Leaving London and downshifting to become a full-time parent and rural homemaker
Last year the children’s Grandma and Aunty Becky gave them each a sum of money for Christmas and birthday presents (they also came with a mountain of gifts but that’s another story). We were thrilled as it meant we were able to buy them each booster seats for the car.
The remainder of the cash stayed [...]
Edie, my three year old daughter asked me sleepily ‘Mummy why do people die?’. I was slightly taken aback but not hugely as I haven’t shied away from the subject of dying whenever it has arisen during the past year. Eg: I’m always very cautious about their safety when we are walking on the narrow [...]
Oh dear it turns out that the half of melon I so rashly bought because the kids asked me to ‘I WANT MELON I WANT MELON I WANT MELON!’ has travelled all the way from Brazil to be eaten by us here in Worcestershire, UK. Have just broken it to the kids them that we [...]
Having had a couple of abortive attempts at celebrating the 5th November in previous years since the kids were born we finally had a lovely little pagan-style celebration at the weekend with a small bonfire, a pumpkin with candles, sparklers and hot dogs. The kids loved it but only because we’d
(a) [...]
15 years ago when I was studying the envirnonmental impact of human societies on the planet I felt a terrible sense of urgency about doing all I could to change the way people acted in order to preserve what we could of the environment.
I can’t believe that since then little or nothing has changed in [...]
Once in a while I get a load of tins and packets out of the cupboards (usually when I notice the cupboards are in need of a good wipe over) and put loads on the kitchen table, grab the small plastic shopping trolley and Edie’s baby (Bunny). I then raid [...]
I got a lovely surprise yesterday morning when I found a blog comment in my in-box which for a change was not spam but instead an old friend called Libby (from Bristol of yesteryear) who now lives in Australia with her partner and two fabulous looking children. My good friend Madders had sent her the [...]
We knew when we moved into this large brick Victorian house with exposed countryside on each side that it would probably be on the chilly side during the winter months.
Now the frosts have arrived I’m thankful that we have taken a few measures to keep warm but not by having the central heating on full [...]
BLACKOUT LONDON
4th November 2006
http://www.workface-limited.co.uk/html/blackout.html
(No need to keep this to London - please switch off this Saturday wherever you are)
You are invited to take part in the largest demonstration of People
Power that London has ever seen on Saturday 4th November 2006, by
turning off all your lights, and switching off all your non-essential
electrical [...]
We have recently been told by our landlord that we can now use the vegetable plot at the back of our garden which has been used for the past 85 years by his aunt. It is stocked full with carrots, leeks, potatoes and a whole load of beetroots.
We got a call from Janet, our gardener [...]