Noisy Neighbours & First Day

I'd thought I'd heard rustling down in the valley - but had ignored it.

The following day I heard it again and peered over our new gate, to find a little band of bullocks investigating their new found freedom. 

Him Next Door and J spent the evening herding them back to their field, whilst the neighbour made good the escape route they'd created in the fence.

The bullocks made quite a mess of our path down to the bottom of the valley, but Her and Him Next Door have been trying to rectify that... it'll take time. 

You can just see our open gate at the top.

A momentous event has happened today too. My baby has gone to secondary school - her first day. It's been an intense six week holiday; busy, active, a balancing act. Now we can get back to the routine of a new school day.  She leaves home early to catch the bus at 7:40am and won't be home 'till 4ish.  We offered to cut down her travelling time by dropping her off at our nearest village, but she wants to go under her own steam on the bus.  The school itself is in Crymych, some 13.5 single track, bendy miles away.

She was so excited this morning, eager to go.  It's great the time they spend now to establish a connection with their secondary school and some of the staff well before the big day itself, orientation days really.  It must make the first day so much less intimidating for them (a far cry from when I went to secondary school - which I know was last century).  What's worrying me the most is the 1 to 1.5 hours homework promised a night.  How will we fit it in with all her after school activities?  And its very important to leave time for a bit of fun too.

Ready for big school.

Family

This week's prompt over at Sticky Fingers is Family... too opportune to miss this one.

For a few years now a good part of our clan has undergone an annual sojourn over to beautiful Whitesands (a few miles down the road for us). We rent a cottage for a week, with no neighbours and views of the sea; it's a two minute walk to one of the most stunning beaches you'll ever come across.

This holiday is one of the highlights of our year - not for the picturesque scenery and time off work but for the feeling of belonging to a group of like minded people who love, laugh, argue, forgive, share and would do anything for you if you needed them.  This year Gran is missing but not forgotten, and here is her legacy...

Motley Crew

Nothing to say...

I think I've got writer's block.  I can't think of anything interesting to blog about (no change there then you might think).  Either that or my life is pretty dull at the moment (and I'm really not going to admit it to you dear reader - after all, life in the blogasphere is always interesting).

Here are a couple of pictures instead (it's said a picture is worth a thousand words - so actually I've been quite loquacious in this post).  The theme over at The Gallery this week is 'Colour' - so as I can't think for myself at the moment I've decided to roll with it. 

Nothing displays the spectrum of colour better than mother nature herself.

Continuity - in one day.

This morning I went to church and passed the newly dedicated seat to Gran and Grandad that Her Next Door had organised.  

Sweethearts together again...

You've seen lots of pictures of Gran, but here is Grandad in his younger days looking very smart in his Scout uniform. And next to him my daughter G10 wearing her Guide outfit ready to take part in a concert and play her violin this afternoon.  She's following in Grandad's footsteps and made us all here, and those looking down on her, very proud.    

My lovely Grandad as a King's Scout circa 1930 and G10 today.

The Letter T

This week's prompt over at Taras is the letter T. Well I had two this morning... tense and trees.

I became a little bit agitated when G10 at the last minute before leaving for school, decided she had to take a memory box to Guides this evening (and she is not coming home in between times).  Scrabbling around to find items to go in (and take out - really why a plastic dinosaur?)  Of course we had to share a moment to wonder and stare at G10's first baby grow.  Was she ever so tiny?  I felt quite broody.  For a nanosecond.

Anyway I digress. 

The next panic was trying to find G10's spellings.  We hunted high and low, I accused J of having them last so it was obviously all his fault.  Actually he hadn't and it wasn't but I was blowed if I was going to admit that.  At the very last second we found the errant spellings in Them Next Door's place.  Even though G10 had looked there herself - I've come to the conclusion that she really does not have eyes that see.

Anyway I was stressed and a little bit tense.  As I walked towards the office I could hear the stream... sounding louder than normal due to the drop torrents of rain we've had recently.

I thought to myself, take 5.  So I took 5; I stopped and stared at the magical light that the soft sunshine and slight mist were creating in the trees and the soothing sounds of rushing streams cascading down the valley.  Then all was right with the world again.

The wood looking exceptionally beautiful this morning.

Faces

The theme over at The Gallery this week is Faces.

The first picture albeit from a few years back, was taken at the Bristol International Kite Festival held at Ashton Court, a really fantastic family day out and highly recommended.  So many faces to see and wonder at up in the sky.  There are also plenty of beer tents which helps to oil adult relaxation.  You can eat there of course - the choice of eateries and the smells emanating from them is mouth watering, or like us you can take your own picnic.  

Simply relax and watch the amazing displays above you. 

The next two are of G10 in Majorca when she was about 4.  She was born in water and has been a water babe ever since.  Him Next Door (aka Grampy) has helped pass on this love of all things water related and you can see the pure joy of this in her little face.

Unadulterated Joy.

Flaming September





Grandparents

The topic this week at Sticky Fingers is grandparents.

We are overrun with grandparents in our multi-generational household.  Her and Him Next Door are grandparents to G9 (Her Next Door likes to be called Grumpy by her grandchildren, I really can't comment further on this) and Gran is my grandmother.

They bring a third dimension to family life which enriches it greatly and in their own way they spread fairy dust to make every day that extra bit special. 

Perfect love sometimes does not come till the first grandchild. - Welsh Proverb

My Weekend - Gran's 101st

Over at Sticky Fingers this week's gallery prompt is My Weekend.  Well how fortuitous.  It's been one huge weekend here.  I have to admit that this year's party for Gran was left pretty unplanned, it was never going to be as big as her 100th but Her Next Door also felt too much pre-organisation might bring bad luck. After Gran's hospital stay we've literally taken one day at a time.

My Gran's 101st birthday celebrations lasted all day Saturday and for most of the day Sunday, with people drifting in and out the whole two days - it grew organically.  Her actual birthday was Friday but it has become a bit of a family tradition to try to get together on or around her birthday, with visits from family members continuing throughout June and July.  (Unfortunately there are only so many people we can put up in one go.  Last year for her 100th we booked all the B&Bs within a 10 mile radius). 

It was drizzling all day Saturday for the 'main' event, but that didn't stop us (or her) sitting outside al fresco.  It was very special. 

A few of the friends and family visiting to wish Gran a happy 101st birthday.

Due to Gran's recent health issues she is now sporting a catheter.  To be able to wear a skirt on her special day, Her Next Door ordered some 'naughy tights' with extra holes in stragitic places.  Her Next Door has never had so many emails from 'friends' wanting to get to know her better and Gran is quite thrilled about her new sexy tights.

Gran and one of her sons-in-law sharing a joke, in the drizzle.

I'd just like to thank everyone who came for the whole stint or dropped in for an hour or two.  It was a weekend to remember.  It was a weekend Gran will talk about for weeks to come.  We made some wonderful memories.  We're all very lucky to have her still.

My Backyard

"Mmmm" said the caterpillar.  "What a lovely spread they've put on for us this year.  Time for one helluva party."


All bug friends welcome here.

Want to have a nose at other people's back gardens?  Then go look at Tara's Sticky Fingers.

The Gallery: Chilled out

I'm the opposite of chilled out today.  Life is one big blur at the moment; balancing work, granny care, child care & domestic chores whilst Her and Him Next Door have a few well deserved days away. 

For me, no first gear, 120mph all the way.  So my contribution is from the dog, she always manages to relax and chill - I should learn a lesson from her. 

Here is an older photograph, showing just how she can sleep anywhere.  I'd put the dog's bed outside to air and leant it upright against the back of the garden chair, out of reach (or so I thought) of anything with a tail and four legs.  But here I found her.  Oh for a dog's life.


"Funny, I've got exactly the same bed inside..."

Head over to The Gallery and see what other people do to chill out.

Sticky Fingers - April

One word - busy.

Endless sunny days.

Two lots of visitors descending on us, taking advantage of the wonderful weather, great to see them.

School holidays, children here, losing mine to others. 

Visiting J's family in Fleet for the Easter weekend. Long drive, meals out, catching up.

Gran coming home after a long stay in hospital; along with lots of extra necessary equipment and visits three times a day from carers.

Another long weekend away, only an hour up the road this time and just the three of us. Precious time together, never enough. We succumbed and watched the big event Friday.  History in the making after all. We seemed to pack a lot in during the four days; as brought home to me when downloading the 300 pictures taken and from my depleted bank account. Fantastic break, but not too restful.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.  William Henry Davies

The photos below are when I did manage to stop and stare in April. 
Stunning, breathtaking scenery. 
How could I fail not to.

Mother Love

This week's topic from Sticky Fingers is Mother Love.  Through the beaming smiles the picture below says it all, taken at my Gran's 100th birthday party; she is flanked by her three loving daughters.

Here is a poem that was read to Gran by her daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren as part of her birthday celebrations.

The Gallery - Togetherness

My first post at Sticky Fingers - The Gallery, inspired by Preseli Mags.  This week's theme is togetherness.

G9 is an only child, so her friendships are extra special to her.  She and H9 are very close... very much together.  Almost joined at the hip.

And at the other end of the age range G9 is striding out with her Grampy. Two peas in a pod.  And to think they may never have met as Grampy was having a triple bypass whilst I was pregnant.  Yet due to his recovery he had time on his hands.  From a babe in arms with G9 in a backpack and Grampy in his walking shoes, they went off on their little adventures together.  They are having adventures still.