It's not as though I'd be over-using it, bending everyone's ears back or shouting for a fortnight, but my voice has gone. It's due to some virus or other and if I do speak it's against doctor's orders (total voice-rest for 48 hours) and I sound wheeeeeeezy like Muttley or grrrrrrravelly like Colin in the wonderful Rev. The teenagers think the enforced maternal silence is a late Christmas gift, while I am coming to realise just how little feedback teenagers want or need. I haven't spoken properly for four days, and it's becoming a habit. Not that I'm likely to take a vow of silence or anything, but it is peaceful, even for me. And I am enjoying the obvious internal theme tune to this interlude: Silence is Golden (one of my favourite songs when little - oh, the irony - I was always in trouble at school for talking in lessons.).
So I am looking for speechless activities. Going to the theatre works well: other people can do the loud voices. Phoebe and I went to see Matilda last night - what an amazingly inventive, creative, imaginative production. It's full of wonderful verbal cleverness, the children are like little cartoon characters (not in the slightest bit 'annoying', as Phoebe put it), and the whole thing is so meticulously timed and choreographed that you hold your breath and wonder at it all. Last night's Matilda (there are four) was simply incredible (she even delivered a few lines in perfect Russian), and the star turn of Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull takes the idea of the pantomime dame to a very different level.
And making hexagon flowers is a quiet pastime. I've found a rhythm now, and have got over the fact that everything has to be done by hand. I've made all the indvidual flowers and am now at the stage of sewing them into one piece. I find it hard to believe, but I actually enjoy making all the little stitches along the edges, turning corners, going down new lines, like an ant, hell-bent on following the pre-set route. I'm leaving all the papers in for the time being (it does make sewing edges together easier) and then I'll have a major pulling-out party at the end.
By which time I'm hoping I'll be able to shout 'yippee' very loudly.
