The Match

Another Sunday and another match. In the sun this time, though. This picture is to remind me of the many many hours of my life I have spent supporting my sons, in sun, rain and even sleet, as they pounded around a muddy bit of grass. The delights and the dismay, the mud, learning to be a team, to win graciously, be a sporting loser, that referees can make mistakes and sometimes are biased, that some teams are a pleasure to play and other downright thugs, that supporters can be wonderful, fair and encouraging... but also occasionally foul-mouthed and vile, and, oh, did I mention the mud?

Luckily this one was in the afternoon so I had time to recover from yesterday's dinner. The pumpkin took rather longer to roast than I had expected so we had time to finish two bottles of bubbly before eating.... bad move. The pheasant dumplings wrapped in bacon, rosti potatoes, and red wine sauce were delicious. I really recommend this dish. We finished off with two desserts, and some lovely floral dessert wine. I may have got the balance of wine to glasses of water slightly wrong....

Thank goodness the river was Amber-flagged so juniors couldn't go on the water - which meant I didn't have to bankride along the towpath at 7.30am. Instead I had a lovely birthday breakfast with the boys who showered me with gifts - including two chocolate oranges (they know I'll give them one of them!)and time to read the paper before football duty beckoned.

After the match, which was a 2-1 win, I came home, lit a fire and failed to do the Sunday Times Crossword even though theoretically I am now older and wiser.