Rain Stops Play

How not to spend your day off  -  trailing around in what can only be described as a a 24 hour monsoon with Small Child visiting relatives, then the supermarket, closely followed by a quick trip to the edge of insanity! The English weather is a joy to behold. Everyone moans the minute we have some rain and they start saying what a wash out the summer is blah blah blah... actually my mother said that on this particular rainy day but more on that later!  But I have to say I quite like my country's ability to change it's mind in an instant and surprise us unsuspecting folk as we go about our business. In my new office with it's double fronted windows to the world, I've learnt to appreciate the sudden changes the weather can inflict. Like the lady today who had to pull over her convertible in a rain shower and hastily put the roof up whilst patting down her hair for fear that it may now not be quite so straight! And the fact that I can walk from my car that is parked one road back from the beach bathed in sunshine, to my office one road on where it's just begun to rain!  But back to yesterday....

I took Small Child to see my cousin and her four month old. "Cousin It" as she's affectionately known, is more like my younger ditsy sister - I always go to her for an injection of nostalgia and girly stuff!  I left my umbrella outside her house only to come out later and find it had blown away into the hedge and was now upside down collecting water faster than a reservoir! Small Child was fine as she had on full "Hello Kitty" rain wear attire, complete with wellies and ladybird umbrella! Seeing as her coat came with a hood I asked to borrow the very fashion forward red and black spotted accessory but she flatly refused. Cue drenching No. 1.  We then went with grandma to the shops for a bit of retail therapy and caffeine (and aforementioned moaning about lack of summer!). Small Child, who, after insisting on riding in the trolley, proceeded to sit on the spiky end of a pineapple and  wailed like a banshee all round the store until we left. Drenching No. 2 took place on the way back to the car as Grandma ensured that the hollering red faced creature didn't get anymore distressed by getting wet. By this time I had already decided that I was most definitely going to finish off the half bottle of red wine later that evening... especially as Other Half was away on business! The high point of my day was returning home and getting all my neighbours involved a game of Hunt The Parcel - In The Rain! I had a card through the door saying that my delivery of latest obsession French Connection sandals (reduced in the sale no less!), and bag, had been "left behind the rear gate". Except they forgot to mention whose rear gate and all four houses became involved! It was the local policeman who lives at the end of our road who thought to look over the neighbours fence and spotted my soggy parcel definitely "behind a rear gate" but also hidden by a shrub!  All's well that ends well - Small Child got over the unfortunate pineapple incident, I got my new sandals and this morning when I woke up, the sun was shining again!  Plus, I felt proud that yesterday's experiment of wearing wedge heeled sandals high enough to keep your feet out of puddles and therefore dry, had actually worked!