After the Storm

Well we were battered by a horrendous storm this Saturday, but fortunately not nearly as badly as slightly further north; although all train services heading north out of our nearest major town have been cancelled.  

Today I took advantage of the bright and fairly calm day to get out and get some fresh air and sunshine and took a walk around the village.

 The light through leaves, trees, across fields and on old brick walls was amazing.
It seemed to give everything a luminous quality, picking out accents that caught the eye like stained glass windows.

The clouds were, for once, not the main feature but a lovely contrast to an amazingly clear blue sky.

The village was busy with people and traffic and our favourite pub (the Lord Nelson) was looking as cheerful as ever.

Two of my favourite views; the river (not in flood thankfully) and an old building slumping slowly into dereliction and doing it quite picturesquely thank you.
A lovely breath of fresh air and a great walk to lift the spirits.

Coming Home

Yesterday we returned from a trip down south for my fathers funeral.

An unavoidable delay as the crematorium was busy - not something you expect or want to hear; and two and a half weeks is an awfully long time to wait in a sort of limbo between a death and a funeral.

It was a lovely service; we all got to speak and my brother and sister were beautifully eloquent behind the tears; my two nephews were amazingly well behaved and asked all sorts of questions in hushed tones about death and where Grandad was now, which gave a wonderful sanity to the proceedings.

We wept and sniffed and remembered him.

And then we went for a slap up meal and toasted him in champagne and carried on drinking into the night and had a wonderful family time.

Jean-Luc was a rock and after a long journey back into some horrendous weather, we battened down the hatches and I cooked our favourite comfort meal.

Cheese and potato pie, with braised leeks and carrot and parsnip salad.

Simple, warm, filling food.

And we knew we had come home and that tomorrow would be another day.

Cheese & Potato Pie

Peel and chop enough potatoes to half fill a large saucepan.

When they are cooked, mash with butter and add one onion and some garlic lightly fried, black pepper, a teaspoon of mustard, as much grated cheese to your taste and mix all together.

Place the mixture in an oven proof pot and add sliced tomatoes on top and a layer of grated cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes at 180 degrees until the cheese has melted and is crisp.

Serves as many as you need it to.

Lady Jeykll and Mistress Hyde

Whilst by night my tree is a gaudy courtesan, a mistress of the night....

.... by day she is a tastefullyly restrained lady, the very model of elegant decorum.

Both area a far more pleasant view than the constant rain and wind outside.

Outside and Inside

This weekend the weather has been horrendous.
Gale force winds and torrential downpours.

The transitional pond in the field has reappeared and the garden resembles a small swamp.

We went to the pub on Friday; I was about ten minutes behind Jean-Luc he was dropping something off to a friend en route and I was delayed by an unexpected hairball find on the bath room rug.

He had a brisk walk in the high winds, I plodded along in the high winds and torrential downpour and arrived soaked through from the thighs down.

Luckily the fire was lit and I gently steamed in front of it for about half an hour.

Yesterday wasn't much better and today was more of the same.

Today is the switch on of the village christmas lights; a great community event with a local brass band, pubs serving mulled wine, children running around excited and a communal countdown.  Normally I love it but at the moment I'm not really up for crowds.

So Jean-Luc decided that from now on we will set up our christmas tree on the same day as the village switch on and so we did.
There are a lot of lights on it - Jean-Luc likes lights.

I added some homemade decorations.
It feels quite cosy as I snuggle down with a cup of mint tea and listen to the wind and rain roaring outside.

RIP Brian Horsley

My father died on the 18th of November.

He's been ill for some time so it wasn't unexpected but I still can't believe I won't ever speak to him or see him again; he won't tell me his dreadful 'Dad jokes' or rail against government policy or drink another pint of tea.

I miss him in a way I can't even begin to describe.

He was a wonderful father, he worked hard all his life to provide for his family and still found time to make up the most vivid stories to tell us at bedtime.

He worked hard for his community; a special constable, a parish councillor, an ATC leader, a Cub leader, a youth club leader.

 He was a quiet, everyday hero whose deeds of bravery were in the fields of paying bills, encouraging his children and putting food on the table.

He leaves behind a wife and five children, all of whom miss him hugely.

Nous Sommes Tous les Parisiens

A Very Small Adventure

No I'm not travelling to Mordor, battling Smaug or going to New Zealand.
My adventure is a vary small internal adventure.

In the face of local government cuts and the ever more looming prospect of being made redundant I have decided to take positive action.

I have applied for voluntary redundancy.

EEK!

I am packing my metaphorical backpack, picking up my staff and following Frodo and Bilbo onto a new path not yet journeyed.
Am I stepping into unknown territory? Of course.
Do I have a map? No.
Do I know what lies ahead? No!
Am I scared? Hell yes!
Am I excited? Totally!

So here goes, come April I will be leaving work, redundant, out of a job, unemployed, on the dole, etc.

I can't wait, I am excited and eager.  I don't intend to stop working forever but I have agreed with Jean-Luc that as my pay off will run the household for a year, I will have 3 months to figure out what I want to do.  I will have time to explore even more simple living, to make some lifestyle and habit changes, to find out how we can shop and cook more frugally, time to plan and sort a really productive veggie plot, time to craft and make, time to read, to think, plan and reflect.
And then time to decide and move forward.

Once I'd made the decision all I could hear in the back of my head was Pharrell Williams 'Happy'.  An unconscious affirmation if ever the was one!

There is little faith involved in setting out on a journey where the destination is certain and every step in between has been mapped in detail. Bravery, trust, is about leaving camp in the dark, when we do not know the route ahead and cannot be certain we will ever return.

Bear Grylls

Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/502789

There is little faith involved in setting out on a journey where the destination is certain and every step in between has been mapped in detail. Bravery, trust, is about leaving camp in the dark, when we do not know the route ahead and cannot be certain we will ever return.

Bear Grylls

Read more at: http://www.azquotes.com/quote/502789