a farewell

... it's been a strange few weeks here at the follies and we are all feeling a little sombre.  The events of the last three weeks culminated in the funeral of my grandmother in Manchester which we were all able to attend.

It is amazing to think that we all knew someone who was born as World War I began, who was 14 before women in Britain gained voting rights on the same terms as men and we have been lucky to have her in our lives for so long.  Although I didn't see her very many times a year in recent years, just knowing that I can no longer talk to her does leave a feeling of emptiness.

I do have a few of my grandmothers belongings around the house and a some projects in mind as I have a number of her embroideries, but these will come later.  For now I am spending a lot of time thinking of the part she played in our lives.

the next generation

last weekend we had a family get-together as we all gathered in the charmingly named village of Giggleswick to celebrate a Folly cousin's wedding.

Many years ago I attended family weddings and it was those of the generation of my parents. More recently things moved on to my own generation of the family and my friends. This weekends wedding was the first that I have attended of the next generation.  The whole weekend seemed to go smoothly from our point of view. My sister-in-law and niece clearly put a lot of thought into their organisation. 

The wedding became not just part of the social scene but a time to reconnect with those family members we rarely see. 

The young Follies got to know more about their aunts and uncles and learn the family stories that always pop up at such events. They made new friends as they met cousins of cousins for the first time.  

Parents felt a sense of freedom as they knew there was always someone around to look out for the children. 

Equally the youngsters felt a blurring of rules as they roamed with confidence around the hotel or accompanied grandparents and other relatives at their tables.





A weekend was a perfect amount of time - hopefully the uncle and aunt hosting the six of us did not feel too overwhelmed and there was no time for anyone to get bored. 



A big thank you for inviting us all to share the day.  We all returned home with a warm glow which will be rekindled whenever we look at the photographs, I am sure.

A family recipe

Folly 3 has been busy creating with the written word. I think at school the children were given the task of writing a poem in the form of a recipe and so here is her recipe of our  family life.  I don't think anyone could describe families any better than this.

A family recipe

Add arguments and fights to strops and punishments.
Stir in some love and support.
Turn up the heat and add moods, tempers and leave for me time.
Then stir hard while adding laughter and fun.
Then leave to cool.

Note: Warning - if you leave for too long it will become boring and flavourless

Follies afloat

so whilst the rest of the country strategically places the sandbags and hopes the flood defences spring into action we follies join a boating group sailing across the solent for lunch!







This was the first time the family joined Mr Folly on a powerboat and let's just say the boy racer got the better of him!

We don't all have the wet weather gear as yet but by borrowing and using a tarpaulin we thought we might manage to keep dry. Not a bit!

We set off from Hamble just before 10am and arrived in Cowes an hour and 20 minutes later. It is the only time I have ever entered a pub to be asked whether I would like to have my clothes tumble dried. I can certainly recommend the service at The Folly Inn.





Unfortunately Folly 1 couldn't get the time off work and so was unable to join us, but the 3 Follies have been regaling her with tales of our adventure. 

Based on the family response to a wet day on the water I think there will be many more days afloat for the Follies.

back to routine

... or that is how it is supposed to feel as the new academic year begins and the 4 Follies and I start the autumn term.

Yet this year I struggle to get into a routine.

Perhaps that is because patterns have not yet been set neither in work nor at home -

• the eldest folly has begun her time at 6th form and is enjoying the more relaxed structure and inclusion of 'free's' into her timetable.
• the youngest folly has just returned from a school residential spent at Little Canada.  so home routines have been a little different.

Perhaps it is the warm and often sunny weather we have experienced here in the south (until today that is), making me reluctant to give up the freedom of the summer holidays.

Perhaps simply my reluctance to accept the passing of time, the moving through the seasons, as I prepare to apply to secondary school for my baby.

Or perhaps it simply is that I fool myself we are ever in any kind of routine here at yewtreefollies!

looking back

Looking through my photos, deciding which ones to use on the blog made me realise that we spent an exceedingly chilled out family Christmas.  As we are well and truly into 2012 I decided I needed to record the family moments before they slipped from all our minds.  Here are the much belated photo snippets of our family Christmas.

Christmas Eve always entails our family walk around New Alresford.  We even remembered bread for the ducks this year. The route we follow is very short but it is a walk we began when the children were toddlers and have maintained every year since. 

We stop off at Caracoli for hot chocolate, coffee and snacks.  The coffee shop has such a festive feel. It was a warm Christmas Eve - just look at those tables set outside.

The nativity scene close to the Christmas tree in the square is always made by children from the local primary school.

As dusk begins to fall it is time for the follies to make our way home.



Christmas Eve continued with a meal and charades and then it was time to put out the stockings, milk and mince pie for Santa - not forgetting the carrot for Rudolf.  Even though the youngest Folly is now 9 there is never any suggestion that we omit such traditions.  I have to admit that now the Follies are getting older the chance to stay in bed until 7.30am is very welcome, but even teenagers cannot contain their excitement longer than this.

The holidays seemed to roll on smoothly with lots of family time and leisurely activities.

It all seems such a long time ago now and already there seems to be spring in the air as Folly 4 and I noticed the snowdrops out on our walk.

Anyone for a cuppa

After 3 months the whole Folly family has become used to having the company of builders.  I have had to increase the milk delivery to cope with the number of cups of tea and 'builders biscuits' are regularly on the shopping list.  How handy too, for so many people to be around to take in the parcels and I can't begin to tell you how useful I find the skip on the driveway.

The rhythm of the day for Folly 4 has taken quite a different turn. When she wakes the first thing she asks is 'how many builders?'  Then, downstairs she makes the required amount of drinks.  After school the first thing she does is put the kettle on and again goes out to house how many cups of tea are needed. 

A change in rhythm has been forced upon Folly 1 and 3 as they have had to move out of their bedroom due to the removal of one wall.  Folly 3 has moved in with the parents and Folly 1 is now downstairs on the sofa bed. Both girls have adapted really well to the 'squash and squeeze' and the fact that their special belongings have been shared around all rooms of the house.

Of course the building works are not on schedule and we are not even halfway there yet so we await to see how long the spirit of adventure lasts!

Are you ready yet?

This is the question I hear whenever I venture out at this time of year.  And as I am an extremely disorganised person I am never ready, so I give a vague mumbly answer about 'IT' arriving whether or not we're ready. Then, I listen to the super organised person who asked the question tell me how they have been ready since the end of October, and you can guess how that makes me feel.

Yet the reason I delay is that I take pleasure in getting ready for Christmas in December. I like shopping as the nights draw in and the lights in the shops seem cheery and inviting. I enjoy meandering around the Christmas displays choosing presents and being so delighted when I spy just the thing.  Sometimes I make the posting deadlines and sometimes I don't, but either way friends near and far get a Christmas or at worse a New Years greeting.  We always put the tree up late, after the December birthday is out of the way and the birthday cards have been moved from the mantlepiece.

The advent calendar made at brownies.  Each numbered envelope contained a sweet and when turned over there was a letter to make up a famous Christmas saying.

The young Follies have been a great help this year and I have been able to delegate Christmas cake decoration and mince pie making.  They have enjoyed making paperchains and decorations in the weeks holiday from school.  We have an artificial Christmas tree due to allergies and asthma amongst many of the Follies, but this year there is not the space to put it up.  Yet it didn't feel right without the tree. So, yesterday 4 Follies and a Folly Friend made a dash to the DIY store where we found a blue tinsel tree and decorations all reduced. What fun choosing and colourmatching we had! 

The Christmas cake iced and decorated by Folly 3. It is the best decorated cake we have ever had!

And yes, the day before, the day before Christmas I am ready - and I think it is the earliest ever!
 

Local mistletoe bought just today from 2 young boys selling this from their garden in the village.



Holidays

Finally the school holidays reach Hampshire.  I think we are the last county in Britain to break up but hopefully it follows we will be the last county to return in September.

Usually our holidays begin with a period of readjustment amongst the follies as we all get used to being home together.  This means we have about two days of arguments and resolution finding until we find our places, strategies and routines for days at home.  This year, however, has been different as immediately the holidays began we had activities planned.

Thursday and Friday was a tennis course and I did feel I had planned things to happen too soon as I had to wake up the follies and organise a packed lunch for them on their first day of freedom from routine.

This weekend we all went our seperate ways:

• Mr Folly was off on a work trip to Ottawa Canada, although I am sure work will be punctuated with visits to our favourite haunts and friends from when we lived over there.
• Folly 3 ventured into the New Forest with her friend on a family camping trip.
• Follies 1 & 2 have been dropped off with grandparents in the Yorkshire Dales in preparation for a week long summer school in performing arts.
• Folly 4 and I visited the other set of grandparents and spent a night in their caravan in the Yorkshire Dales before returning home.

Next weekend we all gather together again and I will be curious to see whether the adjustment amongst family members will occur or whether the time for us to explore our own space and interests will obliterate this need.