Here's to you Mrs Robinson

I've changed the name of the blog. No reason. The old one was boring, probably. I haven't done anything shareworthy - oh except have yet another birthday. It was a good one - number 2 daughter rang me from London in the morning, I went shopping, went to the movies (of which more in a minute), drank chilli-flavoured hot chocolate, found one of those little hole-in-the-wall shops that Terry Pratchett made famous in his Discworld novels and bought a genuine macrame suspended coffee table that smells like it has been in the shop since the 70s, attended an exhibition opening without an invitation, visited number 3 daughter in her new flat (that's apartment in USA-speak), and had chocolate cake and pavlova for dinner (supper) with my sisterand number 1 daughter and her family. As the youngest (number 4) came with me and my sister to the movie and other afternoon activities, that means I actually had contact with all of my children in one day - a miraculous rarity which I am still awed and delighted by.

The movie. We went to 'A Prairie Home Companion'. We laughed. We cried. We had ice creams. We were the only three in the theatre. This is a great movie. It roller coasted between extreme emotions in the twinkle of a star, of which there were plenty in abundance. It's the first movie in which I've actually liked Meryl Streep. Kevin Klein is genius. Garrison Keilor is Garrison Keilor, and I could happily have watched the movie with my eyes closed, so restful is that familiar voice. Lindsay Lohan was suitably moody, except for her wildly exaggerated sell-out at the end of the action. It didn't need it. Go and see it.

Now I'm going out for dinner to my brother-in-law's home. It will take 15 minutes to get there, assuming we find the right street immediately which we have yet to do since he moved into his house three months ago, and we are due there in 2 minutes. The Man of the House is outside sanding the walls in readiness for painting, and will no doubt want to wash up and change. What am I doing still here?