almost empty nest

Here we go. The nest is emptying again. In June it was Natalie nipping off to live in a lovely house in the Golden Triangle, working in the massive Toy Dept of Jarrolds to pay the rent and being an illustrator extraordinaire. 

This time it's the boy Tim. He tootled off on the train to London village yesterday to start work at fancy investment company, Bedrock, in Mayfair today. 

Got himself a neat flat on the top floor of an Edwardian 3-storey house in West Hampstead. A nice "chambre de bonne" he will share with his pal Charlie from uni. Ideal access for both - to work, family and fun.

All very well, but rather gut-stabbing and womb-ripping for the two left behind. The house is now scarily quiet. Minutes have become hours. Fridge still full of food. Many tears sobbed as we wander round the echoing, cold, empty rooms.

Norwich. 1994. Tim; Natalie; Flossie.
Good, grubby bath water

Nige and Tim had built up a closeness over the summer. Bonding. Projects. Building cigar box guitars, making beer, veg gardening, listening to music, going on long daily walks, cooking fancy foods, going to gigs, joking around, watching football and alligator hunting on tv. They became particularly intertwined.

Markshall. 2010. Natalie; Tim; Andre (cousin); Flossie

Even our little baby girl Flossie goes virtually unseen. Now finally free from being formally educated, she is temporarily slaving for the grand Victorian pile up the road at their banquets and weddings, and at a glittery cocktail bar near the cathedral in the city centre, from dusk until dawn, literally, so needs to sleep during the day.

We will just have to adapt, and embrace coupleness anew...(and perhaps look forward to retirement in the gate-house of a mansion in the Cotswolds ....)

<  may be needing this a bit more often