Today I've been.....

Gracesmum - my daughter was driven mad by her future DIL but in the end we had to admit that all her planning was worth it. The venue looked lovely, the food and drink were excellent and everything ran like clockwork. We have a few years before the next gd gets married, then I think they will fall like ninepins - I have noticed that a marrige in the family (especially a big family like mine) tends to encourage more.

Gally I can picture the tranquil scene that you described so beautifully. A fitting tribute to your darling John.

So far......I have attempted to catch a small pet rabbit which I could see nibbling our front lawn - it lives a good 500 yeards away round the corner but its owners are feckless and dozy about keeping it safe -I failed and it took off across the green opposite our house, so could do no more. Then I realised that I had not had confirmation from Ocado for the delivery of prosecco/OJ/smoked salmon/eggs/bread etc for the bridesmaids' brunch tomorrow morning - rang customer services and the order had not gone through! (Something to do with adding another address - daughter's flat)Panic - but lovely man managed to find me a slot at 8 tomorrow morning so that is sorted.
Bridezilla (that is so unfair of me, she is being marvellous) rang to say could we put our high chair in the car as caterers are having trouble finding enough !!
I think we'd better be on the road!

Yes * jeni* it would appear so...
annobel just showing off

nellie, you have stigmatised yourself for good by 'outing' yourself as a Guardian reader....

Isn't it that horizontal surface you walk on?

greatnan I have a returned son,similar to one of those whose plight has been highlighted in the guardian ( ooh get me Nellie,) who has returned home and is living intergenerationally ,and taken up residence on my sofa...I digress..my lot do not know what a towel rail is for

Greatnan,

My daughter had to laugh when she visited her son, who had kept the most horrendous bedroom throughout his time at home. He told her off for not putting her towel straight on the towel rail.

Or a horrible nightmare annobel

I always regarded my sons' rooms as a health hazard when they were teenagers. Not that mine was much better . Now they are mature - even middle-aged - and responsible dads, they have changed their ways, though maybe that's the influence of good women. One day, nellie, you will wonder if it was all a strange dream.

It is in that state already greatnan ....I'm going in I may be gone sometime...

Nellie, I have been wearing just a loose tee shirt and a pair of knickers in the flat, but it is not overlooked, being on the second floor. I always wear the marigolds for cleaning - perhaps I should try teaming them with my birhday suit. Can you not get eisha to do her own room? Or just close the door and wait until she can't find anything.

Gally, thinking of you and your daughter, remembering John together. ((((hugs))))

Nellie, please don't put pictures like that into my head - it's bursting already.

gally - sending hugs - well done.

They aren't over yet greatnan ,but the end is in sight,thank you for asking,I am still here to tell the tale,and live to fight another day,but support from all my lovely friends here and several bottles of wine have helped,they have been good girls as well ,we took phoebe home yesterday to reunite her with her big family,after spending a month with us,I will get chance to use my lovely new Hoover thingy,in eishas bedroom which I am too frightened to even look in at the moment,it will certainly meet all challenges in there,if it still remains hot and sticky shall shall have to put clothes on to video the work as my habit of wearing zilch and rubber gloves is not a good lookxxxx xxx

Gally, how lovely for you all to think of him there. Graces Mum,hope wedding wonderful. I Must be slow on the uptake Marelli as still can't work out who you were.

Did you survive the holidays, nellie?

gally that description sounds so peaceful,I hope you feel at peace now also,and are starting to heal... for you and J xx love Nellie
mishap I hope you all have a better day today so sending you some extra energy to cope and some flowers for you and your daughterxx

Gally a peaceful place for him and for you to remember him

My day has begun with me puzzling why , when I ordered a carton of smoothie as a treat for DGC, the milkman left me a dozen toilet rolls instead!

Gally What a lovely peaceful way to float away

Gally a beautiful place for your DH to rest

A lovely end for a lovely man, Gally.

Mishap - the grandson who got married this month had the most horrendous tantrums when he was about two - we could see him building up to one but nothing would distract him. His mum was always very calm and just rode them out. They stopped after a year or so and he became a very happy boy.
We all understood that these were not 'temper' tantrums - something would upset him and he could not control his feelings. These episodes are exhausting for all concerned, and he would usually fall asleep afterwards. He could never tell us what was wrong. I took them on holiday to Austria and he had one in our hotel room. The people in the next room started knocking on the wall - I don't know what they thought we could do, short of gagging him. I used to get angry when a tantrum happened outside and people would glare at my daughter, who was a wonderful mother. You have to be in the situation to understand it.

Oh Gally I know Fairlight beach and have spent several happy hours there rock pooling with the kids. And once, watching the ferries getting thrown around as huge waves forced their way in between the Heads. Glad it was a beautiful day for you and John

Gally - I am so glad your day at Fairlight was as your J. would have wished.