I have not left the village for almost 3 weeks.
This is a wonderful thing, not a bad thing. It's not that I've been housebound - I've wandered high and low with Ruby and sometimes Ms M or Badger for company. It's not that I've been isolated - I've had face to face conversations with neighbours and the postman, and a visit from an Australian colleague whose book I am working on. I just haven't left the village.
I love staying. I don't like going.
So, it's all good.
Except ...
On Sunday I confessed to Ms M that I have a favourite sheep. Of the few dozen in the field behind the house, there is one I feel warm towards in particular. It's a black sheep (of course) ... it has floppy ears that always point forwards and it's frequently hanging out on its own, not following its cliquey sheep peers. It likes to drink from the water bucket just next to the fence behind the house. It walks slower, and more relaxed than the other sheep ... and so I found myself spontaneously describing it to Ms M as ' a bit of a Jazz sheep' ... quickly followed by 'not, like, as in Jazz mag ... of course ... '.
'Of course' said Ms M.
Phew.
' ... it just kind of looks like if it had fingers it would click them ... '.
'You are projecting.' said Ms M.
Bloody psychotherapists.
In not-entirely-unrelated news, tomorrow our new chest freezer arrives. Badger has a new client. A farm shop selling local meat in large quantities.
She is going to be paid in lamb. Yum.
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10 comments:
Can fully identify the the 'sheep relationship'. Will resist the urge to join Ms Mmm in the projecting stuff - bloody psychotherapists, too many of us!
Is there a box on the tax return for lamb received?
Why on earth - or Yorkshire at least - do you feel the need to freeze your chests?
hey QV - thanks for resisting that urge ... I'm sure it must be overwhelming!
Ms Uhdd, I think if there is then it's only fair that the chest freezer should be a tax deductable expense.
trousers, you can't ask a lady that kind of question! Oh ... ok, you're only asking me and Ms M? well, in that case, it's a precaution against premature aging in that department. You can't be too careful.
Understood, stray :)
Oh I wanted to mention as well (but strangely didn't) that having read the post, which I did enjoy, I was half expecting you to announce that you were taking the 'r' out of your name. It seemed almost as though you were leading us up to that point.
I love the image of the jazz sheep too, and how often does one get the chance to say things like that?
... a jazz sheep, just heartbreaking but quite lovely too. as long as the other sheep aren't deliberately unkind to it, and it's doing its own thing cos it *wants* to and not cos it *has* to...
Hey trousers, fab! Can't believe Stray missed that punch line. So not like her.
Hey nmj, we are watching her closely. Any signs of persecution by the others and I promise we will intervene. We are on good terms with the farmer, and I'm sure he will be delighted when we approach him about the problems of social exclusion in his flock. Jazz sheep is safe in our hands. Promise.
You sound perfectly happy, safe and now I feel all warm inside.
I had a favourite cow after a two week stay in France and so I understand! I soooooo understand.
x
Wouldn't it be fun to turn up at the local tax office with a bag of smelly old mutton bones, and tell them you would like to offer them as a payment on account for the 2008/2009 tax years
Hi lovely cas, I get that - cows are cool. Little Roo doesn't think so, though - she is really terrified of them. Come and see us sometime honey. We have some lovely cows here as well as jazzy sheep.
Hi again uhdd, that is such a fab idea! I admire your creativity, and let's hope that the tax office does too.
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