Monthly Archives: December 2008

Z welcomes a Guest (part 1)

The house is very quiet suddenly. And, though the casual visitor might be surprised to learn it, unnaturally tidy (my tidiness stops at the point where most people’s starts).

Actually, someone I know says she’s looking for a cleaning job at the moment. I like her and might consider taking her up on it.

I digress.

The interviews went very well this morning, in that there were very good and capable candidates and we had real difficulty choosing. They overran somewhat, but I shot out of the door at five to twelve, only to find that someone had parked badly and I couldn’t get past, which meant I had to back down a narrow road with cars parked on one side. Again, one car was slightly away from the kerb and I had to go on the shrubbery and push the shrubs away from the wing mirror as I went past. I don’t think I got too badly scratched.

I arrived home, to find a lugubrious note from the Sage, out rounding up cows. He arrived back as I did, job well done, and apologised that he hadn’t been able to persuade the dining room fire to draw. It being chilly in there, we decided to have lunch in the kitchen.

I opened the tin of baked beans, sliced the bread ready for toasting and all was ready for our guest.

All I want for Christmas…

No, I haven’t sung it to the Sage. I’m being very kind and sweet. But it’s running through my head.

He was ages in the dentist. I offered to drive him in, in case he didn’t feel too good when he came out, and yesterday he poo-pooed the idea, but changed his mind this morning. He told me 45 minutes, I thought that was pushing it but was back within the hour, with a boot full of Tesco booze (I know, I know, not such a woman of principle as I like to think) and still had to wait more than half an hour for him. I stayed in the car, because it’s very much a bedsit area of Norwich and I was a bit worried that the car should not be broken in to, but as time went by, I got more and more anxious that he was having a rotten time.

He managed a plateful of scrambled eggs for lunch, very bravely. I’ve assured him that he needs plenty of protein to keep up his strength.

Would you care to sing along with me? Silently, of course

Z worries a bit

I’ve got a lot on at the moment. I’m helping the chairman of governors at the school – effectively taking over for practical purposes. I’m winding down the year, while planning for January. This is fine, in itself, as I am quite good at thinking ahead. I’m rubbish at actually doing ahead, but I hang on to the thought that looking for the pitfalls is as good as actually avoiding them. But it’s meant, among other things, that I’m now the link governor for four areas – Special Needs, Music, Languages and Vocational learning. It’s quite a lot, if you do them all properly. The worrying thing is that if I do, I get really interested and involved, which takes more time.

Dilly’s brother-in-law’s mother is very ill at present. Do send healing thoughts her way. I’ve never met her, actually. I can’t remember if I’ve ever given Dilly’s family names, so I’ll simply call them Paula and Matt, because that’s who they are. They’ve not been very lucky at Christmas. Their cat went missing last year, and never turned up, and Matt’s dad died at Christmas a few years ago. Mum has had an operation, during which cancer was discovered, and now she has an infection. It’s touch and go.

The Sage is being very brave, but he got an infection too, resulting in a gum abscess and he’s having a couple of teeth out tomorrow.

Tender food for a few days, methinks.

I’ve decided on a menu for Thursday. I won’t tell you now, in case I change my mind. Actually, the food is no problem. If you all turned up for a meal, I’d feed you all a proper home-cooked dinner within the hour – 40 minutes if someone else laid the table. But I sort of need to get the hoover out. Pine needles everywhere from all those blessed holly wreaths.

Al and I made 6 last night, and 8 the night before. Both sessions lasted an hour and the difference was that last night’s holly was very prickly, because that’s what he’d been asked for. He sells them for £5 and, other than the wire base and the wire to hold the greenery, the materials cost nothing (we make wreaths in exchange for holly and fir). But we don’t count our time. Do we (as Nelson would have put it) we’d be reckoning on £3-£4 per wreath just for time at minimum wage.

Tonight was Prizegiving. Fortunately, the chairman was able to come for that, so I didn’t have to give a speech. It was lovely that two retired headteachers (one of whom came over from Wales) and several retired teachers joined us for the occasion.

I’m slightly drunk. I got home at quarter past nine and went to poach a couple of eggs, as I hadn’t eaten and was very hungry. As I was eating, I checked emails and found one from Dilly. I rang her. “I heard you singing”, she said “while I was at the computer and you were putting stuff in the washing machine.” I can’t remember singing. I know I put stuff in the washing machine, and in the tumble drier, but I don’t remember singing.

I remember drinking. I still am, actually, but I’ve had enough now. I’m going to make coffee and listen to more music. I’ve got Benny Goodman on at present. It’s not really my style of music, swing and that sort of thing, but I love the way he plays. If I could play my clarinet well, I’d model myself on Benny Goodman. You know, apparently effortless but bloody marvellous. I don’t want the seams or the effort to show.

Oh gosh. I’ve just thought of my ideal epitaph. “She didn’t let the seams show”. Sadly, it’s more likely to be “She didn’t do that much harm.”

Z is fortunate

I called on a friend this afternoon and I’m feeling very fortunate, at this moment, not to be in her situation.

I don’t want to say too much as it’s not fair to talk about someone behind their back – all I can say is that her mother-in-law had a nasty accident a few weeks back and, after a period in hospital, she’s staying with her son and his wife (who is my friend: the son, while charming, is not someone I know very well) and needs someone on hand all the time. This is my friend (whom I think I’ll call MF from now on). She’s had to give up her two part-time jobs and her voluntary work and is devoting herself entirely to her dear ma-in-law. However dear, you can imagine how draining this is.

To add to this, her husband is working on a really important project that means a lot to his company and he needs both her support and complete peace and tranquillity when he’s at home.

He has a sister, but she seems a bit casual about the whole thing. I don’t think anyone in her family has a clue how exhausting and draining the whole thing is for MF. She is normally very sociable and energetic and she’s stuck at home all the time with the company of one elderly lady, and she’s not sure, at present, what the future holds.

I was at the shop, making up a fruit basket as a small present for the invalid, when my mobile rang. It was B, asking me to help with interviews on Thursday morning. “I’ve got someone coming for lunch, I’d have to be home by noon at the latest”. “Oh, that’s all right,” said B airily,”the last interview is scheduled for 11 o’clock and if you make up your minds quite quickly you’ll be fine.”

Slight change of menu plan might be needed, and I’ll spend Wednesday slaving over the hot stove instead of Thursday morning. It’ll be fine. Interviews are fun (except those for headteachers, which are gruelling) and a fine friend is coming for lunch, so I have much to look forward to.

Z plans to make a porcino of herself

I’d set the alarm for 6.45, but I woke just before 3 o’clock. A wakeful hour later, I gave up and switched a little torch on and read for another hour. After that I dozed on and off until 6.30, when I woke, realised I was going to go to sleep properly at last and was deep in a dream when the alarm went.

The weather was quite mild but drizzly. I put on a coat and hat and cycled down to the church. As I was setting up all the stuff, I realised I’d left the flowers at home. The minister had arrived so I left him in charge while I went home, and then arranged flowers in two vases to go on the windowsill.

After the service, I cycled damply into town for the Sunday paper. I went home, put my hat and gloves to dry on the Aga and made porridge and tea for breakfast, adding a second bowl with yoghurt in because why just have one dull thing to eat when you can have two and feel really healthy?

Half an hour later, I packed my clarinet into a pannier and fetched my coat. I put on my hat and chortled loudly with pleasure at its warmth. As I cycled down the drive, I planned with silent glee to put the hat on a radiator at the church to relive that pleasure in a couple of hours time.

And now I’m home again. I’ve put some dried mushrooms to soak and am wondering what to do with them. Risotto or soup? I have a small problem in that the Sage doesn’t care for mushrooms, so whatever I do, I’ll have to do something else for him. And it’ll have to be at least as much trouble as the mushroom dish, so that he doesn’t feel disappointed. It would be awful if Ro and I were happily chomping on something lovely while he’s eating less interesting food.

Z gets ready

I’ve been cradling a hot cup of tea in my hands, but I can’t warm up. I spent an hour down at the church rearranging things. We’ve got a very useful extension built behind the church with a meeting room, hallway, cloakroom and large kitchen/meeting room, half of which has been in use as an office for the last three years. It will be cleared just before or after Christmas, however, as a new office has just been built by the Rectory.

For the last few years, we’ve occasionally held a service in the church room if the weather has been particularly cold, but at the last PCC meeting it was decided to move there altogether during December and January unless there was some reason to expect a congregation of more than 30 or so. So today, I’ve been setting it up. Of course, it can’t all be left in place during the week as the room is used for other purposes too, but the larger pieces of furniture can just be pushed back against the wall.
I don’t know how acceptable it’ll be for people, I hope they’ll like it and not feel it’s not ‘right’ not being in the church. There’s a lovely stone arched window and we’ve set up an altar in front of that, and I’ll put the large candlesticks and the cross on the windowsill, with smaller brass candlesticks that I’ve lent on the altar. We can have coffee in there afterwards or in the hall and, once the office furniture is out, we can use that area of the kitchen.

It’s the early 8 o’clock Prayer Book (that is, the traditional 1662 service) Communion tomorrow and the dozen people who come to that will be the ones to test it. If they like it, we’re winning.

I rather hope the weather is as cold tomorrow as it has been the past few days. A cold, nearly freezing rain and a sharp wind today. Leaded church windows let in a lot of draughts and the church room will be a lot more comfortable than the main building. Mind you, we’re not saving on heating. The village school uses the church a lot at this time of the year as they hold their Christingle service and school play there, so I spent some time setting the time clock for the heating to come on to warm the place. It has to go on 5 or 6 hours in advance of the time it’s being used to make it warm enough.

Now I need to do a sign to put on the door to let people know where to go.

Ooh! Weeza, Phil and Zerlina have just arrived!

Don’t let me forget to take the casserole out of the oven before I go to bed. Please.

I started reading blogs and then Bloglines updated and suddenly the number of unread posts went from 200-and-something to 1200, which was a bit startling. Whole lots of blogs suddenly had 200 very old posts quoted. I got rid of all those, but I’ve still got 251 real ones to read, so please excuse me if I don’t comment much for a few days.

I have started Christmas shopping, which I know is a bit early for me, but I’m feeling terribly well organised. I have also posted one card, which is really impressive. I wonder when the last posting date is. We usually just miss it.

I put a beef casserole in the oven some 3 hours ago. I wonder if I’ll remember to take it out before I go to bed. I hope so. It has half a can of Guinness in it, which obliged me to drink the other half.

This room is chaotic. It was all right a couple of days ago, I wonder what’s happened? Weeza and family arrived when I was clearing up last Saturday and I kept on having to do it around them as everything was piled in the middle of the room. They’re coming over again tomorrow, so I hope I get going a bit earlier then than I did this morning. I meant to leave at 10.30 but it was nearly 10.50 by the time I was ready, having had people call at the door and on the phone (different people did each).

I cycled in to the school, but I’ve become woefully unfit or maybe just weak. The cold and damp make me ache badly which doesn’t help and I wussed out of cycling up the little, but steeper than it looks, hill towards the post office. I went around the back way (longer but less steep slope) instead and was out of breath by the top. I didn’t even try the school hill, but walked it. It was still very frosty at 11 o’clock.

However, the music lesson was entertaining. The pupils’ work was being recorded this morning and it took ages. Fortunately, two groups had elected to record their arrangements directly on to the computer, but the three others had a load of small problems and the final one was finished barely a minute before the bell went. However, the one that took longest was because the four boys involved so badly wanted to get it just right. I said to them that I’d been really impressed with the level of communication and support they’d given each other (I phrased it less stiltedly than that, of course. What do you take me for?). It was a real collaborative effort – two of them are pretty musical but the others, who don’t know a lot about playing, were included and one, who’d been a bit disengaged at the start of the lesson, was as involved as the others by the end, and praised the singer’s voice which was encouraging of him, because it’s hard to sing while a small group of people are watching you. Well, in my case, it’s impossible, but then no one would be stupid enough, if they’d heard me sing once, to ask me again. I considered, at this point, inserting a short clip of me singing to Zerlina but I rejected the idea. Really, I’m sparing you.

Chums

I gave friends a lift to Norwich for lunch. I mentioned it a while ago, when I did the same thing – they live about 9 miles away, and about the same distance from Norwich as I do, so the extra distance involved is just from me to them.

They are sisters, now in their late 70/early 80s. A couple of years back, one of them was due a hip replacement and was all set to go and awaiting an appointment, when the government decided that the hospital, which had made great efforts to reduce its waiting lists, was becoming too efficient to be economic and so decreed that non-urgent cases should be held back, thus creating waiting lists again. In the extra three or four months, J complained of great pain in her hip.

When she was finally called in and was being operated on, it was discovered that she’d developed an infection in the bone. She had the bone that needed to be replaced removed and was placed in traction, while the infection was being treated. This was at a time when MRSA was in the news and in that hospital, so it was an anxious period. J and her sister set up home together 16 years ago in the centre of the small town and decided to give up their cars, so it was very difficult for L to get over to see J daily, but with buses and help from friends, she managed. J did not catch a superbug, her infection healed and she had a new hip joint fitted and she spent a long time recuperating. She still uses one or two elbow crutches, but they are both cheerful and uncomplaining, and L looks after her, to the extent it’s needed, most lovingly.

To get to the lunch takes two buses and I can’t imagine how long. I’ve known them a long time – 16 years, in fact, since they moved house, but never very well. But now I’ve started to give them lifts, I’ve become awfully fond of them. They have invited another friend, who otherwise would be alone over Christmas, to spend a week with them and they are always thinking of others.

So, I told them how much I admired them. Well, we don’t say it often enough, do we? Maybe we should.

It was they who made and decorated the anniversary cake I showed you here.