Friends and neighbours

 Dear Marmite

I have been in my new house almost a month and a half and I am coming to realise what lovely neighbours I have. There are G&T sessions on The Green; a village pub that knew aready who I was when I popped in; and the latest addition to grace the neighbourhood are the nesting pigeons in my tree just in front of my balcony. I have to say I would have preferred a slightly more exclusive sort of bird - particularly considering the tone of the neighbourhood. I think of pigeons as rats with feathers and as you well know, rats are not my fave rave sort of animal to put it mildly.

Because of my regular jaunts to the local pool, I am getting to know some of the swimmers who I often get to see. In fact there has been a few times I have come away thinking how much I had exercised my jaw as opposed to the rest of my body. The clientele are mostly lovely people and I feel quite a camarardarie although there are exceptions. The problem is that with limited lane space there is no escape from the  plonkers who are the exceptions.

These plonkers are almost always male and mid thrities to mid fifties. Yesterday morning Mr Oddball - a prize plonker - turned up for his swim. He is not a popular chap at all. He swims reasonably fast but with an awkward style that takes up far too much width room. Mr Whizz in the lane next to mine complained about him being obnoxious and hogging too much space yesterday so Mr Oddball got moved to my lane by the lifeguard. Once he was in my lane, he swam straight into me - Twat!

After the swim, Mr Whizz and another very nice lady whose name I don't know shared their dismay of such swimmers. I personally think the management should give this type of person a pink swim cap so that when you get to decide which lane you swim in you can spot the potential dickheads much more easily. This idea has traction, I reckon.

Today, Mr Oddball was back again. He stopped me from swimming to apologise for swimming into me yesterday. Then he told me it was the other lady's fault for being in the same lane. What sort of apology is that, I ask you? 

After he got out another gentleman got into the lane and the different, other lady said to me, we've got a guest. Mr Whizz then said he hoped he wasn't a "pink cap". He wasn't. He was lovely. We even had quite a chat in the showers afterwards. Nice people make my day. 

I imagine that should the management take up my idea of offering pink swim caps to the obnoxious few, the outlay would be minimal. I expect Amazon could offer a good discount on a bulk order. So for very little money spent and minimal effort, the swimming pool could become a truly wonderful place to be all the time.

The world really is mostly nice. There are other lovely places to be besides home and the swimming pool. The Community Orchard is a wonderful place to gather too. People use the area to sit and soak up nature. When I popped in to do my watering duty - yes, I am watering despite the weather - a couple were sitting on one of the benches. They told me how they appreciated all the work people put in to make it the place it is. That was so lovely to hear when so mny people only say something what they want to complain. 

Yes Marms, my world truly is a wonderful place. I know yours is as well. 

Keep smiling.

I love you

XXX

A Simba Moment

 Dear Marmite

I am sorry you missed a gathering of the clans this weekend. You would have loved having Shadow and Lucky to mooch around with. Sammi came down from Scotland with Lucky for Ezra-Mae's Christening. Danielle was so excited she came to my place to meet him. Our little walk round the village brought about a Simba moment.

On his train journey from Scotland he sat in the company of football fans who, from his account, entertained him with the banter. I am sure despite only drawing at Wembley, they were probably in high spirits on their return trip too. My son has jumped ship - he is now a Scotland supporter and come independence he intends to become a Scot. For now, he is pretty good with the accent. He'll need a kilt and a few more accroutrements to go the whole hog though.

Sam stayed with me - my first overnight guest - so the guest bedroom will now be known as the Sammi suite. He is popping down again with his nephews in a few weeks time so we will be off on an explore around the environs. I hope to get to Box End with the boys - an open water swimming place. By all accounts it is a great place to go.  I fancy the idea of building up to cracking ice come next winter so testing the waters in a British summer with my son and grandsons could be a good start.

For Sammi, it was the first time he had met his little niece and within moments of giving her a cuddle he again held her aloft just like Simba. He is tall so she had a long way to look down. He even sang and played his Ukulele in church - real God father stuff. The Christening was wonderful in so many ways - a great Vicar, a lovely atmosphere - we even sang a couple of hymns in the church yard despite the damp (COVID rules), plus the gathering of the two families and a fairly exclusive gathering back at Danielle's place afterwards. 

Sammi left his stuff in my car over the Christening as his plans were to go off with his Dad afterwards. His true Woolhead colours shone through when he completely forgot that I was driving off with his bits still in my boot so he had to do a detour to pick them up. Typical! I just wonder if he could manage to get a party started in a brewery. 

Now it is just another day. The weather is grim for June - even by English standards. I have been watching a pigeon over this morning in the tree just in front of my balcony. It has been buffered and blasted, yet, has still managed to cling on. The ground below is a carpet of blossom. My tree is no longer pink. The only plus is that everything is so lush. 

I have been thinking that I was so right not going for the place that had been previously flooded. I sometimes do make good decisions after all.

Having you was one of the best decisions..

Still love you and miss you.

Reunited

 Dear Marmite

I have come to realise that we may never get to see each other again - especially as the time of COVID such things as travel are near impossible. However, for me, a shortish trip this week to Cambridge reunited old friends from Singapore. Ironically we did it on the hottest day of the year. Margy who used to sit in the same row as me at work is settling to a new life close to where she was brought up. It is just a short hop away from my place. What are the chances? Suffice to say, I am still smiling about the whole thing. It was more lovely than words can say. 

I have also had my new washing machine delivered and plumbed in this week. I have been without one for about a month so I have ocassionally had to pop round to use my beautiful laundrette- AKA my beautiful daughter's washing machine. Now my super duper, ultra efficient, almost silent machine has been used almost constantly since it was installed on Tuesday. 

When the men turned up with the washing machine and I saw it being lowered off the back of the truck I was so excited. I seem to remember standing on the step flapping my arms up and down in joy. I might have even jumped up and down a little too. It was like a Christmas and Birthday all rolled into one. COVID makes small things seem so much more special, don't you think?

After the fiasco with the chair being delivered to the wrong house, I imagined my machine being plumbed in to some random person's utility room and I'd have to knock on some doors to track it down. In the end it was almost better than I could have hoped for. Oh Happy Days!!!

On the home front, I get a little bit done each day and slowly the house is coming round to be a home. There are a few things that I desperately want to change but they will have to wait. I have compromised on the curtains but at least my living room doesn't sound quite so echoey now they are up. My next big moment will come when the sofa arrives.  Another thing I am sure I will get really excited about - a comfy place to plonk myself.

Meanwhile, there will be a bit of a family gathering this weekend for Ezra-Mae's Christening on Sunday. Up until today the weather has been glorious. Come the weekend we are expecting thunderstorms. This is not an ideal forecast for a cramped celebration... Now where is my umbrella? More importantly, will the weather stay clement for a quick hit with my son? Fingers and paws crossed, Marms.

Wish you could be here,

Love

XXX

Summer ups and downs

 Dear Marmite

We are in the hazy days of summer and life is good - mostly. Britain is on the brink of opening up and everyone has June 21st as the day when life will be as it once was. There is a small problem though - the Delta AKA Indian variant of the virus is spreading through the world like a summer wildfire and there are more than just whispers about a third wave and a fourth lockdown. Added to this, it is hard to know which countries are designated by the governement as RED, AMBER or GREEN and what these terms actually mean for travellers.

Meanwhile, in my little world, life can't get much better. I sat out deep into the evening smoking sheesha after a BBQ big enough to feed an army last Sunday. You couldn't find food better anywhere in the world. New Bradwell, MK is the venue. I can only look on in awe at how to BBQ properly. life doesn't get much better. 

I also went for my first group bike ride around the Red Ways of MK with three other complete strangers. I found a few new paths and bumped along a sizeable stretch of the Grand Union Canal. Again, the weather was perfect. Clearly, everyone agrees with me on this point. People were out in their droves, dogs in tow. 

On another jaunt on my bike, I ended up chatting to one of the narrow boat owners on the canal. Apparently, the popularity of owning a boat has gone through the roof and prices for boats have doubled. This particular man lives on his boat full time and teaches at a local college. It sounds idyllic in the summer months.

The downside of this wonderful world is hayfever. I am suffering big time - runny eyes, runny noses, tickly throat. I have realised that a purple climbing plant that is very much like Wisteria just by my front door is a major culprit. It is far too beautiful to cut down and it attracts wildlife. I select my key for the front door at the gate so I don't hang around the plant for any longer than I need to. 

The other big culprit is cow parsley. Living in the countryside there is no escape. Last night on my bike ride there were moments when I was half-blinded by the sinking sun and my eyes were watering so much, I could hardly see the tow path in front of my wheel - dodgy to say the least. This was especially so as I needed to keep wiping my nose while cycling.

On the home front, my washing machine is being delivered and plumbed in next week. Yay. I will have been without one for a whole month. This has been tough, to say the least. When it finally comes it will be well-tested and used for the first few days. My dining table arrives this week. This will be the first time I have had a table since I have been back home. I am also getting a partial refund on the butterfly chair that was delivered to the wrong address. So, as you can see, Marms, I am slowly getting sorted. 

I will be quietly celebrating your 14 and a 1/2 year birthday tomorrow. Like babies and old people, we start to measure age in smaller parts. Ezra-Mae is over 20 weeks now - heading for 6 months. We will still keeping noting the weeks and months until she turns 2 years old. These little milestones are very important. You, Marms, are an amazing dog. I know you are slowing down but you still look good and I know you are cared for like royalty.

Loving you as always,

XXX