Penny and I had a long debate about whether or not to produce a Christmas newsletter this year. For the most part it’s been a “Ho, ho, ho!” kind of year, but the past few months have been more “WTF?” We’ve had the good, the bad and the decidedly ugly.
The Ho, ho, ho?…. in spite of our best intentions, we had an absolutely marvellous trip to the Far East in February and March. Those of you who have been paying attention will remember that Adam, Ava and the girls (Jessie and Julieta/Juju) have spent the last year travelling around southeast Asia. The main reason for our trip was to meet up with them, which we did and more!
We started in Bangkok which was delightfully wacky and fun. After a few days there we travelled to Siem Reap in Cambodia, home of Ankor Wat and the hundreds of other astonishing Khmer temples. OMG! Angkor Wat is, of course, the jewel in the crown but the other temples are similarly jaw-droppingly stunning.
From Siem Reap we made our way to Phnom Penh to visit with a very dear family friend and then, after a few days, on to Vietnam to Ho Chi Minh City and then up the coast a bit to Phan Thiet which is where we were to meet up with our wandering explorers. More excitingly, the girls did not know we were coming. When Jessie answered the door to our knocking she went through a cartoon-like show of emotion – if her eyes could have popped out of their sockets, they would have. Juju, on the other hand, nonchalantly remarked, “Oh, it’s Grandma and Grampa.”
We spent about ten days with them visiting Đà Lạt and Nha Trang before dragging our tired backsides home again.
Although we’ve Zoomed a fair few times, we had only a very brief in-person visit with Ben and Brex-Anna – they came for a weekend enroute to a wedding in a Scottish castle. Luckily for Max, he got to stay with his other grandmother which was undoubtedly more fun than being left with us. They are all trundling happily along. They too took a trip to the Orient in early December to catch up with Adam, Ava and the girls in Chiang Mai in Thailand. The pictures and videos they’ve shared would suggest that they had a great time.
For a pair of tired, old hippies, we’ve enjoyed some great outings in Chlamydia the Campervan. We visited Pembrokeshire for a few days in July and then up to Yorkshire and Cumbria in September. We’ve finally worked out a travelling arrangement with which Daisy is more or less satisfied – pack the van to the gunwales and put her mattress on top. We need to lift her up to get her in but no more howling and wailing for the duration of the journey. Apparently, being closer to us and elevated so that she can see out the windows were all that was required. Who knew? Why did it take her so long to teach us that?
We’re very lucky to live in a lovely, lively village surrounded by splendid scenery. We had a long, hot, dry summer and Penny worked hard to keep the garden looking great. She finally finished her garden pond (with little to no help from me) and has installed lots of aquatic plants (no fish – the otters and herons eat them!) and even installed a little solar powered pump to provide the necessary aeration. It’s only taken about five years to complete the project but I am delighted she has done so – it’s lovely to sit beside on a summer’s evening with a G&T or Pimms.
It’s been a great year for visitors – thank you to all who came to stay, in spite of your best instincts. The guest suite continues to receive 5-star ratings on all available platforms.
The “WTF?” part of the year began when we learned that Nick has a recurrence of his cancer which he dealt with so courageously five years ago. It has been a difficult year for Annabelle since Nick and Lucy separated, but she lives with Nick and the two of them are staying with us for the time being, while Nick prepares for the dismally depressing run of Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy treatments ahead of him. It’s a delight to have them here, but one can’t help but wish it were under happier circumstances. Keep him in your thoughts and send lots of positive good wishes his way, please.
In spite of all the chaos, Annabelle continues to rock it at school. The only child in the entire school to receive two awards at the speech day ceremony in July, and top of her year in FIVE!! of her subjects in the end of year exams – we are left wondering where that mighty brain has come from.
Adam and Ava and the girls are now, at long last, back in the UK – it’s wonderful to have them home just a half hour up the road. Who knows how long they will stay or when the travel bug will infect them again. Once they’ve spent a bit of time with us, they’ll be desperate to leave again!
Daisy continues to be the gift which keeps on giving, about the only thing that keeps us tolerably sane in these crazy, crazy times. She is simply adorable. She still loves chasing and pestering small rodents of all varieties but thankfully her hunting skills are not particularly well-developed. She does love a good chase though.
And so, another year flashes past. It’s been wonderful to have seen so many of you and sorry to those we’ve missed. The renovated Guest Wing is proving exceedingly popular with visitors so please get your bookings in early – we would love to see you.
Much, much love to you all,
Greg & Penny