the inside

Great weekend, which inspite of various levels of illness, was spent down at the caravan...

We enjoyed the sunshine down at Itchenor, my nose slightly more than I meant it too... played footie, ate lunch and once again took part in championship crabbing. For us in the know, high level crabbing is achieved through the usual crabbing line, net and bucket but with the savvy addition of squid as your bait! The gang of boys, Alfie, Charlie, Paddy and Felix see off all comers as they dangle their seemingly innocent crablines into the crab pool at the Witterings - but whilst other children pick up one or two tiddlers with their promise of mouldy old bacon - the boys have a field day, tugging up the biggest, meanest crabs around and in some cases up to five bold crustacean all holding on to one piece of squid. Clare and I always give in in the end and share our secret...offering squid to every other child around to join in the fun, but not until we have stood proudly watching everyone else try and work out what special 'crab magic' our children must weave!

So for my crab baiting friend...the inside of the shed!

Enough of the outside - let's see where we really live...

Well, our well appointed shed is rather like a big caravan...

We have one big family room slash kitchen where we spend all of our time, warmed by the wood burner that I still struggle to light when I am on my own. There is no other heating in the shed beyond the fire, but we have found that we don't need anything else - even when it is minus something outside and raining. Jeff ripped out what was here before and has put in a new kitchen which rather incongruously in a shed has very posh appliances - the plan being the cooker etc stay in the new building - so why not buy them now.

Ablutions are carried out in the bathroom - which alongside the loo and bath houses a washing machine, tumble drier and washer drier (always so much washing!). The dogs have a bed in what was the old hallway, but which now houses the wood for the wood burner, coats, shoes, computer and the rustiest old water tank you have ever seen.

The final part of my living jigsaw is the bedroom. One only - we are all in together - the boys beds at the foot of Jeff's and mine.

Charlie thought he would take you on a tour of the palace...and I hope you like the photos...

I asked the boys what they liked about living here. Alfie said - the river we can dangle our feet in..Charlie said - transformers can land in our garden...so good all round!

happy, red nosed and relaxed...

ear, ear

I have just sat outside the front of the house, a place, recently, I have ceased to venture and here for your delictation is a list of what we have out there: a chicken feeder, a 1980's moped, an outboard motor, the shell of a caravan, a water tank, some corrugated iron, a loo and a massive pile of tarmac...

now you know why I don't go there...

Been a funny old weekend. All of our plans and high jinks have been scuppered by poor old Jeff's ear. He has the most awful ear infection and is now on his third visit to A & E. He has been given massive donkey drops of antibiotic and pain killers but nothing is touching it. We are now sat eagerly by the phone waiting to see if he can see an ENT person tonight. Poor thing is really struggling and has spent most of the weekend in bed.

Jack had his own trauma this week too. Jeff and John have spent the week putting in our beautiful metal fence along the river top. It looks brilliant and makes me think I am going to be shrieked at by Mr Kemp (my old headmaster) for 'going out of bounds' and 'causing a disgrace' if I venture over the top and over the line! It looks like it has been there for ever and makes the whole wooded area feel safer as the boys would have to climb through or over to get down to the river's edge now.

Poor old Jack got stuck... He was down by the river's edge helping along with the fencing as the brute force, and the mud all became too much for him - he is 50. Stuck in reverse gear he had to spend the night by the water until the neighbour arrived with his own ancient massey ferguson and pulled him out teaching us along the way how to pop an old boy of a tractor out of gear.

I have spent most of today in the woods, the sun has been shining and I cannot resist the call of the trees. Accompaning the bluebells I now have really pretty little while daisy like flowers (not been on shootgardening to identify them yet)..and the most amazing amount of midges! You come out of the woods looking like Pigpen from Peanuts with the midges this time buzzing overhead - have to find a cunning plan for the summer.

I have been bonding with Dottie and Henry through the power of stick throwing. Dottie is a strange little thing and chases the sticks and then hides them behind a particular tree at the bottom of the wood. I went to steal some sticky things back for the fun and games and she had a hoard of 21 of them. If we ever need kindling for the fire - I know where to go..

Dad's birthday is on the horizon and I am thinking about him quite a bit. I suppose this is it forever now - certain occassions will always make me miss him? I love it when I see him in the boys though - they always makes me smile...

One more look out of the front door and I spy...

a water pump, a coal skuttle, a set of metal cupboards, a 1970's rocking horse and an old fishing rod...the Generation Game for 21st century. Jeffer's has the chin!!!

All happy (J just gone to another hospital so him too I hope)

moo

Ok, about 2 hours ago I was standing at the edge of the river trying to calls the cows on the opposite bank down to me so I could show you a picture. I whistled and then mooed and mooed louder, unbelievably, it was working... then a pheasant squawked and away they ran...not going mad honestly...just excited! Who would have thought cows were scared of birds!

I am home alone tonight as the boys and jeffers are down at the caravan living the life of riley.

The weekend began on Thursday for us, the 'baby' turned 5! We had presents and singing before I set off for work and Charlie was beyond excitement at his nylon yellow dressing up outfit - he is now Bumblebee personified! I dutifully went to work, but inspiration overtook me at 7.30 at night when, on the way home, I discovered that with only 4 more stops I could be in Chichester and therefore the caravan with the lads! Got there on the wings of impetuosity at 9.30pm! It was worth the look on Jeffers face when I jumped out of a cab in my work regalia - unexpected and a bit over excited! (me not him!)

We have been down at Bella Belvadere (the van) for the past couple of days since, and I have come home to iron school clothes ready for their return on Tuesday- the pile is winking at me from the table...

Itchenor was gorgeous, we walked the dogs to The Ship with the boys and their gang of friends cycling on ahead...they love it there, surrounded by their friends and with an element of freedom that we cannot give them at home.

I came home and was so excited to see the garden again. It really is something in the sun. The other night I came home and thought 'why is Jeffers walking around by the river at his time?' When my eyes finally adjusted to the distance I realised that it was cows at the bottom of the garden. They were here again tonight and hence my need to photograph them for poserity.

I double checked with Jeff twice before I left Bella about how to light the fire...oh..it sounds so easy when you know how. 1 hour after coming home, having lit and blown and lit again...I became really rather 'female' and called for help. No, I am not a fire-starter, but I now know someone who is...Simon. He walked in, scrunched up some paper, lit it and now I have a roaring fire.

The bluebells are here! I have a blue line through the woods...Jeffers has also begun putting in the iron fencing along the bank so there will be a line beyond which the boys cannot go. There will be gates in the fencing, but it is very reassuring that they and their friend won't find an easy way down to the river.

Alf has spent 5 months saving up for a DS Lite. On Friday he got there and down to Tescos we marched. Having bought the ninetendo, the boys asked if they could have tea in the shop cafe. But of course! we chose cheese and ham sandwiches and a plate of chips. Sitting down to eat, the boys tasted their first ever chip butty - stuffing chips into the sarnies with flair. Alfie announced that he had never been to such a great restaurant and that when he was 18 this would be his restaurant of choice - he would even concider holding his 18th birthday there - so fabulous was it!

All sunny, happy and mooing at cows

A weekend of 2 halves

I have read my notes through recently and have thought that I have become slightly weather obsessed living here...but this weekend it has been all about the elements.

Friday was glorious...bright blue skies and a big yellow sun...At 8am I was outside sitting by the river having a cup of coffee thinking that life was so wonderful and that everyone should live like this. Jeff I and the boys spent the rest of the day outside and I even dangled my feet in the river - first time! I nearly slide down the rather muddy bank into the water and the smell of the garlic was high. The beef stew mum mentioned...The water was cold and refreshing, but I think I am going to be a bit squeamish about swimming in there amongst the fishes as is Jeff's plan for the summer.

Heath Robinson moment struck at 5pm!

Jeff and I had been talking about a barbeque all day and on returning from the shops I saw what he had in mind. Jack has a new job.

Jack was driven half way down the garden with a home made oven in his bucket. Jeffers lit the fires under 2 brick built cooking areas and away we went. Hamburgers and sausages from our very own tractor. We stayed out until 8 and then the chill finally got to us and in we went. What a happy day though.

Saturday. Jack showed me 'what for'!

I was not feeling too tip top - a bit out of it really. I was about to take the boys out to bet on the National and have a pizza whilst trying to answer Alfie's questionning about what happen to Shergar...when I drove the car straight into Jack and his bucket. Instead of remaining calm I then drove as fast as I could forward and took the whole rear bumper off. 1/2 a hour later and Jeffers' dab hand a forcing the bumper back, on broken back light and bumper held on with insultaing tape and me with a very small little voice shouting 'jeffers, jeffers'

At 3.45 into the betting shop I went. Jeff and I sneaked into a pub whilst other parents minded the children and did not win!

Woke up this morning to a white covered garden. I could not believe we had been lying in the sun 2 days ago. We wrapped our hands in socks and plastic bags and made for the powder! I began work on the snow man ably aided by Alfie and Chas. Having finished this little man, work began again in earnest this time on a snow boy and dog...

At 11am - the power cut out! No electricity.

We spent the day the 'old fashioned' way - reading, listening to the radio and for poor old Alfie generally getting very bored. If you are going to have a power cut though have one with a wood burner in the house. We were warm, ate a proper breakfast cooked on the top of the burner and had hot water for teas to our hearts content.

After 5 hours the power came back on...and with it the noise. Jeff and I have thought about having a 'parent made' power cut once a week...

Now we are having sunday lunch and I am about to ice 16 fairy cakes (but that's another story!)