Just come back from a party at OF's, (owner of the gorgeous and now famous Dotty!) funny having to go all the way to West Sussex to see them now instead of climbing over a fence or the more recent two minute walk round the corner.
Its the sorta place that they should have had from the beginning what with their animal collection that they always had. Now they have enough land to have a small-holding and three acres of woodland around them. Indeed OF was talking of getting a pig, she's wanted one for ages!
Dad coped surprisingly well, last weeks emergancy rush to hospital seems to have sorted him out for the time being and he's almost back to being his old chirpy self.
I miss not living next door to them, I hardly know anyone my age in this street and E is a few miles away in Plumstead.
Different to having your best friend on the other side of a fence and always bouncing in and out of each others houses and sleepovers every weekend.
I still think of her as my best friend although we can go weeks or months without seeing each other and only the odd MSN conversation or text.
She's the sister I never had as a child and her family are like extended versions of mine and I'm closer to them than I am my own uncles who I see every week.
Let's hope it lasts at least another 18 years of friendship! Hurrah!