Today is Sunday. I expect you know that… and instead of staying in London until Thursday, I am leaving to go home to Kent because my mother has also (in addition to my Dad who broke his pelvis a few weeks ago) had a funny turn and a fall. She is fine; her confidence is shaken but she’s not broken physically.
What else?
Oh yes. I had my industry day yesterday with the Literary Consultancy. I think this deserves a full post so I will do that tomorrow.
It only remains to say that words this week were only 1498. I am rather pleased with any words at all. But once settled at my parents, I think I shall be able to get on again. I look forward to hearing Sheepish's words... there'll be no threats about putting her in the hot wash from me today... just a feeble arm raised to toast her wordcount win and thank her for keeping my nose to the grindstone.
Showing posts with label parents. Show all posts
Showing posts with label parents. Show all posts
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Hello again
I’ve had a lovely break but I think I’m back now.
I’ve been in the UK for a bit over a week and I have a bit under a week remaining. The weather – as you can see from yesterday’s post – has been beautiful though often chilly after the 40° heat I left in Bangkok. (Never have I been so grateful to get away…) The days are disappearing fast and I fear I won’t catch up with everyone I had hoped to see. Still, the kids and I are back at the end of June…
I’ve been doing some of the dutiful daughter tasks that are impossible to do from Bangkok. I took Dad to the hospital, the dog to the vet, then the dog back to the vet, picked up and dropped off nieces, shopped for my Mum… In between those duties I’ve managed two days in London.
One day I met friends at the London Book Fair (oh I can but dream…) and waylaid Becky Swift and Jess of The Literary Consultancy with whom I am doing my mentoring. It was so nice to meet them. I also met up with Leigh, who I already knew and SueG, HelenMH and DJ, none of whom I had met in the flesh before. We had a lovely, relaxed time among all things bookish. The following day I met another friend. We had gorgeous food which made up for the decidedly dodgy sandwich at LBF.
My sister and I made a 24 hour dash to Wiltshire to see our brother. We squeezed it in between dropping nieces with their Dad and getting back to the village for my sister’s band practice. The trip involved gorgeous food (more than I could imagine possible in only twenty four hours) and a hike up a hill, which I doubt offset the quantity of food.
Tomorrow I'll check in with news of my parents' gorgeous new puppy, Leo. Finally, a picture: I’ve had my hair cut (hurrah), I’ve bought a few bits of clothing and *cough* one or two books. One pile is new books and the other is secondhand.
I’ve been in the UK for a bit over a week and I have a bit under a week remaining. The weather – as you can see from yesterday’s post – has been beautiful though often chilly after the 40° heat I left in Bangkok. (Never have I been so grateful to get away…) The days are disappearing fast and I fear I won’t catch up with everyone I had hoped to see. Still, the kids and I are back at the end of June…
I’ve been doing some of the dutiful daughter tasks that are impossible to do from Bangkok. I took Dad to the hospital, the dog to the vet, then the dog back to the vet, picked up and dropped off nieces, shopped for my Mum… In between those duties I’ve managed two days in London.
One day I met friends at the London Book Fair (oh I can but dream…) and waylaid Becky Swift and Jess of The Literary Consultancy with whom I am doing my mentoring. It was so nice to meet them. I also met up with Leigh, who I already knew and SueG, HelenMH and DJ, none of whom I had met in the flesh before. We had a lovely, relaxed time among all things bookish. The following day I met another friend. We had gorgeous food which made up for the decidedly dodgy sandwich at LBF.
My sister and I made a 24 hour dash to Wiltshire to see our brother. We squeezed it in between dropping nieces with their Dad and getting back to the village for my sister’s band practice. The trip involved gorgeous food (more than I could imagine possible in only twenty four hours) and a hike up a hill, which I doubt offset the quantity of food.
Tomorrow I'll check in with news of my parents' gorgeous new puppy, Leo. Finally, a picture: I’ve had my hair cut (hurrah), I’ve bought a few bits of clothing and *cough* one or two books. One pile is new books and the other is secondhand.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
My folks
Carol-a Crayon, my friend and partner-in-design, said to me last week ‘you don’t talk about your parents very much…’
I thought about it, and she’s right I don’t talk about them much, but I do think about them. And when I do it’s tinged with sadness and guilt so I keep it in my head.
The simple fact is that I am breaking my Mum’s heart by living in Thailand – or by not living in the UK. I can’t bear to think too hard about them because I know how sad she is about me being so far away and how much she misses me.
(And if I’m honest, it’s not only my Mum.)
I don’t know how my Dad feels because he’s a man in his 70s, and he hasn’t been encouraged to talk about his feelings. I do know that he took his profession extremely seriously, and so did Mum and so they both understand that Husband’s job is the Thing We Have To Consider.
The opportunity to move overseas for a job – and therefore have some support – isn’t offered to everyone all the time. To live in a culture so different from your own it may as well be the moon, is a privilege. It’s not easy to do and I am proud to have adjusted.
Knowing that I’m enjoying this time in my life, but that it is something that makes some of my family and friends unhappy, is very hard to live with. It’s distressing to know that I am wilfully causing someone pain simply by living my life.
Every time we converse, embedded in the conversation is the never asked question: when are you coming home? Those unasked words reverberate around other words, enquiries, and conversations. I hear it in her tones, bouncing between the lines. Sometimes she might ask ‘Are you able to get home for Christmas/Easter/summer?’ She might ask again a couple of weeks later – in the hope that the answer has changed.
And no, she won’t come to us. She won’t fly.
So I’m going to post about my parents; one at a time.
I thought about it, and she’s right I don’t talk about them much, but I do think about them. And when I do it’s tinged with sadness and guilt so I keep it in my head.
The simple fact is that I am breaking my Mum’s heart by living in Thailand – or by not living in the UK. I can’t bear to think too hard about them because I know how sad she is about me being so far away and how much she misses me.
(And if I’m honest, it’s not only my Mum.)
I don’t know how my Dad feels because he’s a man in his 70s, and he hasn’t been encouraged to talk about his feelings. I do know that he took his profession extremely seriously, and so did Mum and so they both understand that Husband’s job is the Thing We Have To Consider.
The opportunity to move overseas for a job – and therefore have some support – isn’t offered to everyone all the time. To live in a culture so different from your own it may as well be the moon, is a privilege. It’s not easy to do and I am proud to have adjusted.
Knowing that I’m enjoying this time in my life, but that it is something that makes some of my family and friends unhappy, is very hard to live with. It’s distressing to know that I am wilfully causing someone pain simply by living my life.
Every time we converse, embedded in the conversation is the never asked question: when are you coming home? Those unasked words reverberate around other words, enquiries, and conversations. I hear it in her tones, bouncing between the lines. Sometimes she might ask ‘Are you able to get home for Christmas/Easter/summer?’ She might ask again a couple of weeks later – in the hope that the answer has changed.
And no, she won’t come to us. She won’t fly.
So I’m going to post about my parents; one at a time.
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