Forever Autumn Forever Crepey

[cremolafoam]

The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,
and darker days are drawing near,
the winter winds will be much colder,
now you're not here.
I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
and one by one they disappear
I wish that I was flying with them,
now you're not here

THings, not rings…..

Aww Crem, be brave. But I understand how scary it must be.

Here at Chateau Cointreau I am contemplating having a sort-out of the loft. I can't actually put away my summer clothes because the loft is bursting with last summer's. And the summer before that's. And there's an iron in there somewhere which hasn't been seen for five years, which I now need. DH, predictably, isn't keen to assist.

Awww Cremo It sounds like shes feeling good and confident atm, which is fabby. But I totally get how you must feel and know I will be the same if DD goes off in 3 or 4 years. Its OK to blub and worry as long as it doesnt take over your life, isn't it? Big hugs!

DH and I are on the train and have already had a moaning call from DD ti do with FIL and DS picking/not picking her up from gym in our car (FIL was a bit nervous...) And I couldnt care less

Thanks crepeys

We're having such a tense day here (dd goes tomorrow), both she and I completely on edge, dh and ds cowering. But at last the packing is done, and dd getting ready to go out to see friends. Crem, thinking of you, glad dd throwing herself into it.

Links arms with Lalsy
( crepeys for Solidaity)

Gosh Lalsy - hugs to you too. DD thinks we ought to be buying lots more but I reckon we can have a massive session at Tesco when we get there. I don't need to bring potato peelers from France (not that she ever peels anything). She also wants an Italian pasta pot with incorporated strainer - something we haven't got at home. I think she has ideas above her station.

CV - I know what you mean about the attic - we have spent much of the last week up there - it is full of random junk that we cannot fit anywhere else in the house - including DD2's Twilight trilogy which she is keeping for her own children to read.

DH has taken DD1 out to a very secluded road to try driving. I foresee trouble.

Hattie, she can get a pasta pot for about £30 from Sainsbury's. Having said that, they divide people - I love ours (I got it a couple of years ago? DP hates it.

My mum also wants me to go to India - not in a self-sacrificing way, in an "I can't go myself so I'd like you to go" way.

MI - reckon she can have a normal pot and a colander for less than that.

Your Mum sounds like she's taking it on the chin. I think the India trip would be great if you can do it "a change is as good as a rest" and all that.

True, Hattie: proper pasta pots are fab but perhaps only for proper old people

CV my DH runs screaming for the hills if I have any plans to turn out anything, He is a hoarder, I am a thrower outer. I do take some kind of sadistic pleasure in waving bin liners around and watching him twitch.
Tilly that's the ticket!!! Enjoy your trip and don't worry about the DCs
Lalsy Crem and hatty Good luck with it all. If it makes you feel any better, DSis and DBil were due to take DNeph to his hall in the city (he's about to start medicine at a London Teaching Hospital). They had arranged to leave at 2pm, car loaded etc and DNeph DIDN'T TURN UP!!!Not answering phone etc….He's been away camping in a Yurt with friends. I don't know whether he overslept, or was hung over or something but I got a terse text from DSis at 3.30 to say they were now expecting him in half an hour….
MI never mind, you have her blessing.
Reasonable day here…very unusual for a Saturday chez nous. Homework is on track (there so much of it we've done a time table for DD), pleasant visit to DParents for tea. DDad on better form than of late…quite with it, actually and joining in conversation. Still it does all stress me out…going there. But DS2 is playing something gorgeous on the piano…I think it's 'The Wizard and and I" from Wicked. It has a beautiful accompaniment and is soothing my soul.

Had a draining day at the hospice in Hampstead and have now sent DH out for wine. Met one of my cousins I hadn't seen since he was a child - he's now 39.

Sympathies, MrsS. I hope you got your wine.

Here, no loft clearing was done. We went to Ikea on a bathroom reconnaissance mission. But of course came home with a bagful of candles and kitchen implements.

Goodbyes said this morning . I did have a proper wail last night. Dd went off texting a new friend , and barely looked back.

On road to ferry. Feeling numb, but hopeful.

Aww crem. I do feel for you. The very thought makes me want to wail too.

I have a catastrophic hangover from dinner with friends last night. And not sure why - I didn't drink THAT much last night.

< tots up > let's see. There were six of us, one bottle white, three red, one Prosecco, and a few beer. Hmmm.... It's beginning to make sense now.

I have to play my bassoon in a church service later on. Not looking forward.

Much strength to you, Cremo.

I am trying to gear up to do some cooking (see whinges passim about tedious food) and arbitrating an idiotic row about glue sticks and art homework. I am 51 and fully educated to postgraduate level. I do not want to waste headspace arguing about sodding glue sticks. Bet all my Oxford contemporaries who spend their weekends wondering how to arrange their glittering literary awards on the mantelpiece don't argue about glue sticks.

Herbs, don't do the maths. Just don't.

Oh Crem, how sad for you . Whilst it's not easy for us as parents, we want them to be excited about their new friends really and looking forward, not back. Must hurt like hell though. How do young people keep in touch with their parents now? I had a weekly call to mine from a college phonebox (outside the bar in a kind of tardis, so both private and convenient ). Do you skype / text / email? Can you text her tonight to see how she is doing? Hope you have a gentle day planned. Thinking of you.

Lalsy, is your DD off today too? Thinking of you and hoping it is calm for you all.

Herbs, it's odd, isn't it, how sometimes you can booze to the hills and feel fine, and yet other times just a couple make you feel rank. Sympathies. Have you had a greasy breakfast? Bacon and eggs will sort you out (apologies if you are veg / a non bacon eater).

MI, we argue about all manner of trivial stuff here too. Principally piano practice at the moment - your girls are musical I think? Do you have any tips for getting them to practise? I offer the Ipad carrot but it's not washing with DD1 who is point blank refusing. I have suggested she stop but neither she nor I really want this.

MrsS, that sounds like a very difficult day. Hope you had your wine. Thinking of you.

I will try to catch up properly later but must go now as we have people for lunch. Hope all crepeys well and crepey children behaving.

I could have murdered bacon and eggs. But sadly we had no bacon. And only one egg. Now feel I may live, but so looking forward to going to bed already.

Have to fill in all the school-moving forms and write letter to current head this evening...

MI is that why my ( Cambridge educated ) DH leaves all the petty home work arguments to me? Someone's gotta do it.
crem hopeful is good. This is looking optimistic despite the separation angst. Xx
monty DS1 stayed in touch via text and fb. When I was at uni we had a rota to man the phone booths in our hall and loudspeaker messages went out " room 21 you have a call in the centre booth" or such like!
Ds2 started practising piano when he wanted to impress the music staff at school but this wasnt until he decided to do GCSE music. He just winged it through the grades not very well otherwise. But he does play well....
Am now going to buy cheese and tomato purée for DDs food tech lesson tomorrow. Oh the excitement.

Anyone who spends their weekends fussing about the arrangement of anything at all on their mantelpiece needs to get out more. I think I'd prefer an argument about glue sticks, meself. And the state of my mantelpiece is testament to this.

Music practice. Grrrrrr. Just had yet another discussion with dh about whether to continue paying for piano lessons for ds. He is reasonably good as he is pretty musical, but cannot be in the slightest bit arsed with practice. I don't think we are in a financial position to let him carry on just because he likes lessons. Dd had a lot fewer lessons than he has had and at his age was very keen on playing all the time and thus progressed much faster than he has. She got disaffected when she was doing grades and then went off the boil and, after a year of no practice and umpteen warnings, I stopped paying for her lessons. Ds has had a lot more spent on his musical education, but has never really shown any great enthusiasm except when he gets to perform. I feel bad about saying to them that music lessons are a luxury and if they don't appreciate them, then they're not going to happen any more, but it's the truth.

Our mantelpieces are chaos. And don't ask me about music practice - at the moment we are conveniently without instruments (given back to local authority at the end of primary, not sure what we'll get now) so it is not an issue...

We were going to go for wholesome walk but have suggested all crashing in front of the last of Buffy instead. I am still wiped after last week. DP wiped after formal farewell to the job he's been in for 10 years (is on a secondment till next June and then who knows ). I made nice lunch (dauphinois potatoes, puy lentils, salad, lamb steaks for DP and me) and am drinking red wine.

Just deleted a bit of a rant. DD's behaviour v disappointing but I suspect I've got it a bit out of proportion. Upsetting phone call re ill sister this morning. Seems I can't think or talk about her without falling into pit of despair.

Off to see a friend and calm down.

Oh Auriga, you poor thing. So sorry you're having a rotten time of it.

MI that lunch sounds gorgeous.
I am daintily eating a watercress and semi dried tom salad in the queue for the boat.
Relaxing and recuperating Sunday to one and all

Cremo, glad to hear you are eating daintily! Hope you are well-equipped with tissues Lalsy

Auriga, sympathies.

MI, lunch sounds lush

We are home again after 50th #2. Another fabby night with our BFF's and although I consumed both my and DH's cocktails (nephew and bf were on the bar) as he was on the beers, plus copious amounts of prosecco, I didn't have a hangover. Plus I did LOTS of dancing to burn off the curry I snarfed down Am feeling a little tired now and I predict an early night...