The calm before the storm

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The seagulls are buffeted in batches as they attempt to cross the West Bay sky.
People in new hats and scarves walk around the harbour. An elderly couple wear matching reindeer jumpers. A half-breed terrier barks bravely at two huskies, wolves in eskimo clothing.  A child tears around on a toy tractor with only a small wall between him and a muddy end.
The tide is out and so are all the after-Christmas revellers, soaking up the salt air like good quality kitchen roll mops up those yuletide spills.

The Grigg household is quiet now, after a Christmas Day for waifs and strays at the Champagne-Charlies and Boxing Day with thirty eight relatives ensconced in various corners of the house, children squealing and being obliging or otherwise, people going outside for crafty fags and teenagers cursing because they couldn't send a text. In The Enchanted Village, no-one can hear your mobile phone scream. There is no signal.

Tonight we will process around the village for a safari supper. And then there's the book club party. And in houses up and down the village and across the land, outfits are being created for New Year's Eve. The countdown to 2012 is just beginning.

That's about it.

Love Maddie x

Comments

  1. katie eggeman28 December 2011 at 15:56

    Brilliant, I am there with you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. English Rider28 December 2011 at 17:01

    "No one can hear your mobile phone scream" Loved it! That would sooo resonate here in silicon valley where the notion of Un-connectedness is an abomination. Maybe you can design a T-Shirt using this in some form. I'd buy one.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pondside28 December 2011 at 17:23

    A safari supper - sounds intriguing.
    Book club - we're back to it on January 8th. The club is after me to contact you about giving Mistress of Nothing a try again. What do you think? Lightening can't strike twice!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Linda28 December 2011 at 18:08

    I so enjoy your blog and seeing your pics.....reading your posts!

    Happy New Year to YOU from Texas!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Emma28 December 2011 at 19:38

    I loved this blog and the pics make me nostalgic for Dorset. Btw, please can you explain what a safari supper is? xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. maddie29 December 2011 at 12:37

    Ladies, thank you for your comments. Banker Chick, I felt you there, strangely enough.
    English Rider, what a good idea, the T-shirt, I mean. It's great being incommunicado.
    Pondside, yes, my ladies want to do a book club Skype meeting. We liked the Mistress of Nothing so much we started reading Letters from Egypt but then the excitement waned a bit. Do you have all your books for the year sorted? We are working to a list now, maybe we could sample from yours and vice versa as an 'extra'?
    Linda, thanks for your greetings, Happy New Year to you too. So 2012 would not be a good year for me to give up the blog then?
    Emma, I love your blog, you professional, you. I think some people call safari suppers 'progressive' suppers. It's when you have each course in a different house. Safari sounds so much more adventurous though.

    ReplyDelete

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