Saturday 21 August 2010

Look what happens when Z is left alone

I'm not entirely alone, in truth.  Squiffany is, I hope, asleep upstairs.  That is, she's certainly in bed upstairs, all has been quiet since I kissed her and put her light out, so I hope she's asleep.  This is an important night for young Squiff, because her first tooth has come out and she's wondering if the tooth fairy will call.  The fairies have been pretty busy in the garden in the last few days and spent their nights (according to Dave) getting drunkenly stoned, but a Saturday night is a good one for getting back to business.

I haven't had dinner yet, either.  I can't decide what to have.  There's not a lot to choose from - all sorts in the freezer (not the liquorice sort, don't be like that - though actually, the thought made me remember the proper hard chewy liquorice sticks that are in a box that I've been slowly going through for the last year, with Ro's help, so I've just been to fetch one) and I'll probably end up eating an egg or two.  Bantam eggs aren't very large.

That reminds me, I'm often woken by the sound of clucking in the morning - by the chickens, darlings, whatever mental image do you have of my husband? - but all was silent today.  I went outside and didn't see any chooks, either.  So, I fetched their breakfast and went out nervously, a bit worried about what I might find.  One bantam came to greet me on the lawn, so I threw her some soaked bread and went, even more anxiously, to their run - which they can easily get out of.  I didn't shut them up last night, either - some of them roost in the trees and, as it's all so open, they're actually safer, many of them, left to their own devices.  The Sage can persuade them all inside, but I can't.  Anyway, although there were only a few there, they were alive and well, so I went back to the lawn and started calling, and within a few minutes fifteen of them were hurrying for their breakfast.  So that was all right.  However, they were noticeably quiet all day, and I can only think that the reason was the strong southerly wind (might be south-south-west) which was unusually warm and might have unsettled them out of their usual habits.  About twenty came for lunch and fifteen for tea (more probably arrived after I'd gone) so all is well.

I spent some time this afternoon with my pruning saw, which was hard work in this heat.  I was quite hot, although fairly unbothered, when I came back indoors.  I'm afraid I've left all the wood for the aforementioned fairies to clear up, but I assured them that it can wait a couple of days, I know they have other things to do over the weekend.

Anyway, what I'm coming to is that I've finally signed up for Facebook.  Absurdly, I'm so reluctant to do so that I've felt unable to use my actual name, so I didn't approach anyone, as they wouldn't recognise me.  However, I'll tell you, darlings (if you would like to work out why I'm quite happy to put all sorts of stuff here when I'm not via Facebook, I'd be interested to know.  Needless to say, I didn't put down my actual birthdate either).  I was going to put my initial plus my surname until I found that searches are done, rather as you'd expect, by surname.  So I've gone for one I've always rather hankered after after seeing it on the credits of a TV programme some 30 years ago.  It starts and ends with Z and has un in the middle.  I suspect there is only one of them (haven't looked), with three zeds, and it is I.

You are most welcome to come along, darlings, though I'll quite understand if you think I'm too odd for words.  I now have only to work out how to explain to my face-to-face friends (won't say real life, this is as real life as I get) who have sent me invitations why I am not who they expect me to be.

I don't enter into the spirit of things at all, do I?  Truth is, I'm not actually a joiner.  I'm a solitary, miserable fool by inclination.  Except as far as you're concerned, where I'm friendly and stuff.

22 comments:

How do we know said...

how can one NOT smile at this post.. how does one find you on facebook please?

Z said...

I really am feeling a fool, I mean, discretion can only go so far.

Actually, since I've gone for maximum privacy settings, I don't know. I think the best thing to do is send an email to the address I use on my profile here, with your Facebook name and I'll reply to it.

Absurdly, again, I chose to use the email that I only look at a couple of times a week. I despair of me, I really do. Especially as I suspect I'll love Facebook when I get going. I suppose I can always open an account in my real name.

Unknown said...

Two of my grandchildren put me on facebook a few months ago. I haven't really got the hang of it yet though. It's not nearly as much fun as blogging, although I have played two games of scrabble on it. Lost one by a couple of points, and am being thrashed by second daughter in the other game.
Oh well!!! Cheers, Mike.

Z said...

When my children lived at home, they refused, in the end, to play me at Scrabble as they thought I took advantage of knowing the rules (ie, I'd learned the two-letter words). But that was a long time ago, and without a dictionary.

Anonymous said...

The tooth fairies - what actually is their job? There was something called the "Zahn-Fee", a direct translation, but - at least in my memory and what I saw over the last years with children, it never rooted. I think it was used to propagade tooth-hygiene or such. So it's a serious question, what the tooth lady does - what her function is.
Regarding facebook, I can not point with the finger to it, but something makes me step back. It's silly. Maybe it's a fine communication instrument. But I think I will not join this.

One should always have the possibility to take a step back.

Z said...

When a British child loses a tooth, it is placed under the pillow and, during the night, the tooth fairy exchanges it for a coin. It is not known what the fairy does with the teeth, and this leads to much speculation between the child and its parents.

I feel the same as you regarding facebook - but actually in my case, I suspect it is because it is too popular. I am reluctant to do anything that *everyone* else does, which is just a silly affectation on my part, admittedly.

Anonymous said...

Ach - "wer macht, was alle machen, der kriegt, was alle kriegen" - saied a lady in a economics-seminar once:
Do what everyone does and receive what everone receives.
The flock is not always right. I can recognize no hybris there.

So the children are rewarded for the payne by the tooth fairy when their milk-teeth (is that right, Milchzähne ?) are replaced by the lasting teeth - I remember that teeth were collected, but there was no reward. I have to look in the HdA (Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens / Lexicon (a bad translation!) of German Superstition - pretty brown (1927-1945), but a good source for materials ...

Rog said...

21st Century kids should be given "Gap" tokens.

There were loads of Zinz's on facebook when I tried to find you.

Z said...

Milk teeth, yes. And the tooth fairy did call in the night. Squiffany is very pleased. Apparently, she carefully went to sleep with her mouth open, so that the fairy could check that it really was her tooth.

Zunz, Rog darling.

Dave said...

I play Scrabble on FB with 3 of my blog-friends.

lom said...

I thought the tooth fairy build her castles with the teeth

Z said...

It's all fun with you, isn't it, Dave? Relentless work ethic, my left foot.

You could be right, Helen.

Dave said...

Fighting off senility IS hard work.

Z said...

But you're still young, Dave.

Christopher said...

But this doesn't mean you're abandoning us resolute non-Facebookies, does it?

Blue Witch said...

*makes Witchy prediction*

Another blogger prolific bites the dust, in a few weeks/months time...

Why did you finally succumb? (and I mean that in a curious way)

Anonymous said...

Emma? Emma Z?

Really?
It would be a nice little joke if a certain J.L.Borges would connect with you as "friend" ...

Dave said...

Blue Witch - I've been on FB for simply ages, and still blog every day as well.

Mind you, I made a friend request to someone with 3 Z's in their name much earlier this morning, and they STILL haven't accepted me as a friend.

Z said...

I seem to be trying to keep a foot in both camps, Chris. Can be painful there on the fence though.

I'm pretty tenacious, BW, and I don't see why I should stop blogging. I'm finding it really difficult to find time to read many blogs at present but, as you know, I'm still making the effort to do so and leave comments.

It has occurred to me that choosing a genuine, if unusual, name was a mistake, Mago. I hope lots of other Zunzes don't try to befriend me, thinking I'm one of them.

Dave, darling, I did mention a few days ago that I had quite a lot on today. I was out from 8.45 until nearly 2, and it isn't the email that is directed to my phone so I wouldn't receive it when out. That is, I suppose you get an email and don't have to check in? I'll go and look. Thank you.

Z said...

Didn't answer your question, BW - it's not a point of principle as far as I'm concerned. I haven't got anything to prove and I've got lots of friends who are on Facebook - it got to the stage that I was actually feeling quite churlish by refusing. I genuinely don't know if I'll actually use it much, as yet.

luckyzmom said...

I'm on facebook and am as active there as I am on my Blog! Maybe less so.

Z said...

Always worth waiting for though, darling.

I'm checking in every day and writing something, but haven't really found my feet yet.