As I pulled my jumper sleeve over...

my hand in order to clean the washing line...

I got to thinking

'Why am I such a lazy toe-rag?'

I had padded through the snow to open the greenhouse

and get the pegs out ready to hang some washing on the line.

Instead of going in to get a cloth I thought I'll do it with my jumper...

Der!?!

Words escape even me!

In my defence the jumper was brown!

Hanging the washing out, I got lost in thoughts of

many moons ago

(this is what happens when you get old- you live in the past)

when first married...

(well married for the first time, there is a difference)

I had visions of me dry mopping the floor.

In those days you had carpet surrounded with lino,

fitted carpets were in the future.

Chatting away to my mum as I worked; I was surprised to see her mouth fall open,

distress writ large across her face.

'What?'  I cried.

'Whatever are you doing Linda?'

Turning to close the understairs cupboard,

mop still in hand; I scratched my head in bafflement, with the other free hand.

'I've no idea what you're on about Mum?'

Spluttering she said

'I've seen some things in my time, but I never thought I'd see a daughter of mine,

shake the dust off the mop into a cupboard!'

As my mouth opened and closed, looking for all the world like a 

goldfish in a bowl I thought...

Perhaps it's not the time to tell her I have been known to hoover the sheets!?!