Voting. And then dealing all the resultant emotions from the result.
I voted to remain. When I was 20 I boarded a plane by myself, and spent a year studying in Ljubljana, Slovenia, as part of my degree. Whilst there I met so many people from all different corners of Europe, and had an absolute blast with them. It was a pleasure to spent my year with some of the very best people I could ever hope to meet. Many years later I’m still in touch with some of the people I met whilst in Slovenia.
When I look at this photo from one of our many many trips that we took I see my Italian, Polish, Belgian, Danish, Finnish, German, French and Irish friends, and myself, all having fun together. I’m the only British person in the group, but I’m no different to any of my friends. We all have so much in common, and our lives are richer and broader for knowing each other.
The same goes for people from Europe, and those from further afield, who have made their home here in the UK. All of our lives are richer for having them here.
It upsets me that some people in Britain think that people of other nationalities are so different from us; a threat to us even. Reports of soaring hate crimes against people from Europe and beyond who have settled in the UK make me feel physically sick.
I’m still processing the ramifications that leaving the EU will bring. I don’t know what is going to happen here in Scotland, or in Northern Ireland, or to the communities that depend so heavily on EU subsidies. I don’t know what impact it will have on our daily lives, on our finances, or our ability to travel to trade freely, or our relationships with others. Let alone the impact that leaving the EU will bring on to things like agriculture, fishing and the environment, all of which have a great degree of input and subsidy from Europe.
It’s all a bit scary, and with our political situation in such a mess I have no idea what the future holds. All I know is that we all have to come together, and get through this mess as best we can.
Moving on…
Growing. My daughter’s nursery class planted some vegetable seeds in the spring. With it now being the end of term they had a ton of vegetable plants that needed re-homing, and sadly not everyone could take them (or even wanted them). Wendy’s Plant Adoption Service™ swiftly stepped in, and we now have peppers and beans coming out of our ears. Just as well as the slugs have made light work of pretty much everything we planted in our allotment. Swines.
And you might be wondering how we got on with the Nemaslug? Nothing. It did nothing. The pesky slugs still managed to mow everything down. We are a bit stumped now re: slug-gate.
In more positive news, our garden is coming along.
My eldest graduated nursery, and starts primary school after the summer. Her nursery had a lovely graduation ceremony and party, and one of the teachers made graduation cakes for all kids leaving the nursery. It was bittersweet, let me tell you.
My youngest is now 6 months old (how?!) and is also hitting all the milestones. As much as I love the newborn stage, 6 months is my favourite baby age. If I could bottle the joy of 6 months old and save it for when I’m grey and old and missing my babies it would surely contain big hearty baby laughs; gummy smiles; chubby cheeks, wrists and legs; cosy milky cuddles last thing at night; splashes in the bath; arms and legs flapping in excitement; and a whole lot of love.
We’ve also started introducing solids, which is perhaps one of my favourite stages. In my opinion winter is the very best time to have a baby, because by the time they’re on solid foods all the lovely soft fruits are in season. Strawberries have been the biggest hit, which is just as well as the shops are packed with lovely Scottish strawberries.
How are you coping with all things Brexit?
i have dear dear friends and colleagues all the uk and it was just so shocking. politics around the world have become literally terrifying to me…philippines, haiti, france, austria, the us! just hope for the best, and vote for what you know what’s right…xoxo, big hug to you.
It seems like there is no escaping the far right hate. I think it was always there but worryingly has become more mainstream. Let’s hope the world comes to it’s senses sooner rather than later! x
Thank you for this lovely, bittersweet post. I did French and German as my degree so I spent time living in both countries, and have always felt incredibly lucky to be able to do so with no fuss, no visa, and even receive financial aid while I was living in France! The thing that saddens me most about the result is how many people have clearly never had those opportunities, and how little I understand their lives. I’ve never seen so starkly how divided the UK is, and I’m sad this had to happen for me to notice.
I taught English in Germany one summer and it was so easy to do – I just turned up and found myself a job, with no fuss or anything. It’s sad my children won’t ever have that opportunity. I think that’s what angers me the most – that my children have been robbed of so many opportunities. I too had no idea the UK was so divided, and how we got quite so divided. Living in Scotland I think we’ve been protected from most of the far-right sentiments, and practically everyone I know was voting to remain, so I was in shock when I woke up on Friday to find out we were out.
Thank you for writing this post. I am still processing this situation and slowly realising how my idea of britishness is very different to 52% of voters. I saw myself as part of a community and never considered it was ‘them’ and ‘us’ but group of people trying to create a better future. Working overseas, so many nationalities were envious of our access to europe and the freedoms we have.
It never seemed a big deal that my sister was living and raising a family on the continent but now she will have to make arrangments secure her family’s future.
My ray of hope is that I will be moving to your beautiful Scotland in a couple of months, so any posts on local ethical shops/businesses would have one avid reader if they ever cropped up.
Love your work,
Hels
Thanks Hels. I’m still processing it too – I’ve found curtailing my reading/watching of the news has been helping. Congratulations on the move – where are you moving to? If it’s somewhere I know I’ll send you some recommendations!
I can’t recommend crushed egg shells highly enough for slug control. I put a fairly thick ring of them around the base of the plant and it seems to deter them — I’ll be saving all my shells from now on. Thankfully I’d sown too many of certain plants, they will replace what the slugs chomped their way through.
I am so disappointed with the Brexit result and it doesn’t seem to be lifting. The racism that’s followed is really upsetting :(
I think I’m still in denial – “Scotland will find some way around it” etc etc.
Until it sinks in, I’m with you in the battle against slugs and snails. They have decimated my sunflowers and morning glories and I AM NOT HAPPY.
I hear you on the denial. I feel that we’re in limbo at the moment. In the meantime I think slugs and snails are a good way to vent Brexit anger! If you find a solution let me know – I am at my wits end!