Sunday 30 June 2013

Bloggers are Brilliant!

Thanks so much to everyone who came to the party, brought gorgeous food and lovely gifts and were such fun to be with.  There's less food left over than you might think, we scoffed a lot of it for supper last night and it's surprising, the inroads 31* people can make into a 20lb ham.

A few of you had not met, so I promised to put up links to all the bloggers who came.  So here's the guest list, starting with those who'd travelled furthest -

Dinahmow

Zig

Mig and Barney

PixieMum and Ian

Blue Witch (or, if that link doesn't work, try this one) and Mr BW

Mike and Ann

Indigo Roth

Sir Bruin and Liz, the Small Bear

Janerowena

Rog and Mrs Rine, with Lily and Holly

Roses and Lawrence

as well as most of the family, ie

our daughter, Weeza, her husband Phil and their children, Zerlina, nearly 5 and Augustus, nearly 2

our elder son Al, his wife Dilly and their children, Squiffany, 8, Pugsley, 6 3/4 and Hadrian, 2.

We acquired two more guests, in fact, another Mike and Ann, who happened to call in and were promptly given drinks and invited to stay for lunch. Luckily, the children didn't mind sharing seats and cutlery and I didn't have to scout around for more.

However, this is an old house and the walls are pretty elastic, so those of you who could not make it this year will be most welcome next time.

Di, Zig, Mig and Barney stayed for a couple of nights and therefore did a great deal of the work and many thanks to them, especially at the last when they remembered when to take things out of the oven on time, and afterwards when sterling duty was done at the kitchen sink.  The dishwasher was put into service six times yesterday, but there was still a lot of hand washing-up.

There were many highlights of the day and watching (and listening to) you all getting on so well was the most rewarding part.  I must especially mention Indigo, who only visited my blog for the first time a couple of weeks ago (I'd been lurking a bit longer on his) but came a long way to meet us, and Jane, who isn't even a blogger but was willing to make friends with lots of them!  Di came all the way from Australia, via Wiltshire where she's staying with Zig.  All the others were here last year (except Holly, a feisty little lass who explained to Ben that she may be smaller than him but she's in charge).

The personal highlight for me - and, I suspect Weeza, who watched gleefully, was my first ever ride on a motorbike.  I was highly gratified to be able to squeeze into Liz's jacket and relieved that I was able to swing my leg very high indeed (I'm only little) to climb on board.  It was great.  Sir B was very gentle with me and slowed right down for the bends, and I took great care to lean as far as he did and no further.  Here is the proof -




Not that you can exactly see it's me, but I assure you it is.  And you can see that the wall is still standing and that the flower bed is doing nicely.

There are more photos to surface in the next few days, I'm sure, not that I took any but I spotted several cameras.  Here's an example, of me opening a bottle that had defeated both Russell and Zig -


Yup.  As I explained, I've never met a bottle I couldn't open.  What is quite odd is that the kitchen is way on the huh but I'm pretty well upright.  No, I can't explain that at all.

The most memorable event for those who stayed on was the sight of Blue Witch having to remove her trousers, which were soaked in wee.  Not that she took them off in front of us, of course.  It would have been good if, being already wet, she'd kept the tortoise on her lap and not let it widdle on my carpet, but she did bear the brunt of it.  Those who witnessed the event (I was just out of the room and just heard the cry of "Don't drop the tortoise!" [she didn't]) said that they had no idea a tortoise of that size contained that much liquid, estimated at half a mugful.

Ben isn't particularly well behaved, admittedly, though I thought he acquitted himself pretty well under the exciting circumstances, but it'll be the last time a tortoise is invited to my house.  Unless it's a blogging tortoise, of course.

*After my faux pas yesterday, I felt I had to count the vegetarians, but of course they didn't eat the ham.  So it was 29.

24 comments:

Rog said...

Thanks again for a brilliant outing - it was the best so far! Really enjoyed it!

And you were very brave to be tonning it down the Halesworth By-Pass I thought.

And it's lucky none of the non-vegetarians mistook the tortoise for a crunchy meat pie.

Z said...

Sir B is very fond of a meat pie, it's true.

janerowena said...

Thank you so much, I enjoyed it very much. It has reinforced my opinion that bloggers are very nice people. House, lunch, people all amazing, but I really wished I had remembered to have a look at the wall - and wish I could have stayed long enough to witness the bike ride.

Unknown said...

Quite agree with Rog. It was a lovely day. We both thoroughly enjoyed it. The high spot of the day was watching you (in very svelte looking leathers) disappearing down the drive on Sir Bruin's pillion seat. Is it true, as Ann says, that it was you first time at motor cycling ? A thoroughly good sporting effort if so.
Thanks again from us both - Mike and Ann.

Unknown said...

P.s. Hadn't heard about the tortoise. I think it must have happened after we left. Whose tortoise was it?

Unknown said...

Glad you had a great time!! xx

Liz said...

Where did the tortoise come from?

It sounds as though you are a more enthusiastic pillion passenger than me.

I'm looking forward to checking out a few new blogs. Thanks again for hosting.

Z said...

Come again, Jane and I'll proudly show you every brick. Not that I laid them all, our friend Dave taught me everything I know about bricklaying and it's his wall as much as ours.

I've never so much as sat on a scooter before, Mike. I am trying to suppress dreams of learning to ride a motorbike...yes, Liz, I enjoyed riding pillion, but I'm the ambitious type. However, they're jolly big to climb aboard!

Russell was given a tortoise as a retirement present, having long wanted one. Blue Witch hankers after a tortoise too, so I was despatched to fetch it. The surprise of being brought indoors seemed to release control of bladder and bowel, unfortunately...

I love our blog parties, John - just wish you could join us, though I understand the difficulties.

Sir Bruin said...

There was a tortoise? Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside - yum! It was a very fine afternoon and I'm pleased to note the implied invitation to next year's at the top of your post.

Z said...

No wonder she was shitting herself, Sir B!

Yes, you're invited next year. Do bring the bike...

Indigo Roth said...

Hey Z! Not at all; thanks for letting me invite myself. It was lovely to meet new friends. And as Arnold said, I'll be back ;) Ooooh, glad you got to ride the bike! Indigo x

Blue Witch said...

I wish it to be known that the tortoise only started weeing as I handed it to Mr BW. Hence, it only weed down my trouser leg and over your carpet and (luckily) not in my lap. It only started pooing after Mr BW had hold of it.

I was impressed that Z, as she mopped her carpet, kindly smelt my leg to see how bad the tortoise wee was. Amazingly it didn't smell at all (then or later).

I think it was the idea of having to have tortoise sex with Mr BW's childhood tortoise (now 60-odd and residing with Sister Mr BW) to make me a baby tortoise that did it.

Given that Rog had the misfortune of sitting next to me, I'm somewhat surprised at his comment ;)

And, I'm amazed that *any* of you could eat anything for supper!

We did see the three-legged pig on our way home. And some mad mad driving/overtaking in the 50mph zones.

Thanks again for a great afternoon.

Blue Witch said...

Oh - and - I'd recognise that badly photoshopped registration plate anywhere ;)

Blue Witch said...

Oh yes, and, given that I can't comment on any of the blogs of anyone else there, I need to ask Mike if he has managed to idnetify that shrub in the churchyard yet (I meant to talk to him about it but forgot), and to ask Rog (who, it transpired in conversation, has been reading my blog unbeknown to me for years and years) if he has comments box aliases? There are a couple of occasional commentators who I've never been able to identify and I now have my suspicions...

Z said...

My contribution is hosting the party, the guests' is having to invite themselves! Lovely to meet you, first of many times I trust.

BW, considering that the first time we met I wouldn't let you leave for hours, I'm not at all surprised by Rog's comment. And I've eaten three square meals today, plus delicious chocolate brownies, and am nearly square myself now in consequence.

mig said...

The party was brilliant - but we all knew it would be, all the other guests were delightful (especially the glamorous canine ones)- but we expected that too, you and Russell were lovely, the food was fabulous, For those of us lucky enough to stay over, the beds, breakfast and coffee were fabulous, everything was wonderful and on top of all that there was a tortoise with projectile wee which is possibly the funniest thing I've sen in twenty years. Thirty years. Ever!
Please invite the tortoise to all future blog parties (I'm sure the film rights would be worth a fortune).
Thank you darling Z for yet another wonderful blog party. xxx

Roses said...

Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon.

It was so good to see everyone.

And we did get the cooker hood!

Z said...

I'm not sure the tortoise will accept the invitation, Mig!

Next week, I have time to come and lend a hand if you like, Roses? Oh, hang on, Rosemarie. How come I didn't notice that change earlier? Anyway, hooray for cooker hood!

martina said...

A projectile weeing tortoise? Now that is hysterical! Loved reading the guests' blogs. What is the name of the tortoise?

Z said...

The tortoise doesn't have a name as yet and it's not really up to me to give her one, since she belongs to Russell. I'm trying quite hard not to think of her as Edweena.

Zig said...

'twas so lovely, lovely Z and R. I plan to be with you next year if that's ok! Hope you caught the chicken! XxX

Blue Witch said...

Edweena, definitely, then you can Curry her if she's naughty. I understand it's a delicacy in the Sayshells.

Z said...

You get giant tortoises there, as I remember, BW. As well as rude coconuts.

dinahmow said...

Just got back to London today.I wasn't really being rude!
It was a lovely house party.Thank you so much, Z and R and I'm sorry about the alarm!