MissM makes Blueberry Cake

MissM

So...what do I do next
sort of spread it on the top?
Smoosh it around?
Like this?

Don't look at me like that...
I know you want to do it.
This is causing you pain, isn't it?
You are such a control freak...
if you wanted to smoosh the icing
you should have made your own cake.

Where do I put the blueberries?
"scatter them casually"..
What are you talking about?
You are just being weird now.

rose pink

in need of distraction

I file my holiday photos

and discover these images of flowers

which I took for you

a welcome opportunity

to revisit tranquil places

Château de Chambord

The New Sofa

Marriage a la Mode : The Toilette
William Hogarth

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1.
No sitting, lying or standing on the arms.

2.
Ice lolly sticks, olive stones and grape pips
must not be hidden down the sides.

3.
Wine glasses should not be balanced
on books on the arms.

4.
Darning needles and dressmaking pins
must not be 'stored' on the arms.

5.
Pizzas, Chinese and Indian takeaways
chocolate biscuits and peanut butter on toast
must not be eaten.

6.
Ribena, Coca-Cola, Irn Bru, Pimms
and other highly coloured beverages
must not be drunk.

7.
No wrestling.

8.
No jumping.

9.
Wellington Boots must be removed.

10.
MrsM gets first choice of where to sit.

Visions of Love

My mother-in-law, Audrey,
was born into a clerical family.
She grew up in a large country vicarage
but by the time she was 19 they had moved
to the precincts of Lincoln Cathedral.

Audrey has told me that she was walking
through the Cathedral precincts one day
when she turned to her mother and pointed
to a young man walking towards them
"I don't know who that man is
but that is the man
that I am going to marry."
That young man was Thomas.

Thomas and Audrey married in Lincoln Cathedral
when Audrey was only slightly older than MissM
and celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary last year.
Yesterday we celebrated Thomas' 80th Birthday.

Happy Birthday, Thomas.
We send you our love
on this the feast day of
St. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney,
patron saint of parish priests.

Happy Birthday, Kathe!

Today I am thinking of my lovely friend, Kathe.

It is two years since I first wrote to her
and I am so very glad that I did.

It is her special birthday
and all her family will be with her.
for a joyous celebration
with cake and champagne
and gratitude for life.

I send you my love
sweet Kathe K
in your beautiful house
on the edge of Chesapeake Bay.

night flight

There is an unending stream of sunburned people walking through the Arrivals Lounge: maxi dresses, accent colours, gladiator sandals, little girls with hot pink suitcases and little boys with gruffalo suitcases. You might think that I would be blasé after so many trips to the airport but I still see the people who wait and watch for the people they are waiting for.

Here is a mother greeting her son with hugs and kisses and then finally turning to his girlfriend who is standing uncomfortably with her suitcase to shake her hand. This saddens me but then I see a young mother and her daughter wait patiently and finally greet a woman who is clearly the grandmother. The grandmother stops and gives her full attention to the little girl and I understand why she had waited so patiently, so late at night, with her little cuddly dog beside her. Here, right next to me, is a tall young man. He waits anxiously. Eventually, a beautiful girl walks through the doors and sees him immediately. They are right next to me and it is impossible not to overhear her say "I am so tired" and he replies "But you still look gorgeous".

And then none of this matters because here are MissM and the Sassy MissS with their rucksacks and flipflops, safely home after their great adventure. There are bags to unpack and stories to tell but those can wait for tomorrow. It is time to go home.

A Perfect Summer Day

At midday I reflect that in another life
I would have been sitting in the garden
and not in my office with the blinds drawn
surrounded by spreadsheets and invoices
and at that moment working full time
does not seem such a good idea.

At the end of the day
I stop by the office of the Admissions Tutor
and we talk of this and that and he says
"The great thing about this Department is that
you can always have a laugh about something"
and I know that despite all I have given up
I have got more than enough in return.

Recycling

MrsM likes to encourage responsibility,
she believes it enables personal development
resulting in greater self confidence.

MrM is in charge of sorting the recycling.
There is a blue box for glass and tins,
a black box for plastics and cardboard.

Every week MrM asks:
"What goes in the blue box?
What goes in the black box?"

Every week MrsM replies
slowly and carefully
"The clinky-clanky stuff
goes in the blue box and
the squishy-squashy stuf
goes in the black box."

MrsM remains optimistic
that MrM will learn.
Eventually.

Out in the Dark

On another night, in another château,
we crept out after dinner
to follow the sounds of distant music.
The village was en fête
and we stood in the dark
at the edge of the marquee
watching the dancing.
After a while we danced too
we did not know the steps but it didn't matter
we whirled and laughed until the music ended
and then we stepped back into the darkness.

*****

There is more...
when we returned to the château
we found all the doors were bolted
and the shutters to the windows locked
We walked around the great house,
wondering what on earth to do.

Then MrM pointed to a window on the upper floor
and said in a low voice
"there is someone watching us"
and MrsM looked up and saw to her horror
that there was a ghostly white figure
peering through the window.

And when a small side door was finally opened
by guests who were going out for a stroll
MrM and MrsM scuttled in
and hid in their room.

Christmas in July

MasterM
We are having a party tomorrow
"Christmas in July"

MrM
I don't want to be picky
but it is August tomorrow.

MasterM
Whatever.
All my best friends are coming
and we are having stockings
and a tree...

MrsM
Don't take a tree from somewhere obvious.

MasterM
Don't worry
we are taking a truck to a forest
and cutting down a tree with a saw.

MrsM
What are you going to wear?

MasterM
Obviously, we are all going to wear
our Santa outfits.

MrsM
It sounds really fun.
Have you got some tinsel for the tree?

MasterM
I am not sure about tinsel
but we are thinking about
borrowing a reindeer.
There is a reindeer farm quite nearby...