Catsick (as in home sick - definitely not the other kind)

I miss my cat. She's in the country with Mum who nobly feeds, grooms and invents elaborate ball games for her. I miss her whiskers. And generally having a little shadow. 

Would quite like to wake up in March 2013 and skip the exchange of contracts, the packing, the move, the building work, the builders, the decisions about grout colours and the dust. 

Yep, we're still moving and I'm in a grump. 

Displacement

Apologies for the flakey attendance. We're moving. Yes, that's right, staring down the barrel of the next stage of life. Contemplating the needs of phantom children (saying things like "there's a great school at the top of the road" as though it has something to do with us) and attempting to corral a chain of buyers and sellers towards a simultaneous completion (insert whatever cliche you like about herding unherdable animals). Wondering why property lawyers are the only people left on the planet who actually correspond by letter (even when it's very urgent) and convincing oneself that buying a vintage sink before you actually own the next place is a good idea. Missing our little cat (who is holed up with saintly Mum in the country) and becoming increasingly nostalgic about the not-very-nice-really-Uxbridge-Road.

So ... here are some pictures of another time. When I had a whole month off work and it was Spring and I was in Andalucia, wandering around the Albaicin where even the drain covers are beautiful:

Summering 2012-style

As the nights start to really noticeably draw in (pitchy black at 7:30? it's shocking every year), I thought I'd post up a few photos of long evenings of purple, golden blueness. And also a few of my newly arranged kitchen shelves. Oh so smug. And a few snaps of happy Oly/Paralympic London when everyone popped their cynicism to one side, chatted to each other on tubes, got up extra early to ring bells together and could casually drop newly discovered words like peloton into conversations. In short, here are some summering 2012-style moments.

 

 

Wedding season

Where have I been all Summer? Well, we seem to be having the year when everyone marries everyone. Or really I should say, one of the years.

Already there has been some complaining, a lot of no frills flights and a few thunderstorms. Grotty bathroom carpets in B&Bs, contact lenses that won't go in at speed and outfits that could've been better if I'd spent a bit more time on my packing activities.

But then there is always a nervous looking groom at the beginning at the front who becomes a beaming one in the aisle after the vows. And a reading or a piece of music that gets you right in the gizzards. And a bride in a dreamy dress and the biggest smile. And guests wearing amazing shoes. And the bit when the father of the bride talks about his daughter as a child (there was a killer description of their school run last weekend). And - if you're lucky and the bride is braver than I was - the bit where she talks about her new husband. And - at the end of the evening - an unexpected couple of guests doing a dance display that makes everyone else stop and stare (mostly admiringly and, in some cases, jealously).

I may complain about the getting there and the staying there and the never being at home this Summer but - actually - I really do love a wedding, every single time.