Mamalade

Just as well I stocked up on food before Easter. I’ve been sick with the flu since then. I woke up on the Thursday before Easter with a gluggy throat, but I still felt alright and was able to work on our street stall. We always have a big stall for World Vision before Easter – and any other time when there are likely to be lots of people out shopping. There were plenty about that day and we did very well. I had done a lot of baking for the stall during the week and for once I had no disasters. (Check out my recipe page for my Banana Cake, Chocolate Slice and Sweetheart Biscuits.)

When I came home from the stall, I took the pot plants out of the car, (There weren’t many left.) but I was too tired to unpack the rest of the stuff and left it till later. 11 days later, it’s still sitting in the car. Maybe tomorrow…

Nelson, Joel & Frances’ corgi, has been very sick. We knew it was serious when he let the postman go by without comment. After a few days of expensive tests, he had an operation on Friday to remove a tumor from his spleen. Frances said he was looking quite bright and perky when I phoned on Saturday to see how he was. “I’m just washing all the floors,” she said, “so he won’t pick up an infection.”“That’s a switch,” I said. “You usually wash them so the kids won’t pick up dog germs!”

I wasn’t well enough to go to my nephew Robert’s tenth birthday party yesterday. (It was supposed to be last week, but poor Robert was sick then too.) It’s hard to know what to give a ten-year-old. I took the easy way out and gave him a little leather purse with money in it. The purse had several zip pockets on the sides. I remembered I had a packet of rubber spiders and beetles, so I spread them out on my bed while I selected a fierce looking spider and other bugs to tuck in the pockets of his purse.

I’d forgotten about them when I went to bed very late that night. I didn’t bother to turn on the light – just crawled in between the sheets, then yeek, what was that in my bed? I could just make out the shape in the semidarkness – yes it was a spider! A big one too! I sprang out and turned on the light. There it was – a big rubber spider!

Spiders don’t usually bother me, as long as they keep a respectful distance. There used to be a little spider living in my bathroom. I once wrote this about him…

A Strange Relationship

He’s back. I hadn’t seen him for at least a week and I thought something must have happened to him. But he appeared last night, just as I was undressing.
He offered no explanation for his absence – indeed, he said nothing at all as he resumed his regular position on the end of the bath, quietly watching as I showered and prepared myself for bed.

Then he shyly scuttled away.

It’s a strange relationship we have – a middle-aged woman and a small hairy spider. He has been appearing regularly for several months. I’ve become accustomed to his presence and even miss him when I don’t see him.

But if he ever follows me into my bedroom, our relationship will be terminated – literally!

I’m afraid the story has a sad ending. One night, when I had towelled myself dry after a shower, I happened to look down on the floor, and there he lay on the bathmat, his legs neatly folded like a collapsible wire fruit basket. I must have trodden on my little friend!

I miss him.