Oh wow

The Sage suddenly came over all lovely tonight - not that he's normally less than, but especially.  I started it off - come on, darlings, the wife is always the catalyst for any mood, innit?  It all started when we compared diaries for the week ahead, a usual Sunday evening thing if we remember, and then I asked about the painting he bought a couple of weeks ago (I heard him showing it to Weeza when she came over, but he hadn't shown it to me!) and it turned out that he'd bought another one at the Aylsham auction the other day.  A Harry Becker, he showed that to me first - I was pretty bowled over.  A simple charcoal, of two horses pulling a plough in a field backed by trees - golly.  Quality.  My reaction emboldened him to show me the Leonard Squirrell he'd bought first...not quite so much to my taste, but I recognise the quality of that too and praised him for his purchase.  He'd also bought a little Meissen tea-strainer the other day, which I had to love.  Okay, darlings, the man has taste.  I am ignorant as can be, but I look at a lot of things and I recognise what is good.  He has impressed me, not least by going outside the norm.

Anyway, that enlivened him and we engaged with each other in a way that a long-married couple don't always.  You know what I mean? - all very pleasant, but not always 'oh wow'.

No, darlings, not in that way.  Honestly, you and your filthy minds.  Really me.  We just enthused, is all.  Clothes on and everything.

No, now I've lost the thread.

Anyway, it's pretty busy for the next week.  We won't see much of each other, to tell the truth.  Not that it matters as such, we both love to be fully engaged with what we're doing.  The week after, I've got an overnighter in London, and he's going down to Wink, because he's got a couple of appointments in the West Country - south-west England, for those of you who are used to larger areas than we boast.  He will stay overnight, possibly two nights.  I said, how difficult it is to get away together, which is a pity.  But we must make the effort to do things and if that means going away separately, that's how it is.  His tends to be business and mine pleasure, but hey...

Anyway, not that it wasn't before, but it's all good here tonight.

Friend Arthur just rang.  I had a chat, then called the Sage.  "Just got a vesta finishing on eBay" he said.  "It's Antiques Roadshow in a few minutes," I reminded him.  "Tell him I'll phone back after Antiques Roadshow," he called.  "Darling," I told Arthur, "I'm afraid you come second to eBay.  First to me, of course, but not to the Sage."  He took it very well.