Tuesday, January 23, 2007

THAT TIME OF YEAR

THAT TIME OF YEAR

Aside.

Yesterday, the 23rd of January is reputed to be the worst day of the year.  So it’s over – let it go.  Here the weather was foul with gales which I expected would stop ‘the girls’ from coming round especially as one of them was bringing Melissa who is in her nineties and physically quite frail.  I was delighted when they all turned up - and made getting the house toasty, worth while.

Melissa and I were the only ones who would eat the luxury biscuits – she is as light as a feather and I’m back to my pre- Christmas weight.  I showed her a miniature painting of Dunster church she had once done, which I have treasured for years. It seemed all of us had a painting or a piece of pottery of hers and this moved her to tears.

We discussed an article I had read on the advantages of chastity. We talked about grand-children and how different it was for them compared to our girlhood. I said it probably would have been better if I had slept with someone before marriage and Melissa said vehemently,
‘’I should have slept with lots of men,’ which made us all laugh.

As we grouped round Melissa’s chair so that MTL could take a photograph she asked if she could remove her glasses and stand up. She was prettily dressed in a soft pink. Once a woman – always a woman.

MTL no longer celebrates Burns night with a haggis but round about the 25th of January – probably the poet and balladeer’s birthday – we remember him and his unique poetry.
http://www.rabbie-burns.com/index.cfm for those of you who would like to know more about him. Here’s a sample:-

John Anderson, My Jo

John Anderson, my jo, John,
When we were first acquent:
Your locks were like the raven,
Your bonny brow was brent;
But now your brow is bald John,
Your locks are like the snow;
But blessings on your frosty pow,
Jon Anderson, my jo.

John Anderson, my jo, John,
We clamb the hill thegither;
And mony a cantie day John,
We’ve had wi’ane anither;
Now we maun totter down John’
And hand in hand we’ll go,
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson, my jo.

Brent (smooth) pow (head) cantie (lively)

ROBERT BURNS
1759-1796

24 comments:

Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

Looks like it'll have to be a vegetarian haggis again for us, this year. It's hard to get a proper one over here because you're not allowed to import them. I had a Made In The USA one and it wasn't the same.

"O Great Chieftain, erm, Acting Chieftain o' the puddin' race," we'll be forced to intone.

Pat said...

Much better for you healthwise honey. With neeps no doubt?

Z said...

I used to know a very old lady who confided to her mother that, when a gentleman came in the room, she would raise her hand to her face to smooth her hair, so that when he came to shake hands, the veins would have smoothed out and her hand would look youthful.

That's the spirit!

Pat said...

Z: ...and always sit with your back to the light:)

Pat said...

Of course today is the 23rd. Silly me!

Sam, Problem-Child-Bride said...

z, what a diabolically clever thing to do!

We women jump through some ridiculous beauty hoops at all ages though. I know I do.

I consider eye-brow plucking one of the vestiges of the pre-feminism world but I still do and hate it. It's occurred to me that the only thing a man even thinks about a woman's eyebrows is "Has she got 2 of them? Yes? Fine" And yet I pluck, because I know I could do with the improvement and my granny told me when I was wee that good-grooming was all about the little things. I was probably picking my nose at the time; gently and insistantly subtle was my gran.

Back to the light is very good advice for every woman over the age of 30, Pi.

Pat said...

Sam: the good news is that eyebrows thin as one gets longer in the tooth.

Anonymous said...

If anyone came near me with a haggis I'd have to take the appropriate action. probably with a samurai sword.

Anonymous said...

Glad you're still in England and haven't been blown to the continent, dear.

Cheers.

Pat said...

dp: glad you don't eat the unhealthy
stuff!

Randall: we have escaped harm - thanks for asking - but welcome more temperate weather.

Shyha said...

:)
Two things: worst day of the year? Nah! No way! Nothing particular happened that day but I don't believe in such things :)

I heard about haggis first time couple days ago and hmm erh... it doesn't sound very interesting for me :) I'm not keen on eating bowels though they are considered very valuable and healthy... I'm kind of piece-of-meat-and-some-potatoes primitive human beeing :)

Gorilla Bananas said...

Nothing wrong with good solid eyebrows in a woman. La Cicciolina, the porn queen, had a good pair. The pencilled-in ones of Fanny Cradock were sad to look at.

Nea said...

Looks like you've got some snow on the way. Hope it does not get as cold as here - minus 15 C. and getting colder.
I'd love to see the picture of Dunster, I spent a few weeks there a long time ago.
You brought back some happy memories, thank you.

Pat said...

shyha: I know a lot of people had the blues and it was a way of making people feel they're not alone. Go along with me on this dear.
I can't wait to tel my husband he's been eating bowels all these years. I tend to agree with you. Tried it once! Not nice!

GB: you'd have loved them in the fifties; great bushy things they were - Audrey, Jean Simmons, Liz Taylor et moi.

nea: my camera has been playing up but I have recharged it and hope for the best. I will do Dunster soon. Snow in Kent and Sussex - I used to live there and it is often the coldest place in Britain. the sea protects us but Exmoor will probably catch it.

apprentice said...

I like thick well shaped eye-brows as long as they're not Dennis Healey like.

Love this poem, and Eddi reader singing it.

Pat said...

apprentice: I love it when we all seriously discuss something that came from nowhere :- eyebrows:)

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Ohhh Melissa :-D She sounds like a lively soul, Pat.

I don't think even 100 men can prepare us for dealing with men.

Pat said...

GG: lively, lovely and talented.

carmilevy said...

You have such a rich writing style that it's difficult for my mind to not roam to new places whenever I read your work.

Pat said...

carmi: thank you - that's a lovely thing to say.

Panthergirl said...

I love Melissa's comment.... too funny!!!

Here by way of michele, I believe for the first time!

Pat said...

Then welcome panther girl!

utenzi said...

Michele sent me over, Pat.

Haggis just doesn't seem like a way to celebrate anything to me, Pat. Maybe I've just not had it prepared right. I do like oatmeal, after all. But it's the stomach / tripe and other ingredients that put me off. I never knew that January 23rd had a bad reputation but it is short and often quite cold.

I dare not comment on the sleeping around topic, Pat. LOL

Pat said...

utenzi: at least the days are getting longer and the spring is just round the corner - I have daffodils opening up.
Yes you have to be of a certain age and female to discuss the other topic:)