Another month has flown around and I want to welcome you back into my kitchen for a mug of tea, a pot of coffee, a glass of juice or perhaps something stronger!
If I was with you today I would greet you at the back door as you pushed open the creaking garden gate. I would usher you to our patio chairs where a teapot would be waiting alongside some of the middle brothers birthday cake. It is one of those days when the sun keeps popping up behind the clouds and when it does it turns quite warm.
As I poured you the first steaming cup and I would welcome you to our family home. I would tell you that I have so many mixed feelings about coming home for the holidays. That I love family time, that I feel blessed to have such a caring fun family. That the holidays whatever they entail will be sure to be exciting and restful. But on the other hand I feel I have made a life in Durham. The transition from a very independent life at uni to one at home is always interesting. I would laugh as I told you stories about the wonderful friends I have made this year. How we are planning on regular skype chats to keep us all in the loop. I would tell you that coming home means missing them and how that is always hard. I would ask you, if you went to uni, how you found the transition coming home?
I would cradle my mug in my hands and offer you a slice of that delicious birthday cake. The middle brothers girlfriend made it and it is the perfect combination of icing and lemon flavoured cake. I would tell you that I came home on his birthday and the house was full of people. That it was lovely to celebrate with him and that he received several new board games. I would roll my eyes as I told you that he is becoming a board game geek. That at the last count we now have 65, yes 65 board games in our house. That said I would smile and mention that the laughter, competitivness and family time that comes with a board game cannot be beaten. Do you play board games?
Our silly black cat would come and curl around your ankles and I would ask you how your week has gone? Have you done anything exciting? I would mention that I got to go to a ball with the boy. I would tell you that it was vey different to our ball at college but just as much fun. That dancing with the boy is the best and that he really does pull out all the dad dance moves. I would tell you though with a hint of regret in my voice that I didn't manage to get any pictures that I really love although this one snapped the morning after summed up the evening quite well.
As I poured the second cup- you can't fit another one in you say, never mind, have some more cake- I would ask you what your summer plans were? I would tell you with excitement that I am working on a commission for my Grandma. She wants wooden coat hangers turned into padded ones. I have to admit that padded coat hangers aren't really my cup of tea but I am finding them really fun to make although I may be singing a different tune after making the tenth! I am trying and failing to get a job although I do have a few babysitting jobs lined up and I am working on a fun if ambitious project for the blog. Stay tuned!
The sun would be going behind the clouds again and as the air got colder you would pick up your bags and I would walk you to the gate. We would hug and comment about how nice this regular meet up is. How great blog friendships are and how wonderful that we can do life together.
If you were meeting with me now, what would you tell me?
If you would like to write a "tea" post please add it to the linky at the bottom so we can all sit and share with you! The linky will be open for a week so you have plenty of time!
21 comments:
My husband and I were just talking about that feeling the other day..we can remember what it is like to have to pack up and leave each other to go home for the holidays (a problem we solved by getting married before I was even finished my degree! But that's another story). And then my sister talked about it from the other side and how excited the younger ones were to see me home again for a while. Thinking about you x
I imagine that is quite the transition being back home for the summer. I really enjoyed my tea with you this morning, Abi. :o) Really looking forward to seeing what your blog project entails, as well as learning what paddle hangers are. ;o)
My daughter has a friend who loves board games too, and he does a weekly podcast called "Game Night Guys." She's recording an episode with them this coming weekend. Fun!
Penny is home for the summer and seems to have made the transition quite well, although she sometimes disappears upstairs as she needs 'alone' time which she gets at uni (own one bed flat) and obviously doesn't get with her Dad and me at home! I know that Ben found it really difficult - we had a few strained conversations around tidying the place up and letting me know if he was going to not be coming home at night!!
We love board games - our favourite at the moment is the sheep rustling game with Wallace and Gromit! Great fun!
If I had come to tea with you I would be telling you all about the new kitchen that is starting to be put in on Monday and how nervous I am about it all! I would also be telling you about how excited I am to be going on holiday to Italy soon.
I do hope that you have an enjoyable break and manage to keep up with all your friends. xx
I always found the transition hard and really missed my friends - no Skype then! After the first few years I stayed in london working. Enjoy your break from uni.
My children always found mixed emotions at coming home, they liked coming home to home cooked meals miraculously appearing at dinner time, the fridge always having fresh food in it, and all their favourite things in the cupboards. But it is hard to adjust to not being such a free agent. In the blink of any eye you will be back in Durham and wondering where the holidays went!
I found it really hard that first summer. So much so, that at the end of my 2nd year I stayed, along with my best friend. It was much easier to find a summer job in a easier town anyway!
Have a lovely summer break.
So glad you made such lovely friendships. Being away from them can make some days drag but it's balanced out with those days you cherish being home. Pop over to my house for what I'd tell you ;)
Yes that must be quite strange feeling Abi!
I enjoyed the little catch up over tea and cake :)
Thank you for inviting me to your lovely home Abi. I hope that the summer will be a settled time for you. My son found it strange to be home. He loved being spoilt again but missed his uni pals. 'tis life...
I hadn't thought about that transition in a long time. My freshman roommate and I solved the immediate problem by visiting one another for the first couple of weeks of vacation. First she came to my home, then I went to hers. Thanks for the visit!
Whenever I went home on leave, my dad said without fail, "Nice to see you, when are you going back?"
I'm sure you'll manage the balancing act between your two lives perfectly. Thanks for inviting me to drop by. See you soon!
Hope you adjust to life at home soon, Abi..enjot these summer projects!
Alison xx
Hope you adjust to life at home soon, Abi..enjot these summer projects!
Alison xx
we love board games too and always play when the family gets together.
Such a lovely post Abi - you have such a talent for writing and make me feel like I'm really sitting there having a cup of tea with you! Looking forward to doing it in real life during the summer :D I can totally understand your mixed feelings about coming home from uni for the summer holidays, it does feel odd to be back with the family after a full year of living pretty much independently! But I always found being away made me appreciate home more, and being at home made me appreciate uni life more so it works both ways I think! Hope you're enjoying the holidays so far, I think you're going to be busy with crafty endeavours by the sound of it :D xxxxxx
I too remember the feeling of going home and then going back to school, but my parents lived in another country. It made family life a little difficult for the first couple of days and then time flew by and it was school time again.
Thansk for sharing the birthday cake and for the drink
I'll be linking up on Monday. I'm afraid that once I left for University, I never really went back. I went for Christmas and a week here and there. But never moved back entirely.
Rinda
Hi Abi, I am back from London and had a wonderful time catching up with friends I made nearly 30 years ago, I know I am that old.
I did go to university twice but as a part-time student first to do a nursing degree as I worked and the second time to do another degree to train as a Health visitor which was a full-time course but in my home town of Southampton.
Jo xxx
I love going back to my parents house now. It means I can stop worrying about everything and relax, however I love coming back to our little house with all our things and getting back into our routine.
I love going back to my parents house now. It means I can stop worrying about everything and relax, however I love coming back to our little house with all our things and getting back into our routine.
That is an amazing number of board games! I have a son who loves them too, and is always inventing new ones. Hoping for good,things for,you as regards the job - must be very hard right now for all of you,who are looking. I always went abroad and did au pairing so once I went to university I only,ever visited for,a week or so at a time. Must be an inbetween time as you settle back ... I am sorry to be too late to join in this month :(. Just too much stuff here at home. Off to read all your other lovely posts which I have missed! Oh, and Hanging in my wardrobe are a dozen padded hangers which my Mum had made down the years and which Dad didn't want - your Gran will really appreciate the time and care you are taking and having a little bit of you close to her.
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