It has been a long,long time, Queen Elizabeth,

6 months have passed since my last entry. not because nothing has happened, a lot has happened, so little time to say it. Why do people come to sit in the Library and talk.There are so many other nooks and crannies for them to do so, yet here they are, twittering away,all the nonsense one of them doesn't want to hear, the other feels the urge to share. Incessantly. Woman, please, go away, your hubby looks ready to jump the ship. I have done something unbelievable , have made an effort to date.On the internet, of all places.Yes,me,Ms SCEPTICAL. It happened by sheer accident.Instead of pressing my favourite holiday channel 201, I accidentally pressed 204. What's this? You ring the number with the box number provided and listen to the voice.Sounds intriguing.The first advertiser wanted a feminine, stylish, elegant woman.Yes,yes and yes.Someone who would feel equally comfortable in an evening gown as in a pair of willies,or was it wellies?!JOKE!Yes to that, too.Then he continued- long legs. NOOOO !Now, I have a perfectly nice pair of pins, but long they are not! Where would I get those in a hurry? Worse was to come - someone who can ride a mountain bike. A mountain what? Are you nuts?You at 54 expect a woman to ride a mountain bike?! And then it hit me -a man like you-money, position, success,does not want a woman of 54, he wants a woman of 24 ...with her long legs riding a mountain bike into the sunset. So I read on.The funniest entry of them all.Enthusiastically I begin recording my reply.I say I want someone, who can rock my boat.Then it dawned on me I forgot to press 3 and a hash to save my message. The next recording I am half way listening to, when he pours a glass of wine. What idiot would do that? Another one bites the dust.Two other recordings don't fare much better.And then there is...lets call him,Adam,or Michael.I like the fact he doesn't ask for an ATTRACTIVE woman.How I hate the word now. I like the voice.Adore the voice.My goodness,how can this voice be unattached? Is he ugly?Good.I have never been for pretty boys.Tall dark and handsome? Not for me. Give me brain and not brawn any time.I listened to his recording several times for a month,liking it more and more.Then on sat last I finally plucked up the courage and left a message.I had a call after nine that evening from a number I did not recognize, 20 min later another. Only the phone was in another room and I was -resplendent on my lovely comfortable bed, with The Mail and The Telegraph around me, a magazine or two besides, and Midsomer Murders on Channel 10! The next day I picked up my mobile to ring him, but then thought suppose he is on a date, under the circumstances and it being a Sunday, it was very likely, so if I DO ring and it IS him, and he IS on a date, would he be thanking me for spoiling his chances? NO! In the evening I rang my sister,,then went to bag the leaves the wind had so perfectly swept to one side in the garden.And I took all the seven bags to the skips some five minutes away.Yes, you guessed it, he phoned while I was working.When I saw the missed call some 3 hours later, I knew the luck was not on my side. Should I ring him,should I not?Supposing he is on a date? I texted him saying sorry I missed the call.I haven't heard from him again.But I am going to grab the bull by the horns and send him a text from the ship when I get a signal.How often in the past five and a half years have I met a man I wanted to get to know better? Yes, you guessed it. Not once.I find million and one excuses why to say no to every invitation I get and never a good reason to say yes.