Monday 1 June 2020

Danger and excitement

Cheese scones; butter

Madame Alfred Carriere



Bridge to Wales - still a forbidden land



Here at Above the River Towers time is expanding and contracting in strange ways. Some of us are busy (that would be me) and some of us have whole long days stretching out emptily in front of us for months ahead.

It's a curious combination. I forget sometimes how it must feel for the urchins to wake up each day and wonder what they might do for the next 14 hours or so. Then I whiz round doing all the things, and getting grumpy because there's not enough time. Then I slow down and do things with them, then I realise I am all behind. I have less time than before, they have all the time in the world. I am not complaining, just adjusting.

There has been a little baking and making and I even climbed a tree a couple of evenings ago on another golden, sunny dog walk. The littlest boy goaded me into it. I did really well getting up there, but then I was stuck and I couldn't get down. In the end I fell out. Of course I did, you knew I was going to say that before I even got the words out. No harm done though. Well, reputational harm only and to be fair that was always shaky.

As well as falling out of a tree, I also cracked the screen on my phone. It was balanced on top of the sultana jar, charging, and it fell down about 7 inches and broke. I was idly surfing the internet to see what should be done about such a thing, when I discovered that in fact it is very cool amongst the Young People (millennials and suchlike) to have a damaged screen. It tells the world that your life is all excitement and action. So you will see me now, moving smoothly round Aldi, brandishing my cracked phone, with the devil-may-care coolness born from knowing that, yes, I am the sort of dangerous person who balances expensive gadgets on the top of sultana jars without a thought for the risk.

Any danger and excitement at your end? Do tell.

19 comments:

  1. I haven't climbed a tree since I was about 12. Like you, I fell out of it but landed on a root and fractured my coccyx - very painful. Get you with your cool, cracked screen! I'm just getting used to having a screen at all. I've inherited E's old phone and feel technologically savvy because I've downloaded Whatsapp so I can message L and E. To be fair we mostly send photos of what we're having for dinner! Talking of which, your cheese scones look delicious. Mind how you go with those trees. xx

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  2. You made me laugh. Seem s my phone screen is always cracked and so I must live some sort of crazy life, which we all know I don;t because all I do is clean and work. Love that the boys have open days ahead of them, I remember that feeling so well. Enjoy your time and stay safe.

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  3. Ooh gosh, I almost had a cracked phone screen yesterday - I dont mind saying that I'm ok to be uncool without it thank you very much!! My 17yo has a cracked screen which she cant afford to get fixed....or so I'd thought ;)

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  4. You're hilarious! I hope the boys and Bertie have a wonderful, carefree and happy summer. You too. Maybe you should decided to be a kid with them and give each one a night to make dinner for the family? ::❤️πŸ’›πŸ’™πŸ’šπŸ’œ ((hugs)), Teresa

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  5. enjoy your blog very much. I don't have a cracked screen but live near Chicago which feels very dangerous right now.... Too exciting. My favorite times were my vacations in Wales and in the Cotswolds. I love it there.

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  6. OMG, you are one daredevil lady! So glad you didn't hurt yourself, only maybe your pride. I am sure my kids would have had a good laugh if it was me, but then I'm too old to climb a tree. I say you should enjoy what you can while you are young enough to do things, as age catches up with you soon enough.

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  7. Glad you’ve achieved new status with your phone. I’ll look for the headlines about the mad lady brandishing her cracked screen in the supermarket aisles . As for tree climbing ...hmmm I could never achieve that as a teenager never mind now so I am totally in awe and hope your bruises aren’t too colourful.
    I think this year’s children will remember the summer of 2020 when time went on forever and the sun always shone. Maybe I shouldn’t write that as I see a raindrop on the forecast for the next few days. Take care out there and enjoy having fun πŸ˜‰. B x

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  8. Good pictures, and those scones look delicious. All rather safely dull here, which is how I like it nowadays. Take care. xx

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  9. It is a very long time since I climbed a tree, you are braver than me. I think I would also be falling out rather than climbing down too.

    I am glad to hear that it is not just me who has less time now than before, I just don't get it as I am only leaving the house once a week, before I was out every day......

    My cracked screen is now fixed, clearly I am not cool or crazy at all, oh well.

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  10. I'm impressed that you managed to get up the tree in the first place! Pace of life here is very gentle, although I did have an unfortunate moment with the handheld blender and a bowl of whipping cream a few days ago. Who knew cream could fly so far through the air?

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  11. Danger and excitement? Well, I had to perform minor surgery on myself yesterday to remove a large splinter that kept breaking into tiny bits. That was the danger bit.
    For excitement, we have a Large Birthday coming up in our household and I will finally get to see my boy after over 10 weeks. From a distance and without hugging, but still.
    I'll be an emotional wreck. For excitement, that'll do.

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  12. Maybe you could conscript the urchins into some ‘fun household tasks just a long shot!

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  13. My phone is always balanced on top of jars when it is charging! I will be very careful from now. Isn’t it strange how there’s not enough time to do stuff during this pandemic. I think it is because everyone is home making more mess and eating more food! I’m glad no last damage was done in the tree climbing incident. It sounds like the sort of thing I would do. I’m famous for climbing up things and then wondering how I will get down. I should know better at my age!

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  14. Hehe! Phone screen intact here- I lead quite a mundane life!

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  15. I am totally uncool, not a cracked screen in sight. You make me laugh with your adventures, climbing trees and all. I haven't climbed a proper tree for 30 years but I don't think I am going to start anytime soon... or if I do only under the cover of darkness. Nothing exciting here, just the usual. But my children had an encounter with a few escaped Highland cows (the council keeps them in the nearby park). I am glad I wasn't there, seeing them herd the cows back to their paddock (unsuccessfully so). They have sharp horns and a reputation for a bit of a temper. Anyway, have a good weekend xx

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  16. I haven't climbed a tree in probably 35 years. Wow!! I'm totally giving away my age here. Your cheese scones look absolutely delicious by the way.

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  17. I have an industrial strength cover on my phone....a by-product of working on a farm and around horses for so long so I feel I shall never know the glory of 'cracked screen coolness'. I am suitably in awe of you...not the least of which, for climbing a tree. I've become very chicken-hearted in my old age..:)

    I know what you mean about time -- it's strange and I feel there's never enough of it, although some people seem to be swimming in all the extra. A true mystery. xo

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  18. I would go for excitement every time and yes my screen is cracked but not from the dizzy heights of a sultana jar - just building work! I have the same feeling as you regarding time. I read a quote this week which says 'I am on fire so everyone else can stay warm' and I identified with that completely. x

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  19. I'm glad to hear it's cool, I cracked my screen, and it seems with a lifetime to go on my contract I'm stuck with itπŸ˜€

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