Have you seen Mrs B?

This is a photo of me and my long suffering partner (ok, ok wife) ...Kaz. The picture was taken at her 40th birthday. She looks rather lovely whilst I look a bit pissed! No change there then!

She was out tonight with her amigoes Julie and Lolly. I think they've just realised they are grown ups now. Not so long ago it would have been round one of their houses, drink a bottle vodka and go dancing till the clubs shut. Tonight it was out for a meal and back home by 11pm! Sad or what??? Mind you I went out with some friends from work in Clapham last night and caught the 9.40pm train back to Brighton...and I was sober. This is what hitting 40 odd means... Being sensible!

This morning Kaz and I walked Honey up on Newmarket Hill and cut down Castle Hill. Its amazing how quiet it is there, and you could be forgiven for not realising Woodingdean is just over the hill. Got a new Berghaus gortex jacket yesterday and it was fantastic to watch the rain run off it this morning! See! I said I'm getting old!

Sleep of the unrighteous

On Saturday Kaz didn't move from her sofa (yes we have his and hers sofas!!) and orgininally I thought it was self induced by too much pop. It turned out that she had come down with the virus that's been doing the rounds... I know this because I went down with it on Sunday. It was very unpleasant. I felt fine in the morning walking Honey and watching Liam play football, but by 3pm I felt crap.

I had to walk Honey on Saturday alone...usually Kaz and I walk the dog together over the weekend and its a bit of time on our own to talk about the week just gone and family stuff. Anyhow, I was walking Honey in Sheepcote Valley, down by the fenced area on the valley bottom, when I spied a male Kestrel sitting on the fence. I approached slowly and got within 10 feet of him. I could clearly make out his plumage and his beed like eyes. We stared at each other for about 5 minutes, and eventually I walked on. The Kestrel didn't stir at all. It was a remarkable sight and made my day.

On Sunday I watched the film "War of the Buttons" a beautiful film about two gangs of kids living in rural Ireland on opposite sides of a river and their simulated battles where trophies are the buttons cut off their enemy's shirts. Its a film obviously made for kids but has some well handled themes about nature as a teacher, nature as a reconciler and the exploitation of nature for money. If you ever get a chance to see it, you simply must.

I can't say it was a great weekend with Kaz and I being ill in turn. I went to bed at 7pm on Sunday night a slept fitfully...or was it the sleep of the unrighteous? The sleep of a guilty person who had mentally accused his partner of self inflicted wounds of a alcoholic kind?

Party time

Last night was Lucy's 30th birthday party at her house. I find it hard to believe I've known her since she was 12! She has grown into a really beautiful woman. Most of the Woodies were there and her family and friends from work. In the garden John (Lucy's husband) had errected a yurt and there was a pot bellied stove on the go inside. So even though it was a cold Feb evening the yurt was very warm within. John had put up fairy lights around the trellis wall and rugs were strewn across the floor. The overall effect was enchanting.

Poor Lucy had caught some sort of stomuch bug and wasn't on top form. She ended up going to bed early. I guess she won't forget her 30th in a hurry, but its not going to be a classic memory I suspect. Still her friends and family were there, so hopefully that counts for something.

Kaz arrived late as she had her Christmas works party to go to. Yes, I know its either rather early/late to be having an xmas party! Anyway Kaz was pretty well oiled by the time she got to the party. And coz she's Kaz it wasn't long before she was dancing in the conservatory! The woman would have partied while Rome burned!!

Loads of people came up to me and said they saw me on BBC South on Wednesday night with the Pioneers. I had taken them to the vigil to remember the 100 British soldiers who have died in Iraq. It was a sombre affair with the names of all the British soldiers being read out and the names of 100 Iraqis also read out. I was nervous about taking the Pioneers down there- we have a couple of livewires in the group and I feared they would lark about. The fear was groundless and the kids were very well behaved. Many of the participants wondered who all these kids were, then someone asked me and I said "A local Woodcraft Folk group" and the explanation was whispered about and sage heads nodded in understanding and smiled indulgently.

There is a big national peace demo on 18th March and lots of the Pioneers want to go. If its big there's no way I can keep an eye on all of them unless accompanied by adults.

Anyway! Back to the party. We got home about 1pm from Lucy's and shushed our youngest two off to their beds- they had crashed out on the setees. Kaz, it became clear, was even more trollied than either of us realised and ended the evening talking to god down the great white telephone, afterwhich she collapsed onto the bed in a death like sleep, and so ended another perfect evening out!!!

This morning, does she feel sorry for herself?

What d'you think!!!