X’s wife has upped and left him – taking the girls with her. She’s evidently into women’s revolution (and has put on 300 lbs in 3 years – I can’t believe she was right but even if she’s now 300 lbs it’s more than vast).
I think the last straw was his borrowing a large amount of money at high commission without telling her. Sadly he’s a born liar and I think always has been.
Isn’t it a hoot about X remarrying – I had a lovely long letter from her last week. I have met her new husband and he’s a dear – she says, ‘he’s 70, alas, but then I’m no chicken’! She’s terribly happy and her family delighted.
I really am glad for X he didn’t have to go on lingering like that – there’s still an empty space in the house tho’.
I gave X a small bottle of Aramis Eau de Cologne for Christmas. Very expensive but the best $12 I’ve spent or ages – it’s the most seductive fabulous pong – have you smelt it?
X has told her if she doesn’t go and ‘do’ the garden at their previous home, he’ll get someone to do it and send her the bill! He’s overseas at present I think.
I can’t say too often how important it is to avoid being vindictive – there are invariably 2 sides to every argument. You can try but there will be a lot of frayed bits – SO SAD.
What a productive night – we’ve frozen 1/2 the self-seeded crop of broad beans, ‘done’ the ginger beer, and now I’m writing to you while he cleans the shoes – if we carry on like this we might even reach the elusive goal of ORGANISATION!!!
Did I tell you about the sheep with a head at both ends? The maternity wing of the farm was next door again for a while and one day I saw the head of a lamb arrive. Nothing else happened and the ewe went on grazing in-between pawing the ground a bit, so I phoned the farmer who came down with his dog and crook and chased the poor thing round and round with the lamb twitching its ears and apparently quite interested. Eventually he caught a leg and the ewe dragged him flat on his back, quite some way, (he’s a tidy weight and rising 70) but he couldn’t get it out, its leg was caught. Then his wife drove up the drive immaculate in white and he expected her to join in the tussle as her hand was smaller. She v. reasonably declined until she’d changed, so he drove the poor thing up to the house, where she managed to get it out just when they’d decided they’d have to kill the ewe, so all was well.
I’ll certainly see if I can get a ‘frugal cooking’ – I’m so idle about my cooking I think it’s pretty frugal anyway – but we weren’t tonight which was a little shaming as it’s Ash Wednesday. We had pancakes for lunch as I forgot them yesterday – cheese ones first then lemon and honey – and as X’s last night home we had chicken legs with sauté potatoes and pear, nectarines and cream – now it’s on paper I think I am more ashamed of it! But it was very nice!
I felt absolutely flattened and a head threatening. I left their coffee ready and went to bed after dinner – and quite stupidly took half a pound of Continental chocs to bed with me – the result was a roaring migraine for 24 hours (not helped by the fact it was self-induced!!)
She’s my bete noir, thoroughly ungracious and unattractive, poor dear is huge, practically as broad as she’s long, and I suspect a lot of behaviour comes from this, foolish of her as she has super hair and could look quite attractive if she lost about 4 stone, but eats and eats, even Weight Watchers failed as she didn’t keep to the rules.
Christmas didn’t do much for the figure, I’ve gone up to 12 again, however now the kids are back at school I’m back on egg for breakfast, yog for lunch, no spuds and fresh fruit – ONE day I’ll be that elusive 9 1/2 stone – don’t know when tho’!
She’d just finished a 4 day fast too and she looks ‘as different again’. I hope it inspires her to keep up more exercise and less temptations in the food line! I might well take heed of that myself too, I was looking at some old photograph albums t’other day, and was amazed how much better I looked when I was half a stone lighter – and 10 years younger!
We’ve just had a celebration tea with homemade meringues and lots of cream (I’ll start slimming Monday!) Has everyone gone bran mad in England? The doctor said I should eat 6 tablespoons for breakfast – I think I should have worked up to it slowly – it did disastrous things to my inside! I am baking wholemeal bread tho’ – I’d forgotten how simple it was – far easier than going to the village for it.
THank you for The birtHbay PreSEht. I got a gLibEr to Make, a FiLm for my view-MaSter and Mr. Snow: A book. THey Are ALL LoveLy.
Thank you for the nice Mr. Bouncy. I like Bouncing on Him. one of my top teeth Hasz come out. and I Have another woBly one. I wish you a happy Christmas. Love form …
Thank-you very much for the weights fishing scissors and strap for my goggles I went snorkeling at the sea today and had lots of fun the weights will be useful for fishing here because I will be doing quite alot of warf fishing and the weight will sink my hooks to the bottom and the scissors will be useful to cut my line instead of having to bit it of. I got lots of other lovely things for my birthday like a chain a bow and arrow two Peter Devlin books a revolving earoplane and lots lots more. [Does the revolving earoplane clean wax out?!]
I do greatly appreciate the weekly Guardian: I won’t say I read every word – for some reason the extracts from Le Monde attract me less than the rest – perhaps I have a deep prejudice against the rationality of the French or something. But the English and American bits contain so much good writing that it’s a joy apart from safeguarding us from insularity! Not to mention the crossword and the bridge articles which weekly confound us with the brilliance of other people’s memories and powers of deduction.
thank-you for the crystal garden it looks most interesting. Sorry I am writing so late but I had to go to camp. At camp Mr X our teaCher fell out of his canoe twice. I was able to do archery and canoeing. I got a lot of nice things for my birthday I got a army tank for my action man. Hope you are well.? Last night we got our new table with the money that Y left it is an oak table. I am in std four this year
Thun you for the whoonsy thinG and I will wear my jersey at school.
The magnifying glass and book ware interesting. I injoyde looking at it. and thank you vrey much. We are going to a ci5rcus in three weekes I am looking forwards to seeing the trapeze. christmas day was fun
Thank you very much for ‘Nobody Nowhere’ which sounds an interesting book to get stuck into, and for the nice photo and your card. … We have just had the morning post, which included a small square parcel for me, which proved to be a piece of Turkish Delight, rather squashed and not really my favourite thing anyway – sent me by X for my birthday. So that is another letter to write before lunch, besides the one I planned for Y.
I need a short coat to replace a simply horrible one I’ve had 4 years – very warm and perfect condition but looks like a size 20 altered – which it is – does nothing for my morale!
I must tell you from X’s last letter the garb of one of her American lecturers – red socks, no shoes, red and black stripy vest and clashing red shorts!
I bought myself a super sleeveless jacket with reveres in white polyester – which they called a sleeveless blazer, but I wore it with my grey tiered cotton skirt last night – I thought it looked pretty snazzy myself.
I also finished my startling scarlet top – like the one in green you liked – and am very pleased with it and wore it to the Xs last night. She has gone a bit gay and bought a super woollen smock from an arty shop which looked v. nice. She also had a woollen-weave in black and gay colours skirt made but bought a silk coffee-coloured blouse to go with it – but it doesn’t.
X has a slight blonde haze on his chin and lip, I thought he really ought to start shaving, only to find he’s hoping to grow a beard by next month as the girls’ school has asked him to be Arthur in Camelot!!! I was glad I hadn’t remarked on it!
In my effort to get rid of things I advertised my knitting machine. I got one answer and expected to get some $250 for it with table and all the books and wool winder – and got $25. I phoned all round and they’re v. difficult to sell but it was in perfect condition, if basic. I was quite sad to see it go – but haven’t used it for yonks.
I think all these friends and acquaintances dying off make me realise more than ever we’re in that range for unfortunate occurrences. We’re both trying to get rid of junk etc. I’ve decided to take on some help again chiefly because I can’t face up to the idea of spring cleaning which hasn’t been done for years.
X allowed me to come into her garage and have a big clear out a month afterwards. I spent 5×9-hour days tidying and throwing the odd thing away! We gave away or threw away 3/4 of the gear!! Quite an achievement – X was very good and stayed away most of the time allowing me to work through it all.
I decided to sort out my famous drawer of stamps – I got in an awful mess of piles of this and that and about midnight started being a bit ruthless, came across a cut out embossed one of Queen Victoria – the kind you get on stamped PO envelopes. I must have cut it out in my youth, it was right round the edge of it, and out it went. Within days I saw in the paper the first embossed stamp of QV was now worth £2,000. I don’t know which printing it was but could have wept. X very kindly sieved the whole of the incinerator, and then undid all his little parcels of garbage in the dustbin, to no avail. Ah well, I suppose it was unlikely it was the right issue.
I felt quite flattened after 9 days of dear little X and Y and her American friend for 5 of them. X is really delicious but totally time-consuming – so good and very intelligent tho’ he only has a few words. I think he enjoyed being king of the castle for once and not having to fight his brother for everything. I took him to the family service one Sunday. For half the time he sat in angelic silence but once he felt at home he walked up and down the pew and took a great liking to one of the young fathers who he clutched affectionately round the neck.
We had the family to lunch yesterday which was a trifle exhausting, though taken one by one they are all delightful small boys. I can’t think how she survives them all the time. Three Labrador puppies would be easier to cope with.
We went down to the X’s of course for lunch, passing at least 2 parks in which fathers were sitting with hordes of screaming children round them.
I’d be ashamed to leave the house: the children have wrecked their walls – I don’t remember you all being so destructive – apart from X who drew on all the hall walls when we were at Y, and X had to repaint them. (It was she who scratched her new wallpaper – aged 13 or 14 too – as I reminded her when her oldest tore a strip off his new wallpaper in the first week!) However perhaps I’ve given you all awful inhibitions with fierceness.
X is bumptious, rude, too clever by half and rather adorable!
X was trying to work a little helicopter thing his grandfather gave him (you know those things you pull a string and they take off). He wasn’t being very successful so GF decided to show him how, only to have the thing sail over the house, accompanied by X’s bitter comment ‘Now you’ve done it’! Luckily it landed the other side.
I told you about X’s black eye and the dr’s comment of being a ‘bloody stupid thing to do’ and her rejoinder that ‘very’ would do – and anyway it wasn’t bleeding!
I had X for the inside or a week, and he very earnestly told us at lunch one day that he thought Mummy was going to get a new baby soon, ‘I think she’s going to buy it at a shop’, I suppose it’s because he’s the youngest he doesn’t know better, the other two are very up in the subject!
She’s still as embarrassingly loving as ever, she attacked the vicar when he came to see me about something t’other day. I’m WAITING for her to grow out out of it – I can’t think of any way to stop her without giving her hang-ups. She’s also taken to having some terrific paddies, every toy was thrown out of the dolls’ cot the other day, the smack helped me but had absolutely no effect on her. However after about 10 minutes screaming, she came out of her room, pleasant as ever, gave me a big hug and said sorry for the noise and carried on as though nothing had happened.
The first of a new show X is hosting – 4 critics of various media – very good – nice and relaxed and unjolly. He looks so much better now he’s abandoned his toupee and has short back and sides (and no top!)
We were having an ice cream cone and my crown came off my front tooth – I looked v. nasty – praise be my dentist was kind and fitted me in next morning. He’s now away for 3 months – so I hope it lasts that long. I don’t like him and don’t think he’s all that good at finding holes – I actually have to tell him – but he made such an excellent half plate for X, I feel I must stay with him in case I need one (sad day that will be!)
We thought she’d be staying a night or weekend but found she’d planned a 2 week visit. She’s an amazing person actually – she must be 76-ish – absolutely exhausted us. She’s evidently a graduate from Reading, horticulturist, violinist and pianist – this came out bit-bit only. She also had a motorbike back in the 1920’s when it must have been quite amazing for a woman. It was rather sad actually as I think her visit to her son was not a success – I don’t think they got on and living alone she talks non-stop and knows it but can’t stop!
I have had my hair all cut off – never before has it been shorter than X’s and completely but completely straight and grey – I had second trim yesterday and felt so self-conscious I wouldn’t go out in the evening and feel I should get a wig. It’s the first time in 43 years I‘ve had straight hair.
I fear Mrs. X has misguidedly worked madly to give family all the things they didn’t have. I think they’ve all had anything they wanted and they had to go to town to potter round the shops the first Saturday home as there were definite withdrawal symptoms.
Filed words 