We spent last weekend with my mother-in-law. What a nightmare journey! An accident on the M62 had ground it to a halt. I usually nod off in the car (when I’m not driving) but with all the stopping and starting and my husband becoming more and more irate, I stayed awake for the entire journey. It lasted three hours instead of one and a half.
I was kept informed about all the idiots on the road! I also became very concerned about the state of my husband’s health! By the time we reached his mother’s house he was hoarse. I’m sure he must have also had cramp in both hands from clutching hold of the steering wheel or hand signalling to the ‘morons’ as we sped past! So it was with huge relief that I sat down and nursed a gin and tonic on our arrival. There followed a delicious meal and a hot bath, so the winter sun set on a very stressed and exhausting Friday night and Saturday morning dawned, following the same foggy, cold, wet trend.
My mother-in-law had invited two of her nieces and one of their husbands for lunch. They had all retired, a consultant, a GP and a physiotherapist so my husband was in good hands if the after effects of Friday night’s journey had required medical care! The retired consultant only stayed for a coffee before going to open the bicycle charity shop he runs with a partner. People donate their old bicycles. These are given a thorough MOT before being resold, given to asylum seekers or to those out of work. My husband’s cousin is very passionate about this project and doing a fantastic job giving back to society and filling some of his spare time.
Chatting to these two cousins, whom I’ve known for years but only met at rare family gatherings, was enlightening. One cousin had lived in America for many years but moved back to Yorkshire after the death of her husband. My husband’s uncle had four daughters and my husband is the eldest of three sons. I have heard many amusing tales of the seven of them growing up together, all from the three sons, so all one-sided! We’ll definitely visit a lot more once my husband becomes a ‘gentleman of leisure’ at the end of January. I have been warned that he will sleep throughout February (he is always tired!) and we’ll have a holiday in March. Something to look forward to as the grey, dank, mizzling days of winter settle in and the sun goes away forever …….
I am now in week four of being ‘home alone’. I still hear noises and stick my head under the duvet until the need to breathe overtakes my fear of seeing a nocturnal visitor. I listen to Classic FM and leave the house looking like a Christmas tree when I go to bed. I’m on book number three and ensure I do the easy Telegraph crossword puzzles every night. These used to put me to sleep but now seem to have the opposite effect!
Speak to you soon …….👠
Jenny Burrell 