a perfect barraba day
5.30am: Woken by jetlag, exuberant offspring. Authorize watching of TV. Turn over, go back to sleep.
8.30am: Scalding shower, followed by leisurely bacon and eggs.
10am: Father arrives to whisk us away to sister’s house.
11am: Elevenses. Lemon sugar crepes with stone fruit salad.
12noon: Three games of mahjongg, in which I prevail mightily.
1pm: Swimming, watersliding, gossiping with mother and sister, getting royally sunburned. Exuberant offspring noticeably more confident in the water this year.
3.30pm: Ice creams and film (“Despicable Me”) at the Playhouse. Resolve to be more evil, execute more cunning schemes.
6pm: Three games of mahjongg, in which I am hopelessly defeated.
7pm: Dinner straight out of Enid Blyton or C S Lewis. Roast chicken, ham, eggs, four kinds of salad. Mince pies, Christmas cake, shortbread, chocolates. Lashings of tea.
8pm: Three games of mahjongg, in which my empires are overthrown and my enemies revel in the lamentations of my women.
9pm: Exuberant offspring bathed and shoehorned into their pyjamas.
Metres swum: 400
Words written: 500
And so to bed.