I wrote this draft a couple of hours ago, sitting in my garden under a sun umbrella, saved it and at that point the stupid damn ipad app decided to think about saving it...it thought and it thought and told me, finally that it had done it. So off I trotted to carry on with my chores (post office, supermarket, bakers, chemist, dry cleaners - you get the picture) secure in the knowledge that all I needed to do was come home and check through for rogue apostrophes and typos. Only to find when I logged onto the laptop that no such draft existed...could've turned the air blue, but restrained myself because the sun is still shining and it's just a little further over the yard arm now and therefore just a little closer to Pimms o'clock...so this won't be quite what I wrote earlier because alas and alack I donot have a photographic memory (which explains the 2:2).
I was thinking about what a good summer I have lined up for me, it makes me smile just to think about it....
The first thing that makes me so, so happy is that I'm going to be getting together with my three bestest girlfriends, not all at the same time (that would be pure overload) but consecutively (thank goodness for spell check). First off is a weekend in Rome with Al, who I last saw in August, we chat every week (or aim to) and each time usually for an hour or so, about nothing important, we're not resolving world peace, just keeping each other sane. We could, I guess meet at hers in England or here in Germany, but we've decided on an all out girlie weekend in Rome (in two weeks time, 14 days and I'll be there) can barely wait, just need to plan what to take (as well as the Lego Mindstorm). After Al I'll be seeing Helen in Spain when we go on holiday. I've known Helen since Uni and our children have known each since forever, so we get to chat, catching up on the previous year and drink as much Rioja as humanly possible while the children try to drown each in the pool (tricky seeing as they all swim like Olympic medal winning fish). A week after we're back from Spain another ex Uni friend comes to stay with her children. Three great friends to catch up with properly all within the space of three months - an embarrassment of riches.
The second thing that is putting a smile on my face (apart from the glorious weather that means I have to finally abandon socks and boots and can happily wiggle my toes* in the fresh air) is that I have a fairly busy social diary ahead of me:
This weekend is the Eurovision Party over at Expat Emma's (or Sexpat Emma as we like to call her) which will be heaps of fun, trust me. Sunday I have theatre, Cate Blanchett is coming to Recklinghausen to perform in something, I can't remember what, but when a friend asked if I wanted to go see her perform I jumped at the chance - it's got to be better than John Malkovich who I saw the last two years (mad as a truly mad thing).
The following weekend is the Queen's Jubilee and although we don't get the benefit of the four day weekend (we have that this weekend, although it's nothing to do with HRH) we will be celebrating here with a proper English garden party, I'm just praying the weather stays fine...
Then I have my weekend in Rome, after that my parents are here for a week, taking over dog walking duties and ironing I hope, as long as I keep them supplied with cake and ice cream, that's the usual deal.
When my parents have gone home we have Jas's Abschlussfest (end of term, end of school, we're going onto to bigger and better things kind of party, that starts mid afternoon and goes on until the parents finally manage to drag their children home) I am determined that this will be a fun event and not too serious. In fact I am so serious in my determination that everyone will have fun that I seem to be helping organise along with my Polish friend (us foreigners do stick together) to this end there will be copious quantities of beer and wine.
After the Abschlussfest I think we have only one week of term left before the summer holidays start and a week later we're in Spain. The six weeks of the summer holidays should take care of themselves, two weeks in Spain, one week with friends here and my brother, Mr Mudlog is planning to visit - he wants to assault the local biergarten he says, I guess life in Saudi can be pretty dry. The children will be delighted to see Uncle Ed (despite his bad habit of training them to go fetch him beer from the fridge and open it for him) partly because he has the ability to behave in a childish manner** and partly because he owes them both at least one present, if not two.
So as you can see, I have good reason to have a wide smile on my face. The future's bright, although personally I wouldn't describe it as orange, more a bright sunny, summer blue, the kind that makes you screw your eyes up it's so bright.
* this is only when the toe nails have been painted. I do not approve of toe nails being flaunted naked. If they're out and about they need to be dressed and pretty and woe betide any of my friends that dares to show their feet to the world bare...
** I'm anticipating much rolling of the eyes from Ben, who will quite possibly look down on his Uncle in more ways than one this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment