Napping

In my mind I have an image of my parents in their late middle age. It is some time in the mid-seventies. We have had our evening meal and the television news is on but they are paying no attention to current affairs because they are both asleep. Mandibles relaxed, they have for a little while at least, escaped from consciousness. They're sitting in their armchairs - napping.

Now I dislike napping and try to avoid it as much as possible. For me napping is annoying because it tends to spoil my appetite for proper sleep when I finally get to bed. This is especially so late at night.

In recent weeks, I have found myself napping on several occasions. I will be watching something on the TV with my eyes getting heavier and then, gadzooks - I am asleep just like my parents. Sometimes, half an hour or more will pass before I wake up, bleary-eyed wondering how I have missed a big chunk of the show I was watching.

This happened during my first attempt to watch "The Mauritanian" and again when I was watching "Seaspiracy" - the disturbing and controversial documentary about the world's fishing industries. It was so disturbing and controversial that I fell asleep. Fortunately, both shows are on "Netflix" so I was able to successfully re-watch them.

Every time I have ever napped it was unintended and undesired - possibly with the exception of air travel. Napping seems to happen when you have had an active day and  you're warm, safe and comfortable. You don't mean to give in to sleep but it takes you anyway.

Later you may find yourself tossing and turning in bed, your head buzzing with thoughts as you are refused entry to The Palace of Sleep. The dreaded nap has taken the edge off your tiredness and you may have to get up, have a hot drink and a biscuit (American: cookie)  and do some pottering about before giving proper sleep another go.

Most of my life I have happily avoided napping but as I say, in recent weeks, I too have fallen victim to the sly, creeping condition on various occasions. Perhaps somewhere, ingenious immunologists are developing vaccines to defeat NAP-21. If so,  I will have some of that.  Napping is, in my humble opinion, the secret scourge of the western world.

from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/3doSxr2

The Daughters I Never Had.

Albert

For this week I have been working one day off one day on. 

And apart from meeting up with an old friend this afternoon, all I have done today is sleep.

Feeling that I’ve wasted a bit of the day , I woke up enough this evening to be more productive, and in the warmth of dusk I’ve listened to David Sidaris as I potted up more cheap coloured plants by the back door.

Albert watched me from the sunny garden wall, his deformed  leg stretching out painfully  before him. 

He blinked slowly at me in that silent hello that cats do when when you catch their eye.

Then sat still pretending to be asleep.

He remained there, until the sun shifted and I had retreated to the kitchen in order to oil the work tops and feed the dogs.

The cottage is tidy and I’m pleased.

I sit at the kitchen table and reviewed my to do list.

I didn’t cross anything off today.

In the middle of my list, just under 

Inform car insurance company about my speeding fines

And just above,

Pay fucking vets bill

Was the words

Hattie’s gift

Hattie leaves the village in a few days.

For several years she has lived in one of the cottages by the old post office. They are tiny street based cottages accessed to the rear by a tunnelled ginnel located every third home. and hers had its own pretty little back garden which faced south .

Now she and her boyfriend are moving out of the village to a new build in the next village to their own home which is wonderfully exciting and fortunate in this time where the housing ladder is so difficult for young people to climb.

I will see Hattie in choir of course, but some of me will still miss her move from just around the corner. 

She is a young woman of warmth who possess a big heart and she is a person who has the envious and innate talent for making people smile. 

The village took her to their heart readily and easily . 

She reminds me of my nephew’s partner, Rebecca who possesses similar traits, the both of them, in my mind ideal daughter material.

The daughters I never had. I thought idly today.

I would have made a good dad me thinks, and I told Albert that when he followed my indoors 

He blinked at me in his agreement

Hattie and I at the Folk concert at the village Hall 

 

from Going Gently https://ift.tt/3wWhfqB

Water

 The boat’s wake

Looking back 

Clean lines

What once was

Now distant memories 

Etched indelibly 

Forevermore 

from R's rue https://ift.tt/3gc8UsY