Husband has gone to see the doctor today for his overdue heart medication check-up.
On Monday I'm taking George to the vet for his overdue injections.
This is what coming out of lockdown means for us.
* * * * * *
It's raining today so I'm thinking about washing some towels.
If I wash them when it's sunny I feel obliged to hang them on the line to dry, and that makes them stiff. Putting them in the tumble dryer when the sun is blazing down makes me feel guilty.
So I wait until the rain comes so I can feel justified in putting them in the tumble dryer.
Yes, I know there's illogic in there somewhere but we all have our little foibles.
* * * * * *
Just heard the Transport Secretary defend Boris Johnson's father's trip to Greece which goes against the 'advice'. 'It's only advice and everyone has to make their own decision.'
Big sighs yet again as people all over the country make their own decisions about whether or not to take the advice - about travelling, socially distancing, wearing a mask, being a prat.
Friday, July 03, 2020
Today Matthew I am appearing as ...
Looking for a completely different photo I came across these.
In approximate chronological order.
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| Murder mystery party |
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| Murder mystery party |
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| Grandson pirate party |
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| Grandson superhero party |
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| Granddaughter Harry Potter party (Prof Trelawney) |
Wednesday, July 01, 2020
Funny sort of day
Exercise, cleaning, shower, walk, flop. Meant to make a start on editing the sequel to my novel but watched the excellent but depressing Noughts and Crosses on television instead. Funny sort of day.
But did have ice cream and saw a bunny.
Tomorrow will be better. No cleaning for a start.
Oh yes, and tried to find the origins of the phrase, 'Bob's your uncle and Fanny's your aunt,' but it seems no-one is certain. Most likely candidate for Bob is the 19th century Lord Salisbury who gave his nephew a good job out of nepotism rather than qualification, but Fanny's origins are a complete mystery.
But did have ice cream and saw a bunny.
Oh yes, and tried to find the origins of the phrase, 'Bob's your uncle and Fanny's your aunt,' but it seems no-one is certain. Most likely candidate for Bob is the 19th century Lord Salisbury who gave his nephew a good job out of nepotism rather than qualification, but Fanny's origins are a complete mystery.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Booby, blue-footed or otherwise
When thinking about the horrors of the world today what you need is a Blue-footed Booby.
#DrawwithRobBiddulph
Monday, June 29, 2020
No peeing, by order
This morning while walking I made myself a list: B, B, F, and F.
Brush, Buzzsprout, flea and freezer. Three out of four tasks completed and will brush George later.
I've only learned to appreciate hydrangeas in recent years: I used to find them boring.
Such variety and wonderful colours. I believe the colour depends on the acidity of the soil so maybe that explains this unusual sign:
It's in between two hydrangeas on a tiny patch of land alongside the pavement, outside of a garden but presumably tended by the householder. We're used to 'No Pooping' signs but 'No Peeing' seems a bit extreme - unless the gardener is worried that that the acidity of the urine will affect the colour of his hydrangeas?
Brush, Buzzsprout, flea and freezer. Three out of four tasks completed and will brush George later.
I've only learned to appreciate hydrangeas in recent years: I used to find them boring.
Stop reading halfway through
Happy to report talk is finished, rendered successfully - into a film - and sent off to Monty. Not without some mishaps and mild swearing at technology. But it's done and I slept well last night.
Apart from a strange dream that involved going into prison by walking up a thin stretch of tape in mid air. Everyone else did it but I couldn't.
Anyway, with the film out of the way I can relax. I asked Monty if it was okay. He said, 'Absolutely.' I think that means it's fine. It will be broadcast in a service next Sunday. Saying broadcast makes it sound as if it's going into hundreds of homes but I think the number is more likely to be in the tens. Or maybe less than ten. Anyway, I've done my bit and I can forget it now.
And breathe.
Weather is forecast to be variable this week, a but of everything barring snow I think. Then again, never say never. Bydd hi'n bwrw eira yfory. (It will be snowing tomorrow.)
Younger Son and family came to visit yesterday for the first time since lockdown. GrandDaughter3 was introduced to the trampoline and loved it.
On a slightly less cheerful note, our television watching has been sombre of late. Cardinal is a reminder of the darker side of life although at least it is individuals that are cruel and perverted. The Salisbury Poisonings, on the other hand, demonstrates state sponsored evil.
It's a dramatisation of the events surrounding the poisoning of the Russian spy and his daughter - plus others - in the centre of Salisbury in 2018. Novichok, the nerve agent used, was described by a chemical weapon expert as one of the most deadly synthetic poisons known to man. Synthetic. Made by man to kill man.
Unbelievably evil and inhuman, and why are we even trying to create such things?
I also finally got round to watching the first episode of Noughts and Crosses. A dramatisation this time of the YA novel by Malorie Blackman that I read some years ago. A Romeo and Juliet type story set in an imagined world where Crosses rule and Noughts struggle for equality, in a reversal of our society. As painful as you would expect to see prejudice and racial stereotyping from 'the other side'.
And with that cheery note I'll leave you. I bet you're thinking, 'She can go back to being busy if this is what she's going to depress us with on a Monday morning.'
P.S. I'm so depressed by the thought of Novichok that I won't even comment on the attempts of the government to stop the Wiltshire Chief Public Health Officer doing her job as she deemed necessary, in order to reduce inconvenience to the public (and save money).
Apart from a strange dream that involved going into prison by walking up a thin stretch of tape in mid air. Everyone else did it but I couldn't.
Anyway, with the film out of the way I can relax. I asked Monty if it was okay. He said, 'Absolutely.' I think that means it's fine. It will be broadcast in a service next Sunday. Saying broadcast makes it sound as if it's going into hundreds of homes but I think the number is more likely to be in the tens. Or maybe less than ten. Anyway, I've done my bit and I can forget it now.
And breathe.
Weather is forecast to be variable this week, a but of everything barring snow I think. Then again, never say never. Bydd hi'n bwrw eira yfory. (It will be snowing tomorrow.)
Younger Son and family came to visit yesterday for the first time since lockdown. GrandDaughter3 was introduced to the trampoline and loved it.
It's a dramatisation of the events surrounding the poisoning of the Russian spy and his daughter - plus others - in the centre of Salisbury in 2018. Novichok, the nerve agent used, was described by a chemical weapon expert as one of the most deadly synthetic poisons known to man. Synthetic. Made by man to kill man.
Unbelievably evil and inhuman, and why are we even trying to create such things?
I also finally got round to watching the first episode of Noughts and Crosses. A dramatisation this time of the YA novel by Malorie Blackman that I read some years ago. A Romeo and Juliet type story set in an imagined world where Crosses rule and Noughts struggle for equality, in a reversal of our society. As painful as you would expect to see prejudice and racial stereotyping from 'the other side'.
And with that cheery note I'll leave you. I bet you're thinking, 'She can go back to being busy if this is what she's going to depress us with on a Monday morning.'
P.S. I'm so depressed by the thought of Novichok that I won't even comment on the attempts of the government to stop the Wiltshire Chief Public Health Officer doing her job as she deemed necessary, in order to reduce inconvenience to the public (and save money).
Saturday, June 27, 2020
jig-a-jig
I've been a bit obsessive about jigsaw doing lately. Any money we've saved on fuel by not going anywhere has been frittered away on ebay. No, not frittered: I enjoy them and they absorb me and take my mind off the trials of lockdown.
This one below is a National Trust jigsaw, Tea at Grandma's - how could I resist? A lovely picture but very frustrating pieces.
As you can see some are cut very strangely and it makes them all difficult to slot together AND they don't stay together easily. So if you've completed one bit but it needs moving slightly to fit in with another piece then you almost have to take it all apart and move it bit by bit. Should have checked the details before I bought it.
Friday, June 26, 2020
Jolene
I was asked to make a short film of a talk on the bit in the bible about not judging. Writing the talk was fine: it only had to be ten minutes. Filming it less so.
First of all Husband worked out how to make the page in Word scroll so I could read off the laptop while being filmed. That was ingenious but distracting, and I decided I would be better off trying to sort of learn it. Note the 'sort of'. That's the problem.
I stutter and then panic and my mind goes blank. So far I've made two versions and I'll try cutting one of them smoothly to end up with a less blithering end product.
Obviously before I could film myself I had to do my beautifying, which meant getting out the bleach. Now, can you guess the first thing I do when I take this box out of the cupboard?
In fact the thing I do every time I see it.
First of all Husband worked out how to make the page in Word scroll so I could read off the laptop while being filmed. That was ingenious but distracting, and I decided I would be better off trying to sort of learn it. Note the 'sort of'. That's the problem.
I stutter and then panic and my mind goes blank. So far I've made two versions and I'll try cutting one of them smoothly to end up with a less blithering end product.
Obviously before I could film myself I had to do my beautifying, which meant getting out the bleach. Now, can you guess the first thing I do when I take this box out of the cupboard?
In fact the thing I do every time I see it.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Midsummer Night's Dream
Our anniversary falls on Midsummer's Day, 24th June, which is a little strange - the date rather than it being our anniversary.
But let me explain or confuse you a bit more.
Meteorological summer in the UK starts on 1st June and ends on 31st August.
The astronomical summer begins at summer solstice, the longest day, this year being 21st June.
So 24th June being mid-summer doesn't make sense by any reckoning.
But it all goes back to pagan traditions around the summer solstice. Midsummer was traditionally celebrated for about a week around solstice until the Christian Church came along and decided this was far too ... well, pagan, and opted for 24th June, St John's Day, as Midsummer.
With that most of the traditional festivities died out eventually although in recent years groups like the Old Cornwall Society have revived the traditions.
For more information about all things midsummer pop along here.
But let me explain or confuse you a bit more.
Meteorological summer in the UK starts on 1st June and ends on 31st August.
The astronomical summer begins at summer solstice, the longest day, this year being 21st June.
So 24th June being mid-summer doesn't make sense by any reckoning.
But it all goes back to pagan traditions around the summer solstice. Midsummer was traditionally celebrated for about a week around solstice until the Christian Church came along and decided this was far too ... well, pagan, and opted for 24th June, St John's Day, as Midsummer.
With that most of the traditional festivities died out eventually although in recent years groups like the Old Cornwall Society have revived the traditions.
For more information about all things midsummer pop along here.
The anniversary waltz
Today is not only Midsummer's Day - more to come on that later - but also the forty-second anniversary of the day we said, 'I do.'
Here we are outside All Saint's Church in Mumbles with Husband's parents, my gran and Uncle.
My mum had already been dead for six years - she never met Husband - and my grandfather died shortly after his daughter, so I lived with my gran, and Uncle gave me away. (I hadn't realised how ridiculously tall he looks in this photo!)
My mum had already been dead for six years - she never met Husband - and my grandfather died shortly after his daughter, so I lived with my gran, and Uncle gave me away. (I hadn't realised how ridiculously tall he looks in this photo!)
So proud
I'm delighted to say that this week I'm taking part in a Pride Parade over on Debra's blog.
To see lots of lovely people displaying their colours pop on over there.
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