It’s too early for Christmas

Lazing about on Saturday morning (when I should have been writing an essay) I decided to tune into my new ‘kick back and smell the coffee’ strategy to life that I re-affirmed whilst I was on holiday.  So that’s what I did.  Smelling the coffee I sat myself right down in the conservatory with my husband, poured a cup and immersed myself in the newspapers.

Me and the lovely Bella pretending we're reading the newspapers

Well actually that’s not true.  I would like to say I immersed myself in the newspapers (which would have been my husbands preferred option) but I’m afraid my brain was a whirring around.

Peter likes to sit quietly with his coffee and papers in the morning, whereas I like to chat. It’s probably the one area in this life that we’re not compatible.  That said he’s coming round

Earlier that morning we had a conversation about Christmas.  Peter mentioned that he didn’t want anything for Christmas, but was keen to know what I wanted.  So yes it’s a bit early for the “C” talk. Actually I hadn’t made any plans for Christmas as in all fairness there was nothing jumping out at me that I though he might like or need.  However I was a whole different story.  When he asked me what I wanted I said ‘a bedroom’.

Now I know this might sound a little daft, but it really is what I want.  You see since Peter’s elderly mum moved in with us we converted our bedroom and dressing room so that she has a little apartment within our house.  This meant that Peter and I moved upstairs to what used to be the study (a much smaller space).  As our new bedroom is in the eaves of the house the ceiling slants down.  This means, if I want to avoid knocking myself out of a morning, I have to do this strange limbo dance when I get out of bed. Lets just say I regularly forget which results in me starting the day not in the best of moods.

Jacqueline vowed to get better at this limbo dancing lark

Our current bedroom is also very cramped and although a lovely space it affords us little privacy. So my dream is to have a bedroom, a real bedroom.

This came to my mind when we were away on holiday. I enjoyed living in our little holiday apartment  as much as I enjoyed the holiday (particularly as said apartment came with a bedroom, privacy and high ceiling).  So the notion of a bedroom sort of stayed with me.

Anyhow joy of joys Peter said he would get right on to it and it wouldn’t take him long! He even roped in his friend Mathew to help – and get this – Mathew was arriving at 10am sharp today.  Now just to put things into perspective I wasn’t expecting Peter to magic a bedroom by way of building an extension whilst I was at work or anything crazy like that. We do have one other bedroom in the house but as we need to have space for family/carers to stay then this room is required.  I should also add that it doubles as storage space as we have never quite got the ‘extra furniture’ balance right since Peter’s mum moved in.

So that’s where we stand, however therein lies the solution.  The ‘Red Room’ as it is affectionately know is a beautiful room and sits empty most of the time.  This is to become our bedroom and when family /carers come to stay then we can decant back temporarily to the study/bedroom upstairs.  I am so overjoyed I can’t tell you.  The red room has an enormous canopy above the bed and the red walls glow with a beautiful warm colour in the mornings, breaking you gently into your day.  It also has its own en-suite AND, get this, SKY TV!

So over the next wee while my lovely husband will be working on my Christmas pressie, making my wishes come true.

So yes, this has been another juggle in our life as carers.  Why has it taken us so long I hear you ask? Well that’s often the way it is for carers.  You end up sorting so many things out for others that you either run out of energy or time to sort your own stuff out.

Sometimes I find myself lying upstairs in our little bedroom/study listening to the rain battering against the skylight window and feel slightly annoyed with myself for wishing I had a bedroom. After all there are people sleeping rough in the very rain that pitter patters against my window.  So yes it is true, I am blessed to have a roof over my head, but hey a girl can dream, can’t she?

So yes, it is too early to think about Christmas – but this gal is really hoping Christmas comes early

So when our house is full of teenagers I will care not a jot.

When the cats are hunting me down for food I will remain strong…..

…….because THIS will be hanging on our bedroom door…