I was planning a quiet day today: a bacon sandwich in Jacobites, then opening a savings account at the Cumberland for Daughter (my children have far more money than I do), then coming home and doing nothing much: possibly the ironing.
I have a growth scan on Monday as the baby was measuring small at the midwives yesterday, and also I'm still, pathetically, feeling a bit tired and washed out with this cold which is lingering on.
Instead of Jacobites I went to Off the Wall and it was serendipitous that I did. Running Friend A. was in there with a friend of hers whom I keep bumping into (I first met her at the Langholm Drs run) and they invited me to gatecrash and sit down with them. Running Friend A. is always lovely and cheery anyway: she manages to appear positive even when she's not necessarily feeling wonderful. In addition speaking to them both about growth scans, maternity allowance and so forth was really helpful.
Another friend who lives just down the road from me then appeared as well, with her two youngest children who are 8 months and 2 and a half and both gorgeous. She is one of the people who has so kindly given or lent me piles of baby stuff, but also she had lots of growth scans and worries with her pregnancies. Despite this her daughter was 7lb 1oz when she was born and her 3rd child, a little boy, 7st 4oz: both perfectly normal and healthy. She was one of the people who was reassuring about having an amnio: I was really pleased to bump into her as I thought she'd also be reassuring about growth, and she was. After all, this baby has a good heartbeat and is wriggling around a fair amount: more so now than a few weeks ago even I think. He's even squirming as I write. Running Friend A. had of course had the opposite experience: growth scans because they thought her baby was too big!
The most uncomfortable thing for me now is singing: I get a temporary but stinging ache at the top of my stomach after singing, and if feels as if the baby is pushing against his surroundings (i.e. me). Also, with feeling rather sluggish with this cold I've got I don't really feel energetic and enthusiastic enough to sing well, and if I sing for too long get a sore throat: but I so badly want to do well in my Grade 7 and also want to sing my short solo well in choir's christmas concerts: I'm also going into school to sing 'Porgi Amor' to them, talk to them about Mozart/Vienna/Opera and teach them a christmas carol.
Off the Wall is advertising for musicians for Friday evenings, so I've had a brief chat with them about that and need to follow it up in more detail, subject to finding an accompanist with a relatively portable electric piano. Pity I haven't got my demo CDs done yet.
The lady in the Building Society was lovely, and along with Running Friend A. is on the hot dog stand at the Brampton Fireworks this evening. I think we may go there rather than to Hayton, so long as the children don't object too much: it might be less muddy as it's up a hill, we can walk there, and it's got food as well as the bonfire and fireworks.
I came home from the middle of Brampton feeling - again - really part of the local community. I know quite a few people locally in all sorts of capacities. And I don't feel claustraphobic, nor as if everyone knows my business: there's enough space around us that we can escape people if we want to. If anyone had ever told me that I'd end up living in a town which is smaller than the village I grew up in and hated, in a relatively unpopulated part of the UK, I'd have laughed at them: but then 10 years ago if anyone had told me I'd end up with 3 children I would also have laughed at them. I love it here and I have no regrets whatsoever about the way my life has changed, although I'm glad that I've done the things I did when I was younger (well, most of them!): living in London, being a holiday rep. in France and Norway, having a good career.
As Carlisle Living quoted me as saying when they printed my interview (though these weren't my exact words): 'I'm in a good place'. And that's not only emotionally, but physically as well.
Added the next day:
Fireworks footnote!
We then went to fireworks up at Brampton School yesterday evening, with Special Friend M., Pregnant Friend C. and their sons: and bumped into more people we knew up there. The bonfire was in the shape of a boat, the fireworks were great, and the rain had stopped: there were also hot dogs for sale and I believe a pig roast, though all I bought in the end was a hot dog for Son (served by the lady from the Building Society). Son got over his disappointment at not going to Hayton fireworks and seeing other school friends, and it was an enjoyable evening. When Son came in for a cuddle this morning he was telling me which fireworks he liked the best and demonstrating what noises they made. Today is a glorious, relatively dry autumn day: the colours are now distinctly a fiery yellow and orange rather than green.
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