Times they are a-changing.

Just watched Beverley Knight sing her latest on TV, what a voice, so soulful. Must buy a copy of her new album. Surprised myself yesterday when I heard a country singer called Keith Urban sing live on TV. I always swore I'd never buy a country album after years of Country & Western overload especially on Sundays (when I was a child mum would stack the radiogram with eight vinyl albums, usually Jim Reeves and Slim Whitman and that was Sunday's never-ending musical interlude taken care of. How I longed for something bright and bouncy to bop along to instead!) but 'Stupid Boy' caught hold of me and now I just know I won't be able to resist the temptation to add his latest album to my collection.

Yesterday, Stuart booked us tickets to see Jools Holland in May and I'm really looking forward to the show. We've seen his superb show several times before and each time it has been like an exhuberant party! Ruby Turner is his special guest and her voice is so powerful it takes my breath away! The guy in the picture? Oh yes, that's Stuart by the way!

I've not just been thinking about things musical today, I've also been contemplating a holiday. We need to find somewhere relaxing and preferably close the sea. I love visiting Cornwall here in the UK and have been there many times, so this time I'm going to see if I can find a little cottage in Devon, Cornwall's next door neighbour. Fresh sea air and a slower pace of life will definitely be the best possible tonic after the stresses and strains of selling homes and starting again.

In fact, right now I'm waiting for a call from my solicitor. She'll tell me when contracts have been exchanged on my old house. It's a strange sensation. Twenty three years bursting with family life, tears and laughter for me, etched forever into those four walls. The house is empty, echoing memories; if I step into my bedroom even now, twenty two years later, I can still hear my son's first cry and once again, feel his warmth as he was bundled into my arms for the very first time. The kitchen rings with our family chatter, but our table is no longer there and now there's no one to sit with me. It really is time to let go. When I cook our evening meal tonight, my son and daughter will tumble in from work to share it. Time's moved on and though it's been tough, so have we.

Time moves on ...

25th August 2010 - As I was browsing through a few old blog posts today, I came across this entry written almost three and a half years ago.  I had almost forgotten how deep a wrench leaving our old home and starting a new life with Stuart was at the time, but I'm happy to be able to say the four of us have since built a happy, secure home life together thanks to the very special man prepared to take on the challenge of building a new life both with us and for us.  Stuart surprised me by formally asking me to marry him a few days ago, so now we're both looking forward to next year, when we will quietly take the final step to cement our life together ...