A right royal welcome

What a welcome home!  As if picking me up wasn't enough, Julie produced this fabulous lemon cake and flowers and Noeline left the house sparkling, meals prepared and supplies in with flowers everywhere. Sleep evades me at the moment so what I came home in is in the washing machine and I await a call from the airline.

Dubai again

Was it really almost six weeks ago that I was sitting in almost exactly the same spot hoping this might mysteriously find its way through the ether ... But it didn't then and I doubt if it will now. 

All that crying has blocked up my sinuses so it's been a bit of a puff and blow time, but I had the whole central row to myself and I made claim to it very quickly.  Actually it wasn't a very full flight and so the care and attention was good - salmon for lunch and a mushroom and bacon roll for supper.  No, I didn't!!!

And in all I had about 4 hours of proper lying down across the seats, broken sleep, so that was good and it's still only 8.15pm UK time.  Im hoping the same will apply on this next leg of the journey.  It's much longer of course, but if I can get myself a total of 7 or 8 hours sleep before I get home, I reckon I can face the 5 am start.

These herbal "no jet lag" tablets certainly helped on my way over, and with less pressure immediately I get home, I'm hopeful ... at least.  Between them and the panadol I'm popping to control the dry throat and fuzzy head, I hope NZ lets me in!!

It's an awful long way but I'm pleased I've been.

Ah well ... here we go again!

Home again

Well at least I'm home ... I suspect my luggage is still in Melbourne.  Dammit.

I have a really stuffed up nose now ... as did several others on the plane.  Perhaps it was too much crying, perhaps it was the plane's air conditioning or perhaps it's just a jolly good heavy head cold.  No matter what, it is preferable to Henry's tummy bug and I am very grateful I've got home safely without any signs of that appearing.

Julie and Chalkie excelled themselves by meeting me at the airport at 5am ... and of course I couldn't even give him his advent calendar!!  

Noeline has left the house in pristine condition and I'm about to go and have a shower and perhaps a couple of hours shut eye.  I certainly didn't manage much on the plane(s).  Now would not be a good time to ask when I'm going back ... or perhaps it is if you're looking for a negative response!  

So here's me signing out.  I'm so pleased to have gone and I'm so pleased to be back home.  And you can't ask for more than that - except perhaps the arrival of my suitcase with all my knickers, medication, diary, phone numbers and Chalkies advent calendar.

Over and out.

Heathrow airport

I'm right beside a runway and can't hear a thing!!!  Or perhaps the airline pilots have gone on strike?  No matter what, it's a nice comfy room with a plug in heater (which I'm enjoying) and clean.

It's been a crying sort of day.  Gabriel put on lunch at her place - after all the uncertainty it turned out to be a farewell lunch for me.  Will was invited, so not realising I was too, I wandered up those however many stairs and had a shower.   I cried.  Of course.

Then three of Rachel's friends came around especially to say goodbye ... individually.

And after that Philip drove me here and we had a very pleasant meal together before he returned home.  He was supposed to let me know when he got home but hasn't of course.   I do hope he has!!

And them Emma came - and has just left.  Emma was the physiotherapist daughter of John and Ingrid, who came out to Christchurch for a couple of years.  It was lovely to catch up.

And now I'm off to my bed.  I'm more than ready to go home now.  Just don't get me started crying when I get there please!

Last night at Cirencester

Not many will have forgotten my last trip home with Noro virus hitting, 2 hours after take-off. So I'm really delighted to report that evidently Kitty was unwell over the weekend while I was away and that Henry has followed suit over the past 24 hours.  It seems a D and V bug has hit the school and while it is only a 24 hour thing, it doesn't auger well for my fellow passengers!

I've been awake now for the past hour or so.  Henry's had me take him down to the toilet twice (and Will once),  each time unsuccessfully, but clearly he has an uncomfortable tummy still.  Between times I tried to send a message to my neighbour, Kimberley, but each time rang her on FaceTime ... so I've had a chat with her.  And now at almost 6am I've decided that I may as well do something constructive with my time instead of just lying here.

Yesterday Philip, Rosemary and I went to Marlborough for the day - a 40 minute drive from here.  We had a leisurely stroll around the shops, had a coffee stop and a lunch break and then made our way home again.  It is beautiful scenery in this part of the country which was still stunning but cloaked in mist.  Everyone was driving with their lights on by 4.30pm but disappointingly there were very few Christmas lights around.

The Cirencester Christmas lights are now in place and are due to be switched on by Nigel Havers on Saturday, by which time I will be home again wondering if I've ever been away, no doubt.

Philip tells me that Hannah is coming up from East Compton to say her farewells today, though I haven't heard that myself - and Will tells me that she and Gabriel are having lunch together and she needs to discuss Estate matters with him ... so quite where I fit in, I'm not sure.  As a result Philip is suggesting he takes me to the Heathrow Hotel later in the afternoon despite the fact that I'd rather he didn't have to drive home on the motorway in peak hour traffic.  He's a big boy - I guess he knows what he's doing!

Hopefully I will sleep better there, because I expect my past record of only brief catnaps on the plane will not change.

So this may well be my last blog from this side of the world - I'll report on my flight home so those in the UK will know I'm safely out of their hair again.  Thanks for being on the receiving end of my rants, raves, excitements and distress - it's good to have friends and family who have cared enough to bother.

Only three more sleeps

In many ways the time has shot past, but in others its dragged interminably.  But now I'm beginning to think the "this time next week I'll be ..." thoughts.  

I slept well in Gabriel's spare bed last night and went on the school run this morning. Gabriel insisted we walk in the park again and we finished at jacks cafe for a scone with clotted cream and jam and a cuppa.  I was in two minds whether Rachel would have approved (she loved them) or disapproved (weight issues) but we agreed that it was probably no more calorific than the breakfast I hadn't eaten and if it was, then the walking should have countered the extra.

I managed to complete a beret that Gabriel started the last time I was here and repaired a rug I knitted for her, before moving back to Will's for a shower and to prepare supper for Philip and Rosemary to join us.

They tell me we're going out for the day tomorrow which will be nice and then of course it will be back here to pack and move on to the hotel at the airport the next morning.

Countdown really has begun.

A tough old day

We left Somerset at 10am and got to Cirencester in good time.  During the drive, Hannah got a text from Gabriel asking if they could drop me off at her house to assist getting the boys ready.  And by the time that was done we were all scurrying off to the church for Rachel's funeral.

Rachel had chosen a black and white striped cardboard coffin and she was waiting for us when we arrived.  I was perfectly alright until I met Philip at the door, fully robed and sending me off to sit with the family up the front.  The large church was packed even 15 minutes before the service started.

He took the service (mainly) and his "sermon" addressed the whole subject of asking why. He said it was not a question of "why" but ... and now I can't remember what he said.  But he faced it absolutely head on and gave a solid argument and strong deliverance of his beliefs.

Has that sufficiently given the impression I want it to? He never faltered. I meanwhile kept my head down so that he couldn't see my (by then) red blotchy face, nose and eyes.  

And then Will spoke without hesitation about Rachel - how she would not be pleased if he spoke too long or was inconcise.  He did extremely well and my respect for him is even stronger as a result.

Rachel remained with us during the tea and cakes after the service and left only after the last person was gone.  It was completely "her show" from the hymns we sang to the clotted cream and jam scones and four different cakes.

I'm blowed if I know how any of them maintained their self control throughout.  I did all the tears and snivelling for all of them.  Certainly I blame my brothers faultless strength of character and clear pride and love for his daughter for a lot of my response!  

The cremation is tomorrow.  I'm relieved to say that no-one but Will and Philip will attend.  I shall, instead, be walking up that blooming 1 mile mountain (yep, the slope) with Gabriel and Anne.  Rachel would not be pleased if I gave up now.  The 2 sizes smaller coat allowed me to raise my arms for hugs and greetings so I'm hoping that might mean I may have lost a little bit more over the past week.  And from the number of her friends that told me they'd been keeping abreast of my progress, I think it is probably just as well.

Wills parents stayed on another night, so I'm tucked up in Gabriel's spare bed tonight.  There really is no getting out of this walk tomorrow I fear!!