A lick of paint later...

We took on a big task this week: painting Selina's Mum and Dad's hallway. They offered us a donation to Selina's charity if we do it!

I don't think we bargained on it taking a solid week of painting to get it done, but then there are 13 doors leading off it, upstairs and down! Needless to say, we didn't gloss the doors! 

About four coats of paint later (it was bright orange before!) and it looks great. There is a feature darker wall to the left that you cannot see in the photo.

Phew!! 

Now we're ready to go to Honduras and find the key skill they are missing is a painter decorator!!

Flying off next week, so next blog should be from a sunnier climate. Although will it beat this sunset across Bristol?

Meeting new family!

We went to see my Mum yesterday in Wheathampstead. We got to meet three of Mum's birth sisters for the first time. Mum was fostered when she was young, so we were all meeting up for the first time ever! It was fascinating to see photos, birth certificates and learn about a whole new extended family that we never knew about.

We had a little restaurant in the village all to ourselves. The French cuisine was very tasty. Mum's sisters had secretly made the table up beforehand with fresh flowers and choccies.

Also caught up with Kathryn and Richard who have nearly completed on their new build house in Hemel. Exciting times ahead for all of us!

Pete's first week of retirement!

Pete's last day in the office was last Tuesday 4th June, so he's been "retired" for a week now! We have mostly enjoyed the fantastic weather relaxing at home in Bristol - Pete was sunburnt by Wednesday lunchtime!

We have spent hours laid in the garden reading, snoozing in the sunshine and drinking ice tea! We have done some practical jobs like changing the brake discs on the car, gardening, getting vaccinations and going to the bank. We did a cake sale on Saturday to fundraise for Progressio, so spent all day Friday baking and all day Sunday eating the leftovers! We went out for breakfast one morning and have been learning Spanish very slowly.

Training weekend in Cheshunt

I met the team I will be going to Honduras with and learnt more about the work of Progressio and what we can expect during the volunteer placement. The team seem lovely, we stayed at the Lee Valley YHA in Cheshunt just outside London.

We called ourselves the Honduras Explorers! And we won the orienteering!