It's been a bit of a dry spell for the blog. I’ve been trying to make headway in book #3, so I must have used up all
my cleverness there.
Not that I made a colossal amount of progress. At least I can now remember who the characters are and what they’re (mostly) supposed to be doing.
Not that I made a colossal amount of progress. At least I can now remember who the characters are and what they’re (mostly) supposed to be doing.
We did
recently have a delightful visit with friends from twenty-one years ago.
Remarkable how none of us have changed – at all. Never mind the fact that my
own children are now the approximate age I was at their last visit.
The reason
for the long hiatus is that they live just outside of London.
We had a lovely time, but I think the last visit was easier. At the time we
owned a vacation home on a lake and had lent it to them and their (then) young
kids for a week. They had an idyllic time, and we saw them for quick lunches or
a dinner visit.
Last week the
couple (sans kids, who are grown and married) stayed with us for a few days on
their way through a quick New England tour. When you
host people for overnights, unless they have some unrelated event to attend,
you are all together. All the time. Difficult, if you ask me, for everyone to
be charming and entertaining for three days straight.
They are
extremely well-traveled people, and so automatically translated as they spoke,
omitting chips for our fries, and discussing weather Fahrenheitically. Still, I
did catch a few expressions from the British blogs I read and tv series I
watch. At one point the wife described a moment when
she just couldn’t be “arsed” to do something.
Fun. Though I did find myself feeling awkward with my American tomatoes
as opposed to their tomahtoes.
Even though
we’ve been to Europe several times and have lived at
both ends of the U.S.,
I found myself feeling like something of a hayseed. I doubt if I'll ever be able to chat knowingly about the
camel problem in Australia
or the recent wedding in Greece.
I would be very, very surprised to learn that you are a hayseed.
ReplyDeleteFish and visitors smell after three days is a phrase which has always made sense to my antisocial self.
I hope your writing is going really, really well.
Thanks, kind lady.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at EC's description of fish and visitors. True enough. We don't have overnight visitors. If one shows up, we put them up at a local hotel or motel. :-)
ReplyDeleteA fond "Cheerio" then?
ReplyDeleteI confess to being in love with the, arsed. I now sprinkle it into a conversation if I am so arsed.
ReplyDelete"Arsed" used to be common in Australia too, but I rarely hear it now. There are very few people I know that I could put up with for more than a couple of days. If they can agree to my kitchen rules, things are usually better. Main rule is: if you want coffee, tea or snacks, get it yourself whenever you want them.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, there are hayseeds all over the planet! (I think I'm one of them.)
ReplyDeleteSaid the Floridian living in London. :0)
DeleteWe limit house guests to immediate family. All company stinks after three days...I couldn't keep sane with company that long...hayseed...most likely not you:)
ReplyDelete"hayseed"! Not you! I've missed so many of your posts lately. Then when I get back and read one, realize what I've missed. You know I've always loved everything you write. I bought and read and enjoyed your first book, and still have not read your second. I'm making a note now to order it. Three days with company in the house drives me crazy, no matter who it is! :)
ReplyDelete