The dogs loved it. Buddy, now stone deaf, wandered off in the direction of sausages and bacon sandwiches. Wiener strutted around telling everyone off and Enzo slept deep in the confines of my blankety bed. I loved seeing the kids go off to explore lakes and have water balloon fights and get muddy. I loved how I had no housework to do. I didn’t even read as much as normal as I was too busy chatting and singing songs from Grease 2. I helped our friend pack down his tent. My independent husband who wanted no help thank you very much struggled with the zipper all alone while we re-enacted ‘We’re Gonna Score Tonight’ as we rolled and compressed.
I still picked up a lot of books. James and his friend Tim got this old seventeen-seater minibus for Bliss’ football team (from North Wales, a 24-hour trip) and we decided to take her out on the open road. Stop one, Manchester, where I met up with my queen Hannah @apairofbookendspod who very kindly took us for pizza and dessert in the rain and ignored my naughty children. (Why would you put calamari in your sister’s coke? Why!?)
Onwards then to Newcastle to see Great Aunt Pat and Great Uncle Ted for triangle sandwiches and lessons in family history, then a train up to Edinburgh to meet Jenna @mrssreads, Jo @gimmebooksjoanna and Amanda @life_in_two_worlds for book shopping and bonding plus lime & coconut cake with hot chocolates. I had only met these people once before, at the Book Taster Live event, but it was like I’d known them all my life. We just slotted together, and the buildings were all so tall and beautiful and the streets were alive and I felt like I was a kid again.
We walked up the Crag (next to Arthur’s Seat) as Daisy wanted to re-enact the scene with Emma and Dexter from One Day. James and I moaned and huffed and puffed and bickered with creaking knees and bad grace. Daughter Grace waited at the bottom like a sensible person.
We had fish and chips in Leith with the late evening sun falling on the water like stars and this pink and white lighthouse smiling at us and everyone was so friendly and gave us fitbaws and free bread and I thought how I never do enough living or go to new places or let myself eat chips drowning in salt and vinegar washed down with fizzy pop.
On the way back I got to meet up with the incredible superwoman Jenna @the_book_taster and have a go on her beautiful baby Nora over pancakes and earl grey iced tea. Shoutout to lovely Lottie too. Obviously, we went book shopping and talked about an exciting project that we'll be launching together soon. Watch this space!
I fell asleep on the way home, full of fun and great conversation and dog-shaped longing. Arrived to a house trashed by Zero the cat and a garden full of fallen apples. August is ending and I love the change in the season. The sweetness of the things turning red and gold, the chill in the air. Hot water bottle dreams and fluffy socks. What did I miss?
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Grease 2. Good grief. I'm still cringing.]
