Caroline, the new cleaning lady , shows up in her ancient Ford. Caroline is very little, very full of enthusiasm and a demon when it comes to cleaning. A contrast to Madame Bay's somewhat more laissez faire approach to dust and dusting.
Caroline is also a no nonsense sort of individual when it comes to dogs. Bob and Sophie are firmly ordered out of the kitchen so that she can mop the floor. After a moments hesitation Bob saunters out with an unmistakable " Blimey ! Keep your hair on " attitude. It takes Sophie a little longer to understand. The family princess sits in mute silence. A shocked ' but this is my house ' look in her eyes. A further ' mademoiselle ' and a click of the fingers and she gets the message.
Drinks with the German ' supermarket ' billionaires in the chateau. An evening notable for the presence of an American woman with a ferocious peroxide perm and a studied similarity to a more mature Marilyn Monroe. She introduces herself with the words " I'm a maven of the Washington scene ". Angus mishears and thinks she's said raven. This creates some slight confusion . The gravel voiced maven calls Angus '' Doll ", as in '' Why don't you come and sit by me Doll ! ". Angus has never been called ''Doll" in his life, so this also creates some confusion. The mavens jet black eyebrows have been painted on. The right one has a sharp upwards kink at the end as though there's been a sudden earth tremor while she was applying it. Quite remarkable.
24 comments:
I just had to look up the word maven. I would have imagined a 'maven' of the Washington scene to be of a rather less flamboyant demeanour, but perhaps I have watched too many West Wing episodes!
x
Maybe she''s more mavenly when she's back at home. There again maybe not. Interesting how the word maven has not made it into English English.
Even a princess cannot always have things her way.
Nice post, Doll!
- a blond American reader
A new word i learn today. maven. Never heard of it. *LOL*
raven yes.
To many of us here...(i speak for myself) you are a Doll Angus :)
a very sweet Doll.
Did the German billionaire invite you to his place for "a maven trap"?
Hope the drinks served were worth it!
XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy
I also had to look up "maven". I shall use the term at the earliest opportunity and see what kind of reaction I get !!
Do you think that the little angels have met their match in Caroline? Or will they find a way to win her over? She seems amazingly efficient.
Exactly what Washington needs, more 'experts!' :-)
Doll.... *snort*. I am sure you are lovely but I don't think "doll" is what springs to mind. Particularly with a capital D
:)
Angus, you are a character....I haven't laughed out this hard in a long time. Thanks for enlightening us on the evening's happenings at the billionaire's get-together, Doll.
I am so happy that Caroline is working out well so far....she may have to go a bit easier on the two angels though. She may find it necessary to adopt my way of cleaning, and that is to clean the areas where Brownie is no where to be seen.
I think all four of her car tyres will be christened every time she comes to the ROF. I hope they don't develop an aversion to her...It's a new relationship and like any other it takes time to settle into a comfortable groove.
I can honestly see Ms.Sophie sitting and rolling her eyes in total disbelief at being treated that way.
Was she a sort of Chelsea Manning figure?
No, decidedly not. Imagine a neat gin swilling, Sobrani smoking, 'Doll! Have you hweard about this awesome young artist I discovered in Chelsea? 'style harridan in a salmon pink kimono.
No, we love you but Doll is the last word that would come to mind. Wonder what the font was thinking!!!!
How I wish you could have included a photo of the "Maven". (As if! No one who actually is would ever say so out loud.)
I'm picturing her as drawn by a very clever caricaturist.
I'd be very happy to see you on one of the Sunday talking-hairdo shows; the Beltway crowd needs some serious deflating. The DC maven sounds like something from a bad road company cast of "Call Me Madam."
i am imagining the maven with that rather raspy voice... too many gins perhaps and ciggies? to go with the blonde hair and black eyebrows? ouch! and yet another wonderful character for your book!
and the thought of our little princess being shunted from her OWN kitchen!!! the nerve of some people.
another delightful post.
how does one reciprocate to german billionaire neighbors' . . . wine and cheese by the pool? and hopefully little pons sniffing the rich toes in the open air?
So, Angus, when the Maven summoned you, did you go sit next to her? My online dictionary defines Maven as
n. A person who has special knowledge or experience; an expert. Where do you suppose her expertise lies? I think it would be good to know, just in case.
So, is the Font planning the next shindig?
Cheers,
Jo
Toots would be the term of endearment we'd chose, not doll. Great description of the Maven-alternating between amusing and scary (that eyebrow). Caroline will eventually warm up to Bob and Sophie. Just wait, in two weeks she will be bringing biscuits for them.
I think that I missed something. I need to go back and find out why you have a new cleaning person. Madame Bay?
I hope that Caroline learns to love your puppy pair!
Well I am feeling rather smug. I have looked up words you use before (Sisyphean very recently) and appreciate that you "force" me to do so on occasion, but I know what maven means. Your peroxide blonde friend doesn't conjour up mavenly images at all. What kind of Washington maven could she be? She clearly feels she is "in the know" about something!
I laughed aloud at your it takes Sophie longer to understand comment. I don't believe Sophie has ever needed more than a split second to know exactly what is going on. Poor thing, she must have been horribly, horribly shocked!
I like the ancient Ford. I think it would be considered very retro chic here
Good God! Can it be an Anglia in very good shape? Are you sure this woman's last name isn't Weasley? Rather than listening for crashing of gears we'd
look for skyward movement.
I would think the overblown Washington " maven" was Tammy Haddad; you know, with the eyebrows and all that. But I don't think she's totally blonde.
Life in the village never disappoints....
I've found those that say they are, usually aren't. It should go without saying.
Bonnie and Kenzie, wee Scottie lasses.
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