You don’t need to tell me Christmas can be stressful.
39 years ago the lady I was then with sat on the banister outside our flat in Harley Street on Christmas morning and threatened to jump if I didn’t marry her.
Since the flat was a penthouse, this was a compelling argument. Nevertheless, horrified by the madness of it all, I left the house and rushed off to Euston to take the train home to Mother. Right strategy, maybe, but wrong tactics — there are no trains on Christmas Day.
When I got back it turned out she hadn’t jumped and about a year later we did marry. Then followed dreamlike years of ecstatic happiness – we were madly in love with each other – punctuated by nightmares, because every few months she would try to kill herself. Although I was no model citizen this was not an ideal menage.
Eventually she left me for a Swedish lawyer with transvestite inclinations, then came back, then left, then came back, then vanished. I regularly search for her on the internet – though I don’t know quite why.
When I began this blog I planned to tell stories like that about my life, but somehow I got side-tracked, then sidetracked again – and so on. Rather like my present (and I pray last) partner who eventually flew off to Rome with BA on the 23rd after giving up on Alitalia.
Her plan was to take the train home – but there was no train, so she caught one to Naples where she stayed the night with a friend before being driven across the peninsula back home.
On Christmas Day she was rushed off to hospital with a virus. Not much cheer there either.
That bouquet has a bouquet that, from a bottle, would get it returned to the cellar!
All the same … Merry Christmas, Drayton! May you enjoy many more – continuing to be (as you are) philosophical about the downs, while remembering to revel in the ups! There's no season like it, and we your fans know you have a soft spot for it, judging by your photo montage blogs of last Christmas and this.
God bless …
Thank you, Frank. Much appreciated. I was just reflecting this morning -after being painfully reminded that I NEVER should go out drinking with my son in law Mike – how surprised I have been that so many people seem to like this stuff, which I began entirely on a whim. Somebody wise once said that there is no greater happiness in life than being loved – but being read is pretty good, too.
I hope your current partner's health improves.
Happy Holidaze!
I hope your current partner's health improves.
Happy Holidaze!