Of younger daughters

My younger daughter is in South Africa. She did not go there to do very silly things but to start her career as a documentary film-maker. The first very silly thing she did was go surfing on a beach with the red flag up.

"What does the red flag mean?" I asked, in my foolishness.

"Well, it's not as bad as the black flag. The black flag means there's a shark in the water."

"OK, so it's not as bad as that. That's good. What does the red flag mean?"

"A shark has been seen recently and basically everyone should get out."

"So, why didn't you?"

"Because the instructor said it was OK and, anyway, lots of other people were in the water."


"Do you have your instructor's phone number??? I would quite like it."

The second very silly thing she did was jump out of a plane. Well, I say "plane". Judging from her description and some of the photos I've seen, it was more biscuit tin without lid. But wings. Well, I say "wings"...

"Weren't you worried about that crappy plane?" I asked, in my foolishness.

"No, I had a parachute on."

?????????????

She's been fascinated by Africa for ages, and would love to end up making documentaries for a big charity there, perhaps an AIDS charity or focusing on women's health and education. She has been doing a work placement with a documentary film-making company in Cape Town, and learning masses. They asked her to stay a few more weeks, which she did, but last week she set off travelling, to soak up and learn more about Africa, taking in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania, including Zanzibar. On her own.

I don't think that's silly. I think it's brave. But I'm still worried.

Oops

In case you are wondering where the post I posted this morning disappeared to, I was not supposed to post it this morning but this evening. I am a bad author who should be working, and, I might point out, so should you...

Come back this evening, please, when you've kicked the day into touch with some excellent work.

My Saturday

Today, I did all of these things except one. Any guesses?

Clear site for new garden shed office thing

Weed entire (50m x 10m) garden so shed installers will be impressed

Make entire patio area perfect for same reason

Sit in sun for at least 3 mins

Make collage of things and frame for new office

Sort through old paint & find some to paint office with

Randomly decide to paint bathroom door, at last

Write diary for last 10 days

Email lovely person who is coming to stay to warn re electricians and explain flat will be a tip

Plan teenage brain event, which totally, like, MUST be done today

Commit to going ahead with Virtual Crabbit - online events. Decide first 3

Reply to Glorious Publicist Louise's email

Clean sheets on bed

Two laundry loads

Hang picture, at bloody last

Water sage and parsley seedlings

Write ABBA blog post for May 11th

Post sister-in-law's birthday present 

Put all comments from last night's Crabbit At Home party through random generator. Worry that  winners are good friends. Realise that all blog readers are friends anyway.

Reply, sadly negatively, to lovely book launch invitation from Famous Author :(

Email D2 in SA and phone D1 in London

Sign books requested by George Watson's College

Walk dog

Do dog's ear-drops, making self highly unpopular

Make list

Fritter much time on FB and Twitter

Clear up shocking mess left from last night's party, including items on chandeliers

Drink wine (after 7.30pm, obvs)

Well? What did I not do??????

Blog-warming party for Crabbit At Home!

Come in, come in! Here: let me take your coats. Champagne? Delicious canapés? Do come through to the conservatory and make yourself at home.

Just a few ground-rules.

1. Please keep your fingers off my Macbook and do not open my Twitter account and pretend to be me. 
2. If you wish to look at any books on my shelves, wipe the chocolate off your fingers first.
3. Do not go searching for the keys to my cellar - you won't find them, anyway. I'm used to hiding them from certain "friends". Gillian Philip, I'm frowning at you.
4. Please put your gifts on the hall table, or beneath it if your gift is particularly huge. Thank you in advance especially for the sparkly wine, chocolate (especially from Coco of Bruntsfield, or, at a pinch, Hotel Chocolat) and Landlord or Tops'l cake from Botham's of Whitby. 
5. If you see Jane Smith, don't tell her my new address.

And, talking of chocolate, we need a prize. All commenters below will be entered into a random draw and two lucky winners will receive a delicious luxury bar of Coco chocolate. I know it's delicious because I'm eating some now. You'll be able to pick your chosen bar from their website. I will post prizes to any UK address and if you don't have one of those, I do :)

In your comment, just say anything appropriately partyish. Tell me what you like about my home. Admire my etchings. Tell me if you see Jane Smith nosing around.

And - here's the nifty bit - you can even tell us any good news you've just received. Yes, a licence to boast, but nicely and BRIEFLY. (NB NO links to Amazon, please.) Or tell us about your own blog. And if you do it politely, elegantly and sparklily, they might even come and visit you when I kick them out. But you have to make it sound interesting, otherwise they won't. You're mostly writers so if you can't make your blog sound interesting, you can't... Oh, hang on: sorry, it's meant to be a party, isn't it? *stops haranguing and resumes smiling*

Meanwhile, let me refill your glass. The champagne is on me and I have immense amounts of it hidden in secret places, which only my butler knows.

Let the party commence and welcome to Crabbit At Home!

A crabbit message to parents who boast

A serious thought for you this evening. A bit of crabbit thinking. (To offset the party tomorrow evening!)

Why do some people think it's ok to boast about their off-spring, including once they are grown-up? I mean really really boast? I mean, like telling us how much they paid for their house, what salary they are on, how many starred A grade A-levels or GCSEs they got, that they've just got a place at Cambridge (when they aren't friends, merely slight acquaintances)? Do people really think this is ok? Especially when they have no idea at all whether the person they are telling has a very different situation to deal with.

This thought is not theoretical or idle. It has been precipitated by a series of incidents in which slight acquaintances have regaled me or my husband or other members of my family with puffed-up boasts about offspring (including some in their forties!) whom we have never met, and never particularly wish to.

Mr M and I count ourselves lucky enough that our daughters are safe, healthy, and making their way through life bravely and independently. Touch wood. But we have two close sets of friends who have gone through and are going though hell, sheer hell, with unbelievably awful things happening to their children. One couple, close friends for many years, recently lost their gorgeous, talented nineteen-year-old daughter to spinal cancer. Last month we went to her memorial service. The other couple are in an ongoing hell of a different sort. None of them, the young people or the parents, did anything to deserve either of these things. It was horrible luck. And when kids have wonderful success and fortune in their lives, the parents don't necessarily deserve that either. We certainly don't deserve to boast to all and sundry. Share pleasure with close friends, perhaps, delicately, gently, just a little bit, being sensitive to friends' own situations. But not boast. Not talk salaries and figures and exam grades and prizes and Oxbridge places, without any sensitivity at all.

To parents who think it's ok to boast in this way: shut up and just be glad that your kids are alive, healthy, and can wake up each morning with every intention of hitting the day running. Just be glad and be quiet.

Big news for me

Mr M started a new job today. That is a very big statement for me because he has spent the last few years working for the Royal Bank of Scotland. *stressed face*

I simply will not say what I feel about the RBS after seeing my husband try to do the best damn job possible for the last few years.

I wanted him to resign a long time ago. He carried on because he's dedicated to his job, his clients, his colleagues, and because he thought he could make it better. I am still angry about what happened.

Anyway, today he begins a new job, starting a new business but within an existing company, and a very good one it is, too. I expect him to be tired but empowered, emboldened but not embattled. And the new company is not a bank.

Something to crack open some sparkly stuff, methinks.

Cheers, Mr M, and massive good luck!

PS You are all invited to the Great Big Purple Blog-Warming Party on Friday evening. Do add yourself to the permanent guest list on the right - all welcome! And as part of that party I have chocolate to be won AND a lovely chance for you to do something I know you'd love to do...

Update

Nearly there... I've got several posts ready for the next couple of weeks, aiming to show the variety you can expect to see on Crabbit At Home. The first "proper" post goes out this evening. Another on Thursday and then the Great Big Purple Blog-Warming Party on Friday. Have you got a baby-sitter organised? Told your partner you'll be out all night? Wrapped up my present?

And remember: I will blog here in the evenings only. (Well, apart from this one. *cough*) The day is for working, you naughty writers and other self-employed people. I'm trying to instil some routine in my working life, with a bit of healthy relaxation in the evening. And far be it from me to tell you what to do, but... Do it, eh?