There has been a lot of crochet, a lot of late night mopping up Scarlett’s tears, a lot of thinking ‘thank fuck I’m about to step down as a director’ Â though.
At least two of the days I didn’t leave the caravan at all as it was windy, raining and I could find far more interesting and cosy things to do indoors instead. I’ve made two chains of bunting for the shed, the plan for next week is to get the kids bikes into a dedicated bike shelter and then we can start making some units for the shed and displaying stuff. And killing pigs.
Two meetings – one on Monday which was supposed to be to thrash out the IRCT business plan for 2016-2020 which the other directors have asked me to help with before I step down. It was at Lesley & Neil’s house and Ali & Fliss were very distracted by baby Dougal, we ended up talking about various other things which was all very productive but not a business plan meeting, so we rearranged that for today instead. This morning we met at the office and despite baby Dougal being present we were more focussed on getting the plan done and managed it. It needs some final prettying up in places but the basis is there. Phew.
The Monday ferry was indeed cancelled due to the wind, which meant I would not have gotten off even if I’d planned to for Granny’s funeral. I’m sort of glad it was cancelled. I bought two yellow roses – one bush and one climber as they were her favourite flower and will plant them here on the croft so despite her never actually getting here in person there is a tribute to her her in spirit instead. I’ve not talked to Mum & Dad about how the funeral went but imagine it was sad, a bit fraught with all the various family there and generally funeral-y.
I had a long chat with them both on Tuesday night, the day before the funeral when they told me that Robin has been diagnosed as autistic. No further information just now, but Kat has taken it very badly and there are problems with her and Frazer. Mum was all for being a bit heavy handed with Frazer so I lectured her a bit about being supportive to him and taking his side, remembering that he will be struggling with it all too and that if Kat is going to pieces the last thing he needs is Mum giving him a hard time. I think she took it well. Dad, who is sounding much better and says he feels back to normal said ‘I wish you were nearer’. Hard to hear 🙁
Rum stuff is very argh-y and I am mostly just relieved to be stepping away from caring about whether people have paid their rent or done what they said they are going to do and when kerosene deliveries are coming. I had the sort of email I used to get in the early days of running HE groups or being a local contact where people would say ‘I want to Home Educate, please can you tell me everything I need to know about how to do it’ with someone emailing to say she had seen the TV show and would like more information on ‘how to live like you’ I replied asking what aspect of living like me and she wants to know ‘how much it costs?’ Argh! again.
Meanwhile Scarlett has been having almost a teenager wobbles. Lots of late night tummy aches and can’t sleeps and sadness over all sorts of things, some real, some drummed up reasons to feel sad when she is tired. I got to the bottom of part of it which is not wanting to get older and a worry that she’ll *never* be able to read and write as she has finally decided that actually she’d quite like to only to start fretting that maybe she won’t be able to. Â Along with many hours in the middle of the night, sometimes before I have gotten to bed myself, sometimes after I am in bed and one time after I had been asleep myself for an hour or so I have been spending lots of time with her this week, snuggled up watching wildlife documentaries, two afternoons making candles and some time demonstrating to her that actually yes she can read, she just needs to try. I’ve ordered a copy of 100 easy lessons as well to sit and look at with her if she needs some structure around it having struggled to find anything suitable for her to try and read here – oh the reading schemes and phonics and bob books we’ve had over the years, all gone in book sale coffee mornings before we left Sussex. After a big chat on Tuesday night (just what I needed after Mum, Dad and silly emails) she is feeling happier and has been fine since. I’m sure we will have it again and I suspect some was also hormone related too.
We never got to kill any pigs this week, we have two still to do. Ady has increased the size of their pen to see the remaining ones through the winter but we have not had a decent day of weather or no meetings. Ady may try and do one or even both this weekend or we will just have to suck up the weather and do them next week.
The kids and I are off tomorrow to FW for the dentist on Monday morning, back to Rum on Tuesday. Not much time for anything other than some supermarket shopping and a walk to Poundstretcher and McDonalds really but looking forward to a bath and a dose of mainland run up to Christmas.