I embarrassed myself.  The Sage and I were emptying the dishwasher and he was putting the cutlery away. As he put a tablespoon into the drawer, he remarked on how pleased he was with his eBay purchase.  “Yes,” I said, “the difference between Georgian and Victorian silver is quite apparent to the touch, isn’t it?”  He agreed, stroking the spoon, and I heard myself and quietly curled up.

I was, in addition, hit by the guilt of many years when I read the Peanuts cartoon in today’s local paper.  A little blonde-haired girl whose name I can’t remember was saying to Charlie Brown “what are the words you hate most to hear?” Snoopy, sitting the other side of him said in a thought-bubble”You stay home now and be a good dog.”  Oh, the times I’ve said that to a dog with hopeful eyes and pricked ears and watched the whole-body droop or, worse, the desperate hope that I might change my mind and pick up the lead after all.

Bedtime, darlings.  For me, that is.  You party on, do.  Put the guard in front of the fire when you leave, won’t you.