Watervole 2012
it goes on....
January 26
We went to see a house in Malmesburg and completely loved it and want to live in it. But of course we can't buy it until we sell this house. So we've approached 3 estate agents and are now setting about putting it on the market, - though it's unlikely we'll be able to do it in time to buy. So maybe nothing will happen, probably nothing will happen and we'll still be here in a year's time or more.
We are three chickens fewer. We gave lovely grey chicken to our neighbour on Monday. She flew over the electric fence on Tuesday and landed on bedroom window ledge of another neighbour's house. (was soon rescued) Hope she'll settle soon. Meanwhile I have cockerel and pale brown chicken in a dog cage in my car about to go to Tom's to be reunited with their other relations. I think cockerely may be destined for Sunday lunch somewhere but I'm not asking.
We had three eggs today from the remaining three chickens, however one was dropped from the perch and smashed and was later eaten by a bird after I threw it on the compost heap......could be v bad news.
I see Obama did the same rant as me, in his state of the nation address, but better expressed. I listened to a conservative talkshow on the internet last night, had to turn it off, couldn't stand the distilled hatred of all things Obama. Don't understand how things could be so polarised in US, I mean I don't like our PM but I don't hate him.
January 24th
I think the chickens are laying away.
Last Monday we had five eggs from our five chickens. 2 were in their proper box, two in a flower pot they use a lot and one in the spare run.
The next day there were two, in the flower pot,
The next day one in the pot
Now for two days we have had no eggs at all. As I write they are 200 yards away in our neighbours field.
This morning I kept them in until 11.30, they are supposed to lay at around 11. Still no eggs.
How could they do this to me.
January 23rd
Listen, Ben has pointed out that I might have been misunderstood and I am mortified if this is the case. I was trying to have a rant, in isolation, insensed by the Philip Greens and Fred Godwins and others of that ilk, if it had occurred to me that it could possibly, remotely, been thought to be targetted at anyone close to us then of course I wouldn't have ranted in that way. I do not do personal stuff here. All the people I know are good, kind, generous and fair people, not the expoiters I was trying to complain about.
I don't think anyone reads this blog thing anyway Jim, thank you for reading, the software I'm using is Expression Web , the more recent blog thing was/is on Google.
January 22nd
Yesterday H&T spent the afternoon with us while their parents were at a rugby match. Was good to see them. Today we went to Bristol for lunch. The house is coming on amazingly. This afternoon our neighbours have put up an electrified chicken run just over our fence. They will put their chickens in it tomorrow. Meanwhile our six chickens were roaming a hundred yards away in their field. So I've decided to reduce or eliminate our chickens. Any suggestions? Life is vey sad.
January 20th
To clarify... I resent the bankers, of course, and the head of Unilever who earned £169,000,000 selling us products like Cillit Bang and Philip Green whose wife we knew and who now lives in Monaco so he doesn't have to pay taxes on the multu multi million he earns of the backs of the ordinary people of great britain.. and vodafone similarly etc etc.
January 19th
Another calm, domestic day. Nothing to report. I could tell you we had 5 eggs the day before yesterday and 4 yesterday. Today only 2, but I won't because it's too boring.
On the way home from bridge listened to Will Self and a business person woman debating the morality of very high pay, I wanted to shout at them (well her) OF COURSE it's immoral, unethical, greedy and selfish to pay yourself £x million when the people who work for you earn £20K maximum. Forget incentives, the urgency of encouraging those who "grow the economy", it's just plain wrong just as slavery was wrong, and it took them a few centuries to figure that one out. I read an article by Nigel Lawson in the Times which said, basically, and patronisingly, that people were more unhappy about their neighbours being better off than them that the extremely rich people who they didn't know. Rubbish Nigel Lawson, like the rest of your family and most conservative politicians you are so over priviledged that you have absolutely no understanding of the masses of the people who share your country. I don't mind my neighbour being richer, but i do mind that someone who has the ability to swing things so that he has grotesquely excessive wealth, does it implicity exploiting those who are unable (or unwilling) to do anything as gross.
January 14th
I arranged flowers, baked a cake and made a casserole, as well as collecting eggs. (only 2 today) How domestic.
January 13th
Happy Birthday Barbara, I posted a card, unusued, for you to use as you wish, and your trousers. D completed tax return
January 11th
Uploaded new software to create website. Now have to learn it. Also we are trying to do our tax returns. Nightmare.
January 10th
End of dithering. Back to traditional self recording on website. Google Blog looked great but only on some computers and I didn't know how to change it. Facebook could say it all but I am always reluctant to engage with anyone, Facebook or Apple, who takes over your life. Never could resolve the public/private dilemma either, still can't really but am going to say what I want here, knowing it will only likely only be read by people who know about it.
Happy New Year. I'm going to go fake retrospective here to capture the last 15 days which were, for the most part, very good and with some good parallels with the 1982 diary which I'm reproducing for the interest of those involved.
January 3rd-9th
De-Christmassing, fridge and larder still full of goodies .
Big News includes Beatrice and Amir plan to get married on Dec 1st (D's 70th birthday) in Marlow. Very pleased for them. Good to have things to look forward to.
Booked D's Christmas present, a trip to Rome 24-17th Feb. Dave Witt brought over a guide book and told us what to do and where. Dudley wants Roman remains, I want to see renaissance art. It can accommodate us both.
January 2nd
Sharon has secumbed. They had to cancel their next engagement and Clive took her home. Sorry Sharon
January 1st 2012
We went to Westonbirt in the rain. Played scrabble, watched tv. Barbara left
31st December
A quiet New Year's Eve, We warned off Noel & Barbara who had been coming to join us. Barbara decided she would take her chances and come anyway.
I felt ill until Dudley gave me 2 magic pills which the hospital had given him for his knee. They took away all my aches and pains, made me feel warm and relaxed and I felt fine. Can now understand drug addiction, want more please, do I have to be ill to have some?
30th December
Found out that HEG&D had had a nightmare flight, all of them throwing up continuously. Ben in Paris was similarly afflicted as was Effie, in London on her way to Israel. OMG. Sarah in Malmesbury was also ill and Piers secumbed too.
We looked it up and decided we had all shared Toby's virus, possibly Norro virus, winter sickness, there is a lot of it about and our two main hospitals have wards closed because of it. It only lasts 24 hours but it is very catchable, hangs around for 5 days and is catchable if you are in the room where someone is sick or touch door handles they've touched.
29th December
Sadly HEG&D left. I drove them to the airport, we stopped at Reading Service station to delay the moment of parting and all unaccountably felt grumpy and unwell, not enjoying the magnificent service station food. (Mind you, at the last moment H saw a M&S salad and said "this makes me think I could live in England" which bought a small morsel of joy to my mother's heart.)
As I drove back I felt heavy and achey, was glad of cruise control on D's car as it was a strain to keep my foot on the accelerator.
Sharon and Clive arrived, once again they magnificently filled in the gaps caused absent family and reminded us what friends are for. Didn't feel like eating and then spent the evening and the night throwing up all the excess food consumed during the previous 6 days.
28th December
Noa left at 5.45, MS&E caught a train27th December to London at 10am. We miss them, they were unremittingly good fun and great guests. D&S especially bonded over similar views on life, breakfasts and the royal family.
(ps afternote, 2 weeks later we still have evidence of their generosity surrounding us, apart from my lovely roman pendant, we have turkish delights, israeli dates, various bottles as well as many memories to remind us of them)
Hannah and Gabe and Erez and I went in pilgrimage to Cribbs Causeway. We bought each other cashmere goodies in the M&S Sale.
27th December
To Oxford today. The Turf was too crowded and we ended up having lunch in the High St after walking around Christchurch, the Meadows, the Sheldonian, Radcliffe Camera etc. Spent some time in Blackwells too.
Acting as tour guide I was struck by the lameness of my knowledge. Mostly I wanted to point out places famed for their inclusion in Morse or Lewis. How dreadful, Oxford has been there for a thousand years before that with huge history and associations, even my own memories of the place pre-date the tv shows.
In the evening we went to Rattlebone for a pub supper and an explanation of the politics of change. If only we could, change politics I mean.
Ben & Agnes stayed the night and left early for Paris
Boxing Day
The house parties went to the Boxing Day Meet and were thrilled not only to see the Duke with his hounds and hunters, but to hear the master of the hunt address him as "Your Grace". We looked at the magnificent surroundings of the Badminton estate and Noa asked, he has all this only because he inherited it? er... yes, we had to reply.
Afterwards we all went to Bristol, SMEN to explore the city, D&me to have magnificent lunch with B&A in the house which now looks wonderful.
Cara and Jake went to Birmingham, thence to meditation.
December 25th
Here's the Jigsaw which was supposed to represent who was in the house for Christmas Day 2011.
But it was wrong. Agnes's mother and brother were unable to come at the last moment, and Noa joined her parents and Effie on the 23rd. It was the biggest and best Christmas ever, and exhausting. 18 of us sat round out Roast Turkey ,which weighed more than Daniel did. Noa was the recorder and her album, marmite, crumpets and wellies is on Facebook.
Here are her pictures showing us sharing the traditional family hat which was especially designed so that no one could expect to look good wearing it.
December 24th
A great gathering of the people we love best. Only slightly marred by Toby throwing up dramatically all over the leather pouffe. Some fled the room, other cleaned it all up. Except for Toby's misery we all forgot about it.