Last night I went to bed in a good deal of pain and resolved that today I would do a little as possible in order to be rested for the Sunday fund raiser, alas it was not to be. During the whole of this week so far our kitchen has been even more that usually popular, today we broke all previous records and I am , not to put too fine a point upon it Knackered!
My son called at eight thirty, the time he normally arrives home form work to tell me that he would be late as he had been for a drink with a friend who is leaving, I had expected this so it came as no surprise, my son told me that he would have breakfast in town, he is almost the only person of my acquaintance who did not eat breakfast in my kitchen.
Pa and I decided on boiled eggs and soldiers, a nice easy breakfast and we were enjoying it very much when there was a knock at the door, it was around ten thirty. I ushered in the young couple who recently married and who I am always glad to entertain and we chatted about their honeymoon in Venice while I made more tea and toast. We were still chatting away at twelve....another knock at the door, another pot of tea and more toast. I still was not too worried as I only had to make four trays of short bread and label a couple of dozen jam jars,make soup and stock take the freezer.
By one thirty they had gone and I washed up the mountain of cups saucers, plates etc. before warming 2lb of butter in the microwave and setting the oven to temperature. I had just begun to mix the flours with the butter and sugar when there was another knock at the door, Pa had seen who it was coming down the path and we both groanied knowing just what we were in for . The last time these ladies visited us the kept us occupied for over two hours and left with half the garden between them in six large bags. Although I say it myself I am noted for my generosity but these three mendicants are enough to try the patience of a saint....which I ain’t.
We were civil of course and as welcoming as could be but oh how I wished them a mile down the road, we loaded them up with goodies and they left staggering up the garden path under the weight on apples , damsons, and jars of jams and jellies. What a scourge politeness can be and yet I feel sorry for these ladies in a way as most people shun them and although I can quite see why Just cannot bring myself to be cruel to them...hey ho!
The shortbread was out of the oven ans looking at the clock I began to panic as the kitchen was once again full of messy dishes, I had not labelled the jam and it was well past time to begin to prepare dinner,till I told myself surely there would be no more visitors today....no sooner had this foolish thought escaped from my brain that the door knocker clattered again, I could not believe it, it was four O clock as I sat them down at the kitchen table, put the kettle on ...again and cracked open the biscuit tin which had incidentally taken quite a bashing during the course of the day.
If any one is curious as to why I make biscuit in such large batches you have your answer here.
They had come to discuss the proposed building of houses on my garden and so in spite of being by now pressed for time I sat and explained what was happening as they drank their tea and munched their cookies. To my delight they promised a stern letter of complaint to the planning department , to my horror I glanced at the clock, it said five....help...now what?
Just as they were leaving they asked if my son was working nights this week and \I confessed that he was, they glanced at each other and I though...now what? I was soon to find out.
Their son and a number of his friends formed a group a few years ago and I must say they were very accomplished performers...with one slight problem......TO MUCH BASE!......TOO DAMNED LOUD! LARGE FRENCH WINDOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We could not hear ourselves think and my poor son was bounced out of bed by the rhythm section. After a couple of days I was obliged to ask if they could tone it down, had I failed to do so my long suffering son would have marched round there and punched their lights out!
Peace has reigned for a year or two as they have been away at university,not any more, they are back and the band is to reform for a few days, specifically the next few days. Let us pray for wet chilly weather so that they keep those blessed French doors and their double glazed windows closed. I certainly do not wish to be a kill joy but if those youngsters wish to live to be chalet boys in Switzerland this Autumn it will be well if I get to them before my son does.
After they left I blazed around the kitchen washing up yet more dirty crockery and put the kettle on again for ache a wake up cuppa for my son, I was by now so far behind that I had no choice but to serve the meal late as at the time we would normally be sitting down to eat I had not even begun to cook, what a day. Other interruptions included the arrival of four parcel all by different couriers and not all of them for us, a lost lorry driver with a dodgy sat nav and the man who reads the metre.
This has without a doubt been the busiest quiet day I ever had, it is my intention to borrow a JCB and dig a moat all around the house and install a drawer bridge and a portcullis. On the other hand it I much nicer to make tea and serve cakes and cookies all day than to spend every day boiling oil to throw down on inopportune callers, is is not?
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