Good Things Jar 2019

After making so many memories in 2018, and the enjoyment of looking back on them, I did the same for 2019. The idea is to make a note of something good that happened each week, put each note in a jar, and have 52 memories on which to look back. I tried to get at least one note per week in there but was lucky enough to have even more experiences that I wanted to remember.

Some of my friends and family have had happy times. I've been proud of them, admired them, and been happy for them.

There may be things here that seem small, insignificant, and of no interest to anyone but me. My intention is to celebrate small achievements (and remember that some seemingly small achievements can be huge to others). This is also intended to remind myself, as well as other people, to find positivity and happiness in small things as well as big. It is a way to look back over a year of my life and, I hope, to ignite positive thoughts and actions and to inspire other people. It is also a way to acknowledge and appreciate things that we might take for granted and for the kind acts of other people - especially the kind that seem so small but can mean so much.

2019 was an amazing year for me. A few big things happened but I am always careful not to take the little things for granted. Some regular things,such as walks or meeting up with Bestie for dinner, have not been included unless for a specific reason. I have written a little more about some of my good things so look out for the relevant links within the text for those.

I had originally intended to write this at the beginning of 2020. As with 2018's jar, the plan was to open it at the end of one year and write about it at the beginning of the next. There are reasons I hadn't yet written this one - some of those reasons were forgetfulness, procrastination, and taking on too much. It did occur to me, though, that now is the perfect time to write. The world is in turmoil so it's the perfect time to focus on something positive. It was also triggered by a memory on Facebook that came up from a year ago, followed by other memories from around this time in previous years. Life is difficult for many at the moment. Rather than feeling that I am stuck, not being able to do things, I am focusing on two things: the fact that I have been lucky enough to have these memories; and I will be able to enjoy the world when it is opened up again.

GOOD THINGS in note form, edited for clarity, and in date order

January 2019

Tuesday 1st January

Eldest son, R, came to visit and joined me, my partner (D) (now my husband but wasn't yet), and youngest son (F) as we went to D's parents' for tea. R and F played Nintendo Switch games with Niece and Nephew while we chatted with D's sister (I shall call her SIL) and her husband (I shall refer to him as BIL). I met some members of D's family whom I had not met before, and we spoke to his youngest daughter on the 'phone.

Thursday 3rd January

The first good thing of the year was to complete payment for something that was to happen later in the year (you'll have to keep reading to find out what that was).

Friday 4th January

Celebrated 1 year at my job. Went for lunch with a colleague - we had noodles at Noodle Bar. R came to meet me. He met my work colleagues as he came in for a cup of tea. Everyone seemed to love him.

Saturday 12th January

My two sisters came to visit me with my little niece and little nephew. Little Niece did some drawing; Little Nephew played; I played a game (Dinkee Linkee) with my sisters; F played computer games with the little ones; Little Nephew gave D a cuddle while Little Niece blew him a kiss before they went home.

Sunday 13th January

Tigger's birthday - that's my youngest bonus daughter (I think I called her 'K' in previous writings). She sent us a text to thank us for her birthday things. D's dad visited to give us some advice about our car, he stayed for a while to chat. I booked a restaurant table to celebrate some more birthdays later in the month.

Monday 14th January

R's birthday. 2019 was the first year we'd not been able to be with him to celebrate. He was a few months into his first year at university. We called him to wish him a happy birthday, and he celebrated with some friends.

Wednesday 16th January

Talked with D who helped me realise I had resolved something and made a decision. I do not recall what that was but he's pretty good at that sort of thing - showing me what I've achieved when I think I'm stuck and suchlike). Also booked some time away for later in the year (the special event mentioned in a previous entry. There will likely be a few more entries on that subject).

Friday 18th January

My big sister's partner (MJ) helped us out by giving us a lift to the dentist (not that dentist is a good thing but the helping out with getting us there was a good thing) and then he took F to Scout camp.

Saturday 19th January

Had a chat with R during which we talked about holidays. D and I took our parents out for a meal at Lime Kilns Inn, which is one of our local (ish) favourites. F was at Scout camp so it was me, D, my parents, and D's parents. That was to celebrate three of their birthdays.

Sunday 20th January

MJ took me to pick up F from Scout camp. F said he enjoyed that - he doesn't talk much about what he's done but, if I recall, he took part in an escape room, indoor tobogganing, and Wii games. Once home, we spent the rest of the day not doing much.

Tuesday 22nd January

Booked a holiday for summer time. A work colleague helped me as this was the first time I had booked a holiday abroad. Very much looked forward to my first time out of the UK.

Wednesday 23rd January

Had a message from my eldest bonus daughter (C) to ask if there would be room for one more at our special event - she was pregnant with our third grandchild (from now on, I will refer to them as Baby1, Baby2, and Baby3). Called R to talk about our upcoming holiday.

Thursday 24th January

Message from R regarding his exam results - 2:1 for Calculus and a First for Algebra and Geometry. If you couldn't guess, he is studying maths! For those of you unfamiliar with the numbers, a First is the best grade while a 2:1 is one below a first.

Chatted with F's Scout leader who praised him and said he had been really helpful with Explorers. F was a Scout at the time but, as the oldest in that group, was sharing a dorm with the Explorers to even out the numbers.

Tuesday 29th January

Message from D to say he had paid the deposit on something for our special event.

Wednesday 30th January

This one is quite soppy so you can look away now if you wish!

D said he hopes I am his soul mate. I'm not sure what inspired him to say that but he is soppy at times. It most likely came from one of our random existential conversations.

Thursday 31st January

Made a payment towards our summer holiday - so glad we could pay in instalments! Walked to Scouts with F but got a lift back with his friend's mum.

February 2019

Friday 1st February

Went out for lunch with two colleagues. We went to 'A Sushi', a sushi restaurant not far from our office. One colleague and I are very big fans of Japanese cuisine while the other colleague had never tried it before - thankfully, she enjoyed it! I had sashimi (that's the one with the raw stuff). It was expensive but delicious.

Thursday 5th February

F got the bus to school on his own for the first time. He took part in a Scout quiz in the evening while I spent some time with D. I bought a shiny thing ready to be sent in time for C's birthday.

Tuesday 19th February

Paid off deposit for holiday! Offered a job interview with another team where I work (the interview wasn't too bad but I lost out to someone with more experience). Confirmed plan to visit R. Had a look at a car (didn't get it in the end, and haven't driven for over 2 years now) - the people selling it were nice. Big Sis drove me over to look so I thanked her with drinks and dinner later.

Thursday 21st February

Picked up Little Niece and Little Nephew. Took them and F on a bus and then train (I love trains) to Oxford. Went on Oxford's sightseeing bus - you can take the full tour on the bus or hop on and off at different sites. We had a picnic on the Castle Mound before we hopped back on the bus while for our booking at Oxford Castle and Prison. That was an interesting tour. Little Niece and F joined in some demonstrations. I believe that Little Niece enjoyed it a little too much when throwing a toy rat at her cousin while he was in the stocks. We took a few pictures on the way to and from Oxford as well as the ones we took there. Went for a short walk along the canal before getting the train back home.

Saturday 23rd February

Big nephew's birthday. Along with a few other family members, we went to a restaurant called 'Yakii', which describes itself as a Korean restaurant. I had noodles, sushi, and salmon sashimi (which was served with ice and a stone). We then went to a couple of nearby pubs for drinks.

Monday 25th February

Had the interview that I mentioned earlier. Didn't get the job but I did have some good feedback. Went on the train to Liverpool with F. Got to Liverpool Lime Street just before 2pm, R came to meet us. The three of us had a late lunch at McDonald's then played some board games at 'Sugar and Dice' board game cafe. We played 'Colour Brain' and 'Ankh Morpork'. Then we went to Albert Dock where we rode on the Wheel of Liverpool before heading back home.

March 2019

Saturday 2nd March

I think this is from 2nd March. The note says 3/3/19 but that was a Sunday when some of the places mentioned wouldn't have been open. Must have written the note on the Sunday and put that date on.

Took F and Big Nephew to 'Creams' for ice-cream. If I recall, this was my annual 'auntie-nephew' day which happens around Big Nephew's birthday. After ice-cream, we had a wander around the city. Bought trainers for F and Big Nephew. Bought two new board games from Forbidden Planet, which we played the next day.

Tuesday 12th March

Had a small win on the Cheltenham horse races.

Saturday 23rd March

D, F and I went to D's parents'. SIL was there, too. Facetimed with C, her husband, and their two little ones for a gender reveal of number three - I was hoping for a dinosaur. We then Facetimed with R to tell him the news and so he could speak with D's family.

Gender reveal - another girl

Saturday 30th March

Came second in a quiz with Mum, Big Sis, Little Sis, and friend of Big Sis. Mum also won a prize at Bingo - after complaining about there being Bingo!

Sunday 31st March

Went to see s cinema screening - a red carpet premier style put on by PQA Coventry. F was a member at the time (he only left because we couldn't get him to the new venue). I went to support F along with D and his parents. F had contributed to one of the winning films. He also took the lead in a great silent comedy short called 'Wet Cheeks'. It was also Mother's Day. F made me cups of tea and he made dinner. Spoke to R on messenger. He talked about coming home for Easter, essays he had to finish, and his upcoming placement working in a school.

April 2019

Monday 1st April

Had some chill time with F. Played on the Wii, and played Doctor Who Monopoly.

Tuesday 2nd April

Went for lunch with two colleagues (not the same two with whom I went to A Sushi) at Wagamama. Registered intent to marry (that's the special event I'd mentioned before - the previous notes were regarding our reception and wedding venue). We also exchanged some emails with photographer, and D's parents had booked a caterer for the reception. Wedding preparation going well. Got a belated Mother's Day card from R.

Tuesday 6th April

R came home (he had been at his Dad's). Won on the Grand National. Played 'Boss Monsters' card game with D, R, and F. Had Indian food from 'The Jasmine'.

Sunday 7th April

Played some games with R. Visited D's parents with D, R, and F. Saw F's Nan on the way to the bus - R made her jumped when he spoke to her but he didn't mean to. R said he saw one of his old school teachers (one he likes and recognised him. She also taught F, and was one of the gymnastics instructors when F went there). R gave me some belated Mother's Day chocolate!

Friday 19th April

Games night with Big Nephew, Big Niece (Big Nephew's partner), D, R, and F. We all played 'Weird Things People Say on the Internet' then F played on his Switch while the rest of us played Chameleon. Finally, the last three standing (me, R, and Big Nephew) played Risk.

Saturday 20th April

I had a day out in Weston with my best friend. Another train journey for me but up at 5am. I will just talk about this briefly as I've linked to a more detailed post relating to memories at the beginning of this one. We went to Dr Fox's Tea Room for breakfast. We had a wander down to Birnbeck Pier, came back via Captain's Cabin.

Lunch was at Sakura Japanese restaurant then we went on the Wheel of Weston before I met Bestie's new man at Scally's Bar. After a very enjoyable day (with beautiful weather), I came home to the boys - they said they'd had a good day.

Wednesday 24th April

R did well on an exam (I don't remember him telling me the result of that one but, if it's up to his usually standard, it would have been a First or a 2:1). F and I took Little Niece and Little Nephew on the train to Warwick. It rained much more than we had anticipated but was still a good day. We went to Warwick Park (which is actually called Saint Nicholas Park but it's known as Warwick Park). We spent some time at the small fair, played miniature golf, and went on a boat along the River Avon.

More well-known for its Stratford connection, the Avon flows through the East and West Midlands of England and to parts of the South West.

Later in the evening, F was invested as an Explorer Scout.

Friday 26th April

My note says that we had breakfast somewhere but I can't read my own writing. I think it says 'Beales' but I don't recognise that. Either it doesn't say that or I forgot!

Went for breakfast (somewhere) with D, R, and F. Then the three of us met up with SIL, BIL, Niece and Nephew. We had fun but none of us escaped! Four of us did the 'Whitechapel' room while the other four did the 'Down the Rabbit Hole' room. I then took D, R, and F for lunch at Wagamama (F didn't like it but there but the rest of us did).

Saturday 27th April

Went to Spellbound with R, Big Sis, Little Sis, and Little Niece. F didn't want to go so he stayed at home. Then games at home with R and F.

Additional note on this one: serious talks about a future move to Weston - a long-term plan but everyone is agreeable.

Sunday 28th April

F took part in Scouts St. George's Day parade. Each year, a different scouting group organises the event. Districts in the county come together for the parade and awards. This year, it was held in our home town, organised by F's Scout troop. It was the first year he attended as an Explorer.

May 2019

Wednesday 8th May

F cut his fingernails by himself without being asked. He said he knew it needed doing. These are great achievements for him! I had drinks with R while F was at Explorers.

Thursday 9th May

Note written by R. I know he wrote it because it's in his handwriting. He had started a placement with a local school for his degree (Maths with Education and QTS).

'R got official school ID and things.'

Sunday 12th May

Facetimed with the girls. The little ones were a bit shy. Chatted with the daughters. Baby1 showed us her poorly finger! Later on, I was happy to see something later on with reference to us as Nan and Granddad.

Saturday 18th May

I took F to the local Arts Centre to see a play, performed by Labyrinth. R was also there seeing it with his Dad and grandparents. I had previously been a member of the group. R had just left the group to go to university, and F would be joining soon.

Friday 24th to Monday 27th May

This is just a brief snippet of the weekend. If you'd like to read a more detailed account of the places described, take a look here.

Weekend in Shrewsbury for D's birthday (me, F, and D). Train to Shrewsbury on the Friday. Had dinner at Premier Inn (that's also where we stayed).

Facetimed C and the little ones on the Saturday (arranged as a surprise for his birthday). D and I had a wander into town to pick up a couple of things. Then we came back for F, went for breakfast in the town. After breakfast, we had a tour of the Dana prison, visited Shropshire Regiment Museum that is housed in Shrewsbury Castle.

Popped in to nearby St Nicholas Bar for a drink. Called my mum and spoke to Little Niece and Little Nephew so they could wish their Uncle D a happy birthday. Later, I went for a little walk alone to explore the town before taking F for dinner.

We had planned to visit Stokesay Castle but there had been some train cancellations so we changed our plan. Instead, we visited Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery.

On the Monday, we had an 'all you can eat' breakfast at Premier Inn before we set off for home.

Thursday 30th May

This is another tricky one where I can't read my own writing so I'll say what I think it says!

Something about a text. It looks something like 'shops passed dry text' but that doesn't make much sense. The other bit definitely says 'I played games with the boys'.

Friday 31st May

Another job interview. Another one that went OK but didn't get it.

R and F went to the cinema to see 'Detective Pikachu'. They said they enjoyed it. Leaving do for a colleague - drinks and dinner.

JUNE 2019

Saturday 1st June

Showaddywaddy at a local venue. Enjoyed a bit of dancing and singing along with F, Big Sis, Little Sis, Little Niece.

Sunday 2nd June

Barbecue at Big Sis' place for her birthday.

Monday 3rd June

Week 1 of an archery course. I had signed up to it following an open day.

Monday 17th June

Week 2 of archery (it should have been weekly but one had been postponed due to rain). I enjoyed it again and did well.

Tuesday 18th June

F's birthday. We had pizza. He was happy with his presents and cards, especially his 'uncle' card from his nieces.

Wednesday 19th June

F went to see 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' at Belgrade Theatre. While he was there, I wandered around the city with R. We went to a couple of pubs, and we took a few pictures around the city.

Sunday 30th June

Dropped off F at Coventry Cathedral ruins as he was to be part of a PQA event. D and I went to a few pubs. R joined us during the evening. Went for food before returning to the Cathedral. Enjoyed PQA Coventry's first outdoor theatre performance, 'Survival'.

July 2019

Tuesday 9th July

I won 'Diamond Member of the Year' at Slimming World group. A Diamond Member is someone who has reached their target weight and maintained it for at least a year (I have maintained for over six years).

Thursday 11th July

Got a text from. He was on a cruise with his Dad. He texted from Helsinki.

Friday 12th July

D called Tigger. She was in hospital at the time but was OK. They both said they were happy to hear each other's voice.

Saturday 13th July

Nice lunch out with D and F. F spent some of his birthday money. Facetime with C and the little ones - Baby1 hogged the call!

Sunday 14th July

Update text from R from his cruise. I entered a national Slimming World competition.

Monday 15th July

F had a reward for being good with injections last week. Saw first photo of R on his holiday (this time, he was at Icebar in Sweden). Read something lovely about R (I don't recall what that was or why). I got some things done in the garden (it's ongoing but it doesn't look as terrible as it did before).

Tuesday 16th July

Call from Tigger. She was still in hospital waiting for tests. She was her usual happy self, determined to do exams at college on the Friday.

Saturday 20th July

F's last day with PQA. He had his 'creative report', which said how awesome he is and that he should start going for lead roles. Mixed emotions as I was so proud of him but also disheartened as he couldn't continue attending. Thankfully, he was able to join another theatre group nearer to home.

Sunday 21st July

R came home after his cruise. He enjoyed telling me all about his adventures, and I enjoyed hearing his stories.

Thursday 25th July

Out for dinner with R, F, Bestie and her partner at one of our favourite pubs. We go there regularly. Originally chosen because it was about halfway between us and Bestie. She has since moved but still enjoys the local cuisine when she's back to visit her parents.

Friday 26th July

D came to my mum's with F (I go after work. F and I usually go to my mum's every Friday). Little Niece and Little Nephew loved playing with their Uncle D.

Saturday 27th to Sunday 28th July

Travelled to Bath on the Saturday with Big Sis. We had a wander around Bath and went for something to eat. Got a bus to Batheaston (teased Big Sis that it was the first time I'd been on a bus in a new place without a 'proper' grown-up :D ). Dropped off our stuff at The Old Mill Hotel, had a couple of drinks and some chocolate that we had just bought.

We made a silly video of ourselves to kill some time before we headed to Warmley Clock Tower for an overnight ghost hunt.

Ghost hunt continued until the early hours of the Sunday. The clock tower is quite a small building but we had a few rooms to explore. The building is normally used as a community space. When we had finished there, Big Sis and I went back to the hotel - a comfy bed and a nice breakfast.

On the way home, as we were changing trains at Bristol, I got a very special message. Our third granddaughter (Baby3) had been born in the early hours (0:56am) of 28th July, earlier than expected as she wasn't due until later in August. We couldn't tell anyone else at the time because C's mum had taken Baby1 and Baby2 on holiday so that C and her husband could have some time on their own before Baby 3 arrived. Apparently, Baby3 had other ideas! C didn't want to tell anyone until the little ones had met their new sister. We wouldn't see the new baby in real life until October.

Monday 29th July

First day of a two weeks annual leave for me. Watched 'Dexter' with D. Went to registry office to register our intent to marry. Had lunch at a little tea room. Messages with C - with a photo of Baby3. Played 'Boggle' and 'Dalek Invasion Risk' with R. F didn't want to join in so he played on his Switch. R cooked us a chicken and vegetable spaghetti bolognese for tea, F helped by preparing the sauce. Watched a film (I don't recall which one but it was likely a sci-fi of some description).

Wednesday 31st July

Took Little Niece and Little Nephew to a soft play while R and F went to an arcade. D spent some time between the two places. D then went home and I took everyone else to get ice-cream.

August 2019

Friday 2nd August

D and I met with wedding co-ordinator.

Saturday 3rd August

I took F and his best friend (E) to see Horrible Histories at the cinema. F then won a lot of tickets on a fidget spinner game in the arcade.

Saturday 5th August

Went to D's parents with D, R, and F. Facetimed with C while we were there. All the babies were asleep!

Tuesday 6th August

R came with me to do some wedding/holiday shopping. I don't usually like shopping but this was special, purposeful shopping. It still wasn't what I'd call 'enjoyable' but I hated it less than most shopping!

Wednesday 7th August

Went to Bear Grylls Adventure with R, F, and a friend and her son. We did a maze, an escape room, an assault course, and archery. Friend's son didn't join in everything but he tried some things. F tried everything (including eating bugs) although he only really liked the archery. The rest of us enjoyed everything.

I ordered flower girl dresses and a few other wedding things.

Thursday 8th August

Went to karaoke night with R. We sang 'Sk8r Boi' together, and I sang 'Devil Gate Drive' on my own.

Friday 9th August

R signed for and put down a deposit for a house - sharing with a friend. He'd lived in halls for the first year (the first time he hadn't lived with either me or his Dad) but would be in a shared house from September.

Saturday 10th August

Went bowling and for dinner with D, R, F, Niece, Nephew, SIL and BIL. We had invited Niece but, if I remember rightly, she had to work.

Tuesday 13th August

Met with wedding photographer to sign and pay for that. Paid for wedding chair covers.

Wednesday 14th August

Upgraded my 'phone at last - I had been waiting two years for that, especially considering I had broken one not long after getting it, and was using an old Nokia! Exchanged some Pounds for Euros ready for holiday. R and F made us a curry for dinner. Played some games with R and F, and they played some games together without me.

Friday 16th August

Work summer party. Went for drinks and noodles with various colleagues before meeting others at the party for more drinks and dancing to some fun tunes.

23rd to 31st August

Summer holiday with R and F. It was just the three of us. F and my first time abroad. R and F's first time on a plane - I had previously been in a plane to do a parachute jump but never to go anywhere! R had been to several countries but only by sea.

We went to Mallorca. We chose Mallorca because it was a short flight and because, when I asked the boys where they would like to go, R didn't mind and F said Cardiff or Scotland or Spain.

During our holiday, we visited several places and enjoyed a few activities. This may not be in the order that we did things but we went to S'Albufera nature park, Marine Land, Alcudia and Pollenta Roman City.

We had a lot of time of the beautiful Playa de Muro beach, and some nice meals including two at Bike Point Cafe (which turned out to be our favourite and would seek it out if we go to Mallorca again).

If you would like to read about our visit to Mallorca in more detail, take a look here.

September 2019

There are, for some reason, no notes for September in my jar. Thankfully, it's Facebook to the rescue with a suitable memory. Considering the activities and 'big' events of August and October, there weren't many noteworthy occasions in September.

Monday 7th September

The first of a few 'hen' dos for me. Went to Warwick for a 'Murder Mystery Trail' with Big Sis, Little Sis, SIL, and Big Niece. We all dressed up - them as detectives and police people, me as a prisoner. We had to follow clues and find things around the town.

Once we had done it, Big Sis sent our completed entry (with pictures) to the organiser. Apparently, we were the first people to complete the trail in fancy dress!

October 2019

Saturday 5th October

A second hen do arranged by Big Sis. This time, with Big Sis, Big Niece, and Big Sis' mother-in-law. Went to 'Worlds Collide', a Doctor Who themed escape room. It was awesome. We completed it in 52 minutes, which was the best of the day and leader board for the month so far. After that, we went for lunch.

I stayed out with Big Sis for drinks and noodles before seeing 'Steve Steinman's Meatloaf Story' - it was also awesome. Special guest star was Lorraine Crosby. We had pictures after the show with her and other cast members.

Wednesday 9th October

R called to say that he had been sent a game to test and review. He set up a board gaming group at university, and the new game was sent for them to test.

F had a good time at Explorers.

Thursday 10th October

Met up with a friend for lunch. She gave me a wedding gift and let me know she was moving soon.

My Dad came out of hospital after having been in for a few days. That was good news.

Friday 11th October

My last day at work before my wedding. Arrived at work to find banners, balloons, and my desk decorated with glitter! My 'work family' gave me a card, a cake, and a few thoughtful gifts. They're so lovely (but I wouldn't tell them that) - that's what I wrote on my note anyway!

Sunday 13th October

The best thing about this day was finally meeting Baby3. C brought her along to a family meal at The Pheasant, a lovely little place just a short (and rather pleasant) drive away from our home. This was meant as a get-together (and sort of additional hen do) for some of the ladies in my family to meet some of the ladies in D's family. C, Baby3, and myself were also joined by my mum, D's mum, Big Sis, Little Sis, Niece, SIL, and Big Niece. We had a lovely meal and enjoyed the time together.

Monday 14th October

Went on the train with D to the next town. He picked up R's suit from the dry cleaners, and bought himself some shoes. We then met up with C, her husband, and the three little ones. D left to go home while the rest of us did some shopping for shoes and clothes. Baby1 and Baby2 chose the shoes they wanted. We then had lunch together before I came home.

Wednesday 16th October

This was a very special day. I started writing a separate piece about it but it's still underway!

My birthday - I had the best day and the best gift by marrying D. We had an amazing wedding day.

We had a small ceremony in a Gothic style building, with some photos taken afterwards outside, attended by close family and friends. My bridal party was C, Tigger, Baby1 and Baby2 while F was our ring-bearer, and R gave me away. D's best man was his best friend.

After the ceremony, D's best man and his wife took us for a drink before we rejoined some family at D's parents' for the afternoon. There, we had some family time, my mother-in-law made sure that my birthday was celebrated with a birthday cake and singing 'Happy Birthday' to me!

In the evening, we held our reception in a lovely village venue. Along with our wedding guests, we were joined by additional family and friends, including a couple of surprises, who wanted to celebrate with us. Big Niece made our wedding cake, D's parents arranged the rest of the catering.

We had a lot of cards and gifts (We had asked for donations to The Sophie Lancaster Foundation instead of gifts, and we raised more than £200 from our generous guests).

Friday 18th October

Went to the in-laws to spend some time with C and family before they went back home. They live almost 200 miles away and had come up especially for the wedding

Sunday 27th to Tuesday 29th October

Honeymoon. Stayed at our usual place - Welbeck Hotel in Weston-Super-Mare. Went to some of our favourite places and tried some new ones. Played board games at 'Rooksburg's Realm'. Japanese food for dinner on the Sunday at 'Sakura'.

Walking, exploring. Italian food at 'Il Michelangelo' on Monday. Weston Museum, drink at Dr Fox's tea room, watched Terminator: Dark Fate at the cinema then English food at 'Chris's Restaurant', and a little walk around the neighbourhood before getting the train back home.

Wednesday 30th October

Took F out for lunch at 'The Latte Artist'. I took him out for lunch (at Subway) on the 26th as well. I was making up for going away without him :D We had been away without him before but they were times he was at Scout camp. This time, he was at home.

November 2019

I don't seem to have any notes for November. There were a couple of family birthdays, and I expect we went out for a meal at some point. Other than that, my most interesting thing from November was dismantling a bed! F should have been in the Remembrance Day Parade with Scouts but was not well so he missed out. November isn't really a month for doing things!

December 2020

Friday 6th December

Work Christmas do. Out for a meal, then drinks in various places.

Thursday 12th December

F's parents' evening. D and I spoke with four of F's teachers, who all said he's doing really well. His drama teacher says he's a star! Of course, we were really proud of F.

Afterwards, we went to the nearby pub. I recall the barmaid saying that people often come in there after parents' evenings - some to celebrate, some to drown their sorrows! Thankfully, we were there to celebrate. I hadn't been to that pub for many years (it had previously been one of my locals), D had never been before. We had some lovely chats with people in there and said we'd go back again (which we did, just once, and saw a couple of regulars I used to know).

Saturday 14th December

Took F out for lunch. I asked him to choose what he wanted so we went to MOD Pizza

Wednesday 18th December

R came home. Facetime with C and Baby1. Baby1 showed me a paper Christmas tree she'd made. She seemed quite excited to show me but didn't want to show it to D - she said "Granddad can't have it". She was being very cheeky, and telling us she would be at school on Christmas Day!

Thursday 19th December

Meal at The Newdigate with D, R, Bestie, and Bestie's other half. Lovely Christmas meal - crackers, fun chats, food, drinks. We have a regular monthly catch-up and it was especially nice to have a Christmas one.

Saturday 21st December

Met up with a friend (E's mum - E wasn't well so she couldn't join us as planned) for drinks with F and R. Had chats, coffee, and snacks.

Played 'Cosmogenesis' (a board game that was a wedding/birthday gift from Little Sis) with D, R, and F.

Sunday 22nd December

Played Boggle and Hangman with R before his Dad came to pick him up.

Monday 23rd December

My last day at work before Christmas!

Tuesday 24th December

Didn't do much. Watched 'Toy Story 3'. Big Sis, Big Nephew, and Big Niece came to us for a bit.

Wednesday 25th December

CHRISTMAS DAY! Just me, D, and F at home. We opened our Santa stockings first. Then we opened presents from D (he got me a CD player, which is what I wanted). Listened to some music, opened more presents. We got some cool stuff including board games, computer games, sweets, books, and other things).

Messages and calls from/to various family members. Lovely dinner (made by me) and pudding (not made by me). F played one of his new computer games and then played 'Obama Llama' (one of my Christmas gifts) with me.

Thursday 26th December

BOXING DAY! R is back with us for a few days. Went to a couple of local pubs for drinks with R and D.

Friday 27th December

SIL, BIL, Niece, and Nephew came round. Played various games, had some chats and some food. Had lots of fun.

Went to my mum's later. Little Niece said her favourite Christmas present was one we bought for her. I played games with R, Mum, Little Sis, and Little Niece while F played computer games with Little Nephew.

Saturday 28th December

In the morning, I played 'Trivial Pursuit' with R before he went back to his Dad's for the rest of the weekend.

Afternoon spent playing computer games (including one - Lego Harry Potter - that R had given me for Christmas).

Monday 30th December

Played 'Doctor Who Trivial Pursuit' with R. Chilled with boys and TV. Messages with Tigger.

Tuesday 31st December

Got some writing done. Played 'Zombie Dice' with R. Played 'Mario Party with R and F. Watched 'Die Hard' with D, R, and F. Chatted with neighbours, did some baking, and made a lovely curry.

2020

The first things we did on 1st January 2020 was family get-together at my in-laws'.

I've had a lot of good memories pop up on Facebook and Google memories. At the time of writing this, there were a lot of memories from 2019 but also plenty from previous years. It makes sense that there would be as it is around the time of Easter holidays as well as a time for planning upcoming birthdays and looking forward to seeing the boys in their various performances. Seeing the memories makes me feel very lucky to have had those experiences. Some of them don't seem as long ago as they were.

While I have not kept a 2020 Good Things Jar, I was lucky enough to have enjoyed some things before the coronavirus hit. Another thing I have done for the second year running is to keep savings in a piggy bank. My husband bought me a money box for Christmas 2018. His idea was that I put in a small amount each week of 2019 and then spend what I've saved on something just for me. I did exactly that.

One thing I wanted to do was visit the Bear Grylls Adventure. Well, I wanted to do an indoor skydive, a shark dive, and have a go on a zipwire. The Bear Gylls Adventure has all three so I booked a package with them - which also included high ropes (the zipwire is part of that), climbing, and archery.

I was very lucky as I had booked it for March 2020 - just before non-essential services began to shut down. I was particularly pleased to get certificates from the iFly and the shark dive.

As well as my adventure, I also enjoyed a couple of nice meals at one of our local pubs, tried out a new restaurant, and had a couple of lunches with a colleague (noodles on one occasion, sushi on the other). In January 2020, I spent some time with various family members for New Year celebrations, and one of the local pub meals was to celebrate some of the January birthdays. In February, I spent my 'Auntie-Nephew' day with Big Nephew in Leicester. We bought a couple of things and we had noodles for lunch.

I have made more effort to set aside time for writing. I am working on a big project (which has been ongoing for a couple of years now, and could take a couple more). Apart from that, I have published two kindle ebooks this year. They are short children's stories: Do Robots Eat Raisins? and Princess Granddad.

While we have been social distancing and limiting contact, I am grateful to be working from home. I am lucky that I can work from home, lucky that D and F don't need much from me and understand that I am working - I imagine it would be quite different if my children were still small or if I had a demanding husband! R was on his own for a little while as his housemate had gone home early. R was supposed to come home for Easter. His Dad did fetch him in the end so he's staying there. I miss him (haven't seen him since he went back to university after Christmas) but am so very thankful for the technology that helps us to stay connected. The same goes for the rest of our family and the friends who keep in touch. For some family, we are quite used to most of our interaction being online due to the physical distance between us. We would normally see some family on a regular basis but we are keeping in touch either by telephone or by facetime.

We had made some plans that we had to cancel. We were supposed to be visiting R in Liverpool for D's birthday trip away. That would have been the end of May. Hopefully, we will make up for it as best we can. We've got another holiday booked for the four of us to Hastings. Very much hoping that will go ahead at the end of August so we get to see the girls as well. F should have been working backstage on his first show with Labyrinth. We are not yet certain as to whether plans for my sister's birthday will go ahead in June. F's birthday is also in June but he is happy not to do anything!

We had plans to do activities with friends, to catch up with family we hadn't seen in a long time, and to visit some more English Heritage sites. Thankfully, we can rearrange them and we have an extra three months on our EH membership for next year!

Since not being able to go anywhere, I have been able to get everything we've needed. We have a garden, albeit a small and scruffy one, in which we have been able to enjoy the pleasant weather. We have found pleasure in the small things like watching a butterfly or counting stars. We have played board games and quizzes, we have watched television, listened to music, and chatted about our plans for the future. This is all quite normal but seems so much more important right now.