‘Where have you been?’ you’re almost certainly not wondering.
Look, I know it’s been over a month since my last post, but it’s not for the want of trying. Let me assure you, I haven’t been idle.
Although not for the want of trying.
So here are ten perfectly good reasons – not excuses, oh dear me, no – why it’s been bleak midwinter for the past few weeks in this tiny corner of the internet:
- The festive season. We had family staying with us for ten days over Christmas and New Year. That was lovely of course, but I was more or less fully occupied during this time in running down my wine supplies (with no shortage of willing helpers, I might add).
- And watching ‘Home Alone’ three days running.
- And picking up stray bits of Lego.
On the basis that a bad workman always blames his tools, I should also point out that my ageing laptop has been getting increasingly recalcitrant and reluctant to carry out even mundane tasks other than slowly and grudgingly. So a bit like me, really.
However, this is being written on the shiny new desktop that I’ve been waiting for – so that’s another reason for prevarication eliminated.
-
Oh yeah
- The weather’s been a bit funny.
- Couldn’t be arsed.
- Writer’s block.
- The dog ate my commonplace book (spoiler alert: I haven’t got a dog; or a commonplace book. Although I am quite common.)
- More seriously – don’t worry; normal service will be resumed almost immediately – I’ve been spending a lot more time with my other blog – you know, the one with the pretty pictures. In fact, since my previous outing here, I’ve put up no fewer than twenty-two photographic posts over at the other place. Some of them have even attracted favourable comment in a small way – like this one, a mouse’s eye view of the door of Chartres Cathedral:
- However, the main reason for absence of output is a lack of decent prompts. You can’t expect me to think up things to write about all on my own and mine host hasn’t really been offering rich pickings recently. I mean, really: Preferred mode of transport? Top five places I’ve always wanted to visit? Describe your perfect rainy afternoon? C’mon WordPress, what do I pay you for?….oh.
Maybe I should write a ’round-up’ post about egregiously daft prompts.§
Or have an original idea – just for once.
§ Watch this space
the only deadhead in the hameau 
I know the feeling. Where do you start? I always think of the shipwrecked sailor in the AA Milne poem. Here it is. Hope you don’t mind, it’s me too!
The Old Sailor
There was once an old sailor my grandfather knew
Who had so many things which he wanted to do
That, whenever he thought it was time to begin,
He couldn’t because of the state he was in.
He was shipwrecked, and lived on an island for weeks,
And he wanted a hat, and he wanted some breeks;
And he wanted some nets, or a line and some hooks
For the turtles and things which you read of in books.
And, thinking of this, he remembered a thing
Which he wanted (for water) and that was a spring;
And he thought that to talk to he’d look for, and keep
(If he found it) a goat, or some chickens and sheep.
Then, because of the weather, he wanted a hut
With a door (to come in by) which opened and shut
(With a jerk, which was useful if snakes were about),
And a very strong lock to keep savages out.
So he thought of his hut … and he thought of his boat,
And his hat and his breeks, and his chickens and goat,
And the hooks (for his food) and the spring (for his thirst) …
But he never could think which he ought to do first.
And so in the end he did nothing at all,
But basked on the shingle wrapped up in a shawl.
And I think it was dreadful the way he behaved –
He did nothing but basking until he was saved.
Thanks for that: bit too close for comfort though. I have used the expression ‘masterly inactivity’ before in this context. And isn’t there a Greek fable about an ass that starved to death because it couldn’t decide which of two piles of hay to eat? That works too.
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