TO SLEEP.....PERCHANCE.......

My mother tells the story,of how as a child I did not sleep at all for the first five years of my life. Having myself had

a son with similar proclivities I can well believe what she says.

My own memories are of sitting in the window seat watching the sun set and wishing I could be out of doors,my wish was granted when ,soon after I learned how the climb out of the landing window ,on to the dairy roof and the hang drop the last few feet.

The way back was a little tricky and required the ability to shin up drainpipes.....no problemo!!

Once my parents realised the I was unable to sleep (initially my restlessness had been put down to wilful naughtiness) they relented and allowed me to read in bed or watch anything on the television that they considered educational. Thus it was that at the age of seven I watched “An Age of Kings)from which my love of the English language ,Shakespeare,and of course history prospered exceedingly and became a lifelong passion.

From all of this you may assume that sleep has not played an important part in my life.....until recently. Contrary to most people as I grow older I seem to need more sleep than in my youth,and having never been much good at it I find myself at a loss.

Of course having a pair of cats playing at circuses on ones bed in the early hours does not help. Then of course we do live under the flight path for Heathrow Airport …...and so on and so forth.

Last night actually slept and dreamed that I was playing “Angry Birds” The Moth cat woke me ,she had lost her favourite toy,a fur mitten. I searched,found the perishing thing and then returned to my neglected bed and to sleep..............until awakened again by moth,who's food dish was empty.

I replenished her food supply and then crawled back into my lovely bed and again I slept...........until awakened once again by Moth who this time simply wanted a cuddle.

This time I took her to my sons room(incidentally his door was closed) and let her in to her rightful owner,then I basely scuttled back to my room,shut my bedroom door and waited for sleep to claim me.....................................I was still waiting at seven thirty when I gave up and made a pot of tea.

I sat on the side of my bed sipping my tea, fell asleep and spilled the whole cup full on me,my bed and my new rug.. *!!!..*

At this point I cannot help but wonder what alarms and excursions tonight will bring only time will tell.