Preparations for a holiday

In the last fifteen months of intermittent lockdown, we have become more connected to our home. As we think about going away for a week, in the summer, we discover just how much.  The prospect of leaving certain things untended is harder, the list of favours that we have to ask of friends and neighbours longer.

Our doves have grown habituated to Nigel’s presence in the back garden.  They crowd round him, ostensibly to be fed, but primarily for his bird-talk, a stream of idle chat suited to domestic fowl.   When on holiday, we can arrange for them to be fed, but who will keep them up to date with the news? 

Likewise, a young friend from church has agreed to water the plants, but they will surely miss our coaching and encouragement.  I’m sure they will continue to photosynthesise without us, but they will lack enthusiasm.

As for the dozens of wild birds who visit our garden, they may never forgive us.  Our regular supply of seed and suet has already helped them raise one brood.  How could we leave them at what is a critical moment for their second brood?

But our young friend has agreed to re-fill the feeders for us.

So we can leave our house for just a little while and spend some time with our own brood.

Father's Day heroism

We don’t make as much of a fuss about Father’s Day as we do about Mother’s Day.

Mainly because, unlike me, Nigel is not willing to sulk or throw full-scale tantrums.  He also fails to start signalling Father’s Day six weeks in advance as I do for Mother’s Day.  And the little hints about an outing are altogether absent.

What an amateur!  It’s almost like he expects somebody else to arrange it all for him.

This Father’s Day, Carenza organised a gift from all the offspring – an ‘oscillating hoe’ for the garden.  It took longer to unwrap it than it did to weed the entire veg patch with it.  What a find!  My garden gnomes looked on, hiding their admiration only with difficulty.

Pascoe sent one of his very creative cards (see below) this time made from an apple.

But on Father’s Day itself, Pascoe was in Edinburgh and Carenza in Cornwall, so it was on Perran’s shoulders that the task of celebrating fell.

He arrived early as we were coming back from church.  But when we hugged him, he winced.  I made us a pot of coffee and asked Perran for his news, but he wasn’t quite himself. 

He had been vaccinated only the day before, had a very sore arm and was under the weather.

However, he brightened our Sunday for several hours, joining us for lunch and recounting his and Carenza’s recent flat move.  Eventually we packed him off home to recuperate.

But he is definitely our Father’s Day hero.

What Matters Most of All

 

It feels weird that the G7 Summit is taking place in my home county of Cornwall.

It feels even weirder that I am not there.

Because there is so much to protest about.

And we may not have the right to peaceful protest for much longer as the Government attempts to bring in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, 2021.

Even though we didn’t manage to get there this time, it is heartening to see the imaginative banners, slogans, sculptures and singing being broadcast from Cornwall by Extinction Rebellion amongst others.

Carbis Bay is a beautiful place and this is the most beautiful time of year.  If we don’t want these wonderful things to be damaged beyond repair, the G7 leaders must act rapidly and decisively to halt climate catastrophe.  As individuals we can contribute by changing our lifestyles, but only government policies are capable of bringing deep change swiftly.

So whether you are in beautiful Cornwall or not, do pray that our leaders open their ears.

Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill – please help your planet

Please follow the links below (which will take you swiftly and easily through to your MP’s email) and ask your MP to support the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill which will be debated during this session of Parliament.

Find everything you need to take part here: https://digitalrebellion.uk/cee-bill

 

Photo credits:

Photo above comes from a group of pics by: Gareth Morris, Guy Reece, Jessica Kleczka, Tristian Herbert, Chris Jerrey, Joao Daniel Pereira.

All our Christmases came at once

 

One of the worst days of 2020 for me was when we decided to comply with the sudden rule change and not have the twins home for Christmas.  It wasn’t great for them either.  It meant that the last time the whole family had been together was a day in early October when we celebrated my birthday at Kew.

I tried to have a sense of proportion – as a family we haven’t suffered any Covid death. My work has decreased as a result of Covid, but Nigel and the children are all in jobs.  We’ve been very lucky.  But even so, I did miss seeing our children.

For me this has opened a window on the way WWII was for so many – feeling sad but determined not to grumble as it would be disrespectful to others who had sustained much greater losses.

However, although I had tried to cultivate a balanced outlook, when, finally, after eight months, we all got to spend the weekend together, it meant a great deal. 

Excellent weather gilded the weekend.  As we walked in the countryside, the hedgerows were at the peak of their loveliness with their lace trim of cow parsley and stitchwort, and beyond, the yellow rape flowers Van-Goghed the fields.

But I would have been happy, even if it had poured down.