Lessons Learned – results, chefs, parties and talent!

This week’s lessons learned

• Nothing says summer quite like eating ice-cream in the back garden with the kids after school.

• I enjoyed having house guests again – it has been a while. Dave and Debbie and Joseph were passing through on the way from England to use our cottage on the North coast.

• They were also a great distraction from the final stage of the 11-plus transfer test (academic selection for 11 year olds). Saturday in our house was an anxious time, as we waited for the post man to deliver the news of which school my daughter would be moving to in September. He finally arrived at 11.45 am, and these photos tell the story (excuse the un-brushed hair!)This was the last year that children here in Northern Ireland sat the 11-plus transfer test. Exactly what is to replace it is still the subject of much debate, and children starting Primary 7 this coming year are all facing uncertainty.

• Death is not Dying – have you seen this yet? If not, please visit the link to hear Rachel Barkey speak. As she says on her blog “Cancer does not define me. Neither does being a wife or a mother. All these things are part of who I am but they do not define me. What defines me is my relationship with Jesus.”

• I have been AMAZED that so many people around the world don’t use a clothes line to dry their clothes! Seriously amazed! So – how do YOU dry your clothes?

• It is lovely to go to a 40th birthday on a beautiful summers evening, and have caterers serve you the most delicious food in the garden, including champagne with strawberries in the bottom of the glass, and redcurrants draped over the edge of the glass. It is even more delightful when the chef is a finalist from last years BBC Masterchef! No photos of the party food as I gave my Canon the night off.

• I expected Susan Boyle to win Britain’s Got Talent, but was delighted when the dance group Diversity won.

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• Finally, I am loving the long bright evenings of June – sunset is nearly 10pm, and it gets light again before 5am.

For more lessons learned this week be sure to visit the lovely Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife, who has been helping me (again) to move things about a bit on my blog.

Take care until next time.