Chaos 🤪

 It's been a bit more whacky than usual around here and this is one of the reasons why:

The contents of our dining room are now in our bedroom which in turn resembles Steptoe's junk yard!! 

In other news, I completed my 'Think like a tree' permaculture based work based design and as a result I'm now studying for a Permaculture Design Certificate with the hopes of a Diploma further down the line.  Thankfully the course is all online via zoom (one of the benefits of the pandemic) and I've just submitted my first assignment for module one, all centred around land based observations.  If you want to read it (but no pressure if you don't) it's over here:  https://spiralpermaculture.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-lie-of-land.html

Tracking back to my last post, the day after we arrived home I then travelled to Barrow so that I could take mum for her surgery in Lancaster.  It was lovely to spend time with her so that she wasn't on our own the night before her surgery.  It was a very early start on the Thursday morning as she had to be in Lancaster for 7am, which meant being up at 4am and leaving the house just after 5!

This bear kept me company as I slept in my old bedroom ❤️

We arrived just in time!

Ben has been busy with some extra joinery work which involved re-hanging and re-sizing one gate and completely rebuilding the frames of another and re-siting at the opposite end of an alleyway.  As a result this work was also the catalyst to another job (building an animal shelter including timber framed and boarded flooring) with the same clients:

There will be more in the New Year as further house developments continue.

Sara, Tom and Ollie had a night away in York to see the Railway Museum and some nearby gardens:

Ottilie also celebrated her first Halloween

I cannot believe how the weeks are flying by, before I know it Pip's birthday will be looming on the horizon 🤪. Speaking of Pip, she's working really hard at wrapping her head around combined science - Physics is her favourite (definitely takes after her Dad!), followed by Biology (my favourite) and Chemistry is last on the list.

When I get a moment I'll be popping over to catch up with you all, I do hope you are doing as well as possible x 

The Best and The Worst

It is interesting to note human behaviour in response to this pandemic.  We hear of balcony musicians and artists serenading in Italy and neighbours leaving notes offering help with shopping or collecting medicines.  Conversely we also hear of people buying huge quantities of pasta and refusing to share a bag with an elderly person or baby formula milk being sold on ebay for at least twice its normal retail value :-(  Hardly surprising then that the supermarkets are now limiting items and even offering early morning shopping hours for the vulnerable and elderly.  There is enough for everyone's need but not for certain folks greed!

Needless to say we were very grateful that most of the items that we ordered were in our delivery this morning, the only two missing items were chicken breasts and toilet roll!  I had managed to purchase a pack of loo roll last Friday so we are not without. 

Pip has once again kept herself busy with her illustrations and it is great to see the progression of her work.  Ben did struggle with not being at college but he rallied after lunch and had some fun in the garden, in fact they both enjoyed some outdoor time.  Thank goodness for blue skies and sunshine, it makes this whole lock down more bearable for sure.

Maintaining contact with family members is reassuring.  We telephoned Em in Northern Spain this morning and the community is fine at the moment. However there are two Home of The Mother communities based in Madrid and Em said the city is on a total lock down which is enforced by the army and police.  She mentioned Fr Raphael's homily from yesterday and three coments particularly struck a cord, " Don't complain, be thankful and be brave."  It is true things could be a whole lot worse, we have access to medical services and sanitation, the poor folk in impoverished communities or refugee camps have nothing.

Sara, Tom and Oliver are well and were able to celebrate Ollie's 2nd birthday with friends.  That little boy is such a cheery chap, you cannot help but smile when he is around.  Naturally we weren't with them but thanks to the wonders of Whatsapp were able to see pictures of his day.

Prayers would be appreciated for our daughter Kathryn as she works flat out navigating support for the vulnerable people in her care. On top of which Mary has had a second asthma attack but due to the current guidelines associated with any cough, they are now both on self isolation for seven days. Poor Kath is having to work from home whilst entertaining a not actually sick child, it will be a challenging week for all concerned.

 Left over roast dinner vegetables and gravy from yesterday topped with our favourite herb dumplings.

 Busy weeding along the side fence.

 Mum and Son Selfie :-)

Fire Fun

Trying to keep warm over the measly flame, thank goodness for the mug of tea!

Ollie Bear Birthday Photos

 A walk to a castle.

 Helping in the garden.

 Hiding in the teepee.

 Playing with the vacuum cleaner hose!

 Tea trolley boy :-)