October came around with phone calls back and fore to Nicola as she was really suffering with her pregnancy. High blood pressure, sickness and eventually a diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. Then it all went horribly wrong and an emergency caesarian was performed so we had a beautiful 10 week early little girl called Bryony who weighed in at just over 1kg.
I flew over immediately leaving Chris here to hold the fort (we had hoped for the new staircase to arrive but that didn't happen). Fortunately Glyn was back home, just made it by a few days, so he was able to see the birth. At the moment all is well, Nicky is recovering and Bryony is a little fighter and is holding her own. She's breathing on her own and taking food so we're all optimistic. I'm back in France for 2 weeks then back to UK as Glyn is going back to sea. Then I have to come back here so that we can drive the car over and be there for Christmas. It's all go.
August was very hot and we sweated over getting the stairwell painted and the floors laid up and down so that we could be measured exactly for the staircase, and finishing the downstairs loo aided and abetted by Jill who was staying for a week or two while Andy was playing boats. She also varnished all the cupboard doors we had bought in Trago Mills. What a star! Fortunately we have a friend with a pool so when it got too hot that was where we repaired.
All sorts of events happen in August including the Medieval evening, where Chris helped cook (over 300) duck and Judy served the shallots to go with the chicken (also about 300). Three days later it was the Fete at which Chris cooked bacon, sausage and burgers all night getting home at 5 in the morning - they know how to party!
Towards the end of August Keith and Julia came to stay and while helping us fell some dead trees
Keith came off the ladder and ended up in hospital
with a fetching corset just like the one I had last year only bigger. We also had other friends visit and one to stay for a weekend so were not hanging around doing nothing. The insurance company eventually repatriated Keith and Julia but not the car so Chris and I drove in convoy to Santander so that their daughter could come over on the ferry and pick up the car. We then spent a very nice week camping in the area - to be recommended.
September seemed to pass very quickly with the trip to Santander and getting bedroom 3 sorted. We featured in a local rag - the integrated Brits - so that was a talking point locally.
The bad news was that the little restaurant at the bottom of our hill which did the best value working mens' lunch in the area, has closed. It has apparently been sold so we are waiting for a grand reopening so that we can continue with large and liquid lunches.
Hopefully we will have bedroom 3 finished, stairs in and the grass sown before we leave but who knows?
Really looking forward to having Bryony home and spending a Christmas 'en famille' with Glyn's parents as well. So, busy practising the eating and drinking and trying so see as many people as possible before we disappear for Christmas.
On that note a Happy Christmas to one and all and will update in the New Year.
