Red

 

You might guess that it would happen sometime. I just knew, but I did not think that it would be me. At this special time of year when we have lots of visitors it is more embarrassing. And worst of all it was the red and not white or champagne. I knocked a glass of red wine off the small table and it went all over the carpet. It would not have mattered too much if we were still living at our cottage where we had old stone floors and patterned rugs. But this new fitted carpet is plain and beige. The stain went diagonally across the centre of the room. How do you get rid of a red wine stain?

We went to the internet of course. There is an answer to every question. I remember a friend coming to see us a long time ago at the cottage and she spilt red wine all over our new cream settee. It was before the internet and we relied on our own experiences. She rushed to the kitchen and opened a bottle of white wine and covered the stain which miraculously disappeared.

We had another adventure this week with red wine. We had gone to visit friends and we were told to help ourselves to wine in the kitchen. We did help ourselves to a large glass each, it was delicious.

“Oh, you have drunk the old wine, we opened it two weeks ago and should have thrown it away.” They were so sorry they had forgotten, but although I would not knowingly try this again, we had no ill effects.

It was our turn to be forgetful next. We had booked our meal at the village pub so long ago we could not remember what we had ordered. The waiter brought us our surprise starters and we looked forward to the revelation when our mains came as we could not recall that order either.

But I have not forgotten what shop sales were like when I was young. It is that time of year. We used to watch the queues on our black and white tv showing people sleeping on the pavement overnight to get into the shop first thing. Then I remember watching a fight between two people wanting the biggest and best bargain. When we went to the sales a few days ago, however, it was very quiet and we rushed home to see what the internet had to offer.

The robin in our garden is fighting other birds that come near, he is claiming his first place in the queue for his chosen territory, ready for his mate and nesting. It is that time of year.

(Taken from my column in The Star)