Yesterday we went down to the village in the morning – just Ady and I, the kids were relishing the chance to stay home and play, having had far too many interruptions this week. We talked house designs with Sandy and Karl and then came home for lunch.
I’m reining in a little on house stuff until we have talked to someone who knows their stuff about groundworks. The budget is running away a little and I am feeling we are not staying true to our original ideas. I am really looking forward to Gav and Laura getting here as I think they have very similar ideas to us about things and, I think, a similar budget. We have been telling people that if we are unable to build this year for the budget we have then we will probably have to leave and take our dreams somewhere else and it has caused some ripples through the community I think. I probably have more to write on how we’re all feeling about house stuff but I’m tired and it needs forming properly. That all sounds a bit comment whoring and it’s not, all is fine and well and still going to plan but we are building up back up plans and talking about different possibilities just in case. Sort of like always having in the back of your mind which the nearest decent school option might be when you Home Educate – no intention of using it but good to know that if the current plan A doesn’t work out then all is not lost and dreams can still be realised in different locations.
The rest of the afternoon escapes me rather but we all walked down to Fliss and Sandy’s again later to look at some more plans. The school boat had been cancelled due to wind so Fliss was all fed up at not having the girls home for the weekend – they should have arrived today instead but when you only have your daughters home for two nights out of every fourteen losing one is a real blow. We left there and came home for dinner. We watched Bruce Almighty having watched Jim Carey in Yes Man a few nights before.
Today we went to meet the boat as we were hoping for animal feed and haybales to arrive. They didn’t but my new wellies did – I know, more new wellies. The ones I bought in September have split so I have got a new pair having spent a wee bit more and hoping they last. I guess wellies worn every single day for nearly five months and pulled on and off at least four or five times a day probably is a pretty cheap cost per wear but not enough to persuade me to Hunter territory. I have gone for some muck boot alikes with rubber bottoms and neoprene tops and they certainly feel pretty robust with a place on the heel designed for you to kick them off with the other welly. I’m definitely sold on neoprene too having gone from previous just rubber lined and lost feeling in my toes. Investing in decent waterproofs made all the difference so maybe one day I’ll fork out on serious wellies. We’ll see how these do for now.
Claire arrived home with stacks or stuff so we offered to drop it off at the yurt for her and did that – no room to offer her a lift so she walked with Steve. We called round to collect some firewood Sandy had chopped up for us and came home. We had lunch and then Ady went off to do some path building but Vikki and her friend who is here for a few days arrived, ostensibly to bring a bar of chocolate to say thank you for looking after her cat last week but I think to show us off to her friend :). Cate was really nice to chat to although she got rather monopolised by Scarlett who was on fine form telling Cate her life story and bringing out various treasures to show her. Cate was really interested in our WWOOFing adventures and the kids did a great job of telling her some highlights – favourite hosts, most inspiring, most crazy, most exciting etc. I was really proud of them and it made me realise – at quite a good moment when I’m fretting a little about providing for them properly and meeting all their needs – that we have given them so many amazing opportunities, lessons and memories with our life choices these last few years. Listening to them speak with such confidence and eloquence about their adventures, so much more than many people will ever have in a whole lifetime let alone by their tender ages, the observations they have made about people and places and the world and society reminds me that we are doing right by them even if it’s a little unconventional and there are days here and there which present challenges.
Vikki and Cate left, I made pizza and bread dough, we debated going down to the bar in the castle which opened tonight for the very last time as the managed Dave is about to leave and he is the licencee. The bar will not open again and all the drink needed selling. There was to be a karaoke machine and I’m sure it would have been a good, if rowdy night. But we’re pretty broke, it’s bitterly cold so the walk down to the village and back is not appealing and I don’t think it’s really appropriate to have the kids in the bar after a certain time of night anyway. So we stayed home, ate pizza and watched Mirror, Mirror instead.
hugs and love nic x x it was never all going to be smooth sailing, so rant and fret away and will try to boost and support x x hoping mulling over house and going back to drawing board will find you the option that will work within budget x x remembering these things can be modular, and you can always add outbuilding/chalet style accommodation another year if finances are good.
would def def hate for my kids to be going to school tho if on rum 🙁 only seeing once a fortnight! partic if boat cancelled.
we were planning to watch mirror mirror but lovefilm failed on us, so africa on iplayer instead. x x chin up!
Comment by hharicot — 20 January 2013 @ 1:33 am
I have Kiwi Red Bands and a new pair of shortie Muck boots and they are both worth every respective cent and penny! Muck boots and a pair of proper fluffy walking socks have meant I don’t get cold feet out in the snow for half a day- in fact, feet were the only bit of me that stayed warm; push the boat out next time and get posh gummies, Nic.
It’s never a straightforward path from the dream to the realisation. Hang in there 🙂
Comment by Heather — 20 January 2013 @ 9:12 pm