I have got far too close to the end of my tether to write anything much so this is just a brief salutation.
That does not mean the end of my tether in a cross nor distressed sort of way.
In fact, quite the reverse is true. For the first time in almost ten years, all of my little chicks are in the nest.
Well, almost in the nest. Actually Number One Daughter is next door, Number Two Daughter is at the hotel with a swimming pool just down the road, Lucy is staying in the most luxurious getting-married sort of hotel that the Lake District had to offer, and Oliver has taken his girlfriend, and a Chinese takeaway, to bed upstairs.
All the same, they will all be here in the morning, and I feel so very happy at the prospect of being all together that I am awash in a contented wave of tranquillity.
Apart from that I am absolutely exhausted because of all the cleaning and preparation and cash-generation that has had to happen in readiness for the event, which is why the end of my tether has arrived. If I do not go to bed very soon I think I will fall asleep in my chair.
I wasn’t actually expecting them all to turn up until tomorrow, but they did, the Mrs. Number Two Daughters arriving this afternoon when we were still cleaning and cooking.
Once that point arrived we instantly gave up. Anything that is not now clean can stay grubby in perpetuity. The carpet cleaning machine can go back to the shop tomorrow. Enough is enough.
Oliver said that it feels exactly like Christmas, which it does. Everybody is here, there are piles of chocolates all over the place, the fridge can hardly be levered shut because of the colossal quantity of alcohol stored therein, and we are all now flat broke and exhausted.
It could hardly feel more Christmassy if Morecambe and Wise were on the television.
Even the dogs are pleased. Roger Poopy barked at Number Two daughter when she first walked in through the door, and then there was a sudden hush as he recognised her. After that he hurled himself upon her, grinning and sneezing and making excited little whimpering noises, and would not leave her alone.
He stayed on her knee for ages, trying to lick her ears and sneezing joyfully. She had to wipe her face clean afterwards. His joyful ecstasy when Lucy arrived as well knew no bounds, and he was cast into a despairing gloom when they both buzzed off for the night.
We have told him that they will be coming back tomorrow, but I don’t think he believes us.
All the same, the world is a very lovely place indeed.
What’s more, there will be even more arrivals tomorrow.
I could not be feeling happier.
I might not write very much over the next few days.
I think I might be busy.
