Look left and right before attempting to talk to my daughter as she will
be definitely further then nearer. I ask her to stay in one place and
find her in other, being seen in sitting position will result in having
her running. Nadia is very stubborn and takes big steps towards being
independent. She rarely expresses fear, leave her alone for a second and
she won't notice, turn your head right and she goes far to the left.
She has lots of energy and won't sit down even to eat when there's
interesting thing around. Running, climbing, dancing, rolling...
movement was invented to please her.
On an early morning, early into the autumn on a random side road my mum
is posing on her first day at school holding a cardboard cone filled
with sweets, chocolate and little treats. She's six and pretty, her life
has just gotten a new direction, her heart is full of hope.
She taught me to write and read, made sure my handwriting was neat and tidy as hers and always even at teenager's darkest hour kept telling me how pretty I was and how she looked forward to seeing me having my own family. There are features in me I don't appreciate having inherited but sharing them with her make us special, unique. It always makes me appreciate her so much more when we're miles away. My autumn girls - my mum and Nadia, both Libras, both indecisive to some of their choices, nervous and incredibly lovable, always seeking attention and recognition.
She taught me to write and read, made sure my handwriting was neat and tidy as hers and always even at teenager's darkest hour kept telling me how pretty I was and how she looked forward to seeing me having my own family. There are features in me I don't appreciate having inherited but sharing them with her make us special, unique. It always makes me appreciate her so much more when we're miles away. My autumn girls - my mum and Nadia, both Libras, both indecisive to some of their choices, nervous and incredibly lovable, always seeking attention and recognition.
'I want this at home' |
Reading everything that's important |
It's amazing how beautiful things grow just behind our backs. I almost
pass these incredible 10 acres of gardens traveling to work yet has
never wandered around them, investigated each part of muscular features
of statues such as Bacchus or the Wrestlers of Herculaneum and breathed
in the mature pine wood. Until yesterday. The morning started off with a light packing for a trip to Compton Acres, a home of themed gardens of which - as for a shade only tolerant person - my favourite one was called Wooded Valley
with winding pathways and dramatic waterfalls. My eyes also enjoyed an
idyllic Japanese spot where together with Nadia we fed fish, jumped on
the stones dipped in deep water and ran up and down the
rhododendron-clad hills. I'm still overwhelmed by how full of energy
Nadia was and how an amazing time she had feeding salmon-looking-like
fish almost jumping out of water to get a bread crumb.
To end the day me and my friend got to buy the same book where and when to go for our future escapades and planned some autumn activities before the colder season hugs British Islands again.
To end the day me and my friend got to buy the same book where and when to go for our future escapades and planned some autumn activities before the colder season hugs British Islands again.
Sitting comfortably having legs propped up on a chair, giving my sides a
laughing therapy, a headache or an assertiveness lesson I was curious
to step onto the ground where pages were almost filled in and story was
coming to an end. I looked forward to seeing the backyard where Sense and Sensibility
was born. No more than satisfying weather, relaxed moods and Nadia by
my side was needed to complete that day (and my friend as terrified driver).
We picked up a small cottage near Winchester where two hundred years ago women enjoyed gardening and needlework as well as a genius of one of them had flourished among Clementi piano she practised on every morning before breakfast, novels collected in the reading room or borrowed from the circulating library she read aloud to entertain visitors and two carriage donkeys she kept in her family. The first photo was taken close enough to Jane Austen's Museum to still get lost. In no time we found our way to greet the spirit of shy footsteps treading within the brightly wallpapered walls. I was eager to see the little table by the window in the dining parlour Jane was writing her novels on but even more excited to breathe in the deep smell of wooden floors, cut grass and see the sun light coming through the windows as Jane saw it lifting her head up from her writing. In the kitchen situated in the wing at the back of the house me and Nadia tried to write with a goose feather. One message to other visitors took us a while due to the ink drying so quickly. At last we looked through the shop situated in converted barn for souvenirs and books where I purchased two booklets with witty illustrations for Austen's books. Nadia enjoyed the outer space more running and dancing in the middle of the garden but above all I loved her sitting on the window seat watching the quietness of the village. I knew she could pause even for a second. On our way home we ate Italian food in nearby Winchester and almost got soaked in the sudden evening rain pour.
'I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.'
We picked up a small cottage near Winchester where two hundred years ago women enjoyed gardening and needlework as well as a genius of one of them had flourished among Clementi piano she practised on every morning before breakfast, novels collected in the reading room or borrowed from the circulating library she read aloud to entertain visitors and two carriage donkeys she kept in her family. The first photo was taken close enough to Jane Austen's Museum to still get lost. In no time we found our way to greet the spirit of shy footsteps treading within the brightly wallpapered walls. I was eager to see the little table by the window in the dining parlour Jane was writing her novels on but even more excited to breathe in the deep smell of wooden floors, cut grass and see the sun light coming through the windows as Jane saw it lifting her head up from her writing. In the kitchen situated in the wing at the back of the house me and Nadia tried to write with a goose feather. One message to other visitors took us a while due to the ink drying so quickly. At last we looked through the shop situated in converted barn for souvenirs and books where I purchased two booklets with witty illustrations for Austen's books. Nadia enjoyed the outer space more running and dancing in the middle of the garden but above all I loved her sitting on the window seat watching the quietness of the village. I knew she could pause even for a second. On our way home we ate Italian food in nearby Winchester and almost got soaked in the sudden evening rain pour.
'I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.'
Between the three of us we ate: soups, meat, vegetables and endless
amounts of fruit. Top it off with cakes, ice cream, sweets, crisps and
you'll get a whole table picture in this family. We gave Damian's
mum an idea of what would be more than welcome stuck to our forks and
she delivered more than we expected. Our holiday menu was also plentiful
in guests, accordion tunes, taking Nadia to the toilet at least fifteen
times per one sitting. Is there anything we haven't done or eaten while in Poland? I fail to acknowledge.
Four big posts must be enough reason to pronounce our recent holiday the
best thing since getting new sofa (kidding!). I am forever thankful to
every soul who has made us feel at home/garden and served better food
than we would ever imagine to prepare ourselves. When it was finally
time to take off back to England, only digital reminder of wonderful
time tried to keep our eyeballs dry (it didn't, but thanks for trying). Last
day was busy as ever with the last call shopping (for lifesaving face
masks and rich in E vitamin ampoules), my mum's residential issues
solving and church fair attending (and dying over keeping Nadia's helium
balloon at the ground level as she didn't want to tie it to her wrist). When
I look at the photos today, smile is not vanishing from my face. My
little model always looked her very (sometimes untidy) best, we had fun,
laughed, walked a lot, had afternoon naps. And a note to the man
who owns the other side of my bed - without you this two week getaway
would have been impossible for my skin. It breathes on you.
At our English home we were greeted by mildly stale air and unnatural silence hitting the walls. It felt good but not great. I guess we need a few more days to adjust to be on our threesome own again. Piles of washing to be done and stuff to be taken out from the suitcases was kind of urgent welcome of every-day-reality.
P. S. While waiting for baggage to arrive at the baggage reclaim carousel at Luton Airport I noticed our black whale suitcase straight away but it took a while for Damian to go and get it. Later he tried to explain saying it was upside down so he couldn't recognize it. 'Wouldn't you recognize me if I was upside down?' was my reply and we burst out laughing.
At our English home we were greeted by mildly stale air and unnatural silence hitting the walls. It felt good but not great. I guess we need a few more days to adjust to be on our threesome own again. Piles of washing to be done and stuff to be taken out from the suitcases was kind of urgent welcome of every-day-reality.
P. S. While waiting for baggage to arrive at the baggage reclaim carousel at Luton Airport I noticed our black whale suitcase straight away but it took a while for Damian to go and get it. Later he tried to explain saying it was upside down so he couldn't recognize it. 'Wouldn't you recognize me if I was upside down?' was my reply and we burst out laughing.
While we were gone days were spent in two different worlds: green and
concrete. I have talked about the first one already, now I'm bringing
you the shape of my home streets and its brickwork. And there was loads
of them - filling up the walls, pavements, creating the impression of
time standing still back in the old days when metal and glass was rare
as tattoos. Any old town with its well preserved buildings would add
greatness and charm to the overall atmosphere, I only hope some very
important figures will eventually learn the importance of refurbishing
works before it's too late. Town life abounded in family visits and made
it slightly challenging with overexposed toddler. My cousin and her
husband surprised us with a forthcoming trip to Mexico and we enjoyed a
relaxed conversation on their preparations and recent buys. We will
definitely wait for their feedback on eating crickets and mule riding.
After walking escapades and stuffing our bellies with heavenly delicious food we dedicated afternoon hours to long discussions and walks through memory lanes. Seeing my godmother in a good health and spirit, delighted with Nadia's presence made us stay at her place past Nadia's bedtime. But it was well worth it. We talked in the quiet of her balcony while she thoughtfully gave me a piece of advice on rising either a clean or happy child. I hope Nadia will be happily untidy and cheerfully healing scrapped knees and elbows throughout her childhood. And of course all of us thought we ate the best food while visiting - cakes, nuts, berries barely kept the table on its four legs.
Once we've become more familiar with our beds at parents' house (thankfully we were given access to a double and a single bed and found ourselves making trips at night depending on who Nadia wanted to sleep with), we got used to to sliding down the opposite bumps on one and a division at chest height on the other. If we have been less tired, we'd have definitely noticed the discomfort they brought us. I was also pleased to see Nadia being her playful self: cheering up the streetcars going up or down the streets, climbing on the curbs. When visiting my old room cluttered without harmony, she kept asking me to take an old guitar off the wall so she could reduce all surprises to a tune or two. I needed a holiday like this.
After walking escapades and stuffing our bellies with heavenly delicious food we dedicated afternoon hours to long discussions and walks through memory lanes. Seeing my godmother in a good health and spirit, delighted with Nadia's presence made us stay at her place past Nadia's bedtime. But it was well worth it. We talked in the quiet of her balcony while she thoughtfully gave me a piece of advice on rising either a clean or happy child. I hope Nadia will be happily untidy and cheerfully healing scrapped knees and elbows throughout her childhood. And of course all of us thought we ate the best food while visiting - cakes, nuts, berries barely kept the table on its four legs.
Once we've become more familiar with our beds at parents' house (thankfully we were given access to a double and a single bed and found ourselves making trips at night depending on who Nadia wanted to sleep with), we got used to to sliding down the opposite bumps on one and a division at chest height on the other. If we have been less tired, we'd have definitely noticed the discomfort they brought us. I was also pleased to see Nadia being her playful self: cheering up the streetcars going up or down the streets, climbing on the curbs. When visiting my old room cluttered without harmony, she kept asking me to take an old guitar off the wall so she could reduce all surprises to a tune or two. I needed a holiday like this.