What I think about while the children distract themselves
�1. For some values of "half way"
For those of you who know no French or German, � is a sound half way between the English e and the English u.[Teach yourself Turkish, a complete course for beginners]
�2. The Manglewurzeling
Supping ruminatively,
At their second pint of mild, already in their hands
The village elders quietly exult
At the manglewurzel's early blossoming this year.By the riverbank, the maidens quietly despair -
Their suitors will have no chance to raise a dowry
Before the manglewurzel harvest time.In their studies puzzled poets lick their pencil points -
What is a manglewurzel anyway?
�3. Local colour
- There's an owl in the tree at the bottom of our road.
- One of the neighbourhood boys who comes to play with #1 child calls me "daddy", apparently under the impression it is a proper name. (The countess has tried to disillusion him; we really don't care enough.)
- The crocuses have engaged their failure mode, which is apparently falling over. From nowhere the daffodils have sprung up to replace them. (As along the communal verges - we sincerely hope that austerity continues not to stop the council planting the bulbs.)
- The neighbourhood plum trees are also losing their blossom, even earlier this year than the manglewurzels.