So, having introduced you to the Audrey side of my personality, I ought probably to introduce you to the other members of my coterie - My menage a trois, in the best possible sense:
There is me, the career civil servant - with the word 'career' echoing into a deep, deep cavern here... Teetering over mid forty, still trying to find out who I am in this world, still feeling like a gauche teenager at a wedding, while trying to appear all grown up and sophisticated - Who am I kidding? I rather resemble a mid-life version of The Honey Monster:
I drink too much wine, 
spend too much time with my friends, Ben & Jerry, 
and probably spend far too long on the Internet!
My OH is Gibberjonathan, GJ, for short - This was the name my late mum gave to him when I was still in my teens and he had just turned 21, and I spent much of my time when not studying, gibbering!
Seems such a long time ago now, eons away in fact...GJ is a computer buff, who treats me like one of his customers, i.e. with scorn and in a patronising manner. It hasn't put me off, and thanks to those of you so far who have supported my start in blogging, and things like how to do an umlaut! It's nice to be among friends, rather than feeling as if I'm always on the losing team on University Challenge!
I think that's rather the winning team... Anyhow, GJ has been tremendously loyal and supportive to me over the years, particularly through two family bereavements, and has become in many ways, my rock - To quote the late Lady Di. More of his tales and adventures later, I guess.Our final close family member is Grizzler: Male, Caucasian, on the edge of 17, student, slacker, social whirlygig, lanky spawny get! I love him more than life itself, as only loving parents can do, and in return he eats his own weight daily from our groaning fridge, demands money with feigned menaces, and plays the drums (like Dave Grohl - loudly) in what once passed for my hallowed dining room - Now it's his music room and I dare not overstep its portal...
Grizzler earned his name while still in nappies. He was born prematurely in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, while snow lay on the ground, and suffered from colic and a little bit of jaundice for several, several months. None could soothe his grizzling, and we all walked the floors for months to calm and quiet his wails. So Grizzler stuck; Grizzles or Griz for short!
10 comments:
Hey! I thought we'd convinced you to change the blog title?
Good lord, we ARE the same person (except for the loyal husband and teenaged son part)! And Inverness? Were you just visiting, living there temporarily, or are you Scottish? I was born in Edinburgh, as it happens, and spent the first several years of my life in Musselburgh, on the North Sea. Small world, eh? :)
Diane, I am so flattered that you think we are alike - you live a very wonderful and valued life and I am intrigued to find out more about you and your splendidly perceptive daughter after your blog today, which was lovely!
I guess my son is Scottish, being born in the Highlands. We spent a fabulous four years up there in Culloden on account of GJ's job - We loved it - birdwatching, exploring, (especially Loch Ness!), the history, the people, the Islanders, the local food and drink - We moved back down to Northumbria for the succour of family after Griz was born, and I'll be honest part of my heart is still in Inverness... Musselburgh eh, amazing - It is a small world! I love Edinburgh, it's now such a cosmopolitan, European city, and you would be surprised at how much it has grown, I think. My one weakness is to press my nose up against the windows of Louis Vuitton, hangs head in shame...
Braja - Thank you so much for your comments - About my monicker, I studied and was fond of Oscar Wilde in college, and loved his plays, writings, and his mis-matched life. Oscar excelled at the bons mots, and always felt he didn't fit in, I think - Making fun of the upper classes, while always sort of wanting their approbation.
One of the lines in A Woman Of No Importance is the same as in Lady Windermere's Fan, the more well known play, ""All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy.", "No man does. That is his." Incidentally, a film is coming out this year based on the play, according to the ever-reliable (ahem!) Wikipedia... So, at least for the present, I think the name has stuck, sorry, and I hope you will stick around so I may continue to learn from your excellence...
Nice to learn something about you. My eldest wants a holiday in Scotland next year. We're in the process of winnowing through all the possibilities.
Maybe we could hook up the grizzler with Eldest Beautiful Daughter ?
People who understand computers are so annoying aren't they ? Himself that keeps me in mischief is an IT God and patronising doesn't get a look in, the tone he uses when he tries to explain something to me !
Welcome to the blogging world, I couldn't be without mine now
Dear Gaelic, Scotland is indeed brave, with much to see and do, not least the midgies - but do not neglect the far north west - Cape Wrath is hauntingly beautiful and remote - other-worldly, and it's a long way...but worth it. We loved the Heelands, whereas most folk take the West Coast tourism route - We recently found Roxburghshire, closer to Edinburgh and well-overlooked - People were lovely...but Auntie Gwen could tell you much more about Scotland...
Beautiful Auntie Gwen (BAG - but that doesn't look right) - I would not dare foist my G on your EBD - Let me explain - He currently has one GF, Alice - whom I call The Preacher's Daughter (for obvious reasons, her dad's a vicar); been seeing her one year.
Over New Year, I found out he has an "Away" GF, Aleena, in London, met on MSN and have been chatting for 3 years, including by telephone - I had to assure myself that she was not some 40 year old male predator, and he said they had laughed about that very possibility!!!
Of course, he wants to get his driving licence this year, and drive to London in the summer to see her, with no thought as to the impact on The Preacher's Daughter's feelings - He just can't see it!
Over Christmas, he unwrapped a lovely pair of gloves, a present, hand-knitted for him by another girl - It must have taken her ages - He had no pressie for her!
The G is a charlatan, a womaniser (I have no evidence), but the writing is on the wall, I fear... I despair...for womankind - everywhere!
Fhina, (pronounced as in "Is there anyone finer, in the State of Carolina") is that your name? Please elaborate. If it is not your name, please elaborate. x
Billy, well Fhina, pronounced as with Ribena, is a bit of a nom de plume. I feel akin with the lives of our Celtic and Pagan forebears, and Fhina is a bit of a forgotten name from that time. I picked this up somewhere:
In Goidelic (Gaelic, but also found in Celtic) mythology, Lasair ("flame") was the eldest of three sisters (along with Inghean Bhuidhe and Latiaran, daughters of Douglas and Scathach) associated with the harvest.
She represented the summer and was the goddess of growing crops. She had long black hair and wore a silver crown, jewelry and armbands. Her home was called Red Castle. A god named Flann brought her the Rose of Sweetness (a flower that never dies), the Comb of Magnificence and the Girdle of Truth.
After Christianization, she was turned into a saint. Her feast day was May 1.
Alternative: Lassar, Fhína ("flaming wine"), Lasairíona ("flaming wine"), Crobh Dearg ("red claws")
Flaming Wine sounded pretty exotic to me, so Fhina has stuck - Hope you like it!
Fx
We visited Inverness a few years ago, we came up to visit friends in Aberdeen and made a pilgrimage as my husband's family came from there and we wanted to see Loch Ness as well. we found Culloden on the way and did the battlefield tour. My daughters were truly impressed to find their ancestors had fought in the battle (on the losing side) and had a cairn there.
A beautiful part of the world.
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