SNOW IN OCTOBER! (Oct 28) BLOG #7
We were lucky enough to have both our fathers here yesterday evening. JD arrived from Texas yesterday morning to stay the week (it's T's half term) and my father drove here on his way home from a London visit. Both of them were in fine form, and put the world to rights over a sherry or two. We persuaded my dad not to drive all the way home in the dark, but to stay overnight.
Luckily he agreed, because it started to snow - the first time it's snowed in England in October for many years! (We had had an unexpected cold snap starting yesterday, but snow was not in the forecast.)
We were very snug in the house,and awoke this morning to 3" of soft white stuff coating the landscape, under a brilliant blue sky and sunshine. Absolutely gorgeous!
It didn't stay on the roads, but the forest is still tipped with white.
2 days later, it was warmer and sunny, and I went for a walk in the woods.
The noise was surprising; thousands of little clumps of ice were falling from the trees. Between the crackling, crunching, and falling of ice, and the piles of wet leaves being rustled by the breeze, it was far from the usual peace in the forest.
The Scottie dogs are fine. Loving the weather here, I think. They were in heaven with the snow this morning. Saint was biting it and tried to roll in it, and Maisy daintily picked her paws up at each step, and would occasionally plunge her nose in as she caught an interesting smell.
There are so many horses around here that I am itching to ride again! (I was horse-mad when I was younger, and rode a lot in Los Angeles). I am glad to see that most of the animals have warm blankets on at the moment, as they stand about, heads down eating, in the brisk air.
A is already on the local tennis team but games are less regular during the winter months, as they are outdoor courts.
T hasn't been playing a lot either, because he's so busy, and he has rugby starting next week.
Work-hunting is going slowly but I am meeting lots of good people so it's a matter of finding the right niche at the right time. Patience is not my strongest virtue! I am raring to get on with it.
I have had loads of good meetings and am sowing seeds for the future, although no actual jobs have come out of all this - yet! I have met with (or am about to meet with) TV companies, record labels, publishers and continue meeting with people all the time.
There are a couple of possible short-term consultancies in the melting-pot.
Even though London is easy-access via the train, it's still an hour each way, and I am thinking how great it would be to not have to go in EVERY day!
I have been diligently pursuing meetings and networking here, re potential job leads, or consultancy work. It's very interesting and quite positive, but I keep having to repress feelings that maybe I should seize this opportunity to do something completely different! Not yet! Maybe if A. gets a job I'll allow myself to pursue that thought more! Right now I am still interested in entertainment. Maybe it's because I have discovered such a joy in life without crazy work schedules over the last 3 months. I was so burnt out after LA. I didn't even realise it. I don't need a huge income. We have a simpler, pared-back lifestyle here, and I love it, but we do need to earn money to maintain it, and to take holidays!
