no easy ride

How are you? I hope ebullient and making good progress on your house!

As far as the children are concerned this week I have been a disher of, and I use A*’s words not mine, ‘inspirational’ advice. It’s mainly been around analysing what role she should apply for at Camp America next summer and suggesting she gets into travel writing, starting with her Israel jaunt. Did I tell you I had a number of articles published in national newspapers when I was younger, mainly about my experiences in education? Anyway, I got paid handsomely for it. I also think it will help A* to think about exploring careers as she has zero focus at the moment other than where the next holiday is coming from – like mother, like daughter!

I got the car insurance for J1. I don’t think I’ve ever told you either that when I have to spend what I think is a lot of money and I get anxious about it, I am almost hyperventilating. I always remember paying £100 for a pair of leather chaps for Ali in Texas when she was about 12 and getting out of the shop in a state of collapse at the level of extravagance. Anyway, it wasn’t quite so bad with J1 as I’ve managed a deal with the AA where I can pay in 4 instalments. I am particularly pleased I’ve got it for him this week as I hope it will take some edge of pain off his dad taking A* away and not him.

On Tuesday evening I had a long, easy chat with Morag (doctor, widow – married again recently) who reckons I am much more relaxed these days. She is having a nice life, going out a lot to the theatre, London, jazz concerts, folk clubs, dinners. Michael (who has a gammy arm from a motor bike accident and doesn’t work) is redecorating their lounge and redesigning their garden with painstaking craftsmanship. I value Morag’s constancy of friendship, but she never asks you questions – it’s always me getting the ins and outs from her!

On Friday Siobhan had got some papers from her former husband as part of some complicated further legal proceedings because they can’t agree on the money, in which she discovered he has had a baby girl with his new partner (Siobhan and he could not conceive) and is accusing her of being lazy, never working (although Siobhan did work part-time cleaning through most of their marriage) and just encouraging him in to debt while she would argue she never wanted the big house on the Wigmore estate they moved into. Can you imagine how hurtful all that is – trashing what has gone before between them. Poor Siobhan was really upset on Friday so I went round for sympathy and to drop her off at the pub later on. I am so glad FH didn’t get into a public slanging match. I think that is so damaging and so difficult to recover from.

On Saturday morning I went for a lovely ride – all windy and autumnal leaves everywhere and then down to FP’s. We went out for dinner with some of his friends to this absolutely fantastic Indian. It’s the second time I’ve been and I’ve eaten veggie both times. This time I had something with mango and spinach – just mouth-watering. Tonight I am driving back down to Clanfield for this wedding tomorrow. This is an ex of FP’s who seems a right gold-digger who is vacillating about marrying some rich geezer with MS and constantly (I mean constantly) falling in and out with him. I don’t know how some people seem to relish endless arguments and traumas. Anyway – it’s currently on. Apparently she thinks she looks like the late Jill Dando. I’ll tell you the score after I’ve seen her.

On Wednesday I’ve got the day off and I am taking J2 to get his hair cut and packing Christmas presents (round 1).