wednesday evening

It is after supper. MrM is speaking to his father on the phone next door and watching the cricket with half an eye. MissM has just returned from watching 'The King's Speech' with her friend, the Talented MissI, and is sitting on the other side of the table texting the Charming MasterN. She has a new, glamorous hairstyle and turquoise nail polish. I admire the vase of amber roses on the sideboard, try to compose a suitable reply to a very funny message from MasterM in his new house in Stellenbosch and hope nobody will notice that I have played the same track on repeat. I know that in a minute I must get up and wash up the wine glasses and I wonder how to capture the peace of this very ordinary, precious moment.

In the end I decide that it needs no icing.

*****

Edited on Thursday after reading her post:

This post is for Ali,
who loves orange,
a friend and continuing inspiration to me
and everyone who tries to balance
family life with personal creative expression.

Resolution [1]

The Little Owl
Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528)

going to bed earlier

when you get to a certain age
you have to make a choice
between an extra hour in the day
or black rings around your eyes

I have reached that age

which is a nuisance
because I needed that extra hour

First Day of Term

MrsM slept soundly
and woke feeling rested
which was just as well...

La grasse matinée

because she had completely forgotten
what the first day of term feels like:

invoicesexpenseandpayclaims;
examquestionsassessedwork
employmentcontractsattendanceissues;
insuranceagreementsworkshopadvertising...

and...the Spain Field Trip...

MrsM has been distracted
but she needs to plan her wardrobe urgently
because she departs on Sunday.

At the Races

This little number will be perfect for field work:

note the responsible use of sun hat
and day sack for first aid kit.

La Madeleine

This outfit will blend in nicely
for the in-depth study of cafe culture.

Julia

There may be an occasional evening expedition
and MrsM want to be prepared
and observe the local dress code.

After the Ball

Finally, MrsM plans to travel in this.
She is required to be on campus
at 3.15am on Sunday morning
and she wants to look stylish
when she collapses with exhaustion
on Sunday afternoon.

*****

All paintings by Ramon Casas i Carbó (1866 - 1932),
Catalan artist and contributor to Modernisme movement.

Shopping with MissM

MissM
Why are we in Milletts?

MrsM
I need a fleece top.

MissM
You can't be serious.

MrsM
Sorry...
I am going on the field trip to Spain
and I need sensible and practical clothing.

MissM
Don't stand so close
to that pink fleece with a zip.
You might be contaminated.

MrsM
Look...on the sale rail...
there is a special pair of trousers
with pockets on the legs.
How lucky is that?

MissM
You
are
betraying
the
sisterhood.

Excess Baggage

MasterM
This tshirt really annoys me...
the design is boring
and it is too small.
Here you are, midget,
you can have it.

MissM
I don't know what to say...
that is quite a gesture.

After a frantic day of packing
MasterM flew back to Stellenbosch last night
with his extensive collection of tshirts
and 60 kg of assorted luggage.

The house seems very quiet without him.
We will get used to it again.
Eventually.

Creativity

The Tea Party
Nicolaes Verkolje (1673-1746)

MasterM
I'm thinking of specialising in tea next term.

MrsM
Really?
Do you know anything about tea?

MasterM
No...
but I think it could be quite useful.

MissM
Why?

MasterM
I could say
"Would you like to come back
to my place
for some tea and scones."

MrsM
I can see that has possibilities.

MasterM
And then I can do some fortune telling.

MrsM
Fortune telling!!

How would that work?

MasterM
I would look at the tea leaves and say
"I see a tall, handsome man
from far away
in your future."

MissM
Right.

Just don't use tea bags.

The Feast of the Epiphany

Before the service...

MasterM
Hello Grandpa!
Thomas
Hello!
Good to see you!
MasterM
I'm looking forward to your sermon!

After the service...

Thomas
And did my sermon pass the test?
MasterM
Oh yes!
I particularly enjoyed the bit
where you said that
we must learn to receive gifts.
I'm up for that.

Opening Gambit

Budge up, everyone, Scot wants in
and his first question is:
what do we think of Doc Marten?

As it happens, I do have strong opinions
about this iconic brand:

you can wear 8 hole DMs with suits
if you do a lot of walking on cobbled streets

but not 14 holes in white
unless you work in a fishmongers;

you could wear floral
if you are a primary school teacher
but not, I think, if you are Headmistress;

patent lilac is only suitable
for ditsy receptionists

and I think that a Union Jack pair
is quite a statement
but you can probably get away with it
if you are a policeman

or an eccentric old lady
who lives on the cliffs and keeps chickens.

OK, Scot?

*****

Many, many apologies
if you are waiting for an email from me
You are not alone.
I am trying to squeeze in
as much time as possible with MasterM
(and MasterM's laundry)
before he flies south.

I would like to thank my good friend, Bobby,
who knows about Kente cloth
and left a fascinating comment
on my post yesterday.

small strips of cloth

When we were in Cornwall
we stayed in a newly converted barn.
It was in a beautiful, secluded location
and absolutely silent at night.

The walls were covered with
a stunning collection of African cloth
that I thought you might enjoy.

I don't know anything about this cloth
but you can see that it is made up
of small strips sewn together
and the geometric designs are quite distinctive.

When I searched for similar designs on Google
the closest that I could find
were Kente cloth from the Asante people
of Ghana and the Ivory Coast.

Kente cloth has great spiritual significance
and every aspect of the cloth
has meaning for the Asante people
which might explain why it has been collected.

If anyone recognises this cloth
I would be really grateful
if you could leave a comment
so that I can learn more about it.

Cosmopolitan

MrM and MrsM have finally accepted
that MasterM and MissM
have better offers on New Year's Eve
than a night at home with their parents.

MrM made the inspired suggestion that
a family celebration on 30 December
to mark the start of the Samoan New Year
would be an acceptable compromise
and MasterM and MissM graciously agreed.

And thus our New Year's Eve celebrations
stretched over the International Date Line
and finished when MissM watched the fireworks
with the Charming MasterN on the Embankment
while MasterM recreated Hanoi's hit parade
at a Vietnamese karaoke bar.

2011, I'm liking you already.