Fifteen years old today and some unashamed nostalgia

First of all, huge congratulations to Lord H and me for having been married fifteen years today, hurrah! Have a glass of champagne on us to celebrate:



And we have a bottle cooling in the fridge for tonight as well, hurrah (medicines or no medicines, dammit)! Premier cru vintage too - not that I've ever found anything to better Tesco's blanc de blanc £12.00 standard, but heck live dangerously for once, eh. Apparently, fifteen years married entitles us to crystal, glass or a watch. As we don't need any of those things, we have settled for clothes, books and the CD of Purcell's Fairy Queen, which is on the menu for next year's Glyndebourne. There's nothing like a piece of baroque music to lift the spirits, to my mind - although Lord H is less keen, bless 'im. He's more an appreciator of modern atonal music, if truth be told. At least, more than I am anyway.

More than all that though, I am at last wearing the eternity ring - triple hurrahs and wave the bunting in all directions. And it's seriously beautiful. I love it hugely. Goodness my left hand is sooooo heavy now that it's astonishing I can type at all ... I love love love it. It's looks amazing with the engagement ring, and without. And with. And without. But with is my favourite. Well, having it on at all is my favourite, actually. In case you hadn't guessed that. But, glory be, it's true - I have at last turned into my jewellery-obsessed (keep the ring! Always keep the ring!) mother, Lord preserve us. Arrrrggghhh!!!

But thinking of fifteen years of wedded bliss (which probably translates as 12 years of wedded bliss and 3 years of arguments, but hey that's a damn good ratio, I feel) has brought me out in an unexpected fit of nostalgia, Lord preserve us. Again. I have to admit to totally and absolutely loving my wedding day - even though I also have to admit it was the start of a huge and unsurmountable split in the family, which in itself was well, well overdue. So you could say that in some aspects it was in fact the day I began to grow up. And as I got married at 29, growing up was long overdue also. Anyway, the wedding was fabulous - the dress (something simple and ivory with no fuss) really suited me, so much so that even my stepfather said how good I looked (and was rightly astonished to be saying such a thing as well!); the trumpeter turned up with his trumpeter son (whom we never did paid for as they very sweetly waived his fee as they'd had such a good time) and looked amazing in their bright, military-style suits. And the way they played really made the day - they sounded astonishing. I remember thinking as they and the organ played Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring as we were signing the register that it was, and would always be, the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. Fifteen years later, they still hold that honour. And I'm still grateful.

More than all of this though was the way that everything around us simply vanished when Lord H and I were saying our vows to each other and we suddenly and somehow genuinely were the only people in the church and possibly the only people on the planet. I've only ever had that incredibly magical feeling twice: once when Lord H and I first kissed (and to make everything vanish in the middle of a busy night out in London is some damn trick, I can tell you); and once on our wedding day. It was great. I'm sorry I probably can't explain the sensation any further, but I'm glad it happened once, and incredibly lucky it happened twice. I do understand that.

And now, fifteen years on, I can honestly say that Lord H is the only man I've ever been out with who has never, not even once, bored me. Enraged me to the point of screaming, had me darkly wondering if spousicide is a real word, yes - but bored me, never. There's always something more to find out, in my experience. The Lord H pool runs pretty damn deep and I doubt I'll ever find the bottom. Not in this lifetime anyway.

Though, talking of bottoms (careful, people, careful ...), and to bring my marriage monologue to an end (have I said we've been married fifteen years today?), I have picked up my other prescription from the hospital and now have an Estradot oestrogen patch stuck to my bottom. Ho hum, from the sublime to the ridiculous eh - I am indeed the mistress of that mystic art. The patch is damn small too, so one hopes I don't lose it on the vast acreage of my behind. Which is strange as it comes in an enormous wrapper about ten times its size (the patch - not my bottom ...) - when I'd ripped it open I did think at first there was nothing in it and I'd been sold a bum (sorry!) steer. As it were. But I eventually found it and stuck it on with the aid of a good mirror and some squinting. Apparently I have to wear it for three days (I'm told it even stays on in the bath, well gosh) before I rip it off and shove the next one on. My, what fun we do have here in the cultural outback of Godalming.

What with all this huge excitement, I have only done a few sentences of Hallsfoot's Battle today, so am now just in at 36,000 words or so. Would be nice to hit the big 40,000 marker before the end of September for sure. And I've had a two-hour nap - well, being married for fifteen years is quite exhausting, you know, and I don't want to wear myself out too soon. Tonight, we have lasagne, ice cream and champers to look forward to. I'm sure that will help keep my strength up - all good healthy stuff, you know!

Today's nice things:

1. Our 15th wedding anniversary
2. Our 15th wedding anniversary
3. Our 15th wedding anniversary (did I tell you that yet?...)

Anne Brooke
Anne's website

Jewellery, tea and chat

Up as early as possible today so that Lord H and I could go into town and stare in adoration at the eternity ring I fell in love with at Cry for the Moon. Result - he loves it too! So he's bought it and I am now the proud owner of an utterly gorgeous piece of jewellery, hurrah! Or I would be if my actual anniversary wasn't until September, so I suspect I may have to wait to get the thing on my finger. But I'm hoping I'll be allowed to gaze at it occasionally between now and then, mmmm ....

I've then spent some time updating my website with the Maloney's Law details. Each time I look at the cover, I like it more, so that's a good thing for sure. And I've also edited another chapter of The Bones of Summer - slowly, slowly - so am now on Chapter 18. We're getting there, captain.

This afternoon, Pauline & Tony, my friends from Kent, popped in with their son, Darren, for tea and chat. And how marvellously civilised it was too. Ham rolls, crumpets and cake, all prepared by Lord H's fair hands. Bliss. Also lovely to catch up with what's been going on in the Kentish world and to talk education stuff (Pauline's a headteacher). I come from a long line of teachers, you know, and can now throw in university stuff to the mix too - so occasionally I might even sound intelligent. Though, as Pauline has known me for years, I suspect she's not fooled.

I also have to admit to having to give up on a book I'd been really looking forward to and which had been recommended to me, sigh. Sorry, but I really didn't find much of merit in Reinaldo Arenas' "Before Night Falls". What an irritating and self-obsessed man - and if anyone round here is going to be irritating and self-obsessed, then it sure as hell is going to be me! I gave up at Page 91 as I really couldn't stand the competition. Perhaps the film is better? Though I fear I won't be bothering.

So, tonight, I shall catch up on the comedy TV I missed yesterday, and maybe do some more editing too. You never know.

Finally, bearing in mind the higher than usual level of complaints (complaints?? You mean somebody out there is actually reading this stuff? Well, gosh! Lordy, but I feel quite touched ...) about my crazed blog witterings this week, I would like to state categorically and with hand on heart that NO HORSES HAVE BEEN INJURED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BLOG. Though several innocent crumpets did take a good beating (and have of course been given the usual information on how to contact Crumpet Line accordingly). Phew! You can all breathe the proverbial sigh of relief then ... Though perhaps I'd better keep wearing the body armour just in case, m'dears!

Today's nice things:

1. Getting an eternity ring
2. Updating the website
3. Editing Bones
4. Tea with friends
5. TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website

Notes, rings and Bones

Have spent most of the day trawling my way slowly, slowly through the vast numbers of notes I took on last week’s Away Day. It’s like wading through treacle. When you have no map. Soon I think I will lose the will to live entirely. Hey ho.

Still, I’m much cheered by the thought of nipping into town at lunchtime to look at eternity rings, hurrah! I’d like one with emeralds, as the engagement ring is an emerald and, dahlings, you know how I do so hate to clash … UPDATE: I found a ring I really, really, really like in Cry For The Moon. Swoon. I’ve asked them to put it aside till Lord H and I can see it together on Saturday. It’s fabulous – I am seriously in love with it. Give me jewellery and give it to me now!... Oh Lordy, but I hope he likes it too. Anyway, while I was there, I also paid in a cheque (for books, double hurrah!), picked up a copy of the Radio Times and tried to see if there was anything about me in this month’s Writers’ Forum magazine – there wasn’t. Lordy, but I have a planet-sized ego for sure – just a shame I don’t have the confidence to go with it. Now there’s a scary thought.

Meanwhile, the tension continues to mount on the journey of the US Amazon Maloney’s Law – it now has a publication date of 29 June 2008, which is obviously wrong. But hey at least we’re moving forward towards some sort of resolution, possibly, so I’m not complaining.

And today’s exciting Chaplaincy phone query (the Chaplaincy office is temporarily with us while they’re being rebuilt) which I answered as Ruth G isn’t in today: where can I do A Level Hebrew in Surrey? I think I managed to dredge up some off-the-top-of-my-head knowledge about local schools and colleges but, goodness me, sometimes I could really do with a Phone a Friend or Ask the Audience button. It’s tough here in the hot seat, you know.

Ooh and the lovely Megan Taylor, author of the marvellous How We Were Lost, has just finished reading Thorn in the Flesh and has been kind enough to call it “a gripping and intriguing read”. Thanks, Megan – glad you liked it!

Tonight, I’m supposed to be going to both Guildford Writers and one of the Diocesan Summer Schools – I’m nothing if not overbooked … However, they’ve moved this evening’s Summer School course to somewhere near the Lido and I am too much of a Geography Wimp to attempt to work out how to get there. If only they’d kept it at the Cathedral, which I know without having to think about, then I probably would have gone, but the thought of driving to a strange place is beyond me and I am filled with existential terror. Really, it’s astonishing I go out at all. I’m just a hermit in the making.

So I think I’ll stay in and concentrate on The Bones of Summer instead – I’m on Chapter 10 of the edit now and doing a lot of juggling. Which incidentally is an essential writers’ skill that I wish they’d teach you at Writers’ School – we all need to know how to text-juggle, believe me.

Ooh and on the way home, I bravely popped into see Gladys - and she was the most pleasant and chatty she's been for a long, long time, hurrah! So I didn't need to wear my body armour after all ... I think the trick is not to talk first but to wait until she's ready to talk to me. I just went straight into her room and started sorting out the bird table outside her window and doing a lot of smiling. She seemed happier with me then, so maybe I'll try that trick next time. But hey, result!!

And finally I don’t think Lord H and I are going to be able to resist the no doubt High Tosh Factor of tonight’s new TV series, “Bonekickers” – or “Boneknickers”, as we like to call it. Archaeology, doom and ridiculous plots – just what the doctor ordered.

Today’s nice things:

1. Shopping for an eternity ring
2. Another small addition to the US Amazon Maloney entry
3. Feedback on Thorn
4. A pleasant visit to Gladys
5. Editing Bones
6. Tosh TV.

Anne Brooke
Anne's website