2006-05-25 - 9:37 a.m.

Gareths parents live in a beautiful village called Moulton just a tiny tiny way from Newmarket (the home of horse racing) Every few homes is thatched and the whole thing is just everything you'd imagine a countryside village to be. Gareth grew up with all kinds of places to create adventures... tree's to climb forests to make dens in and it is so quiet and so safe there. I love imagining naughty little Gareth growing up there - it almost made me broody! little tiny baby Gareths SQUEEEE I KNOW nothing could be cuter than that

ALMOST broody!

(Their house from behind)

It's not decorated the way we would chose to have it but it is a lovely lovely house and there's just something nice about being in the place that was HOME to Gareth for so so many years. The walls of that house hold his history and despite the teletext, the endless pessemism and that ABSOLUTE inability to make a decision in less than 4 hours... it's a very happy feeling place. Peaceful I think would be the right word. I love my inlaws - they frustrate the BEJESUS out of me but how can I NOT love the two halves that made my whole husband? I love that I can have REAL meaningful debates with them about christianity - we don't always agree but it's just nice to have an intelligent conversation about it you know?

(part of their house from the front couldn't get it all in)

They love Gareth they really do adore him I just wish they would find some way to TELL him how proud they are instead of the constant little "you'll never QUITE be good enough" comments... which are more his dad really :-( I don't think he even knows how much he upsets him it's so GRRRRRRRRR he works so hard and he's so amazingly talented and gorgeous and wonderful and fabulous and he's HE'S THE BEST MAN GOD EVER MADE DAMN YOU WHY AREN'T YOU BURSTING WITH PRIDE? It's like for every compliment there is a tiny little "but THIS could have been better" or "that was great but it's not really a skilled job is it?" I wonder sometimes if they see that same Gareth that I do and I come to the conclusion over and over again that they can't possibly be really seeing him or else how could they make him feel that way? I know I am hopelessly biased because every fibre of my being is fiercely protective of my precious beautiful boy but even so - all I want is just for one time... one single occasion for Gareths Dad to say "Son I am Proud of you!" That would be enough for me and gosh I think Gareth would die of shock!(I nearly cried writting that because it really would mean THAT much to Gareth)

(This may not seem much to you but all we have is a tiny concrete yard)

It rained a lot while we were in Suffolk so the many rambling countryside adventures we had planned kind of didn't happen though by friday we'd gotten so bored of waiting for a nice day that we went for a walk in the bloody rain!! Because we're English and we can cope with it haha! We went to Grantchester (favourite spot of Cambridge Scholar and Poet Rupert Brooke which you can read about HERE

(the pictures all came out awful>

It didn't look so nice in the pissmist (drizzle isn't a descriptive enough term) but it was a nice walk and we got well and truly SOAKED before heading off to the tearoom for ridiculously expensive cups of tea in quaint little cups and saucers. (served by the LEAST english people I've ever seen haha) It was nice. My favourite part was reading about the many many huge brained people who had been there and the whole thing just made me think of BabyEmma and LittleJo (both of whom incidentally are larger than me in both brain and height) One day they will be considered in much the same way the "Grantchester Group" are because they are disgracefully intelligent and inventive and I know somehow.. they will do BIG things!

(people punt from Cambridge down to Grantchester for afternoon tea beneath the trees)

Other than that we went to a charity shop warehousey effort and bought 20books for only £4 I nearly fainted with excitement and I would have bought more if I thought I had anywhere to put them – I got some more Margaret Atwood (littlejo got me addicted to her) I got LOADS of stuff I’ve been lusting after for ages but just couldn’t afford it… EEEEEEEP it was EXCELLENT so many books so so so so many there aren’t words to tell you how happy it made me walking out of the shop with a huge big BOX full of treasure! I was practically floating back to the car and everytime I walk into the sittingroom I take a moment to stop and smile at the huge pile of new stuff to read!

(the view from Gareths childhood bedroom window)

We took out cats down with us so a sizeable portion of the trip was spend being amused at their behaviour with the Inlaws two beautiful Persian queens. I shall show you the photo’s of cats in another entry because otherwise this will be THE longest entry in the world and I do have SOME work to do today ;-)

My favourite part of the trip however was Sunday – after a long and difficult communion service at Gareths Parents church (which AGAIN is another story entirely) ANYWHOOOO after that we took a fabulous drive into Cambridge and there we met up with MY FAVOURITE PERSON IN THE UNIVERSE… Ali came to visit from London. It rained all day long – I mean REALLY rained – but you know Ali just has this AMAZINGLY buoyant effect on me and my mood and by the end of the day my face and my ribs ACHED with all of the laughing and grinning. I shall show you the pictures from that in another entry too because as I said I really SHOULD be working but oh it was sooo good to see my Lallywah! Really though nobody is more tapped in to my weird humour than she is and while Gareth does think we’re ridiculously immature he still grins and I know he is happy to see me so happy. I love Ali’s relationship with Gareth too it makes my heart MELT! Ali ended up staying overnight at the inlaws which I think they were actually really happy about because she so much BRIGHTENED the house by being there – I can’t even be sad when I say bye to her because I’m always still so full to the brim of the happiness of being around her! I wish you could all meet Ali I really do I really think that I could handle ANY situation with Ali at my side she just is the embodiment of happiness for me! I have a life full of such ASTOUNDING people I really do and with every year I add to that number and it blows me away… I mean maybe I only attract such FABULOUS humans because in my crapness I make them look even better but I honestly don’t care… I’m just so thankful to know them! Especially Gareth – for every evil thing done in the world…there is still Gareth and as long as there is Gareth…..

(this makes me nearly DIE with love)

There is love!

I trust that everyone is having a fabulous week – I’m almost on top of diaries now and if I’ve not left you a comment since I came back it’s not because I don’t love you – if there’s anything at all in your life you can be sure of it’s me!

I am here and I will NOT desert you!

EVER

Lovelovelove diaryland lovelovelove to you all

x x x

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