Wonderful Weekend... and then Monday.
The trouble with having a really, really fab weekend is that it makes Monday morning come as an even greater shock to the system. Returned home from Kate Walker's wonderful 50th book celebrations in Lincoln feeling tired but still totally on a high from good food, great conversation, lots and lots of laughs and much hugging... It was a really, really special event, and I'm going to write a proper in-depth report (including, especially for Amanda Ashby, an exclusive photo of Kate's gorgeous shoes...) on the blog at my very own website, so please come over and visit me there just as soon as it's up and running-- which should be in the next day or so....
(Did anyone hear the echo of hollow, malevolent laughter then? Unfortunately web design is one of the many things I am dismally bad at. Like tennis. And algebra. And reading Homer's Iliad in the original. Which brings me back to Monday morning, and work....)
Felt staggeringly untogether as a result of bunking off maternal duties for the weekend, and gulitily waved the children off to school while trying not to notice that their dresses were unironed and one of them was wearing odd socks. Luckily, did not have to dwell on this for too long as diversion came in the form of a lunch date with Annie and a large glass of wine, after which trauma of web design had subsided a little and some of the weekend's glow had returned...
Euphoria was shortlived, however. Daughter #3 arrived home laden down with additional baggage, signalling that the Class 1 mascot-- Poppy Bear-- has come to stay. This is very bad news. Rather like Queen Elizabeth 1's royal progress around the stately homes of hapless sixteenth century nobility, Poppy Bear's residence is demanding in the extreme. Every detail of her stay, along with photographic evidence, must be recorded in 'Poppy Bear's Diary', a task which Daughter #3 always undertakes with painful honesty, ruthlessly exposing all my parental shortcomings. Prospect of a week spent catching up on book (desperately neglected of late) and constructing website while children slouch in front of television, surviving on various toast-based meals, instantly evaporates as Poppy emerges from her backpack and is installed by the fruit bowl (empty apart from two blackened bananas) gazing at me beadily.
She has been left on my desk today so I can keep an eye on her while daughters are at school.
However, have the very unnerving feeling that she is keeping an eye on me, so have given her some reading to do while I get on with website.
(Did anyone hear the echo of hollow, malevolent laughter then? Unfortunately web design is one of the many things I am dismally bad at. Like tennis. And algebra. And reading Homer's Iliad in the original. Which brings me back to Monday morning, and work....)
Felt staggeringly untogether as a result of bunking off maternal duties for the weekend, and gulitily waved the children off to school while trying not to notice that their dresses were unironed and one of them was wearing odd socks. Luckily, did not have to dwell on this for too long as diversion came in the form of a lunch date with Annie and a large glass of wine, after which trauma of web design had subsided a little and some of the weekend's glow had returned...
Euphoria was shortlived, however. Daughter #3 arrived home laden down with additional baggage, signalling that the Class 1 mascot-- Poppy Bear-- has come to stay. This is very bad news. Rather like Queen Elizabeth 1's royal progress around the stately homes of hapless sixteenth century nobility, Poppy Bear's residence is demanding in the extreme. Every detail of her stay, along with photographic evidence, must be recorded in 'Poppy Bear's Diary', a task which Daughter #3 always undertakes with painful honesty, ruthlessly exposing all my parental shortcomings. Prospect of a week spent catching up on book (desperately neglected of late) and constructing website while children slouch in front of television, surviving on various toast-based meals, instantly evaporates as Poppy emerges from her backpack and is installed by the fruit bowl (empty apart from two blackened bananas) gazing at me beadily.
She has been left on my desk today so I can keep an eye on her while daughters are at school.
However, have the very unnerving feeling that she is keeping an eye on me, so have given her some reading to do while I get on with website.
Wish me luck.
Labels: India
posted by Unknown at 10:13 am
9 Comments:
It was wonderful to see you at the party, India - I had a fabulous time and I'm glad you did too.
So looking forward to seeing the offical web site - about time too!
And I'm sure that Poppy Bear is having a great time with you - perhaps you should introduce her to Ruby? I'll bet she's enjoying reading your book! (I was thrilled to note that PB is leaning back against a couple of my own books behind her!)
Kate
What fun, a peek at a writer's desk top. I note the champagne bottle, Emma Bridgewater mug full of pencils - obviously not the lucky mug - The Italian's Defiant Mistress, your favourite Presents, Rogets', and of course cute little P.B. looking absolutely engrossed, and happily so. He won't want to go back, you know!
Bring on the website!
Ooops, I think P.B. is female. Why do stuffies always look male to me...?
Well spotted, eagle eyed Kate! The raft of your books appear in the second picture (taken this morning) as I'd just had a quick tidy and gathered them all up from where they'd been scattered all over the desk!! (What's the betting that when I go back up in a minute with my cup of tea that pesky bear will have cast aside my book and be reading one of yours?!)
Poppy is definitely a girl, Eva. Usually she wears a pink knitted dress, but I peeled it off when she arrived yesterday and deposited it in the washing basket. Probably by now she'll have discovered the pink feather boa that Annie bought me when I got published, and be languishing on the desk in that, reading some Kate Walker...
(do you think we might be corrupting her?)
I know that story well--and must ask: is it right to allow P.B. to read this novel?
After all, the author did such a delicious job of creating a hero that there's no way that P.B. shan't be telling all of the girls about Raphael (not to mention some very sizzling scenes) that I do believe the boys in school will be hard-pressed to compete.
And really, is that fair to the weaker sex?
You know, I think PB should have her own diary page on your website.
And I hope the photographic evidence of her excellent choice of reading material will be in the diary that goes back to class...
My daughter delights in telling her teacher when I haven't helped her with her homework (mummy was drunk again, Miss), so goodness knows what would happen if PB ever managed to find its way downunder?
Anyway, good luck with the website - says she who has experienced that particular form of insanity and is now off to post you some medicinal chocoalte to help with the recovery process.
Oh, and I can't wait to see Kate's party shoes. I think her next twelve point guide should be to share a few of shopping tips!!!!!!
The thought of PB coming to visit my house makes me shudder.
I am looking forward to your website and blog.
It was wonderful being able to chat with you at the weekend.
Thank you all for your sympathy over the website hideousness and the trauma of entertaining PB! Brown, I know it's not really suitable reading for a small bear, but I figured if she was shocked enough she might just forget all the (other) evidence of bad parenting she's seen this week!
Kate, don't even GO THERE with the diary page! And I think that photo is one that's best left out of the book this time! We have plenty of others (about 572 actually... Poppy having breakfast, Poppy in the garden... Poppy with her paws over her ears as India Grey speaks to the website people...)
Amanda, I am SO going to suggest to Class 1's teacher that PB comes on an educational visit to NZ. (though what she might learn there is anyone's guess, what with all the drinking that goes on in your house!)
It was lovely to see you too Michelle-- though with the frustrating week I'm having and the awful weather the weekend seems such a long time ago! Could we do it all again this weekend do you think?!
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