Living in the forest

We live near a place called Mousehold Heath in Norwich.

Mousehold is pretty cool for walking in and especially cool now we have a dog - 10 minutes out of our door and you can pretend you're in the wilderness.  Or, as wild as it gets in Norfolk.  

I was walking home from work yesterday and arranged to meet Gav, his dad and Pepper on "our favourite walk".  I think it was a nice surprise for Pepper to meet me in the heath.  I wonder though, does she think that when I leave the house, I just wander the heath waiting for her to join me.  I bet she wishes she got to go to work, too.

 

Fortune cookies of the world

I spoke tonight with one of my favourite people.  Possibly the only person who could say to me, "even without the accent, I knew your voice...my beautiful Anne" without a hint of irony. It always makes me really happy to speak with Grandma and I know I should call her more, because I'm pretty sure it makes her happy too.

There's very little I would change in my world beyond distance.  I have been extremely lucky to have spent my life in all the places that I have and my friends are fortunate to be spread in all the far-flung corners of the world.  I know that if I was to ask for a couch in most places someone would be able to sort something out, and that's a really wonderful feeling. At the same time, the world is sometimes insurmountably big and we don't get to see the people we want to all the time so I know it's important to appreciate the phone calls and say 'hello' to the ones we love.  And the ones we just really like.  Not forgetting the people that make us laugh, or find different perspectives, or even just sometimes get our goat even though they mean well.


I wish my grandparents were closer, as I wish that I was closer to them (weather in Boulder today sounds glorious compared to Norwich).  I'm having a think about them and hope that you have a moment to be selfish too.  Pick up the phone, call someone you haven't for a while and put a smile on your face.

Grandma & Pa-Gordy on their wedding day.  Aren't they beautiful!

Nearly National...

Those who know me well will attest to my love of sports and running around a field filled with jolly hockeysticks and the like.  Or perhaps not.  Having said that, I have grown to appreciate the allure of sports since my days of standing in the rain (or, as I got older, "running" with Georgie and finding ourselves a piece of toast before heading back outside to and "look like we'd been active" by shaking water from the nearest tree onto ourselves in order to achieve that classic "rained on" look favoured by gym teachers).  In the past twelve months, I have been to see both an English and an American football game (Norwich and Denver each lost, so I am not a good luck token and should not venture to too many games in coming months) and if the opportunity for an ice hockey match should arise then I am there...love the fisticuffs.

Having said all that, I am very proud of my mother-in-law to be who very nearly became a national indoor bowls champion and proves that, despite what her son has sometimes said, second place is not first loser.   Well done Carol!!  Next time...

Published in the Ipswich Evening Star, 5 March 2011

 

Chilling

Tonight, my beloved is cooking chili for dinner.

I'm excited.











I am chilling out on the sofa, watching Masterchef and surfing the net.  A little bit of wine will be drunk and if we're lucky the blanket will come out.  Isn't it nice to look forward to the weekend?

Chilling.  The future.