I feel like this blog is becoming a book blog, which I don’t really have a problem with, but my main objective when I started it was to talk about my life and what it’s like to be at home a lot and not just books.
I posted on Social Media a few weeks back about leaving the house for the first time in two weeks. One person was totally shocked and couldn’t imagine not leaving the house for so long. To be honest, I would have been too only a decade ago.
I so remember the days of getting up and getting 3 little ones ready for school. They were not the easiest of kids, bouncing off the walls would be a good description. But, we would also have days of tears and meltdowns. Most days I couldn’t wait to get out of that door at 8.15am and start the walk to school.
We would go the busy road way where there was a lollipop man to cross the roads. He always looked miserable but one day my daughter asked his name and he said ‘Bernard.’ Then every morning she would greet him with ‘Hello Bernard’ and he would grin. He wasn’t miserable after all.
Here are my two walking to school in 2013. The elder one is missing because she was very ill at the time an in and out of hospital, she had a teacher that used to come to our home.
Some days we would walk along the canal path for a change, we had to go down the spiral steps, but at the other end it was just a slope up past the canal cottages and then we were at the crossing that led straight to school.
Two of my children feeding the ducks on the canal by our home, probably 2014.
Going Out!
It wasn’t just school trips, I don’t think my children spent much time at home. We would go to the park, visit friends, go on day trips, and even go to church on Sunday. They loved going out and so did I.
Not Going Out!
My kids barely remember these days. The girls can remember me walking but my youngest son doesn’t. I got sick in 2016 when my son was five years old. Dad had to take over the school run and occasionally, I would go along in my wheelchair. We still went out as a family but I had to be in my wheelchair.
Then the kids got older and now they go out with their friends instead. My one daughter is still quite ill so she spends a lot of time alone with me. But my other daughter goes out with her friends, shopping and to cafes. Maybe once or twice a month (not every day like when I was her age,16) My youngest doesn’t get out much but last summer he had a carer that took him out every week during the summer holidays and he loved it.
But I stay at home a lot and it got some getting used to, but if I’m honest, going out causes days of recovery so it has to be really worth it.
So, what do I do at home? Well, I read a lot, lol. And I crochet, although I don’t get much done now. I used to sell stuff but now I just make tons of blankets and cushion covers for my own use. I watch a lot of television and post on my other blog about things I’ve been watching lately. You can also find on that blog a plethora of days out and holidays we enjoyed when I was healthy.
I write a lot. I wrote a book about my condition called My Life with Stiff Person Syndrome. It is self published and was really hard work. I’m working on a fiction book now but my motivation is low at the moment.
I have been saying for years that I am going to work on my garden. (Well, the plan was to get the husband to do the work, but he never did.) Now, I think I might be able to rope my boys into helping. The eldest is great with the lawnmower and hedge trimmer (don’t worry, he’s an adult.) I know my teen needs more time outdoors so I’m going to get him planting with me.
Hopefully it will go better than when he was helping me a herb garden 9 years ago! (I’m biased but he was so cute and we definitely need a magic stick to clean up the mess.)
Going Forward
I’ll still be spending a lot of time at home, but last year I spent a lot of money to get rid of a lot of the rubbish that had gathered in the garden. This year the plan is to clear out the shed which became the ex’s ‘man cave’ and is carpeted with cigarette butts. I will pay again for someone to do this for me and then one of my teen wants it as a ‘teen cave’ to play her guitar and have her friends around.
I think if you spend a lot of time at home then having a nice garden is a must, and this year it’s going to be a priority for me.
Not, Not Going Out.
When I’m not at home a lot, I love the theatre. I’ve already been to see a ballet, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and a musical, Calamity Jane. I’ve booked to see the amazing Nikita Kuzmin next month and I’m also seeing &Juliette the musical. Then in August I’m going to see The Buddy Holly Story. I will look out for some more Youth Theatre to inspire my youngest, we went to see Animal Farm and Unbound last year and he loved them.
We are also going on holiday to Weymouth which will be our big adventure. We didn’t go anywhere last year but the year before I had a holiday booked just 3 weeks after my husband walked out on us. I was about to cancel when eldest said we should go by train. It was a bit impulsive, if I’d have had time to think about it probably wouldn’t have gone. But we ended up having a lovely break.
This time we are going for longer, to the same area and by train. We learnt from the last time how to avoid the hiccups and we are really looking forward to a week by the sea side. We will have travel assist to help with wheelchair access on the train. I will pre-book our taxis to take us to the camp. I have bought a new wheelchair which comes apart so my son doesn’t have to carry a huge chair into the caravan every time. (You can get caravans with ramps but they don’t have enough bedrooms!) Everyone is really looking forward to it, and travelling by train is a lot more comfortable than car.
Maybe I’ve rambled a little here, but I just wanted to give you a little more insight into the book loving person behind At Home A Lot! It’s not all about books, honestly.
It must have been such a big change for you not to go out as much. It’s something most of us take for granted. I never thought I would miss doing the school run but I do. The mornings were chaotic but it was nice to have that routine when my girls were little.
I stay at home a lot compared to my girls, I always joke that they have a better social life than I do.
Good luck with getting the work in your garden done. That video, your Little Man sure was cute. x
Yes, it feels kind of weird when I see people walking around, rushing to wherever they are going and I’m in the car feeling jealous because I’d rather be walking! I can’t stop watching my Little Man and his gralic. I loved the way he put the pot inside the other one and didn’t see me take it out, it must have been like magic to him. We planted six pots that day, it was tiring, lol.
Even though I follow you on social media, it was interesting to read more about the reality of your life. It must have taken some adjusting to not be able to get out any more.
I really hope your garden and shed get sorted. I can imagine what a lifeline the garden must be to you.
I hope you all have a lovely holiday!
I’m looking forward to a nice shed and garden. I don’t know if you’ll read this but I actually ran the Race for Life the year before I got sick. It was only 3K and it nearly killed me… but oh how I’d love to be able to do that again, at least I got it in before it was too late.
I hated the school run. I was so glad to ditch it when we started home ed’.
I hope you manage to get your garden and shed sorted this year. Having a nice outdoor space will do wonders for you.
The holiday is exciting! I hope you all have the best time. x
I enjoyed it when the kids were little, I made a lot of friends in the school playground. Two of them tried to take my partner away from me, lol. If only I’d realised back then just what he was really like.