Oh, I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside.......

1987 was my Annus Horribilis. It started bang on time in January with the death of my beloved Grandmother (Nana N) three days after my birthday. Not included in the tragic events of that year was the birth of my second son in March. Three weeks later at the beginning of April and the week before his 54th birthday, our (mine and my two younger sisters) darling Father suffered a massive stroke and died the next day. We still miss him terribly. In the October my then husband had to declare bankruptcy and we lost everything - house,cars,business,self-esteem,dignity. We moved to a rented property in the country which is where my children were brought up and were happy while we waited on the council list for a `proper` house. After fourteen years (yes, it can take that long) we were offered this present home I`m living in now. It`s small but it was sufficient for our needs at that time and we had decided that it would only be temporary until we could buy it and sell again. This would afford us the choice of living in a part of the county we really wanted to settle down in. Unfortunately, my ex had other ideas and after only two months in this house, decided he wanted to leave. I didn`t stop him. The death knell had been tolling for quite a while in the marriage and I was at the stage of giving up rather than fighting any longer to keep it alive. For the boys` sakes as well as my own. I won`t pretend the last nine years of singledom (I`ve had a couple of lucky escapes in the meantime - you don`t want to know, trust me!) haven`t been tough but I think I`ve finally settled into myself and am no longer hampered with the doubts and insecurities I burdened myself with when I was much younger. What you see is what you get I`m afraid! I`ve met and faced some really tough challenges on the journey, employment being one of them. I gave up a Glittering Career in the Civil Service to follow the Hippie Trail, quickly followed by Marriage and Motherhood and was very happy to be a `SAHM`, working in the evenings or very early mornings to bump up the coffers (I`ve been in the same job for seventeen years - my employers are very good people and have rewarded me quite handsomely over the years, allowing me to uphold my dignity and total financial independence - with a couple of years off while I went back to secretarial work which is another story for another day). I reckon I`m the tough old bird I am today due to all of that in part and if I could go back and change anything, I think I would (apart from having my two sons of course!) but perhaps with the benefit of hindsight, we could all do the same.It`s really good being older and wiser and I`m now past the age my father was when he died so I hope I`ve broken the curse of my paternal lifeline and I really do appreciate each and every passing day more and more and absolutely cherish any time I can spend with the Darling Grandaughter.

Had everything gone according to plan before the divorce, this is my favourite spot in the whole of the land where ultimately we were going to move. It`s the tiniest cove you could imagine and the house is a fisherman`s cottage which backs on to a shingle beach - your very own private beach in essence - and I often walk past it, summer and winter and just imagine......

Fancy a dip? The view from the kitchen window.

My youngest sister sitting on my private jetty!

....turn left out of the back door and see this....

.....and this is your view from the right....

....and with the going down of the sun......

.....we shall say Nite Nite!