Replying to Welshcakes!

Welshcakes says that it's usual in Sicily to have a shelf over the sink as compared with Britain where our sinks tend to be under a window.

Here's the view I get when I'm washing up.

I suppose a shelf, particularly a draining shelf, is useful, especially if you don't have a view worth looking at, but I do like to watch the birds on the feeder, and the flowering of the camellia in Spring. I should be able to see the lilac blossoming too but after a particularly strenuous pruning exercise by Husband, it only flowers on the higher branches. Similar pruning also did for the lavender. I think he's learned; I hope he has.

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Welshcakes also asks about the Archers. In case you're not familiar, the Archers is an everyday story of country folk. It's probably the longest running soap on the radio. One of the current storylines concerns Brian, the wealthy local landowner, his wife, Jennifer, his ex-mistress, Siobhan, and their young son, Ruarie. Siobhan is ill and is about to start treatment but is likely to die. She has asked Brian and Jennifer to take on Ruarie should the worst happen. Jennifer's position at the moment is that hell will have to freeze over before she will take on the bastard son of her husband. Welshcakes asks what I think she will do.

Siobhan wasn't Brian's first affair. In both cases Jennifer found out and took him back. She is quite desperate to keep him/her position/money. If Siobhan dies and Jennifer still refuses, she will lose Brian: he will go with the child. I think she will give in for that reason.

Ruarie is innocent in this. He is Brian's son. He is about 4. How can she refuse? He's only a child!

And considering Jennifer's own children have a number of different fathers, and Brian took them on as his, she should be careful before she comes over all righteous.

xxx