Life Lately… A Quick Catch Up

It’s hard to believe it’s that last week in July. So much has happened since I did one of these updates. I don’t really know where to begin. Life lately has been so busy. My work and social schedules along with our peripatetic lifestyle has meant that my blog has had to take a back seat. I simply cannot keep up. 

However, I do keep more up to date on Instagram, especially Insta Stories. There, I have a highlight for life in general, for our life in the North East, our holidays and, of course, my eyewear and outfits. 

For simplicity, I’m going to separate this post into sections: my work, our holidays, our lives and our plans. 

Work

I continue to work three consecutive long days in practice at Benjamin’s Opticians (7.30am until 6pm). We optometrists and the dispensing and contact lens  opticians still need to wear masks. The rest of the staff and the patients do not. It has become such a normal part of my work in practice that it will feel strange if the rules should change. In honestly though, with the exception of mascara, it negates the need for makeup. For the extra few minutes in bed it affords me, I’m very grateful. 

I am into my fifth year as a STEPPER Eyewear ambassador and my eighth as a content creator, (digital and print), for the professional journal Optometry Today. I enjoy both roles as much now as I did when I began them.

My latest role as a company ambassador for MAC Eyewear is going well too. I started it in February and am learning more and more about their collections. The very best part of the time though is the working friendship I have with Marketing Director Sara Walker. We get along so well and have similar tastes in so many things. We are equally passionate about eyewear and enjoy regular catch-ups over lunch. MAC has a very exciting new collection/collaboration launching soon. Do watch this space for more details!

Holidays 

Ian and I spent three days in Seville (see our highlights and recommendations here), then seven in Conil de La Frontera. I think it was the best holiday of my life. 

If I can find some time, I’ll write a blog post about Conil, but in the meantime, have a look at my Instagram Highlights because it really is a beautiful part of the world. There’s a Seville highlight in the same place too. 

We have another week in Spain to look forward to in early October. We’re returning to Calpe for the third time, this time with my parents. I’ll spend my 49th birthday there and I cannot wait. 

Family

I had one of the happiest and proudest days of my life at the end of June: Poppy’s graduation. She got a very high 2:1 in her BSc(Hons) in Anthropology from Durham University. The congregation was absolutely wonderful. It took place in Durham Cathedral and was full of ceremony. A day I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Poppy is back home for a while now to work, save up and make plans for her future. It’s lovely having her back and I’m excited to see what’s next for her. 

Harry is home for the summer holidays (he’s just finished his first year studying maths at Durham). He has a holiday job to keep him out of mischief. Again, it’s brilliant to have him at home again, but my goodness the milk. And cereal. And fruit. I can’t keep up. Thankfully Poppy has just bought a car so she will help out with the food shopping.

Future 

Our immediate future plans are to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. We’re going away this weekend to a beautiful hotel- a wedding gift from our group of Skipton friends. Next weekend we’re going for a meal to a gorgeous restaurant in Grassington- a wedding gift from my work friends. How can it be a year already?

Our longer term future might involve some life-changing decisions with respect to our homes  but as yet, the ideas we have mere seedlings.

Thank you

We’ve done so much more than this since my last update, and we have so many things to look forward to. Please keep an eye on my Insta Stories because I post regularly there. And thank you for continuing to follow me and read my blog.