This is the "Grecian" top I wore, only without the black bits or the belt now that it's hot, and a pretty ivory and jade necklace.
Nags and Diva, the couple of honour
Sunshine and Gareth
Rosie, fit Ryan, sleeping Darryl
Me (in Diva's big cardigan), Amy, Diva, Sunshine
I took a bottle of Grey Goose orange vodka which impressed them so much, they used it for the toast shots.
We spent a pleasant few hours eating the bountiful food, drinking lots of cocktails, and chatting. We were in a lovely gazebo under string lights that looked like stars.
No one got loud or moody or did weird things or fell over; all the alcohol did was make us laugh more and make me shut my eyes for photos. This is only the second time I've drunk so much; the first was also with them.
Another notable thing I've noticed about these Reading gatherings is no one uses foul language; instead, they make up words like "arsebiscuits" or "bumfluff".
At one point, some of us went into the living room to see the video of Diva's fashion show, the culmination of her fashion degree. This was 10 years ago, but the styles were timeless and luxurious. All satin, silk and lace in shades of champagne and cinnamon.
We were all agreed that she should start up again.
Everyone who wasn't staying overnight had gone home and the rest of us turned in at about 3am. Ryan and Rosie were in the living room, and Amy and I in the spare bedroom. Hot hot hot night, and thank goodness for the fan.
**********
I woke up and checked the time at around 5 am. I'd had a dream, possibly alcohol-fuelled:
DREAM
I was in the same house with the same people, but the house was different. There were 3 staircases and one of them led to the adjoining house. I kept getting lost and going up the wrong staircase, and the 2 female neighbours and I would exclaim "Oooh!" and I'd turn around and go back.
All of a sudden the house was a mansion, and we were all still there, and someone turned up called The Governor; we had to greet him rather formally. There was also the appearance of an actor who looked like a skinny Martin Sheen, but kinder and more uncle-like.
[This is when I woke up to check the time and went back to sleep to continue the dream.]
In the second dream Martin Sheen turned up again and I told him, "Oh, I just had a dream about you in the last one!"
In this dream, Diva was busying about, and I kept getting in her way, sort of like we were wind-up toys on two tracks that intersected at the wrong times. And I'd say "Sorry" and walk in a circle to let her pass and then end up back where I started.
**********
Woke up again at quarter to 9, and Amy was awake so we chatted a bit and then we put in a couple more hours of sleep because no one was up yet.
The house began to stir at about 11am. Every time I woke up, I would drink water from my bottle, but when I got up for the loo at 8ish, I was still a bit wobbly. However, by 11 I was fine. They told me I must have an excellent liver; I know I have a fast metabolism. Diva commented on how sunny and sparkly I was on waking, even though she says she knows I was drunk last night.
I wandered about and met Ryan drinking water in the garden, and ended up telling him the dream. He was pretty blown away by it and was sure he would dream it tonight - at the time, I remembered more and it really was odd.
Amy couldn't handle anything more than dry toast, but the rest of us breakfasted on sausages in rolls with ketchup and HP sauce. Diva gave me the "I am a genius" mug, Ryan got the "Must not follow boys" and Amy and Rosie got naughty ones. We all lolled about chatting and laughing far more than I have in the past year put together. It really was a good thing for me.
By 2pm we were all on our way home. Diva and Nags took us into the station and waved us off into the train.
Lovely weekend.
**********
At Paddington Station, I was going to buy a couple of Krispy Kreme donuts, but I ended up being a good girl and bought a salad and lemon cheesecake slice at M&S.
Then I went home and called my Daddy for father's day. We seem to have revived our "mutual adoration society" (as I used to call it), so there is a nice balance restored and I am once again the happy daughter.
OK now there is an educational French film on and I have to go so that I can practise. It's called L'Anglaise et le Duc.
11 comments:
Sounds like a fabulous time! It's good to have friends like this... makes me long to live in London. :) Grey Goose is the best, I think. I love the pictures... nice top! You look vondaaful dawwwling!
Yes, they are fantastic for filling in the gaps when my non-blogger friends are too busy, darnit.
I have since learned that Grey Goose is the best indeed. No wonder it cost that much.
I love that top, it's so...well, Greek!
Thank you daaaaahling! Muah*Muah
LOL!
Hehe, Arsebiscuit is one of my favourites that i use. Until now i thought I was the only one who used uit lol!
Although i do also swear in abundance and with increasing frequency the more I drink. bad Matt!
love the piccies...I so wish I could go to one of Diva's fab parties....one day I hope
sigh
and u like my party outfit...I looked a bit hippyish
Matt - I couldn't get over it; I know my own old friends don't swear much and we've never been drunk together, but these are newer and what a surprise, even after a load of drinks.
JL - I thought you looked Espagnole. Andalucian.
Oh, I swear a bit too much all over, but that's the silver lining for an un-self-censored American journalist. When I drink, I do become quite the foul mouth, definately not for those under the appropriate age. I drop the F-bomb a bit too much...
But, Liv, you look fantastic in these photos! I love that top! It looks like it would be nice and cool with a little cami beneath it and some above-the-ankle slacks and sandles! Looking lovely, Liv!
Not because you're American or anything, drop the English stereotype and I will tell you that Brits my age and younger are awfully foul-mouthed.
Even some of my poshest friends use the F-word a bit too often.
Thanks, you got it - I had a white cami, would have liked white capris but I knew the dog would drool and I'd sit on crumbs and stuff, so I wore denim ones with the big cuffs, and little white leather shoes. I can't wear sandals, feet too skinny, they fall off or go flying when I walk :P
i havent been to a party in ages ...
Oh yes you have - that picnic you went to. Well, this was not so much a party as a picnic like yours. Only we didn't do any fishing.
It was exciting to remember my dream, even better continuing it (I've only managed that once before).
It's true i am very bad when it copmes to swearing. It does depend on the company I am in though. One of my bad habits is if I stub a toe, or drop something or mess somehtign up badly (usually by dropping somehting I have been cooking for ages!) I do tend to swear at length. My habit is to exclaim every single swear word I know in one long, single breath without pause. Thankfully this has only happened in the presence of some friends who find the ability to string together an almost coherent sentence entirely out of swear words amusing and slightly impressive.
It's a gift.
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