Houston, We Have a Problem

Hey Friend,

Hope all is well with you. I think we’re on the last day of the unexpected May heatwave with next week’s forecast showing rain every day. It’s been fun while it lasted but here’s hoping this wasn’t our only bit of summer this year.

The mood is somewhat subdued in our home today and I’ll tell you why.

There’s a gospel artist called Fred Hammond. I have been a huge fan of his music since I was a teenager and first bought the Pages of Life cassette (yes, I’m that old – had a Walkman too). Obviously, when I had my children, and his music being a constant in our home, they too have become huge fans.

Imagine our delight when we found out he’s coming to the UK in August! And to an easily accessible place – a gospel concert in the park! There are some others performing but in all honesty, it’s all about Fred for me. The children are also excited for Kirk Franklin but he’s not that big a deal for me…

Anyhoo.

There was an obstacle though. Of course. Tickets were £62 each and I’m simply not in a position to miss that kind of money times four. So I ummed and I aaahed but it was too big a deal. The thought of enjoying this day with my children, of the memories we’d all have of that moment and the fact that we will likely not have a chance like this again (I couldn’t tell you the last time Fred was in the UK) – all of it pushed me to make it happen.

So, I bought the tickets, OM insisting on going halves with me. ❤

That was a few months ago. I wrote it on the family planner in huge capital letters: FRED HAMMOND CONCERT!!!!!

It’s happening.

In other news, our church does a huge camping event that LM has gone to for the past two years. She wanted to go again this year and, I’ll be honest, I hoped she didn’t want to go because the cost of £159 was painful. Don’t get me wrong, her dad is helping but even £79.50 is a lot to a single parent household. But LM wanted to go and it’s not a frivolous thing – it’s a church event after all. So I said I’d make it happen.

I dipped into my dwindling savings for my half, Mr E sent his. The ticket was purchased yesterday.

I looked at my bank balance and sighed.

But today is a new day, right? I went to add the trip to the family planner and, you’re not gonna believe this but…

The camping trip clashes with the Fred Hammond concert.

!!!!!

Yes, yes, I did check the dates beforehand – there was no clash. But unbeknownst to me, they’d changed the dates of the camping trip at the last minute. Wonderful.

Older Miss is also going on the trip as a helper so, at the moment it looks like it’s just me and Little Dude going to the concert.

The concert is on the last full day at the camp – the day when all the fun stuff happens apparently. So, LM isn’t happy about missing out. There’s also the added problem of the camp being in Staffordshire so we’d have to organise separate transport to get them both back (if indeed they decide that’s what they want) the cost of which I can’t begin to contemplate right now.

It’s so funny how things can go from great to not so great in such a short space of time, isn’t it?

Like I said, the mood is a little – perhaps a lot, subdued.

I’m lacking in solutions to this problem so, please feel free to share if you can think of any.

I’m off to drown my sorrows in ice cream.

Speak soon x