Tag Archives: neighbour

PW Crigglestone

The Email I Cannot Send

25 Replies

I had an email a couple of days ago. It looks like we have finally settled the boundary dispute at the bottom of the garden.

In my final email, which was sent the day before, I had apologised for being terse but explained that I was working on the basis of “least said, soonest mended”. The neighbour didn’t work on that basis and I received a long email detailing,amongst other things, my failings as a human being, the fact that “everybody” is on their side and the fact that now it is all over they will be able to sleep at night knowing they have done the right thing (the implication being that I haven’t).

It’s very tempting to write back, set out the legal case, defend my character and point out the reason it ended as it did. In the end. it isn’t worth the effort. So, I’m going to resist the temptation. It is done and I would like to leave it that way.

Much as I would like it, I don’t need the last word. And, annoying as it is, I will let them walk away with victory in the war of words.

This also, frustratingly, stops me indulging my passion for sarcasm and deprives me of a great deal of material for detailing my life of tedium. However, there is a virtue in knowing when to stop.

And, at this point, I will stop.

The header picture, depicting Number Two Son after a hard day leading with his face. It represents the thought “bloody but unbowed“.

Yes, I’m a weak and feeble man, and that is my veiled reply to the traductions of my character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Buckthorn

Porridge, prunes and pomposity

13 Replies

It looks like the boundary issue at the bottom of the garden has been solved. It’s cost me more than it should have done, and I feel I have been “beaten” in the negotiation, but on the other hand I have emerged with my dignity and I can now use my time for doing things I enjoy.

Well, to be honest, I do enjoy winding pompous people up, but after six months it grows stale. They probably think the same thing. I am now going to attempt to re-establish the wildlife habitat at the bottom of the garden. We had blackcaps breeding and a thriving colony of frogs. Now we have a clear view into the upstairs windows of the house on the slope below. That’s why we grew the big hedge in the first place – it’s very off-putting to look across and see a neighbour in a state of undress in their bedroom. I’d much rather see blackcaps.

I am going to grow blackthorn and hawthorn and am not sure what else. They will provide bird cover, thorny security and sloes, plus privacy and a windbreak (I am aiming for about six foot tall eventually, (though we may have moved by then). I may try to get one hawthorn to tree size to replace the one that the dickhead neighbour removed – we always had nesting birds in there.

We just had prunes for breakfast. With porridge. That will cause a few perturbations north of the border, where salt and misery are the only acceptable porridge seasonings. I did the Tinker. tailor rhyme and ran out of professions. Obviously my three surplus stones represented chicken farmer, antiques dealer and gardener in my declining career trajectory. Two more stones and I could have brought it up to date with shop assistant and poet.

It’s interesting to see there are other versions, though I do agree with A A Milne that there should be more professions represented.

That’s enough for now – off for a jolly day decluttering now…

 

A Fine Day Loafing

13 Replies

It’s early afternoon, we’ve just had lunch (Lincolnshire sausages in warm baguettes), and Father Brown is on TV. It could be a touch warmer, but apart from that life is good.

A delivery driver has just turned up with a box containing three meals (my birthday present from Number One Son) – unfortunately I’ve forgotten what they are, though it will be a nice surprise. One is chickpea and peanut butter curry and another is pork steaks with garlic greens but that’s as much as I can remember. I’m feeling a bit guilty because I gave them some harsh feedback when it was requested, much of it on the grounds that they failed to solve a problem which they created needlessly. I just found their answers – they had sent them but I’d overlooked them. I’d better write and apologise.

While I was writing last night’s post I had followed several interesting links and gave myself an idea for another Medal News article. This is good, as all my other ideas have run into problems and I’m not feeling industrious at the moment. I will regret that when we go back to work and I find I have no time (my perennial excuse).

My original plan was to spend my time writing three articles for three different magazines, but one has turned out to be difficult to write, one needs a table (which I don’t feel like compiling ) and the other is turning out to be harder to research than I thought. They will all end up being written but not just now. According to an article on motivation, which I read last night, I have just increased my chances of completing them by telling people I am doing them.

We have just had a visit from  a neighbour. Julia dropped her a card and present off this morning as it is her birthday. She came to give us a plate of cake. Unfortunately we weren’t able to invite her in as we don’t want to be delinquent. This morning the internet carried the news that house sales have started again and people can view houses. So, you can’t invite a neighbour or family member in but you can have an estate agent and a stranger looking at your home. Life is very strange.

Photos are, again, from the free picture library.

cat sleeping on the table

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com