Thursday, July 24, 2008

Girl’s Day out

Aside

Overheard at lunch.

Elderly Lady: Did you not fancy a second husband Doris?

Doris: (Snort) I didn’t fancy the first!

We had been promised a glorious day but it was overcast to start with. Serving coffee in the car to the four of us can be a nightmare with wind and rain but the sun came out and from then on it was summer all the way. After we had finished gazing at the sea and shooting the breeze we set off to Williton and then West Quantoxhead. We were early so crossed the busy road and walked passed two horses (one blinkered- why?) and entered St Ethelred’s beautiful Church, when I realised I had forgotten my camera.

Margaret, who is a fairy tale grandmother, went round making notes to organise a quiz for her Chinese grandchildren who she plans to take round the church when they visit from Scotland. As we walked slowly back to the Windmill Inn where we were to have lunch I mused aloud how we had been going on jaunts now since 1986 and how they had changed over the years;. the drives getting less adventurous and the walks shorter. What would we do when we felt driving was beyond us? Jackie – the eldest – in her eighties said firmly,

‘We’ll go to each other’s homes and order in Wiltshire foods. They’re very good.’

Margaret said,

‘We’ll go down to the town for a meal and have a taxi back.’

As both Joy and Jackie have birthdays in August we decided to fix two more dates whilst we were still mobile.

Over lunch we found we all suffered from a surplus of piles of books allover the house. I found a box tucked away on one of the balconies and Margaret found a great pile in the airing cupboard. Apparently her husband had bought them from the dump and they were damp. Men!

Just one driving blip: I was parked on a steep slope so left it in first gear and then
did a double kangaroo when we left. How we laughed.

Back at home we enjoyed relaxing in the garden and had tea with my best china and the raspberry cream sponge cake that my French DIL always takes back to France. As the sun worked round to the bay trees MTL appears with some sparkling Cava and none of us wanted to hurt his feelings so we quaffed.

A votre sante!

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well it would have been rude not to have drank the cava.

Pat said...

lom: precisely!

Annie Wan said...

it would have been a waste too

Pat said...

Mei: once poured...

Gary ("Old Dude") said...

Hi, sorry to interrupt, but noticed you dropped a small list of famous movie lines in a comment to a friend who was doing a meme that I had originated---I read your blog of course. Saw your List of Favorite movies, and have to ask?---are all the lines you left in your comment from the list of favorite movies on your page? I know the one is of course---"Gone With The Wind". Anyway I enjoyed your comment and must say you have a very nice blog of your own.

Gary (aka Old Dude)
http://threescoreplusten.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Is St. Ethelred the one who was "unready?" It's hard to imagine an unready saint, but who knows?

Cheers.

Anonymous said...

I totally agree about the cava - you have all nicked my intended comments!

Sad about the old lady not fancying the first husband - hope she found someone she could fancy at some point in her life!

Made me think of my SiL who has been married for nearly 40 years, is 64 and once told me she didn't think she had ever been in love! That is really sad!

I know, not too late but she still has a husband so .....

belleek

Pat said...

Hi Gary! Let me see if I can remember what I wrote.
'Let's not ask for the moon Jerry.' Bette Davis in 'Now Voyager'

'It's getting dark' Bette Davis in 'Dark Victory'

'Bad girls don't have babies!' Greer Garson in 'Blossoms in the Dust'

I don't do me me's but couldn't resist this bit:)
Thank you for your kind words and come again.

Pat said...

Rabndall: I thought it was Ethelred the unready but in fact is St
Ethelreda also known as St Audrey. She was a virgin to whom the church was dedicated in 1856. Not sure about the spelling. Ethelred was a king who didn't listen to advice.

Belleek: it is very sad. it could so easily have been me.

Anonymous said...

Pat,
New to your blog (from JonnyB's)and am really enjoying it. Started at the beginning and it's very interesting to hear about your childhood as my own parents were children in the war.
I was about to update my own profile, maybe put in books etc I like and was thinking of White Spider which I notice you have on yours! Fantastic story! Have you read Touching the Void, Joe Simpson or any of his books? Ones to read if not.
Well just wanted to say, great story!

Anonymous said...

Smashing - country churches, raspberry cream sponge in the garden and Cava from YTL. Doesn't get any better.

Pat said...

Welcome Scribble - you meet a nice class of person at Jonny's.
At one time I read nothing but climbing books - The last Blue Mountain was another great true story.
Touching the Void sounds familiar but I certainly haven't read it recently and will look out for it. So glad you are enjoying the story:)

Sam: and we had sunshine with a cool breeze which I suspect you miss. I must not pronounce the J's:)

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I can relate to looking towards the future when possibly the circle will be smaller..But it is true, you can go to each others homes..(Think: Ladies Who Lunch)...
That Cake sounds incredibly delicious....and I love that you all had tea using your BEST China. That is definitely what it is for, isn't it? I mean....why not use it? And don't you think beautiful China makes everything taste better? (lol)

Pat said...

Naomi: we commented on how each of us had to drink tea from a china cup and that even a china mug wasn't the same and how the men couldn't care less - in fact preferred their pottery mugs. Using my grandmother's Shelley china cake stand is homage to her and like having her watch over us. Just realised I didn't put a tray cloth on the tray. Standards are slipping:) But it was outdoors.

Kim Ayres said...

Now why aren't more girls called Ethelreda these days?

All it takes is one movie star to name their daughter...

Anonymous said...

Quaff on.

Have a good weekend,

AndrewM.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Pat, Don't forget to read the Void, you will never forget it once you read it, it is also a film but better as a book. It's more than a climbing story, it is an incredible story of survival in utterly unlikely circumstances. Sorry to go on, but if you like mountaineering books, you will love this story and he has written quite a few more than Touching the Void! Happy reading, I shall get back to your early story now!!

Pat said...

Kim: I think I prefer it to Sunday Roast(Nicole Kidman).

Scribble: it's next after I've finished 'Midnight's Children' and 'On Chesil Beach'
I must google it. It definitely rings a bell.

Pat said...

Scribbble: I saw the TV film but I will read the book.

Pat said...

Andrewm: merci - et tu.

Anonymous said...

Oh I loved those opening lines. You can guess why: I don't fancy my second husband either!
Do you mean you wouldn't drink Cava under normal circumstances or was it just not the right time for any sort of alcohol after drinking tea?

Pat said...

Sandy: I though you might appreciate the opening lines:)
The Cava - that was my gentle irony. The only time I have been known to refuse a drink is if I'm driving. Cava in the garden in the sun is the next best to Champagne - it is the Spanish Champagne I suppose and it went down a treat. Which reminds me- time for a kir.

Anonymous said...

I suppose people round here might be aghast at the thought of drinking Spanish 'champagne' but I think it's very pleasant.
However, the new maire and council have upset certain villagers by serving Cremant instead of champagne at the Vin d'honneurs!

Pat said...

Sandy: I respect their right to the 'Champagne' label. I don't think I've ever had Cremant.

The Preacherman said...

A double kangaroo? My faith in lady drivers is restored. Thank you ;-)

Pat said...

Manic: it was just a minor blip:)
Not to be used against me.

Anonymous said...

I've just found your blog after being sent over from Michele's, and I'm glad I did! I'm a Hampshire girl in NY now but spent a lot of my childhood in Somerset; I have a soft spot for it. And I loved your heartfelt words 'married to MTL after a separation of 30 years'....now, that's how to live!

I'll be back, I look forward to reading more.

bella :)

Pat said...

Bella : welcome! I wonder what part of Somerset you know? We are comparative newcomers- retiring here in 1985 (early) - quite a contrast to New York but both have their charms.

Anonymous said...

mmmm. raspberry cream sponge cake. oh to be in england.

Pat said...

Hi Anon: I'd like to say I made it with my own fair hands but I cannot tell a lie.

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

That bit with Doris and her elderly friend reminds me - hanging out with older women...older folks...can be quite entertaining. I wish more younger folks knew this.

Pat said...

GG: agreed. It gave me a good chuckle. They tell it like it is.