Wet BBQ

Well what a day for a BBQ - no rain for weeks and today a deluge all day! I blame the fact Oscar went in for an overnight stay! Just like his last stay when I had intended to spend time on the allotment! But undaunted I made vegetable skewers and satay sauce and with the 3 newly groomed Amigos made my way to the woods! Well only The Reader and her husband who I have sub-letted a part of my allotment to were there! Despite the poor turn out we all had a lovely time and agreed it was all the nicer for no-one else turning up!
The 3 Amigos had a whale of a time! They were impressed with the spread and helped with the reheating of the stay sauce - well Kelso did whilst Rowan supervised and Trigger sat hopefully on a bottle of wine! They chatted sociably with The Sub-Letter and then greeted the hosts. Barry thought I was as mad as a hatter vis-a-vis whole 3 Amigos world trip - which says a lot coming from him!! They then got a little stir crazy and thought of going for a runaround outside - they found a pair of wellies but then decided it was a bit wet and chilly and settled for a nap round the fire! Trigger nearly ended up being a Hotdog!
I had a wonderful time with Nellie of The Woods and The Reader. We had such a wide ranging conversation for over 4 hours! Weddings and the bizarre rituals associated with it, the insane cost and the sadness of women saying it was the best day of their lives! We also touched on how children of divorced parents feel as if their whole childhood was a lie when their parents split once they had left home. The reader said her younger sister felt exactly that, she herself didn't as she was older and was aware of how unhappy and trapped her mother felt. She is an artist whose creativity was stiffled by her married life. Boris Johnsons mother who is also an incredible artist felt the same and spent many years in an institution due to mental health issues due in part to the demands of her large family and often absent  husband.  This led to talking about gypsies for whom it really did seem to be the best day of their lives given their role as childminder and caravan cleaner before and after marriage until they had an older daughter themselves! We then went on to talk of book clubs, The Reader and I want to revamp the one we are in as it consists more of drinking and gossip than consideration of the book! We touched on health issues which gave me a better perspective and acceptance of my own situation before somehow we got onto slavery. I'd watched a series on British cities and of course was fascinated to see my home town of Bristol one week. I was aware of how Bristol prospered on the slave trade but hadn't known  how it was only in 2015 that the debt the government paid to "compensate" the businessmen involved in the trade was  paid off.
All talked out I gave The Reader and Sub-letter a lift home - they only live one door up from me! A good evening was had by all!