Five times a wife

The full title of The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders  gives an apt summary of the plot: "The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, Etc. Who was born in Newgate, and during a life of continu'd Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a Wife (whereof once to her own brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv'd Honest and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums." 

What a title - what a life - although a fictional one! Defoe is said to have based his story on 'real life' and maybe a woman had to marry and re-marry for financial reasons during that period? (1722). 

Elizabeth Taylor was married eight times - twice to Richard Burton. I have four friends who have married three times, so it seems that three maybe quite 'normal'. 

I was surprised recently to hear that my thrice married beau (it seems a little ridiculous at 50 to call him 'my boyfriend - although after this I may refer to him as 'my current boyfriend') was also engaged to another woman inbetween the marriages! 

Now, call me old fashioned but isn't this a little excessive... 

I wonder if some people are born romantics and always want to make what they perceive as the biggest commitment, or that the answer is more prosaic than that? Maybe it is love, maybe optimism presides and the serial marrier feels the marriage will make them secure?  

I have no idea! However it made me laugh that anyone could be so optimistic in the face of such (I hesistate to use the word failure) failure... that I think is a good sign!

Elizabeth Taylor is reported to have said: "I have only slept with men I have been married to, how many women can make that claim." There speaks a true romantic.



 

V slack

Ooh, I have discovered that I am rather too lazy or half soaked to write my blog too often. However I do have an excuse. I have been away for a few days to Stratford Upon Avon.

It was very relaxing - on the whole. My sisters and I booked a bargain in the Best Western 'sale'. The hotel was pleasant and 5 mins walk from the town, the theatre and the beautiful Avon. Unfortunately they had  made an error in the booking and it took 20 mins on arrival to 'sort' it out. The following day the receptionist (who had made the original booking) called us back as we walked the lobby and began berating us for 'misunderstanding' her! I have never been told off by a member of staff in a hotel before. I don't go on holiday to be told off - I could have stayed at home for that!

The hotel were hosting a murder mystery weekend (no, we did not attend it), I noted that on the forthcoming events board they were promoting a Fawlty Towers evening. I wonder if they were practising for it?

You are what you read

Keith Oatley, a novelist and psychologist has completed a study that suggests readers internalise the experiences of fictional characters and mirror their feelings or actions. .  .http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780199767632.do


My eldest daughter can't be the only one who aligns herself to Elizabeth Bennet (although I think the Andrew Davies serialisation with Colin Firth has influenced her somewhat). She told me that she liked the idea of taking a turn round the garden. I suggested that if she continued in that manner I must consider her be one of the two silliest girls in the country.

My favourite novel? The End of The Affair - Graham Greene. 
Relating Oatley's research to my choice and considering internalising the feelings and actions of the characters I was a bit freaked out; the story is about an adulterous affair and covers the themes of love, hate, unfaithfulness and the presence of God in our lives. I'm not sure I have enough energy to internalise any of those intense feelings - least of all mirror them!


However, the main character says at the beginning of the novel that he is a writer and is 'narrating'  the story, to me this suggests that he is also deciding what is recorded - and how.  Therefore 'controlling'  all of the themes, even 'controlling' the divine. Ha! Now that sounds like me!







And the film is pretty good too!

Additional Expectations

A neighbour, visiting Melton Mowbray for work, bought a pork pie (as you would). He was surprised that his wife wasn't so thrilled with his offering as to immediately want to have sex with him.

The story wasn't quite as told above, pie neighbour was saying his love life was a bit poor - and he didn't even get a 'cuddle' after he had bought her indoors 'a lovely pork pie'.  Now, call me old fashioned, but surely a pork pie - however lovely and Geographically Protected it may be - isn't a part of anyone's wooing package... 

If you would like to find out more about Melton Mowbray pork pies or GPI:
www.mmppa.co.uk

For dating or wooing advice the best I can offer today is to suggest that pies - overall - are best avoided if you are looking for love.

Great Expectations

A report states that post Christmas is the busiest time for divorce lawers, with more divorce petitions filed in January than any other month. Why is that do you think? Does the 'closeness' of the festive season, the family get togethers and the dashed expectations become just too much?

I can't be the only one who has been given an entirely inapropriate present, although I may be the only healthy eating (ie. no fried food) person to have been bought a deep fat frier!

A friend tells me that, following a row with her partner, he bought her a box of chocolates and pushed them through the letter box, I responded that it was nice that he had tried to make it up (even with such a small box of chocs that they would fit through the letter box) - before she informed me that the chocs were from Aldi!  

No, I suspect that, to misquote Robert Graves, scores of women are having relationships with entirely unsuitable men:

Why have scores of such lovely, gifted girls
   Married impossible men?

(A Slice of Wedding Cake)

Hullo!

Who is slackbette and what is this blog about? 

I am Bette and I added the 'slack' for musical and comedic purposes.Thank you for reading my blog and welcome to what I hope will be a long and entertaining friendship. 
The anticipated content of slackbette is a difficult one to describe, the dictionary definition of Slack begins with 'Slack 1' and so that is where I will start:

Adjective: 1.not taut or held tightly in position,2. having or showing laziness or negligence, 3.slow or sluggish,4.a lack of work or activity, 5.West Indian lewd, 6.neither ebbing nor flowing.

Noun: 1.(slacks) casual trousers, 2. a spell of inactivity or laziness.

 

Casting the slacks to one side  - at least for the moment - any of the above definitions offer you an entry into the world of slackbette - The Blog!