Monthly Archives: July 2007

“During the war…” Uncle Albert’s merchant navy past is but a speck of dust in a far off mote of memory, as he sits on the settee tending to the guinea pigs. Here he is, getting to know Sandy and … Continue reading →

Car trouble again. Not quite so dramatic this time, but a lot more expensive. Un pneu creve. And we didn’t notice in time to avoid wrecking the tyre, which meant buying a new one. We found the local equivalent of … Continue reading →

And so I find myself without access to my usual forms of exercise, many of which have gone by the board in recent years anyway. And if I am to enjoy all the croissants I can lift, followed later in … Continue reading →

Since we were last here, there’ve been one death and two heart attacks, and some friends have had more bad luck with tenants. Their first was a former foreign legionnaire who murdered his ex-wife in their dinky thatched cottage, the … Continue reading →

And this is the piece of work which brought tears to the eyes of Hannah’s teacher. Where does she get her all-embracing love for the Little Ones? I love the way she capitalises it as thought they’re some other breed. … Continue reading →

Mine’s not what it was. There’s the lack of a secure, well paid, management position with people looking to me for guidance and, well, management. There’s the sagging and dribbling that comes with middle age. And there are the children. … Continue reading →

We promised our daughter a trampoline for her birthday, which was in March. And we still haven’t got her one. How Beta is that? I’m overwhelmed by the choice – you can get a piece of equipment to bounce on … Continue reading →

Ever had one of these? I don’t mean all the Sundays you have to spend cajoling, bribing and then threatening the children to do their homework. I mean proper work. Outdoor work. The kind you return from with mud under … Continue reading →

The difference between our two children was starkly illustrated yesterday, with the help of their head teacher and a water bottle. Hannah came out of school spilling over with the news that she’d been sent to see the head… (dramatic … Continue reading →

Mother at Large has passed me an award, for which I thank her profusely. Her post today has also got me thinking about the perils of working from home, stashed away at the top of the house, out of reach … Continue reading →