Good morning Negative-Soundbyters! It looks to be the dawning of a beautiful Spring day. Talking of Spring; possibly one of the more confused plant species on the planet must be the “London” tulip. It just has to sense that Spring is in the air and many of them explode into full bloom only to be obliterated by a cold snap that sends them cowering for cover! But plants are resilient; we have had “works done” to the house since July last year (probably could have had the house built from scratch but that’s another whole NSB series) and our postage-stamp sized garden (or what’s left of it) looks like a tip – no, it is a tip; all it needs is an old fridge and some car tyres to finish off the look. But in-and-amongst the carnage are some beautiful rose plants frantically holding onto their piece of real estate and a young sapling tree filled with pick blossoms. (It survived getting the chop, but only by a whisker. My builder’s logic; if it’s in the way, move it even if it means using an axe!)
I am getting a taste for what is to come when the little man is a bit older by watching my neighbour’s kids play in their back garden which is adjacent to our tip. No matter the conditions and time of day, the older kid (always in full Arsenal attire – I think!) takes the ball out and kicks it into the net at the bottom of the Garden with either Mom or Dad on duty in goal! And his little brother – who looks to be about two – just runs around in no particular direction (imitating a number of English premiership footballers no doubt) getting knocked over like a rolling pin. He just gets up and keeps going; a bit like those tulips I was talking about a bit earlier! Of course you can hear them before you can see them but they are having so much fun that if they stopped doing it I would really miss it. Just a few more years guys and there will be another rolling pin to add to the fray!
Anything on the geopolitical landscape to comment on….
Well the Tories broke one of their election manifesto pledges not to raise National Insurance when Phillip Hammond presented his budget to parliament. You are not a very good politician if you don’t break pledges. I think that possibly Phil was of the view that the promise should never have been made in the first place calling his boss’s aides “economically illiterate” for calling for more spending. Phil should take a safari down south and live in the shoes of South Africa’s Finance Minister for a day. There was probably a bit of “tut-tut” when he fired his broadside at those aides; in South Africa you get threatened with arrest and warned of “dire consequences” for trying to bring Number One and all his acolytes to heel! Eish….
But let’s move on to things brighter and more light-hearted….
Big Love
Hoddy X
Pregnancy.
Whoah! Did I just say let’s move onto something brighter and a bit more light-hearted?!?
Pregnancy is not for the faint-hearted.
Mrs H passed an interesting comment the other day that it doesn’t seem a subject that is much spoken about. Yes, there are plenty of books on what it means to be pregnant from a factual perspective, but in terms of the emotional – and physical - roller coaster that you are about to embark on; those insights and feelings seem to be tucked away as if to admit that you are having a hard time is a slight on the “privilege” of being able to bring a new life into the world!
Mrs H is a trooper no doubting that; but our little son-to-be beats her up at times. And while I stand by pretending to be useful, there is nothing that a man can really do other than be on hand to bring multiple pints of lime water and say “yes” at every opportunity.
As much as I want to feel it, I cannot imagine what it must be like to be growing another human being inside your body. That has got to be something that is going to mess with your wiring (have you seen Alien) – and waterworks(!!) – and there is very little you can do about it. It’s not like you can hand the little treasure over to your partner for the day so that you can take a break! (That can only happen post event. :) )
I have huge admiration for women going through this stage of life, because let’s face it – it’s not like life suddenly stops and gives you the space to “be pregnant”. The only break pregnant women get in London is a seat on the tube; and even that is sometimes a battle. It boggles my mind how some men will sit steadfast in their seat and studiously ignore the little “Baby on Board” badge. I would like to think that is a selfish minority though.
Mrs H has only thrown one thing in a fit of pregnant frustration – and it happened to be Gina Ford! I was the catalyst by remarking about something to do with “discount baby shopping” when discussing the scope of linen requirements for the little cherub and my comment bounced like a dead cat. (I have seen a dead cat, but never seen one “bounce”; and before I am reported to the RSPCA this is in a in fact a financial description for a brief increase in the price of a declining stock……so there!) Thankfully it wasn’t aimed at me; we were lying in bed at the time although in Mrs H’s mind’s eye, I bet that Gina hit me squarely on the nose!
We are just over half-way now; not quite the home straight but almost. I will continue to do my best by staying on the right side of Gina and as for Mrs H...
Pregnancy:
The Final Frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship Mrs H
Mission:
Strange new worlds:
To seek out new life and new experiences:
To boldly go where so many women have gone before.
OUT!
(if you didn’t catch the Star Trek intro, shame on you!)
Pic of the Week:
Richmond: the letterboxes, the park, the benches and the buildings - all very quintessentially English.
