Z loses it again

I've been losing things again. I thought I was all set for this afternoon's meeting, until I looked for the paperwork, which the chairman had gone through with me thoroughly last Thursday. It could only have been in one of three rooms, but I couldn't find it. I quickly eliminated the drawing room, because it was quite tidy and anything out of place would have been obvious. The kitchen was also tidy by my standards, so a search didn't take long. The study took longer. Ages. I'd been going through some papers over the weekend, so the usual vertical structure had been disturbed - and then, when I was printing out the address labels for our auction catalogue, with one page to go the printer decided it had run out of ink (my old printer was polite enough to squeeze out just enough ink, but this one is a beast, although it's the same make) and I had to take a tottering pile of *stuff I need* off it to open it up. Eventually, I gave up and went and searched all the places I'd already looked and then, as a last resort, looked at the place the Sage keeps Stuff in the kitchen, and there it was.

At the meeting, amongst other matters, we discussed the recent Ofsted inspection - the result is officially out today, although it's the last day of term, so the pupils and parents haven't heard it yet. At a later stage in the meeting, I mentioned the recent school production of Jesus Christ, Superstar, which was superbly done. The Head said that he'd firmly led the inspector in to a rehearsal -"just for five minutes" he told his colleagues. Forty-five minutes later, they sent for him. He declared it "Outstanding." "You can tell he works for Ofsted," mused a governor. "Anyone else would have said 'Great, superb'". "I expect he says that to his wife, too," I added "when she serves a particularly delicious meal". The Head looked a bit alarmed. "I wondered what you were going to say then". I can't deny it, the first thought that had come into my mind was a touch less suitable for a governors' meeting. However, as ever I went on the attack. "You'd not have thought that if Mary had said it," I accused.

Later, I chatted to Dilly, and told her about my missing papers. It wouldn't have mattered if I hadn't been chairing the meeting, but I'd have been stuffed without them. I told her where they had been found "Ah. That was me. I cleared the kitchen table on Saturday for lunch...sorry". I assured her that I didn't mind at all. I was only glad that it wasn't I who had put them in the wrong place.

Lunch with my luncheon club, for I am that sort of Laydee, tomorrow. Actually, it will be a sad occasion. One of our number, a lovely person whom we'd known for nearly twenty years, died last week following a fall down concrete steps. Although in her 80s, she was in good health and cheerful spirits and it's been a great shock for us all. We particularly feel for her sister, who was with her at the time.