Late again

Yes, yes, yes, I know but it has been quite a weekend in the McDonald household with return of wandering daughter and imminent birthday – 21st, no less – of younger. (No big party this time but lots of shopping required, naturally).

Lydia has returned with footage of her New Zealand bungee jump which looks completely terrifying but great fun and as the oldest person ever to do one was – apparently – 92 there is still plenty of time for me to get a go one day. Whoo-hoo! She apologised for bad language; unnecessarily, I feel, as I’m sure equally choice expressions would leave my lips once out on the ledge with no option but to leap off or look like a fool. Have to say – she did a great job. That’s my girl!

So – back to last Wednesday’s rehearsal which was quite remarkably badly attended. I know I’ve said this before but there were only 8 of us. Yes, 8. And not a Bass in sight!! Shocking. I hope anyone who was ill is now better and anyone who was having to meet a deadline met it and anyone else who had any good excuse for not being there did whatever it was they had to do with a reasonable measure of success and for the sake of Douglas’s nuptials next weekend I really hope there are more of us there this week!

We sang for only an hour or so; (partly, I have to admit, this was my fault as I had managed to lock myself out of my home and needed to get to younger sprog’s dwelling to pick up keys before she went out for the night. Thanks to Jenny I got there in plenty of time and so was able to sleep in my own bed and, more importantly, to let my husband in when he arrived home from Germany at 1 o’clock in the morning. But Ollie decided there wasn’t much point doing a full rehearsal with such depleted numbers and yet another one having to leave early). In our hour we were able to get a good run at This Marriage and to sing through the two songs I’ve never sung before so now I feel I know everything and can approach Douglas’s wedding with something like confidence. Hurrah!

Unfortunately, thanks to Helen and her really rather good impersonation, there are quite a few of us who will have difficulty keeping a straight face when, in This Marriage, we get to the line "... a seal of happiness..." – a lovely image but, well, I became quite hysterical and will have the greatest job to refrain from corpsing at the ceremony (for those of you who don’t know, this is a theatrical term for the uncontrollable urge to laugh during a performance; something that only ever happens at the most inopportune moments and actually causes physical pain!!) but I promise to try and control myself, Douglas, honest.

Oh, lordy – this is full of ME again. But there weren’t enough of us there on Wednesday to give me any scope for diversification. I can tell you, however, that Sebastian had his 40th birthday party at the weekend – which sadly I couldn’t attend – (down at Tyninghame which is an idyllic place) and I’m sure you will join me in wishing him all the best. Hope everyone had a great day/evening/night. It’s almost impossible not to in such a gorgeous place.

Ciao! xx

Claire