Dinner at Penguin's (Penguin optional)

My mom sent me a dinner party list to my personal email address. She, being a reader of my blog since her good-for-nothing son doesn't phone home anymore,relies on the blog to be her only contact with me. At least she knows I'm alive enough to write everyday.

She, unfortunately, is not eligible for GPs since she is not a member. But I will include her list anyway, verbatim, so this item doesn't look empty. Besides, no one likes being the first person on the dance floor.


1. My son Ger - funny, dry humour, goodlooking, need him for the girls, and he makes us laugh, he would be an asset at any party.

2. William Shakespeare - how wonderful to talk with him, and hear how he came to write all those marvellous books and sonnets, he was definitely J K Rowling and a host of other writers rolled into one, way ahead of his time.

3. Princess Diana - yes I adored her, she would be very interesting to talk to, definitely misunderstood, and she was often portrayed as being two sided, like you I would like to see and find the real Diana.

4. Richard Burton - just so I could sit and listen to him talk all night, his voice was deep and warm, like thick rich melted dark chocolate, and of course, like my next guest, Welsh. (Editors note: I'm very impressed with my mom's use of simile here.)

5. Catherine Zeta Jones - I know,Ger, you are probably cringing right now, but she is good, of a different era than Richard, and it would be interesting to find out what she would have told him to do differently, and besides, you used to like her, before she hooked up with Michael Douglas.

6. Winston Churchill - without a doubt the world's finest statesman, dead or alive, and probably will be a hundred years or more from now, extremely interesting, I would love to hear his views on Hitler. (Interjection - Did you know it was someone else who gave his famous radio speeches?)

7. Nelson Mandela - to talk about South Africa, his imprisonment, apartheid, and anything else. Also, what he sees in the future for his country.

8. Gandhi - yes, most of mine are dead, but he was one of the little insignificant people, who changed the world by love and peaceful demonstration, maybe, we need more like him, I bet he would have some interesting views on today's world.

9. Pele - this one is for you Ger, football lover, the greatest player in the world, talking to you and with you about the "lovely game", not the correct thing they advertise on tv, but I forget what they call it. (He coined the phrase "the Beautiful Game.)

10. Agatha Christie - another writer for you, just to get inside her head, and see how she comes up with all those murder mysteries, her, Will and you could have a long talk about different writing styles of today and yesteryear.

11. Anne George - my mother, a woman full of love, she had to leave school at 14 and go into service, as her father died when she was 8 leaving 3 younger sisters, to be looked after, and no widow's pension in those days, but with what Mam know about life, and living, well you could fill a 100 books.

12. Ron George - my father, World War II fighter pilot, he flew Lancaster bombers, he could keep the whole table laughing and listening to his stories about the war, and everything else for weeks. I never tire of listening to him, he is a fountain of information. (He is the greatest storyteller I've ever met. 52 missions speaks for itself. The average was 16.)

Yes Ger, we would be 13 at dinner, oh, that was the name of one of Agatha Christies books.

Food, well, Welsh Cawl or broth, with carrots, leeks, parsnips, etc. followed by Glamorgan Sausage, made of course with leeks, Caerphilly cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs etc. no meat at all.

Main course - Honey Roasted Lamb, covered in Rosemary, Honey and 2 bottles of Cider, with roasted potatoes, roasted parsnips, green beans, and cauliflower. Mint sauce and thick rich gravy, yum, yum.

Desert - Blackberry pie, with thick hot custard, Welsh Cakes, and a fresh fruit flan with clotted devonshire cream.

(I must add that she says the family misses me and loves me.)