Holiday Time

Well, we had no internet at home last week again after we had torrential rain. I did some research before we lost it to find out about the BT complaints system, and found some very useful information (and 7 loooong pages of complaints). I phoned a "magic number" and actually spoke to someone who is now dealing efficiently with our case and not just talked us round in circles and passed us on to BT India . . . The long and the short of it is we are now a "priority case" and BT will keep working on our line until it is repaired, even on Sunday. Did the BT man turn up on Sunday . . . . well, no actually! My kids are on the case though! We have been told that the work sheduled to be done on 13th July was logged in as carried out, but of course, we know otherwise. . . heads are apparently going to roll.

Anyway, Keith and I are currently on holiday, house-sitting for friends in the New Forest. We are thoroughly relaxing and had planned to do nothing today, which is just as well as it is pouring with rain. Once we've been out to feed and check the horses we are going to tootle into Ringwood and have a wander round the shops and get the papers.

Yesterday we went to a Viking (well, multi-period really) re-enactment at Cranborne. It is a site which was originally established about 25 years ago and they have built a big Iron Age roundhouse, a Grubenhousen (sp?) or SFB as we called them at Uni - a Sunken Featured Building, a wonderful huge turf-covered roundhouse, and are working on a viking longhouse now. There were various people about the site giving demonstrations of various crafts - net-making, tablet weaving, drop spindle spinning, a couple of pole-lathes, and a group of people making chestnut shingles for the roof of the longhouse. Lots of battle re-enactments, authentic dress and cooking pots in use etc etc and an excellent day out, much-enjoyed. We know that our son would be very interested in this, but his nearest re-enactment group? Winchester. Ummm - a bit of a journey from Carmarthen!

On our way down to Hampshire, we went to visit GTM (here is a link to her excellent blog A Life Full of Blessings). We had a lovely time and had a guided tour of the "Doll's House" where she lives, and then were shown around the village and church. Some beautiful architecture and buildings, and my husband was led along by the twins, who grasped his hands and showed him round! It is so lovely to meet up properly with people you have known for a while through blogs and forums, made friends with, written to and spoken to on the phone. It's not like meeting them properly for the first time, but more like carrying on a conversation! I have also met Rowan several times this year as we can call when on our way to meet our eldest daughter up in Sheffield. I have met people on-line who share my interests and passions and whom I would probably never have known existed without the internet and I am truly grateful that I have met them. Where we are staying now is the house of an internet friend!

I have brought some of my waist-high pile of books-to-read with me, so I had better get stuck in once we have sorted the ponies out. Sorry there are no photos - they will have to wait until I get home next week.

Morning's Minion - now you know why you've not had updates from me!