Life throws the book at us
I'll start with the new kitchen. The short version of the story is that very little has happened in the last three months. We are still living in the dining room, eating food you can cook on the BBQ, a borrowed 2 x ring gas hob and in the slow cooker. Brick dust is embedded in the pores of our skin, spreads across every floor, sticks to the windows and coats every surface with a thin, rust-coloured film.
Our meals consist of reheated mince, curry, hot dogs, burgers, anti-pasti and sandwiches. My September tradition of baking the Christmas cake is impossible, given we don't have an oven, as is James' birthday cake. What I wouldn't give for a fish finger sandwich.
Today, as most days, I sit working; looking out at an empty wasteland of rubble. The only sliver of light in this depressing scenario, is that it's not raining. At the moment Alexander and Vanessa are over for a week en route to their incredible African honeymoon. We were hoping to do the Big Reveal of our shiny new kitchen, but instead we're picking our way through scree.
On top of all of this, Eddie's father is in the late stages of motor neurone disease. We went to see him at the weekend which was difficult, but important. He is incredibly calm and brave. Seeing the boys clearly meant a great deal to him. As we left, William and James gave him a cuddle, and he simply said, "I love you both." I had to step out as I felt the tears come. Precious moments.
Tonight Eddie goes back to Sussex to see David and Julia. David has been fighting a battle with MS he could never win for over 20 years. If only he would make some concessions, life would not only be much easier for him, but easier for us all. Each time he has a crisis, it gets harder for the family - and for him - to deal with, both physically and emotionally.
Julia was diagnosed with Alzheimers a few months ago, a devastating result which she's finding very difficult to come to terms with. She is currently living with David, but we are hoping to find her somewhere where she can be independent again. This means a retirement home, which I'm sure she associates with monosyllabic ancients living on a diet of Cash in the Attic and cabbage soup. But there are some lovely places for older people to move to when they need extra care and I hope that she can find a way to be open to that and try to accept this difficult change in her life.
It's a lot to deal with. Particularly for Eddie, who's struggling with all of this on top of the building work and a high pressure job. It's such a cliche, but you can only take life on step at a time. Sometimes we feel crushed under the weight of it all, despondent about the twists and turns we're trying to cope with. Other times we can see the light and feel optimistic that everything will work out for the best.
Today? Well...it's not raining, so that's something.
Our meals consist of reheated mince, curry, hot dogs, burgers, anti-pasti and sandwiches. My September tradition of baking the Christmas cake is impossible, given we don't have an oven, as is James' birthday cake. What I wouldn't give for a fish finger sandwich.
Today, as most days, I sit working; looking out at an empty wasteland of rubble. The only sliver of light in this depressing scenario, is that it's not raining. At the moment Alexander and Vanessa are over for a week en route to their incredible African honeymoon. We were hoping to do the Big Reveal of our shiny new kitchen, but instead we're picking our way through scree.
On top of all of this, Eddie's father is in the late stages of motor neurone disease. We went to see him at the weekend which was difficult, but important. He is incredibly calm and brave. Seeing the boys clearly meant a great deal to him. As we left, William and James gave him a cuddle, and he simply said, "I love you both." I had to step out as I felt the tears come. Precious moments.
Tonight Eddie goes back to Sussex to see David and Julia. David has been fighting a battle with MS he could never win for over 20 years. If only he would make some concessions, life would not only be much easier for him, but easier for us all. Each time he has a crisis, it gets harder for the family - and for him - to deal with, both physically and emotionally.
Julia was diagnosed with Alzheimers a few months ago, a devastating result which she's finding very difficult to come to terms with. She is currently living with David, but we are hoping to find her somewhere where she can be independent again. This means a retirement home, which I'm sure she associates with monosyllabic ancients living on a diet of Cash in the Attic and cabbage soup. But there are some lovely places for older people to move to when they need extra care and I hope that she can find a way to be open to that and try to accept this difficult change in her life.
It's a lot to deal with. Particularly for Eddie, who's struggling with all of this on top of the building work and a high pressure job. It's such a cliche, but you can only take life on step at a time. Sometimes we feel crushed under the weight of it all, despondent about the twists and turns we're trying to cope with. Other times we can see the light and feel optimistic that everything will work out for the best.
Today? Well...it's not raining, so that's something.
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