Fun in February

Well, not really. February is one of those months where the only thing that seems to be going for it is lighter mornings and longer evenings. #rollonspring  It has fled by.  Should rename the post Fleeting February, actually. Half term arrived before we knew it, along with dazzling sunshine and warm days. Sitting outside the front door in the sun sipping a cappuchino - now, that is what I call a real half term.

The welcome mid-term break wasn't all just sitting and reading. A little gardening was done - mainly preparing for some serious vege planting, cutting back a few shrubs and pulling out some ivy. We hosted friends and neighbours for a meal, feasting on the leftovers for days - always good to over-cater. The weekends had been busy with catching up with friends over meals - one particular 24 hours was non-stop entertaining - so it was good to catch our breath and enjoy the Guernsey weather.

A dear friend's death brought memories of decades - at 98, he had lived a long life and was still an intelligent conversationalist, still walking, still intensely interested in the world around him. Friends lost parents, friends passed on... a time of funerals and of reflection on life...

In the meantime, Cara Grace continues to grow and delight. Her eagerness to communicate in smiles, giggles, gurgles and various other unidentifiable noises in response to conversation and questions is completely charming: she already has her passport for her Guernsey visit in April...can't wait to meet her properly, although Skype is truly wonderful.

And February is a time to delight in small things. Daffodils, shouting yellowness in ever-increasing measure; occasional bumblebees venturing around the heather; buzzards calling overhead, competing for air space with the seagulls. Glorious sunsets. A morning of quiet fog, wrapping Torteval in stillness despite the competing roar of surf...And unseasonably warm weather... it could be the Easter holidays. #herebeforeyouknowit

Hibiscus

Daisies...in February, though, not December

Camellia

View from the Corbiere

The Prevote from the Corbiere

Prevote MP tower

Pleinmont sunset

Caterpillar nests

A random half term break...

Saturday evening. One more day, then back to school. It's been a random week.

The families I work with go to Mauritius, Barbados, Egypt, Morocco or EuroDisney for their half term holidays. (Skiing in February, of course.) 
I whizz around between here and the UK.

Latest trip was Norwich, to see Jonny. He came down with flu the day we got there, poor thing. Still, we had a good evening together, then whizzed off the next morning to get the plane back here, calling in on a set of godparents on the way. Really good to see them: "We would have been good friends if we'd lived closer," said Kim, some years ago. She was wrong. We have never lived close but we are still good friends. Their friendship is valuable and precious.

Mother that I am, I spent a couple of days praying hard and hoping to hear that Jonny was better. It was a doddle when they were toddlers - there seems more to 'worry' over as they get older... Thankfully, he is on the mend now.

Inbetween the visits to the UK we caught up with household tidying and gardening; took the kayak out on a glassy calm, sunny afternoon, creeping through tiny inlets in the rocks as seaweed undulated gently beneath us. Went surfing. Enjoyed 'down' time.

Today, I have spent a day at New Wine Women Guernsey. Ellie Mumford spoke to us. What refreshment!

Home

It's half term, and Cat is back home. A happy juxtaposition of 'time off'.
It's not time off, though. It's catch up time. Cat, overbusy with her 'job' as activing (sic) president of the Christian Union at uni, now has to get her dissertation finished.
Mostly finished.
Well, partly finished.
Even halfway would be good.

Me? I'm enjoying having a daughter here who says, "Can I make pudding?" and then proceeds to whip up something delicious from fridge and store cupboard in minutes, with a minimum of fuss and mess.
A daughter who shows me some of the exercises which are part of her fitness regime.
(I managed a couple of them for a fraction of the time, and felt very pleased with myself.)
A daughter who has spent precious time writing thank you cards to the CU committee members who made the house party last weekend such a success. (Who thanks her, I wonder?)
A daughter who lights fires in the hearth and shares wine with me.

Precious.

The label function for this post won't let me put 'Cat'. It insists on 'Cat and Jonny'. Together. Jonny is back at uni, catching up on hours and hours of reading. He's had a good fortnight visiting his oldest friend who was passing through Amsterdam (from Tanzania, where his parents live, to the US, where he - presently - lives), then at the Hillsong conference in London, then at the University Surfing Champtionships in Newquay.

Sadly, now, no time to come home for half term.