Wednesday 27 June 2012

bloody wood

first of all i feel i should put it out there that i love my husband and he has done an amazing job trying to figure this all out and make it work. he is a super star. today though i nearly rang his neck, when i thought we were spending quite a bit on wood only to discover we had bought far to little. i sat in the van and cried down the phone to my mum. having had some stewing time with some paper, a pen and a calculator (and a large glass of wine) i have come to the conclusion that -  

a) money spent on floor is money well spent
b) working out how much rectangular wood you need to make a circle is bloody difficult and 
c) papajoe did his best, the man who worked at the wood place was obviously a wally and this is about moving forward and making the best of whatever we've got! 

with that in mind, tomorrow we will get up early, go buy some more wood and then rush over there to build a floor. we have after all, in case you haven't heard, bought a yurt! that involved quite a bewildered cashier and a very large envelope. when i went to deposit the cash i very briefly entertained the idea of just legging it but was distracted by the lady ahead of me in the queue with not only odd socks but odd shoes!!!  

so after a whole lot of hoo-ha and changing of minds the plan goes... tomorrow build a floor, friday pick up and build a yurt, saturday, if not dead from exhaustion, empty storage keep some stuff but mainly fill nearer storage and sunday start living in a yurt!! 

Tuesday 26 June 2012

we belong

as our travelling comes to an end i wanted to share a little song with you. it is baby's total favourite, it always stops him from screaming when he is cross in the van and although we all now know the words inside out and upside down it will forever remind me of this part of our lives.


hope you enjoy it! 
X

Wednesday 20 June 2012

a good name

in all my excitement i completely neglected to mention our mid week move..

after spending two nights in fairyland, having a small flood, doll building a fairy house and some embarrassed looking school children hiding from us behind trees, we decided we needed to find a more secluded spot.

fairyland is a clearing of grass in the woodland. it has a fire pit at either end and lots of paths in and out of the wood and dell. it is beautiful but it is in constant use. we didn't especially mind the kids running to and fro and enjoying the space but they did seem to mind us, we felt in the way.

when we had been on our day trip it was suggested that behind the straw bale building might be potential spot. i had, if i'm honest, written this off completely. it doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it? but as we started to get used to the place we began to look at it in quite a new light.  

the building is surrounded in grass, a herb garden, a few other flower beds, a living willow play house and another built with sticks and straw all of it enclosed by a living willow fence. it is tucked away without being hidden. there is plenty of space for us to live and play without being in the way of the other groups using the site.

so it is settled.. we will live a short walk from fairyland and we will come up with a good name for our little corner.


Monday 18 June 2012

a home at last?

aaahhh i don't really know where to start.. i am so excited i can't stay on my seat.. i keep jumping up and down and screaming.

we have somewhere to live.. somewhere so amazing and exciting that i can't really believe that they want us.

we thought originally we would set up in fairyland and it was great there.. the bell tent looked beautiful surrounded by woodland and willow and with fairy lights all round the entrance but it just wasn't practical. really it was a thoroughfare and we felt in the way of the school party that were staying in the main hall. plus the power line i had failed to notice before with the huge "danger of death" sign was slightly off putting.

hang on rewind... where had i got to? we had done a day trip and fallen in love with the place, we had arranged to go back and camp for a week or so. i had a sulky week in ipswich whingeing and waiting.

so.. this wonderful place is actually an education centre of sorts.. there is a main hall that sleeps around fifty, there is a meditation space and a arts and crafts building. there is a straw bale barn, a tree house, it is surrounded by woodlands and meadow. the education team work with kids from nursery age right the way through.. while we were there they were doing the wizard of oz with a group of forty four year olds (thats small kids not middle aged people) .. next week they will be doing earth watch. it is all outdoors, hands on, amazing fiery excitement.

we went to stay for five warmish but rainy nights.. and apart from a small tent flood it was amazing. we got better acquainted with the education and hospitality teams. i did some volunteering in the kitchen and papajoe plaited willow hedges and did some weeding. the kids stripped naked and ran and rolled and splashed in mud. 

at the thought of two more torrential nights and potential floods we disappointingly left early but we are in the south west preparing to go back and this time with our home!

not only are they offering us a space to to put our yurt but a building we could use to run a home ed group and a steiner inspired parent and toddler group. they are completely on board with papajoe building a composting loo and we would have space to grow things and keep animals. we get to help out and be involved in a group of people doing something so fantastic for the local community and even wider.

it is a beautiful and inspiring place just to hang out and i get to bring up my family right in the middle of it!



Wednesday 6 June 2012

a post in pictures


our journey so far.... 
                                     



                                                                      
            








         











                                                


   


    





Tuesday 5 June 2012

glum

the last few days have been long and slow. my head and my body are tired. each morning when i first open my eyes i want to close them again. maybe if i sleep the day away, tomorrow i will feel better.

it started just before we left the cottage. getting ready to pack everything back into the van filled me with dread, and the reality was no better. i was emotional and exhausted, shouting at the kids when they got under my feet. they feel it too. doll begged not to leave, even though we have come to grandma and stevie, one of our favourite spots. the twelve days we were still passed so fast and we were leaving them behind with no concrete plan for the next ten.   

jubilee sunday was wet and grey much like i feel. we went into christchurch park to cheer ourselves up but the fair and the stalls were deserted. the town was not much better, soaking wet cut outs of the queen and dripping bunting but empty of life. in felixstowe we hid from the rain under the pier and ate chips. the children ran in and out of the splashing waves. i long to be carefree and paddle in the sea.

monday afternoon the sun was shining, i felt i should step back out into the park and join my family, see their smiling faces as they listen to the bagpipes and watch the parade. once i do, once i walk with the sun on my face i feel the fog starting to lift.

today, the last day of the bank holiday, we are going back to beach. come rain or shine we will drink hot tea and eat sandwiches in the pink hut. tomorrow everyone will return to work and i am still not sure where we will go.

it can not be for much longer now, i am ready to go home.. wherever home may be...