The world from my window

Well, Delia's ham is in the oven ready for glazing, Mr Grigg's making sweets and James Bond is on the telly. Across the road, the church candles will soon need lighting for Midnight Mass as the village pub fills up on Christmas Eve. We've had the church carol service - a great success - the fish and chip van had a bumper evening last night and the tills have been ringing at the community shop all day. Personally, it's been an amazing year, with unexpected travels and new opportunities turning up left, right and centre. I'm not quite sure how this blog - or my life - will rattle along in 2015 but I will be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, a merry Christmas to you and yours and a happy, healthy and peaceful new year. Remember, if you wanna do it, do it. If you don't, don't. I was asked to write something to read out at the carol service on Sunday. So I turned to my journal from two years ago when I was home alone in Corfu with Mr Grigg. ...

With less than two months before our Big Fat Greek Gap Year comes to an end, we begin to think about all the packing up that needs to be done and the journey home. We also think about ways we can make these twelve months away turn into another year, but without the homesickness. Ideally, I would like the best of both worlds. A foot in Agios Magikades here in Corfu and a foot in Lush Places back in Dorset. But it's a long stretch and I've never tried doing the splits. I'm working on it, though, believe me. This village has everything. Beauty, friendly people, warmth in heat and warmth in spirit.   And we've seen it through autumn, winter, spring and now summer. What an experience. It's been incredible. You couldn't get a better and more conveniently situated village on the whole of the island. Twenty five minutes on a good road into town and five minutes by car to the sea. Three good tavernas which are open all year round and the most e...

As Mr Grigg makes a rude sign at me through the newly-cleaned French windows, I stop to ponder on what our Big Fat Greek Gap Year is all about. We're going back to Dorset for a week on Thursday and Mr Grigg asks me today as we drive in brilliant sunshine to Corfu Town: 'We've been away for nearly two months. Is it what you expected?' And do you know, I don't know what I expected. I am not very good at thinking things through or having a fixed idea of what the future might hold. I think it is warmer than I imagined Corfu to be at this time of year. It's as quiet as I thought it would be, with the tourists long gone and tavernas closed and woodsmoke in the air. And it's been a challenge being with Mr Grigg every day of the week. Yes, definitely a challenge. I have missed my family, friends and Lush Places terribly, much more than I thought possible. I miss my dogs and cats and I miss the walks to Bluebell Hill. I miss my job and workmates and n...