Saturday, November 29, 2008

Mice, a scary Christmas moment and naked calendars

Shock news of the day - we have mice!! Just what we need for the run-up to Christmas indeed. I got up relatively early this morning and staggered into the living room wearing my customary morning head - where I discovered that parts of the wrapping around my stepfather's Christmas chocolates were lying near the table. Dammit. Interestingly, the mice had carefully unwrapped the chocolate (Ferrero Rocher, if you're wondering - which I don't like but which my stepfather goes mad for ...), torn up the wrapping and then left the chocolate uneaten. Is this due to our electronic mouse deterrent, which may have driven the poor creature mad? It's a mystery ... Being from Essex, a part of me did wonder if I could rescue the wrapping and then put the chocolate back without Jim (stepfather) noticing, but even I cannot be that mean. No, really. Anyway, I've hidden away all the other consumables as much as possible, put down some poison (accompanied of course by evil laughter - well, I am a farmer's daughter so have a heart of steel where animals are concerned ...) and we'll wait and see where the bodies turn up. Mwa-aha-ha ...

Anyway, while Lord H was collecting his new car (which he loves and which I shall be introduced to tomorrow, no doubt), I drove to Aylesford Priory to spend some time with my friend Pauline. We were hoping for a nice quiet lunch and chat - but curses, foiled again! - the Priory have their Christmas Fayre today, dammit. So we were greeted by huge amounts of Christmas tack, milling families, monks desperately selling their CD (please, someone, introduce me quickly to a monastery where they haven't produced a CD and I shall be your friend for life) and a woman crooning out-of-tune carols over the tannoy non-stop. Oh what joy. Christmas? Bah! Humbug ... However, we did at least buy some fudge and have a quick lunch before decamping to the nearest hotel with a Starbucks, hurrah. Where we talked loads and put the world to rights. Bliss - and lovely to see you as ever, Pauline.

Tonight, I shall be surgically attached to the rollercoaster ride of Strictly Come Dancing and then the blessed Boris (may his hair flourish always) is doing some historical programme (which I can't be arsed to get up and check the details of right now) which we're also planning to see. Boris is always worth watching, in my opinion.

And here's today's meditation piece:

Meditation 12

In the heat,
dust, crowd of people,

questions, half-answers,
lies and the constant need

for a price,
the truth leaps

from his tongue
as if it’s been waiting there

for a lifetime
and this is his only chance

to speak it.
The air hangs silent,

waits for the next move.


Oh, and we've bought the marvellous naked Royal Opera House calendar which you can find information about here, although the actual calendar is on sale at the Opera House shop. Proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Support so it's all in a good cause, so buy early buy often is what I say. And lovely to see a naked calendar suitable for everyone indeed. Bliss!

Today's nice things:

1. Seeing Pauline
2. TV
3. Poetry
4. Naked calendars.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website - thankfully not baring all for the nation ...

5 comments:

Jilly said...

The calendar looks good - I'm trying to think of someone to give it to for Christmas!

Jilly said...

Just read that there's been another body found in Godalming - though it may not be foul play . . .What is happening to the more peaceful parts of England?

Anne Brooke said...

Get it for yourself, Jilly!

And oh Lordy - where did you read that?? I must stop Lord H going out in the evenings now that the winter is upon us, I fear ...

==:O

Axxx

Jilly said...

I saw it on the telegraph online - www.telegraph.co.uk - it was just a headline attached to one about a man being attacked when he tackled some youths near his car. Beginning to think I dreamt it! Or maybe the lady died of natural causes and so is no longer news - I hope so! It wasn't a full moon was it??

Anne Brooke said...

Something odd is definitely happening to the moon today for sure!!

:))

Axxx