Eyestorm
AMPLIFYING WOMEN’S VOICES TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE
HOME, HOPE AND HEALING IN SMALL MOMENTS WITH ALICE CLOVER
ALICE CLOVER – THE FARTING FEMINIST
Alice is our monthly blogger, an EyeStorm WIZ member
Author, CEO and Founder of Alice Clover Stories
Website: www.instagram.com/alicecloverthefartingfeminist
www.facebook.com/alicecloverthefartingfeminist
Alice shares her thoughts, ideas and quirkiness every month.
Lucky Charm
At the beginning of May myself and my family took part in the Brighton Children’s Parade to celebrate the start of the Brighton Fringe Festival. It is the third time that we have participated and I love getting involved, soaking up the joyful atmosphere. This year the theme was luck. Luck resonated with me strongly because even though we have been living in temporary accommodation since October I feel incredibly lucky to have the support of friends and family and also the opportunity to see and live in different parts of Brighton.
There have been many ups and downs and sometimes it feels as though our luck has been pushed to the limit but each time we’ve needed to find a place to live it has all worked out.
I also feel fortunate that we have all stayed healthy and strong as a family unit. I have realised that you can never fully appreciate what you have when life is running smoothly and that it takes the unexpected to realise how adaptable, resilient and strong we are, not only as individuals but also as a family.
New Kitten
My eldest daughter is desperate for a cat and because of our living situation we’ve not been able to get one but having a new kitten in the family means that she can learn all about what it takes to look after a kitten and be prepared for when we get one or two of our own. Both Will and I grew up with cats and I feel incredibly fortunate that I got to experience the love and joy of having pets. We have never had any but once we are settled in our new permanent home we most certainly will be getting cats and rabbits, the girls two favourite animals.
I have often felt guilty about not being able to give the girls animals, especially after growing up with them myself, but I also think it has been important for us to have the freedom to travel freely, without any ties. Meeting Daisy made me realise how much I love animals and how important their love for us is too. We can all lean so much from each other, especially when life feels overwhelming and uncertain. The love and healing of Daisy was exactly what we needed.
Camping
We have also had the absolute pleasure of going to a Home Education mini festival this month with another family. I love camping and this is our second trip of the year so far.
I do find it all quite challenging when packing and making sure we have everything we need to keep us warm, dry and well fed, especially when our lives are already rather chaotic, but there is nothing like living in the woods, waking up to bird song and watching our children play freely.
As soon as we arrived another camper offered us a cup of tea and this made such a difference. We were able to set up in a relaxed way as the sun shone through the oak trees. The bluebells were in full bloom and the chatter and laughter of children could be heard all around. There were plenty of activities for the children to get involved in and their favourite was when they could make items to sell on a stall.
My eldest and her friend made hair accessories to sell and my youngest and her friend collected clay from the river and made skin care to sell. I absolutely love their imagination and entrepreneurial ingenuity. Their main reason was to make money to buy sweets from the shop because campsite shops always seem to sell cheap sweets! It also gives them the freedom to go to the shop on their own. They can go off and explore in a safe way that increases their confidence and their navigation skills.
I often don’t know where they are or what they are up to when camping but I also know that if they need anything they will come back to find us. We also saw a friend who we hadn’t seen for a long time. She used to live in Brighton but doesn’t any longer and having the opportunity to hang out and catch up in the woods, whilst sitting by the fire was an absolute delight.
Celebrating Friends
We had to move out of our temporary accommodation for the weekend because there was a previous booking. Fortunately we were able to move into a guest house, also owned by the woman who owns the house we’ve been living in. Although it was an upheaval having to move everything out of the house, it also felt like a little holiday. We met some of the other house guests and also got to know our landlady more.
I have always been a people person and can usually find something to chat about, so meeting new people is an absolute pleasure for me. She has the ability to create a calming and homely vibe that has been much needed and appreciated over the last few months. It has also taught us to never take things for granted and to find value and appreciation in the life that we have.
Whilst staying there we had the pleasure of going to two separate birthday parties. One was for a very special little girl who turned three. It was in a park, the wind was blowing and the rain just about held off but celebrating her and seeing the joy on her face was magical. She is my eldest daughters favourite three year old and their bond is beautiful.
The second celebration was for my friend, Sarah, who turned forty. We were invited to a party at the Liberation Art Gallery where her art work is displayed. She hadn’t prepared as much as she wanted to so as soon as we arrived she asked Will if he could go and buy some more snacks and drinks, which he did without hesitation. I love parties that are less organised and chaotic because you never know what will happen.
It was the most wholesome and wonderful celebration of our friend. There was live music, Sarah’s friend sang to her and Will also took on the role of DJ. We danced, we laughed and we left all of our worries at home. Making memories that will last a life time whilst refilling our cups at the same time.
With love,
Alice, The Farting Feminist