Playing Catch Up, Part One: Slaving and Celebrating

The absence of recent posts on this blog could mean that life has been dull and I have had nothing to write about. It could mean that. But it doesn't. Things have been quiet on the blog because the last few weeks have been so crammed with activity that I haven't had time to blog at all.

So now things have quietened down a bit, I'll write a few instalments about what's been going on (and then I'll settle down with a nice cup of tea and catch up on all my favourite blogs...).

Just after my post on 'Change' things got really busy on the new kitchen. The units were delivered and stored in the garage and I busily prepared by cleaning and decorating so that T and I could install the units when he came for the weekend. T came on Saturday 24th January and stayed until Tuesday 27th, but despite us both working from early morning until 7-8pm at night, we only managed to complete about half of the installation before he had to go back to work. Even so, only half a new kitchen was a distinct improvement on the old dingy one, so I wasn't too disappointed not to get the job completely finished. T was good enough to leave me the kitchen in workable condition, which was just as well, as a wave of guests was about crash over the Moonroot homestead.

I spent all of Wednesday cleaning the house in preparation (how is it that any DIY job manages to fill the entire house with dust from top to bottom?), and on Wednesday afternoon my first two guests arrived: my brother Mike and my friend Ann. They had both come to help celebrate the 21st birthday of Ann's daughter Rachel (my Goddessdaughter), who is at University nearby.

We had originally planned to pick Rachel up the next morning (her actual birthday), but just as I began cooking dinner, Rachel rang to say she'd love to join us that evening instead. So I turned off the dinner and we decided that as the round trip would push the timing of the evening meal uncomfortably late, that we'd all hop in the car, pick up Rachel and have dinner out somewhere before returning home.

That was a great plan but unfortunately fate had other plans. Literally as we arrived at the University, my brother's car began making an unholy racket which sounded like very bad news. It was, and our return journey was made in the back of an RAC recovery truck.

The next morning after depositing my brother's car at a local garage, we carried on with the birthday celebrations which included a shopping trip, a very enjoyable meal out, cake and champagne - and a good time was had by all.

The following day we had a surprise up our sleeve for Rachel - her two best friends from back home in Essex were coming up to visit her. The surprise was kept secret until the last minute, but it also involved a lot of ferrying people around in my car - the poor thing must have been in shock after being crammed full of so many people and their luggage and then driven many miles up and down steep Welsh hillsides!

By Saturday morning, Rachel was back at Uni, and Ann was on her way home by train, but my poor brother was stranded at Halfway Up A Hill awaiting the repair of his car. In the meantime I had beds to strip and remake with fresh linen, sheets and towels to wash, shopping and tidying up to do ready for the next arrivals: my Mum and Dad, who were coming to house sit so I could go away for a break in Barcelona. And then it started to snow...