Amandababble Week Eleven

Amandababble Week Ten Amandababble Week Twelve

Amandababble Week Eleven

Darn sunshine is driving me bonkers – I work better ensconced in my darkened writing cave when it’s dreary and grey and I have no desire to step outside, it helps me look inward, I think I was a bat in a former life. As I sit here this morning, the sun is casting a golden glow over our rusting BBQ and our yellow, mossy lawn, is calling me to go and lie on it and have a good old think. No time for that however, I have me a book to finish!

So, the Major and I have some big news… no not the tiny pitter-patter of feet, (now that would be a miracle, with only half a womb and the withered eggs of a woman half way through the change. Too much information? Possibly.) No, our news is this; we are on the move. Again!

Picture this, last Friday evening I am preparing for the 20 or so relatives that were incoming. I was sorting bedding, peeling spuds, erecting gazebos, stringing up fairy lights and crying. I do this when under stress. The Major popped up with my favourite drink – an ice cold T&T with a wedge of lime (I don’t like gin, so go for a double tonic! Dah!) He was being particularly nice to me, which usually means he’s broken something – I sipped, mid fairy light untangle and waited… he cracked after 30 seconds.

‘We have been posted.’

Now, this is a phrase he has uttered to me at least ten times in the last 8 years and so now I simply shrug and say, ‘fine.’

‘Do you know when?’ I ask casually.

‘We are leaving within the next 2 weeks.’ He mumbles.

I actually snorted my T&T through my nose, ‘within the next 2 weeks?’ I screech three octaves higher than I usual. ‘But the boys are away and I’ve got a book to finish, I need to get all their stuff ready to go back to school and I’m doing the stuff for This Morning and I haven’t got any packing cases and my family are arriving any second and I can’t untangle these lights!’

‘It’s okay,’ he soothed, ‘it will all be okay. It always is.’

He is right of course and out of the two of us, some would say he is the less hysterical.

‘Where are we going?’ I ask, trying to keep calm, while crying on the inside.

‘Bahnngngnnnnfffa’ He mumbled, inaudibly.

‘Sorry, Where? Bath? Birmingham? Brize? Bristol?’

He looked me in the eye, and this time, his voice was loud and clear, ‘Bermuda. We are going to Bermuda.’

‘As in Barry Manilow?’ it was the first thing I thought of.

‘Yes.’ He confirmed.

‘And we leave when?’

‘Very soon.’ He grimaced.

Everyone we have told has sung at me, either the aforementioned Manilow song or the Beach Boys. My message to them all is, please stop it.

So folks, there we have it. We are upping sticks, pulling anchor and packing up our kit bags and heading to this tiny island a couple of hours from New York and seven hours from the UK. How do I feel? A mixture really…

I LOVE the Caribbean – as anyone that has read my novels knows, so am thinking it might be like that. Living and working in paradise will be wonderful, an adventure! And I can get to New York easily for work. Ok, here comes the but, BUT, I’m not actually that type of person and would always much rather be sitting in the front room of our 3 bed semi, with all my little bits and pieces around me, wearing my comfies with my kids ignoring me on the other sofa, having my mum pop in for a cuppa and watching a bit of X factor with a Chinese takeaway and going for walks in the fields, meeting up with my best friend so we can laugh until we cry. Maybe I’m a weirdo, but that’s me.

I shall do what I always do when presented with any opportunity or change, from illness to travel to career changes, I shall embrace it, smile through it and wring every last drop out of it. But my heart will remain in this green and pleasant land where the people that I love live.

Blogs will be more interesting – who knows what adventures I might have and I will share every step. Twitter and Facebook contact will become even more important to me; I shall be desperate to hear from Rhi, Ally, Flora, and Liz you know who you are. The boys are staying here as they are starting their A levels, even writing that has caused my tears to spring anew and here’s the thing, no matter how lovely the beach or warm the sun, I’d still rather be cooking their tea and hearing them squabble over the remote control. I just love them.

I shall write a book or two when I am there and already have a few plots swirling in my head, just not sure where I shall find a darkened writing cave. I’ve had a look at several websites and it seems Bermuda is well known for its sunshine. Grrrrrr….

This week – I simply send love xx

PS – Here’s the link for this weeks ITV This Morning short story giveaway http://itv.co/158fSoW look out for next weeks – its rather special! xx