What Maya Angelou didn't say

Apologies for my lack of blog visiting this week. Each afternoon I've flopped, lethargic and uninterested in anything. I'm wondering if it were an after-effect of the pneumonia jab I had on Tuesday. But I currently feel brighter so am making the most of it.

The sun is shining as well so that helps after a dreary start to May.

A few weeks ago we had our polling cards but we didn't receive any information from anyone about what we were supposed to be voting for. Looking more closely at the card I did see that it said 'Election for a Police Commissioner' but by that time I'd googled it and found out about the candidates.

I duly trotted along to the polling station - in a portakabin just down the road from us - and voted, remembering my photo ID. (Unlike Boris Johnson who introduced the system - although most people think it was a gimmick on his part to remind people what a lovable buffoon he is and what a great leader of the conservative party he would be.)

Even though I didn't know much about what I was voting for, and I object to the ID system,  I was determined to go along and use my ID in defiance. If that makes any sense. And I had read the statements for the candidates and made my choice.

England had local councils as well and the Tories have been well and truly walloped. With almost all results in they've lost 448 seats. More surprising though is the fact they've retained 479. I despair of voters.

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I've read a few interesting books recently.

Hotel Silence by Olafsdottir, is reminiscent of A Man Called Ove. The main character decides to take his own life but not wanting to create trauma for the person who finds him he chooses the most recently war-torn country and goes there. I'd never thought about how a country has to be rebuilt after war and what it's like living there. It was a fascinating insight with good characters.

The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths. I've read and enjoyed a number of the author's Ruth Galloway mysteries but this seemed a step up. A little classier and more complex. Very good.

I've also read My Name is Lucy Barton, which is highly regarded but I was unimpressed, and I've just finished The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. It's the follow-up to the award-winning, best-selling, The Maid. I very much enjoyed The Mystery Guest and will look out for The Maid now, which will no doubt confuse me no end.

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And now to practise my talk for Monty's church tomorrow. And decide what to wear. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, people don't remember how you made them feel; they remember what you wore!