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Ugh, what's with the world?





What a week. Despite the fact I normally keep these blogs very much to what's happening inside our little family, this week's event have been so monumental it's worth recording how we feel even if we can't yet record the impact.

So this week after much hype and one of the most scandalous campaigns ever (so much tosh delivered by both sides as what might happen), the country voted on whether to Remain or Leave the EU. We all went to bed on Thursday evening very much expecting the result to be Remain - that's what all the bookmakers and polls predicted....and woke on Friday to find we had, by a very narrow margin, voted to Leave. Who would have thought it - 72% of the country voted and Leave won by a few percentage points. The last 48 hours have been somewhat mad - Cameron stepping down, half the labour cabinet either sacked or stepping down, votes of no confidence everywhere - as I said, slightly surreal and mostly bonkers. Social media has been on fire with everybody offering an opinion and many going as far as to say we are all doomed... It really has the country gripped, as well as divided. People are calling for second referendums and all sorts. The reality is we now just need to get on with working out how to make our exit in a way that leaves us independent and strong - no mean feat. I just hope party politics doesn't get in the way of some common sense appointments to manage the negotiation strategies.

Of course, we have no idea what this will mean, and it will be years before we actually leave, in whatever form that will take. What's been so interesting is that the 'youth' vote was relatively low, despite the fact they are the generation that will have to live with the consequences. Kerrie was up yesterday with her new man (more later) and neither of them voted! Their reasoning was either too busy (!) or not enough information. I can understand the latter, although we were all in the same boat, but too busy just smacks of apathy. I hope they don't come to regret not having their say.

Sooooo - Kerrie's new man! We've known for a while he was on the scene but previously we've never been formally introduced to new boyfriends so we knew this is a bit different. She arrived with him in tow and I'm pleased to say he is lovely. He's also a Royal Marine, which could have gone either way but very quickly he and Glenn managed to find some common ground and after passing some basic tests (Glenn: "Did you watch the football?" Ryan:"No, I'm more of a rugby man"), it is clear he will be accepted. As ever Izzy disappeared but Abi sat observing everything and as soon as he left turned to me, eye glowing and said "He's so cute Mummy!" - she definitely approves! The two of them were very quickly planning weddings and bridesmaids dresses - poor bloke has only just met us! This morning Abi said to me "Do you think they've kissed?" "Yes" said I. "Do you think they've cuddled?" "I suspect so" says I "Do you think they've stayed in the same bed?" "Yes" says I (wondering where this is going!). "Do you think they've been to the cinema together?" "Yes" says I, "we know they have" "Oh my god" says Abi, "it MUST be serious!"

The other notable feature this week is the weather, or lack of it. We have had biblical rain for what seems like weeks - where is summer?!? Yesterday we were at a BBQ and I've never seen rain like it - as well as thunder and lightening. We braved it for a while and then gave up, with Claire cooking in the oven and everyone eating in the kitchen. The forecast seems to be for more of the same, with London flooding on Thursday, railways being out and general chaos - seems the world is going to pot in more ways than one!

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