Summer: Wanderings

I seem to be leaving longer and longer gaps in between posts…

There are several reasons for that. Firstly, we’ve had something of an ongoing crisis which has impacted on us all quite severely. It’s affected my ability to focus, to write, to feel motivated or inspired.

It’s prompted me to take a break from the Journal. And that has really bothered me.

We’re taking measures to turn the page but not everything is within our control, and that never helps. So the intent is there but it’s taking a while to get some traction.

Secondly, I’m working two part time jobs - both of which I really love - but there’s been a lot to learn. This is particuarly the case with the bookshop; it’s not simple retail work but bookselling, and there’s a lot to pick up. My mind is completely exhausted by the end of the day, but I always enjoy a challenge and things are falling into place.

And it feels like a real privelege to be surrounded by books all day, to talk about them and select them for the shop, to display them and learn about what’s current or about to be published.

Lastly: life. Admin and running a house, seeing friends and family. Adopting a rescue cat to join our family. Joe finishing primary school.

Back in May we went to Edinburgh for a few nights. We ate pizza and walked around the city, and stayed by the sea.

We had a day in North Berwick and I shamelessly took many photos of a beautiful kitchen.

So hypocritical; I used to rage at tourists intrusively photographing our house on Skye with their long lenses.

Sorry to whoever owns this lovely home. I couldn’t help myself.

North Berwick was a very nice town: extremely clean and almost like a step back in time. We ate fish tacos and fish and chips by the harbour - the best I’ve ever tasted.

Joe was back in his happy place, messing about on the shore.

On our journey home I insisted asked that we go via Alnwick, because: Barter Books.

I bought a collection of short stories and Jay bought me a tall china mug to add to my collection of cups. It’s getting slightly out of control at this point but different vessels suit different drinks, moods and pursuits.

That’s my excuse anyway.

Back home, my friend gave Joe and me the keys to her house while she and her family went on holiday. Jay was working, so we spent three nights back in Rossendale and it felt like a little holiday of our own.

We walked and relaxed and met up with other friends and just took it easy, visiting those familiar and much-loved places.

There’s something very therapeutic about being where your soul resides.

Of course, being me, I’m still finding an outlet for my creativity. Just a gentle foray into making something.

I’ve taken ownership of Jay’s Canon camera - it’s barely ever been used and is far superior to my trusty old Nikon.

Cue lots of little walks, experimenting with settings. Often accompanied by Dashi (our first cat - he loves coming for a wander).

It’s another learning process but one I’m enjoying: no pressure to produce anything, no deadlines. I’m very mindful of my mental health right now and am safeguarding it as best I can, balancing work and Joe and life without placing too many demands on myself.

I do have plans for the Journal but they can wait until our circumstances change. And they will.

I read somewhere, ‘This is just a chapter. It isn’t the whole book.’

And that made me feel better. Hopeful.

So right now - after the emotional rollercoaster that was Joe’s final days at little school - we’re keeping busy through the summer holidays. We’ve picked berries, made jam, walked, taken lots of pictures (I’m teaching him to use my Nikon in manual mode). We’ve eaten picnics and visited Haworth, watched films and have a long list of activities planned, from kite flying and making pierogi, our own butter and folding origami, to a cinema trip and a day out at Sunny Bank Mills - where they film the Sewing Bee.

We went to a presentation at the high school and bought most of Joe’s new uniform ready for September.

He’s saving up for a computer and I found him an old teacher’s desk in our local charity shop (the ground floor sells secondhand furniture). It was serendipitous; the desk is lovely and probably mid-century. It needs a sand down and has plenty of scars but that means it also has a story.

So we’re heading towards a new chapter. This particular one is bittersweet.

But before the next milestone we have the whole summer - he’s already saying he wants to put a ‘Nature Notes’ blog post together, so check back here over the coming weeks.

I’m actually enjoying the leaden skies and rain showers right now. June was sweltering and it seems to have prompted a hastening towards late summer. Rowan berries are reddening, thistledown is blowing across the fields and we’ve spotted lots of mushrooms growing.

I love this sense of anticipation, spotting the signs of autumn creeping in.

I’m currently reading ‘We Have Always Lived in The Castle’ by Shirley Jackson, and it’s wonderful. After that I might re-read ‘Thornyhold’ by Mary Stewart. I’m in a bit of a witchcraft/magic phase right now.

Working in a bookshop is dangerous: so many books to choose from…