Just Humans Being...

The Smiths in 2004                                                                                      After reading  Mel's Blog  a few days ago about her Son being punished - I was reminded about a recent conversation I had with a friend, who told me that because our kids have never really rebelled or fought with us or each other - that they will struggle to maintain relationships in later life. Basically, we have ruined their lives because we all get on... I actually worried about that for some time & then thought about my own childhood - my siblings & I fought a lot, I went through periods of hating both parents & I still struggle to maintain difficult relationships, so I think whoever came up with that idea - needs to think again! It seems that it's quite common these days in the UK for kids to be grounded for mistakes they've made, though when I was young - it was something we just heard about in American films or TV series. We have friends who regularl

Well, we did it... We drove 300 miles to say goodbye to my Great Uncle Bill! The place was packed with probably many characters from Stoke's underworld! We can't be sure, but we've always believed that Bill was probably the Tony Soprano of the town he lived in... He had a bit of a secret life, that he never shared with the family & there were certainly lots of guys in big black overcoats there today, though I didn't see any shades - so perhaps I'm wrong! Our idea of arriving slightly late & just sitting at the back - didn't work out in the end, as my Mum & Husband turned up at the same time as us, the funeral had been delayed & so we were ushered along with my Brother & Mum to follow Bill's coffin & then into the family seats at the front! There was no change in my Mum's behaviour towards us, no joy in seeing her only Grandson - didn't even look at Hugo, let alone speak to him. How can a Grandmother be that way? Especially a

We came home from work this afternoon & inside the house, we could see...  Flea sitting in his favourite spot - the plant pot in the window!  Last night's dinner - cottage pie... Made from green split peas, chopped walnuts & mushrooms. Topped with Sime's mashed potatoes & served with steamed broccoli & carrots. All organic & we added a couple of dollops of miso to the mixture, before putting it in the oven. A regular event at meals times - Hugo & Sime end up in hysterics... Can't remember what they were talking about, but Sime just lost it... He carried on... And on... And on... (He's just a nut case, but a happy nut case)! A more serious chap today. He's been practising band #2's music, ready for his second rehearsal with them tonight! Although he's a bass player, he finds it easier to use his acoustic guitar to play along to the band's CD. So I was serenaded, while making food for the freezer... Forgot to take photos, but ma

        It's a lovely mild day & the sun has come out to play. We have been very organised, managed to prepare the holiday apartment ready for the next guests...  And left them a delicious Cornish Cream Tea for when they arrive! We do like getting up early sometimes, it makes us feel like we're getting things done & it's so nice to finish work at lunch time. Not only have we worked but walked too... Down towards Mevagissey while the sun was shining! And once again... The sea is a beautiful colour! A boat coming into the harbour. Looks like a holiday resort! We came on holiday to Mevagissey in 1999... Never thought for one minute that we'd end up living here... Funny how things happen! Spring is obviously in the air, as Sime's very motivated today.  We have 2 small fridges, one of which is really old & not working well at all.  Rose & Asa have being using it, but as of today - they will have ours... And we will just use a cool box... Anot

We were supposed to go out to work today, but the apartment doesn't need to be ready until tomorrow - so we decided to have another day at home. We've not really done much - the walks haven't happened for 3 days now, but we're determined to get back into it soon.  We were going to tidy the garden - but instead I had an urge to bake... We started off with pancakes for breakfast (which I forgot to photograph). Then I made bread dough to make a couple of loaves. I added ground rosehips as an experiment & it made the dough overflow... There was enough for some bread rolls too - which ended up like small loaves (Sime reckons I've cracked the secret to feeding the 5000)!  Then I thought - while the oven's on, I'll make a batch of cookies... So we're now stuffed full of stodgy food & fit to burst! But I'm really impressed with the rosehips - The bread has all turned out soft & lighter than usual, so I'll definitely use it again!

We're going to be heading back up North again on Thursday, this time just overnight for my Uncle's funeral. As well as being a sad time - It's also going to be difficult to see my Mum again. We severed ties nearly three years ago now (though saw her briefly at Nan's funeral 18 months ago). It's a shame our relationship turned so sour, but her behaviour became intolerable & we felt the need to protect the kids from the grandmother they'd adored for years, who was hurting  us all emotionally. She has ignored my suggestions of making amends & to be honest, our lives have improved so much since she walked away... I don't hate her for the hurt she caused & I understand that we are completely different in every way. I wish her a long & happy life, but I hope that we never have to see her again after this week. It's funny, but over the last couple of days - I've come across several bits of interesting information about relationships..

After being in the freezing North again, It's great to be back experiencing the Cornish Sun, sea & sand. And this time of year is so quiet - not for long though, in just a few weeks the holidaymakers will begin to descend en mass! So once work was over... We were able to walk down to the deserted beach in Gorran Haven. This time of year is just perfect... Mild sunny days... And empty beaches. The Cornish coast is at it's best. The beaches are clean... And peaceful. We love it like this. It's far too cold for swimming... But the sea still looks great! A Seagull's footprints. The tiny doctor's surgery... Not a day passes by without us being grateful for our life here... We really are so very lucky! Kay & Sime xx