Celebrations and tsunamis

Sitting at Steiner group last week, I sipped my chamomile tea, watched Miles help sand and oil wooden blocks, while chatting to a friend. 'How did you enjoy your two weeks in France?' I asked. She sighed, 'The two weeks in France were great, but since coming back I feel like I've been struck by a tsunami of responsibility, chores and demands - so much so that I feel I never want to go on holiday again for fear of life kicking in again on the return!'

Ordinarily this wouldn't have struck a chord with me. Generally speaking life is the same year round save for the obvious seasonal variations here. We tend to keep a regular rhythm. However, this summer 'rhythm' seems to have gone to the dogs and I'm struggling to get back on track. I must stop listening to the carefree roving voices in my head and settle back to normality. I'm not knocking carefree roving - I just figure we've done our fair share for now and with autumn well and truly here I think we need to be revolving around a domestic hub again. Hearth and home, wool and willow, hot chocolate and oat cakes..... you know.

There has been much excitement over the past few days as we have celebrated Miles' fifth birthday. My little man is growing big! His celebrations were varied, to include a woodland forage to collect masses of wind gifts to turn into a huge spiral in the garden (just so soon as it stops raining), a Gruffalo themed party with friends to include a 'deep, dark wood' in nana's place, a special dinner with family and a friend and a trip to a local harbour to see one of his favourite boats. Add to that the various comings and goings of well wishers and the likes and it's made for a busy time.

In addition to family life I'm also very caught up in bureaucratic process. Put simply I appear to be at war with the local planning department, primarily about the proposed removal of a mature tree in our village. I am so incensed by the whole situation (details of which I shan't bore you with) that I even set up my own petition and went door knocking for signatures. I have been in touch with environmentalists and if needs be I shall climb up the tree and refuse to move. If you're old enough to remember Emily Bishop's tree climbing shenanigans, (which I'm not but folks keep mentioning it) then that may be where this is heading.

Well, got to dash, still chasing that elusive rhythm. Should anyone spot it please send it home.