I wish I was a bear

Wow, it's been a blur. Dad's hospital, not the most local, was an hour away, so visits meant every afternoon lost for two weeks. Amongst this disruption to the daily routine J and I had to take up the reigns of G11's after school activities, which is no mean feat. Usually we tend to do two of the five but for a while when Dad was hospitalised or back home and recuperating we were up to the full quota, and everything in this neck of the woods is half an hour drive away!

Old friends coming to stay - and us visiting old friends. My friend's wedding in England to attend and J's Mum's 90th middle of November.  Between these two momentous celebrations we were trying to arrange a craft fair to raise funds for our local church, often an organisational nightmare... It took up a surprising amount of free time. I remember saying 'never again' at least once a day for the week beforehand. 

G11's homework is serious and nightly. We spend more time encouraging, supporting and providing the space to do it in than we have ever done before. It's tiring - and not just for G11.

Our own work too has become incredibly busy, which is a good thing, but when you work for yourself and the buck stops with you this can mean long days to keep on top of it.

They say Christmas is coming.

Please I wanna stop now and hibernate until January.
 

 

Dog cruelty?

G11 has made some rather delicious dog biscuits crammed full of bacon.  The dog knows this as she was present through the whole cooking process.  Topsy really can't fathom out why she can't wolf them all down now and refuses to leave the kitchen whilst the darn things continually tantalise her as they cool.

Unfortunately G11 and her BFF H10 are focused young fund raisers for the Dogs Trust and are baking in earnest to sell doggy treats at a local fayre.

So I'm afraid Topsy Dog, that one little taster titbit was your lot. 

Come to me, come to me.

Emotional Roller Coaster

An old friend of mine (old in the sense we’ve know each other for a few years) got married last Sunday 7th October (in Canada). Fortunately for my bank balance Nicky had a part deux in the good old UK, in her home town of Trowbridge in Wiltshire.  Nicky’s been out with some wankers unsuitable men in her time, but now she’s truly struck gold.  

Purely selfishly the only fly in the ointment is that her home is now in Quebec, so inevitably I won’t get to see her as often. Thank goodness for the Internet – it’s such a great way to keep in touch, especially with the everyday events of life that would be passed by in a letter. One day I will make it out there - but sadly, due to financial restrictions and work commitments it may not be any time soon.

Derek’s dad (Derek was the lucky groom) talked about octopi. He pointed out in his speech how the tentacles of one family reach out and entwines with another to make a new tentacle when a marriage takes place. Derek's dad also originated from the UK and met his Canadian wife after being stationed there in the war. History repeating itself (without the help of the war effort this time).

Even though I’m not technically family, I definitely felt welcomed into Derek’s clan and with open arms.  So much so the thought brings a tear to my eye even now.  It was a fairy-tale wedding and is a real love match.

Did you know, in Quebec married women keep their maiden names? (No neither did I).  Apparently saves on the paperwork if they divorce, (not that there is any chance of that happening in this case!

Quote of the wedding (you had to be there). Derek got up to do some thank-you's.  “I’d just like to thank (pause…), I’m not sure I can bring myself to thank Hitler.”

 

At the same time as the wedding Him Next Door had gone and got himself a bed in the local hospital, (well not so local but that’s another NHS story).  A previous operation didn’t go quite to plan and it suddenly hit home with some force that he’s not invincible. 

My emotions were a roller coaster all weekend, but all’s well that ends well.  Him Next Door is now enjoying the hospital Cordon Bleu and resting up (it looks like he might be home next Monday).  Nicky and Derek – well they are happiness personified and I wish them all the joy together that they truly deserve. 

Life in the Preseli Hills: From PC despair to PC joy!

Life in the Preseli Hills: From PC despair to PC joy!

Autumn commeth

Two in your face indicators of autumn arriving here in Llysyfran. 

One is the large amount of leaf litter we suddenly start seeing.  We are surrounded by trees and for a few weeks now they have started to shed their leaves.  In a few more weeks it will be an almost full time job trying to clear them up daily. 

The other and most unwelcome (especially as they seem to congregate in the bedroom, and on my side of the room too) are spiders.  Very large ones.  I can't quite believe we get so many, one of the drawbacks I suppose of being in the countryside.  They stand out somewhat on the stark cream walls (the walls used to be a dark purple when we moved in).


Largest spiders in the UK – Tegenaria gigantea

One night last week I saw one come scurrying out from behind the wardrobe.  Once I'd screamed and got that one scooped up and put firmly outside another appeared from the same hiding place - and after only about ten minutes respite.  Then I found a third on the wall opposite.  I was really freaked and hardly slept at all. 

Monday this week I saw yet another appear from behind my wardrobe, I took a deep breath and pulled it forward and let's just say they were having a party. I've now CLOSED my window on the same wall very firmly shut.  I'm thinking of caulking it. 

I have an evening routine now, I switch the main light on and inspect all the walls.  Then I move the wardrobe on my side of the bed to check behind it for unwanted lodgers.  That's all my nerves can take. I reason that if there are any behind J's wardrobe he'll fight them off before they get to me.

Apparently in the autumn months a range of species which would normally stay outdoors do start to find their way into houses. Most will remain outdoors, but as they are quite audacious some will by chance end up in the house.  That is why they suddenly seem to materialise from nowhere.  Before closing the window I had also tried to deter them from coming in by placing conkers at every possible entry point. But this obviously wasn't working. I'm even tempted to try one of those plug in spider repellent gadgets - despite the mixed reviews.

The wayward spiders are almost always mature males who’ve set off in search of their Juliet.  As they are more mobile, they are more likely to be spotted. And being spotted they are.  I took the above photograph with shaking hands, and I believe it's the Tegenaria gigantea but I just can't look at any more pictures to identify - I'll be having nightmares tonight.

I know they do a lot of good, but that knowledge does not trump my irrational fear of the big spiders (I can live with the small ones).  Can't they find their fun somewhere else but my side of the bedroom for heaven's sake.

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.

More hours in the day required...

I don't often go out or stay up late on a school night, but it's the holidays and you can tell.

Next week is almost fully booked.

Tuesday evening we're off out for eats with my soul mate from University who is in the area... I don't see him very often now, but when I do it's a very special time. We're going en masse with his family and mine and I can't wait to catch up on all his news.

Wednesday evening, together with my friend and her daughter, we're going on a bush craft exploration deep down into the wooded valley (adjacent to our property).  There we're going to light a fire and cook our tea on it (beans and sausages then bananas and chocolate for afters - with a marshmallow or two thrown in). 



Him Next Door has made a new gate that opens up onto our wooded wonderland.

Thursday it's G10's 11th Birthday Party, so it will be a generally busy and chaotic day.  Eight young ladies to organise and taxi, heading off on a high ropes course and then kayaking in the afternoon with Sealyham Activity Centre.  Lucky devils.  I wanted to tag along for the actual outdoor adventure and enjoy the adrenalin rush, but apparently we were advised it's much better for the children if the parents leave the vicinity!

Friday evening is the first of G10's two sleepovers. The Mum's are coming over too, so we can have a chat, a drink and... (if I'm very lucky) a brownie.

I may not surface for a while blog land.