Preparations
Impromptu family visits are fun, but those which have been telegraphed in advance – that is, planned – take on a different countenance. Absolutely no-one in our family is at all awkward or demanding, but it’s always nice to ensure that things are as welcoming as they can be.
Part of the fun is making sure we have acceptable provisions. For example, dairy milk is not well tolerated by some, so almond milk is provided, but that’s not good for everyone, either, so we order oat milk. Some are vegetarians, and food provided for them must be kept at a safe distance from the offerings for the carnivores.
Once the food has been organised, we set about ‘tidying.’ This is a mammoth task, as we have many interests and are untidy and apt to be distracted.
Finally, ‘alles ist in Ordnung.’ For no particular reason, we use German phrases occasionally. I suppose we use French, too – ‘tout de suite,’ for example. Somehow, foreign phrases seem so much more fitting than our pedestrian English, and, of course, our language is littered with Latin expressions. What a mongrel nation we are!
Anyway, the house is at last less of a tip than usual, the dogs have been exercised, and we welcome our visitors with open arms.
A couple of weeks ago, Susannah and Arthur came to stay for a few days. Susannah works to a different timetable from everyone else, rising at 4:30 and retiring in the early evening. Her childhood friend, Jo, was staying with her for a few weeks. She now lives in Ecuador, but came to see us, which really touched us. She’s a breath of fresh air, a vibrant personality, and great fun. She and Susannah make a wonderful double act, with a terrific sense of humour.
Barry had prepared a beef joint ‘sous vide,’ garnished with rosemary and thyme from the garden. It cooked slowly for twenty-four hours and sliced as easily as butter. Bethan took over and cooked the vegetables – carrots, green beans and tenderstem broccoli. I only recently discovered that tenderstem broccoli, sometimes called broccolini, is a hybrid of kale and broccoli. It is delicious cooked al dente (there we are, an Italian phrase to enrich our English) or eaten raw in salad.
Almost as soon as we sat down, Charlie asked if I had made a trifle. Luckily, I had. Out of curiosity, we looked up the French and German translations for trifle and were rewarded with ‘bagatelle,’ and ‘kleinigkeit,’ both meaning ‘a little thing, a minor detail.’ Clearly, trifle is not something familiar in French or German cuisine. It is English in origin, first appearing in cookery books in the sixteenth century.
Roxy and Gilbert were thrilled to see more family members, nudging and nosing them, Gilbert bringing them toys. Robert, Charlie and Jack were delighted to see Herschel and Jellicoe. They would love to have cats of their own, but Robert is allergic to them, and has to take antihistamines before he visits us – or maybe it’s us to whom he’s allergic.
The cats were fussed and stroked and talked to and played with, and responded with grace and patience.
Jack trawled the raspberry canes to discover edible berries, which turned out to be anything which was pinkish. He also discovered a few more cherries and strawberries. Charlie concentrated on training the cats!
It was a lovely day, and we all slept well last night. My back was stiff and sore by evening, but that was a small price to pay for the pleasure of seeing much-loved family.
As children and grandchildren grow and create their own family units, it becomes more difficult to arrange meetings. Barry and I are the older (oldest!!) generation now and as is normal, older family members tend to fade a little into the background, or possibly it is that we become observers more than participants. I know our children would hotly deny that this is the case, but it is the natural order of things, which they will realise in the fullness of time.
