Full Circle

It's been another year where my offerings here have been fairly thin on the ground, but this is still my place to come when I want to look back and reflect, if only for my own amusement. 

Having lost my elderly grandmother just before Christmas, 2019 began with a funeral and return trip to my hometown. The funeral was actually a very uplifting start to the year as most of the family came together for the occasion, and I met with cousins I hadn't seen in more than ten years. In the fortnight that followed we had a snowfall and made our first snowman of the year. This was swiftly followed by my thirtieth birthday in February. My parents came up for the occasion and even took care of the children for a day so Sewel and I spend the afternoon in Edinburgh and see a performance of Les Miserable in the evening. 

Winter turned into spring, and there were more birthdays to celebrate, as Ever turned three and Moth five. The school term was rapidly coming to an end, and in June we went on holiday to Mull with my parents. We spent a wonderful week exploring the island, as well as taking day trips to nearby Iona and Ulva. Then the summer holidays truly began, with many fun-packed days at home with Moth and Ever, including a first cinema visit, and a night spent camping in the garden, followed by ten days in the East of England visiting Sewel's family. 

The school term was underway again before we knew it, and suddenly we found ourselves with three hours to spare each morning as Moth started school full time and Ever attended nursery part time. We have watched both children flourish in their new routines, especially Moth who joined the Additional Needs class and never looked back. He was even presented with the Head-teacher's Award for learning to read, in November. 

Autumn also saw Sewel relaunching our candle-making business, after receiving notice that his office would be relocating to the city centre in the new year. Not wishing to undertake a longer commute to a job that he finds boring and unfulfilling, he has decided that he will leave and run the business full time. We are in a good position for him to do this and hopefully 2020 will see our business continue to grow successfully.

We have just returned from a lovely Christmas with my in-laws in the East of England. One of the main reasons we chose to return for Christmas was that Sewel's grandmother had grown incredibly frail, and we knew it would be our last opportunity to see her. We actually stayed with her for the week, which meant we could take care of her, not that she really wanted much at all, as she was barely eating and drinking. She passed away the day after we returned to Scotland, so it looks as though 2020 will begin in much the same way as this last year come full circle. Hopefully, though, getting the family together to celebrate the life of a very special woman, will prove to be an uplifting occasion that sets us in motion for 2020. 

A Week on Mull

A month ago we drove up to Oban and caught the ferry across to Mull for our family holiday. While a much larger island than Bute, which we visited last year, the population is less than half. The roads are mostly single-track, and areas of civilisation are quite scattered across the island, giving it a much more rural feel. We stayed in a lovely holiday let, which was set back from the road and surrounded by woodland, but with a view through the trees across Loch Cuin. We watched the sun setting over the water, and I was completely taken away by the beauty and tranquility of that moment. 

I think the first day of the holiday was our favourite. We spent the first part of the day on a beach further along the coast, and then stopped at Croig for the "Sometimes Annual Daft Raft Race" that Sewel and I had spotted advertised on a poster. It was quite a spectacle and certainly proved to be an interesting experience, even as a mere spectator. We watched as an array of rafts set off from the shore and raced to the pier further along. We followed their progress on foot and were there to meet them at the other end. We were completely drawn by Croig, and were struck by the view of what we believe to be Rum in the distance.

We visited Tobermory twice. The town, with its iconic colourful houses set along the seafront, is the setting for the children's television programme Balamory. Moth and Ever loved visiting the aquarium, which was small but still kept us occupied for over an hour. We enjoyed the touch-pool session and Ever was brave enough to hold a starfish. We also did some souvenir-hunting in the wide range of touristy shops, and were also able to stock up on food supplies at the local Co-op. 

We spent a day driving all the way to the South-West point of Mull, where we caught the ferry from Fionnphort across to Iona. It was nice to spend a day exploring a little of the island and getting a feel for it, although we didn't venture into the abbey, with two small children in tow. We spent another day on another small island called Ulva, which has a population of just five people! It would certainly be an experience living for a time in such a remote place. 

We visited Duart Castle, although this was a little challenging with the children as they wouldn't let us hang around for long, ever eager to move on to the next room. Because we shared the holiday with my parents, Sewel and I were able to go out for a meal together one evening, which was a real treat! At our encouragement, my parents joined the Staffa tour on the final day. We decided against it, as we weren't sure about how the children would react to the three hour boat trip. When my parents returned they said the trip was one of the highlights of the holiday for them, as they had been lucky enough to see a pod of dolphins during the trip. 

Apart from the Staffa trip, which we'll save for a later date, I felt we ticked everything off our Mull "bucket list", and really got a good overview of the island. We all really enjoyed the week, especially Moth and Ever, who coped with being away from home and in a different environment much better than they did last year. 

 

Visiting Cumbrae

Last weekend, with a guest to entertain and a promising weather forecast ahead, we set off for Largs, a seaside town on the West coast, and caught the ten minute ferry across to Great Cumbrae. This tiny island has a population of around 1400 people, and isn't far from Bute which we visited last summer. 

Four miles from the ferry terminal lies the small town of Millport, and main area of habitation on the island. After our picnic we explored the seafront, starting with crocodile rock, the first point of interest. Not to be confused with the popular Elton John song, this is quite literally a rock shaped like a crocodile. There is also Lion Rock and Indian Rock, but these will wait for another visit. 

We then went to Garrison House and had a look at the small museum there. It was interesting, but the children were very fidgety so it wasn't long before we moved on. We walked to the Cathedral of the Isles, the smallest cathedral in the UK. 

We were the only visitors at the time, and it was very tranquil, even with two small children. Even they seemed slightly in awe and were happy to sit in the pew with me until the rest of our party had finished looking. We found a grass labyrinth in the cathedral grounds and had great fun following the path to the centre. 

We returned to the seafront and had a look in some of the shops and cafes in search of the ice cream we had promised Moth and Ever. The only problem was that as we aren't quite into tourist season yet, there wasn't a lot of choice. Moth wanted strawberry and Ever chocolate. Eventually we compromised and bought a box of unbranded mini Magnum style ice creams from the local Premier food store. 

 

There was enough to go around, and so we all enjoyed sitting on a bench and looking across to distant Arran, and the mainland. 

We returned to the car and drove around the rest of the island. You can get around the whole island by car in about half an hour. Just before we reached the ferry terminal for the return journey, we stopped at some rock pools. We had brought buckets and spades and the children's nets, and spent a happy half an hour collecting shells and exploring rock pools. We even found a jelly fish washed up on the shore. 

We were only about five minutes from the ferry and got there just as it was arriving. We boarded the ferry for the short journey back to the mainland. It had been a wonderful adventure. 

Edinburgh Outing

Sewel planned a special outing for just the two of us in celebration of my milestone birthday last month. My parents came up to be with us for the week, and we had some great days out all together, but two days after my birthday they took charge of the children for the day so we could go out. 

I knew very little about what Sewel had in store. All he'd revealed was that we were off to Edinburgh and we wouldn't be back until after midnight. We took the tram from the park and ride and arrived in the city at lunchtime. Sewel led the way, and after about a mile we arrived at a tiny basement restaurant. There were only about five or six tables inside but it was all very luxurious and comfortable. We sat down and enjoyed a delicious three course lunch, followed by coffee.

Feeling very full, we left the restaurant mid-afternoon. I didn't press Sewel about what he had planned for the rest of the day, and let him continue to lead the way back into the centre. After stopping to take some photos with the castle in the background, we arrived at The Writers' Museum. Sewel knew it was somewhere I had wanted to visit, but it would have been impossible with two small children in tow. It was nice to have the freedom to take my time and really look at the displays about Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stephenson. I certainly need to read more of the works of these celebrated Scottish writers!

We still had a few hours remaining before the grand finale Sewel had planned, so we took our time, walking around the city and visiting some shops. We picked up presents for Moth and Ever, fairy wings, on the grounds that if we'd bought them only for Ever then Moth would want some too. Eventually we arrived at the Edinburgh Festival Theatre where all was revealed, as you will see from the photo. Sewel had bought us tickets to see Les Miserables! It was a spectacular performance and we really enjoyed it. 

Sewel had put such a lot of thought into making the day special for me. My 30th birthday has been a memorable one.

Bute Medley

It's been a long-held dream of mine to visit the Scottish islands, as many of them as I can fit into my lifetime. Our move to Scotland last year has made this ambition more of a possibility. In June we began our adventure with a visit to Bute, a small island with a population a similar size to the village where we live. It also seems to be a lesser known islands, dwarfed by the popularity of Skye and other islands that seem to be overrun by tourists in the summer. Our week was a quiet one towards the end of the school term and still a long way off the height of the tourist season.

It was just an hour's drive to Wemyss Bay and a thirty minute ferry crossing to Rothesay. Our holiday let for the week was on the seafront, where we could look across to the mainland and watch the ferry coming and going all day long, and a distant lighthouse flashing at nightfall.

It was a place where everything seemed very close to hand. We could drive around the island at a leisurely pace in just a couple of hours, which is something we did towards the end of our stay. We spent the early days skimming stones, paddling in the warm sea and digging in the sand, breathing in the calming sea air and absorbing the ambience of this small but idyllic place.

We visited Rothesay Castle, which at the time was overpopulated with nesting gulls and their young. We braved the battlements and thankfully weren't perceived to be a threat by the mothers, who can be notoriously defensive when they want to be. I should know, as I was once dive-bombed in my garden by a seagull who thought I presented a risk to her young, two storeys up on the roof!

I was completely struck by the shape of other islands in the distance, especially the dramatic and mountainous terrain of Arran, which though six miles away seemed incredibly close when seen from parts of Bute. Looking out to sea and seeing other islands rising in the distance, always filled me with the same sense of wonder and desire to explore these uncharted territories.

I think we chose the best week in the year for weather. It rained but once during our stay, soon after our arrival, and so lightly that we weren't even aware of it until afterwards when we noticed the ground was slightly wet. The sea was a beautiful azure in the sunshine and it was such a delight to take in the landscape from viewpoints, such as the one above Scalpsie Bay, which we visited on more than one occasion.

We also visited one of several lochs on the island, Loch Fad. It was a very quiet and peaceful place, almost completely deserted apart from a couple of horses, grazing in a field nearby. Even from here we could see the mountains of Arran rising in the distance beyond the loch.

One of Rothesay's top tourist attractions are the Victorian toilets on the seafront. We paid forty pence to take a look, and they certainly proved to be an interesting and novel diversion. 

We enjoyed our walks along the seafront at Rothesay, looking out across the water to the Kyles of Bute, and watching the ferry arrive. Moth was incredibly excitable during the ferry journey, and looked forward to the return journey so much that I feel this was his highlight of the week.

As our holiday drew to a close, we scoured the points where seal sightings were most common, but always in vain. It was only by chance that we spotted one on our last day, basking on a rock near Rothesay. 

 

The day of our departure arrived and we boarded the ferry again and watched as Bute shrank gradually into the distance. We drove a little way down the coast from Wemyss Bay, and stopped at Largs where we watched the ferry arriving from Great Cumbrae. We looked across to the island and Little Cumbrae beside it, and still we could see Bute a little way beyond.

We enjoyed our first Scottish island adventure. Bute certainly whet our appetite for further exploration of the Western isles. But on this occasion we were glad of the short drive home, aware also that the close proximity will allow us to return to Bute someday, even if only for a day trip.

Message in a Bottle

Life has been busy, time sparing, and progress slow. But mysteries have gradually unfurled themselves from the unyielding walls, and a message in a bottle seemed as good a reason as any to post an update. This is the second discovery I've made behind the walls, the first a bookcase built into the chimney breast, concealed by a piece of plasterboard in what is to be Moth's bedroom. 

More recently we've been working on the living room, stripping the old plaster back to the scratch coat and brushing a bond coat across the surface in the hope that someone will then come and replaster the walls for us. When I had finished my tasks for the evening, I decided to pry back the panel of plasterboard, stuck to the left of the fireplace that has always looked grotesquely out of place. We felt sure there must be something in behind because whenever we tapped it, there came a distinctly hollow echo.

The plasterboard came away without protest, as though it knew it didn't really belong there, to reveal a decorative alcove. But the biggest surprise lay within the alcove: an empty bottle of non-alcoholic fizz, distinctly labelled: "Message in a bottle". My heart was beating with anticipation as I called Sewel through to share my find. Our suspense increased as we paused to photograph our excavation before investigating further. Finally, I slipped out the scroll of paper concealed within the bottle and read. 

We had in our hands, not a clue to hidden gold alas, but words of greeting and encouragement from the previous owner, perhaps an even greater treasure. I shared the details of my discovery on Facebook and piqued the excitement and intrigue of a great many friends, who were delighted to hear a real-life account of something we only tend to read about in storybooks. But for me it's a comfort to know that our predecessor will approve of our renovation work as we transform the house into our family home. And it's a wonder to think that we will become a part of the history of this building, and somehow leave our mark on the place.

Being on the Other Side

It's a strange state of being, when you've been anticipating something for a long time, and you finally emerge on the other side. I am overcome by a sense of euphoria and also disbelief. For many months I have tried to envisage aspects of our new life here. Waking up in our home. Village life. The first day in my new work place. 

It still hasn't quite sunk in, even a month on. I almost expect to open my eyes and find myself back in the midst of transition, with half-packed boxes and chaos strewn across the room. It's been like this with any big change in my life. I remember my pregnancy with each of my children, nine months of wondering who I was carrying inside me, what they'd be like, and afterwards, not quite believing they were really here. And meeting Sewel for the first time after a year of talking online. That didn't seem real either.

One day reality will catch up with me, and I won't think about it any more. But for now, strange as it feels, it's also pretty wonderful to be here at last. On the other side.

The Hardest Part

It wasn't the decision to put everything in motion, or the lengths we went to in preparing our house to go on the market. Although I remember well the challenge of condensing down our belongings, and the long, late nights spent, towards the end, filling cracks, painting, rearranging rooms to bring out their best. 

Nor was it the long weeks on the market. The offers that were made just four days in, only to come to nothing. The positive viewings, and the time we spent hoping in vain for a genuine offer. The barren weeks that followed Easter, where the viewings themselves seemed to become a rarity.

Even the packing and the move itself did not quite compare, although the last few days were frantic and adrenaline-driven. Working to tight deadlines. Little sleep to be had. A long journey northwards, following a full day of physical labour. We drove into the night, knowing the end was near.

The hardest part, although not by a long shot, was saying goodbye. Not so much to the place that's been our home for the last five years, but to the friendships forged there. Work colleagues. Families we've known through baby classes and toddler groups. And, most painfully, a church where we've found so much love and acceptance. Whenever anyone said how much they would miss us I felt such a surge of guilt, humility and poignancy. It was immense.

Although not especially sad to move on, I found myself leaving a piece of myself behind. A piece I can live without, but a small part of me nevertheless. It belongs now to the people who cared about us, the people who will stay in touch and hold on to the memories we've shared together. It will be with them for as long as they remember. Just as the piece I hold of them will stay with me until I forget.

Change of Scene

It's not really a holiday when you've got a young family in tow, but a week away, a change of scene. Where holidays are concerned some level of relaxation is expected, a little more sleep, and some relief from the grind of work and everyday life.  

But then again, a holiday presents the opportunity to explore somewhere new, have different experiences, and see things you've wanted to see for a long time...

And things you never expected to see. 

It's the chance to have an adventure with the people you love the most, and ultimately, when you look back these are the things you'll remember. 

Not the oppressive heat and humidity, the hours spent each night trying to settle restless children, nor their agonising wake up call by six each morning. Not even your camera bouncing down a flight of ancient steps.

But Moth's excitement as he climbed to the top of the castle tower (twice), and Ever's determination to walk forever. Those moments of tranquility and elation, brief, yet profound when Sewel and I chose to embrace them. 

And of course, there is the relief to be back home again, even though it won't be home for much longer.