Autmn is here. Winter is on its way. I know this because the days are getting shorter, the leaves are falling off the trees, and there was a frost last night.This has resulted in our having, reluctantly, to turn the central heating on. It has also resulted in the annual argument with Daughter about the benefits of wearing a coat when she goes to school. And the cold has made my back ache.
Have you ever done anything daft in your life? Like burning yourself on the steam from the kettle, or placing a stepladder too near the edge of the landing when you were attempting to get into the loft, and only stopping yourself from carreering down the stairs by wedging yourself on the stairs between the ladder and the wall? Or putting a bucket on the ground too close to the ladder where your husband is clearing the gutter, so that he comes down the ladder and puts his foot on the ladder instead of the ground, and he falls and breaks his wrist? Moral: never let me near a ladder.
Or lock yourself out? I have, twice.
We have a gate into our back garden, which we tend to keep padlocked as we don't use it that much.
A few years ago I locked myself out when I went into the front garden for some reason. Now, the back door was open, but the gate was locked, and the fence is about chin-height on me. I wouldn't even attempt to climb it.
Luckily, my neighbour's son was in. He was about eleven at the time and was thrilled at the prospect of being given permission to climb over the fence!
This he did, with the aid of another neighbour, let me in, and went home with a pound coin, feeling very pleased with himself.
Our immediate neighbours, Mr and Mrs A, are heading for eighty, and young at heart with it. They have seen our children grow up, never complained about noise, and said how much they enjoyed hearing them play in the garden. They never mind loud music, and I have been tempted( as a joke) to complain about them playing their Glenn Miller or Jim Reeves too loud! They go to Tenerife every Christmas and have a fine old time.
One day, long, long ago ( this "Summer" actually ) I had put some beetroot on the cooker to simmer when Mr A. asked me to pop in for a moment to see their new sofa. "Won't take long" I thought and left it on a low heat, grabbed my keys and went next door.
The sofa duly admired I came back and..WRONG KEYS! They were for the shed, and the tool chest!
"Now don't panic " I said, and then started flapping about, thinking of my beetroot simmering happily on the cooker. The back door was open, so I went to fetch my young Hero. Not in!! Increased flapping.
Mr A observed my flapping, and guessed what had happened. Now, he was born in an era when Men were Men and Women Were Glad Of It. A true and gallant knight.
"I'll see what I can do," he said, and before I could stop him he had marched around the back and was trying to heave himself over the fence. He is no taller than me! Luckily I managed to stop him before he had a heart attack or broke his legs.
The story has a happy ending. We enlisted the help of yet another neighbour who is a builder and somewhat younger than Mr A. He vaulted the fence, turned off the cooker and let me in.
Mr and Mrs A are quite accustomed to my loopiness. One Winter I got soaked to the skin walking the children home from school, so, thinking I was indoors for the rest of the day,changed from my jeans to my pyjama bottoms.( yellow with teddy bears). Mrs A. then asked if I could pop round and help her with something. When she saw what I was wearing...
It makes one feel good to bring joy into an elderly lady's life.
I exagerrated Mr A's age slightly. He is eighty next week and they are going on a cruise round the Med to celebrate. Good on 'em! You can't take it with you!
So Bill, there it is.
Has anyone noticed the new name of this thread?
Cheers Big Ears
Carolnoe
and don't stop people replying, that would spoil all the fun!
and getting round to replacing the microwave wich blew up on my birthday sending great clouds of black smoke everywhere 
)
Also many thanks for the story about your eighty year old neighbor. I can't wait for your return from your canal trip as I have a feeling, based on some of your previous posts, that you will have many hilarious tales to tell of your adventures and misadventures 
