Conversations through the middle

Life from a (slightly) more mature perspective

In, over, through, out – teaching Dotty to knit

I am so proud. I have taught my little girl to knit and she is sitting on the sofa – knitting. I have a pain in my heart as I remember my mammy teaching me to knit – in, over, through, out – we chanted to help me with the stitches, it became a mantra. All these years later and it is as natural for me to say it to Dot as it was then for her to say it to me. I could cry – if my mam could see her now. I miss her every day, that will never change.

Anyway, on a happier note, on succeeding with her first complete line of knitting, Dotty said: “I feel two emotions – that it’s fun and that I’m turning into an old woman.” Funny little thing.

She is still sitting there on the sofa, little dog Spice watching intently, wondering what she’s doing; every now and then there’s a cry of “Mam…” and off I go to help out or knit a few lines for her while she has a rest… my little girl.

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Hooray for sports day!

There’s been a bit of a historical moment in our house this week – my little girl came third in her sports day obstacle race and she enjoyed it! To explain, I hated sports day when I was a school and Dot is no different, in fact the morning of the event she was praying for rain with her friends in the school playground. She definitely gets it from me as her dad used to play schoolboy rugby for Essex.

I spent many a stress-free afternoon in the junior school classroom keeping my hay feverish best friend company while the rest of the class ran, jumped and egg and spooned their way to victory – or tears – at the annual team fest on the playing fields. I learned very early on that I hated sports day. I was rubbish at games, couldn’t catch a ball for toffee and ran with a waddle. Still do. One day I shocked myself by hitting the ball in Rounders – it was bowled by a left-handed bowler. I’m left handed. That might have had something to do with my lack of skill when faced with a right-handed bowler, but I can’t blame everything on being ‘cack handed’ as they used to say at school.

I learned to accept a long time ago that I’m not sporty. Once I’d got to grips with that then sport became more of a pleasure. I run/jog/walk at my own pace, I’ve recently started Zumba (though my merengue is more meringue), and of course there’s my horse riding…

I like to think of myself as one of those creative types – my brain just functions in non-sporty ways. I wish I’d felt like this when I was 11 though. Being bad at sport caused me much heartache and many tears as time after time I wasn’t picked for the team or was last to be selected along with the other non-sporty kids.

Which is one of the reasons why I’m so over the moon Dot enjoyed her sports day and did so well in her race. Hopefully for her sports day will be a fun exercise not become the great big bogeyman it was for me.

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Puppy love








In all the time I’ve been blogging over the past year I don’t think I’ve mentioned our little dog Spice. He came to live with us last May as a birthday present for my daughter, who has wanted a puppy for years. Spice is a cross Jack Russell Chihuahua – a Jackahuahua – and is the most adorable, feisty little fellow that ever lived (and I’m not exaggerating).

As the smallest in the litter, little Spice didn’t have too much to say for himself, he was quiet and the object of much rough and tumble when his brothers and sisters were playing. But when they all went to different homes and Spice came to us, well it became a different story. The shy little puppy found his voice and his character – and he hasn’t stopped telling us all about it since.

He’s a little man with a big attitude, he barks for England (unfortunately) and he will grrrrr you as soon as look at you but he’s adorable and Anya loves him. We all do. Here’s a few photos of him as a puppy last May/June, playing in the snow with Anya last winter and him as he is now…

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Playing together and staying together?

I’ve just read a news release from Lego that reveals people who play board games generally tend to fall out. I could have told them that, you only have to watch a game of Monopoly in our house to see usually well-adjusted people turn into shouting monsters. I now refuse to play Monopoly with my other half as it gets way too heated – he takes it all too seriously.

Last time he played Monopoly with our daughter I could hear the arguments from the other side of the house and Anya was as vocal as he was. Thankfully they did forget their row as soon as the game was put back in the box – unlike some people. According to Lego their poll revealed “one in twelve adults have got so outraged with other players that have never spoken to them again”.

Laura Di Bonaventura senior brand manager at LEGO said: “The best advice is to probably stick to playing games with the children – hopefully this should avoid any competition with good friends.” She has obviously never met my little girl – a more canny and forthright Monopoly player you’d be hard pressed to find.

The poll also found that dads are the worst culprits when it comes to cheating, while nana and aunty are the most honest. Enough said.

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