…..and I’m hoping that now I’m back my posts will be rather more regular. After the last few months it’s been horribly difficult to put my fingers to the keyboard and write about my life, such as it is. What a year it’s been and it occurred to me that in 1999 life changing events also happened…..clearly years ending in a 9 are momentous in my life as I was married to my first husband in 1979!

I ended my last post by saying that I didn’t think it would be long before we moved on to pastures new. Not just to a new house but to the other end of the country. Well almost! No we haven’t done it yet but it’s planned for December/January depending on when I can leave my job. We’re moving 250 miles away to Dorset where Dave’s daughter and grandchildren live and it can’t come soon enough! We spent last week down there, looking at cottages to rent which just made us even more eager to get down there. It’s something we’ve been keen to do for years but while my mum was alive, it was not an option as I needed to be here for her. I’ll be moving further away from my son and my brother but I’m hoping that I’ll actually see more of them as when they come to stay it’ll be for days at a time rather than the few hours we get at the moment.

A major reason for our move is to get away from where we are at the moment. Being burgled was the last straw. England is certainly not the place it was but our town has changed beyond recognition. Last week, walking around the town we’re moving to, was a delightful experience which I’m sad to say is the direct opposite of what it’s like here. I’ve lived here all my life and I know I’ll have no regrets whatsoever.  I’ll be putting my name down on the supply teacher list and Dave already has a job in the offing.

As it’s our first wedding anniversary on Friday we’re treating ourselves to a weekend in London. We’ve booked a rather plush hotel in Kensington and are off to see Les Miserables on our special night. Les Mis is my absolute most favourite show of all time. I last saw it about 15 years ago and cannot wait to see Dave’s reaction when he sees it for the first time! Then on Saturday we’re going to London Zoo as we both love zoos and, again,  it’s been many years since I last went. On Saturday night we’re hoping to see the film of one of my top 5 books The Time Traveller’s Wife. My mum lent me it to read when we went to Scotland last year. It’s a magical book and I remember mum’s excitement when I told her that a film was being made of it. It was originally supposed to be coming out on Boxing Day 2008 but for some reason was delayed to August 14th (our wedding anniversary!). It makes me so sad though that my mum never got to see it.

After much soul searching, my brother and I decided to put mum’s house up for sale a few weeks ago. It had been our home from when we were 9 and 11 respectively. The house was built for us so had only ever had our family living in it. After our dad died, mum did miraculous things with the garden and up until her death it was a joy to behold. It broke my heart to see it starting to get untidy after all the time she spent on it. For that reason, and also because it was costing us money to keep it empty, with heavy hearts we made the decision. We weren’t terribly optimistic about it selling but unbelievably it was sold in less than 24 hours! The sale was agreed on 12th July and the new owners moved in last week on 6th August! What a terribly sad time it’e been though as we’ve had to be so ruthless with what we kept and what we either sold or left for house clearance people to take. Neither my brother or I have the space for a lot of the things we would have liked to keep. Friends of my mum’s have taken some things and I know mum would have been really pleased about that. Anyway, here’s some photos of her beautiful garden:

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We were burgled last week. Some cretin broke a huge hole in our kitchen window and let itself into OUR home. It then proceeded to go through every room, swiping up small articles it could thieve without having to worry about them being too big to get discreetly out of the house.

Apparently small crime like this is very much on the rise. Our country is becoming awash with scum who feel it’s their right to break into someone’s house and take whatever they fancy, never mind that the owner of those goods worked hard to acquire them. (Never mind that this particular owner of those goods may have been through some traumatic times without all this!)

I feel differently about my house now, it no longer feels like a safe and cosy haven. We’ve done our best to secure it better this weekend by adding padlocks to the garden gate and putting net curtains up so noone can see inside. It will take more than this though and I don’t think it’ll be long before we make a move to pastures new.

I’ll be amazed if there are many responses to this post after neglecting my blog for quite some time now. Not only mine but other people’s also, it’s been hard to summon up any enthusiasm to be honest. However as I’ve titled this entry, life does go on. My life without my mum has stretched to almost two months now – unbelievable. I have some unanswered questions regarding her death, which I need to pursue with her doctor. It’s something I have to do even though I know nothing can be changed.

Something I haven’t mentioned but which could have been just as life changing as losing my mum, was Dave being taken seriously ill seven weeks ago. At 1.30 am, just eight days after mum died, I found myself sitting just around the corner from the room my mum had died in. This time we’d arrived there by ambulance as Dave had developed peritonitis, a life threatening condition which is a risk he takes all the time with the kind of dialysis he does. Anyway, very long story short, he was eventually rushed to Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge where they saved his life and I got him home after a week of incredible stress.

On to happier things, Dave is well recovered now and this weekend he’s busy doing a three day Game Fair in Lincolnshire. I helped him yesterday and will again tomorrow. It’s great fun! We have a stall selling Elgood’s beer (real ale) giving out samples and co-ercing people into buying it!

I finally returned to school two weeks ago after six weeks off work. I won’t pretend it’s been ok as it hasn’t a lot of the time. A more tricky class would be hard to find and all I can say is roll on July…and then September when I get a new class!

Finally a few photos, the first a wonderful surprise I received from my oh so talented friend Sadie. The sweetest little cushion which I will always treasure for reasons which only Sadie and I know about The second, a photo of our darling grandchildren taken in the cottage we stayed in in Dorset over Easter. Then there’s a pic of Dave manning our beer stall and last of all the reason why I’m feeling so broody at the moment!! The cutest little spaniel pup at the show yesterday, 13 weeks old, I’m in love!!
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