Monday 2 November 2015

The horse's mouth

 



 

I have post house work arm ache. Do you ever get that? It was all about furious scrubbing this morning, as I restored the post half term house back into some semblance of order. I'm not sure what exactly happens here when everyone is at home. I gave up trying to keep on top of it all about Thursday. I tried to just go with the flow, unleashing my inner calm goddess. I know she's in there somewhere. I like to think she is half Nigella, half Meryl Streep.
 
It's been a solitary half term. Olly and I have busied ourselves with Lego, puppy sitting, horsey walks and a little exploring. We barely saw Alfie. He has retreated into his bedroom until he's sixteen. Unless there's the possibility that I may be going to the shop. Then he appears by my side, asking for crisps. I'm always amazed at the sixth sense of a teen. They can hear the rustle of a bag for life through four closed doors and a pair of headphones, but not the close quarter entreaties to make their beds. Weird.
 
I spoke to Sam on Saturday. I haven't heard his voice since he went away, and have been communicating (trying at least) via the private message function on Facebook. It was a dreadful line, but oh my goodness was this Mum thrilled to hear from him. I am now worrying that when he comes home for Christmas, he will find me dull and provincial. As he is stretching his wings, experiencing the new and growing up and away, I am gathering in, relishing the familiar and staying closer to home than ever.
 
I have been reading. Mainly books on the Neolithic heritage of West Cornwall. I plan to drag the family to all of them. It's fascinating stuff. For me at least. This end of Cornwall is still so unchanged in a way. Look at the fields in the pictures above. They are very small and their boundaries have remained unchanged for possibly thousands of years. The diversity in those hedges have me enthralled.
 
Book group beckons on Wednesday, and I am currently speed reading the chosen book. The fact that Liz described it as 'terrifying' kind of put me off to be honest. You may remember it being my turn to choose next, and I have agonised. I made my decision yesterday, and I think it will be a good one. But then I thought that about 'Stuart; A life Backwards' and they hated it. They didn't care for Barbara Kingsolver either, which left me in dismay.
 
We aren't dressing up this time, although 80s pop icons was mooted as a possibility. I'm not quite over Halloween yet, so am rather relieved. Olly was invited to a classmates Halloween party, and I have to say it was one of the more bizarre night's of my life. He had an absolute ball, while I was crazed with terror at the inebriated Dad lighting fireworks in the very small back garden. When the piñata was hung adjacent to the huge wide screen TV, and lots of five year olds hyped up on sugar invited to thwack merry hell out of it, I almost passed out. Luckily only the inebriated Dad was walloped, and he didn't seem to mind.
 
Have you ever been to an event that has got weirdly out of hand? When I was a student, I worked in a pub that held lots of functions for weddings, funerals and the like. It was not uncommon for huge brawls to break out over past family disputes, and on one occasion I stood behind the bar open mouthed, as a wedding punch up destroyed the three tiered cake standing pride of place on the buffet table.
 
Eeh, my not so provincial past. I could write a book!
 
Enjoy your evening, gorgeous ones.
 
 
Leanne xx
 
 
(I'm not sure why blogger is insisting that I centralise my text. I keep editing it, but it's being very stubborn). 
 
 
 
 

28 comments:

  1. I bet that post half term clean felt good. I love the silence and order of an empty house...for a while. Olly's party sounds hilarious. I've been to some kids birthday parties that were a bit like that and find myself feeling like I'm in some kind of surreal parallel universe, while also feeling like a sheltered middle class girl who needs to let her hair down more. Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a real Twilight Zone moment. I do try not to pass judgement; I remember Sam's 7th birthday, when I drank two large glasses of wine in quick succession, and then disgraced myself on the bouncy castle!
      L xx

      Delete
  2. My Friday evening phone call to mum was a ritual at University, the phones in my hall were all no incoming calls, so I went to the callbox out on the street to get her to call back!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was very noble of you ;)
      Sam broke his phone, hasn't got it fixed and is refusing to Skype. Liverpool has turned his head.
      L xx

      Delete
  3. I worked in grocery stores when I was in high school and college. The things that went on late at night were quite shocking. In some regards, I was done being "provincial" by age 17 because of what I witnessed there. Ha. I'm glad you've been able to touch base with Sam, it sounds like he's doing well. Isn't Skype wonderful? I was so glad when it became mainstream; we were using it 10+ years ago to visit with my in-laws in New Zealand and it was pretty poor quality then, as I recall. I'm happy that it's better now and everyone uses it. I hope you're having a good week so far, Leanne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam won't let me Skype. I think he's just too busy. I am thrilled about that, but have felt a little forgotten too.
      L xx

      Delete
  4. We keep in touch with our daughter in Japan via Skype, love it. The halloween party sounds like one from h**l, drunk dad needed to be hit.
    I know the sore cleaning arm syndrome, wish I didn't.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree alcohol and fireworks aren't a great match. I kept Olly in the house.
      L x

      Delete
  5. So glad you enjoyed a talk with Sam. We were regular Skype users when L was away at uni; it was a real life saver for me. Your Hallowe'en party sounds hilarious. I've never had that at a party but remember collecting E from a classmate's house after she had been for tea and the father insisted on doing a dance with his reluctant teenage daughter - they were about 2 feet in front of me and it seemed to go on forever. It was quite surreal and I couldn't get out quick enough! As a student I spent a merry camping holiday in Cornwall visiting all the standing stones and quoits - I loved it. Well done on all that cleaning and have a great week. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your story made me chuckle! That poor girl!
      L xx

      Delete
  6. Honey, you will never be dull. (Was that weird because your dog's called Honey? I mean you of course). I hope your book club choice goes down well. I'm also horrified that they didn't like Flight Behaviour, but on the up side, when you mentioned it to me I went out and got it and now I'm Barb's biggest fan. As I understand it, post housework arm ache is quite serious and requires that you immediately abstain from all scrubbing, hoovering, dusting and mopping. I know what you mean about the half term house though, it's the same here. CJ xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. How very kind, CJ! I will take your sound advice and abstain forthwith. Not liking Barbara is a deal breaker for me, I'm afraid.
    L xx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cornwall is #2 on my list of places to visit next (right behind Sheltand, and maybe that shouldn't count since I've been there already). Your pictures and posts are partially responsible for it reaching that spot on my travel "to do" list, Leanne.

    Does Sam have a phone? Texts are the main way I communicate with my kids, although I have used Facebook messaging at times too. It seems that none of them want to do anything that involves actual speech.

    My kids would probably all pick dull over weird, which is what they ended up with for a mom. Just saying...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristie you would love it here. I would like to visit Shetland. I am hoping we will explore a bit if Scotland in Betty, although I've heard the midges can be s nuisance. As for wierd....I'd wear that label with pride, my friend.
      L xx

      Delete
  9. Hi Leanne. I communicate with my bunkered up teenager by text. He, too, has excellent hearing and can tell the sound of a ripped open crisp bag apart from the sound of a carrot being peeled. What are your reading for book group? I have chosen most of the last few books because everyone in my book group is so lethargic and finds it difficult to find time to read, let alone find new books to read. Recently we read Station Eleven, which they loved, and A Handmaids Tale, which they also loved. Phew. Must write my book post.... Mum will be mum, dull or weird, it doesn't matter. Although of course you are definitely not what I would call dull. You are fun and caring and quirky. Christina xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quirky! Loving that, my friend! The novel up for discussion tomorrow is Bird Box' by Josh Malerman. I didn't find it terrifying in the end. It was flawed, but there was some interesting themes. We've read Handmaid's Tale (love Atwood) and I shall look up your other choice. I'll have to do a formal year in books post.
      L xx

      Delete
  10. I love that section of coastline and hinterland between St Ives and Sennen it always feels part of the post and parts of it remind me of Dartmoor. It must have been fantastic to speak to Sam after so long, we used mobiles and Skype to talk to our children while they were away, In those early days of Skype it used to cut out all the time! Sam will just take delight in being home again at Christmas and being close to the family again. Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope he'll enjoy being back home. The landscape here never ceases to inspire me, Sarah.
      L xx

      Delete
  11. Magical place. Should be renamed 'Leanne's Hill'. Oh, the pressure of book club - we have to nominate three and then the rest of the group vote on little bits of paper for their favourite. My choice rarely wins. It's my turn to host and put forward my choices later in the month. Eeek....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I intend my ashes to be scattered there, Claire. We used to pull names out of a hat. I think we may discuss another way of choosing. Personally I think we should just go alphabetically. Simple and fuss free.
      L xx

      Delete
  12. Another lovely newsy blog post Leanne. Great that Sam is finding his feet and spreading those wings. Not so nice for you I suspect and even though they are 18 they still seem to leave the house a child and come back an adult and it takes a little adjusting too doesn't it. Still you have a lot of years a head of enjoying Olly before he flys and by the sounds of it Alfy is already getting you prepared.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think adjusting just about days it all! I'll be 58 when Olly is 18. Now there's a thought...
    L xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. It's odd that getting parenting right means your child goes away and grows up and is totally fine. Built in obsolescence. Mind you, having ever so slightly disappeared on me when mine went off to university they have all become very present in my life again despite being married and living elsewhere. Somehow they needed to go away a bit in order to come back. Can't get them off the phone now!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Samuel is coping much better than I anticipated. I'm not sure if that is because he was bought up right, or that I just plain underestimated him. Probably the latter. He definitely needed to get away from here. St Ives is too small town for him. He would have never met Jeremy Corbyn here!
    Leanne xx

    ReplyDelete
  16. Our first-born chose a University on the other side of the country (10 hour drive away!). The first few weeks were OK with frequent phone calls about recipes or checking washing instructions but once she settled in and got a social life she was incommunicado. After one almost sleepless weekend - bad TV reports about her city and no reply to our frantic messages - I made a rule: Contact must be made with parents each Sunday by any means (Facebook, Skype, SMS, phone) otherwise Police will be contacted on Monday morning! We kept this rule when our other daughter left for Uni and when they both studied abroad ( oldest 1 year in Mexico; youngest 1 year in Tahiti). Some weeks we just got an "I'm fine" SMS but it was enough.
    I agree with Elizabeth that they need to make the break to later come back. Nearly 10 years later they both choose to phone several times a week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam's Dad had a quiet word about keeping Mum happy. He has been in touch more, and I am now happier!
      L x

      Delete