I must admit I wasn't overly fussed about the whole Jubilee thang. I mean, I liked the extra day off (went to see Coldplay as it happens), but the pomp and ceremony isn't my bag.
But one thing about the whole shebang that struck me as entirely positive was, well, the communal positivity. As a natin we're not often infected with mass joi de vivre are we? We like to think we're too cool for all that. A bit ironic. Truth is we're quite miserable really.
I blame the weather. And bad teeth. And 24 hour news feeds about the economy.
So it was nice to see all that stuff swept away by a tide of flag waving and BBQs in the driving rain. Indeed, as my husband and I opened another bottle of wine, we both admitted that life should be like that more often.
Thus, as this very pleasant week draws to a close, I offer you my (not at all) definitiev of reasons to be cheerful chez nous. Feel free to add your own as you see fit.
1. Books. No matter how many I read, there will always be more I want to read. My to-read pile will be plopped into my coffin I expect.
2. Wine. Is there anything nicer than a cold glass of white on a warm Summer's evening?
3. Live music. Bobbing around with 60,000 other people, all singing together. Better than prozac.
4. Music in the car. Belting out Back to Black on the M1. Pure magic.
5. Radio 4. Love it, love it, love it.
6. Walking. Out in the fresh air, wellies on, preferably with my dog. I've written swathes of books in my head this way.
7. Watching my children play together. I had twins, which has it's challenges, not least when they were in utero, stretching my skin like a sheet on the proverbial military bed. But seeing them squealing on the trampoline together, twelve years later, is heart melting stuff.
8. Texts from my Mum. She's 71 and fit as a fidddle. But dyslexic. Her texts are more hilarious than the episode of The Young Ones where they anticipate nuclear war. When she switches to Norwegian mode, the casual onlooker would not notice the difference.
9. Texts from my husband. He's a brummy. A man of few words. I've saved them all.
10. Writing. Yes, some days it's worse than torture. Characters that make you puke. Plots more boring than quantative easing...but when it works, it's the best. Which I guess is why we keep on keepin' on.
HB x
10 comments:
Loved this life-is-good-affirming post, even though the books in coffin line rang all too true ...
Thank you. I loved this post too. And my coffin would have to be super-sized.
Rain still lashing down here...must remain cheerful, must remain cheerful LOL!
HB x
A lovely post to wake up to this morning, Helen. Thank you!
Great post - and I agree completely with 1-6.
7. A cup of tea in bed in the morning, with a good book.
8. Playing with my grandchildren (including twins, so even more fun for me than their mum as they are only a year old).
9. Coffee and cake with friends.
10. Packing my rucksack and heading off into the unknown.
Love it- am off for a walk in a howling gale in June! x
Right there with you - I'm a total "meh" royalist but this weekend (esp when it lashed with rain - I like a bit of realism, too much sunshine would've been way too 'nice') was a real eye-opener. I cried at 'The Making of "Sing"' with Gary Barlow, I wanted to reach into the telly and hug the Queen for standing so long on her barge without sitting down (I'd have plonked myself down straightaway on that throney thing) and when Phil the Greek wasn't there for the concert I felt a bit sad for her Madge. And wasn't Charles a sweetheart in his speech to his Mummy?
Best thing was hearing Cheryl (nee Cole) TRYING to sing and failing superbly. All this in front of a roaring fire curled up on the sofa with a good-looking carpenter. What more could a girl ask for?
11. And the company of fellow writers who understand the strange world we inhabit!
I love this post. Yes, yes, yes to all of it. I would be similarly dismissive about the Jubilee except that it's much more fun to roll with it and then all the things you describe. Can I add Chris Evans on Radio Two to Radio Four? And can we have a proviso to Radio Four - everything but the Archers? Sorry! I just can't stand them droaning on and it seems like there they all are, every time I tune in.
Love the writing in your head with your dog, I can absolutely relate to that but for me it's when I'm running.
And your dyslexic mum sounds fab!
Great post, chortle chortle.
You hit on most of my favorites-- especially the books, the walking and the wine (though not necessarily in that order)! Thanks for posting!
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