Pip-Life This Week

This Week: 002

June 23, 2022
Kate Bush arms outstretched over bunches of daffodils. Image is black and white.

Hallo pal! Hi!

It’s been pretty weird in these here parts. Exhausting and stressful, to be honest. The boys’ dad – my former partner – Cameron died as a result of Motor Neurone Disease earlier this month, a bit over a year after he was first diagnosed. He’d been unwell for quite some time. Naturally it’s been a confusing and sad time for us all, but especially for the boys. I don’t even know what to say about it, to be honest.

Cam and I were together from when I was 25 until a few years ago so he was a huge part of my life. We had two kiddos together. Took a heap of holidays as a family. Lived in a bunch of different houses. Ate a zillion meals. Experienced a trillion good and terrible things. But our relationship was difficult. Not all the time. Not in the beginning. But as the years went on. Eventually it just broke and the space between us clarified so many things for me. (And made me determined to form a new life for myself without a spouse.)

I was relieved when he settled down again with someone who adored him – and cared for him in his final couple of years. We want our kids’ other parent to be happy, right? I think so. Anyway, I just wanted to touch on it briefly here, because this blog has been a record of my life and it seems strange not to. Perhaps you have been in a similar situation? I think it’s called ‘disenfranchised grief’? It’s pretty impossible.

Now. On to less sad things …

I listened to the BBC Radio4 interview with Kate Bush last night and it’s a total gem. She’s as honest and refreshing and kind as she always was. She rarely gives interviews, but hearing her voice again instantly reminded me of this 1979 one with Molly Meldrum. “I just want to stick around,” Kate says and it’s fair to say she has. Under The Ivy has gone straight to the top of my wishlist.

Cooking? The budget has been tight for various grief-related reasons and the will to cook has not been super prolific. I’ve been making a LOT of soups – pumpkin soup and a favourite minestrone in particular – and also steak and rice with Korean pancakes (Max’s favourite). Last night I made the vegetable curry that I always find a comfort and had it again for breakfast with two slices of perfectly-scorched rye toast. It’s the simple things that help when things are hard, don’t you think? I’ll put the curry recipe up on Hungry Hungry Pippo ASAP.

I’ve been doing lots of reading for uni and some reading for pleasure too. I’ve started on The Wind in the Willows, reading a chapter each day. I’ve never read it before, but I saw it pop up on Slightly Foxed (which Michelle first told me about) and I thought it was time to remedy that! I’m also listening to the audiobook version of Persuasion – again a chapter a day – in readiness for the new series (which seems a bit adaptation-of-Sally-Rooney-book-ish?) People are hating it already based on the trailer, but I’m still going to give it a go.

At uni we’ve been diving into a bunch of interesting stuff – the philosophy of author and reader, George Lakoff’s theory of framing, logical fallacies and more. It’s fair to say I’m learning A LOT.

Watching? I’ve watched all of Stella on Britbox (love it!) and I watched a docuseries about Michaella Mccollum on Stan (gosh!) and also a pretty good Spanish whodunnit on SBS – You Shall Not Lie.

Apart from all that, I have shingles. So that’s pretty bloody annoying on top of everything else, but also a sign that it’s time to slow down even more and edge through this crappy time with caution. I think.

With that I’m off to do the dishes and make a giant cup of tea. I really like Madame Flavour’s Melbourne Morning Blend. It’s delicious and a bit vanilla-y. A cosy cup to be sure! (I buy it at my local supermarket but my fave non-local supermarket – Leo’s – has the afternoon blend, too. I grab that and some Glick’s rye caraway bread and some smoked trout dip every time I go there!)

Sorry. I am prattling on. Love to you.

xx pip

If you fancy, buy me a coffee —>  https://ko-fi.com/piplincolne

 

 

6 Comments

  • Reply P July 9, 2022 at 5:30 PM

    Hi Pip
    Have been a frequent visitor to your blog for many years now.
    I love how you weave your life into your stories along with myriad other details of happenings and interesting bits and pieces. Your blog is a place of cosy comfort and reality that is treasured by me and I’m sure many others.
    Thinking of you and your family. xx

  • Reply Bella June 28, 2022 at 7:11 PM

    Pip, I’m so sorry for you, your boys’, and your family’s loss. I hope that you’ve found some energy for some self-care and that the shingles are already much improved.

  • Reply Kate June 23, 2022 at 1:17 PM

    Sending lots of good wishes to your and your family Pip. Thanks for sharing all of this, I really think that sharing our experiences of grief are helpful to others.

  • Reply Kerri June 23, 2022 at 12:50 PM

    Hi Pip, I’m so very sorry for the rough road you’re travelling right now. I can imagine the complex set of emotions and feelings one goes through when a prior partner passes and it’s always tough to see ones kiddo’s going through tough times too. A couple of delightfully yummy things I’ve cooked lately have been a giant pot of Chicken Tom Yum Soup for lunches, Cauliflower Soup with crusty toast for dinner – also SO good as leftovers & delish with some blue cheese in if you’re so inclined…..and Moussaka, a renewal of my relationship with eggplant which is also so yum too! Will check out your curry recipe on Hungry Hungry Pippo 😀 Not been doing enough reading lately so thanks for the reminder/push to get it going again and I’ll look out for that tea to try. I have a large variety that I swap and change between so always happy to add another to the mix. 🙂 Shingles is the pits, a layer of hard you could’ve done without, hopefully it takes it leave soon and yes please take it slow and careful, you’re precious and worth it.

  • Reply kate June 23, 2022 at 12:32 PM

    oh Pip, life is a LOT right now. I hope you soon turn the corner to gentler and easier days.
    thinking of you
    cheers Kate

  • Reply Yvette June 23, 2022 at 10:59 AM

    Oh Pip I am so very sorry… grief is a wicked beast and disenfranchised grief sounds awfully tricky to navigate and feel and live through… and shingles on top of cfs is just a mf of a blow… do hope the extra slow slow slow days bring you healing and bowls of nourishment and shoulders to cry on and soft tissues and self-hugs and bandaids for you heart and energy for your bod and calm to your mind and peace to your spirit xxx

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