The floor of the forest is currently carpeted in Chestnuts.
It was brilliant to wander through the trees.
I was so ready for a day like this. I had been feeling a bit low last week. A combination of work stress and worrying that my daughter was not really settling in at Uni - plus all the news coverage about how much University is going to end up costing had got me blowing even the small things well out of proportion. Blue skies and sunshine seemed to fix this.
And wandering through the trees got me breathing properly again.
A stroll around the lake also had the desired restorative effect.
Things are changing at our house. Up until recently, we did everything all together. Since the Dancing Queen has gone to Uni, the young man isn't as keen on spending time with me and the old man, so we found ourselves walking around the park on our own - for the first time in a long time. I suppose we will eventually get used to it.
Any how, the walk certainly felt like a life saver to me. We got home, went to collect DQ from work and as we took her to the station, she looked brighter, and I felt much happier.
Then this morning at 1.30am the phone rang. She had gone out with her new housemates for the first time, and in a crowded bar, someone had stolen her purse and mobile phone out of her bag. She was distraught. I calmed her down - cancelled her stolen bank card, phone contract and re-ordered her a new provisional driving licence. She called me later to let me know that she had arrived home safely. This morning, Dad and I hot footed it across the Pennines and found her looking like a deflated balloon. She was really pleased to see us. We helped her sort out her stolen student ID card, fill in a police report, fed her Pizza and bought her a pair of "cheer up" Trainers before she decided that she would like to come back home with us for the night as she had a free train ticket that she could use to go back tomorrow.
Its going to be a long 3 years.
And I may end up round the twist.
34 comments:
I will never personally know the heartaches of living with/out a child (only second-hand from my siblings) but, having my purse stolen I can relate to! It, amongst other problems was the catalyst of my 'decline' earlier in the year and still haunts me to this day.
If I could wave a magic wand and disperse yours and your daughters' angst I would do it straight away! (Maybe mine too!). All I can do is empathise ( if that's the right word) at the moment and wish you all well for the future. My thoughts are with you.
Sending hugs and cheer,
Love,
Sandie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I'm sad to hear that DQ isn't settling into Uni easily. Her troubles must have appeared amplified after having her possessions stolen too - thank goodness you and hubby were able to dash straight to her aid. I can't begin to imagine how hard it must be for you having her move away from your loving home and your protection. I really hope things pick up for her and that she makes some strong friendships, which will hopefully help her to settle into Uni life.
On another note - I've spent many a happy hour walking around Clumber. It was also a favourite of my mum and dad.
PS - when are you going to visit Thoresby, which is just 5 minutes down the road from Clumber????
Jill x
Like Sandie, I too can't say how you are feeling about DQ but I am sure things will settle down and she will enjoy being a student. I remember feeling lonely and sad when I went away to college for the first time but now I look back and know they were the best years. I am so jealous you got out over the weekend, I missed it. The trees look great against the blue sky
Oh bless her! Thank goodness she has you two eh? Anyhow, all's fixed now and she'll soon be in the swing of it all. I have heard a bit about shoebox parcels lately, parents send their children them whilst they're at uni. You can only use a shoebox and make it as exciting as possible for them...my Mum used to arrive here at my house with goodies and we used to call them 'Red Cross' parcels! I loved them, even if I did see her all the time, but just the thought that your Mum is thinking about you makes you feel better...along with some home comforts. Aren't Mums brill?! xxx
Oh bless her! Thank goodness she has you two eh? Anyhow, all's fixed now and she'll soon be in the swing of it all. I have heard a bit about shoebox parcels lately, parents send their children them whilst they're at uni. You can only use a shoebox and make it as exciting as possible for them...my Mum used to arrive here at my house with goodies and we used to call them 'Red Cross' parcels! I loved them, even if I did see her all the time, but just the thought that your Mum is thinking about you makes you feel better...along with some home comforts. Aren't Mums brill?! xxx
Lovely pictures, and I'm glad your walk helped you feel a bit brighter. I am certainly enjoying walks these lsat few days when the weather has been so good. Hope your daughter settles in to uni soon.
Oh Diane, my heart goes out to you...it doesn't matter how old they are does it, they're still prone to be fragile be they're 3 or 18! What an awful thing to happen to her as well, I hope she soon settles and manages to put that nasty incident behind her...and you too come to that!
Thank you for sharing the beautiful photos of Clumber, if the weather holds we are off there ourselves this weekend, with chestnut collecting in mind too!!
Sending love, hope things get easier
Julia x x x
Oh dear.This is when you are glad that they havn't gone to uni hundreds of miles away but are still within reach of home.We had a similar call when our daughter was in hall doing a PGCE after her degree.She phoned to say all her underwear had been stolen from the laundry room.She duly called the police who came round and drove round the area(really rough)looking on clothes lines.You can just imagine them fighting over who went on the call out!They didn't find them but she did the followingday.Someone had just emptied the drier and put them out of sight.She was so upset at the time but we have a good chuckle about it now.
I'm sure your D will settle but I think it is harder when you are really close to your family.The break is much harder.
These are the things I worry about and more - I do hope things settle for you all in one way or another and at the end of the day it is, I guess one great big learning curve and you all know where your hearts lay and home.
take care Diane,
big hugs,
Nina xx
It's early days for the DQ. Some of our students (I work at a university)are having a hard time getting used to what are big changes and we're seeing lots of tears. I'm sure that, a bit further down the line, they and the DQ will be having a whale of a time.
Oh Diane, they tend to have a few "wobbles" when they go to uni... it can take quite a bit of time for them to settle in... it's so different for them. Glad you are so near geographically to her though, that must be a comfort to both you and her. Your walk looked lovely.
yor walk looked like just the tonic.
Sorry to hear of her trauma, no wonder you were both in bits, there are some 'rotters' out there for sure...
have a G&T...you deserve it...
BH x
(PS - a LARGE!!!x)
Oh I remember it well ... when the phone rang each evening we didn't know whether it would be a happy cheerful call, or a sad, miserable
call. The first year was quite hard. My daughter was over two hundred miles away, so it was difficult to just pop round and cheer her up. The whole thing is very stressful for all parties I think .. but it does settle down. Give it time, she'll be fine.
These tuition fees are stressful too, my son is going off to uni next year! Who'd be a parent?
Love Kathy xxx
There really are some awful people out there who look for freshers - fingers crossed everything settles down soon . We're saving all the child support we can for potential Uni fees , bearing in mind they're only 3 and 6 it will probably have all changed by the time they are due to go . Which Uni is she at?
So sorry the DQ has not had a good time,she is very lucky to have you two as parents to buffer her through uni and teach her life lessons.Now if i had known you was at Clumber we could of met for a coffee, i love that place it always creates calm over me too well maybe next time have a great week hugs Pat
That's rotten luck, to get her stuff stolen. When they first go to uni, it's akin to when they first went to school. But eventually they sort themselves out and cheer up. Brave it out - and encourage her to as well. As to Clumber Park, I grew up near there and its a favourite spot - so nice to see your pics.
Oh dear, what a dreadful thing to happen just when your DQ is trying to settle into her new surroundings - at least you were able to do all the practical things for her and get to see her and comfort her - you must all feel so shaken.
Clumber park - spent many a family Sunday afternoon there as a child and teenager - you've brought back memories for me.
Take carexx
She'll be fine and settl in soon, what a pants thing to happen though :( you're entering a new chapter in life. I feel like a lost soul at the moment and my little Twiglet is just down the road at his tiny school school, so I kind of know where you're coming from.
Anyhoo, LOVE Clumber Park and haven't been for AGES. If you'd have gone to Wentworth Castle this weekend you might have bumped into us - yes, we finally made it. Isn't it lovely!!! will blog it soon.
twiggy x
Sending you some virtual {hugs}. When i was pregnant with my first and worrying about something small and insignificant, only it didn't feel insignificant at the time, my older and wiser colleague with three grown-up children told me to get used to it - this was how it was going to be from now on - you don't stop worrying. My two are nowhere near ready to leave the nest but my partner's daughter went a few weeks ago and B. felt very unsettled for a few days. Also, her younger brother has got himself a girlfriend over the summer and he now has a moped, which means that he's very often out and we have the house to ourselves. Which feels odd too. You do appreciate the times with them all the more.
Bloody so and so's that did that to DQ. Pizza is always welcome in times of stress and upset. Sending you all a big hug.
Loved your photos of Clumber Park.
Lisa xx
This made me cry - the shape of things to come. Mine wants to go to Exeter so I won't be able to pop over with a cuddle. Hope DQ settles in soon. I dropped out early on and have regretted it every day since - so keep doing what you're doing!
chin up
x
My neice Ashley had her's stolen the first time she had gone out, it acts as a wake up call. We are all too trusting, and forget that there are people out there who will take an oppertunity if the see something like a purse or phone sticking out of an unziped bag, it is a hard lesson to learn, bit of elestic and a safty pin for the purse, the phone not so easy xx
Try and keep positive. I had a long call yesterday from my son who has just gone to university. He called to tell me that he needed insurance papers for his landlady, then told me she had spoken to him about his girlfriend staying over - "the room is only intended for one person" - she has a tiny room on the campus with just a single bed so they have more room at Ed's. Then he started to talk about his job - pizza delivery boy on a scooter - great in the summer and light nights but getting a bit more difficult now, then he told me that someone who worked there last year had lost part of his finger due to frost bite!! So I am trying to persuade him to take a TEFL course so that he can give English lesson - lots more money & less hours. Then he told me about his course, how difficult it is getting and that they will mark the sports part of course as though the students are professional sportspeople. Then he fell in rugby an hurt his knee again..... and so it goes on.
We are going down to see him in November as we have a bank holiday on the 11th and an extra day coz the 11th is a Thursday, so a long weekend. We have not seen him since the begining of September.
Sorry that was such a long comment but I hadn't realised there was so much going on till I wrote it all down
Sue xx
Oh no!poor girl. Lots more walks like that then for you!!! You could quite possibly have covered the whole of the country by the time she,s finished at uni!!!!! x x x sending lots of St. Ives love to you!! x
So sorry to hear about what happened, but these things happen at uni - we got broken into one year, it's just part of student life and growing up i guess!! the first few weeks are hard for everyone, I'm sure she'll be itching to go back after the xmas holiday!
by the way, about your comment - I guess that's the magic of blogland!!! although a little weird come to think of it, but pretty cool too!
You put a smile to my face when I read that DQ had come home with you, you have to be such a special mummy!
xxxxx
That poor girl, what a terrible thing to happen, especially so soon into the whole experience. I hope she can put it behind her in speedy time and restore her faith in human nature. You too!!
Sorry to hear that Becky isn,t settling in at Uni but give her time she,s bound to miss you in the begining, loosing her purse sucks but it will make her stronger in the long run, she knows you are there for her that makes her One every Lucky girl.
Autunm is so beautiful keep up the walks
I love your photo's especially the last one - the colour! :-) Just joined your blog.
Thank you for your visit on VDP today! This is a fabulous walk that I very much envy you :-)It's been far too long since I've been to Britain.
Glad your daughter was OK in the end, you were there for her when she needed you. No wonder she wanted to come home for the night it must of knocked her a bit.
Just catching up with you now - don't worry! Your daughter will be okay! It always takes some time to settle in to places - give her 6 months and she'll be all settled in and happy I reckon! Just support her where you can! Which uni is she at? Tis a shame the theft happened though - doesn't help when you are some place new - puts a real damper on things...I hope everything is okay now. Lots of Love xxx
Oh dear I'm just catching up on your blog to read the awful news. Thankfully and most importantly Becky is all right and its all material things. Luckily she has the most well organized Mum to help her out. I'm sure she will be looking over her shoulder for a while, but there is nothing wrong with that. The more aware the better! Big hug and kisses from us.
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