Gingerbread Woman

Life goes on, albeit not for Goldie

Who's carked it, or should that be carped it? I was at Jane Durkin's house at the time, enjoying the hedonism of friendships that have survived more than twenty years and are now more comfortable than a worn Parker Knoll. Lin, partner of Glin, the decorator / plumber / kitchen fitter, fished Goldie out and fed him to the seagulls apparently.

Dad & I clashed, he stormed out in full on diva-style last week, breaking my front door as he went. Then we talked. A really grown up conversation where I explained calmly how he needed to explain calmly to me what was going on in his head, rather than just shout me down every time I voiced a view, idea or thought. Things feel seismically different since and we're more chilled with each other than I can remember being for years.

I'm back to being a gypsy, carrying my bag around from bed to bed whilst Glin and Lin sleep in mine. They've actually worked out well. She's a marvellous northern woman who pretends rock but is obviously more marshmellow, especially when it comes to him. He's a drunk who had a major brain hermorragh several years ago, they've been friends for years and got together shortly after he left hospital. She saved his life he says. He camped out in the pub as a convalescent because he wasn't up to returning to his work as a plasterer. She decided after a few months that enough was enough and having dug out his toolkit, went out to find him some work. He isn't as quick as he once was, but she goes with him, mixes his cement, runs round doing the prep, and together, they are as good as he ever was in his prime, I suspect better. She's been a star, worth her weight in gold round my place. He's in bed today recovering she says, from a 'bug', he's more honest admitting it was a heavy weekend.

I'm over the birth fears, gave myself a stern talking to about how millions of women do it daily and have done throughout time, in circumstances a lot less priviledged than mine. Seems to have done the trick. I'm aiming for as drug and intervention free a labour as possible, but with the flexibility to bend that if bending is called for.

posted by The Gypsy @ 10:54 am