Sunday 16 October 2016

We're Back!

I haven't been neglecting you, honestly! But at some point about two months ago the Blogger Gate Guardians locked me out of my own House of Stories and I couldn't get back in. But this weekend, Lovely Older Son and Lady Sunshine came to stay, and LOS had a few firm words with the computer. He knows how to speak computer, and the door of The House of Stories flew open when he used the magic key. I am delighted. There has been so much to tell you over the last two months. Unfortunately I've forgotten half of it.

However, all is well. Tony now has two new knees and is worth a king's ransom in scrap value. The Hobbits are thriving, and little Frodo is now on solid food, though I don't know why they call it solid when it's mush. A small amount gets into the mouth. The rest is spread over his ear, his nose, his chair and his mum, who tells me that some of it flew through the air and she hasn't found it yet. The Sunshines and the Cahooties are well, and the Cahooties are now Owners of Guinea Pigs. Much is sulking because I haven't cleared his border yet, and Dodger is chasing windfall apples round the garden.

About the apples. As you know, apple trees are very special to me. Our own apple tree (as far as an apple tree can belong to anyone) has been simply weighed down with fruit this year, I must have harvested twice my body weight already. We went out this afternoon with large shopping bags and a sense of purpose. I climbed the tree, Lady Sunshine climbed the stepladder, and LOS played hook-the-apples with a shepherd's crook. (That has its own story, which I may tell you one day.) As we picked apples off the grass, Lady Sunshine said that we could do with a recipe for apple and mint cordial.

'Sh!' I said, but it was too late. Already a rotund and beaming squirrel was wobbling across the garden.

"You want cordial, m'dear? You just give 'em 'ere, I'll do that for you, bring you half a dozen bottles, no trouble at all. Don't you worry if the slugs have been at 'em, I'll cut those bits off. I'll have some of that mint, and the thyme, and any other 'erbs that look like they're dying off. Don't matter about maggots, I reckon they take one look at the cooking pot and run for cover. Got any vinegar?"

4 comments:

The Command 'Fire' Four Times said...

Glad to see your posts again!

margaret mcallister said...

Good to see you, too! Let's hope I manage to keep the House of Stories door open this time. How are you?

The Command 'Fire' Four Times said...

I'm still surviving college and getting through with flying colors so far. The squirrels are beginning to invade the grounds; I've had a few that were angrily chattering at me in the trees. It's been a pretty warm October and around here it's quite a surprise to not see any snowflakes by now.
Besides that, I'm considering Marketing Communication as my minor degree to round me out as a writer.
Oh, and the neighborhood kids that I helped introduce Mistmantle to: the oldest one finished the first book and her younger brother might decide to read it too. No idea yet if she plans to continue the series, and I didn't want to pry about her favorite details since I only had a day to return home last weekend and celebrate my birthday.
So it's been busy! And I never said yet that I'm sorry to see Newcastle drop out of the Premier League... I also have yet to find another Liverpool fan in this school. My fellow roommates are probably getting irritated how early I've been awake on Saturday mornings cheering. They'll kick me outside someday-- but at least the weather's still warm.

margaret mcallister said...

Sounds good! marketing is a good move, I think, because authors are expected to promote their own books these days.

I hate to say it, but Newcastle deserved it. Hopefully it's given them the shock they needed. Oh, for the glory days of Shearer, Beardsley, Given, Ginola.