The Jerusalem variation

Mum has said before that she worries if things are quiet with 'her', and I'm wondering now if this prophesy is in danger of coming true again.
I am (or thought I was!) certain that things will turn out OK, but past experiences can't help poking me in the ribs and demanding consideration.
JJ has had her son David visiting for the first time since he went to live with his dad, I don't know maybe 10 years ago. He's probably 14 by now?
Up until now, she's had only supervised access for a few hours maybe twice a year and has recently been able to take the girls with her to Wales to visit their brother. In a hotel somewhere, with social workers and 'other officials' present.
I know nothing of the background to this three-day stay or how it came about - except that Biscuit was excited and surprised about it when she came down. And maybe nervous too? This might explain something of her mood…
He stayed at the house with no supervision etc from Friday until Monday (Kink has just explained this to me on the phone) and she has taken him back to a rendezvous with a social work and David's dad in Bath.
Or at least she should have taken him back.
She is being massively trusted by the authorities here and shown a great deal of confidence and trust - I do hope she hasn't blown it.
The girls had a phone call about 5 o'clock asking where she was because she hadn't arrived - despite leaving home just after 12.
To make things worse for them she hasn't replied to txt messages or phonecalls.
Until 7, when she rang to say she was there.
I got the impression from K that she wasn't entirely comfortable that her mum was where she said she was. She's obviously worried.
It would be so, so, so STUPID to mess this up. She is trying to build a case for more regular and unsupervised access and visits like this more often.

I wish of course that she would just accept that her son lives with his dad now and work upwards from there. But she is still bitter and resentful of the decision to grant him custody and deny her access. It sounds harsh, but the decision was right.
At the time - and of course her behaviour since proved it - she couldn't have coped and wasn't fit etc etc.
Been here so often before.

There's the phone…

10am Itchen Valley.
The birdsong of children. Blackcaps and Robins. Great tit, Sparrowhawk, Nuthatch. Willow Warbler, chaffinch. Whitethroat. Many, many birds.
Teach-er, teach-er, teach-er. A couple of nurses and some office staff. Few people, but none of any interest. Some are Polish - they are everywhere these days. Perhaps we have them instead of House Martins this year??
There's another birder here, with his kids. Leaning on the fence watching a buzzard.
Six buzzards.
No five. What's that then? Smaller.
Flying different I think? Big though.
Goshawk? Could be!!!
Bit too far away to tell.
Where's a park warden when you need one?
Handful of Swallows too. So it is Spring after all.

Then down to the Barn to start the Easter Egg trail through the woods. Same old same old, but the kids love it and they will walk a long way looking for the clues.
Now there are crowds. Very popular event.
Primroses in abundance, and tits everywhere. Treecreeper right beside the path. celandines, anenomes. There will be bluebells soon.
And a parking ticket! twenty minutes over the time I paid for. Not bad when four kids needed the loo once we'd finished the trail and we had to go back to the barn.
The attendant was there, besdie the car, but it was too late.
She was very good about it, made a note that we had spoken and advised me to submit a written appeal.
Must be worth it to save £30...

More spring cleaning. New nets up. Beds pulled out and hoovered under. Amazing how bad that gets under there. And then an hour or so replacing the cistern in the outside toilet.
I saved one from a skip when Old Bailey died (August??) but haven't had the inclination to fit it until ran out of other jobs this afternoon.
Water everywhere. I am SO bad at DIY. But it's done, and it works.
Hurrah for me!
She's irresistable in these urgent, busy "nest building moods".
All of sudden, overcome with waves of enthusiasm and energy.
Could see it coming last night, with Gill and Mick. Talking more than listening, which is refreshing and unusual for her. Buzzing.
They were great too and we got on well.
His music taste doesn't quite line up with mine, but he knows his stuff and is very into what he likes. Going to see the Weddoes together at the Joiners in a couple of weeks - a gig MM had already lined up for me. If I can get Ian along as well it should be a good night out. I've seen them twice before, but not for years. The last two albums, especially Bizarro were disappointing.
Very late though - Didn't get to bed until after midnight which for Trx is a record for this year.
Flo picked us up for not washing up or clearing away, so she couldn't set breakfast this morning...