Today was Friday,
“At last! ” My beautiful daughter said.
Since the funeral on Monday our week has been messed up as it is when there’s a bank holiday or some such. We had been looking for Friday since Wednesday and today here it was! It was also the first of July which meant a holiday weekend in America. Not here but we can pretend!
I don’t really know what I did today but I completely missed the rubbish collection, and it is a noisy affair in the flats with the huge lorry backing up the narrow driveway to the bins. I suggested to Malia that I had been out but knew I hadn’t .
The gardeners came which made my coveted Friday seem like Thursday so I was thrown again. We have a Garden Party tomorrow, an all day event so they were making the grounds look fresh and clean, which they always do…to my eyes at least. The cost for the Garden Party was such that I have announced to the remnants of my family to eat nothing from our kitchen all day tomorrow! We are having barbecue! English barbecue which means? Sausage and pork chops probably, corn on the cob and baked potatoes…oh and don’t forget the baked beans. We’ll find out!
Hubs and I did yoga while the gardeners were dead heading roses and trimming bushes. We drew the curtains in the lounge not wanting to be overlooked as we down dogged and cobra’d. A suspicious gesture at any time of the day!
Then I spent a whole hour on the phone with British Gas who are also British Electric and HomeCare, a service agreement my Mum used to have on all her appliances that had the potential to go wrong. There is a whole department that deals with probate and I spoke to a wonderful lady who all at once closed everything down and set everything up again so that I could take over the bills, now managed under my mother’s estate with me as executor. Until this visit I always imagined the British to lack in customer service, but I have to say everyone I’ve spoken to recently, and my daughter agrees with me, has been a total delight, eager to please and happy to serve. Perhaps my mention of a death in the family softens hearts and releases stiff upper lips.
I cleaned the bathroom, dusted my bedroom and took a shower my usual lead up to the radio show I host each week.
Then an hour flew by as I was me on The Sociable Homeschooler with fabulous world traveller guest, Lisa Shusterman.
Then handsome hubby and I went shopping with our wheelie basket and two bags and bought a lot, or so it seemed, but it all fit into the rolling contraption and we made it home with only a couple of near spills.
I said it was Friday, right? And Friday night is pub night so we went to The Jolly Woodman and because the evening was sunny and fair it was crowded with people inside and out. After a couple of pints we made our way to the chippy, a fish and chip shop, and ordered cod and chips and rock and chips and walked home.
With plenty of salt and vinegar we enjoyed a fab English dinner, only problem, it was 10 o’clock at night, I’d done it again!
I could not manage in Alaska, the light nights and bright dawns are killing me here, and messing my body clock up.
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
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