A sunny Monday, which is always a good start. Garden thriving, but I have to keep watering everything because it's been dry for so long. The drought is not such good news for the ducks, which have left in disgust and moved downriver. Along this stretch the riverbank is stony and they can't upend themselves without being concussed on a rock. An elegant swim turns into an obstacle course.
Lovely Younger Son has just come back from a weekend with The Lassie. Lovely Older Son is unwell but went into work today in spite of disapproval from Lady Sunshine and me. Daughter is gearing up for a big flute event this weekend. And Tony is out doing an internment of ashes for a truly grand old man who lived well and fully, and died with nothing to regret.
The Golden Child, very small god-daughter, now has come through chickenpox, and learned to walk. Sixteen months old, and she has a CV! Unfortunately she can no longer be distracted from a biscuit by a game of Incy Wincy Spider.
And me? Sorting the heaps of stuff in the study, then I'd better go down to the river. There may be an unconscious duck in need of help.
Monday, 28 March 2011
Friday, 25 March 2011
good stuff
I think Tony and I have achieved a lot lately. Well, little things, but they make me feel big.
About 7.30 on Wednesday night we were just about to get into the car when we saw something roundish in the middle of the road. On closer inspection it was exactly what we thought it must be - a hedgehog, waking up because of the sudden warm weather and a bit clueless about where it was and what it was supposed to do. We were just in time to stop the traffic. Tony stood there and guided the cars round it while I found something to pick it up with (it was a very prickly one) and put it out of harm's way. I left some cat food out that night, but it was left untouched. Stay safe, little hedgehog.
Then I liberated two very old stoneware drainpipes. Drainpipes, yes, but so big and solid that they looked like chimney pots. They were outside a house that's being renovated, so I made some enquiries and was told I'd be welcome to take them away. Why do I want drainpipes? To grow things in, of course. They can stand on opposite sides of the door, or the garden, like sentinels, but with aubretia cascading out of them. Or, then again, I have a friend who keeps ferrets...
Then, when I was at after-school club, Tony did a tip trip. I can now go down into the cellar without wondering what I'm going to fall over, and finally...
It was such a beautiful afternoon that we took all the children out for a story walk. As soon as we found a big clear stretch of grass something went ping in their brains, and it was like unleashing a lot of puppies. They ran, they chased, they tumbled - oh, how they must have needed that! I think it was the most rewarding moment of my week.
About 7.30 on Wednesday night we were just about to get into the car when we saw something roundish in the middle of the road. On closer inspection it was exactly what we thought it must be - a hedgehog, waking up because of the sudden warm weather and a bit clueless about where it was and what it was supposed to do. We were just in time to stop the traffic. Tony stood there and guided the cars round it while I found something to pick it up with (it was a very prickly one) and put it out of harm's way. I left some cat food out that night, but it was left untouched. Stay safe, little hedgehog.
Then I liberated two very old stoneware drainpipes. Drainpipes, yes, but so big and solid that they looked like chimney pots. They were outside a house that's being renovated, so I made some enquiries and was told I'd be welcome to take them away. Why do I want drainpipes? To grow things in, of course. They can stand on opposite sides of the door, or the garden, like sentinels, but with aubretia cascading out of them. Or, then again, I have a friend who keeps ferrets...
Then, when I was at after-school club, Tony did a tip trip. I can now go down into the cellar without wondering what I'm going to fall over, and finally...
It was such a beautiful afternoon that we took all the children out for a story walk. As soon as we found a big clear stretch of grass something went ping in their brains, and it was like unleashing a lot of puppies. They ran, they chased, they tumbled - oh, how they must have needed that! I think it was the most rewarding moment of my week.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Begone!
I finally saw off Thundering Grim, who managed to wreck my editing skills the other day. The river is quite a delicate creature today, trickling along because it hasn't rained for ages and it's like midsummer. Amazing. I have to keep throwing the washing up water over the newly planted garden.
I've recently been looking at some Norwegian folk tales (and if God made anything more beautiful than the fjords, he kept it to himself). It reminded me of my old Norwegian phrase book, which had a health section including everything from a slight cough to cardiac arrest. And, in the section for emergencies, it had useful phrases like 'I am drowning', and 'Hjelp!' (I think that was the spelling). I thought shouting and waving your arms about were the same in any language. I seem to remember'I am choking' was in there as well.
When I was in Norway many years ago, I immediately learned how to say 'ice cream' and 'grandfather'. The family we stayed with had an 18 month old child, and those were his favourite words. My absolutely basic phrases for going overseas are
Please
Thank you
Good morning
Good evening
Good night
How much?
Yes
No
I don't know
I don't speak................ I'm English
Where's the loo?
Coffee
I've recently been looking at some Norwegian folk tales (and if God made anything more beautiful than the fjords, he kept it to himself). It reminded me of my old Norwegian phrase book, which had a health section including everything from a slight cough to cardiac arrest. And, in the section for emergencies, it had useful phrases like 'I am drowning', and 'Hjelp!' (I think that was the spelling). I thought shouting and waving your arms about were the same in any language. I seem to remember'I am choking' was in there as well.
When I was in Norway many years ago, I immediately learned how to say 'ice cream' and 'grandfather'. The family we stayed with had an 18 month old child, and those were his favourite words. My absolutely basic phrases for going overseas are
Please
Thank you
Good morning
Good evening
Good night
How much?
Yes
No
I don't know
I don't speak................ I'm English
Where's the loo?
Coffee
Monday, 21 March 2011
Thundering Grim
Hee hee! My name is Thundering Grim and I am a migraine, a mean migraine, a miserable migraine, the mother of a migraine. I took over her head, and now I'll have her blog. I thudded her, I dizzied her, dizzy, I took away her appetite...
No you won't. I've got you out of my head now, and I even did some work today. And I just ate toast. Yes, with Marmite on it. Now get thee gone. Off my blog before I send a swan to Mistmantle for help.
No you won't. I've got you out of my head now, and I even did some work today. And I just ate toast. Yes, with Marmite on it. Now get thee gone. Off my blog before I send a swan to Mistmantle for help.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
bright day
Yesterday was a bright, happy day. The sun shone, which puts everyone in a good mood. There was just time for a quick coffee with Lady Sunshine and a friend while grocery shopping in the morning, followed by an afternoon of piracy and fund-raising with the after-schoolers.
At one point, when I had a mug in my hand, a little boy said to me 'pirates don't drink coffee!' 'How do you know it's coffee?' I asked him, and he didn't have an answer to that.
It wasn't coffee, 'cos there's nothing a pirate likes so much as a nice cup of fair trade tea. It's very tiring, doing all that swashbuckling, shouting orders, and belaying the thingy. I nearly forgot my favourite nautical joke, and remembered it just in time to yell to the mothers - 'avast behind!'
Comic Relief did their big fund-raising tv thing last night and raised a record breaking 74 million, which is fantastic. There will still be money coming in for some time to come, and it all goes straight to where it's needed. Everyone can make a difference.
I missed the beginning of the telly-thon because Lovely Older Son and Lady Sunshine phoned to say they have found a house to rent. I've seen a picture on the net, and I love it. And in a village, too.
Sunny again. Time to plant some things in the garden and give it a watering. And to be thankful.
At one point, when I had a mug in my hand, a little boy said to me 'pirates don't drink coffee!' 'How do you know it's coffee?' I asked him, and he didn't have an answer to that.
It wasn't coffee, 'cos there's nothing a pirate likes so much as a nice cup of fair trade tea. It's very tiring, doing all that swashbuckling, shouting orders, and belaying the thingy. I nearly forgot my favourite nautical joke, and remembered it just in time to yell to the mothers - 'avast behind!'
Comic Relief did their big fund-raising tv thing last night and raised a record breaking 74 million, which is fantastic. There will still be money coming in for some time to come, and it all goes straight to where it's needed. Everyone can make a difference.
I missed the beginning of the telly-thon because Lovely Older Son and Lady Sunshine phoned to say they have found a house to rent. I've seen a picture on the net, and I love it. And in a village, too.
Sunny again. Time to plant some things in the garden and give it a watering. And to be thankful.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
piracy
Well, shiver me handbag, ruffle me feathers, run up me curtains, what a morning. People are fantastically generous and we raised over ninety pounds this morning for RND, just a our toddler group. We told a piratical version of Jonah and the Whale. Children arrived as fairies, Noddy, cowboys, nurses, dinosaurs and a bumble bee.
The pirate queen has to do it all again with a slightly older age group tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, it's exhausting being a pirate. Her Piratical Majesty needs a quiet half hour and a cup of tea.
The pirate queen has to do it all again with a slightly older age group tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, it's exhausting being a pirate. Her Piratical Majesty needs a quiet half hour and a cup of tea.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
parrot
Yesterday, after I'd been to see the physio, I popped into a charity shop and saw, in the cuddly toys box, a parrot. So that's it, I thought. I'll be a pirate.
I called at the toyshop and asked if they sold hats for pirates. They did, and what's more it comes complete with eye patch and - er - a parrot. A pirate with a parrot is one thing, but a pirate with a parrot and a parrot is new to me, in fact its a parody of piracy. However, it's a small parrot on the hat and a big colourful parrot on my shoulder, so they don't know about each other. The parrot on my shoulder is safety-pinned to my shirt and keeps falling over. Need to do some work on that. I tried the eye patch, but it limits my vision and tickled, so I think I'll discard it.
Lovely younger son lent me a sword. Not one of the real ones. So off I go to toddlers tomorrow. Hat, parrots, baggy shirt, belt and sword, stripy trousers and boots, and it's yo ho ho and a bottle of organic apple juice.
For those who don't know what this is about, put Red Nose Day or Comic Relief into a search engine. It was started some years ago by a lot of comedians who wanted to raise money for famine relief, and is now a big national thing, led by lots of famous people giving their time and talents free, but involving anyone who's willing to 'do something funny for money', and all those who sponsor, give, whatever. Health projects, education, clean water, feeding the hungry - all good stuff.
I called at the toyshop and asked if they sold hats for pirates. They did, and what's more it comes complete with eye patch and - er - a parrot. A pirate with a parrot is one thing, but a pirate with a parrot and a parrot is new to me, in fact its a parody of piracy. However, it's a small parrot on the hat and a big colourful parrot on my shoulder, so they don't know about each other. The parrot on my shoulder is safety-pinned to my shirt and keeps falling over. Need to do some work on that. I tried the eye patch, but it limits my vision and tickled, so I think I'll discard it.
Lovely younger son lent me a sword. Not one of the real ones. So off I go to toddlers tomorrow. Hat, parrots, baggy shirt, belt and sword, stripy trousers and boots, and it's yo ho ho and a bottle of organic apple juice.
For those who don't know what this is about, put Red Nose Day or Comic Relief into a search engine. It was started some years ago by a lot of comedians who wanted to raise money for famine relief, and is now a big national thing, led by lots of famous people giving their time and talents free, but involving anyone who's willing to 'do something funny for money', and all those who sponsor, give, whatever. Health projects, education, clean water, feeding the hungry - all good stuff.
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