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Wednesday 19 September 2012

Phew! I need a rest!



I’ve been away from blogging for a while. I had set up some posts to publish over the past few weeks as I knew that September was going to be manic, but I didn’t really know quite how manic it was going to be!

Penny is starting university in a week’s time. We took possession of her rented flat the weekend of the 1st September. Basically it was unfurnished and so we have spent every weekend going down to Folkestone (an hour and a half away from us, over the Dartford Bridge) with my car crammed with flat packed furniture, ordinary full size furniture and her belongings, to get her flat ready to live in!

Due to her Aspergers we knew that Penny was going to need plenty of time to get used to the new living accommodation so that she would be happy with that before the stress of starting uni got going. She is so happy with her flat! This past weekend, with the majority of her belongings in place, she stayed there overnight for the first time and loved it!
Penny's flat is top three windows on left hand side

This is the view from one of her windows
Lounge area
Hugh and I decided to stay locally, in case anything came up with the flat and she needed us urgently, so we booked into the Rob Roy Guest House.
This photo is from their website - I forgot to take an external photo!
Our room was small, but perfectly formed and very clean (I am extremely fussy about the cleanliness of the rooms I stay in!). The breakfast the next morning was delicious too!

One of the worst things about moving Penny in? The triangular window in her bedroom as it had no curtain. This meant that I had to get my sewing machine out for fabric use, instead of using it for scrapbooking! I am ashamed to say that I had a few tantrums in the making of this curtain, and Hugh was extremely patient with me whilst he cut out the shape and told me where I should be attaching header tape and making the hem and so on! Without his help this would not have been made!

Of course, with being away every weekend and then trying to fit in all the normal weekend jobs during a very short period of time, I have not had time to do any scrapbooking, bar just about keeping up with a very minimal ‘Learn Something New Every Day’ album, which I will eventually show you on here!
Penny unpacking in her kitchen
So, have we finished with our trips to Folkestone? No! This Friday Hugh and Penny are going down after work to take down her washing machine. We worked out that it was actually cheaper to buy and have installed a washing machine than for her to go to the launderette three times a week! We can bring it with us when she leaves and she will have it for future years too! They will stay at the flat overnight (Penny has an airbed for Hugh to sleep on in the living room) and then a plumber is coming in first thing on Saturday morning to plumb it in.
Bookcase, clock and pinboard all in place - already looking like a student's flat!
 Hugh and Penny will then return home, where I won’t be as I am off to Alexandra Palace with my bestie, Wendy, for the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show! Yay! So excited! We have been putting away £10 each month for over a year, so have a nice little nest egg each to spend on stash!

On Sunday, Hugh, Penny and I will be back in the car again and heading for our final trip to Folkestone to drop Penny off! Actually, we are taking her out to lunch and then going back to her flat to spend some time with her before she has her accommodation induction later in the afternoon. We shall then return without our baby! So please join with me in wishing her all the best in her studies at Canterbury Christchurch University, Folkestone Campus. She is going to be studying for a degree in Creative and Professional Writing and has been working towards this for so many years. She has gone through so much and deserves to have a happy and fruitful time at university.

So, do we get the final weekend in September to relax? Err, no. Hugh’s Dad will be celebrating his 90th birthday on 30th September, so we will be making a very rapid visit to Cornwall! Oh well, only a 600 mile round trip! To make things even more interesting, Hugh’s sister has sadly been diagnosed with cancer of the womb and this Friday she is having everything removed and so will be back at home (they live with Hugh’s parents) recuperating. She was supposed to be organising the party, but I think now that my niece is going to have to do it. Please keep Carrie in your prayers – she is absolutely terrified both about the operation and the cancer. It is Stage 1, so the medics are hopeful that with everything being removed she will make a full recovery, but it has all happened so quickly that it has been difficult for her to take everything on board.

So, now you can see why there has been a bit of a break in my blogging and also with my lack of visiting your blogs! I do hope to find some time to catch up with my blog reading – hopefully next week in the evenings! Thank you for being patient and I’ll post again soon!

5 comments:

Karen said...

Oh Becky, so much happening! You do indeed need a rest! I'll be keeping Penny and your sister-in-law in my prayers. Penny looks excited; I hope the first few weeks aren't too overwhelming.

scrappyjacky said...

You've had a really busy time.I do hope Penny settles in well and enjoys uni...a really big step for her.

alexa said...

What a lot has been happening for you, and no wonder it's been difficult to find time to blog. Very best wishes both to Penny and Carrie, and hoping things go really well for each of them. That curtain is a work of art!

Beverly said...

Thanks so much for catching us up :) I am so very excited for Penny and greatly impressed with your odd shaped window treatment! Lifting prayers for Penny as well as Carrie.

Anonymous said...

IQt looks like Penny is settling in well. Sending best wishes for a good year for her. Sending prayers for Carrie.