As a working mum I had to trust my son, we were close and I always made sure the door was left wide open, even late at night. And as each summer progressed and he grew older so he would come home later and later. I can’t say that this arrangement thrilled me but he did come home.
I heard him come in and go to bed, late one night so I went to sleep. The next morning I took him a cup of tea and was about to sound off with: ‘and what do you think..?’ etc you know the speech if you have teenage kids.
I’m looking at a battered and bruised head.
‘Sit up.’
My son sits up.
I clasp my hand to my mouth!
His jaw is out of alignment with the rest of his face by some considerable distance.
‘Why didn’t you wake me?’
He can’t reply. His jaw is unable to operate.
That was one of the hardest days of my life. Needless to say I never made it into work. Getting him from one hospital to the next (three in all) until we finally arrived at the Maxillofacial unit where they wired up his jaw late that afternoon.
That night he had his first meal. A Roast dinner, with all the trimmings, liquidised! Basically a very nutritious gravy sucked eagerly through a large straw.
To this day he still says it was the best meal ever!
Goodwood
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Friday, 20 May 2011
Playing Happy Families:
Continuing my theme of heart stopping moments I’m going to ask you to imagine a young couple, Sunday lunch is in full swing with a very young son in his high chair at the dining room table. Both parents work full time so this is a special family moment, a sit down meal together.
Roast dinner is going down a treat when youngest family member pipes up:
Child: ‘F*** off.’
Both parents look at each other suspiciously.
Parent 1 does not flinch despite desperate desire to drop knife & fork: ‘don’t laugh, don’t smile, don’t say a thing just keep eating…’
Child: ‘F*** off.’
Parent 2: ‘who taught him too…?’
Parent 1: ‘I don’t know but ignore it… please, don’t acknowledge it…’
Child patently pissed off with being ignored by both parents expresses himself by singing a new song: ‘F*** off, f*** off, f*** off!’
Both parents fold, doubled up trying desperately hard not to burst into giggles because although this seems to be funny... it is terrifyingly not funny. Your mind works at a frantic speed trying to work out whom, how and where this dreadful language has been learned at such a tender age and then offered as lunch time conversation. The only saving grace is that it was delivered in the privacy of home, with no outsiders as witnesses.
And then there’s how the small matter of how to teach this beautiful child how to unlearn such an ugly word before going to nursery school or kindergarten!
Sometimes being a parent is agony…
Roast dinner is going down a treat when youngest family member pipes up:
Child: ‘F*** off.’
Both parents look at each other suspiciously.
Parent 1 does not flinch despite desperate desire to drop knife & fork: ‘don’t laugh, don’t smile, don’t say a thing just keep eating…’
Child: ‘F*** off.’
Parent 2: ‘who taught him too…?’
Parent 1: ‘I don’t know but ignore it… please, don’t acknowledge it…’
Child patently pissed off with being ignored by both parents expresses himself by singing a new song: ‘F*** off, f*** off, f*** off!’
Both parents fold, doubled up trying desperately hard not to burst into giggles because although this seems to be funny... it is terrifyingly not funny. Your mind works at a frantic speed trying to work out whom, how and where this dreadful language has been learned at such a tender age and then offered as lunch time conversation. The only saving grace is that it was delivered in the privacy of home, with no outsiders as witnesses.
And then there’s how the small matter of how to teach this beautiful child how to unlearn such an ugly word before going to nursery school or kindergarten!
Sometimes being a parent is agony…
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Summer Madness part two:
Over the years my son has broken his nose frequently. He was a skate boarder and he loved that skate board – it went everywhere with him.
So it came as no surprise when he came home with a bloodied and swollen nose. Apparently he had been skateboarding up hill. He did not see the lad cycling down hill. The lad on the bike did not see the skateboarder. One has to wonder where he was looking? Down at the chain maybe?
And don’t ask me how but these two managed to collide! On impact my sons’ nose was broken. 'Ouch,' that had to hurt, being nutted by an unseen assailant.
What were the chances of that? A gazillion to one?
So it came as no surprise when he came home with a bloodied and swollen nose. Apparently he had been skateboarding up hill. He did not see the lad cycling down hill. The lad on the bike did not see the skateboarder. One has to wonder where he was looking? Down at the chain maybe?
And don’t ask me how but these two managed to collide! On impact my sons’ nose was broken. 'Ouch,' that had to hurt, being nutted by an unseen assailant.
What were the chances of that? A gazillion to one?
Apology: What was I doing?
So I’ve screwed up here on my Blog! Hmmm… I do feel rather foolish! My best friend dropped me an email (she lives in Boston MA) apparently I have posted same entry twice?
Surely not.
Checks.
Whoops. How did that happen? Honestly I don’t know but I must have got stuck in a time warp, or something similar so I need to rectify this error and ensure the fail safe system I operate that patently failed on this occasion is operational and post the correct entry for ‘summer madness…’
What am I like?
Surely not.
Checks.
Whoops. How did that happen? Honestly I don’t know but I must have got stuck in a time warp, or something similar so I need to rectify this error and ensure the fail safe system I operate that patently failed on this occasion is operational and post the correct entry for ‘summer madness…’
What am I like?
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Summer Madness
When did you last time you hear something that made your heart stop?
A few years ago I began to dread the beginning of summer for one reason only: It seemed to me that as my young teenage son was growing up we would experience a moment of summer madness.
This particular phone call did it for me, gave me that heart stopping moment:
‘Mum, I’m being stretchered in… the car hit the house…oh okay mate… ambulance man says I’ve gotta go. Bye.’
My heart skipped a few beats… as I sat bolt upright in bed, it was 4am!
Now what do I do? I know he’s alive. I heard him speak. He can’t drive so he was a passenger, who else is with him, how did the car hit the house? It’s four in the morning and I have no idea where he’s going… which hospital?
It’s at moments like these that you could cheerfully scream at your off-spring: 'What were you thinking?' But I digress.
Youngsters are carefree and fervently you pray that they make it to adulthood, that far at least, without major injury, trauma or damage.
Naturally I got out of bed, went down to make a pot of tea and waited. Then I made a few phone calls to established where he was going. Once I knew I had a shower and I was ready leave, despite the early hour.
Arriving at the A&E department I was surprised how many of his friends had been involved one way or another.
There had been five of them in the car and none of them wore seat belts… they were lucky to be alive, considering how heavily they had piled in on top of each other on impact! To hamper the ambulance crew and nursing staff the five occupants of the car had been paddling in the sea (prior to accident) and none of them wore shoes.
They hobbled out of hospital later that day their feet covered in scrapes and bruises, just scrapes and bruises. And for that I will always be truly grateful.
A few years ago I began to dread the beginning of summer for one reason only: It seemed to me that as my young teenage son was growing up we would experience a moment of summer madness.
This particular phone call did it for me, gave me that heart stopping moment:
‘Mum, I’m being stretchered in… the car hit the house…oh okay mate… ambulance man says I’ve gotta go. Bye.’
My heart skipped a few beats… as I sat bolt upright in bed, it was 4am!
Now what do I do? I know he’s alive. I heard him speak. He can’t drive so he was a passenger, who else is with him, how did the car hit the house? It’s four in the morning and I have no idea where he’s going… which hospital?
It’s at moments like these that you could cheerfully scream at your off-spring: 'What were you thinking?' But I digress.
Youngsters are carefree and fervently you pray that they make it to adulthood, that far at least, without major injury, trauma or damage.
Naturally I got out of bed, went down to make a pot of tea and waited. Then I made a few phone calls to established where he was going. Once I knew I had a shower and I was ready leave, despite the early hour.
Arriving at the A&E department I was surprised how many of his friends had been involved one way or another.
There had been five of them in the car and none of them wore seat belts… they were lucky to be alive, considering how heavily they had piled in on top of each other on impact! To hamper the ambulance crew and nursing staff the five occupants of the car had been paddling in the sea (prior to accident) and none of them wore shoes.
They hobbled out of hospital later that day their feet covered in scrapes and bruises, just scrapes and bruises. And for that I will always be truly grateful.
Monday, 16 May 2011
Sambuca:
Despite the lack of rain the Sambuca has gone mad! Also known as Nigra Black Lace it grows abundantly & I love it. I don’t do anything to it and it performs supremely well even in these dry conditions, it must like facing south in free draining soil
If you click on the picture it will expand & give a clearer photograph to see details of this glorious dark plant.
If you click on the picture it will expand & give a clearer photograph to see details of this glorious dark plant.
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Heart Stopping Moment:
A few years ago I began to dread the beginning of summer for one reason only. It seemed that as my young teenage son was growing up we would experience a moment of summer madness.
This particular phone call did it for me, gave me that heart stopping moment:
‘Mum, I’m being stretchered in… the car hit the house…oh okay mate… ambulance man says I’ve gotta go. Bye.’
My heart skipped a few beats… I sat bolt upright in bed, it’s 4am!
Now what do I do? I know he’s alive. I heard him speak. He can’t drive so he was passenger, who else is with him, how did the car hit a house? It’s four in the morning and I have no idea where he’s going, or which hospital?
It’s at moments like these that you could cheerfully scream at your off-spring, and ask: 'What were you thinking?' But I digress. Youngsters are carefree and all you pray is that they make it to adulthood, that far at least, without major injury, trauma or damage.
Naturally I got out of bed, went down to make a pot of tea and I waited and then made a few phone calls. Once I’d had a shower - I was ready to go as soon as I’d established where he was going.
Arriving early at the A&E department I was surprised how many of his friends had been involved one way or another.
There had been five of them in the car and none of them wore seat belts… they were lucky to be alive, considering how heavily they had all piled in on top of each other on impact! To hamper the ambulance crew and nursing staff all the occupants of the car had been paddling in the sea (prior to accident) and none of them were wearing shoes.
They hobbled out of hospital later that day with their feet covered in scrapes and bruises, just scrapes and bruises. And for that I will always be truly grateful.
This particular phone call did it for me, gave me that heart stopping moment:
‘Mum, I’m being stretchered in… the car hit the house…oh okay mate… ambulance man says I’ve gotta go. Bye.’
My heart skipped a few beats… I sat bolt upright in bed, it’s 4am!
Now what do I do? I know he’s alive. I heard him speak. He can’t drive so he was passenger, who else is with him, how did the car hit a house? It’s four in the morning and I have no idea where he’s going, or which hospital?
It’s at moments like these that you could cheerfully scream at your off-spring, and ask: 'What were you thinking?' But I digress. Youngsters are carefree and all you pray is that they make it to adulthood, that far at least, without major injury, trauma or damage.
Naturally I got out of bed, went down to make a pot of tea and I waited and then made a few phone calls. Once I’d had a shower - I was ready to go as soon as I’d established where he was going.
Arriving early at the A&E department I was surprised how many of his friends had been involved one way or another.
There had been five of them in the car and none of them wore seat belts… they were lucky to be alive, considering how heavily they had all piled in on top of each other on impact! To hamper the ambulance crew and nursing staff all the occupants of the car had been paddling in the sea (prior to accident) and none of them were wearing shoes.
They hobbled out of hospital later that day with their feet covered in scrapes and bruises, just scrapes and bruises. And for that I will always be truly grateful.
Friday, 6 May 2011
A View to Die for?
‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.’
I went to visit a friend last night and I’d been to her new house during the winter months and sat by the roaring log fire with a glass of wine. So when I arrived I wasn’t quite prepared for the view!
Truly it was the most breath taking view I’ve seen in awhile, perhaps because it was so unexpected. Just Spectacular! I parked and then stood still, stunned... ‘you never mentioned the view…’
The house faces south to south-west at the top of a prominent hill. And I was looking, open mouthed, transfixed by a 180 degree view of the South Downs: unbelievably beautiful, the sun was setting. This is it, paradise.
The view was irresistible so I sat on the patio with a glass of wine and just scanned the panorama as the sun faded. Whilst I sat there I heard my first Cuckoo of this spring and I heard a woodpecker hard at work, rat tat tatting. It is a memory that I have stored for future reference.
Anytime my friend needs a house sitter I shall be there… I doubt I will get much writing done, but I will be watching the view.
Try to find a moment that allows you to lock away a memory, that magic moment.
I went to visit a friend last night and I’d been to her new house during the winter months and sat by the roaring log fire with a glass of wine. So when I arrived I wasn’t quite prepared for the view!
Truly it was the most breath taking view I’ve seen in awhile, perhaps because it was so unexpected. Just Spectacular! I parked and then stood still, stunned... ‘you never mentioned the view…’
The house faces south to south-west at the top of a prominent hill. And I was looking, open mouthed, transfixed by a 180 degree view of the South Downs: unbelievably beautiful, the sun was setting. This is it, paradise.
The view was irresistible so I sat on the patio with a glass of wine and just scanned the panorama as the sun faded. Whilst I sat there I heard my first Cuckoo of this spring and I heard a woodpecker hard at work, rat tat tatting. It is a memory that I have stored for future reference.
Anytime my friend needs a house sitter I shall be there… I doubt I will get much writing done, but I will be watching the view.
Try to find a moment that allows you to lock away a memory, that magic moment.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
In the arms of an... Icon?
As a young woman I worked in London, commuting across Essex to Liverpool Street, and then via the underground to Mayfair where I worked for Coutts, the Queens’ bank.
It was a dull morning, I was wearing a midi length cream Macintosh that made me feel slender and tall and my favourite green patent shoes, (really they were fabulous!) and I’d forgotten my umbrella, it was drizzling.
The doorman at the Connaught Hotel appeared with his large umbrella and without a thought, I ducked under it.
I collided with a man, who gently enquired, ‘Are you alright my dear? I’m so dreadfully sorry.’
I looked into those eyes, I knew who the gentleman was… the debonair man who held me carefully in his hands and asked: ‘are you sure you’re alright?’
I heard his voice, his rich dulcet tone, it made my heart stop and then just for good measure it did a quick somersault! My mind turned to cotton wool, my mouth became as dry as a sponge and my knees were in danger of buckling.
I did open my mouth, I did attempt to speak but honestly no words came. I closed my mouth. Then I tried again, nothing much, just mumbled words as I turned into a flibbertigibbet.
The doorman explained who I was and then my matinee idol of a gentleman guided me by the elbow to where I worked... all of twenty feet.
The bank staff saw him.
They saw me in the arms of David Niven!
"Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven.
In his time David Niven was regarded as one of the sexiest men in Hollywood!
It was a dull morning, I was wearing a midi length cream Macintosh that made me feel slender and tall and my favourite green patent shoes, (really they were fabulous!) and I’d forgotten my umbrella, it was drizzling.
The doorman at the Connaught Hotel appeared with his large umbrella and without a thought, I ducked under it.
I collided with a man, who gently enquired, ‘Are you alright my dear? I’m so dreadfully sorry.’
I looked into those eyes, I knew who the gentleman was… the debonair man who held me carefully in his hands and asked: ‘are you sure you’re alright?’
I heard his voice, his rich dulcet tone, it made my heart stop and then just for good measure it did a quick somersault! My mind turned to cotton wool, my mouth became as dry as a sponge and my knees were in danger of buckling.
I did open my mouth, I did attempt to speak but honestly no words came. I closed my mouth. Then I tried again, nothing much, just mumbled words as I turned into a flibbertigibbet.
The doorman explained who I was and then my matinee idol of a gentleman guided me by the elbow to where I worked... all of twenty feet.
The bank staff saw him.
They saw me in the arms of David Niven!
"Well, old bean, life is really so bloody awful that I feel it’s my absolute duty to be chirpy and try and make everybody else happy too." David Niven.
In his time David Niven was regarded as one of the sexiest men in Hollywood!
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