I’m one of those people who isn’t good with change.  So moving to Beachville was a big thing for me.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love the place, the fact that you don’t have to look too hard for something fun to do, that there is always somewhere new to explore and  (despite my concern that I was a pretty committed single cat lady not all that long ago), Norman and I love living with Himself.

But it has been tough too.  Sometimes it’s lonely and sometimes I get frustrated that I still don’t know how to get somewhere in the car through the blimin’ one way system.  I miss my friends and the classes I used to do.  I’ve had to remind myself it took quite a few years to build up that bank of lovely people, and it will take a while here too.  And that is ok.

I think the hardest part though is that having all lived so close for so many years, I’m no longer round the corner from my family and even though they are not far away at all (it’s only 50 miles), it’s not quite close enough to just pop in to say hi.  Between my brother in law and Little Wisp being poorly, I’ve felt guilty many times since I moved here that I’ve not been able to help out as much as if I were around the corner.  In fact, last time I saw Little Pea he greeted me with a big hug and an ‘Auntie Pog, I haven’t seen you for AGES!’

But that makes photos all the more lovely.  And this is one I was sent this morning that made me smile from ear to ear but made my arms ache to cuddle Little Wisp:

The message with the photo was ‘This morning mum found me playing with my lovely geeraffee that untie noodles made me ‘

(Because my family love a nickname – it’s just we don’t all use the same one.  So to Little Pea I am Auntie Pog.  For Little Wisp I am Untie Noodles.  Obviously.)

So, I wanted to show you all how very beautiful my amazing niece is.  Just because she doesn’t feature as much on here as Little Pea did as a baby doesn’t make her any less special.  And it wont be all that long before we get to do Little Wisp and Untie Noodles weekends – if I’m really brave, with Little Pea too – and by then I will know all the cool places to take them and might even be able to get round the blimin’ one way system!

:o)