popped back a few times though to say hi, and some sparrows moved in and took their nest making material away to build their own elsewhere.

BBC camera crew

Early this week at sunrise and sunset, a film crew from the BBC who are responsible for making amazing nature documentaries like Blue Planet did some filming from a helicopter of the Bay and Rock of Gibraltar. Can you spot the tiny speck above the tree? That was the helicopter…

Scorchio

I was passing through Sandy Bay on Wednesday morning and by Jove it was hot! It was so hot by 9:45, that I have no idea how people coped on the beach later on!!

Sea mist at sunset

On Wednesday we had a rather unusual sunset as the wispy sea mist rolled into the Bay. It was the last evening of filming for the BBC crew, so it will be interesting to see whether the mistiness makes it into the programme.

First lizard this summer

Lizards (or geckos) are a common sight on our kitchen windows on hot summer nights. They lurk about waiting for moths to fly up to the window and pounce. It’s quite interesting to watch. On Thursday night, I saw my first gecko of the summer.

Holiday time

On Friday we flew to England to visit one half of the Postcard family, and ended up in one of our favourite places, Southwold. Look, they even put the bunting up ready for our arrival! How thoughtful of them!

An evening stroll across the marshes

After spending a bit of time with the family, we headed back to Southwold in time for an early evening walk across the marshes. I love it here, it’s so beautiful and quiet.

Thanks for stopping by! I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #144 8.7.18

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It’s scorchio in Gibraltar today, I’m sitting by my open window out of the sun, slowly melting… here’s this week’s slightly sticky edition of Sunday Sevens…

Sunday lunch

Last Sunday we took an impromptu trip into Ocean Village for a lovely lunch. It wasn’t planned and it just worked to perfection; the food was lovely, everyone behaved well and we went home contented!

Party time

There was a birthday party this week… one of the Little Postcards is due to have his birthday in the summer holidays when many of his classmates are on holiday, so we brought the birthday celebrations forwards a bit so he could spend it with his friends. I find (my) children’s parties very stressful as a rule and approach them with great dread. I’m thrilled to say that on this occasion it went off without incident and the play zone we hired for the party had hardly anyone else in there at the same time so we almost had it to ourselves – which was bliss!

A floral rainbow

There seems to be a plethora of bright blousy blooms about at the moment in Gibraltar’s municipal flower beds. Here’s just a small selection.

Sewing school’s out for summer

My sewing lessons have come to an end for the summer break, I shall miss my morning sessions with sewing and banter with the girls. As it’s the end of term, I can now show you my finished dress… it’s taken almost a whole academic year to draft the pattern, make a cotton version to check for fitting and get the correct drape on the frill before making the actual dress.

I’m very pleased with it, especially as the fabric cost about €20 from La Linea market!! I just need the right occasion to wear it!

Happy post!

I have been watching Instagram enviously over the past few weeks seeing people announce that their latest Little Box of Crochet had arrived through the post. As usual mine arrived much later, as it has a longer distance to travel, on Thursday it finally arrived.

As I was in Catalan Bay anyway and the box has a special summer seaside theme, it seemed the perfect photo opportunity. I swear the folk watching me position it on an upturned boat and getting my focus right though I was bonkers…

Anyway, it arrived just in time for my annual summer craft challenge, which I started yesterday. My aim this year, as in the last two, is to do something crafty everyday throughout the school holidays in a bid to carve out a little bit of tranquil creativity while the world is going wild around me.

Last breakfast

Also on Thursday (in fact just before the above photo was taken) I popped out for one last moment of calm and tranquility before the end of term chaos ensued. The eggs Benedict I had was truly lovely! (Schools broke up on Friday and I had too many jobs to take care of to have my last breakfast then.)

A curry before kick off

Please excuse the repetitive food theme to these photos…. yesterday we decided to make a meal of it (well of a certain football match). It’s not every day England gets to the quarter finals of the World Cup is it? We headed out for a lovely curry before kick off and then stayed in the restaurant to watch the match. It was a perfect place – not too rowdy – as we had the Little Postcards with us.

Now, thanks to Messrs Maguire and Dele Alli we need to think of how we are going to spend the next semi-final match. I’m not sure my nerves can take it….

I wonder what I will be writing about England’s progress in next week’s Sunday Sevens??

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you have had a good week and that the one ahead is kind to you too. Until next time, bye for now.

I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #143 1.7.18

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Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of Sunday Sevens. The first of July… how on earth did we get to this point already? I feel full of excitement about what the summer might have in store for us.

Without further ado, here’s this week’s round up of what I’ve been up to…

Enforced tidy up!

It’s been needed for a long time, but at last, thanks to the arrival of tradesmen to sort out our rather old fashioned floor tiles, I was forced to sort out my sewing/ crafty broom cupboard. I can just fit a chair in when the door’s open to sew at my machine. Let’s see how long this new tidy arrangement lasts…

Sports day season

So as time marches on towards the end of term, sports day season is well underway. This week I had one to go to. It’s a rather warm affair as you sit on the stand at the Victoria Stadium in direct sunlight toasting nicely like a rotisserie chicken. At least the view is stunning, even if you can’t make out which one of those many children actually belong to you!! There can’t be too many places in the world with a more impressive setting for their school sports days…

Morning sun, again

I realise that this photo is rather a lot like the last one, in that it features the Rock and the morning sunshine. I was parking my car one morning and glanced up to see the sunshine casting long shadows formed by the chimneys across Casemates Square from where I was and thought it worthy of a photograph. I was en-route to my sewing class, unfortunately as I am working on something which is a surprise for someone who may see this, I can’t share it just yet. I will though, later on in the summer.

Bright bougainvillea

The bougainvillea is looking fab throughout Gibraltar at the moment and it looks at its best set off against a cloudless blue sky. This great swathe of red / pink blossom caught my eye as I was walking in South District this week, it looked lovely against Parsons Lodge.

Last watercolour lesson

It’s approaching the end of the academic year for children in Gibraltar and this week, I went to my last watercolour class until September. I spent the lesson working on an exercise by William Newton. It didn’t quite turn out like the picture in the book, but it was good fun. I’ll miss my lessons over the summer break, but am determined that I will find time to pick up my brushes at some point before September.

A new perspective

One evening this week, I visited a building I hadn’t been to before – one of the towers at Brympton. I find it amazing that despite Gibraltar being so small, it can be quite easy to find yourself face to face with a view of Gib that’s completely new to you. My trip coincided with a meteorological phenomenon which is rather unusual for this part of the world. The cotton wool ball effect strip of clouds are called Altocumulus Floccus, and looked rather fantastic.

Happy birthday Postcard from Gibraltar!

I didn’t actually realise it on the day, but this Tuesday Postcard from Gibraltar turned three! In some ways it feels like Postcard from Gib has been with me for a lot longer than that. It has opened doors for me, like giving me the opportunity to write for a couple of publications and websites but most important of all, it’s introduced me to a whole host of lovely people around the world, for which I am most grateful for.

Thanks so much for stopping by this weekend, I hope that wherever you are in the world, you are having a lovely weekend. I’m linking with Natalie from Threads & Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #142 24.6.18

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Hello there, it’s been a busy week for us here in Gibraltar with two festivals, one for world music and another one for food. The weather’s been rather interesting too! Here goes…

Sea mist

Last Sunday we were still in the grips of sea mist which enveloped the Rock and caused flights to be cancelled. For those of us lucky enough to not to be traveling it was quite fun to sit and watch it changing shape out in the Bay. (Photo credit Mr Postcard).

We’re having babies!

We have had a pair of collared doves house hunting in our neighbourhood recently and it would appear that they have moved into our roof to have their little family. It looks like Mum is sitting on some eggs, I will keep you posted as to their progress.

GWMF

Mid week this week, we had the Gibraltar World Music Festival in full swing. There were a number of different events including talks for school children, a concert inside St Michael’s Cave and this musical street party on Castle Steps. It was a great venue for the choirs and band, with space for us to sit on the steps and look down on the performers. The atmosphere was fabulous.

Stormy night

In the early hours of Thursday morning I was woken by a Little Postcard. When I settled him back into bed, the room lit up and there was an almighty rumble of thunder (that’s what probably disturbed him in the first place).

I thought I’d try and grab a dramatic photo of the lightning, so I headed out onto the balcony in my pjs at about 4:20am (just as well no one was passing). Needless to say I failed on the photo, just got this blurry one. I decided after about 10 minutes that I really should go back to bed!!

I’m in print!

For the first time ever, I have had an article published in print! It’s in the Calentita Press, a magazine compiled for the annual Calentita food festival. In my article I talked about growing your own food, even in small spaces (as most of us in Gibraltar have no outside space to speak of). I interviewed Andrew Abrines from the Alameda Gardens ahead of writing the piece and he gave lots of great tips for getting started. I even learned that you can grow your own pea shoots using dried marrow fat peas… and so I did…

Pea shoots!

….here they are! They took just about two weeks to grow on my kitchen windowsill and they taste lovely – very pea-ish if you get what I mean!

Now that’s what you call a barbecue…

That’s one heck of a lot of meat! This was just one of the food stalls at last night’s Calentita Festival. It was a great event, yet again and I came home with a very full tummy! I hope to write a blog post all about it in the next few days, time permitting.

So there you have it, Sunday Sevens done for another week. I hope it’s been a good one for you. Until next time, bye for now.

I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #138 27.5.18

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Crumbs, is it just me, or is this year flying by? I can’t believe we are at the end of May bank holiday weekend already! Slow down please!!! I hope this Sunday Sevens finds you well and that you are enjoying your long weekend (if you are in a part of the world which has one). Here’s this week’s Sunday Sevens…

First barbecue of the year

And relax… feeling a little achey after the Med Steps 5 Challenge last Saturday, our first barbecue of the year, my new book and a cold beer were just what the Dr ordered!

Down by the sea

Two Little Postcards had an in service day on Monday. We headed down to Camp Bay for a bit of a kick around and ice cream. What with bank holidays and extra days off school at the moment, there doesn’t seem to be a ‘normal’ week at the moment – perhaps that’s why it feels like time is whizzing by!

Bird’s eye view

I had a trip up to the Great Siege Tunnels this week as a parent helper on a school trip. We got a bird’s eye view of the tunnel being built at the end of the runway, can you see it? There are two tunnels with what looks like a spine and ribs over the top. It was the first time I’d been to the Siege Tunnels with a guide (well a teacher who knew all about it) and I learned quite a few new things. Which reminds me, I went there with the Little Postcards a few months ago during a school holiday and I was meaning to write a post all about it…. one day!

Beautiful blossoms

I love the colour of Jacaranda blossom. This tree sits on Main Street and you could easily miss it as you go about your business. Sometimes it’s a good idea to look up!

Sandy Bay blanket

My seaside stash busting blanket now has a name; the Sandy Bay blanket. I wanted it to have a Gibraltar theme so reflected colours I see about the place. The white and yellow section was inspired by the Both Worlds housing development which sits above Sandy Bay and the green and magenta by the succulents growing above on the old water catchment slopes. Here’s the whole thing so far:

A green future for Gibraltar’s School children

On Thursday I was invited to a special reception in the Alameda Botanical Gardens. A community group I used to be involved with has sponsored a plaque to raise funds for a bio dome and learning facility for school children. It’s a very exciting project and has already garnered a lot of support, but there is still a way to go to raise all the cash needed to build it. For more information about the Alameda BioDome, you can read about it here.

A breezy trip to the beach

My Sandy Bay blanket made it to Sandy Bay on Friday morning. It was gloriously sunny between the wispy clouds skudding across the sky but the breeze was rather brisk. I had to kneel on my blanket to take the photo to prevent it blowing into the sea! Thank goodness I went while the Little Postcards were at school – they would have well and truly disowned me as I clambered over the rocks to try and get a decent photo!!

That’s all from Sunday Sevens for this week, I hope you have had a great weekend. I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for this weekly blog series.

Sunday Sevens #131 15.4.18

~ Making Stitches ~ 5 Comments

Hello there, and welcome to this week’s Sunday Sevens. It’s been a bit of a busy day, hence the lateness of this!

Sunshine ☀️

After a dodgy start, last Sunday was glorious. In the afternoon we took the Little Postcards to the park to run off a bit of energy ahead of school starting back the next day. On our return, Mr Postcard and I, took a few minutes to sit out on the balcony before dinner to soak up a few rays – rain was forecast for the next seven days – you have to take the opportunity while you can!

Back in the groove

Oh, how I missed my crochet while I was in the UK over Easter. I took a portable project with me but sadly the hook recommended was too small for my tension and although I had the next size up with me that was too small too… I did the first two rows of 300+ stitches and frogged it three times before giving up.

There was a lovely looking yarn shop in Sidmouth where we stayed but it was closed (understandably) over Easter weekend, and in London, we took a big diversion one day to visit Loop in Islington (a gorgeous yarn emporium). They had every size hook imaginable in stock apart from the size I needed – grrr! Never mind, I got to scratch my crochet itch on our return and managed to catch up on about 3 weeks worth of rows of the Coastal Crochet Seaside Stash Busting Blanket.

Med Steps training

I’m committed to doing the Med Steps 5 Challenge again in May this year, but so far my training hasn’t gone to plan very well. On Monday I managed a first for this year, twice round! The second trip was not easy at all but it feels like I’m finally getting somewhere!

As you can see above, I started the first trip up in drizzle with a rainbow in the Bay and finished the second in sunshine….

Back to art class

It feels like it’s been a long, long time since my last watercolour class. It’s got to be about a month since I last put pencil or brush to paper. This week I headed back to my class and began a new ink and watercolour painting, freesias this time.

Happy post & a bumble bee 🐝

I have been meaning to go and pick up a parcel from the post office since we returned from our Easter trip to England and a message on the radio gave me the kick up the behind I needed. The parcel post is moving locations across Gibraltar this weekend, to make way for a new school building project.

I didn’t want my parcel to get lost in the move, so hot footed it over to pick up my latest Little Box of Crochet. Being a native Mancunian, I just love my bumble bee brooch! I also have a friend who’s expecting a baby girl, so I have just the person in mind for that crochet project, once it’s complete!

Wet, wet, wet!

This week, we had storms on Tuesday and again on Thursday. It was pretty wet for us on Friday too but I persevered and climbed up the again on Friday. The Steps were closed on Wednesday and Friday after the storms so I went up the road on the other side instead. I’m chuffed with myself that I managed 3 training sessions in total this week.

Football crazy

Yesterday meant lots of football, and with it lots of very welcome sunshine. We had a league match to attend in the morning for one Little Postcard and then a 5-a-side tournament in the afternoon. Never a dull moment in this house!

And that, as they say, is that. Sunday Sevens complete for another week. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you have had a good week and that the week ahead is kind to you.

I’m linking with Natalie from Threads and Bobbins for the Sunday Sevens blog series.