home

i've been thinking a lot about this word lately. partly because i know i'm not going *home* to canada for a visit until this time next year. partly because i'm reading this book that val lent me called 'writing home' which is a collection of canadian writers sharing their thoughts about home. partly because i'm moving into a new home with davoud in a week and a half.

but to be honest, what spurred all of these thoughts on was the book. there are a few essays and short stories in it that have either reminded me of my spiritual home - the cottage - or have kicked me in the butt saying home is wherever you hang your hat. for me, it's wherever my teddy bear snowflake that i've had since i was about 3 years old lays his grey, worn, button-eyed self.

am i homesick? yes, constantly if you think about it in terms of canadian wilderness, family and my so-called spiritual home. am i happy? yes, because i'm so blessed in life and there are so many good things happening, so many more things to see in europe, and i'm about to make a new house into a home with someone; something i've never done before.

one of the essays i read by sharon riis talks about her friends all over the world lighting up the dark sky just for her. that's how i'd like to think of it too...all across canada, england, australia, my friend rebecca who i travelled around spain with who i just found out is in iran...all those little lights guiding my way to all my separate homes. because as christian morganstern said:

home is not where you live but where they understand you

neglect, again

yes, i've been neglecting the adoring public again. sorry guys.

many, many things to report on. as you know, davoud is in the process of completing the sale on his house so i've been flat hunting. i finally found the perfect one and we filled out the credit check forms and paid our dues so now we're just waiting to see whether or not we're worthy. it's a really lovely place and i'll be gutted if we don't get it, but i don't see any reason why we won't!

my mum and ron came to visit last week after exploring scotland on their own. davoud and i toured them around liverpool and vicinity for a few days and took in such sites as snooty tatton park, the lady lever, st. george's hall, the cavern quarter and a tour on the yellow duckmarine. it was great to see and spend time with them and really bizarre to be thinking that i won't be making a visit home for about a year.

because of school, work and my holiday time being eaten up by going to school, i'm not going to making the trip across the pond until at least next year when all of my school work will be handed in. but i'm focussing now on all the things i still want to do before we move to canada. it's a fairly lenghty list so i better get started soon!

the weather here has been extremely lovely of late and my fingers and toes are crossed that it stays this way for the rest of the summer. it's now that i start missing home, especially going up to the cottage in the summer months. hopefully there will be lots of camping weekends this year to keep me happy and evenings in the park tossing the frisbee around.

heading down to coventry this weekend to help davoud pack. not the most exciting of weekends, but it must be done!