10th August 2008

Having the time to sit down and write this blog can mean only one thing: yes, it’s raining. Again. I had grand plans for the day: hedge trimming, lawn mowing, and pool cleaning. I did manage to get the hedge trimmed in between showers, but the trimmings are now languishing artistically along the driveway. It’s far too wet to gather them up and cart them to the tip, so there they’ll stay, providing a rustic aesthetic until further notice.

This past year, the family has been lucky enough to spend much of the summer gallivanting about abroad. Watching BBC World on a flickery foreign telly gave us the vaguest sense that Britain was being endlessly deluged, but nothing quite prepared us for the soggy reality we returned to. I fondly recall childhood summers filled with blue skies, dusty knees, and the unmistakable smell of creosote. Now, it’s more wet socks and mouldy decking. But enough whingeing, let’s focus on what we have managed to get up to.

Last week, I drove via Newark to see Nan in Thurcroft. Charlotte took this as a golden opportunity to sneak a load of Lucas’s old bedding and a pram into the boot of my car. Her explanation? They’re “too good for a car boot sale” and “may come in handy for the next child.” When I enquired whether there was going to be a next child, she assured me there were no current plans. So, the items now reside safely in our cavernous loft, awaiting… inspiration.

Lucas is currently covered in chicken pox. Despite looking like a poorly decorated biscuit, he was cheerful and full of beans when I saw him. While at Nan’s, I did some weeding and bush-whacking before chauffeuring her (and her trusty mobility scooter) back to Market Harborough.

Nan stayed with us for a fortnight, and although the weather was depressingly British, she gamely zipped into town most days, once even for a haircut, which caused quite a stir. Meanwhile, I managed to walk a few more stretches of the Jurassic Way with Roger. It’s not exactly the Himalayas, but on a good day it offers some splendid views and the odd surprise, usually in the form of a pub lunch. Sue would gallantly collect us afterwards, often with snacks.

Sarah has been busy meeting friends in town, shopping with Sue, and working on school projects. She’s now on the Cinema Club Committee, which sounds terribly important. They meet each Wednesday, and she’s getting rather grown up (though still not too grown up to leave empty yoghurt pots under the bed).

Sue has been busily harvesting fruit and veg from the garden, and recently produced a rhubarb crumble that could convert the staunchest of rhubarb sceptics.

Meanwhile, I seem to have become the local IT support hotline. Once upon a time, when I was teaching, I’d dread those “Can you just take a quick look?” calls. Now, I quite enjoy it. I’ve been sorting out Wi-Fi woes, recovering long-lost baby photos from corrupted SD cards, and banishing viruses like some sort of digital witch doctor.

Speaking of tech, I popped into school last week and was appalled (and quietly thrilled) to see a skip in the car park full of near-new computers. According to the caretaker, they were headed for a landfill (which I’m fairly sure breaks about twelve civic laws and at least one moral code). I salvaged a couple of Pentium 4s, one of which I’m typing this on now. I’ve spent many a rainy evening fiddling about with this retro tech. Nostalgia never had so many USB ports.

Jamie’s carpentry continues to go well. He finally completed the pelmets he was making for the downstairs and upstairs sliding doors, and even helped fit them (they’re still up, so a definite win). Lately, we’ve seen a lot of Harriet, who seems to be good for him, firm but fair. She’s currently on holiday in Croatia with her parents, and in her absence, Jamie has slipped back into his usual chaos. Case in point: yesterday, he announced he’d bought new car seats from eBay. Lovely. Only catch? They were in Brighton. He set off at 10 am and returned at 8 pm, only to find us entertaining guests with a few glasses of wine. Undeterred by exhaustion, he promptly installed the seats (Cobra, no less). They look quite impressive, and more importantly, they haven’t fallen out yet.

All in all, life continues at its usual pace: slightly muddy, occasionally chaotic, but mostly full of charm. Now, if the rain could kindly take a short holiday of its own…