Saturday, December 23, 2017

Found wanting

Here is another post with austerity-formatting because I am still without a laptop.

Today is the day of family, feasting and games at Zoe's house, and I have my pile of contributions assembled ready in a corner of my study. 

Yesterday I went to see the Muppets Christmas Carol on my own. A friend told me it was a great Christmas film, and I believed her, and spent the week trying to find someone with time on their hands like me (a writer whose laptop has died and whose new one has not yet arrived.) Everyone I asked was too busy, even the one to whom I offered a free lunch and the price of the cinema ticket. Altogether I approached six people. I should have listened to the universe. It was not worth the trip into town and the sacrifice of a whole afternoon of bright skies. Michael Caine was excellent but Miss Piggy had barely a walk on part. What is the point of any kind of Muppets Show if Miss Piggy doesn't do her thing? Still, the Dickens message was clear, and I came home wanting to watch It's a Wonderful Life, partly to remind myself what a great Chritsmas movie is, and partly to compare the messages.

I think Dave must have been feeling sorry for me because he insisted he could sit beside me on the sofa while the film was on, and make not a peep. He LOATHES that film. I said thanks, but no thanks, thinking there is no fun in watching a film with someone next to you who is muttering under their breath. But he did it! He sat there reading his Mary Beard book, and doing Times crosswords, while I became a soggy mess on the sofa. I start crying near the start, when Mr Gower hits the young George and makes his sore ear bleed. The thing that struck me last night was how much austerity Britain feels like the scenes where George goes down the Main Street of Bedford Falls when it's not Bedford Falls, but it's Pottersville. ( If you've never seen the film and don't know what I'm talking about, I feel sorry for you. Get it sorted!)



In the middle of the film, one of my grandsons ( aged 11) rang. He is a drummer and last time I saw him I rashly promised to learn Baker Street on my sax and play it with him. He rang to ask if I'd learned It yet. Could I take my sax over today and play? Reader, I have been practising Baker Street but am a long, long way from being proficient. I feel a failure. Letting a grandchild down is a big deal. I think I'm going to have to come clean and substitute something else that's raunchy and has a good beat. But it won't be happening today. I hope he understands.

This has been a very quiet week. It has felt what empty nest syndrome must feel like (which is something I didn't suffer from when it actually happened) so I am really looking forward to sitting round the table at Zoe's house, with two of my offspring and their appendages. I'm not allowed to have photographs of any of them on here these days, so here are the little ones who will be missing. We can't wait to see them and their parents in January.





Happy Christmas, dear readers!



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Christmas Sue,
I recently watched Its a Wonderful life for the first time -( or maybe I had seen it before as a child but have forgotten) and when it got the point with Zuzu's petals I had an ahah! moment. I enjoyed it and will watch again - perhaps next Christmas? Now I will have to look out the book and re-read it and work out the link.
Wishing you a happy, healthy, festive week - and a swift return to a working laptop

Jenetta

Sue Hepworth said...

Happy Christmas, Jenetta!
I'm glad you enjoyed the film.
Happy New Year, too. X