Heinous crime

I fear I must report a heinous crime.

One of my window boxes has been stolen.

I realise that, in the grand scheme of things, this is not a serious matter. Far, far worse stuff happens all the time, often to me. But somehow, in a weekend of shocks, betrayals, reversals and disillusionments (yes, we’ve been quite busy) it is, somehow, the window box contrives to come out on top as my chief source of sadness.

Obviously, I’m displacing an awful lot of crap onto this windowbox. If it were still with us, no doubt it would crumble hopelessly under the strain. Alas, it is long gone.

I think the dastardly deed was commited on Friday night. I’d been out, with lovely fellow bloggers like Lulu, London City Mum , Home Truths and Sarah from Maison Cupcake, learning how to do clever things with Miele steam cookers, thanks to Silvana Franco – it is amazing, these steamer thingies seem to preserve every trace of flavour and colour while cooking perfectly – and I somewhat, ahem, staggered back home again. I certainly didn’t notice anything was missing.

It wasn’t until late the next day, when we finally and belatedly got our skates on to go to the National Portrait Gallery, that I noticed the yawning gap where the window box had been. Two were still there. One was, undeniably, absent. Gah! I kept thinking, if only I’d watered it the night before (as I had been planning to do before I went out, but ran out of time) then at least it would have been a lot heavier. And, with any luck, it would have leaked all over the robbers’ trousers. Damn.

The truth is it will be probably better off with the robbers. I am a bit hopeless about watering things. Fingers crossed, at least, it has gone to a good home, where people will dead-head the geraniums and make sure the cyclamen doesn’t go all droopy.

In the meantime, I’ve moved the other two boxes into the back garden, finally got the bulb changed in the security light and I’m ordering plantation shutters. And as for the shocks, betrayals, reversals and disillusionments – obviously, I’m going to be too busy having shutters fitted to even think about that lot.

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