Sun is Shining, Weather is Sweet ...

On Saturday evening, stimulated by my new found joy of blogging, I put it to L-S Dave that perhaps I could challenge any readers visiting the house to identify themselves by doing something surprising. L-S Dave suggested wryly that just buying the art would be surprise enough for him.

By Sunday though our souls soared as the sun glimmered through the house and Jacob - Jacob the Recently Washed - emerged from his ablutions looking quite dashing ('Not a Girlfriend' was making an appearance).

It was L-S Dave's birthday. You may imagine it purgatory to host an open house on your birthday but L-S Dave's spirits were curiously high. If you'd have asked him why, he'd have mentioned the simple pleasures of the season. Only we - the cognoscenti - know that L-S Dave shares a birthday with She Who Must and, for obvious reasons, currently sleep-overs are out (he's all for opening up at Christmas too).

The atmosphere was buzzing as guests rolled through our doors in their undulating waves. Delightful friends new and old, neighbours and even former colleagues, twitching with withdrawal from their ivory towers, dropped by to assess the talent on display. My troupe were at their most genial, stimulated by the fillip of an appreciative audience. Even Jacob had postponed his customary expedition to the shops and was to be found either capitalising on his elevated status as resident artist amid a bevy of beauties or counting his takings.

But I noted an air of desperation hovering over those prospectors who arrived with their notebooks and lists, industriously annotating them with purchasing targets and sketches of desired chandeliers. The search for the perfect piece of art was on and it was a competitive sport - only this time it was being played out guest-versus-guest. 

That evening we lodged Jacob with Elusive and, bathed in the bliss of the moment, strolled down to the seafront for a celebratory birthday meal at our favourite restaurant, Due South. Gigging has taken its toll on Elusive's hearing. 'Due South?' he queried incredulously 'I thought you said you were going to a Jew's house' ...