Well, it was a long, hot summer but I made sure I did a couple of cool things (other than allow Felix to drench me with the hosepipe). Andy turned 40 and we had a fabulous weekend in Stockholm. We went to see the Rolling Stones and were privileged to partake of the whole VIP/ backstage experience. Though I don’t do name-dropping, suffice it to say, we met some lovely people and enjoyed a spectacular concert, strutting our funky stuff alongside a great Swedish audience. What a gorgeous city. We hope to return in the winter to experience a very different side of it – dog-sleds and all.
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Well, there’s a bit of catching up for me to do for you… August was a quiet month during which I really knuckled down to Pip – it wasn’t all work and no play, though – Jessica Adams‘s launch party for her wonderful novel “I’m a Believer” was fun. It would have been more fun had I not been in the throes of morning sickness which, for me, was all-day, all-night sickness. I stuck to mineral water but toasted my pal and her publishers. September was exciting with Fen rampaging up the charts. It was thrilling to see her strutting her stuff at no.4 so a big thanks to all of you who helped her on her way. I spoke at the Cheltenham and Guildford literary festivals, both of which were fun and rewarding. I also visited loads of bookshops including many in the Hammicks and Methvens chains – a warm thank you to the staff who give my girls a fantastic helping hand.
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Well, on February 4th 2003, Georgia Jeannette came flying into this world (I’m not exaggerating). I had one contraction at 9.30 pm. I went upstairs to hang out the washing. I had another contraction at 9.35 pm and after that I couldn’t speak, let alone stand upright to load the dishwasher! My brother arrived at 10 pm to look after Felix and we arrived at hospital with just under 20 minutes to go. My language was choice and colourful to say the least but no one seemed to mind! The lovely midwife (hullo Charlotte) kept me sane by cleverly pretending that Epidural Man was just round the corner. Actually, there was no time even for any gas-and-air, let alone something stronger. The yoga ball, my whale-music cd’s, my aromatherapy candle, my extremely expensive facial spritzer, didn’t even make it into the hospital! I can safely say I have now done the Natural Birth/ Earth Mother thing… In fact, when Georgia was born and Andy told me we had a daughter, I hadn’t a clue what he was on about. It had all happened so quickly I really didn’t have the chance to realize I was in labour – let alone that I now had my second child and was no longer pregnant! Our little girl is an absolute poppet – please indulge me putting so many photos of her on the website!
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Hullo folks. All is ticking along here – though I am now officially without horse and consequently, still a little sulky. Oh well, in a couple of years, I’ll be sure to raid Felix’s pocket money and buy myself a new one… I’ve been out to Spain for lots of long weekends at a gorgeous place we bought last year with Andy’s brother. It’s near Marbella but by a suprisingly unspoilt stretch of coastline which is a protected nature reserve. Though this means lots of stunning wild flowers scattered through the dunes, it also means an army of shiny black beetles (also protected). Give me a 17 hands stallion any day – bugs and creepy crawlies I CANNOT cope with! I tiptoe and hyperventilate my way to the beach. Felix has discovered that sand is quite tasty and filling and that licking sea water from his toes is thirsty work. Luckily, he hasn’t tried to eat the beetles. Yet. His current obsession is to drink through a straw – he takes great sips which pucker up his face, then grins widely (er, wildly?) for approval, though this means most the juice flows back out of his mouth… He is walking now too – though it’s more of a drunken stagger. He’s said his first words – “Garden” followed by “Daddy” and “Juice” but as yet, nothing sounding remotely like Mummy, Ma, Mum, Mother, Mama. I’m trying not to take it personally….
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