Just do it

I’ve been away for a couple of days.  My sister Wink and I have been exchanging birthday presents – I took her and LT out to the theatre and, before that, she took me and LT out to lunch.

Plans changed, at the start of the week, in fact.  For some time we had been shelving the question of whether to drive down to LT’s place in Reading and travel to London from there, or else to go by train from here.  And then I discovered the need for a business appointment in Notting Hill this week, so it seemed straightforward and sensible to travel from Reading each day, and so that was decided.  Until last Friday, when Lawrence, Rose’s boyf, had to spend a few days local to the hospital where he’s being treated, and it was uncertain when he could come home, and Rose obviously needed to be there too.

In the end, we decided to go by train on Thursday, Tim would travel back in the evening, I’d book into a hotel and go to my morning meeting and then come back at 1.30 on Friday.  And it was fine, it worked perfectly well.  As my mother used to say, we finished the game of bowls and beat the … actually, I’m not sure I want to use war metaphors nowadays, even if it refers to something that happened in the 16th century.  But you get my drift.

Wink will be coming here next week – which reminds me, I must get her present sorted out, because she’s going off on her travels for Christmas.  She’s going to visit our friend in Chennai first, then going to Kerala, then to see other friends in Singapore and home again, taking a month in all and being away for an Indian Christmas, which is a jolly good idea.  She has retired again – can’t ever be sure with her that it’s for the last time – and so is looking for adventures.  I do have something for her and will probably give her a voucher for when she gets back, for some treat or other, because she doesn’t want more Stuff any more.  So if she can’t eat or drink or wear it, then she’d rather do it.

5 comments on “Just do it

  1. Z Post author

    Downloads and streaming have rather put paid to the former standbys of books, films and music. She is mostly into *doing* at this stage of her life!

    Of course it isn’t, Mago, it was Labour of Love, a fairly new and topical play, with Martin Freeman and Tamsin Greig. He was a Labour MP in a Nottingham constituency who won election 27 years ago, she was his political agent and wife of the previous MP – started at the last election, where he was about to lose his seat and the first half was scenes going back from present day to then, second half brought it back again. Well done, well acted, quite a lot of laughter and the obligatory romance right at the end, but actually pretty depressing about the present political climate. But then, I’m depressed enough and it’s all right to have someone else put it all into words!

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  2. Liz

    Your sister is quite the globe-trotter, isn’t she? Good for her! I have a friend who has taken several long haul overseas holiday on her own. I’m not sure I would be brave enough.

    I’m with Wink on the subject of not needing any more ‘stuff’, which is why I astonished my family by asking for vouchers for a hot air balloon trip for my 50th birthday when they insisted on getting me something special. I would like to declutter and I have sent 2 car loads of stuff to the tip this year. My husband soon buys more things to fill the space I have made.

    Reply
    1. Z Post author

      She is very sociable and always makes friends really quickly. In the theatre interval, she had an animated conversation with the Americans on the other side of her. I don’t mind travelling alone but it brings out the recluse in my and I hardly speak to anyone, which probably isn’t a good thing! Her husband died 20 years ago, she needed to take control of her own life. I’ve decluttered hugely but I’ve still got so much stuff – and I regret three or four of the books I gave away.

      Reply

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