Many things have happened since we last met, dear reader – where to start? We have a lodger. He is a tall, handsome young man. Clearly used to staying in hotels as he never makes his bed, he expects his laundry returned the next day, never lifts a finger around the house and, although I have seen him make some rather interesting sandwiches, meals will be prepared for him, not by him. When he does occasionally join us for dinner he has little interest in the family, the weekly events or what is happening around him. He has a wide circle of friends, few of whom he has actually met but he assures me they are all fine. He pays no rent or housekeeping, never puts empty packaging in the bin and never tells me if he has finished something so I can replace it on my next shopping trip. However, once in a while he stops to chat. He has a cracking sense of humour and can make me laugh out loud with his witty one liners. He is caring and worries about the little things with the firm belief that the big things will sort themselves out. He strops and slams doors but never sulks and, best of all, he never leaves the house in the morning without telling me he loves me. As a lodger he is distant and highly annoying, as my 13 year old son – he’ll do.
My midlife crisis has reached its climax. It started with running away, family in tow, to New Zealand and travelling round in a motor home. It fuelled a house move and a complete change of attitude towards life, the purchase of our own UK-based motor home and now it has peaked with me getting a tattoo. I have always been fascinated by them but have been undecided about the design. I thought long and hard about what and where and now, without boring you with the details, I have a beautiful picture in the small of my back that will be with me forever. (Although as a footnote I would say this – having had two children without the use of painkillers I would strongly recommend deep thought before committing to the needle – I am more likely to have another child than another tattoo!)
And finally, after moaning about the curved spine of the current generation as they sit glued to pods, pads, tablets etc, I have had my faith restored in the Famous Five style childhood of the past. I have just spent a couple of days in Suffolk with my mum, my daughter and her friend. My mum lives on the coast and I grew up by the sea, so being Nottingham-based can take its toll. A quick trip to the seaside and dinner with mum can be a restorative thing. During this trip we visited Thorpness Mere. A man-made lake littered with small islands, summer houses, pirate forts, crocodiles and years of vegetation, flowers and trees. You can hire a punt, a rowing boat, a canoe or, as we did, kayaks. The girls went off across the water looking for adventure whilst mum and I sat at the café watching families, children, grandparents and dogs just enjoying the great outdoors in all its fairy tale splendour. Next time you are in Suffolk, a trip to Thorpness Mere is well worth a little time out in your day.