A small but very cheery first party in the twitten. And what better reason than to celebrate the marvellous Mary Jane and me getting engaged on Wednesday? Much scooting about in the morning, Mary Jane sourcing a decorated cake from Malaysians as well as party hats and poppers and balloons, me scoring boozes and roasting chickens and hoovering in a frenzy while MJ was out with the kids.
Lovely afternoon and evening. All attendees tending towards the loquatious even before they started glugging wine. General cheeriness and the weather not offending civilized values. This enabled folks to sit in my yard and unltimately spill into the twitten.
Mum and Mase enjoyed themselves, chatting to MJ and Jack and Kate. First Matie, Matty Boy arriving together full of cheer brandishing bubbly, emergency cider and flowers. Anton ingratiating himself with my Mum who was, unfathomably, calling him a "hero". First Matie braiding Little Kate's hair. In fact Kate the Smaller was holding court in the back yard playing a card game with flexible rules which often favoured her. She is amazingly confident and funny for a seven year old -- a born performer.
Mum telling a story ghosts on Herm Island to a deeply interested MJ. French Bloke funny as ever, but forced to be nice to me (at some personal cost) when I was galling him about Barnsley. Max a picture of blooming wellbeing -- unlike the internationally-famous Baby Klauds who vomited spectacularly on Anton. From this I derived some enjoyment, till I had to mop it up. Anna being a force for reason and rightness encouraged toasts from me and MJ.
Nice to see Spooner and Alison pop in with their lovely, but chicken-poxy nippers, nicely giving MJ and me a John Ashberry book.
Mark and his wife Carol came too which was great. It gives a gathering long roots when one of your pals is someone you've known for approaching 34 years and we grew rather sentimental by the end of the evening.
Their excellent children Melissa and David played with Jack and Kate in a gradually escalating frenzy of balloons and party poppers. As it got increasingly rowdy/enjoyable the experienced Mark said there is only one thing to be done in such circumstances, and pulled the door firmly closed. Later when I slid in to seize some finger food, Jack advised me that they were having a war.
Lovely to be doing something so fun with MJ. We are really lucky. We seem to attract fun, encouragement and the goodwill of so many people on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lovely afternoon and evening. All attendees tending towards the loquatious even before they started glugging wine. General cheeriness and the weather not offending civilized values. This enabled folks to sit in my yard and unltimately spill into the twitten.
Mum and Mase enjoyed themselves, chatting to MJ and Jack and Kate. First Matie, Matty Boy arriving together full of cheer brandishing bubbly, emergency cider and flowers. Anton ingratiating himself with my Mum who was, unfathomably, calling him a "hero". First Matie braiding Little Kate's hair. In fact Kate the Smaller was holding court in the back yard playing a card game with flexible rules which often favoured her. She is amazingly confident and funny for a seven year old -- a born performer.
Mum telling a story ghosts on Herm Island to a deeply interested MJ. French Bloke funny as ever, but forced to be nice to me (at some personal cost) when I was galling him about Barnsley. Max a picture of blooming wellbeing -- unlike the internationally-famous Baby Klauds who vomited spectacularly on Anton. From this I derived some enjoyment, till I had to mop it up. Anna being a force for reason and rightness encouraged toasts from me and MJ.
Nice to see Spooner and Alison pop in with their lovely, but chicken-poxy nippers, nicely giving MJ and me a John Ashberry book.
Mark and his wife Carol came too which was great. It gives a gathering long roots when one of your pals is someone you've known for approaching 34 years and we grew rather sentimental by the end of the evening.
Their excellent children Melissa and David played with Jack and Kate in a gradually escalating frenzy of balloons and party poppers. As it got increasingly rowdy/enjoyable the experienced Mark said there is only one thing to be done in such circumstances, and pulled the door firmly closed. Later when I slid in to seize some finger food, Jack advised me that they were having a war.
Lovely to be doing something so fun with MJ. We are really lucky. We seem to attract fun, encouragement and the goodwill of so many people on both sides of the Atlantic.
Comments