Blew.. We have woken up to find a dull and cloudy day, the sky has descended and there isn't a patch of blue to be seen, not even enough to patch a mouse's handerchief! She's not surprised as, by the time she got to the North End Road yesterday to do essential food shopping, it was tipping it down with rain.
But being cosily wrapped up in foul weather clothing, she didn't give or care one jot. Upon leaving the house, her first stop was MailBoxEtc to collect some post, this included a letter for the author of 'Jumblecat' Archie Kimpton from Poppy, Freddie and Charlotte.
She gave the book to Charlotte who is a grand-daughter of the Pewsey gang for her fourth birthday which was just before Christmas, Archie, whom she met at BoroughMarket, had written a message to Charlotte in the book.
Next up Harrods! Harrods.. in Sale time, why on earth did she go in there?
Well, as much as they fiddle about with this store they haven't physically changed the actual building too much and she knows the way to certain departments without going through the busiest areas.
Where was she heading for? Lingerie! Yes, lingerie. Having lost kilos of weight, otherwise known as fat, she needed a new black bra and Harrods stock is just the same price as other shops for non-sale items and sadly these Wacoal bras don't go on sale very often!
But just as she was stepping off the escalator, she got a big fright! For someone sneaked a hand under her elbow and whispered in her ear! She had both a scarf and a hat on and no hearing aids.. so she whipped round to find.. her Number 2 from thirty eight years ago.. Francine!
Oh, such joy, such utter joy! They haven't seen each other for over thirty years as Francine moved to Australia in 1986 and this is her first time back!
"But how did you recognise me under all these clothes" she said.. "simple, your profile hasn't really changed and I saw you side view on when you stepped on to the escalator in that pretty coat, where are we going, which department?" And off they went arm in arm to find the black bra, which was in stock.
Then they sat on a couple of seats and chatted, she's en route to France to visit family and was leaving by EuroStar later in the afternoon but she'll be back in a month's time before heading to America to visit her twenty five year old daughter and HER baby! Francin's first grandchild. Gosh, what a lot of news to catch up on. They parted having exchanged contact details.
As she meandered back towards the escalators, she realised she was passing Moncler, the makers of the pretty thigh-length coat that Marina gave her. It was a small boutique and the two assistants were busy, so she prowled about and looked at their jackets and coats and.. at the prices! Goodness me, she thought, I knew she was a generous friend but never having been into one of their shops, I had no idea of their prices.
A smiley girl came up to her and asked if she could help her, she smiled and said "no, I was just looking as I have never been into one of your shops and a friend gave me this coat as a Christmas present a few years ago, actually you are the best person to ask, there's probably a label inside but how do I clean it?" The girl smiled and said "wash it like you would do a cashmere sweater and dry it flat, that is all you have to do and it will last you for years and, what a lovely friend!"
She smiled back at the girl and said "that she was". And she left thinking about Marina, her husband John and the fun the three of them had had over the years, the trips they made together to le Grande Braderie de Lille each September. The wonderful 'swag' that they had found and carted home, the small bits coming home with them in the Volvo, the larger pieces coming home by truck. The meals with the other antique dealers where the noise level had reached astounding levels as people greeted friends they only saw once a year.. yes, Marina had been, indeed, a lovely friend.
And she slipped out of the store by a side door and caught a 14 bus to Fulham Broadway! From one extreme to the other.
Our lovely Lebanese friend is home and has just telephoned us to ask her to supper, "no thank you darling, I'm not going anywhere, I'm coughing and my nose is blocked, I'll see you next week when I'm germ free" and they chatted about life in general, blowing kisses down the telephone at each other.
"It's cold BumBum, let's go and make some ginger tea and some lunch and then I am going to make the dill oil so it will be ready for when I get us some salmon or cod loin.. yum, you love fish, don't you?" and yes, I certainly do, I know that Congolese African Grey Parrots don't eat cod, salmon or red mullet in the wild but I don't live in the wild, I live in deepest Knightsbridge and my 'diet' is a little different to that of my wild relations.
With food in mind, we are off to YumYum HQ to rattle a pot and a pan. Stay.. dry, warm and safe.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 7th, 2017.
But being cosily wrapped up in foul weather clothing, she didn't give or care one jot. Upon leaving the house, her first stop was MailBoxEtc to collect some post, this included a letter for the author of 'Jumblecat' Archie Kimpton from Poppy, Freddie and Charlotte.
She gave the book to Charlotte who is a grand-daughter of the Pewsey gang for her fourth birthday which was just before Christmas, Archie, whom she met at BoroughMarket, had written a message to Charlotte in the book.
Next up Harrods! Harrods.. in Sale time, why on earth did she go in there?
Well, as much as they fiddle about with this store they haven't physically changed the actual building too much and she knows the way to certain departments without going through the busiest areas.
Where was she heading for? Lingerie! Yes, lingerie. Having lost kilos of weight, otherwise known as fat, she needed a new black bra and Harrods stock is just the same price as other shops for non-sale items and sadly these Wacoal bras don't go on sale very often!
But just as she was stepping off the escalator, she got a big fright! For someone sneaked a hand under her elbow and whispered in her ear! She had both a scarf and a hat on and no hearing aids.. so she whipped round to find.. her Number 2 from thirty eight years ago.. Francine!
Oh, such joy, such utter joy! They haven't seen each other for over thirty years as Francine moved to Australia in 1986 and this is her first time back!
"But how did you recognise me under all these clothes" she said.. "simple, your profile hasn't really changed and I saw you side view on when you stepped on to the escalator in that pretty coat, where are we going, which department?" And off they went arm in arm to find the black bra, which was in stock.
Then they sat on a couple of seats and chatted, she's en route to France to visit family and was leaving by EuroStar later in the afternoon but she'll be back in a month's time before heading to America to visit her twenty five year old daughter and HER baby! Francin's first grandchild. Gosh, what a lot of news to catch up on. They parted having exchanged contact details.
As she meandered back towards the escalators, she realised she was passing Moncler, the makers of the pretty thigh-length coat that Marina gave her. It was a small boutique and the two assistants were busy, so she prowled about and looked at their jackets and coats and.. at the prices! Goodness me, she thought, I knew she was a generous friend but never having been into one of their shops, I had no idea of their prices.
A smiley girl came up to her and asked if she could help her, she smiled and said "no, I was just looking as I have never been into one of your shops and a friend gave me this coat as a Christmas present a few years ago, actually you are the best person to ask, there's probably a label inside but how do I clean it?" The girl smiled and said "wash it like you would do a cashmere sweater and dry it flat, that is all you have to do and it will last you for years and, what a lovely friend!"
She smiled back at the girl and said "that she was". And she left thinking about Marina, her husband John and the fun the three of them had had over the years, the trips they made together to le Grande Braderie de Lille each September. The wonderful 'swag' that they had found and carted home, the small bits coming home with them in the Volvo, the larger pieces coming home by truck. The meals with the other antique dealers where the noise level had reached astounding levels as people greeted friends they only saw once a year.. yes, Marina had been, indeed, a lovely friend.
And she slipped out of the store by a side door and caught a 14 bus to Fulham Broadway! From one extreme to the other.
Our lovely Lebanese friend is home and has just telephoned us to ask her to supper, "no thank you darling, I'm not going anywhere, I'm coughing and my nose is blocked, I'll see you next week when I'm germ free" and they chatted about life in general, blowing kisses down the telephone at each other.
"It's cold BumBum, let's go and make some ginger tea and some lunch and then I am going to make the dill oil so it will be ready for when I get us some salmon or cod loin.. yum, you love fish, don't you?" and yes, I certainly do, I know that Congolese African Grey Parrots don't eat cod, salmon or red mullet in the wild but I don't live in the wild, I live in deepest Knightsbridge and my 'diet' is a little different to that of my wild relations.
With food in mind, we are off to YumYum HQ to rattle a pot and a pan. Stay.. dry, warm and safe.
GeeGee Parrot.
January 7th, 2017.
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