bopping grannies

Sorry sorry sorry. Too much going on for update till now. Yes - the baby came - a girl - still nameless! - her parents' it turns out have different ideas on what constitutes nice ones. A very pretty baby to judge from the pictures. Granny hasn't yet seen her, because, the baby born in hospital, her services were not immediately required. So she hopped off to join her family at WOMAD in Wiltshire - the second musical festival of her life - the first one was WOMAD too. The nice thing about world music is that it attracts entire families - how about a camping trip with some good music attached? - the families ranging from grannies - practically great grannies - to babies - practically new born ones. Ever since her children were about six, the mere movement of one of Granny's feet into dancing mode - let alone the smallest wriggle of her bum - filled them with such embarrassment and horror she had to keep it cool when they were around. But surrounded by other bopping grannies, she had no such problem - so bop she did, whether her family was in sight or not - to French - American - African music, you name it. One of the sets was by Mavis Staples of the Staples Singers - civil rights veterans - protest singers - friends of Martin Luther King - now pushing 70 herself and not only a historical monument - definitely - but also a bopping granny to beat all bopping grannies. Beloved eldest granddaughter was watching this singer too. 'Something to tell your grandchildren', Granny said. 'You watched and heard someone who knew and protested alongside Martin Luther King.' The closest she had been to Martin Luther King herself, the thrill was hers, as well.

The problem was: it was VERY HOT. And much worse, eldest granddaughter had such asthma she had to be taken home early. Then Granny herself proceeded to go down with a terrible cold which cut short her own festival going and meant she couldn't go down to the see the baby and do her Granny bit on Monday as arranged. This meant that Beloved did get to see his first granddaughter before she did: this was probably right. Snuffling, snorting, feeling very sorry for herself for days all Granny could do was offer granny advice over the telephone. Which she did. But only when asked. (You have to be careful about such things. Grandmothers, real or surrogate, tread on very thin ice.)

She is still snuffling and coughing somewhat. Serves her right for all that bopping perhaps. But as she is no longer infectious she is off this afternoon to baby worship, bearing cooked offerings of one kind and another. She could cook at least.

See you later.