Close Encounters with Mankind

I had been eyeing it up from the kitchen window and charting its daily progress; change in size and colour. Was it ready yet? Today I squeeze it gently between my thumb and forefinger, it's perfect. I wait until tea time to pluck it from the tree, then offer to share it but no one else wants to eat this lovely, unforbidden fruit with me. So I savour the sweetness all to myself and happily so. I didn't really want to share it anyway.
More plums are swelling and ripening and I will joyfully gather them when the time is right.

Mum and Dad celebrated their 70th birthdays together and had long ago invited some family and friends to join them for a meal at a local posh place. Another excuse for me to wear my Bond girl outfit. It was lovely to see my aunts, uncles, cousins, gorgeous god-daughter, energetic nieces, and nephews altogether on such a happy occasion. After the meal, a local lad entertained us with his super singing, inviting Romeo to blast out a couple of songs. Even Dirtbag side stepped on the springy dance floor with us, looking beautiful in her new frock and my borrowed shoes. There was something so comforting about being in a room full of people of who the majority have known me since infancy and still continue to nurture and love me. My small gift was being the designated driver so I could make sure everyone got home in one piece. Sensible Susie.

Party Parents

We enjoyed an action packed week at Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest with our French famille. Mini-Me was displaying some challenging behaviour at times which was quite distressing. Do boys experience a raging hormonal surge at age ten? The planned activity for August 9th was Laser Combat. What a brilliant way to celebrate our wedding anniversary, we could pretend to kill each other for fun. Alas, we were on the same team. My gun name was Sheik and I smeared some war paint across my face to get into the spirit of things. It was really good fun but being a pacifist I felt really uncomfortable firing head shots only. Another day our bicycles took us further afield and into Sherwood Forest itself. We had to disembark and continue on foot to see the major oak tree propped up proudly in his old age (over 1,000 years). I love the story of Robin Hood and fancy myself as Maid Marian. Hugging the sculpture of Robin in the village of Edwinstowe, I cut my arm, not on Robin's arrow but his severed bow. It looked worse than it actually was, just a scratch really. Does Monty Python spring to mind here?

In front of the Major Oak Tree

I have been abandoning ship and going on some local organised walks on alternate Saturdays. They are planned in conjunction with the trains, meeting at various stations where the walks begin. They usually finish ten miles or so later at another station ensuring we can all return to our home villages/towns. Last week's walk was the perfect opportunity to test drive my new walking boots; they passed. The failure came with the train line at the end of our walk being under maintenance that day and we had to use a replacement bus service to get to the next working station. Unfortunately, our bus was a few minutes late and the train left just as the bus arrived, so then we had to wait for another bus to take us home as the next train was strangely cancelled. It was all very amusing to me but some other passengers travelling from Sheffield were not so happy. We even had to direct the bus driver as he was on standby and not from the local area. What an adventure! I selfishly enjoyed my two pieces of emergency chocolate on the first hot and sweaty bus journey.

In preparation for my new job, I decide to cycle to the still shut school and back home again. Having whizzed down the first hill I get off to avoid the long queue of vehicles at the four-way never changing traffic lights. I have a pleasant little chat with two older ladies pushing a small boy in a pram  back up the hill and smile. When I leave them and go round the corner a large dishevelled wild man with broken teeth starts shouting at me and pointing his finger towards the road. I am completely unprepared for this bizarre meeting and continue to smile while trying to make sense of his anger. He is really cross and talking complete nonsense and all I can do is stand there and say 'It's OK, I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm going back onto the road now.' I almost burst into tears because I hate confrontation of any kind and I hate being shouted at. Cycling on I confess that I do cry a little bit but then quickly re-focus on the road so I don't hit any potholes. I keep thinking positive thoughts for the wild man and feel sad to think I upset him even more than he already seemed to be. He reminded me of the subway ghost from the film Ghost (1990) who shouts ''Get off my train!'' but was even scarier.

My return route was much nicer, going up and down really steep hills but with great views. I travel alongside Victoria Tower, the castle on the hill of my bedtime horizon. Almost home and I am just descending into the woods pressing hard on the brakes. Suddenly I have to do a massive sideways skid as another male lunatic appears in front of me, sort of walk/jogging around the blind bend and there is a car passing me on my right. I honestly don't know how I didn't fly over the top of the handlebars. Undeterred by my strange encounters I aim to take my bike on the train to work and cycle home, two or three times a week. Wish me luck.

Victoria Tower, taken in 2010

We are really happy to be meeting up with lots of friends and neighbours we have not seen for over a year and although I am now thinking of my far-flung friends back in the Middle East, I am so glad I don't have to fly back there this time.
Happy to report that I have had over 10,000 page views to date. So thank you, my faithful, friendly followers.

'Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.'

by Kahlil Gibran.

With Love xx

Still reading and enjoying: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Listening to: BBC Radio 6 Music and loving: Big Cat by Wild Beasts, Furnaces by Ed Harcourt and Wake Up To This by King Creosote
Singing & Dancing to: Thunderbridge at the Shepley Beer Festival this weekend
Watched: Finding Dory at the cinema with Mini-Me

The castle on the hill of my bedtime horizon