It’s been a funny old year politically.  #Brexitday twice but no Brexit. On March 31st, the UK was due to exit the EU but it didn’t happen.  Today, is Halloween, and though this was mooted as the big day, Britain is not Brexiting again.

I’m relieved, because I think the benefits of delaying implementing the result of the referendum outweigh the costs of doing so. I think it was a stupid question asked in a ridiculous manner. David Cameron’s ‘simple in or out’ question was too simple – it was asked with an assumption that the ‘right’ answer would emerge, and didn’t plan what would happen if the public vote went a different way to what the PM expected.

So, the UK is in a pickle, as the democratically elected members of parliament can’t agree how to implement the ‘will of the people’ to leave the EU. No one had a clear plan for it, and so for three years now the political system grinds to a halt. <scarcasm> Fortunately, there are no pressing issues of concern and all is tickety-boo in the world, so there’s plenty of time to discuss our constitution and trading arrangements, and no future risks we need to plan for. </scarcasm>

But all of that is by the bye… Here’s what we’ve done in the Brextention!

1. Moved house. From a 200 year old house to a 70 year old house, gaining a bigger garden and longer list of things to fix.
2. I got a new job. Following a rambling career path, I’m now working with a lovely timber company, as a part time marketing manager. I’m learning lots about trees and wood, I like the smell of the timber yard, and the natural beauty of timber.I chose a job where I get to work from home mostly, at this lovely desk by the window, with my esteemed colleague Davina the cat.
3. Home improvements – a long but incomplete list of things we’ve sorted out in the last six months…
   1. Emergency plumbing (on arrival)
   2. Locksmith opened the stuck back doors
   3. Ivy cut back and removed from gutters and windowframes
   4. Old shed demolished.
   5. Decking replaced.
   6. Drain cover made safe
   7. Back steps replaced
   8. New lawn section laid
4. Website rejigged. I’ve stopped updating my garden blog and FromeBlooms so frequently, but still put news up every couple of months about green goings on in town. I’d like to do more, but see above, I’ve been busy.
5. Tree planting: I’ve made some friends in the Tree Group Frome, and plan to join a couple of November tree planting events in town. Although vandals / kids / idiots have pulled up some of the trees we planted by the river, we’ve planted more… Haha!
6. Mojo Reclaimed: In an increasingly futile effort to shift my lazy arse, I’ve been attending a dance class, hosted by the marvellously entertaining fitness guru Cheryl Sprinkler. It’s a comedy / prancercise / literal dance areobic workout and it’s made my life much better since I joined the class.
7. New friends! I’ve made few friends in our new neighbourhood, and just remembered to put out a little something in the window to let the neighbourhood know we’re open to spooky visitors this evening. 

Well, that’s it for now. I guess in either one, two, three or never months we’ll have Brexited. Or not. There’s an election happening in December, which is highly unlikely to resolve anything much. My main ambition is to cling on to sanity, dance more, plant trees and think about moving house again before Brexit day in 2124.

Happy Halloween!