dog(ged) days

Beloved arrives today; good. On the other hand Granny regrets - slightly - the end of her time sloping happily alone round summer London and hanging out in cafes with her mates. Many of whom - the attached ones - discuss with her the alternate joys of having the Beloved around and NOT having him. (Over breakfast this morning, outside, in an Italian cafe off Oxford Street. Blissful.)

Men, they decide, seem altogether happier to depart to places where they have boats/sea/desks + their attendant woman. They don't share desire for temporary singleness, hanging out in cities, cafes, watching the world go by. Indeed have tendency to be offended by desire of their women for such things. Don't you want to be with me? Etc. Their home is in themselves, alongside the Beloved. This is a problem shared by all women used to lives of their own adjusting to newly retired partners. No answers really. It's a matter of tact, compromise. Of swearing love and devotion just the same. Also - important - appreciation of fact that loving and being loved is a luxury. That being alone is only a luxury if most of the time you are not. (And of grabbing every possible wicked moment for sloping off singly...YEAH.)

Granny still in love with her London is grateful for the fact that the bombers seem to be on holiday too. Armed police are much in evidence - two of them - male and female - on her Piccadilly line train (reassuring.) Both looking anxiously for where they were on an underground map. (Less reassuring.) She saw her beloved ex last night and hears that one of his colleagues whom she used to know lost a leg on the Kings Cross bombing. This was sobering. As was beloved ex's statement - following beloved oldest friend's statement earlier - that it was all very well for her, they had no alternative but to continue taking the underground to work every single day. Granny sees the problem.

She is though incensed by the fact of the Shepherd's Bush bomber's wife and sister-in-law being charged with not telling on him - this was her husband after all. On top of the pain of discovering he'd been going to kill himself, abandoning her, the wife's being kept in custody away from her young children. Are they to be punished too?

Beloved's arrival; their departure to the West Country tomorrow, followed by Andalucia next week means she will not probably be reporting here for two weeks or so, Happy August everyone. Hasta la vista.