Hey Nick

These anniversaries just keep coming. It would have been our 23^rd today. Happy heavenly wedding anniversary. It’s hard not to reflect but as our three very wise chicks remind me, this grief is always going to be with us – it just comes in waves now and to make it manageable ‘the focus needs to be more on living with him.’ I must look at it as chapters to my life… and I am still writing the story. I like the idea of chapters to my life.

Grief, for me now is about rationalising it in my head and balancing it with my emotions. It ebbs and flows all the time. Mostly I’m too busy to pay it much attention but driving is always a reflective trigger. Keeping occupied, renovating the house and travelling, may be my avoidance tactic, but it sure is a great distraction. So, to update you on our progress…as usual, it’s been busy.

My chapters are titled…

Cornwall

Spain

Canada

Hungary, Austria, Germany

France

The house is still being renovated but I now have a new kitchen, 2 new bedrooms, shower room, bathrooms and lounge.

Still a great view.

But it hasn’t all been partay, partay, partay. Rotted floors, drains to dig …

but it is worth it for this view every morning.

I’m particularly proud of my gabion baskets. Still a WIP but each stone placed by hand.

I’ve immersed myself in Van Gogh and Hockney

and stayed in Bodmin Jail...

Harry left the UK to go travelling last November. He’s been around Asia and has now nailed himself a software job in Australia and embarking on his Oz adventure. He sold everything and just took one small backpack. Wouldn’t do for me, I can’t even get what I want to take on a trip in one large suitcase, let alone my whole worldly goods.

Ellie spent the winter in Whistler as a ski instructor and is now still there as the social media, marketing specialist at Nita Lake Lodge.

And Jo has been working and travelling but is now putting the Glastonbury festival together. Not the whole thing single handed, of course, but a production manager for Block9.

and as for me… when I’m not tucking into some fancy, wafer thin dish ( I can’t even remember what it was made of, it was so wafer thin), wrestling with a crab or stuffing ice cream, I’m doing okay, I’m writing again, so all is good.

So, as you can see, although you’re not here to share it with us, you’re not forgotten, we’re all just getting on … living our chapters.

Love

Teresa x