December again

Time for an end-of-year update, for all of you hurrying here, having seen the URL in your Christmas card.....

The sad truth is that the second half of 2008 has been in some ways a rather testing and frustrating period.

We had set ourselves the objective of getting a roof on no 6 by the onset of this winter (which implied also some masonry work on the shell, and a working first floor). But once I got back into working harness after Bruges, we probably, literally, never had more than 2 consecutive fine days right through into September.

The disappointment of our hopes in this respect was also in part contributed to by an extraordinary series of events involving our (and Mum's) neighbour who lives immediately above no. 6. At the end of July ( it was pretty much datable) there was a marked change in his behaviour, yes, towards us, but also towards the whole locality. Things were at their most difficult in late August and early September ( I felt I needed to sleep in Mum's house each night for a period of around three weeks ) until he was eventually taken off to hospital, where he remains.

Just as that was all passing astern, Nina's 1st-cousin-once-removed Barbara (sister of Nina's godfather, who since his death describes herself as Nina's godmother) had a minor stroke, and has spent most of the autumn in a residential home. Nina has been much up and down to Gosport, putting together an infrastructure of care and modifications to Barbara's house which last week enabled Barbara to go home.

However, there have been some bright spots, too.

Emily, Ben. Leo and Angharad (and Bonzo) came home from Australia early in October. They are now back in their old home in Guildford, and Ben is working for Microsoft. We've both spent time down there, me 'building' and Nina 'being Granny', and we're looking forward to seeing a lot more of them, and of Jenny and Alex, at some stage over the year-end holiday.

At half-term, Lesley and David were down here in Wales, and viewed a house in Godre 'r' graig, just about within walking distance of Clees Lane, and finally came out best in a fairly extended 'auction'. The transition from Linton seems likely to be a matter of years rather than months, but hopefully will start soon.

So, are we down-hearted ? Well, not for long. My reaction to such pressures is often to find a way of striking off in a new direction, and this time it has taken the form of finding myself a music teacher to help me develop aspects of my keyboard playing - improve memory- and by-ear- work, and improvisation, both in terms of baroque figured bass, and jazz. Early days yet, but very exciting so far. Nina is fairly forbearing.......

I close by repeating our urgings / invitation of a year ago - see Cymru am bydd (below) ! A few of you have been..........We must surely be due for a good summer next year ? (!) But you don't have to wait that long - just phone or email us any time.

P.S. The snooker table has become a crucial element of our domesticity. There has been barely a day all year ( when we have both been here ) when we haven't had at least one frame. We have improved quite markedly - we even have 'breaks' now !