The Story Of My Domestication

I have just come from a three day break with Christine and David, and it was smashing. Since I got on so well with them last time I was in England, we were this time able to solidify the relationship we had developed before, except with me as an awkward adult rather than an awkward teenager! To my admitted relief, very little has changed about them, so it didn't take much time for us to get used to each other's presence. While nothing "out of this world" happened while I was there, I was able to see David's sister Ros, and his mother Kath for an hour each, both of whom I would like to know better and never had a chance.

Ros showed me the photos she had taken while in Italy, along with the additions she had made to her house including an extra bathroom and a sunroom. (It seems like everyone is purchasing sunrooms these days!) Kath, on the other hand, has moved from her grey cottage to a home for the elderly, a gorgeous building snugly tucked in the back ends of Wolverhampton, where she is cared for by a couple of ladies including a young Japanese woman on a working holiday. Christine proposed that she arrange an introduction but I felt it would be best that if we just so happened to see her during our visit, Christine could introduce us, but beyond that, there would be no point. In the end, I didn't meet her but I don't mind since we enjoyed a lively chat with Kath over chocolate instead. It was funny because Kath, being in her 90's, has lost most of her hearing, and I, having possibly the mousiest voice on the planet, had to force myself to turn up the volume ten fold on my voice! I don't think I really like the sound of my voice when it bellows to be honest. :P

The times in between were allotted to tea breaks, mind benders in a pile of forgotten Mensa magazines, and amazingly enough, cooking! Christine and I had the wild idea of making a "super salad" with our own original vinaigrette dressing, and a pear and strawberry crumble for dessert, with the sole goal to make me a more domesticated young woman. Hehe. I always find that cooking with someone else is far more exciting that cooking alone. It also means if your attention gets pulled away towards something else, the other person is usually there to take over. In the same way, my roommate Erin and I would sometimes put our heads together and cook when her dad was away - it was always a lot of fun. Anyway, the dressing was perfect so I've taken the recipe with me to make for other people. The crumble was also wonderful, although I think I probably made far too large a portion for just myself.

On top of cooking, I also introduced Christine to my current favourite Japanese movie about five different people who all interpret the events of one fateful night in a different way, and in exchange for a pile of new Mary Stewart and Jean Plaidy books, made flyers for David's upcoming booksale with which he was very happy. As I said, nothing mind blowing, just a wonderful three days of bonding and intense domesticating! :P

I am now at my dad's eldest sister Lois' house with her husband Phil and daughter Amanda who is only three years older than me. Lois and Phil will only be here until Tuesday since they are vacationing in France after that, but Amanda and I will have the entire week to ourselves to hang out, watch movies, and visit her university hometown of Bath. We may even get to see her older sister Suzie on either Thursday or Friday. Should be fun!