Just Humans Being...

We are off on a European road trip soon & are feeling quite excited! When we first organised the trip - we visualised a gentle run up, a slowing down of work & an immaculate house... Instead it has become chaotic & the complete opposite!  We have taken on extra work & can't believe just how crazy life has become (of course those of you who have read our blog for a few years will know this is pretty normal for us), but we had hoped this time would be different... Not only is there work, but there's Bebe in the mix... Little does she know that we will have to take her with us to do a couple of jobs at the weekend, yes we are going to be working every day until we go away with little time to organise Bebe's clothes (which need labelling, as previously - lots of her clothes have gone astray), then there's all her medication to be ordered... Our sleeping bag needs washing, stuff getting together, food for our journey (not so easy when you live &

On Sunday we took Bebe for her second visit to Melinsey Mill . Last time it was quite cold & we sat indoors by the wood burner, but this time it was a hot day, so we sat outside by the pool. We discovered the place while exploring the area, shortly after moving to Boswinger 9 years ago. It's a water mill, tea room, craft centre & nature trail rolled into one - we love it & have shown our appreciation by filling in their visitors' book with silly comments over the years, as well as sending lots of our B&B guests there! Rick & Jackie own the quirky mill - Rick makes things with wood, willow & stuff. Jackie runs the tea room cum pizzeria (they have an outdoor pizza oven for summer evenings).  Hans Hideout. Rosie's Barn. We took Bebe on the nature trail... On which there is always something to see... There's a wasp's nest in this teapot... In the Teapot Archway... A day off

Oh what fun we have! Kay & Sime xx

For as long as we can remember, we have planned to live in a small place when the kidlets or at least the girls, had flown the nest.  We both loved the wooden houses we saw on road trips in the States, especially in Tennessee & on Long Island & have looked forward to clearing the majority of our stuff, downsizing & living simply for a long time.  A few years ago, we came across information about  The Tiny House Movement & as everyone who has stayed with us probably knows - we love to talk about it!  We still have a long way to go before we will be ready, but there is definitely a feeling that our dream is getting closer. Bebe moving in with us means the process may take a little longer, but in the meantime - we are enjoying doing the research & making plans... We rent an old 5 bedroomed farmhouse, in which 2 of those bedrooms, plus 2 store rooms, a shed & garage are practically bursting at the seams with junk... Stuff we've either not used for a

Stormy weather has arrived... So it's cold & blustery again. The windows & doors have been rattling since Friday night & we have the wood burner blazing away. Friday afternoon, we were able to skive off work & spent a lovely afternoon with Scarlet & J  (who were down here on holiday to celebrate their 30 anniversary). We met in The Lost Gardens Of Heligan restaurant & as always, the time whizzed by & we had spent nearly 4 hours chatting & laughing... We were there until closing time, but it was so nice to catch up & we're hoping they will return to Cornwall soon... :-) Anyway, this windy weather will no doubt cover Hemmick Beach in rubbish - we are trying to clear as much as possible as often as we can & the recycling guys are always happy to take any bits of plastic we find, which is great. On Wednesday, we remembered to take the camera, but forgot to take bags or boxes to collect stuff, but we did return on Thursday with bags &am

Time is flying by...  We can't believe that it's nearly 6 months since we left to pick up Bebe & she is for the main part, enjoying life. We do have the odd blip when she is quite low & agitated, when nothing we say makes a difference, but for the most part - she is fine. We have to remember that she can drift in & out of lucidity, one minute she seems so rational & on the ball, then the next she can be lost, insecure & child-like. We have discovered more & more  just how much Bebe can do & are realising that just like others with dementia, she is very good at pretending that she is still capable of doing certain things. It's not easy for her to accept help with her personal hygiene & she's at times desperately trying to cling on to her independence. We encourage her to do as much as possible for herself, but it is very sad to see just how much she has forgotten & equally it can be exciting when out of the blue, Bebe

Food is the focus of all our family get-togethers... Sime's lentil stew is just wonderful, as is his mash. He adds leeks or spring onions (fried in just a little soy sauce) to mashed potatoes, as well as chopped mint, black pepper, a blob of mustard & a splash of plant milk. Bebe doesn't eat much, but has always been happy to eat veggie/vegan dishes with us... Kay made  Chocolate Fudge Cake , using the juice & zest of 2 oranges & some creamed coconut in the icing...  It had been Ryan's Birthday & as we don't see Sal & Ryan very often now they live in Bristol - we wanted to make a fuss! We also visited Pizza Express in Truro, who now feature a vegan (if a little spicy) pizza on their menu... They are always willing to accommodate us & adapt any pizza... This one is their vegan version of Giardiniera... Without the cheese & pesto. For dessert - raspberry sorbet & coffee! Tired & hung