Things To Make Me Smile (and a few things that annoy me)
I’m sitting up in a London Hotel bedroom. It’s almost 07:30 and I’ve been awake since 06:00.
Breakfast will be served soon, although I still have to wait.
I’ve started to read Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and I’m using the map of London to plot Smilies first day in the book.
Yesterday we were invited to the Christening of a friends little girl. We haven’t been to many Christenings so weren’t too sure what to expect. After having one panic over some very random sign-postage and a wrong turn when we were so close to our destination we arrived just before it all started – phew. I have to say the priest was lovely and it all seemed rather informal – which is nice, brings you into it.
Anyway afterwards we went back to their house and OMG – every time I think of that gorgeous house I’m tinged with a lot of jealousy! The price you pay to live in the capital is a hefty one (and one I’m not entirely sure is worth it). Anyway this is supposed to be about things that make me smile so let me tell you a bit about the proud Mammy – She is one of my dearest friends but in the last 3 yrs she has been through the ringer! She married the man of her dreams but sadly within almost a year both of her beloved parents passed away. They had been trying for a baby and when it finally happened A. became ill, but baby Izabel came through her mammys surgery and was finally born in October. I have to say she is an absolute button! I’m not prone to broody but I have to say this little moppet would do it to you with her gorgeous big eyes and jet black hair.
Please meet a little girl that is much loved. Here it is the picture to make me smile:
I have to admit that I wasn’t holding out much hope for yesterday as it was a Monday. All you really want to do is just get through it and move on with the week. However when MB got into work she had a date for her surgery (for carpal tunnel) and it was the same day that was mooted for himself – eek! Anyway I got on the ‘phone and gave himself a bell – get the date confirmed!!! So he did (kindda) it will be confirmed today but it is going to be next week – I’m thrilled. Ha Ha it seems I get to read my magazine after all! – I’d bought Country Living to read while waiting around the hospital last week but of course that was cancelled so didn’t get to read it – roll on next week for some lovely bliss.
Anyway back to yesterday – Himself has finally finished writing his book – ok he still has a bit more work to do – indexing, bibliography, etc but the hard research & conclusion is over and done with. He is sooo relieved to have it done and I’m really really proud of him! So we’re off out for dinner sometime over the next week just to celebrate book & surgery. In the mean time I’m trying to think of something I can get himself to say well done – and unfortunately my head is drawing a blank.
Well I can’t stay here any longer – I’ve to go to work 😦
Or Shankill Old Folks Association – have their regular book sale on the first Saturday of every month. We don’t normally get to go out to it too often as himself has to work – however since he is out sick we ventured out – mind you we don’t venture out for too long as himself doesn’t like to be out of his surrounding for too long. However today was slightly different – off we went and plunged into the books. I didn’t get too much ’cause I’m not really looking for books at the moment – I came away with:
Ngaio Marsh = Enter A Murderer – I can’t find an image of the book online but it does have a rather splendid cover illustrated by Philip Hood.
Rebecca Shaw = Omnibus edition of The New Rector & Talk Of The Village.
I haven’t read any of these but have seen them on occasion and thought for that price (€3-) why not give it a go?
Himself had a rather large haul but as this is about things that make me smile we won’t mention the boxes of magazines he got – nah I don’t really mind but sometimes it’s fun to pretend I disapprove 😉
Afterwards we went to visit one of the kittens we had to re-house. The new owner is an old friend of himself so it was interesting to sit there and listen to them swap stories. I have to say though it was really nice to sit out in the garden drinking orange with the sun shining and the cat & dogs picking people at random for rubs. I hope we get another chance to do that again.
Well hello stranger!
I know, it’s been ages since I was here – I really am sorry. I’ve been in a bit of a funk but in the last few days I’ve noticed that it seems to have lifted. That means there are little traces of me to be found here and there.
So what is making me smile lately? I saw a poster this morning on my way into work. There is a play on in the Gate Theatre and I’m going to go. I’m not too sure that himself wants to so I’m going to go all by myself to the Matinée on Saturday (providing there are tickets still available) The play is The Birds – I’ve neither read the book nor seen the film – in the immortal words of Manuel “I know nawthing” The main draw is that it has Ciarán Hinds in it. I loved his portrayal of Captain Wentworth in Persuasion and his Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre. So to see him live on stage is a must in my book. I’ve asked P. to keep an eye out for him in the shop but he’s told me he wouldn’t even recognise him if he was singing and dancing in front of him – harumph! I don’t believe him ’cause my DVD of Persuasion is rarely put away it’s watched that often.
While looking up the website for the theatre I spotted that A Christmas Carol is also coming to the stage. I’ve been to that particular theatre twice and both times it was to see A Christmas Carol and I’ll soon be able to say three times. All I have to do now is decide how close to Christmas will we go? – not sure that makes sense but it does to me.
The other thing we are hoping to go and see is The Brother – starring Eamon Morrissey in Draíocht.
I’d better go as I’m supposed to be having an early night and there are still things to be done.
‘Night ‘Night
I shouldn’t do this but I’m going to anyway.
First off let me explain – I’m a cheap date = you only have to wave a cork under my nose and I’m drunk so a glass of wine later and I’m well tiddled. Therefore posting things is not advised for 2 reasons 1. my typing is horrendously bad and it takes a long time to get the spellings right and 2. I find it difficult to think. So if this is gibberish – sorry.
The second thing I want to mention is I have a big huge pile of To Be Read books – sometimes it’s like being a child in a sweetshop and trying to decide what to read next is a torment. However this evening I bought a book that I really can’t wait to start. I don’t think I’ve had one of those in a long while. It’s Trains And Buttered Toast by John Betjemin. I have never read anything by him (that I’m aware of) but I heard him read something on a television programme and thought that it sounded absolutely wonderful so decided must look him up.
Ok concentration has slipped away so I’m going to go but for this completely collapses into rambling rubbish.
One Last Thing!
Pádraig – Happy Anniversary! 5 years and still going strong.
Love you LOADS! – maybe I should save that for sobriety ’cause now it just comes across as the drunk telling everybody I love you man!
Seriously though – we’ve have a great 5 years and some brilliants laughs and adventures. Time for some anniversary cuddles 🙂
Himself picked up the double CD of “The Nation’s Favourite Poems” and we are sitting here deciding which poem to listen to next. I have a definite softness for William Butler Yeats, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Dylan Thomas.
There really is something lyrical about the rhythm of spoken poetry. Maybe it’s a good job I’m not in bed ’cause this stuff would just send me straight to sleep. I reckon that is a throw back to being read to in bed. These days the radio, the telly or himself reading to me will have me out cold in no time.
I’d better go and look after the kitchen but I have a feeling that tonights sleep will have a Dylan Thomas soundtrack – Under Milkwood I think.
I have just had a missing week. On Monday we got a call to say that my grandmother had fallen during the night – at that time it really could have gone one way or another but we all decided best to travel just to be on the safe side. We saw her on the Monday night and decided to call in the next day and see how things were and if she was the same then we’d head home as we both had work on the Wednesday. No, she had deteriorated over night so there was no going anywhere. Slowly her breathing became shallower and shallower and with everybody around her she died at 15.35.
Unfortunately we counted the days wrong and thought that she would be buried on Thursday and we’d travel home on the Friday but a day was sneaked in and so she wasn’t buried until Friday -the day we had to travel home – ’cause himself was due to work on the Saturday (today).
Nan nan came home on the Wednesday and was laid out until Thursday and taken to the church that evening. So for most of Wednesday & Thursday we were at a lose end – I didn’t particularly want to be there too much so we went off driving. I’ve had the car since January ’08 and I think the amount of driving done in it since then equals the amount of driving done in the past week. So I’m trying to see that as the silver lining for what really could have been the week from hell.
I don’t know – I still can’t believe that she has finally gone. That sounds a little bit weird but in a way Nan nan has been gone a while – she had dementia for a few years and in a way was no longer herself (well to me anyway). Now unfortunately her physical presence is gone. I am happy that I didn’t see her in the coffin. I saw her in her hospital bed and I saw her laid out in her bed. There was a coffin in the hearse and then it was brought in and brought back out and in a way they weren’t associated with Nan nan.
During the Mass I did the first reading and I managed to get through it so I’m pleased with that. Himself was one of the coffin carriers and he did a wonderful job – he always has a good shoulder.
So it’s Saturday mourning and I’m at home and himself is at work and life seems to be continuing on as if last week never happened. Unfortunately it did – I’m heartbroken but I have 30 odd years of brilliant memories.
Well himself has to work this weekend and while it is a shame there is a silver lining and that means I get me time. The instructions for this morning was – “Don’t wake me when going to work” so I was woken to the cries of ” Deirdre my alarm didn’t go off!” so much for a lie in. Well actually it was – I had woken up at about 7ish and had managed to go back to sleep for the best part of an hour and a half before the bedlam started but subsequently postponed.
Anyway – today is my day for pottering and as per usual catching up on stuff not done during the week – happily I can say that it’s not as much as usual. There is a glimmer of hope that I might get something done in the garden but that is slowly fading as dark clouds form overhead.
On the other hand I do have shopping to do so that could turn into a little outing…
Tomorrow is going to be full on relaxation. I started a little crochet project for lunchtimes in work but brought it home ’cause I couldn’t resist and while we were away I bought a postcard that looks like it could be a very interesting blackwork project. So tomorrow at 11am it’s Country Tracks and breakfast, then crochet/sewing and come 4pm I will be watching the Munster Hurling semi-final Waterford against Limerick. I am not a sports fan so it is odd that I’m rather fond of GAA – I really don’t know why.
NO! it’s not what you’re thinking. Our telly is trying to decide when it’s going to stop working and in what fashion. It was simply a stroke of luck that my parents were thinking of getting a new telly so they have offered us their old one. When I say old it could be what – 2 possibly 3 years old – max. The only thing is it is somewhat bigger then the one we have now. It’s a 40 something inch screen so that means a furniture rearrangement and that includes the cats chair. It will be good to have it in and installed ’cause himself is going into hospital next week to get his appendix out and at least now he can lie out on the sofa and have the really big telly to watch.
At the moment I have most of the windows and doors open – when we came home yesterday a tom cat had sprayed our front door and as there is a gap at the bottom the stench made it into the house. Ok we have 4 cats there is bound to some sort of a smell of cat every once in a while but this was revolting! If I could catch the cat I’d be tempted to take it to the vets and get a little jobbie done on it.
Anyway I’m sorting through some books and paperwork that’s lying around the living room and then I’ve to start on the dinner.
I thought that Sundays were supposed to be a day of rest? A days work (well part of anyway) and then it’s work tomorrow! Ah well such is life.
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