'The world must be peopled!'

Today was fandabidozie. Yes, that's a word. Hazel, Kevin and the kiddlies came to visit. Those children just wake me up inside. Abbie is simply too clever and colourful for words and Thomas' mind is like some sort of mechanical marvel machine. Today Auntie Jo has spent too long in the sun, sung around a piano (like a Prima Donna, first lady of the staaage!), genuinely lost a child more than once during games of hide and seek, drawn pirates and fairies, and eaten far too much!

Oh. And been called Auntie 'Jew' several times...Why Abbie? Why?

'I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.'

'No. An he were, I would burn my study.'

- Beatrice, 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Yes, I read Shakespeare for pleasure. What of it? Blast, now all of my favourite moments are coming to me. Must. Not. Quote!

'BENEDICK - They say the lady is fair. 'Tis a truth, I can bear them witness. And virtuous - 'tis so, I cannot reprove it. And wise, but for loving me. By my troth, it is no addition to her wit - nor no great argument of her folly, for I will be horribly in love with her. I may chance have some odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me because I have rallied so long against marriage; but doth not the appetite alter? A man loves the meat in his youth that he cannot endure in age. Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of the brain awe a man from the career of his humour? No. The world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. Here comes Beatrice.

Enter Beatrice

By this day, she's a fair lady. I do spy some marks of love in her.

BEATRICE - Against my will I am sent to bid you come in to dinner.

BENEDICK - Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains.

BEATRICE - I took no more pains for those thanks than you take pains to thank me. If it had been painful I would not have come.

BENEDICK - You take pleasure, then, in the message?

BEATRICE - Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point and choke a daw withal. You have no stomach, signor? Fair you well.

Exit

BENEDICK - Ha! 'Against my will I am sent to bid you come into dinner.' There's a double meaning in that. 'I took no more pains for those thanks than you took pains to thank me.' That's as much as to say 'Any pains that I take for you is as easy and thanks.' - If I do not take pity of her I am a villian. If I do not love her I am a Jew. I will go get her picture.'

-Much Ado 2.3

Oh well. It was worth it.