Rude mother and Uncle Bill

Son on phone to me today accused me of being rude. "Nanna and Gran'pa and Granny are the politest people. Why are you rude?" I don't think I was being very rude, but it did set me wondering where I'd got my rudeness from - I can't have inherited from such polite parents. But I did have a rude uncle.

Uncle Bill was deliciously rude. For example, when I was around seven years old, I remember him eating spaghetti - this was something that my Nanna, with whom he lived, would cook for him in a Bolognaise sauce. He would take some very long strands of sauce covered spaghetti, and slurp and suck them into his mouth, and they whirled round and round in the air before disappearing down, and his mouth would blow out into a big 'O' and his eyes would open wide as if surprised and Nanna would say, "Bill, behave yourself in front of the child!" Perhaps it's from him I've got my rudeness.

He never married - perhaps he didn't find the right person - perhaps it was the war. His wartime memories are up on the BBC history web site. See for example, Training completed - a letter home and Overboard

Does anyone else remember stories of Uncle Bill? Can you add them as a comment here? And I should find a photo of him too.

New Zealand contacts

I've got a few friends in New Zealand, and someone from there has sent me an anonymous letter!

A hand addressed envelope arrived today with a full page spread from the Dominion Post newspaper on step-son's latest book. The envelope was post marked New Zealand, but no city, no covering note inside and I'm not sure whose the handwriting is.

Thank you, friend!

Quiet house

The only sound in The Mount today is husband and me rattling around in it. Daughter's gone skiing with school in half term, son's at uni, lodger's in Spain, and cat is in the garden, where it is staying.

I came back from tutoring yesterday evening, and found it weird because there were no children. I took on this tutoring job in 1989 because I could do it while their father looked after them when I had to go out on Saturdays and evenings, but now it doesn't matter any more - no-one needs to look after them the same.

Empty nest.

However, to my delight, eldest step-daughter and family were here. New baby smiled, nay - she laughed with me. The older two were in the garden playing. We've got a new toy out there - a rubber horse to swing on that we got from Luca's garden design. It must have gone down well as they stayed out for over an hour playing on that and with the toy kitchen that we have out there while their parents and grandparents had tea and chats in the warm kitchen.

Their company is something to enjoy now the youngest children are so often out of the nest.