The bastard slugs have demolished one of my four courgette plants. Okay, so it was the smallest of the four I planted out last week, and the other three are holding their own and growing well with minimum evidence of leaf nibblage, but that’s NOT the point. Nor is the point that, even with three courgette plants, I shall still likely be over-run with the resulting fruits anyway. No, the point is is that I take a lot of time, care and effort sowing and nurturing my vegetable and flower plants for the benefit of me and my family NOT for the benefit of providing a drive-thru mollusc salad bar. What has happened isn’t the mere loss of a courgette plant. It is an act of slug-driven murder.
Thus, in a fit of vengeful pique against the slugs, I have sown another four courgette seeds, more than doubling my potential courgette output. I’m such an idiot. But that’s NOT the POINT!
Spent yesterday evening chatting to Heather and Ollie, and being updated on the latest progress in their ‘Great Life Change Move To Shropshire’ adventure. A storage facility has been booked to store all their belongings. An enormous van has been hired for three days to move all their belongings to the storage facility. Except the cat - the cat (Harris) is being stored with us on a temporary basis, unless he and Bambino form a bit of a bromance and declare never to be parted EVER again which may cause custody issues. Probably won’t, because cats are notorious for preferring solitary living, but you never know. Industrial size Feliway has been purchased to ease the introductions and we keep fingers crossed neither will develop stress-related urinary tract infections. Luckily, they have a personal physician available, just in case.
Estate agents are being registered with in the continuing search for a rental property. The lease on their current house ends at the end of July. Jobs are being applied for, CVs updated and filed with various recruitment companies. Whatever happens in the next two months, Heather and Ollie WILL be moving up on the last day of July, even if they have to stay with us temporarily whilst they get themselves sorted. The only concern I have about this is that we are a one bathroom household and even with only two of us generally in situ, I sometimes have to do the wiggly wee dance whilst waiting for Andy to vacate the throne where he sometimes settles a little too long, watching something fascinating on his iPad. Too much information?
Anyway, we are, if nothing else, resourceful. We have a large tent AND a chemical camping toilet which we can set up as an extra loo ‘n’ ablution facility if we really need to. Also, there are 31 trees in the garden and at least half of them are big enough for discrete man wee-wees. Soz - definitely too much info now. I shan’t tell you what Andy said about squatting over Vladimir, the Poo Tin…
What I find particularly exciting about all this (apart from having family once again at close quarters and that we’ve already made a date for Christmas dinner!) is listening to their excitement about taking this risk, about reviewing their lives and what they want to do, what they can see themselves doing, how they envisage their new life up here. They are being so proactive, so determined to make this work. It’s all very positive, inspiring and…well, great!
And I look back at that time, six years ago, when Andy and I were about to embark on our own move up here, wondering if we had done the right thing, knowing there would be tears over missing our family and friends but recognising that, at the very centre of all the worries, fears and unknown quantities, was a deep sense of faith and excitement that we WERE doing the right thing and that everything WOULD be okay.
And it has been okay! More than okay! We moved not only in physical terms, but in a deeper sense of personal growth, new experiences, giving ourselves back time and space to make our lives what we want them to be. If we’d stayed in Maidstone, there’s no way we’d be enjoying life as much as we are now. For me, it is the gift of time and space that has been the biggest benefit. Without being melodramatic, the move probably saved my life.
And I wouldn’t have had the space to even THINK about growing 7 courgette plants in my back garden, let alone actually doing it.
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