The weekend before last, Mr. Waffle’s side of the family went away to Wicklow overnight; it was partly because his father’s anniversary was coming up and partly because his sister and her husband and daughter were going back to live in London after a year living in Ireland.
We stayed in Ballyknocken where we have been before. There were 12 of us in total and we had dinner and breakfast (a triumph) and a walk around Mount Usher gardens. There was some talk about October which I generally regard as a gloomy month but is apparently very popular with others. Who knew? It’s so wet and miserable and getting darker but they were all “oh no crisp autumn days” etc. I blame the Americans.
Notwithstanding some debate on October and its merits, it was all very pleasant. It made me a bit sad though because I couldn’t help remembering the last time we were there when Mr. Waffle’s parents had been with us and in much better nick although going downhill. I was also sad because his sister and her family were going back to London and this was a farewell weekend for them. It has been lovely having them in Dublin for the past year – they went back to London last weekend. Their daughter was 2 in June and she has, just about, got used to us and is willing to wander around the house without a parent to chaperone her and I feel all that work will be wasted and we will have to start from scratch next time we see her. I am hoping to Skype her with the cat to keep us fresh in her mind; the cat is very much her favourite member of this family. Ironically, the cat is the only member of the family who is not a big fan of hers. Isn’t it always the way?
My sister-in-law is keen to book something for us all in Kerry next summer and London isn’t so far, I suppose, so could be worse.
*From that classic “A Muppet Christmas Carol” not actually said by Dickens. His loss.