Sunday 15 September 2013

Day 257 - No wifi!

Apologies for the late post but the Wifi at the house is not working.  xx
Saturday 14th September

How long does it take to get to Hereford?  Too long would be the answer to that.  Giddy aunt the journey went on for ever but I was not relegated to the very back.  This was mainly because none of us could figure out how I was going to get over all the luggage to get in.  Then, once in, how would I ever get out?  I may never have got out.  So, I ended up in the middle seat with poor Max squashed in between two divas.  George managed to climb over the luggage and then I rather feel he had the best seat.  I found myself looking back wishing I could have got over the luggage.  One of my older children so needs to pass their driving test soon so that we might take two cars.  I can no longer drive on the mainland so it is time for a child to step up. 

The bonus of the day was the cloud watching though and they were particularly spectacular.  I am currently quite obsessed with skys and they rarely disappoint.  This morning we were all up so early that I managed to capture this beautiful sunrise.  Mother Nature at her most stunning and a joy to behold to start the day. 
 

I had another joy waiting for me in my inbox when I woke up but I am keeping that one to myself until the launch of one soul many hearts.  I may have overstated the waking up bit though because I didn't actually sleep last night.  The nights are so long when sleep is beyond me and we are slightly concerned that the pain killers are not always working now.  It is the strongest pain relief that I can be on as I am allergic to morphine.  Two fiends have made very timely interventions though by suggesting alternative strategies that I have not, as yet, explored so we are not beyond hope.  We will never be beyond hope. 

Even squashed into one car I do love time when we are all together.  Molly returns to university next Saturday and is more than ready to Begin her final year.  We shall have to make the most of our time with her this week.  Harry is usually either working, out with his friends, training or sleeping so family interaction is scarce.  We are a tight family though and all enjoy these times that we make for each other.  Of course, I have had to leave my beautiful cat at home but we had better not dwell on that.  A dear friend is house sitting for us and that has made a huge difference as we can leave secure in the knowledge that the animals will be well cared for. 

I have brought a new embroidery to begin when on holiday as I find sewing so relaxing.  I am a member of a small group of ladies who support each other through the ups and downs of life so I want to sew a piece dedicated to them.  I know all of the women in the group so I am using the journey to think through design ideas for individual motifs that first their personality.  It has been a while since any new work entered my studio so this will be a good thing to do.  I am acutely aware that on my return my sabbatical is officially over and I will be constantly torn between my writing work and crafts for Christmas.  Writing this blog every day for the year seems to have made the pace of time more acute and I can not believe that we are heading towards Christmas once more.  Christmas is a big deal for our family.  I am at my busiest and that means it is all hands on deck to get all the crafts ready for the christmas sales.  Beyond that Christmas is such an important family time.  Every year we make a new range of handcrafted presents for special people in our lives and we also make a lot of our decorations.  Then there is all the baking and so the list goes on.  It is a time when we call come together and work side by side in both business and family pursuits and, I think, that has come to define us as a family.  We work very well together. 

This year we are adding in the new dimension of introducing our own willow to our gift collection so there are some hasty sessions to fit in in order to practice the new skills.  It will be next year before we have even a half decent crop but what we coppice this year will be used for small natural decorations.  I once did a wedding where the theme was willow and it was probably one of my favourite weddings of all time.  The simplicity of it was quite mesmerising and we managed to twist the willow into a lovely collection of shapes that became the highlight for the decor.  I have not worked with willow for quite some time so it will be liberating to return to this most rewarding of crafts. 

I have so enjoyed my sabbatical and I have kept some careful notes about the experience.  I would like to create a sabbatical manifesto that takes account of lots of different ways of taking a sabbatical.  Underpinning all, though, is the determination not to take on anything new in that time.  This is easier said than done, especially if your work is freelance.  However, I believe I have been more productive as a result of my sabbatical and it has helped to clarify options for the future.  I think we should all be entitled to a sabbatical every now and then and the idea of a manifesto is for people to pledge their support for it and take the ideas into their own workplaces and lives in general.  I see a sabbatical as an investment in the rest of the year and I have now managed to erase all thoughts of sabbaticals as I once knew them in my academic life.  These were not often well managed and I grew slightly resentful of them.  My sabbatical model should allow individuals to create their own sabbatical experience and I think that is important in a diverse world. 

So as I head to Hereford and Ross-on-Wye I am determined to play in the forests, take long walks and spend time with my lovely family.  There will be time enough for the rest of it on my return. 

Until tomorrow. Xx

 

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