The days and weeks seem to be racing by at the moment, but I haven't really been doing that much aside from work, eat and sleep. The weekends have been nice and quiet - for a change, but it's back to being busy as of this weekend with Marks family coming down to stay for the weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. Mrs Gridley, or Brenda, is lovely and Marks niece Amber is a sweetie too... Not that the others aren't.
This week has surprised me with a little bit of madness! On Wednesday night when I got home there was a letter waiting for me from Ann Womersley of East Sussex! What's this? I thought as I tore it open, obviously a joke from Dad and Ann at home, but it turned out to be something else completely unexpected. A possible relative writing to me as they're researching their family tree. I got really excited about it and thought about calling and emailing, but didn't, instead I talked Marks ear off for the whole evening speculating about who this Eric and Ann were, and how strange it was for them to contact me. I was going to call Dad about the research he'd done years ago before getting in touch with Ann the letter writer, but I haven't been able to raise them - although their fax machine and I are building a close relationship.....
So last night I decided to call them without getting in touch with Dad first. A posh elderly mans voice answered the phone and when I explained who I was and why I was calling he got quite excited and put his wife on the phone (Oh! It's best if you speak to my wife, she'll be UTTERLY DELIGHTED that you called' and then with the hand over the phone 'DAHHHLING, There is a Victoria Womersley on the phone wanting to speak with you' a muffled reply 'OH! Smashing, what a surprise!') and then there on the other end of the phone was someone who may well be my great Aunt, or something of the sort.
I didn't find out much, although she talked my ear off for the few minutes I was on the phone and I will be getting in touch with them again. She's invited me over some time ('It would be so lovely to meet, don't you think?!') to meet them. All I did find out was that they have no known blood relatives, are about 70 years old and have lived in East Sussex for all of their lives. Oh, and that Erics Grandfather was married four times. She's sending me the parts of the family tree that she has managed to track down, and I promised to try and get the information that Dad found out to her too, one way or another.
It was a reasonably quick call - it's hard to know what to say to someone you don't know but may be related to.... But it has made me feel quite happy, and intrigued by the whole thing. I think I'll have to take them up on their splendid offer of meeting some time - it would be charming! Don't you think?
Thursday, October 06, 2005
It's been a while since I wrote - sorry for being such a slack blogger - I now have to catch you all up on the last two weeks don't I?
Where do I start? Aside from being as busy as hell at work, there've been a variety of things going on with our weekends.
A while ago now Mark and I headed out to Bishopstone for the last time for the end of dig party. It was a pretty good night with a spread of all sorts of food put on for everyone at the local pub 'The Smugglers Inn'. Most of the night was spent talking about the various finds, where they were off to for their next dig and all that archaeological talk... A bit over my head at times, but I managed to stay awake and appear interested for the most part. Not that it's boring, but it does get a bit much when it's all anyone around will talk about... Mark got some recognition for the work he'd put in with the plans of the site which was really nice as it's the first time he's ever tried his hand at planning for an archaeological dig such as this,
The week after that was a full work week again, and by the time it got around to Friday I was ready to drop! But instead we headed out to the New Forest for a weekend of camping - the last opportunity until next summer as the camp sites here close over the winter time.
Lee and Jemma came along and we found a lovely little spot that felt like we were right in the middle of the woods. We headed to the pub for a pint as soon as we arrived - everyone was pretty exhausted from the drive and the week gone. On Saturday morning we had a fry up for breakfast on our little camping barbie, and just as we'd finished and were packing up we were accosted by a wild pony who was doing the rounds of the site in search of apples, oranges, bacon sandwiches - anything it could get it's teeth on really. It was a bit of a worry as it's not that easy to move a wild pony, and you're never too sure if they'll decide to give you a kick for your troubles or not! But we eventually had it move on, right to the next group where he tried the very same trick.
After that excitement we headed to the Otter and Owl sanctuary. It was more than just otters and owls though they had Badgers, Hedgehogs, polecats, ferrets, wild pigs/boar, deer and quite possibly some other animals I have forgotten to mention. It was great to go and see some of the native wildlife in a reasonably natural setting, and to have the chance to see some of the animals of England that I may not otherwise get to see in the flesh - like the hedgehog.
After spending most of our day there we headed back to camp for a nap and then out to the pub for dinner, and then back to camp again where we huddled around the campfire. We had really clear nights so I lay snuggled in the tent for a while before sleeping with the door open looking at the stars. I didn't think I would notice it so much but the sky here is so different from home - way more packed with stars, and not one constellation instantly recognisable - it's like looking at an alien sky, and makes me think of home.
On the Sunday morning it was a matter of packing up and getting ready to head back home, but before we left we went for a walk into the woods. While walking around we came across a family of wild pigs. Jemma and I decided it was probably wise to keep our distance, but Mark and Lee crept closer and closer. The pigletts spotted them after a while and were as curious about the boys as they seemed to be about them. So they began to wander towards the boys. Only a moment or two passed and the wild boar father spotted these two humans getting a little too close to his babies, so charged at Lee and Mark. Mark started running, Lee let out a yelp of fear and also began running. Jemma and I had already gotten as far away as we could and climbed onto a fallen tree so that we were out of harms way. Thankfully no one was hurt, although it got our adrenalin pumping, and the pigs wandered off away from us and we kept walking in the opposite direction to that which the pigs had disappeared to.
Then on Monday it was back to work, and a pretty crazy week. Half our team was heading out to Durban for some training I had organised for then and final arrangements etc had to be made. So it was pretty bloody hectic and I was well relieved when they took the taxi to the airport on the Thursday and the pressure of it all began to subside.
By Friday I was more than ready for a really quiet weekend, as was Mark, so that's exactly what we had! On Saturday we stayed in bed watching DVD's and generally lazing about. On Sunday we headed out to the country park - I haven't been walking there for months now - and took a small pail with us to put the black berries we picked along the way in. We managed to fill the whole pail, could have filled two - and I made a blackberry and apple pie yesterday. Smells really good but we were both too full after dinner to actually try any...
So that's what's been keeping me busy. I have finally scanned a few of my travel pics and hope to either post them here or on the website I am supposed to be making in class next week.
Oh that's right! I forgot to mention - I have started my multi-media course, all is going well, we're learning a heap about Photoshop, HTML coding, Dreamweaver and other sorts of things that should be helpful both with work and personal things.
Where do I start? Aside from being as busy as hell at work, there've been a variety of things going on with our weekends.
A while ago now Mark and I headed out to Bishopstone for the last time for the end of dig party. It was a pretty good night with a spread of all sorts of food put on for everyone at the local pub 'The Smugglers Inn'. Most of the night was spent talking about the various finds, where they were off to for their next dig and all that archaeological talk... A bit over my head at times, but I managed to stay awake and appear interested for the most part. Not that it's boring, but it does get a bit much when it's all anyone around will talk about... Mark got some recognition for the work he'd put in with the plans of the site which was really nice as it's the first time he's ever tried his hand at planning for an archaeological dig such as this,
The week after that was a full work week again, and by the time it got around to Friday I was ready to drop! But instead we headed out to the New Forest for a weekend of camping - the last opportunity until next summer as the camp sites here close over the winter time.
Lee and Jemma came along and we found a lovely little spot that felt like we were right in the middle of the woods. We headed to the pub for a pint as soon as we arrived - everyone was pretty exhausted from the drive and the week gone. On Saturday morning we had a fry up for breakfast on our little camping barbie, and just as we'd finished and were packing up we were accosted by a wild pony who was doing the rounds of the site in search of apples, oranges, bacon sandwiches - anything it could get it's teeth on really. It was a bit of a worry as it's not that easy to move a wild pony, and you're never too sure if they'll decide to give you a kick for your troubles or not! But we eventually had it move on, right to the next group where he tried the very same trick.
After that excitement we headed to the Otter and Owl sanctuary. It was more than just otters and owls though they had Badgers, Hedgehogs, polecats, ferrets, wild pigs/boar, deer and quite possibly some other animals I have forgotten to mention. It was great to go and see some of the native wildlife in a reasonably natural setting, and to have the chance to see some of the animals of England that I may not otherwise get to see in the flesh - like the hedgehog.
After spending most of our day there we headed back to camp for a nap and then out to the pub for dinner, and then back to camp again where we huddled around the campfire. We had really clear nights so I lay snuggled in the tent for a while before sleeping with the door open looking at the stars. I didn't think I would notice it so much but the sky here is so different from home - way more packed with stars, and not one constellation instantly recognisable - it's like looking at an alien sky, and makes me think of home.
On the Sunday morning it was a matter of packing up and getting ready to head back home, but before we left we went for a walk into the woods. While walking around we came across a family of wild pigs. Jemma and I decided it was probably wise to keep our distance, but Mark and Lee crept closer and closer. The pigletts spotted them after a while and were as curious about the boys as they seemed to be about them. So they began to wander towards the boys. Only a moment or two passed and the wild boar father spotted these two humans getting a little too close to his babies, so charged at Lee and Mark. Mark started running, Lee let out a yelp of fear and also began running. Jemma and I had already gotten as far away as we could and climbed onto a fallen tree so that we were out of harms way. Thankfully no one was hurt, although it got our adrenalin pumping, and the pigs wandered off away from us and we kept walking in the opposite direction to that which the pigs had disappeared to.
Then on Monday it was back to work, and a pretty crazy week. Half our team was heading out to Durban for some training I had organised for then and final arrangements etc had to be made. So it was pretty bloody hectic and I was well relieved when they took the taxi to the airport on the Thursday and the pressure of it all began to subside.
By Friday I was more than ready for a really quiet weekend, as was Mark, so that's exactly what we had! On Saturday we stayed in bed watching DVD's and generally lazing about. On Sunday we headed out to the country park - I haven't been walking there for months now - and took a small pail with us to put the black berries we picked along the way in. We managed to fill the whole pail, could have filled two - and I made a blackberry and apple pie yesterday. Smells really good but we were both too full after dinner to actually try any...
So that's what's been keeping me busy. I have finally scanned a few of my travel pics and hope to either post them here or on the website I am supposed to be making in class next week.
Oh that's right! I forgot to mention - I have started my multi-media course, all is going well, we're learning a heap about Photoshop, HTML coding, Dreamweaver and other sorts of things that should be helpful both with work and personal things.
