Well, we’ve been here nearly three weeks. Or is it nearly four weeks? We’ve had sunshine, we’ve had snow, we’ve had a howling wind. We’ve had the most incredible frost – something I’ve not had since I was a child at school in the frozen fields at 55 Amy Street, Ellerslie. Otherwise known as Michael Park School.
The hardest thing has been leaving the school. As much as it was the girls’ school it was also my school. I’m still not at all reconciled with leaving the Steiner world – but I also need to come to terms with the fact if I’m not earning any money I’m not paying school fees. When I sat down to go over my book I realise I’ve written most of it – and now for the photographs – that’s what I’m here for.
My plan is to divide my week up into blogging and photographing for the book. Afternoons will be spent with the girls. We’ve been baking bread, we’ve made pizza dough, we’ve been to Garden Trading and countrified the interior up a bit – the London plastic IKEA stuff has just had to go.
Every day we have activities – ballet at Stow-on-the-Wold, local swimming for Astrid and further afield for Edith, and my favourite; horse riding at Overdale, also home of the most brilliant pub, The Feathered Nest. I’d ridden horses a lot as a teenager, but it was more a case of being shoved on a horse and being expected to magically know how to trot and canter. I’ve no idea how I managed to stay on except that I held onto the saddle for dear life.
My teacher Karin has spent the last two Saturdays teaching me how to rise for the trot – feet back, and rising from the knees. So far I can stay up for the count of four in walk. We need to get to ten. It might take a while.
But I love it. It’s like being on a diet, or meditating – you simply cannot cheat, or be lazy or fake it or give up. The only way is to do it and do it and do it until you get it.
This week’s shopping tips: Garden Trading and the Burleigh sale.
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