Monday 28 April 2014

#Once upon a time - 365 Days

Once upon a time .....


One day, only a week a go, we all squeezed inside the long blue van, Younger Dad, Little A and I. It was a long long van, plenty of room for the brand new double mattress and away-away bags in the back, even space for monkey and doggy. A very used van; rust on the hubcaps, a small dent on the bonnet, scratches along the side of the sliding door. Witches fingernails? Or dragon's claws? Probably a swipe from a bony branch along a narrow bramble-lined road. 'It's so high up,' said Little A. It was fun with a view, even if my hips were compromised, wedged between the inflexible bookends of a child seat and door. Younger Dad drove. I read. 'Can I watch Frozen on the ipad?' a little voice asked. We were on our way to Norfolk, to Granny's; to accost the Easter bunny, to reload the van with a veritable cardboard city of Younger Dad's history, perhaps also a pin ball machine, a proper one with lights and things that go ping. And where exactly was it going to go? Next to the dining table? In the shed?...... Younger Dad pulled over, time to eat, asserted the weight of the rented vehicle, parked in a diagonal across two spaces; no messin' our family of three...

And the irony wasn't lost. A year ago, box upon box stacked ceiling-high in the living room, sucking the oxygen from the air, blocking the light from the sash windows. Dry. It made my mouth dry. And dust. In hair, on scalp, in the grooves of my palms. Masking tape stuck on the carpet, on lips, along the skirting boards. The big big move. Away from London, but not quite, still zone seven, in the north west ring of the Home Counties. Far enough from the urban cry of sirens, close enough for a curry in Brick Lane or a trip to the zoo. The best decision ever made.

The hob didn't work, the fridge broke down, there were ants and leaks and damp. A garden choked in weeds. And we loved every minute of it, even if it was the coldest spring, and half the new living room was for months an unpacked tower(s) of books and records and unnecessary jetsam. Little A began a wonderful pre-school, will begin the primary school six doors down the road this September - a sky blue uniform, a brand new adventure - with her favourite friends and cousins. So good living near family now, for a cup of tea, a chat and a shoulder; a palpable belonging. I pulled out the dandelions and the creeping buttercups, replaced them with lavender and snapdragons, terracotta pots and ornaments. A garden to sit in, feel proud of, the hollow curlink-curlink sounds of the wooden wind chime hanging from the arm of the silver birch. I wrote. A lot. Pounded through the first draft of a novel, tapping away at the window table of the bestest local cafe ever - like evoooor - eating slice after slice after slice of cake. We have celebrated birthdays, held parties, and relaxed in the warm fuzz of a lazy first Christmas. Now we have ambitious plans; to extend outwards, to build upwards, to make our mark, to stamp the interior in the colour of three different personalities; to make our house a family home. And here I am. Calm(er) and quiet. Myself.

The pinball machine never made it, beyond repair. Never mind eh? But many boxes did, arranged against the living room wall. Piles and piles of old music and technology magazines. A twenty five year old computer. Degree course work. The milestones of Younger Dad's life. When we arrived back from Norfolk, a cloud burst had deepened the colour in the garden; pea green grass and roaring pink clematis, like the rich fondant centre of a strawberry chocolate. Is this what shamans see? Home. Home. Home...


Once Upon A Time



32 comments:

  1. Gosh I can't believe it's a year already! You sound so blissfully happy, Your writing is increasingly beautiful xxx

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    1. I know! hasn't it gone so quickly...... and certainly a lot happier. And thank you. X

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  2. This is a beautiful piece of writing OM. I just love the way you craft something so lovely out of the simple things in life. Thrilled that you have found your 'home' and feel settled and I agree with you - must be lovely for Little A to be going to school with her cousins :)

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    1. Thank you very much lovely. It was a great weekend.... and it's great living here, certainly the best move we ever made, and I can't tell you how pleased I am that Little A is off to school with her cousins. :o).

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  3. Lovely stuff... I am jealous of your "belonging" and the sense of home! :) PS. glad for your sake that the pinball machine didn't make it too! xx

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    1. Thank you very much.... well I am rather jealous of your sense of adventure and wanderlust. I'm glad it didn't make it too! X

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  4. Ah home...I sure hope to find that place that gives me that inner peace. I love your writing as always and so glad you wrote that book! No pinball machine!?! I'm sure you are inwardly smiling.

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    1. I hope you find that home too; it made a big difference to all of us when we took the plunge. Thank you, and getting there with the novel. Totally smiling the pin ball machine never made it!

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  5. I can't believe it has been a year. I remember when you were getting ready to move xx beautiful writing as always!

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    1. I know! It's flown.... I remember all that too, and it was so stressful at the time. Thank you!

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  6. It definitely sounds like you've found home in the truest sense, home with a capital H perhaps!

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    1. Yes, it was a good move.... and getting closer towards home too, defo a capital H!

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  7. Love reading about your adventures. A big one about to start for Little A.
    Your home sounds like a wonderful place to live in. :) xx

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    1. Thank you! Yes, a big one for Little A this September, and home is good :o) X.

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  8. I remember your move, quite nostalgic now. Hope your road trip is/was a lot of fun. I travelled around Europe and the uk in a kombi with a friend ... A long time ago now, more nostalgia.

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    1. I know.... seems like yesterday now :o). Yes, the trip was a lot of fun.... and I'll bet driving around Europe in a combi was loads of fun. Nostalgia is good!

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  9. Beautiful writing here sweet cheeks - your peace and calm shines through x

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    1. Thank you very much.... felt lovely and calm after the weekend, and the garden looked so lush after the weekend. X.

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  10. Home... and relax. Gorgeous words.

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  11. I can't believe a year has passed already. It's so lovely to hear that you feel completely at home. But tell me, what on earth are you going to do with those boxes of old magazines and coursework? The minimalist in me is shuddering at the thought of them gathering dust in your living room ;-)

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    1. I know, tell me about it, it's gone so quickly. We all feel very at home - life is pretty good at the moment. I am a minimalist too, and I'm already getting twitchy; most are getting flogged on ebay, the rest are going into storage (Younger Dad is the hoarder) :o).

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  12. We are looking for a new home, and it hope when we find it we are even half as content as you sound. Lovely writing, well done on your worthy inclusion on the writer shortlist, exactly where you belong- hope to see you in the finals too xx

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    1. How's your house hunting going? Are you any nearer to finding the right one? I hope you find it soon - it does really make the difference when you find somewhere that's right for you :o). And thank you very much - would be great to be a finalist but the competition is so tough! X

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  13. Wow, This year has flown! I'm so thrilled you love your new home. Nice to get out of London isnt it. Like you, I like to be close enough to be able to pop in every now & then. I really missed London when I lived in Devon, I craved the cockney accent & red buses so much xxx

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    1. Hasn't it just? It's hard to believe it's been a year. We are happy in our new home and on the cusp of making big changes to it. And yes, it's great we still live close enough to London and we can just pop in and out if we need to. X.

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  14. This is such a wonderful post - thank you!
    I'm so pleased you've found 'home'.
    I'm still in London, which I love - it's truly 'home' for now.
    But not for good.
    Time does pass so fast -
    nice to re-visit and learn about roots.
    Emma :-)

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    1. Thank you very much! We are happy here, and it's, on the whole, been a good year. London was home for a while and then it wasn't any more, and moving felt like the right move - still good to live close enough though. Thank you :o).

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  15. Such a wonderful descriptive post. I'm so glad that the move has worked out for you - just fab. You know you can always come and have a pizza with me if you miss W.L too much. (Just give me a chance to work out how to use the oven first!) x

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    1. Thank you very much lovely! Yes, the move definitely worked out well.... and would love to come for a pizza in your back yard :o)... WL will always have a happy place in my heart. X.

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