Don’t Talk – Do

For the past two summers I’ve been saying, “I’m going to clean the garden up and have the neighbors over.”

A new set of neighbors moved in a few months ago and we were chatting over the fence after introductions and I said, “well…one of these days I’m going to clean up the garden and I’ll invite you over.” I knew when I said it that it could be another three years before I actually did such a thing.

This week, when the weather forecast was extremely promising, I decided that I must act, even if my garden is full of weeds and my garden furniture is chipped and stained and unpainted — and even if my planters aren’t planted and I don’t have a proper grill for outdoor cooking. So what. I will mow the lawn, pull some weeds, sweep the patio, set up our two unsteady and unpainted tables, throw a table cloth on them and order pizzas. And that is what I did.

And guess what? It was perfect.

Thursday Rambling (on and on)

Pickles did not sleep well last night. Our bedroom is hot and she wears a permanent fur coat. She woke me up at 4:30 AM to suggest that we go downstairs where it’s cooler and where she can lay on a tile floor. And how do I know this? Well, it’s because she pawed at the bedcovers until they came off me. Then I followed her downstairs and she commenced to flop down on the tile floor as if to say, “Oh thank you. Now… isn’t this better?” (Pickles also doesn’t like to sleep alone and NEVER in a separate room.)

I was a little peeved with her this morning but then I worked at the gallery and sales were promising, so my mood lifted. You might be happy to know that Pickles is resting comfortably at the moment.

I am enjoying our summer weather and have been outside rearranging the patio pots. That’s sort of my idea of “working in the garden.”

 

 

Investors Sue Facebook Over IPO

“It appears as though material information was not disclosed,” said Robert Weiser, one of the plaintiff lawyers in the class action suit. “We believe that the offering was conducted unfairly and it harmed public stockholders.”

No, really?  Who could imagine such a thing?

And Finally

The sun is OUT.

Words with Friends – My Enemy

This man has found a new passion and it isn’t gardening. It’s an iphone/ipad game called Words Free — or Words with Friends. I’m actually not sure which is correct but for simplicity sake, I’ll refer to it as WWF. It’s a scrabble game of sorts and he’s got two new partners: my sister and our friend Tess. He has several games going at once with each of them and every time I walk into a room he’s holding the ipad with a furrowed brow and his fingers are moving little tiles across the screen in rapid motion. Sometimes I hear hearty laughter and sometimes a little “uh oh” is muttered. He hasn’t made eye contact with me since he discovered this online gem.

However, I am kept abreast of all developments: when AP has utilized both a triple letter and triple word score; when he is especially clever at making two words in one turn; when he’s learned a new and unusual word; when Tess beats the pants off him; when he beats her; when my sister has insomnia and is playing this game with him at 3:00 in the morning. Indeed, I’ve woken up myself at 3 AM and found him playing WWF in the middle of the night!

On Saturday I woke up to a grey sky but NO RAIN. I suggested that we tidy up the garden by pulling a few weeds and mowing the lawn. So we both skirted the edges of the garden, pulling all kinds of weeds and removing snails from our flowers and very soon AP tapped his watch and reminded me that he had to collect the tall boy for his weekend stay. So I finished weeding and then mowed the lawn myself. I tidied up the patio and put all equipment away in the storage shed.

When I came into the house AP looked up from his ipad — Oh dear. He forgot to collect his son and had just laid down a 63 point double word and double letter.

I pointed my secateurs at him and said, “You’re in big trouble, mister. I’m blogging about this one and it isn’t going to be pretty.”

He was warned.

Casual Friday

I worked in the gallery today. Pickles came along as my assistant.

She was a big hit with everyone who walked by the open door. She even got off her chair and personally greeted every visitor. One guest told me that she dog sits for a cavalier who brings a pink overnight bag whenever she stays at her house. While this woman brushed her hand over her hair and said that the pink overnight bag was a bit MUCH, I was thinking, “OH!! A pink overnight bag. Must get one for her overnight stays with Diana.”

The weather report here continues to be awful. For those of you who have had the pleasure of sunshine and light, enjoy every moment. I am still wearing my winter coat. While on my afternoon walk I kicked at the ground with my boots and cursed the English spring.

I always remember what a lovely gentleman said to me in the post office one day: While discussing the cold, wet weather and lack of sun he said to me, “the sun’s still up there, my dear. It’s behind the clouds but remember that it’s still up there.”

It’s a nice way to think about it.

A Royal Wedding

We made this video last year on the day of THE royal wedding. We submitted it to Channel 4 in a video competition for that day but we didn’t even get an honorable mention. I especially like the fly-over, which happened during the filming.

I think it’s time that we get started on the Queen’s Jubilee.

It’s Wednesday

Three days with company and some unsettling news about the health of a friend has rattled me. I am worried and exhausted so let’s just say goodbye to Wednesday and hello to Thursday.

Exhibit 1

The student art exhibition is taking place until May 26. I volunteered to work in the gallery for two shifts and today was my first go at stewardship. Visitors to the gallery were very few and so I became bored and restless within about 20 minutes. After surveying all of the student work, I sat down and crossed and uncrossed my legs a few dozen times. I picked up my book and then put it down. I riffled through the desk drawer…looked for teabags in the back room…got a drink of water…ate a banana…picked up the book again and put it down…made a grocery list and then stopped…heaved a heavy sigh and texted AP to tell him that I was bored.

It was Blaise Pascal who said,“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Casual Friday

I just got my renewed American passport in the mail today.

Good Lord. Every page of the passport book has patriotic or Americana prints and quotes and a giant eagle overlooks my lousy passport photo, along with a large American flag. This brings to mind a satirical webpage that I recently came across: “Americans for a more American America”.

I just looked at AP’s British passport and he’s just got lovely photos of little birds that are native to the British Isles. How civilized.


No rain today!

Pickles and I are off for a long walk and then to have tea with our fabulous friend and neighbor, Diana.


Happy Friday.