Sorry, for the breakdown in my usual daily service but there was a conjunction of various tasks and duties in the last 48 hours and suddenly no time to do them all - and blog. The 'Memsahib' had to be transported to hospital for the removal of her stitches - I warned her to count her toes carefully because you can never tell what might happen when these 'saw-bones' get to work! All was well but given that her big toe was broken, various bits twisted round, stuck back together and then pinned and screwed I was not too surprised to be told that she will be 'excused boots' for another - six weeks! Bloody hell, I was hoping she would be cooking Sunday dinner this weekend!
Actually, running the domestic side of things is a total pain because until now I have never really thought about it, it all just happened. I mean, don't get me wrong, I contributed my bit, you know, like pushing the trolley round the supermarket whilst reading a book or the current edition of 'The Speccie'. But now I have to concentrate what passes for my mind and actually plan the week ahead. I get as far as the day after tomorrow and, like my efforts to understand quantum mechanics, my mind seizes up. Consequently, my fridge/freezer is full of excess items but totally lacking others. If it was just me I wouldn't mind in the least because I would eat any old thing that was around at any old time of my choosing but, of course, I have to take the 'Memsahib' into consideration, and if I didn't she would soon remind me!
On top of all that, I fell behind in my grass-cutting duties in the churchyard and the grass and dandelions were nearly "as high as an elephant's eye" and cutting it yesterday and today was a monstrous task. The wheelbarrow was filled every few minutes which entailed constant to and fro trudges backwards and forwards to the grass dump. God saw fit to turn the wick up on His global warming machine which meant I sweated buckets and spent half the time trying to swat those irritating bloody flies. They might be God's little creatures but I murder them wholesale. The only good thing is that, as we used to say in my army days, 'I definitely got some bronzey in' - honestly, I now look like a god - and, no, Andra, not the god of laughter!
Another time waster is housework. I wouldn't bother in the normal course of events but the 'Memsahib' is constantly visited by her friends and I have been told that the house must be spick and span at all times! If she was 'embedded' downstairs it wouldn't be so bad but she's upstairs in the bedroom so that means two floors and the bloody-bloody stairs have to be maintained to the highest level of cleanliness. Needless to say, a steady delivery of tea and coffee and cream cakes and biscuits must be maintained during these social visits. I'm beginning to feel like one of those scullery maids in Downton Abbey.
There, I hope you are all feeling enormously sorry for me!
