Saturday 24 February 2007

If a post rambles, is it a walking stick?

A quiet Saturday at home. I came downstairs and opened the post. I was excited to discover the seeds I ordered from Pl@nts of D1st1nct1ion had arrived, only four days after I ordered them. It is a splendid small Suffolk company which offers lots of different pepper (capsicum) varieties and pages and pages of old-fashioned tomatoes, as well as the usual stuff. It was hard to know where to start with my choices and I was late with the order.

I was taken aback when I opened the next envelope. "Are you" it enquired boldly "over 65 and looking to broaden your social circle?" The envelope was hand-addressed, which made it all seem a bit pointed. "No" I said in a small voice.

When I had another look in the envelope, it transpires that this is a service being set up by the County Council and was sent to me as local WRVS organiser. It's a sort of telephone-based friendship club for more-or-less housebound people - "phone-in coffee mornings" are among the delights offered. It's an interesting* idea, I wonder if it will take off. I can't think it would appeal to me, but if I was alone with no one to talk to, I might feel differently.

We've forked over about half of the vegetable garden and I've sowed more seeds in the greenhouse. Not outdoors yet, I'll let the soil warm up a little more first. I looked at one pepper variety. 'Georgia Flame'. Sweet pepper or chilli? I wondered. I put a seed in my mouth to taste. Mm, pretty hot... I took it out again and sowed it. I've looked at the catalogue since and the variety is from the Republic of Georgia rather than the American state.

Dilly and the children have had a sociable day. First her parents arrived. I bobbed out from the greenhouse to say hello and inveigled them in to see my little nursery. Later, her sister arrived with her two small children. They decided to go to the village playing field. "Hello Granny," shouted Squiffany, excitedly. "We going to the SWINGS."

A friend called in, to pick up a pair of Meissen figurines which the Sage's china restorer had mended for them. While they were on holiday, a pigeon came down their drawing-room chimney and, poor creature, made a terrible mess of things before dying of thirst on the floor. What a sight to come home to. Horrible.

They have been beautifully mended and he was very pleased with them. He and his wife moved from the village about a year ago; not too far away but I haven't seen them much since. He is one of the most good-looking men I've ever known. He's frankly gorgeous. He and his wife - who is tiny, slim and very pretty - are a couple of years older than I am and he's going grey now, but this takes nothing from his appearance. Not that I'm knocking the Sage, who looks good himself (even if bald!), but I couldn't be married to a man who was so much more attractive than I am. I'd be eternally intimidated.

Tilly has got off the armchair and I can feel her looking at me. She is too polite to speak, but she would like her dinner please, as soon as I'm ready. I will go straightaway.

*'Interesting' is one of those words to use when you don't want to damn it but really can think of nothing to enthuse about.

5 comments:

y.Wendy.y said...

I agree with you about being married to a gorgeous man. (Even if you were only joking...)

I have had only 2 really handsome men in my life and they were egotistical, arrogant sods. The normal pleasant-looking men always seem to be nicer people.

Like your use of interesting, btw...yes what else can one say? It fits perfectly.

Z said...

I didn't mean anything disparaging about my friend, who is delightful and seems quite unaware of his good looks. Some gorgeous people (men and women) can think it makes them special, can't they.

dharmabum said...

thank god i'm quite ordinary to look at - atleast, thats one less reason for girls to think i am a sod :))

jokes apart, ur garden sounds so lovely. i'd like to come eat some pepper out of it someday ;o)

A wildlife gardener said...

thanks for visiting my blog. I really must take a leaf out of your book and start growing more veggies. So far this year I've bought artichoke, fennel, parsley and dill seeds. I'll keep dipping into your blog for inspiration.

Z said...

D'bum - modesty is also a most attractive quality!

My garden is so informal that it's positively unkempt. I declare that it is to attract wildlife. But I do grow some good organic veggies!

Wild g - I read your comment on Diamond Geezer and thought your blog sounded really interesting. There's nothing like homegrown food, but I should grow more flowers to attract butterflies. We'll inspire each other!