oh my god

In bed just getting over a two day flu still I cant complain Laura has been laid up for four days so far. Poor old dogs! Boson cut his foot open on the way into dog training on Monday night so he is refined to the house and Bear always acts strange when I take to my bed like he knows Michael will do the bear minima to assure he’s been walked.
Haven’t seen Ella either since yesterday as Michael has thought it best that she stay at nannies and granddads house, she adores them and loves it there. I believe last night was mama mia night
It happened last week got the news from Michael, didn’t know weather I should laugh or cry but my lip has come out in a cold sore and my chin has sprouted loads of spots………….Dick needs a engine recon or something and whilst the engine is out we might as well have a new clutch and some brakes!!!!!!!!!!!well I’m no mechanic and I aint got a clue what Michael is on about but I am the accountant and the handler of bills and I know that we will be using what is meant as our spare emergency break down cash for this so there will be no spare emergency breakdown cash.
Had a nightmare with the dogs this weekend too. Saturday took them walking where there is normally no sheep and some silly farmer had decided to fill his field with sheep. well Bear was gone first then Boson, they don’t harm the sheep its just the chase really but I know this could cause heart failure and all sorts in the sheep, eventually got the buggers back and got to say smacked them both which I never do but I think it was a mixture of relief as the farmer didn’t shoot them and they needed a dam good telling off. Yesterday went for a walk in the woods and Bear started chasing deer so Boson joined him again. The excellent thing about deer is they can’t half run. When I finally got them back they knew they were in trouble so why oh why do they bother and will they ever learn? I think in Europe dogs must stay on their leads most of the time. But it won’t be as bad as we will have one dog each. Got lots and lots of bills to pay today the time is getting nearer and nearer infact 39 days till lift-off yahoo. No more stress and hopefully I will get my motor home widowed husband back.

Happy New Year!! We are only just recovering from our Xmas festivities and we have to stop spending. I am very worried about the work Michael has found to do on Dick it seems to be one thing after another and with only 8 weeks to go it’s going to be hard pushed to get everything done!! Yesterday I gave a months notice on our phone and internet and digital TV we won’t need that for the last month. Well I’m hoping our neighbour will let us use their internet for the last month. Dogs have had a quiet Xmas with no mishaps except one wee on the floor New Year’s Eve but to be honest they were left for 12 hours and probably scared by the fireworks at midnight.

Been ringing round for European breakdown cover and insurance cause the van is starting to worry me slightly, bloody hell isn’t it dear!!! Michael couldn’t even get Dick to start this morning it was so cold. Bring on the sunshine.
Two hammocks I ordered arrived today, I really just want to get into the van and start cleaning and packing but as usual Michael is lagging behind, when we go on holiday I’m all ready and packed whilst he is packing his suitcase the night before with a million things he doesn’t need. HELP I need to be organised
Picked up the dog’s passports yesterday, another tick off my list. Oh god I hate the wait I like to do things spontaneously, keep busy.

hard work and dogs

God Michael is working real hard on dick, he’s almost done the fridge and managed to buy an oven from eBay for £8.27 he’s such a hunter gatherer! I’m so lucky to have him, this trip would not be possible else. As for the dogs they are another matter I can hardly hold Boson he is so big. He pulled me off my feet yesterday and started chasing sheep. I got hold of him but left the field in tears imagine if the farmer had shot him. God Im so worried what will our trip be like with these big boys?

ella

Ella headmaster has been informed that we will be taking her out of school for 6 months, I was rather nervous making that call but luckily Ella has a young hip headmaster, not like in my days at school. He advised that this trip would be very educational. When I thought about it harder I could hardly agree more. How better to learn about war than a visit to the mass graves in France, fancy seeing Rome with your own eyes and discovering about the Romans and what about the great Grecians and their coliseums all first hand with your own eyes.

dogs

Then to the dogs, this is the crazy bit of the whole trip. We have two big dogs, Bear and Boson. Bear is a Northern Inuit a wolf cross and we have had him since he was a pup of six weeks, Boson on the other hand is a rottie cross mastiff whom we rescued from a local dog kennels last Christmas he’s still a pup though bigger than most dogs and his training is taking its toll on me and the rest of the family. If Boson decides to run I just can’t hold him. The dogs have had their rabies injections, then 30 days later back for the bloods to be taken. Now we just have to wait for the results of the blood tests as not all dogs become immune to rabies with the first jab infact with some dogs it never works so fingers crossed.

intro

Intro
This is the story of our fantasy adventure around Europe in our motor home Dick. Dick is a fiat highwayman so the connection is Dick Turpin……highwayman…..yes that’s how our van got his name. My husband was not too impressed that the van was a boy so we let him have the tom tom and her sweet voice which he named Betty.
My name is Colette I am 41 years old but still 17 in my mind.
It’s been a long hard slog trying to persuade my hubby to travel around the world! Ok so Ive only managed Europe at the moment but at least that’s a start.
My husband is Michael, hes the brains behind the van which we brought cheap and he has slowly but steadily built into a lovely little van. Ok its not new age and we are probably going to look like gypsies next to all these posh homes but hey ho Im well happy.
I have two children Laura 20 and Ella who will be 10 when we leave. The thought of travelling around Europe with her parents is far too much for Laura to handle, I’ve even tried a little emotional blackmail but she’s adamant, well who wouldn’t want to stay home alone at 20 party party party!! Our youngest daughter Ella is almost as excited as me.