Tuesday 24 February 2009

Going Home

I've been inspired by Suzanne's lists to do my own. My trip to the South has been longer than planned but I'll be running back to my little croft house in the Highlands soon :-)

Reasons why I'll be glad to get home:

1) Despite having lived for a large part of my life in London (or perhaps because of that!) I have strong hermit tendencies and am much happier where there are as few people as possible.

2) It will be nice to smile and say hello to the few people I do come across and them not think I'm a weirdo (forgot how grumpy the urban English can be).

3) I can forget to watch out for burglars, muggers, gangs and weirdos.

4) I can let my dogs run out the front door in the morning without worrying about cars.

5) I can take my dogs out at night wearing my dressing gown (I really get into my hermit thing with worrying ease).

6) Just being at home in my very own little house where I can step out and see the snow capped mountains and have the peace and space to write...

Reasons why I'm not looking forward to going home:

1) The fearsome Highland mice that are not remotely 'timorous beasties' will probably have trashed my entire house and possibly even eaten my furniture. I did leave the stereo on loudly in the kitchen to dissuade them, a fact my crofter neighbours seemed to think was hilarious. They've probably been throwing parties every night (the mice, not the crofters!)...

2) The temperature has been down to minus 15 while we've been away and it's possible that the underground pipes will have frozen and burst (no one there to hold a blow torch to the ground) and we will have no water.

3) I have to do something about the fact that we have need a floor, a few new walls, a proper bathroom and heating. 

4) I have to persuade the few tradesmen who cover our area and seem to be in high demand that yes, they do actually want to travel all the way out to our house. If necessary I shall have to promise jaffa cakes.

5) I'll be fending off phone calls from people checking that I'm really okay on my own (Husband away for work a lot). Perhaps I should keep the house without heating to deter would be visitors???

Hmm, given the choice between 'civilised' suburbia and freezing to death while at war with furry rodents I know which one I'd choose. Well I did say I was a hermit...

6 comments:

Jackie Ashenden said...

Sounds to me like you can't wait to get home - even with the burst pipes... ;-)

Joanne Coles said...

You should post a picture of your house, Lorraine, then everyone will see why you are so keen to get home. The view is to die for.

Romy Sommer said...

Where in the Highlands do you live? It sounds like a little piece of heaven.

Lorraine said...

Jackie, um yes, just a bit ;-)
(and there may be a few unbloggable reasons too!)

Jo - I'll do battle with google blogger later, took me ages to upload photos last time but it may have been internet problems...

Romy - The house is about an hour's drive north of Inverness, the picture I've used for my blog header is our local loch. Apparently we are further north than Moscow which explains why it's so cold!

Romy Sommer said...

Cold but beautiful, I'm sure.
I wish I could remember more of my trip to the Highlands (was it really more than a decade ago?!) but I still have the impression of vast heights and vast depths and such vivid colours. It was summer, though, and my trip was blessed with rare sunshine.

Suzanne Ross Jones said...

Ah, there's no place like home.

Safe journey.

:-)