Four years old today!

Today is my 4th Duoversary!

Four years of learning Welsh and sometimes it feels like I've learned nothing! Other times I can pick out words from signs and come to a conclusion about what it means - without looking at the English version.

I began learning during lockdown because GrandSon4 was attending a Welsh school i.e. Welsh was the primary language, and I wanted to be able to read stories to him in Welsh. Then he moved to Italy.

I've carried on because I am sorry I never learned it as a child. We were English-speaking at home, and, indeed, Mumbles and Gower aren't known as Welsh-speaking areas, unlike further west and north of Wales. I had Welsh lessons in school but hated it as it was so difficult - it still is - and I couldn't see the point of it. Now I do. My pride in and love for my country has grown as I've aged and I should be able to speak my own language. 

But even if I can translate a sign here and there I'm a long way off having the confidence to talk to anyone in Welsh. Partly because my brain goes completely blank. The only sentence I can come up with, with any reliability, is, "Dw i ddim yn hoffi coffi." (I don't like coffee.)

I've learned past and future tenses but do you think I can remember which is which? If I'm translating from Welsh I can work it out by looking for a clue that tells me if I'm doing it tomorrow (yfory) or did it yesterday (ddoe.) Also you would not believe how many ways there are of saying yes and no.

Anyway, I shall keep going. It is rare for me to persevere at something, as my maths/careers teacher told me and Husband tells me.

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We have a lunchtime tea party today for Daughter-in-law's birthday. Tea party in that it's snacky finger food mostly. Son-in-law and GrandDaughter1 probably won't be coming as they're still struggling to recover from this very nasty virus that's gone through their family, and other people I know. Lasting more than two weeks with lingering cough and very bad at its height. Poor GrandDaughter1 has been ill right through her Easter holidays!

Good curry last night by the way, though it was so hot - the temperature in the restaurant that is - that I thought I might have to nip to the toilet and take off my vest! It's very difficult knowing how to dress at the moment.

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One of the books I chose at the library yesterday was called The Housekeeper and the Professor. It sounded fascinating. Then on the way home something tickled my brain and I began to think: have I read this before? 

It's not in my book journal but that only goes back to 2020 and library records only cover the last two years I think. So I searched my blog and, yes, I read it in 2019, thoroughly enjoyed it and gave it 4*.

That's the problem: books that looked good five years ago still look good.