if you go down to the woods today..

Only five days to the wedding! More importantly, only five days to the lake district! I will have the opportunity to play house, and cook and dust and clean to my heart's content. Ideally, Mr C would be out at work thus giving me the opportunity to watch some daytime TV and catch up with similarly leisured pals, and would then return forthwith (IF that's what I mean) to a cup of tea and slippers by the fire (he WAS born in the 70s). However we can't have everything.

Anyway, so I have been pondering for weeks, or is it months, whether to get a picnic basket or a rucksack. Mr C says rucksack, because he can carry it with ease on long hikes, but then he has no poetry in his soul. I prefer a lovely hamper, so I can feel like I'm Ethel in the William books, with her swain, sat beside the river. In the end I bought a hamper which was be-yoo-tiful, all shiny conker brown and woven with two handles to swing it by jauntily. But then, I bought the rucksack because it's insulated and quite Famous Five.

So now that that decision's done with, I'd like to know what people think I should pack for the picnic. All suggestions welcome, the more literary allusions the better! I'll start you off: raspberry cordial as in Anne of Green Gables (she got Diana drunk on it) .

dancing queen

Well the party is yesterday's news, but that won't stop me commenting. As you will all know, Rosie and Fudge having beat me to it by a long chalk, the party was a pink and black theme...the idea being to make it suitably decadent and keeping the pink theme at the same time. Having spent the last two weeks doing the dullest project ever, I think I was entitled to a good send-off, and was willing to go all out, until the expenses started creeping up, at which point I wondered whether it was possible to feed guests bread and butter and coke and save all the money I would have spent on pizza.

In the end, I needn't have worried. The pink and black balloons, ribbons, candles, petals and favour bags did their job and everyone was too awestruck to even think about eating :) I had been agonising about my outfit too but last minute shopping before Fudge's do on the Thursday gave me some ideas. Mr C did not approve by the way, he believes wives are like rare jewels, which should be hidden from the sight of Others. I bite my thumb at you Sir.

The entertainment was truly fabulous, with a few good surprises - the stars of the show kept things under wraps fairly well, and even though I had a general idea, it was great to see it played out. But come on, I'm not that superficial! Am I?? Well done to Rosie, your bit took guts! Everyone else is a natural exhibitionist so no credit there :p Thank you all, I was very touched.

The chocolate fountain with which we lured everyone to the party wasn't tested and so wasn't used at the party. I unfortunately blew it up yesterday, when I plugged it in to the mains without using a voltage transformer. Quite impressive sparks and clouds of smoke flew out, causing Mother to emit a loud scream, startling all and sundry. It was a sad demise. It may be possible to repair it, but seems unlikely.