Yesterday morning Ady went off with Dad to finish the job they’d been doing and collect my car. I had a lovely long bath and then did various online stuff.
The car needed jump starting and some of the dashboard lights were on for a while but after being trickle charged up overnight the battery is fine and it’s running well. It’s booked in for an MOT next week after which we’ll retire Willow for a while although we have a last night sleeping in her arranged next Thursday on Chris and Julie’s drive which seems very appropriate as that is where we had our very first night sleeping in her at the beginning of this adventure.
Ady and Dad got home and we packed some stuff for lunch and headed over to Julie’s. The kids played in the garden and in the house while we chatted and caught up on each others news and then we walked along to their allotment, which is about a mile away. The four older kids were off playing in the fields while we dug out some weeds and planted some comfrey along a border that Julie had dug up from their garden at home. Really lovely to spend time together, I have missed Julie lots this year. It’s so lovely to have a friend who I am connected to as family aswell and I love that our children are so close and related :). She was totally supportive of the whole croft idea, very excited about it and insistant that they will come and visit at least twice every year! As she pointed out the rest of her family live in Berlin and she gets there at least once a year so 600 miles driving and a short ferry will be nothing in comparison! 🙂
We got back to the house and stayed long enough to see Chris briefly when he got home from work and arrange to go over again next Thursday and stay the night (kids in the house, us in the van on the driveway). We had intended to leave before the traffic and the dark set in but managed neither and so sat in nose to tail traffic for the last five miles which was very tedious. The traffic is shockingly bad here anyway but is definitely reminding us why we are right to be planning to move away again.
Back at home I fell out with my Mum – one of those petty arguments that begin over almost nothing but quickly escalate. I had flared up though and we are living in her house so in the interests of harmony throughout I went and found her to patch it up which we did. She brings out the absolute worst in me and I can feel myself behaving badly but it did at least clear the air and things have been better since. Long term we simply couldn’t live here though and it does make me feel a bit glad we never did end up planning to do something joint with them as I think it would have ended badly or simply meant I was living in a stressed out fashion. I am certainly not tolerant or patient but I don’t generally let things get to me so I don’t like the side of me she brings out.
All was made up and we left Ady and Dad here with the kids to go to the candle party, at the house of a couple who Mum & Dad have known for years but bridge the generation gap between my parents and me. Infact Gary and Mandy are Ady’s age but settled down and married really young and are now grandparents. My parents have known them since Frazer and I were Davies and Scarlett’s age and infact Gary and Mandy babysat us a few times when we were kids but as I got older and then met Ady we had a few nights out with them so they are sort of family friends generally now. It was really nice to see them and catch up with them even if the candle party side of it was a bit wanky. I simply can’t get excited about them and ended up sat on the floor chatting to two kids who were there and very bored (aged 5 and 7) about what the colours of the candles reminded us of (snot mostly!) and looking at Where’s Wally books. Turns out I can be pretty good with kids – who knew?!
This morning Ady and I both had baths (much easier when Mum’s out at work) and then I made bread while Ady emptied the last of everything out of Willow and I tried to fit it into the room we’re in which is closing in on the bed. We really need to get some proper packing boxes that can be closed, sealed, labelled and stacked ready for our eventual move and will be less imposing. I’ve looked online though and they are really expensive.
We had lunch and then cleared out my car which we had stored all our camping stuff in – chairs, tent, awning, camp kitchen, table, camping pans etc. I spent a frustrating half an hour trying to take the backs off the kids car seats to make them booster seats before realising they are not models that convert and are full chairs to take them right through to not needing car seats anymore. That is going to hit hard after not even wearing seatbelts in Willow all year.
Then I headed off to the library. I had about 8 books to collect (some novels, some to help with our business plan) and about 50 sheets to print off for the application pack. Very kindly I got charged for none of it so that saved over a tenner in reservation charges and printing :). I was very warmly welcomed and they made me a cup of tea so I stayed chatting for ages. I nipped along to the charity shop in town and picked up a pair of jeans as I am down to just 2 pairs that fit and both of them are baggy.
Back home (more traffic!) I finished off making pizzas for dinner and then Ady and Dad went out for the evening. Mum and I drank wine and chatted and the kids watched films upstairs – they found the Back to the Future videos so have been indulging into those. Davies says they help him get to sleep because the wear out his mind trying to get his head around the whole time travel changing the future by changing the past type stuff. It’s not more challenging education the boy needs – it’s 80s film plots and Michael J Fox. Must find him Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, I reckon he’d love it 🙂
I’ve had an email from Sue on Eigg tonight saying there is a croft available on Eigg if we are interested which has rather put us in turmoil. Ady and the kids prefer the idea of Eigg whereas I am still rather sold on Rum. I also like the idea of a bareland croft and self build whereas this would be an existing croft and house. I suspect the price may preclude it anyway as we’d need to buy out the current tenant but I have asked Sue to let us know more details so things may change again. We’d still need a business plan and application regardless so will carry on as planned and probably still submit the application for Rum anyway just to see what happens. I’ve also had a reply from Mike the letting agent regarding our house and so we’ll be giving the tenants notice in the next week and getting that on the market.