July

So Tom went on Scout Camp the first weekend of July.  I was slightly nervous as this time last year he was really struggling with his hayfever, but his hayfever seemed to have suddenly ended and he was ok.  Matt was also away in London for a translators do, so I was home alone.  Just as well as I had a mega order of chocolate to complete.  I had been in touch with all my regular holiday let chocolate clients to see if they needed anything for the summer and one came back requesting 60 slabs - wowzers! Just as well I had just bought some extra slab moulds (my intuition was working well).  

I dropped Tom off at Silverside on Friday evening with an insane amount of kit - he didn't bother to say goodbye!  Saturday morning saw me waking up at 6am, seeing clear blue skies and deciding to go for a walk up  Whernside.  I got the place to myself and had the most glorious morning enjoying my own company and the countryside, pure food for the soul- did me the world of good.  

Spent most of Sunday tempering chocolate before picking up a very tired Tom and then Matt later on.

View from the top of Whernside

 

July has mainly been about cricket for us.  Between Matt and Tom we don't really have many days when cricket isn't occurring.  Tom has played for QES (not great as only a couple of pupils are interested in cricket - meaning that the team is made up of pupils who don't even know the rules - not a chance they could ever win a game).  He has also played for Ingleton Under 13s, and Ingleton Seniors and also has an Under 16s match coming up oh and he is also playing for South Lakes.  Then of course Matt plays most weekends either with or without Tom.  When they both play together away, I don't go with them using the time to catch up on work (cakes / chocolate / chores) which means that I'm more prepared when Monday roles round.

Then last week, Matt got an email from a new cricket district, Westmorland asking for Tom to go for a trial.  We didn't know much about it but Tom was up for it so we took him along to it in Morecambe and then went for a walk along the prom in beautiful golden light.  When we went to pick him up, he said that if he gets accepted, he would be playing games in Liverpool / Manchester - arggggggh!  They didn't leave us hanging on for long, he got through and yes he was right, the games are around Lancashire.  We've always been attached to Cumbria for cricket, but this new district, we think, is to catch all the players in the 3 counties area and feed them into Lancashire cricket.  Anyway the boy did well, unfortunately all the matches are during the summer holidays and we have loads already on the calendar, but he should be able to play for 2 out of the 5 games he's been invited to.  The end of July really isn't a good time to tell us about August games!

On Friday we all headed to Manchester for Tom's appointment with the allergy people.  Which went well, we both got gold stars for having the right paperwork and medications with us (many before us hadn't bothered!)  We then stayed the night with the Komorovskis - which included a visit to their local Tapas restaurant where Tom got addicted to grilled peppers!

 

Oh, I had my blood test and have got my results - not great - my cholesterol has dropped from 8.0 to 6.9 so from dangerously high to high.  Not great, considering I haven't had any fat at all for 3 months (except 2 slices of pizza and a couple of slices of bread and butter for breakfast).  I'm guessing that I do have familial cholesterol!  They just sent me a text and said to continue with diet.  I have asked to speak to someone as I can't continue for ever on this diet - I will disappear (I have lost 2 stone already!)

Oh and 19th July saw Ingleton have its hottest day ever.  Our weather station recorded 36.5 degrees - when going outside, I was reminded of being in Israel - with supercharged hot air blowing around. Feeling sorry for the livestock around, they look so hot and bothered!  On the Monday I got up at 5am to put a cake together before it got too hot and Tuesday I didn't do any practical work at all - deciding to live in the front room which is the coolest room in the house by some way.