I don't drive as much as I used to. Being immunosuppressed means there's not many places I can go, especially during the busy summer period where lost drivers desperate to get to the seaside can do some VERY strange things. But autumn is coming, so today I bribed husband with the promise of steak pie, roast potatoes and veg and lots of gravy followed by apple crumble and cream and we went out for a drive while it was quiet.
And then we stopped down by the sea and went for a walk and chatted to dog and child walkers and enjoyed the new segregated cycle lane and I drove back. And my confidence came back, and I had some lovely quiet time with husband and, as we so often do, we said 'why don't we do this more often?'
The answer, sadly, is habit, so we've added to our autumn list some walks together early on a Sunday morning when no one else needs us for anything. Just the two of us, scrunching through the leaves, hand in hand, talking about nothing and everything. Not expensive, not that time-consuming. Just remembering that there is an 'us' as well as all the other things we have to be.
Hold on a minute, you'd think I wrote romantic novels, wouldn't you? Husband is up for it as long as he doesn't have to make speeches, and the nice thing about being long-married is I don't need him to. Obviously, it's nice if he does, but standing and reading about the flying boats that kept the transatlantic link open during the Second World War and working out more of the plot for the next Lavender House is still romantic in a different way.
So go on. Do something romantic this week...
And here's where we were. Over there in the distance are the Purbeck Hills where my imaginary village of Windy Bay nestles. This is a working bit of seashore and I love it!