29 April 2011

I'd had no intention of watching the royal wedding, but in the end we all sat and watched various guests arrive, and continued until they began the vows, at which point we went out to Lyme Park. It was OK apart from the awful obsequious commentary. I was impressed with 'the' dress, and am generally glad that he has gone for a brunette as there are far too many bottle blondes in the world. I even found myself vaguely looking forward to Emily's big day though I know full well that may never happen for one reason or another. After all, I had no intention of getting married until I was 39!

At the park, Emily went on most of the adventure equipment and Goki and his cousin climbed a monkey puzzle tree. We strolled in the lovely mixed deciduous woodland and then had lunch in the courtyard cafe. Emily managed to walk all the way up to the 'wizard's castle' and back, though she was flagging badly by the end. It was sunny but cool and windy.

At the Adlington village hall a community tea party was being held in honour of the wedding. Emily and I went along with Pam and Graham, but it quickly became clear that Emily was on her last legs so I took her home. After an early tea, I realised that she had a bit of a temperature so wasted no time in getting her off to bed. She was asleep within two minutes. An hour later she woke upset and I had to give her Calpol as she was running a temperature. After we'd had dinner she cried out again and I had to settle her.

28 April 2011

Emily and I took the train to Cheshire. I had been worried that we wouldn't get a seat on the 'Noddy' train but in the end there were plenty and she and I had a pair of seats for the whole journey. Pam and Graham collected us from Wilmslow station and we spent the afternoon in the garden at their house. Emily was happy as she got to do another egg hunt, and we had lots of fun with bubbles, balls and hula hoop.

27 April 2011

Mum, Emily and I went to Hereford yet again. This time it was for my eye test and contact lens assessment. While I was at the opticians for an hour or more, Mum stayed with Emily at Play Planet. This was the first visit to a wonderful play centre near the city centre. It has a large soft play area, plus a well-stocked outdoor yard and a great cafe, which has actually thought its menu out really well, having a good adults' menu and a wide selection of healthy and not-so-healthy choices for the children. We shall be going there again, definitely. End of gushing advert! Hope we can find some similar places in London.


The weather is holding up sunny, though the air temperature has dropped a fair bit. We are still eating our meals outside, anyway.

Nick is still keen on the job with CM and sent an email to the guy who interviewed him, asking bluntly what sort of salary they could offer, and also how quickly they wanted to fill the post. The amount they mentioned was not bad, though about 15% less than his CS salary, and they are also willing to wait some time for the right candidate. He is very concerned about the stability of the whole Japan operation and wondering if he will be made redundant, or that he won't find his level in the new role and be unhappy. I just want him to work sensible hours and to be interested and comfortable with what he is doing to earn a crust. We are hardly going to be paupers!

24 April 2011

The children were up very early, probably excited about the expected visit from the Easter bunny (after staying up late to watch a film I could have done with a bit more time in bed). The night before they had left carrots up by the gate for him, and had discovered the chewed stumps of them outside, so were now champing at the bit to go on an egg hunt. We made them wait until we had all breakfasted before we let them loose. They needed a fair few heavy hints to track down the various locations the eggs were stashed in round the garden. Good fun was had by all.

After a roast dinner eaten outside, we all went for a tramp up Y Gaer. Emily did really well and walked/ran all the way up and back down.

After tea the others all left for home, and I put a worn out Emily to bed. It seemed deathly quiet after 48 hours of crazy kids.

23 April 2011

We spent another sunny day mainly hanging out around the house. In the morning, Mum and Tim took the two children to the river down in Pandy, while Sarah and I went into town for a coffee and shop in Waitrose. Fi and Dan arrived after lunch, so with Fern around as well the terrible trio were unstoppable. Getting the paddling pool out was a brainwave and amused them for some time. I worry about Fern sometimes - yet again she wanted to strip off (and Emily naturally wanted to copy her)!

Tim and I went ahead with a planned run, despite the unseasonable heat. We drove to Llanfoist and parked, then ran along the old railway track path. Neither of us had a good run, in the main due to the conditions, but surely not all attributable to that? I turned around after 20 minutes of slog - though in my defence the route was a steady uphill gradient, albeit very shallow. The return was comfortable and quicker and I was able to get some enjoyment out of it, finally.

Back at Mum's, the lighting of the BBQ was accompanied by thunderous rumblings from an ominous cloud front coming from the west. However, we managed to eat all of our meal before having to retire indoors, and it didn't really come to much in the end.

I made the big mistake of staying up to watch a late film, simply because it had a sort of Japanese theme. It was 20 years old and felt very dated, though enjoyable enough, but by the time it finished it was past 1.30am. The latest I have stayed up in many a month.

22 April 2011

After a slow day hanging out at home, Sarah, Tim and Tom finally arrived around 3.30. I had been struggling to think of ways to entertain Emily, but once Tom was on the scene I barely saw her for hours. After a hot interval in the middle of the day, cloud built up, and it began spotting with rain just as the family arrived. It didn't come to anything though, and we were able to eat outside.

I am missing Nick more every day, so glad that we only have a fortnight to get through before we are reunited and begin our new life (though I still have trouble envisioning myself as a home owner in London). I confess that I am less homesick for Tokyo now and have stopped referring to it as home, but I am accutely aware that we are in limbo and need to move on, while enjoying daily life in the countryside. Emily is not learning much but can now distinguish between a blackbird and a wren and a bluebell and a violet.

21 April 2011

The thermometer hit an incredible 24C today. We went out with Mum and Dad to Hereford, first stopping at the art cinema come playhouse for coffee. I had to forgo my dose of caffeine, however, as we spied a good playground next door as we drove into the car park. Next was Kentchester Water Gardens, a fish and ponds outlet that also has beautiful grounds (with various water features, naturally). It also had a cafe, so we stayed for lunch. Emily was being tiresome and barely ate anything, so had to go without the icecream she wanted.


Back in the city, Mum dropped me and Dad off and I went to sort out my new i-phone (secondhand from Dad!); so good to know I will be connected again. While Emily played at the busy playground near the river for an hour, with Mum in attendance, I treated myself to a hurried coffee and then a speedy visit to M&S to stock up on some cheap shorts, though no doubt the current heat wave will end before I get much use out of them. It was so hot that we all needed an icecream to cool off before we headed for Pandy.


Emily was very keen for her Grandma to sit next to her at tea (which we had outside for a third day running). I am very glad that they have bonded so well. We received postcards each from Nick, an Easter card from Pam, and also a call from Pam, who is still in France.

Before turning in I couldn't resist another star-gazing stint, though it was fruitless. A quick speculative 10 minutes just before twelve the night before had reaped the most wonderful shooting star I have ever seen. The Lyrids are not a particularly rich shower but I struck lucky. This one was like a magnesium flare, with a long tail of greeenish hue, passing to the south-west. Dad says it may have been a returning satellite but I don't think so. Too much of a coincidence.

19 April 2011

On the warmest and sunniest day yet, Mum, Emily and I returned to Pandy. Before we left Braintree, we dropped off briefly at the cemetery, as I had yet to see Grandad's grave.







Again we stopped three times, having our picnic at the old bridge at Buckingham, where we always used to stop in times past. We also spent half an hour by the river in Ross on Wye. Emily seemed more interested in the various flowers and tree blossom than a family of cute duckings. Maybe she will be a botanist one day, though she is increasingly prone to picking, against my wishes!

18 April 2011

Another day out for the four generations. We took Grandma for lunch at Tiptree Jam Factory, an old haunt of her and Grandad. Emily ate the same amount as me - we shared one meal. It was plenty for me, and good going on her part. I hope I can keep up this reduced portions ideal.

After we'd eaten we went to West Mersea. It was quite cool in the strong onshore breeze, but in the shelter of the groyns it was actually pretty hot, so we set up the deckchair for Grandma while we prospected for shells and pebbles.

While Emily had her dinner with the others, I went off for an hour's run along the old railway track turned country park. I felt slightly nervous being out on my own in some of the more secluded sections of the track, but there were lots of dog-walkers and cyclists also using it so I was usually within sight of at least one person. As for the run, I hated every step as it was too warm and I had clearly not hydrated well enough. John, Mum and Emily came down to the start of the trail to meet me and I was extremely pleased to finally stop running. On the day of a record-breaking London Marathon, I doubted whether I had one in me, having been gung-ho for doing it beforehand!

17 April 2011

I was a bit nervous how Grandma would be, with Emily around, but in the end she was fine. We spent a while at the public gardens in Braintree, then had lunch at a small garden centre in Bocking. It was not the most satisfying meal I've ever had, I must confess. James works there a couple of days a week, though it was not his day to be there this time. Probably just as well, as when he gets together with Grandma it all gets a bit over-emotional, I gather.

After lunch we drove to Maldon, which was heaving down by the waterfront park. There was an Easter holiday funfair, and there must have been a good couple of hundred children at the pirate boat playground alone. Emily mainly wanted to play in the sand though she and I also had fun on the boat. Understandably, Grandma was full of nostalgia and talked a lot about Grandad, saying how romantic he had been. He told her he loved her every day, apparently.

16 April 2011

We drove to Braintree, though it was a shame to spend most of a lovely spring day in the car. It took us 7 hours to get there since we broke the journey three times to make it easier for Emily. We had our picnic in a fantastic playground on the outskirts of Chipping Norton. As soon as we got to John and Ann's, Emily made a beeline for Gunner and spent ages traipsing around the garden after him.

15 April 2011

Mum, Emily and I went for a day out, stopping off first at the Cat's Back. Here, there was broken misty cloud, so we just got the odd glimpse of blue sky and from time to time the surrounding mountains appeared piecemeal through holes in the cloud. However, we enjoyed ourselves anyway. We walked a short way up then Mum sat down and I left Emily with her so that I could quickly go up to the first crest (the spine of the ridge gradually ascends, not so much like a cat, more like a stegosaurus). After a couple of minutes I stopped to look at the view and spotted a little blonde head appear over a grassy ledge.

I waited, and Emily made it all the way up on her own, with not a word of complaint. I was most pleased with her determination - rare for her to exert herself without a lot of encouragement and grumbling.

We continued on the scenic but twisty road to Hay, having to reverse on the single track road several times. In the small town, we walked into the centre and headed straight for The Granary. However, I found it hard to choose something on the menu that would suit both me and Emily, and the prices were higher than I recalled. I wasn't even very impressed with my meal, though as always the coffee and cakes were second to none.

Taking the road to Gospel Pass on the way home, we stopped again at Hay Common. I had already decided that I wanted to climb Hay Bluff and with Mum's collusion in looking after Emily for half an hour at the bottom, I was able to do so. It looked rather more imposing and steeper than I remembered, but I set myself a target to get up it and back to the car within 30 minutes. I set off at a brisk pace and was soon puffing and sweating, but other than a pause once I made it to the top gratifyingly quickly.

Returning half on my bottom over the rough heather, and the other half at a canter, I was chuffed to complete my little challenge in only 26 minutes. It was wonderfully life-affirming (paid for it for three days afterwards with seized up quads though!).

Dad had been out with the Ramblers from Llanthony, so we thought we would call in there to save him cadging a lift home. We pottered around the Abbey ruins for half an hour before the group returned to the car park. Emily is obsessed with picking wild flowers and was perfectly happy making a bunch of dandelions, and watching a few pretty speckled chickens that were pecking around among the pillars.

14 April 2011

At times it looked as though it would clear up but in the end it was another grey overcast day, though at least it didn't rain. Mum and Dad had appointments in town so Emily and I stayed at home on our own in the morning. We had a nice enough time, collecting flowers from the garden and doing some painting.

After lunch we spoke to Nick on Skype, but he was in a rotten mood (mainly due to weariness, I'm sure, and also things at work hadn't gone so well). We signed off and Mum, Emily and I went for a walk up Y Gaer. Emily did really well and made it all the way to the top with only a little whingeing. Once up there she happily ran around the grassy hillocks and we raced round the old hillfort embankments. She ran all the way back down again as well.

12 April 2011

Though still mainly sunny, it has turned much cooler - a drop of around 10C compared to the heady temperatures of the weekend. We stayed around the house and went into Abergavenny with Mum and Dad. In the evening I went to the leisure centre for a swim as I am missing my former level of exercise. It felt so strange to be going there after so many years; that same pool where I attended school swimming lessons and swam races. I was pleased to find it very quiet in there for the adult lane swimming: only about a dozen people in total. After a short while I got the fast lane all to myself and swam without stopping for half an hour. I could feel my triceps aching after a whole month or more with just the odd run and no upper body exercise.

11 April 2011

Fi gave Emily and me a lift to Bristol (as she was going anyway) and we took the train from there back to Abergavenny. Thanks to three separate sets of differing and erroneous advice from rail staff we ended up spending an hour in the cafe at Newport unneccessarily. Welcome to the UK! Back at Mum's we pottered around the garden the rest of the day. It was intermittently sunny but there was a lot of cloud about and it seems the recent unseasonably warm spell is over. I keep being seized by urges to do spring-cleaning chores; not only did I do a spot of adjustment to the lawn around the summerhouse doors (entailing an hour of digging up turf and correcting the soil height beneath), but after Emily had gone to bed I got out the ladders and washed most of the windows at the back of the house in the dusky failing light. We Skyped Nick for a while but it was half past midnight at his end and he was dog tired, having only had 6 hours sleep since taking off from Heathrow. The good news was that he is to fly home a week early, on May 7th.

10 April 2011

It was a beautiful day again, so we spent most of it just chilling out at Fiona's. I even managed to do an hour or so of gardening: just weeding and making a clear edge to a bit of the border, but I got enormous pleasure from it. In the course of my labours I disturbed worms, a centipede and a woodlouse, to the great interest of Emily and Fern. They had us amused when they added play balls to various parts of their person, though I am not sure that Nick would have approved (in Emily's defence, it was me that had the idea to give her a bust - though it was Fern who started the ball rolling - eek, awful pun - all her own idea)!

While Fi gave the children their tea I went for a run. It was far too warm and despite best efforts I had not hydrated enough, and also perhaps was affected by whatever had been ailing me for a couple of days though I felt fine enough to exercise. So, I ended up doing seven laps on the 1km path around the small lake in the woodland reserve near their house, only clocking up 45 minutes before I slogged back home. I feel worried that I will lose the stamina I had built up in Tokyo by the time I get a chance to exercise regularly again.

9 April 2011

Despite her very late night, Emily was bright as a button from 7am, though Nick and I certainly weren't. I left Emily with Fi and drove Nick to Heathrow. Once checked in we had half an hour to share a coffee together before I had to leave to take the hire car back. It felt very strange to be at an airport and not going somewhere and I felt a strong urge to be going back to Tokyo with him. There were a few Japanese checking in, and seeing them made me feel oddly homesick. I even wanted to go up to them and say something in Japanese. Nick and I were both able to stay emotionally detached so there weren't any tears, though there are deep undercurrents below the surface for us both, I think. It was weird sitting in Pret a Manger holding hands like a courting couple! At the end of the day, we have been apart for a month or so before, though I know I will feel the separation on my own every night and at weekends when we normally share the care. I don't know whether I am lucky, but I am equipped with a strong set of what I call 'emotional shutters', which protect me from possible upset.

I only just made it to the car hire base before they closed for the weekend. Back at Fi's, she put out some new sand so the girls immediately stripped off to play in it.

After lunch we left Dan mowing with his new toy

and went to Dinton Pastures, which had a good play area and lakes with a large fowl population.

An Alsation puppy came bounding over to the girls and Emily got very upset, though I think he just wanted to play. She has probably been scarred for life where dogs are concerned.

Fi had decided on a BBQ for tea, and Emily was overhungry by the time it was ready, so inclined to bad behaviour, but eventually I managed to get a sensible amount down her. I barely managed a sausage and a few bits of salad before I admitted defeat. I don't suppose this new asceticism will last but it feels good to 'just say no'!

8 April 2011

I felt off-colour all day: achy around the kidneys and abdomen and my skin was strangely hypersensitive in places. Consequently I was not in best form when Emily and I stopped over at Ali's in Bredon, on our way to Fiona's. We arrived at 11 and Emily and Amelia (who is 4 months older) soon warmed up to each other.

Ali had reserved a table at the local pub so we strolled down there in the abnormally hot sunshine. There were so many blooms and butterflies that you could be forgiven for assuming it was June. Bredon is an idyllic village with many old sandstone cottages and I felt very envious of her life there. As Ali has also travelled extensively I asked her if she felt the urge to get out into the big wide world again but she said 'no'; that is encouraging, because I am very unsettled right now and can't see myself being happy in one location for long. For Emily's sake we need to put down some roots now though.

Under my new dietary regime, I decided that Emily and I would share our pub lunch - the only problem being that I had to order something I thought she would like. My plan worked well - there was plenty for both of us and I saved money into the bargain!

Back on the road, we were in serious danger of overheating - in early April for goodness' sake - but not much later Emily dropped off. I had been waiting for that; off went 'the wheels on the bus' and on went Snow Patrol. In fact, she slumbered all the way to Reading, waking just as we turned off the motorway. As always, she and Fern were soon hard at play in the garden.

Nick called around 7pm and Fi and I went to collect him from Reading station. He was full of tales of colleagues sloping off at 5, and packed Canary Wharf bars. I think he is enjoying the change of atmosphere in London and even if he starts early I am hopeful that he may get home early enough to see Emily from time to time. The need for that was highlighted at Emily's bedtime: due to her nap she was very energetic so she and Fern ended up going to bed at 10pm. I asked Nick to read to her and stay with her in the bedroom but she kicked off massively, insisting I stayed with her. After ten minutes of absolute hysterics I had to intervene as I was worried she would wake her cousins and I didn't think she was going to relent anyway. Truth to tell, I felt that we had brought it about by shunting her from pillar to post so much. I was not very kind to her, perhaps because I was feeling so duff, and she went off to sleep without any words exchanged between us. It wasn't much later before I turned in too; no idea what time Nick came to bed but so much for our last evening together for a month or more.

7 April 2011

Mum, Emily and I made good use of a beautiful sunny day with a trip to the Brecon Beacons Mountain Centre. We arrived in time for a quick coffee on the terrace with the great views across to the Beacons.

There were dozens of sparrows and chaffinches hanging around in the hope of crumbs. We took a stroll up the grassy path to the top of the low rise a few hundred metres away.

Last summer we were there with Fi and the kids and the two girls had a fantastic time in the calf-deep pond that had formed up there. However, this time it was devoid of water, except for a few isolated pools that were deeper than they looked (which Emily soon discovered when she ran straight into one and her wellies were nearly breeched).

We had a pleasant hour or so up there, building a small cairn, pulling out the springy moss from the pond banks and watching passing planes paint their contrails across the blue sky studded with cumulus. On the way back to the Centre, Emily burned off a lot of energy as she and I ran in and out of the grassy hillocks.

We ate a large and tasty lunch on the terrace then explored the small walled garden with its individually crafted ceramic tiles and unusual totem post. Emily was drowsy and nodded off shortly before we got home but once again a cat came to the rescue as Rosie appeared at the crucial moment and prevented any upset on taking the sleepyhead out of the car.

Shortly afterwards, I took her over to Maria's for another playdate with Alex and Rhianna. They had their large trampoline out in the garden and the three of them played indoor and out for nearly three hours.

Despite all the mental and physical stimulation, it was tough to get Emily to bed and I nearly dropped off myself while lying next to her. It is hard for me to spend so much time together, even sleeping in the same room. I miss my time off on nursery days so much and find I am getting overly irritated by little things she does.

There was a 7.1 earthquake - off Fukushima again. Though hundreds of times less energy was released in this one it is still a matter of concern, with Nick about to return to the stricken country.

6 April 2011

It was a gorgeous day, more like summer than spring, warming up to more than 20c. I took Emily to Abergavenny library and signed up, where we found that we could borrow up to 20 books at a time! We walked back to collect our picnic from the car in Linda Vista, then carried on into the meadows and found a spare bench by the side of the River Usk. Emily watched about 8 dogs, all different, having a great time while their owners chatted; we likened it to Hairy Maclary and his doggy friends. Feeling overheated in our winter garb we drove round to other end of town (maybe I should have brought the buggy after all) and shopped for sandals and shorts for Emily. She measured up in Clarks as a size 10! I also bought a new car seat, because we will need one once we hand in the hire car at the weekend. Back at Mum's we got out the garden furniture and had afternoon tea by the pond, then Emily 'helped' me to wash and clean all the panes of glass on the summerhouse. Nick is feeling the strain a lot as he is being bombarded with emails and calls about the move from various outsourced agents, plus having to deal with work and the thought of what he needs to do in the office back in Tokyo. I feel remarkably calm about it all, but need to stay focused if I am to avoid panic setting in later on down the line.

5 April 2011

We drove back to Mum's. I used a two stop strategy: first Reading services and then Tewkesbury, where we discovered a decent playground in the fields behind the Abbey. Playgrounds in this country never seem to come with a loo close by though. A grave oversight in my opinion - we had to cut our visit short and ended up going to a cafe for want of a toilet in the vicinity. We saw a swan on its huge nest over at Severn Ham. Emily was cracking up all day, in fits at something silly she saw on a Mr Men DVD. Her laugh is so infectious. On the phone to Nick she seemed so grown up; I've never let her hold the phone before, which she really appreciated and she was saying 'yes, I see' and 'glad to hear it'! She still pronounces many words in an endearingly childlike way though, like 'trilderen' and 'pengoo-in'. Things to do with the move are progressing apace. Nick forwarded messages from agents dealing with the serviced apartment we will have for the first month, and from someone who will help find a longer term rental to follow on from that.

3 April 2011

It was Tom's 4th birthday party, so Fi, Dan and the children, plus Mum (who was staying with them) came over late morning. The three cousins played hard until it was time to go, with still-crawling Charlie in hot pursuit.

The event was at the sports centre in Crawley, where part of the sports hall was sectioned off and stocked with a small bouncy castle and a myriad of ride-on toys and other equipment of interest to small children (and to some adults - ahem - too!).

Emily and Fern played together most of the time, presumably because most of the other kids knew each other, being Tom's friends from nursery.

Nick and I had a bit of fun, trying out the space hoppers, hula hoops and the bouncy castle. We adjourned to the cafe upstairs for party food, though owing to miscommunication they hadn't cooked it and there was an awkward 20 minutes to try to take the hungry partygoers minds off the fabulous train cake that Sarah and Eileen had assembled.

The family all recongregated at chez Lewsey, and soon after it was time for me to take Nick to the station as he had to return to London ready for the working week ahead. Our brief sojourn together was over, with only the prospect of a dozen hours together (mainly asleep) before he flies to Tokyo next week.

2 April 2011

Tim was at work for the morning but the rest of us went to Horsham Park to make the most of another lovely day. I walked into town while Nick and Sarah played with the kids in the brilliant playground there.

I was feeling a bit off-colour and prayed it wasn't a resurgence of the lurgy. After a hefty lunch I ended up flaking out on the bed while Nick and Tim played with Emily and Tom outside. I was supposed to be going for a run with them but in the end they went without me.

Eileen had also arrived from Braintree and later we all went into Horsham for an early dinner at Giraffe.

I love the menu there, but my tasty burrito was way too big and under my new food regime I stopped eating as soon as I felt full, which meant that Nick had to eat more than half of it as well as his own. I am rather pleased that I have adapted to this new model of eating quite easily and maybe, just maye, this might make a difference to my weight and wellbeing. It certainly makes me satisfied on a mental level to be 'in control', though I abhor the waste of food.

1 April 2011

In true nomadic fashion, Emily and I were on the move again as we drove down to Sarah's for a long weekend. We stopped at Birdlip Hill for a wander along the top of the escarpment and a quick picnic, then again at Membury services. Starbucks there was full of university students on their way home for the long Easter break. No doubt the car park was full of cars with boots stuffed with washing. I was amazed that Emily didn't drop off to sleep on the longer motorway stretch of the journey. On the M25 she informed me that she needed to do a wee right away. However, she managed to hold on all the way to Box Hill where we had a snack.

After Sarah had picked Tom up from nursery the two children had a fantastic time playing with all his toys and out in the garden.

It was the first time we had been to their new house in Southwater, and I was seized with envy. Of course, hopefully we will be in a place of our own by the end of the year.

With Emily and Tom having a splashing good time, I went to collect Nick from Horsham station. It was great to see him after his week in London, and I was pleased that he made it in time to see Emily before bedtime.