It’s another Sunday morning here in the Shire, and a fine one at that. Today Anne is playing host to our friend Natalia’s baby shower. A dozen or so worthy females will be descending on our house this lunchtime to celebrate the forthcoming happy day. It won’t be a place for male presence. The conversation will be highly biassed towards all in one baby suits and birth experiences. Urghh. Preparations have been underway for a few days now. My own contribution, that of lighting the fire in the front room, is already well in hand. In fact I am currently supervising the lit fire to make sure that it stays appropriately lit.
There is a feeling of wellbeing around the house. John is quietly using his hour’s ration on an online game. Terrorising and killing things no doubt, or playing a football match. Seems to be the pattern. Joe has not yet been spotted this morning. He had a late one on Friday night after the rubgy in the Morning Star and spent most of yesterday at music rehearsal of one kind or another before last night’s “Curious Blue” jazz gig in North Hykeham. I didn’t go but now wish I had as Anne came back with excellent reports. Hannah is in her hotel in Paris, hopefully and Tom is in the neo metropolis of Milton Keynes where he is visiting to watch MK Dons play Bristol City or some such worthy set of opponents.
Sat by the fire as I am I can contemplate the day ahead and a set of jobs that spring to mind. I’m not sure any of the said jobs will be done. I’m just noting the fact that they need doing. One is the trimming of the front hedge. The back hedge almost certainly needs doing too but I’d need to crane my neck to see that one. There is also a lot of wood that need putting to the chainsaw. That may get done as the least arduous task on the list. The wood is mainly small branches and some ex-playhouse stairs. Easy enough to dispose of and quite handy as kindling.
None of this is written down, yet. Great consideration must be given to an item before it can be included on the list because once written down it is is officially on the radar with the consequential expectation that it will at some stage be done. The hedges do need doing though. I might get someone in.
As I write the activity levels are growing. The sound of singing and whistling permeates from the kitchen together with the sound of dishes being put in the dishwasher. It’s all happy stuff. The fire is sufficiently lit for it to be left unsupervised. It’s a good start to the day.