Ahh it’s been a while. How many people have said that on their first blog post since before Christmas I wonder? Anyway, I am sitting in the living room at Meadowgate. I have gone off in a huff with myself since I had to frog the last 3 hours work of slow progress on a hat I am trying to crochet. Hoping the break to write this will somehow imbibe me with magical crocheting powers when I return to the warm kitchen full of lovely, lively ladies all crafting away in tranquility.
I have been ruminating on what to write for a while. At the risk of sounding a bit poncey I am going to come right out with it. Who the heck am I these days?
A couple of weeks ago I left the house at 7am in my pyjamas, went round to the neighbours and leaned on their buzzer to tell them they had kept us awake half the night with their loud music and how unacceptable their behaviour was. Harrumphing back to our front door I noticed that I had morphed into a grumpy old lady. The girls must surely think I am a cheerless moaner who is endlessly nagging them (“pick that up, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU”RE DOING?, finish your dinner, sit on your chair properly” etc etc) yet... who else is going to teach them about the ways of doing things which won’t get them kicked out of fine restaurants in the future? Anyway, you get the idea. I spend too much time not being fun.
And I’m sure I used to be fun, or more fun at least. I miss that me. But that me used to wake up on her own terms, and didn’t have to wipe other people’s bottoms.
I can’t grumble about my life, I am remarkably lucky and even now am enjoying a whole school week away from home at this lovely semi-remote cottage, hanging out with old friends and making new ones. Instead of supervising the girls’ dinner I am about to call Gin O’Clock Time. So far I have made one awful hot water bottle cover and a nice coaster. We went down to Welcombe Mouth this afternoon and nearly got blown away. The sea looked exceptionally choppy and cold to me. We stood leaning into the wind, hopped over the stepping stones, held onto our hats and took photos to Instagram. Later we will all sit down to a joint meal and maybe watch a DVD. THIS MAKES ME HAPPY.
What else to report... well Chris turned 40. I stole a lovely idea from the Nothing But Bonfires website which involved harassing all of our friends to write down a memory they shared of Chris. I was aiming to fill 40 envelopes with said memories for him to sit and read. With the help of some of his college friends I got some names from his past to join in and although he didn’t shed any tears, he did have a lot of laughs. So that was nice. He also arranged a rather swanky meal out for his birthday night, at The Goring Hotel, no less. If you can, GO. And order eggs drumkilbo. Apparently it was a favourite of the late Queen Mother. Good call, QM, good call. Blimmin’ delicious food and fabulous wine and top notch service. I was so impressed I instagrammed myself in the toilets. I’m not cool like that. By the time we had finished I had to insist on getting a taxi home, I was so stuffed. We went out again on Friday night, this time to a pub in Soho. I can’t remember the last time I was out drinking with so many friends. I couldn’t do it on a regular basis anymore but it was fun to go out.
I was talking to Emma this afternoon about smoking, and how when I was at uni and we had May Balls, I used to go armed with about 3 packets of cigarettes (again, not cool) and Marlboro Lights or whoever would be giving away promotional packets and I’d come home with more than I went with. Can you imagine that happening now?! I mean, I didn’t go to uni in the ‘50s or anything, but the thought of an educational institution being linked with giving students free smokes now?! Crazy! At least I hope it doesn’t happen any more. Anyway, I am rambling.
In news of the girls (for grandparents reading), my most favourite Brooke quote recently was when we were walking home past a pub, when she declared “THAT looks like a nice gym!” I had to pretend I was laughing at some made up thing across the street instead of her and her lovely innocent comment. Taya was sent to the thinking chair at nursery for not listening. And this by her delightfully mild-mannered teacher as well! Welcome to my world, I said.
Apart from going out, and grumpiness and instagram, we have also recently ploughed through all 4 seasons of Breaking Bad. I think it’s phenomenal, really outstanding tv. I also read all the Game of Thrones books, made another bad hot water bottle cover, a can holder and a blanket for Taya. All of which to say, I suppose, grumpiness aside, I was here.
