Chronicles of Starsong Land - Part II

Usually I adore the run up to Christmas. But this year it was made harder by the fact that we have our house on the market and we were having to contend with showing people (with dirty shoes!) around. One woman had a peculiar look of dissatisfaction on her face which prompted me to say to her

"Don't you like beams?"

"I don't like them at all" she replied.

Now why on earth would you want to view a timber-framed property that started off its life in the late 1400s if you don't like beams?!!! Heaven help us!

(This isn't our house, BTW. But very similar.)

Dan picked up a second dose of viral pneumonia which had him coughing for weeks and weeks, and I got a bit of a sore throat and sniffles. But mainly it is looking after an ailing man that has a draining effect on me. LOL! 

I had, fortunately, arranged to visit my good friend Jan in a nearby city. I was sooooo excited, and as you know, she has lost loads of weight and looked stunning. 

She is full of humour and such a nice person to share a meal and go shopping with. My jaws ached by the time I was on my way home.

Now, what I didn't reveal was that Jan handed me a gift in a Christmassy little bag, with a giggle. I should've observed her body language more closely. The minx! 

(Jan - I have to tell you that Dan really, really loved it!!)

We sat happily unwrapping presents on Christmas morning with our daughter, son-in-law and smallest grandson. Most of the 555 presents were for smallest, but Dan and I did get a few. 

I am one of these people who love to watch other people opening presents, but tend to leave mine till later. However, we did open our children's gifts and they were lovely. 

Then our daughter, who was doing the honours and foraging around under the tree, gravely handed me my gift from Jan. Ha!

Some second sight told me to tell her that I would open it later as this particular friend had a wicked sense of humour.

Was I glad I did!

I like it very much, Jan, and thank you for being so thoughtful. But let me warn you that I have a similar naughty sense of humour and know exactly what to get you next Christmas! Ha!

This is it everyone -

Jan had it especially made for me at a local pottery. Thank goodness I didn't open it in front of my daughter and son-in-law. Every suspicion they have about me being somewhat kinky would have been instantly confirmed.

As I write this it is sleeting yet again outside the windows. 

Horrid cold, icy, yucky stuff!

It makes me think about what I wear to bed in this old and draughty house. If what I am about to impart to you makes you laugh, and think I am totally hopeless, well so be it.

When we first married, I wore sheer, sexy nighties, and nothing else. 

The sheerer and sexier the better. Even my robes were sheer and sexy to match the nighties.

Then somehow, over the years, the sexiness went out of my nightwear, and I started to cover up more and more. I can remember how I owned and wore several Victorian style nightgowns made of wincyette that did right up to the neck and had long sleeves and went down to the floor. 

They covered up every bit of me! 

Eventually I relaxed into wearing a nightie resembling a thigh-length t-shirt. 

But I still kept my knickers on. Dan and I had one terrific argument about me wearing knickers in bed. He said that he wanted access at all times, and I was not prepared to remove them. What would happen, I asked, if there was an emergency in the middle of the night?

Well, there was, once. Whilst we were staying in a hotel down near the M25. We were all herded out on the pavement at 4 in the morning. I was very glad indeed that I was wearing my knickers! Golly it was cold!

But then, when we started TTWD, I got up enough courage to ask Dan if there was anything he would like me to 'submit' to. After he had picked himself up off the floor and managed to stop laughing long enough to reply, he thought for a moment, and then said "Although our sex life has improved 300%, why do you still wear a nightie and knickers in bed? I would like you to sleep in the nude."

I was stunned. I just hadn't thought about it.

"I want to be able to caress you, kiss you and make love to you whenever I want, and I hate having to struggle to remove all your clothing."

"I might get cold."

"Then I shall make sure I keep you warm.

"Oh."

I found it quite difficult at first. It felt strange to feel the sheets and duvet directly on my skin. But Dan kept his word. I have never been cold. He slides right up behind me and spoons. He is one of these men who feel as hot as a furnace, and we always have to move apart before dropping off to sleep.

Just very occasionally do I wear a nightie and that is only on an extremely cold winter's night. (And bedsocks!) 

But never knickers, and sometimes I just wear a t-shirt on the top half to keep my shoulders and chest warm. I do have a silly habit of sleeping with my arms out of bed, and they do sometimes get rather icy. Old houses like ours are not the warmest of places. 

Also, I confide that in the winter we have a hot water bottle 

which I make and take up with me. I get my side of the bed all nice and toasty, then I push it over to Dan's side ready for him. Old-fashioned, but very effective, and it doesn't use up electricity like electric blankets do! And if the night is extra cold, I spread a patchwork quilt on top of duvet and you can just about see the tops of our heads as we burrow down into the warmth.

Does anyone else wear anything mildly eccentric in bed, I wonder?