A VISIT FROM OUR DAUGHTER

Hi Bloggets. A really lovely and interesting day but boy, I am exhausted! We had to get up at silly time and our electrician was fixing our light at the front door well before nine. Today was the day when we were meeting with my step daughter. We have not seen her for a very long time. A year. I was really really anxious though Hub and I have been with each other five years, we don’t see much of our oldest girl. I hope this will change soon, I really do. To save some money, we decided to do the very very long and stressful in fact, no, in my case petrifying walk to the train station to meet with her. Oh God I hate that? I have only done this route once and that was when we met with our friends Jan and Dave last year and I swore then never to do that again as it is so very dangerous and almost reduces me to tears, honestly. I am so scared. My Husband has one speed. No fear and is a dare devil for sure. I on the other hand am like a frightened kitten. We started off OK, but the traffic was appalling, I’m not joking. The noise was horrible. Huge vehicles and emergency cars and trucks flying by. So loud sirens mixed in with the engines of cars and trucks motor bikes and vast drilling going on from our old town being repaired. Loads of tourists too visiting the city even had to avoid three lots of people with suitcases on wheels and babies being pushed in prams. There were times when I didn’t know if we were on the road or path as some places have no steps. Then had to try to learn what was tactile paving or cobbled streets or even just man holes. So much to take in. At our lights to cross the road, some traffic lights beep, others don’t. What did and didn’t depend on if one had a turning button on the bottom, so I had to find the button as that is my job. Then stand holding it until it turned or on some lights, waiting until I heard the beeping sound.

At more times than I chose to like, we seemed to be in the middle of the road, as our poor long chops tried to take us to so called middle islands. Oh God it was so scary. I am not joking. I am deaf my ears are ringing with city sounds.

We only got a bit lost, but that bit was about twice and took us ten minutes away. Our friends who do the walk take between eight and twelve minutes to do this walk, we took over thirty minutes. But, we did it. Standing waiting for our girl to come. My breath was racing and my heart pounding as I was apprehensive to her visit. I wanted it all to go so well and for her to enjoy herself. It meant a lot to Hub! I do feel for my x Husband as I’m sure he goes through the same when he meets with my Son? If you don’t see much of your child, it’s difficult.

So people did their normal things of walking into us even though we were stood still. Hub with his guide dog and me with white cane. Huge spaces either side of us but hey, let’s walk into the blindies? Idiots. I heard the quiet voice of our daughter and we began our day. A walk back to the bridge, down seven hundred and forty two steps.

OK, 32, but felt like more.  She runs rather than walks and I already had a traumatic journey to meet her. Hahhahaha. I’m such a wimp, really I am.

Straight onto a cruise boat and to the top deck we took our seats.

 A drink of apple juice from the bar and the tour of our historical cruise began.

We learned a lot about our town. It was great and a funny thing happened. As the man was talking through the microphone, a lady didn’t realise as she came up the steps and went to him to ask a question? He had to stop talking and everyone laughed. Poor lady, she was embarrassed as she turned to us all laughing and apologised.

Oh though the sun was wearing its hat, the wind decided to visit too and it was so very cold. I joked with my Husband telling him the money we were saving in our jam jar for my Botox; we wouldn’t need as my face was frozen. Hahahaha.

He laughed and said he could spend the £35 on something else now.

We gave our daughter a small gift and she presented Hub with a CD she has recorded. She is heavily into music as was my Husband.

After one hour we left the boat, again trying not to fall in the water, I did the leap of life missing the gap.

Then into our town and visited mine and our daughters favourite shop. The soap shop

I have written about that before. It’s a land of girly perfection.

Oh I love it. The soaps are tiny fairy cakes and sugar mice.

The smells are amazing. They are all in beautiful crystal dishes. Tall dishes on thin stems.

It has old fashioned sinks full of bath salts. There is a massive wedding cake all made from soap.

Sunday glasses full of fruit but the fruit is soaps. They also have really weird soap, like tomato and basil and the best one, was one that she chose, old fashioned book fragrance? I’m not joking.

And it smelt of old books.

She also picked a mouse, with a ribbon for a tail.

I got some peppermint bath salts, and then remembered we have no bath? Haha haha. Oh yes, our bath has a hole.

Then into the music shop and got a book of folk music. Then onto a beautiful hotel called the Grand there we were to meet with my boy. A door man met us and led me off to our restaurant. Now I did wear my smile from ear to ear, as he held my hand so high, like in the olden days, about shoulder height.

Into the beautiful restaurant to have afternoon tea.

My Son came and the wonder began. I had lemon and ginger tea; our daughter had white rose petal tea and the boys a posh coffee. The silverware was stunning and the three teard  cake stand held finger sandwiches creamed scones with homemade jams and the most exquisite cakes on earth.

The kids got on well and it was rather grand but very precious too.

Teen kindly walked our daughter back to the station and then came back to show us the bus stop home as I had had enough stress in finding places we hardly if at all knew. Teen went for his bike to ride back home and we caught the bus back too. Thing is with the bus, it was our time to get off. I pushed the button, nothing. He didn’t stop. Someone behind me pushed it and the driving kept going and then someone in front did the same. The bus was driving happily along. Oh God, not again? Where would we be dropped off?