Tumble World

Yesterday was a day that just didn't stop. It was a tumble drier day, a day when life didn't let up, spinning and twirling and jumbling around. It's good to be busy, I kept reminding myself. It's good to be purposeful.

Guy the Builder arrived with Russell the Plasterer to do the six little jobs around the house that we'd arranged on Monday.
'We'll start with the roof and the patio,' said he. 'There's supposed to be rain later.'
I looked at the clear blue skies and allowed myself an internal snort of disbelief.

'I'll pop into town and get your money,' I said. I also needed to get some cocoa powder and bin bags so thought I could nip to Sainsbugs and use the cash machine there.

On the way back, I got soaked by a small but very wet shower of rain.

I made Guy and Russell a cup of tea and gave them some cake and biscuits.
'Have you got a pair of tweezers?' said Russell. 'Only I've got a splinter.'

I inspected the proffered finger. The splinter appeared to have gone into his finger at a 45 degree angle. Russell was looking a bit pale.

I located the tweezers. 'Can you take it out for me?' asked Russell, looking even paler.

So I set about splinter removal with a firm but kind manner. Russell did a lot of wincing and gasping. 'I think I'm going to go,' he said, now having reached ultra-pale on the human skin tone chart. I was thinking, for heaven's sake, it's only a splinter.

But when I pulled it out, and it put up a huge resistance before it finally gave way, I did feel a bit more sympathetic to poor Russell's plight. It was a whopper. Almost as big as a twig. But not quite.

My friend Maggie phoned. I told her about my impending Grannyhood, about Heather having graduated and about the house being up for sale.
'I'm expecting the surveyor at 11.30,' I said. 'He's coming to do the energy thingy for the HIP doo-dah.'

The surveyor arrived at 11. He looked alarmingly like Pierce Brosnan and was entranced by Pandora who stole his biro and his ruler. Anyway, he wandered around the house taking photos of things like the utility meters and the boiler. I thought, you really need to get out more. And then he asked me a few questions and we both tutted about the appalling waste of time and money that these HIPs are, and then he went.

The phone rang again. For the last two weeks a call centre in India has been trying to get me to participate in a survey that will only take ' a few minutes.' In my experience, they usually take considerably longer and once you've responded to one survey they'll keep coming back for more. I keep telling this call centre to remove our number from their dialling list. Obviously, I am not being clear enough in my request but I'm being very good and haven't yet resorted to screaming and swearing. However, if they persist in calling I am going to employ a selection of funny accents and characterisations, if only to make this daily disturbance more fun for me.

Guy and Russell were racing on with the jobs. I sat down to do the household accounts to make sure we'd be solvent at the end of the month. Chris appeared.
'How did Leane get on at the boot fair?' I asked.
Chris muttered something which sounded like English but didn't make a huge amount of sense. I caught the words 'nineteen pounds', 'sunburn' and 'tennis racquet' and that was about it.

Chris left and the phone went again. My friend Alison. Alison and I started school together. That means we've been friends for 39 years. She'd called to tell me that her daughter had got an 'A' grade in her English AS level. 'She wouldn't have got it without your tutoring,' said Alison. 'So would you carry on tutoring her when she continues with the A2?'
'Of course,' I said. I was thrilled for her daughter. She was fun to tutor and it just shows that all youngsters need is someone who is enthusiastic about their subject to give them confidence to be enthusiastic about it too. I thought, I ought to do more tutoring. So maybe I will.

Guy appeared. 'We're all done,' he said.
'Good grief,' I said. 'That was very efficient.' And I inspected the work, which was all excellent. I paid Guy for the work.
'And don't forget,' he said,' if you ever want any livestock - pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, even a cow, give me a call and I'll put you in touch with my mum.' Guy's mum has a farm. I'd already showed Guy pictures of the house we have made an offer on. 'Plenty of room there for a couple of pigs, goats and more poultry,' he said.
'I agree,' I said, feeling suddenly very excited about this house. 'And bees.'
'Even a little orchard,' said Guy.

And then Andy came home. We had dinner, then went to the allotment. Now, a few weeks ago we planted a dozen or so tomato plants in the polytunnel. I thought, they're well enough apart, it'll be a doddle to pick the tomatoes, unlike last year when it was like beating your way through the jungle in our much smaller greenhouse.

The polytunnel looks like a jungle. I could see many ripe tomatoes, I just couldn't reach them very well. But I am a Tuesday's Child, so full of grace and light of foot. I tiptoed through the tomato jungle and collected the tomatoes. We also brought home beetroot, runner beans, French beans, raspberries, courgettes, spring onions, ordinary onions, rainbow chard, spinach and cauliflower. Several pumpkins stared ominously at me from the squash patch. 'Pick us if you dare,' they seemed to say. What am I going to do with you lot, I thought.

So a very busy day. A good day. A satisfying day. A hurrah to make me smile day!