This will be short! It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m allowing myself a half hour contemplation on the last night of the year before I get myself the last sloe gin of 2019 and an early night!
At the beginning of the year I set myself the task of writing a monthly blog and this is the last one. I did it! The Green Life Blog now has 12 chapters soon to be serialised on Channel 4. Watch out Dick and Angel – Escape to The Green is the next big thing!
My red hair is actually natural so I feel that I’m on to a winner already, Mark has the beard thing well underway, although he has a way to go to achieve Dick’s physique! People who visit The Green often ask if we watch Escape to the Chateau – it’s a fantastic programme and compulsory viewing for me. Sadly, I don’t have the artistic talents of Angel, I do have just as many ideas. Mark is both patient and talented at creating and repurposing furniture, buildings and spaces so sometimes he feels quite an affiliation with Dick.
I am actually forbidden to hold anything more than my Karacher window cleaner as paint brushes, drills or hammers are weapons of mass destruction if left in my charge.
I’m often reminded of a favourite 1970’s sit com The Good Life. Tom and Barbara have decided that the they are going to enjoy the simpler things in life.
In my head that is what I want us to be doing at The Green. The reality is that getting to that stage takes a lot of hard work and lots of mistakes.
I don’t know how many times I’ve started discussing with Mark where we should plant vegetables only to be met with …”you know nothing about growing stuff, why don’t you start with cress!” I didn’t actually get round to creating my vegetable garden this year but I have planted some more bulbs; fingers crossed the flowers will be out in spring, although it could have been potatoes!
Both Dick and Angel and the fictitious Tom and Barbara were passionate in their endeavors to succeed. Mark and I both love what we have and want others to experience the calmness of the place and enjoy the beauty that we have on our doorstep.
You don’t have to go far to have a good time, a lovely view of the mountains or a walk along the river lifts your spirits even on the damp cold dreary mornings. There is always something to see or hear – the trick is to take time to allow yourself to do it.
As both Mark and I look back on 2019 and this decade there has been so much change in our lives like everyone else there have been times of happiness, sadness and just ordinariness. For sure there have been sacrifices made to get The Green Holiday Cottages up and running but it has and does give us and others much joy and happiness. As we look into 2020 we have the excitement of hosting our first weddings, welcoming returning guests and of course introducing new people to our beautiful space.
So as we bid goodbye to 2019 we do so grateful for the opportunities we have had and look forward to the year to come with all the challenges known and unknown.