My true north

Some people think the magnetic north is located somewhere near the north pole; it's not true. Well, not for me anyway.

My true north lies at 5 High.

A month ago we scattered my Grandfather's ashes off the end of the pier, he took two sisters with him (in ash form obviously!), so he will not be short of 'head leaders'.

A few weeks ago my Aunt rang and asked if there was anything from the house I wanted as Grandma is not going to live there any more, so these are the things I would like:

I would like the outside shower full of sand after we have all come back from the beach;

the sound of feet swinging on the black box outside the loo while we all queue to spend a penny before going out;

telling stories of Maggie the witch who lives through the hatch in the loo;

Grandma and Grandad's bed scaled with the help of a chair as we all pile in;

the fairies that danced in the fire while we toasted crumpets;

the twin beds that Katy and I slept in - my blankets remaining beautifully tucked in after I slept like a 'princess' and watching Katy struggle to remake hers the next morning.

Wardrobes full of cousins as we play sardines at Christmas.

The poster grandma would put on my bedroom door at Christmas when I was little;

the claw foot bath ...

I could go on about the summers I worked with Grandparents; my Grandma meeting me off the bus for a weekend with them..

but actually as I have typed this I have realised that many of my 5 high memories are also memories of my cousins, and all the summers we spent together, and I guess we still all have each other and the Hut.

Forget the other animals this post is about my family

You know how cool it is to be surrounded by wonderful people who make you feel cool too?

I do.

I feel that way at all my family gatherings when I am surrounded by my cousins. Be it a happy or a sad occasion I love their company.

Last year my cousin Verity married the charming Owen and that very happy social occasion breathed life back into me.

Grandad passed away, and we drank far too much, slept in bunk beds and generally came together as a family.

Most recently my brother Ross and his lovely Mando married;they even took the brave step if having a two year old as a flower girl (luckily their other two flower girls were perfectly behaved) and the family danced again, as it seems only our family can. (My school friend was the Registrar - how grown up does that make me?)

Is it just that cousins is one of those relationships that demands nothing but means so much?

I can only hope that everyone feels this secure in their extended family as I do.

Wordless Wednesay - Colouring

Isobel and her cousins love colouring at the table in Grandma's sitting room


I don't have room for a table in mine, so I bought this fab tray on eBay:

Family Weekends

This time I'm not talking about my funny little family.

This time I'm talking about my funny big family.

My lovely little sister has been here for the weekend, just hanging out drinking pear cider and watching Mamam Mia. And it was the loveliest thing just to have her around. I wished my family were a little nearer, it's that small (but expensive) stretch of water that makes it feel so far!

Last weekend I went home and I didn't post the pictures, so here they are:

Happy clean cousins

Uncle Ross

I told you the ice cream was BIG

One week on and she's not a baby anymore

Isobel is now a fully fledged toddler, I'm threading the needle to sew on her walking badge as we speak.

In so many ways it's been a a very busy week. We have been to the Isle of Wight and come back with the following pieces of information:

Isobel can walk and walk and walk. She can even turn 360 degrees without falling down.

Bruises are easily come by but also relatively easy to go if you plaster them with Arnica and have very young skin. Scratches from playing peekaboo with a fence might be slightly more persistent.

Poor little girl suffers from car sickness, something we have discovered the hard way; I have washed the car seat twice in two days.

Isobel's feet have grown from a 3F to a 31/2G, and I had to order her shoes from Internet.

We have five new words: Bubbles - bubboos, again - gain, grandma - gamma, banana - nana, and my aunt is convinced she said Angela. (Yes, I have had a few more mummies too)

We have a book called 'Is this my nose' and I found Isobel sitting on the floor reading it and pointing to all the correct face parts - well if she were a Picasso painting.

Ice cream cones and key lime pie ice cream have been mastered. Yes, we had a 'hut day' at the seaside.

And most importantly of all, Isobel has spent time with her family, including her godmother.

Needless to say we had a lot to tell PD when we got back.

I cannot believe what a difference a week makes, I'm glad I didn't miss a minute of it.