July has felt weirdly long, which is unusual because it normally flies by.  Two out of three girls had finished school and college for the summer at the end of June (post-exams), so they were just at home having a well-deserved rest whilst I was still ferrying poor Lola to and from school for another two weeks.  She couldn’t wait to finish, bless her – it must have seemed so unfair.  Meanwhile I’ve been working pretty much non-stop all month.

There have been a few fun things in between though:  Mimi had her Year 11 prom; Ella and I headed up north to Lancaster (just for a day trip) for the University Open Day; and there have been adventures in Bude and London.

Here are all the little things I’ve been loving lately throughout July…

READ

The Ferryman: by Justin Cronin.  This was recommended to me by the lovely people who run our local bookshop, whom I’ve chatted with on a weekly basis (at least) since my girls were very small – we used to visit the shop constantly so I know everyone who works there on a first-name basis now.

One chapter in and I knew ‘The Ferryman’ was going to be something astonishing.  It’s almost impossible to describe – I guess it’s sci-fi but don’t let that put you off because it really doesn’t come across as being part of that genre.   It very much reminded me of ‘The Starless Sea’ (one of my all time favourite books) in terms of the layers that weave through the story and the way the characters come to life.  It also has notes of films such as The Matrix, Inception and The Truman Show (but without the comedy).  The TV show West World too.  I know that sounds like a bizarre combination but honestly, it’s fantastic.

It’s about dreams and reality and consciousness and AI and love and grief and parenthood and magic and being human and destroying the world and the future of the human race and so, so, so many other things as well.  It will make you feel just about every emotion a person can possibly feel.  The only way to understand how good it is, or what it’s even really about, is to read it.  Which you must do.  Immediately.  It instantly went into my top ten books of all time.  I genuinely can’t stop thinking about it.

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin – a must read!

The Pilgrimage: by Paulo Coelho.  I read ‘The Alchemist’ – which is arguably perhaps Paulo Coelho’s most well-known book – many years ago and loved it.  There is so much valuable wisdom held within it’s pages.  I spotted ‘The Pilgrimage’ on display at a bookshop in Brighton whilst on a uni visit with Ella and, intrigued, I picked it up.  I hadn’t realised it was a sort of companion book for ‘The Alchemist’ – the blurb says that to truly comprehend one you must read the other.

I’m about halfway through it at the moment and I have to admit… I’m not getting into it as much as I thought I would.  There are still plenty of turned down corners and underlined sentences, I’m just not enjoying the story as much.  The main character is less… likeable?  I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’ll persevere.

WATCHED

Sunrises and sunsets:  The skies during the summer months are unwaveringly some of my favourites of the calendar year – there is something about the quality of light combined with the lingering warmth from the day that makes it feel that little bit more magical.  July has rewarded us with some stunning ones recently…

One of my favourite sunsets from this month – look at those colours and clouds!

HEARD

Dancing In The Dark:  I love this absolutely beautiful cover version of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing In The Dark’.  I happened upon it quite by chance – via a link in an email newsletter that I subscribe to but don’t always have time to open and read properly.  I’m so glad I opened this particular one otherwise I’d have never have found this.  It nearly brought me to tears the first time I heard it – he somehow seemed to give it a whole new extra layer of meaning.  It immediately got added to my Spotify playlist and I will now likely listen to it on repeat for weeks.

MADE

Trip to Lancaster:  Ella and I only had one university open day visit this month – a day trip up to the University of Lancaster.  We both liked the campus and enjoyed the wonderfully tranquil woodland walk that takes you from the city centre to the uni itself, which is about three miles away.  Sadly, the accommodation didn’t quite live up to Ella’s hopes, so it’s not made it into her top three.

We’ve got one more open day to attend over the summer, then a few more in the autumn, and then it’ll be time for her to actually send off her application.  I still can’t quite believe we’re at this stage.

The woodland walk from the city of Lancaster to the university campus was so serene and pretty.

Travel vlog:  They take me forever to make, but I do enjoy the process of creating these little travel vlogs of some of the trips we go on.  This most recent one is from Ella and I’s time in Dublin back in March.  This was a special one for me.  I love watching them back and remembering all the things we did.

WORE

Prom Dress:  It was Mimi’s turn for Year 11 Prom this year! She looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress she’d chosen – it suited her perfectly.  She got ready with her two best friends at one of their houses, and we met her there along with the car they were travelling to the event venue in – a classic Rolls Royce.

Hearing them all giggle together as they came out of the house, and watching them making memories before prom even got started made my heart very happy indeed.  They all had a brilliant time (there are photobooth photos to prove it!) – it was such a fun way for them to celebrate being sixteen, the end of high school, and the start of a brand new part of each of their journeys.

Mimi looking gorgeous in her prom dress in front of the Rolls Royce

AND FINALLY…

Bude:  Every year for a decade, we’ve gone on holiday to Bude in Cornwall.  This year, we didn’t think we were going to be able to go – Neil couldn’t get the time off work during the summer holidays.  Then, the final week of term (before the summer holidays officially started) came available at The Beach Haven – one of our favourite places to stay.  It meant pulling Lola out of school a week early and risking a fine, but we figured it was worth it so we booked it.

The only snag was that the cattery where our cats go for their ‘holiday’ whenever we’re away was full for that week (and we have no other option for anyone else to look after them for that long).  So I decided to stay home – it didn’t seem fair for everyone to forfeit a holiday just because of the cats, and I already had therapy clients booked in for that week anyway.

It felt very strange and sad waving them all off and I had a big cry once they’d left, but actually, overall it wasn’t so bad.  I kept myself busy with working and cleaning/tidying the house – doing all those little things that never seem to get done.  And they sent me updates and photos of what they were doing – crazy golf, cricket on the beach, bowling, going out for dinner, ice creams, sunsets…all the usual things we do.  They had a blast and made some happy memories and really that’s all that matters to me.  It was good to have them back though 🙂

One of the photos that Neil sent me from their holiday in Bude

Besties:  I had a little trip down to London and met up with one of my best friends.  We’ve been friends for 37 years (!) – ever since we were four years old.  We met on the very first day of Reception in primary school when we got sat next to each other and we have been there for each other through ALL the ups and downs of life pretty much ever since.

We don’t get to see each other very often any more: I live in the Midlands, she lives south of London; I have teens, she has a pre-schooler; we both have busy careers… but when we do manage to get together we click back together as if no time has passed at all and we make the most of it.  This time we simply grabbed a coffee and a hot chocolate, wandered around Regents Park then sat on the grass by the roses and talked for almost two hours.  It was wonderful.  I miss her very much and I’m trying really hard to arrange to see her more regularly.

Me and Hannah 🙂

And now all of a sudden chapter seven of 2024 has come to a close and we are already over halfway through the summer.  August is looking very busy work-wise and I’m going to do my best to try and intersperse that with doing some fun things with the girls (although I have no idea what yet).  It’s also almost time for GCSE Results Day, plus college enrolment and induction days as well – the nerves are already beginning to build.

I hope that you found plenty of little things to love throughout July and that next month promises to be full of good things.

With love,

Chloe x