When I have the energy to stop sniffing and wiping my nose, I may post on the various lurgies and illnesses that have beset us in the last two weeks. I may post about German hospitals and how wonderful they are. I may post about how my heart felt seeing my baby lie in a hospital cot with a drip in his head. I may post about how I caught the vomit of someone else’s gastro-infected baby With My Bare Hands. Or, I may not.
On a lighter note, and not including vomiting or spewing, I have been tasked by the lovely Literate Kitten to write about 10 Things I Like That Begin With The Letter “L”. It’s a much happier task than the above one.
1. Lily. A list of L’s would have to start with my darling daughter. Named for her paternal great-grandmother, she has been a joy since her birth seven years ago today. She is clever and sweet, responsible and kind, artistic and affectionate. She loves to dance, try strange foods, paint, swim and read. She adores her siblings whole-heartedly. She thinks she might be an artist when she grows up or a writer of children’s books. Happy birthday, little precious.
2. Love. Speaking of Lily, brings me to love. Isn’t love great? It drives out fear, makes heroes of us and perpetuates itself. Having a family has taught me the wonder of unconditional love.
3. Things that are long (watch it!): long walks, long kisses, long novels, long drives, long drinks, long baths, long meals, long naps. In fact for me almost anything with long is good (watch it some more!), except possibly long lectures and long queues.
4. Lemons. I love the colour and flavour of lemons. They bring me the scent of summer in my grey northern European life. Lily’s just taken 30 lemon muffins off to feed her class at school today. I bake the muffins with lemon zest and then, while they are still hot, pour over a lemon and sugar syrup that soaks into the hot cakes, making them soft and sticky. I’m also a big fan of the lemon’s close cousin, the lime.
5. Laughing is one of my favourite things to do. It’s one of the reasons I married my husband; instead of being one of the boys who made me cry, he was the one who made me laugh.
6. Lilac is my new favourite colour, along with her sisters purple, violet and jacaranda.
7. London is a city I like.
8. Lunch. Actually, I like all meals, but nowadays lunch is the one I appreciate the most, since I’m usually the most awake. I take the time during the morning to cook my kids a good lunch, and then we sit down together to eat and chat. It’s also our family meal at the weekend, because we tend to pack our children off to bed rather early so that we can lie in front of the telly, swigging whisky, smoking roll-ups and surfing our 1000 channels.
9. Lychees. My favourite fruit. I love how the hard outer skin conceals the fragrant sweet flesh. They remind me of South Africa and summer.
10. Lurking. If I could be paid to lurk, I would be a millionaire. I am an expert. I can lurk in bed, on a sofa, in a bath, on blogs. Give me a verandah with a book, a comfy chair and nice view and I can lurk for days. My husband is a good lurker and we are training our children to lurk too. They are getting good.
Edited to add: If you want to play too, sign up in the comments below and I will bequeath you your very own letter.
February 1, 2007 at 10:04 am
Happy birthday Lily!
I hope that both you, your baby boy and everyone else affected by the various lurgies are feeling much better.
Mmm. Lychees. They remind me of summer too. Is that a southern hemisphere thing? Must add to shopping list 🙂
(Are you handing out letters? This looks like fun.)
February 1, 2007 at 10:15 am
Hi Kerryn. Should you like to play, I generously give you “M”. Have fun!
February 1, 2007 at 11:00 am
Sorry to hear you’ve been zapped by all those lurgies, hope you’re all getting better. Lychess are one of thethings Father Christmas puts in stockings here – it always used to be a satsuma for us in England but they’re poor specimens at Christmastime here – all the other seasonal fruit would squish, so lychees it is. What is my letter? I need a light subject for a blog too – life is a bit heavy here too.
February 1, 2007 at 11:07 am
Thanks, Kit. Yes, lychees signal Christmas for me too. How about a “P” as your letter?
February 1, 2007 at 11:50 am
So sick man ended you sick as well? Well, you knew you’d have to pay for getting free time for those chick flicks (women always do). Hope you’re feeling better and that all the children are now well.
Love your “Ls.” And Happy Birthday, Lily (one of my favorite names. I have an adorable little just-turned-three Lily in my life at the moment).
February 1, 2007 at 12:58 pm
Happy Birthday Lily! I really want one of those lemon muffins too! Charlotte I do hope that you feel better really soon!
February 1, 2007 at 1:26 pm
I’m doing #5 while trying not to imagine what #3 you might be alluding to with your ‘watch it!’ subtext 😉
February 1, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Oh, I want a letter too!
February 1, 2007 at 1:35 pm
Hi Ash, how does “N” grab you?
February 1, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Please, please: Give me a letter?
L was a good one. I like most of the things you listed, except Lychees. Not my favorite fruit, really.
With Your Bare Hands??? Egads and little fishhooks, as my mother used to say. And you did not follow that act by immediately vomiting yourself? The things that Mothers can do. Truly the superheroes of the world.
February 1, 2007 at 3:27 pm
Ms MHH, I bequeath you the letter “R” …
February 1, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Always wanted to be in the same sentence with the word “vomit.” Ahhh.
What a great list! I think I must have intuitively picked the perfect letter for you. Lots of great “Ls” in your life.
Have a good one, CharlotteOtter!
February 1, 2007 at 6:17 pm
So glad to hear you are all at home and celebrating Lily’s birthday together.
Happy Birthday Lily!
Also, happy you are back blogging and relieved, to know that Ollie is no longer needing medical help; no matter how fine the service in the hospital you were at.
February 1, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Poor Ollie! I hope he is feeling loads better. Being in the hospital is so horrible.
Happy Birthday to Lily! All the best people are born in February, ahem.
I’d like a letter please too, Charlotte, although I might not get the post written for another few days. As usual I’ve bitten off more than I can chew in my day to day life!
I hope you’re all feeling much, much better.
February 1, 2007 at 10:14 pm
I’ll pass on the letter because I still haven’t done any work today!! I’m miss P for Procrastination today as it is.
But I’m very sorry to hear of your recent illnesses. There is very little worse in life than worrying about a sick child. Hope everyone is on the road to health again now.
And happy birthday to Lily!
February 1, 2007 at 10:25 pm
Hi Charlotte,
I like lurking too!! I know what you mean. I also love lemons and limes. How are you all doing? Lurgies are horrible things. Lily sounds adorable.
You’ve missed (from my point of view lazing/lolling around. Definitely important – remember!
Happy birthday, Lily!
Kathryn
February 2, 2007 at 1:39 am
I will now sing our family birthday song:
We wish you a happy birthday,
A joyous and celebrated birthday,
To our friend Lily,
May you live a long, long life!!
Hope you all feel better soon.
February 2, 2007 at 1:54 am
Have I ever told you that I love the name Lily and I have considered using that name for one of my own… well, it is my favorite flower after all. I think I would use Lillian because I like it. Who knows? Another Lily on the loose could be in everyone’s best interest.
I officially send miss L a big Love!
February 2, 2007 at 2:38 am
Helen, make yours an “S” …
February 2, 2007 at 3:28 am
Thanks, Charlotte! I won’t tell you the first word that came to mind!
February 2, 2007 at 9:32 am
I gave myself N – I hope that’s Ok!
February 2, 2007 at 9:37 am
I gave myself N, if that’s Ok!
February 2, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Helen, funnily enough I thought that too as I typed “S”.
Kit, consider “N” to be yours …
February 2, 2007 at 8:05 pm
Charlotte and Helen,
Were you guys thinking shenanigans by any chance?
February 2, 2007 at 8:17 pm
My goodness me, what a nightmare time you’ve had. I’ve often said you deserved to become a saint, Charlotte, not least for being able to think of things beginning with L and not heading the list with lurgies and loathing and leprosy. You are a model to us all of the ability to think of nice things in times of trouble…
February 2, 2007 at 8:21 pm
I’d volunteer for the letter k (lowerkase).
February 2, 2007 at 8:29 pm
oh, what a lovely (ha, anotherl!) post. I am so sorry you and the children are sick. here’s wishing you fast recovery, leaving you free to enjoy lots of long walks and long drinks and a million other things!
February 2, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Well, I really do feel for you in terms of the hospital – seeing that drip is such a terrible thing. And hospitals seem so unclean at times (shudder).
Anyway, London. Yup, that’s a city ok.
February 2, 2007 at 11:12 pm
I don’t want to play, but I did want to say “hi” and that this was a fun read. Hope Lily’s b-day was awesome, too!
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February 4, 2007 at 5:42 pm
I got my list of things beginning with R finished today. What a fun task. Thank you, Charlotte! I may just have to do another letter.
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February 7, 2007 at 1:16 am
Love it, Charlotte! How about a letter for me too?
February 7, 2007 at 4:48 am
Welcome, Shanna! How about a “T” for you?
February 7, 2007 at 6:44 am
I want a letter–you have made such a Lovely list that I now feel inspired! I hope you are feeling better–!
February 7, 2007 at 6:47 am
Hi Jade – how about a “W”? And yes, I am feeling a lot better and so are my people.
February 7, 2007 at 7:47 am
charlotteotter: “W” is a fine letter! I’ll see what I can do (it’ll be a good brain test). I’m glad to hear you’re feeling better. 🙂
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February 11, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Are all the letters taken yet?
February 11, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Hi Susan! No, there’re lots. How does a “B” grab you?
February 11, 2007 at 6:13 pm
I will take B! Thank you!!
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February 15, 2007 at 10:05 pm
Hello, I’m new and am enjoying the time spent on your site quite a bit. 🙂 Might I receive a letter as well?
February 16, 2007 at 8:01 am
Hi there, W! How about a “C” for you?
February 18, 2007 at 8:11 am
Oooh, I’d like a letter please and I’ll think about it during the mid-term holiday.
February 18, 2007 at 8:18 am
Lesley, I seem to be going in alphabetical order now. Would a “D” do?
February 27, 2007 at 12:57 pm
What a great site, Charlotte. I’m very impressed and have already subscribed. Thanks for the comments 😉
I’d like to play along. May I have a letter?
February 27, 2007 at 1:02 pm
Hi Ms Lizzy, how about an E?
March 15, 2007 at 4:14 am
Great blog, good job getting it all together 🙂
March 30, 2007 at 4:13 am
Your L list is marvelous. And good to hear you are raising your children to appreciate the beauty of a good lurk. If you’re still handing out letters, I would love one!
April 2, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Hi there, Tai. I can hand out a letter if you need one! I’m going to give you a choice of “F” or “G” …