It's the difference between reading a novel, or watching some unfolding event for the first time, and rereading, or revisiting something that we know the outcome of.
Like living in the first and second World Wars, not knowing if victory was possible, and reading about it afterwards knowing how it ended.
Happy Easter, everyone... I'm so glad that Good Friday wasn't the end, but the beginning.
Yesterday, all my troubles seemed to be here to stay, now today they've gone away...
I know, that's the wrong way round, but yesterday I was tearing my hair about the arrangements for getting us all together, us, the offspring and my father for some time together, and also very apprehensive about a respiratory assessment at our local hospital, and feeling 'low' from the effects of hefty antibiotics.
Yesterday, the get-together arrangements fell into place, and today the respiratory appointment went very well. The Dr was kind and helpful and patient, answering questions, explaining things clearly and generally reassuring that we were doing the right things to manage my pulmonary fibrosis condition and avoid the risks of catching infection. I do constantly need professional reassurance that I'm not overreacting or being overcautious.
So, moving on, there were lighter moments yesterday,
SOCKS
ta-da!
I finished the second sock last night and here they are. I'm fighting the urge to cast on the next pair. It gets addictive. I wonder if I'll manage to persuade myself to make progress on other works-in-progress first... don't bet on it.
GARDENING
Himself took a stroll round the garden yesterday. The only plant that has been really, really enjoying the wet weather is the cardoon
Hang on a mo, just look at all those snails! He picked of SCORES of them, big and small, and whanged them way over the hedge at the bottom of the garden. (Onto waste ground and cycle tracks, I hasten to explain). This afternoon there were another half dozen, at least, I hope they were ANOTHER half dozen; I know slugs are homing pests, but I think he threw the snails far enough?
CROSS STITCH
not today. I'd forgotten how exhausting chasing round trying to get social meet ups can be, and the same for worrying about upcoming events. I'm not stewing about it, though; if I hadn't caught the post on Thursday then the next collection probably won't be until Tuesday.
It all happened so fast. I've only recently started thinking about the likely time line from The Last Supper, on Thursday evening, to Jesus dying the cross by noon the next day.
Just a matter of hours.
A complete mockery of justice.
There they were, sharing supper with Jesus, and by lunchtime Jesus was dead, and their hopes for - what? What were they hoping would happen? Some glorious happy-ever-after ending?
It's all right for us, we know that this was not the end, but actually the real Glorious Happy-Ever-After ending. But I feel for the family, friends and followers of Jesus as the growing realisation came that he wasn't going to miraculously save himself, step down from the Cross, and join them for a belated lunch. They must have gone home feeling completely empty and bereft.
True love is being prepared to walk into town tomorrow morning and buy some hot cross buns for me... they weren't on the shopping list this morning and Himself hadn't realised how much I like them. They will be the first of the year for me, if he can get them. I do like to wait until Good Friday. But, only real hot cross buns, please, no chocolate or cranberries or cheese or marmite, please!
He's also picking up a 'click and collect' order from the COOK frozen food shop. Organising a family get-together over Easter is entirely weather dependent, and it's quite difficult to make plans. I've ordered a suitable lamb recipe, two two-portion trays and one si gle-portion tray. They can sit in the freezer, and we can serve 2 people (just us), 3 people (us and my father), 4 people (us and the children) or all 5 of us.
Now we watch the weather... Sunday might be possible, depending on church arrangements for the offspring, and the weather looks okay-ish. Otherwise we can celebrate together a week later - would that for with the Greek Orthodox Easter dates? If you can't succeed, try, try, and try again!
CROSS STITCH
Progress! I have completed half the design! That has made me feel SO happy! Even pulling on the wrong loose end of the skein and causing a cat's cradle of thread couldn't dim my smile!
KNITTING
The first sock is complete, with it's rather unconventional triangular heel. This must be the third pair I have made using this type of heel, and I find it works well enough.
There - all fixed! Just the heel on the other sock left. I wanted to finish them before April if possible, just to get a move on with the next UFO.
I didn't get round to posting last night - it was book club night, which I join on zoom. Another member of the group was also zooming so I had company on the screen, as it were.
I'd rather be there in person, joining in with the delicious bring and share food. Last night they had a cheese platter with grapes, someone usually brings quiche, and there was also a pasta salad made with radiatori pasta. That's a new shape to me!
In fact I find the design of the contraptions which make the pasta shapes fascinating. There are some kinds of machines that are just mesmerising to watch.
The The Book;
In the end I plucked up my courage and read 'Wandering Souls' by Cecile Pin, the book under discussion. Why did I need courage?
I was apprehensive in case it was 'gut-wrenching', 'harrowing', 'heart-rending'. Oddly it was and wan't in that the writer didn't extract every last drop of the horrors endured by the Vietnamese Boat People - and the the horrors were horrific. It was as though the three children, separated by events from the rest of the family, were emotionally distanced from everything, with their main focus on getting through each stage of the journey to England, through the camps and finally (plot spoiler?) making it through, each in their own way.
I was also struck by the fact that the eldest sibling, the girl, caring for the two younger brothers, was a similar age to me. Maybe a year or two younger... That did make it feel more personal.
Interspersed with the fictional story were facts and reports, which gave the background to the times. I would recommend the book to anyone (like me) wanting 'something different' and in a sense more relevant than well - my usual reading is moderately 'cosy' detective fiction, and gentle old-fashioned romance by Elizabeth Fair, D E Stevenson, Molly Clavering and so on. Although Elli Griffiths' Norfolk books are a new find, and I haven't finished the Donna Leon 'Inspector Brunetti' series set in Venice, which are all anything BUT cosy.
This month's book is 'The Places Inbetween' by Rory Stewart. I'm looking forward to this. I haven't decided whether to go for Kindle or Audible yet...
It felt like an episode from a baking or cooking show in the kitchen today...
We may possibly have made an approximation of a si,nel cake between us. A bit like a 'technical' from 'Great British Bake-off', where the contestants are given the instruction 'make a simnel cake' without quantities or instructions or baking times...
I was the walking recipe sheet, ransacking my memory, and Himself was Action Man, doing all the active work. Between us we ended up with 4oz each of brown sugar, sr flour and butter, mixed together with 2 eggs, and a generous tablespoon each of mixed spice and whisky instead of milk.
Once this was combined, a few halved glacé cherries and a spoonful of cut mixed peel left over from Christmas went in, along with a couple of handfuls of mixed fruit.
Himself put half the mixture into the little square pan which fits in the airfryer basket, cut slices from the left over block of Christmas marzipan to cover the cake mixture, and added the rest of the mixture.
Into the airfryer with it, at 155°c for 40 mins. It appears to be cooked...
But no. We've put it back in.... we'll have to wait until tomorrow now. I can see Paul and Mary (or Greg and John, or Chris and Benoit) sharing a knowing look and shaking their heads...
SOCKS
I've finished the toe
I read somewhere it was called Kitchener stitch because, during the First World War there was a problem with badly finished toes on home-knitted socks causing painful and incapacitating foot problems for soldiers, so this method of closing the toe was recommended.
Here comes the first heel;
I've picked up 30 stitches above the waste yarn marking the heel placement
Tomorrow should see the heel finished and maybe grafted.
CROSS STITCH
the first and second colours are completed, and I've made a good start on the third!
My step count dropped noticeably last week, but is on the up again at last.
I'd set my daily target to a mere 2000 steps, but you can see I missed it four days on the trot. Still, I managed to add at least 1000 steps to my Camino di Santiago challenge. 1000 steps is translated as half a mile... sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I went on a real pilgrimage walking only half or one mile a day... you get a weird idea of the country you are travelling through. I've been 'walking' between the fields in a flat, apparently tree-less plain for weeks now... at one mile per day, the mounta8ns and indeed any sign of shade or shelter days and days away.
This week marks the beginning of my fifth year of severe social distancing due to covid and other respiratory illnesses in the wider community. I should rather say Our social distancing, since my husband has been more or less as restricted as I am, to protect me.
This is not a whinge; I have developed a mindset over the years hat enables me to accept how rethinks have to be.
The occasional news article reminds me that I'm not alone; I don't know exactly how many people there are in my situation. In the article it says there were 3.9 million people on the clinically extremely vulnerable (cev) list; I suppose as more became known about who was more at risk from covid, and vaccinations became more widely taken up the numbers will have gone down. However we CEV people are still at risk from the general public...
I am actually so glad that for most people life has returned to normal. But for me, and hundreds of thousands like me, one has to become used to no cafes, restaurants, socialising (except outdoors), no shops, theatres, markets, exhibitions, hotel holidays, omly carefully planned family gatherings.
I have found new interests. The sewing collaborations with Ang have been wonderful, the notebook swaps with another friend, revisiting arts and crafts have all filled my days with colour and creativity. When the weather petmits, meeting up in outdoor spaces and cafes or in each others gardens with families and friends is a real treat, even though I am constantly hypervigilent, assessing distances and even wind direction in relation to me and other people present.
Hospital appointments are difficult; public transport is a bit of a no-go for me. I try and wear an FFP2 mask when I have to enter a building, or when we take my father somewhere in the car but it dramatically affects my ability to breathe in enough oxygen.
Like I said, I am really not moaning. My life is good, full, busy, happy. But very, very different to what I planned back in January 2020!
Speaking of new interests, I was glad to be able to be able do more of my March cross stitch today; I haven't given up on the idea of posting it by the end of the month even if that means walking tothe post box at 3 minutes to midnight on Easter Sunday.
And I have reached the toe decreases on the second sock; who knows, I might even make a start on the heel tomorrow. Fingers crossed...
Wallflower seeds and sweet pea seeds are on my list for sowing this week too.
Palm Sunday - the beginning of Easter Week.
There was a moment at the beginning of today's service at our church, which I watched on the livestream, when I thought the vicar had gone slightly mad. After a whole series of notices he invited us to raise our loolavs and join in with the first song.
What?
I was a bit late joining the service this morning, and so I had clearly missed something important.
I googled the word 'loolav' and discovered it is the Hebrew word for date palm, and sure enough there were quite a few palm crosses waving, held high enough to be in the video!
But to return to something more serious;
The sermon was on subject of listening, sitting in silence and hearing what God has to say to us rather than filling every moment with songs or words or actions or speaking or anything else. I will take two things the from sermon...
'some people find that when they are sitting in silence with their eyes closed, they might fall asleep. Well, isn't God our Father? And, as a parent or grandparent, or friend or relative, isn't it lovely when a child feels so relaxed and secure that they fall asleep on our lap? So don't worry about falling asleep.'
and the other was we had a time of silence after the sermon.
Usually we are invited to 'sing with the band while we reflect on what we have just heard'. Personally I find that a non-starter; Either I sing, Or I reflect. I've never managed to do both!
This time, we actually had - silence. How long? I have no idea. It could have been five minutes, but was more likely ten. I was too engrossed in the experience of - silence - to care.
A period of silence was always a part of the Taize services I used to take part in, and, of course, almost the entirety of any Quaker services I attended.
I commend the practice to you.
(Surely I have mentioned before that LISTEN is an anagram of SILENT? I used to say this to the class children often enough!)
Three days of inactivity has done its work... this afternoon was the first time for nearly a week that I could maintain oxygen levels of around 92% without using oxygen support. Phew!
On the lower sock there's a blue locking marker at the point when I started decreasing last time, useful for comparing lengths so that the socks turn out with similar measurements, if not identical. You can see the waste yarn marking where the heels will be, at about 6.5 inches from the top of the cuff.
I like doing socks 'cuff-down' because then I can graft the end of the toe and heel with kitchener stitch, which is nowhere near as complicated as everyone thinks.
After I took the photograph I counted the stitches. There should have been 30 on each needle... but one needle had 31 (easily dealt with by a surreptious K2tog at some point) and the other had 36 ! Ah, no, there's nothing surreptitious to be done about that.
When I looked back I found something weird and horrible had happened at the beginning of the solid pink area. So I have ripped it back, picked up the stitches with many deep sighs along the way... 31 stitches on each needle. I'll do an extra heel decrease here and there along the way; after all, who will ever know except me? (And thee, now, I suppose...)
The Spring equinox! Or was it yesterday.... I always think of it being on the 21st, but sometimes it seems to be on 20th. Science and rotation of the earth and planetary orbits and all that. No, don't explain it to me... I have no brain at the moment.
I saved this screenshot with a view to future present ideas
(Not the antiques roadshow reference, but the mismatched sock collection). The company seem to sell socks in mismatched pairs, which appeals to my preference for introducing chaos wherever I go, and also describes my current brain state pretty well.
I've not been outside to enjoy the sunshine, but have certainly seen the evidence of this new microseason
The garden has been full of dozy bumbles. One even disturbed my quiet relaxing morning by tumbling in through the open window at the top and getting tangled in a cobweb on the windowsill. I opened the main window and sent it on its way, buzzing in a demented fashion and trailing a few bits of cobweb behind her. (It seems they tend to be Queens, coming out of hibernation, at this time of year. Hopefully she will have found the spring flowers in our border.
What to look for in Spring
Another picture from my Ladybird book 'What to look for in spring'. I'm trying to make the book last by just looking at a few pictures at a time, and taking in all the details.
The illustrations date from the 1950s. The text describes this 'modern elaborate 12 row tilling machine'. My husband remembers these from working at the farm near his home when he was young 'but ours was red' he said.
He also remrmbers watching one of the older men using a 'fiddle' to sow one of the smaller fields.
The birds are the same as today; black-headed gulls, lapwings, and some rooks heading over to search for worms and grubs in the newly turned soil.
The trees, though, they're elms; 'the expanding flower-buds on the elm trees are tinged with pink' we are told. We don't hear much about Dutch Elm Disease any more, probably because we have very few elms left in these parts. Now it's ash die-back disease that is creeping through the local countryside.
I had what may well have been a new (to me) type of scam call today... a very plausible sounding man with a slight Scottish accent called to ask for contact details for the son of a friend 'in connection with a student loan'. I declined to help; I couldn't think of any reason whereby my telephone number would appear on his student loan paperwork.
Odd.
The plausible telephone caller said I could Google the student loan department and check the e was genuine, but these days Google is not be trusted. He assures me my bame and telephone number have been removed from the paperwork.
Hmmm.
Still, it reminded me I haven't been in touch with my friend this year, so I contacted her and hope to meet up soon.
A few days ago I was getting dressed when a pale grey ghostly shape fluttered past my nose... I saw where it landed and squashed it flat (with a copy of 'Short Prayers for the Long Day' which happened to be close at hand). MOTHS!
We put a moth trap under the bed and here's another. Oh dear. I shall have to take up the bedside rug and give it a proper going over outside.
I'm hoping she will take three of my pupils in September.
THE CRAFT STASH
so, the cunning plan is to knit, sew, and crochet until it is nearly all used up.... without replenishing or adding in any way. Earlier in the year I passed a set of paint markers and several pads of high quality art paper to a friend whose son is studying graphic design. She said he would be pleased as he gets through paper and markers at quote a rate.
I seem to have come full circle, from one friend and her son, to another!
I've been pottering in the garden for three days in a row! There have been enough dry and sunny minutes today for me to do just a few little bits outside.
On Saturday I pulled up the last of the carrots and sowed seeds into paper pots.
On Sunday I cleared the weeds from some of the the patio tubs in preparation for getting the vegetable patch going again, and also picked enough rainbow chard to make a shallot/celery/green bean/ chard medley to go with our lunch.
Today I prepped all the carrots and tipped them into the little crock pot along with an onion, celery, a couple of bayleaves and some stock. We now have a couple of portions of soup for now and later. I had a sprig of rosemary in a vase, which I brought indoors about a week ago because the flowers were so pretty. When I lifted it out if the vase to add some of it to the crock pot I discovered it had grown a lot of little roots.
I took it into the garden and planted it in a pot. Then I picked a couple more pieces of rosemary and also some lavender to see if I can repeat the magic.
DECLUTTERING
I had added another 20 or so music teaching books to the stack to be passed on to another piano teacher tomorrow.
My Cunning Plan regarding the craft stash needs refinement. I have accidentally increased it, by ripping out a scarf that I never liked. Now I have Added a ball of yarn, not helpful!
This evening, I offer you my favourite way of ending the day; the Nightime Liturgy from the revised prayer book of New Zealand. If you follow the link you can read the lovely story behind this prayer.
The breaks between phrases are an opportunity to add your own thoughts and prayers as you go along.
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What a glorious morning! The first really spring-like day of the year. I'm beginning my annual metamorphosis from something like a hibernating tortoise to, well, not exactly a hare perhaps.
I was able to make use of all bar 1 of the paper pots I made earlier in the week when I was so frustrated by the never-ending rain. Lettuces; 6 each of Tom Thumb and Moonraker, Peas, a dozen pots of Kelvedon Wonder (the seeds are a bit old so I might open a more recent packet) and 6 each of three different kinds of broad beans. They are all tucked away in the cold frame in case we get another deluge as the garden is still very wet.
Looking at the onion, I'm wondering if I could dig it up and split it into four or five baby ones. I shall search the Web.
SOCK KNITTING has happened. I've got asthma where the heel will be. If I can do about an inch a day, give or take, then it won't take very long.
I attach a marker to show where I get to each day to encourage myself.
THE LIST OF STUFF TO GO
ANOTHER category has been crossed off; ten items gone from the bigger spare bedroom. Some for the book pile, and some for the bin. I can cross off number 7 now.
I have a Cunning Plan to reduce my craft stash. More on this tomorrow!
THE LIST OF STUFF TO GO
Today I sorted the pile of Christmas cards waiting for me to go through before recycling. To my horror there were 2 year's worth; last year and the year before, about 200 cards! I looked at the 2023 cards and abandoned the 2022 cards to their f ate. So number 13, Ephemera gets itself crossed off the list.
This made a nice easy task to do while having a bit of a quiet afternoon in bed, tea tray close at hand. It had been an odd day.
We drove to Dartford where there's a company that serviced my Phillips 'Simply Go' portable oxygen concentrator about 5 years ago. I enjoyed the drive. Although the weather wasn't wonderful it was good to see the progress of Spring along the motorway verges. Banks covered in primroses, a few daffodils here and there, still some blackthorn in flower and vibrant fresh green hawthorn leaves everywhere. Trails of what I suppose could be Traveller's Joy like green bunting lying over brown bare branches.
They were able to service the Concentrator while we waited. It took a long hour, but we had books to read and some water with us so the time passed.
I've picked up The Second Sock as the next unfinished object to get on with. Knitting socks is an ideal travelling occupation being small scale and very portable.
I also applied for a blue badge today, a time-consuming process, but it will make life easier for me, and also for taking my father out with us.
THE LIST OF STUFF TO GO
It's a bit like a scavenger hunt; I prowl around looking for things the appear on this list
BUNGALOW (or rather, time to seriously sort ourselves out)
long before we go anywhere near getting the gas fire (that we haven't used in years) serviced - this one;
Or replacing the bedroom carpet (no, I'm NOT sharing a picture of that!)
We need to concentrate on getting STUFF out of our house first.
Today, after browsing a bit, and reading a couple of book samples on amazon, I was inspired by a man who got rid of thousands of items from his house in the USA in a matter of months.
I've made a list to get myself started; I want to remove 10 things in these 20 categories;
KNITTING
I wanted to get the poncho finished by 14th March, and it was done today;
Here are to two identically sized pieces laid short side of the lighter, yellowy piece to the long side of the dar piece ready for the first seam;
So that it has become like this;
So, progress! Second sock attack starts tomorrow.
BUNGALOW
Well, thank you all for the excellent advice about the carpet and the gas fire yesterday! I think we will replace the carpet at some point, and get the fire serviced too.
I've thought of a Cunning Plan;
If the small bedroom and the spare bedroom are cleared first
duplicate and elderly duvets etc,
computer bits and pieces,
high sleeper bed,
books, clothes and stuff belonging to son and daughter
other stuff of ours
a couple of desks
we can move into the spare bedroom, sell our king size double which would be too big and shift our furniture out of our bedroom. Then carpet fitting and a coat of paint would be reasonably straightforward.
GARDENING
it's impossible weather for gardening, and has been for far too long. All the earth in my pots is saturated. I had a brainwave; I can plant my seeds; lettuce and broad beans at least, in paper pots and keep them dry (that sounds weird, I know) in my plastic greenhouse. So I spent some time with a heap of scrap paper and my paper plant pot maker. I have a carrier bag half full, plenty to be going on with, and have managed to ease my impatience to get started.
CROSS STITCH
nothing much has happened except that I have picked out the colours.
KNITTING
the poncho progresses. I have to knit to the end of the ball, and I might manage that tonight. Then the sewing up is very straightforward. I'm using 7mm needles so each row uses up quite a lot of yarn.
You know what I said about finishing UFOs and WIPs beforestarting anything new...
Today has been another low oxygen day; a mixture of this admittedly slight cold but also some broken nights. I went up for a bit of a - not exactly a snooze but the next best thing; restful afternoon in bed with a pot of tea and somethingto read and, oh dear, I have cast on some knitting.
I love the colours of this yarn, but although it is double knitting weight, it is too thin for the mitred square blanket which is what I bought it for. Somehow the dark centre of the yarn cake has been staring at me for weeks as though to say 'what are you going to do about me?' Today was the day I cracked;
There's a wrap, scarf, whatever, pattern on the purl soho site with the simplest lace-type pattern ever;
cast on an even number of stitches,
For every row K1 * yarn over P2tog repeat from * to last stitch, K1
That's it. Simple. I just have to learn to love doing purl.
I read an article about 'popcorn brain' as I was idly scrolling on my phone this morning, and, well, if the cap fits, as they say...
I'd heard of, and indeed used the phrase 'butterfly mind' 🦋 which sounds rather pretty and amusing. But 'popcorn brain' - well, that struck home. It doesn't sound delightful or graceful at all! So I've stuck a post-it note saying 'REALLY?' to the inside front cover of my phone and this tablet in an effort to make me think about how I am using them. How much I'm using them. What I am using them for. If I REALLY? need to look that thing up now, right now, and having looked it up do I also need to check this that or the other as well. Today's gone fairly well so far.
Reading Real Books, rather than kindle on the tablet helps, as they don't seem to have an internet connection built-in.
BUNGALOW
Although I have a particular bungalow, not even on the market, in mind, my mind is busy with what needs to be done, what could be done, and what we should just not bother with, in this house for whenever we do sell, whatever we do eventually buy.
What do you think? Our bedroom 'carpet' is actually a shocking mismatched patchwork of rugs laid ound the furniture and over the ruins of the original carpet. Under the rugs are now mostly holes in the original cheap nasty carpet, probably going back to the 1970s and very rough gappy floorboards. All the other floors are in reasonable condition.
Do we just apologise for this one room and leave it to the buyers to fix? Or try and arrange to get a cheap beige carpet put down before we sell? Would a buyer see what is currently there as a deal-breaker or negotiation opportunity?
And the gas fire in the sitting room. It's good looking, but not been used or serviced for about 10-20 years. This is a very warm house and we haven't felt the need. I suppose the first step might be to get it serviced and see if it is still OK.
KNITTING ETC
I feel a sort of urgency to clear the decks of various unfinished objects, (UFOs) or works-in-progress.
In order; the poncho; the second sock, including adding the heel to the first sock; the Elizabeth Zimmerman adult surprise jacket which stalled out one summer as it was too warm for that kind of knitting; the giant granny square blanket which I suddenly got bored with; and a large count canvas tapestry cushion cover kit I bought to see if my mother could manage it after her stroke (sadly she couldn't).
I'm aiming to finish the poncho this week, and the socks early in April. As part of sorting out my 'popcorn brain' I am resolutely NOT fishing out the other UFOs this week!
CROSS STITCH
I've done a bit of charting, in a desultory, scrappy fashion, enough to think 'let's thread a needle and just go for it'. Dangerous stuff. But that's what I'm going to do!
GARDENING
I've rescued eight Guernsey new potatoes from the fridge drawer which look as though they have some life in them, and set them to chit.
According to The Plan, I should be thinking about getting started with lettuces, radishes, spring onions, broad beans and potatoes in March. I've sorted out packets of seeds all ready. Now all I'm waiting for is some warmer drier weather.
We've also potted up the mini Christmas tree I was given at the beginning of December last year. It was very unhappy and fed up on the windowsill. We almost see it stretch and sigh 'ah, at last' in its roomy pot in the garden.
Binge watching 'boxed sets' - watching all the episodes of a TV show - in one go - is very popular. As is reading all the books in a series one after another.
I'm just embarking on the third of the Elizabeth Goudge books about the Eliot family, having read the other two in quick succession over the past few days. I reckon I will have finished it by tomorrow, abandoning knitting, sewing, everything (except food) to give myself up to reading.
This is my second time through; looking at one of my Commonplace Books from 2020-2021 I noticed that I had copied a lot of passages that had caught my attention. I'm reading the books on my kindle, which means that everything I high-lighted last time is still there. This time, there are other paragraphs and trains of thought that I will be noting down. It interests me to see how a book changes focus in the light of multiple readings and the passage of time.
There's a strong theme running through all three books, which is hard to write down in a few words. In the first two books, several of the characters have had to commit to ending a passionate relationship with another person in order to behave in a way that is morally right; to keep their marriage vows, to preserve the happiness of their children. (Although moral and social values do change over time - I wonder if the Wallis Simpson / King Edward VIII business provoked the whole series of books)
The lesson in the books is that if you wholeheartedly try and behave in the right way, even though you can't feel that way to begin with, you will eventually learn to become the person you are trying to be. It's certainly a different way of thinking to the 'me, now, first and foremost' way that is so prevalent today.
And - as a musician and piano teacher - I know that constant repetition of the right way of doing things will eventually result in them becoming second nature.
I have found this repetition of the right way to be true in life as well when I have found myself slipping into impatient, grumpy, lazy, bossy, or unwilling attitudes.
Because of the strong Christian thread running through the series, they do make perfect Lent reading. And the romance of the story and descriptions of the beautiful houses and countryside are a bonus!
A quiet day at home.
We needed that after a fairly busy and 'interesting' couple of days. A couple of my friends have long covid to differing degrees, ranging from years to months. They have all found that restricting themselves to no more than one event per day, or, for some of them, leaving a whole day between each event, is the way to get through while maintaining energy levels.
There's a lot of good sense in adding in rest days into what might seem at first sight to be a fairly light schedule. Gone are the days when I could teach half a dozen whole class instrumental lessons in several primary schools scattered across the county and still cope with another four or five piano lessons at home, every day, every week!
So today has been one of those empty days in the diary, and I've been grateful.
I started reading the first of the Damerosehay books by Elizabeth Goudge, The Bird in the Tree', a day or so ago, read the whole of the second one, 'The Herb of Grace' today, and started the third, 'The Heart of the Family' this evening.
I also played the piano for a while, revisiting some of the old (and easier) favourites. I was pleased at how well I remembered them.
During one of the brighter moments in the day I wandered out into the front garden to look at the wallflowers. Happily the slight dampness of the paving didn't get through my hand knitted socks, (I hadn't bothered with shoes). Himself spotted that eight of the painted pebbles have reappeared on out next door neighbour's front wall, much to their surprise and ours. When did they get there? Who put them there?
I've decided to look at every room in the house and make a plan for decluttering. I'm starting with the bathroom... not much to do there... and the loo... even less! Those are the easy quick wins!
It was a lovely bright sunny day today - to look at from the comfort of indoors! A brisk and very sharp wind swept away any warmth from the sun and swiftly cut through all my layers of vest, shirt, jumper, jacket, hat scarf and gloves to chill me to the bone when I briefly went out of doors.
However an appointment with the dental hygienist forced me out. She's very quick, very thorough, and very keen. In the course of 45 minutes of concentrated activity on my teeth I learned about her new book written for preschool children to encourage them to look after their teeth, why I should brush my teeth three times a day and floss after every meal, and more information about the evils of mouth bacteria than I am comfortable to hear.
I left with clean shiny teeth, ringing ears, and two weeny tubes of toothpaste. It's taken me the rest of the day to get used to my teeth; after holding my mouth open for so long my jaw wont open and close in the same way, and my teeth all seem to fit a bit differently.
The book cover is finished. I had to add an extra band of patches on either side. I think the quilting had pulled the backing in more than I expected, so the area I originally marked out became too small. The patterned area is now 9" x 16" for my A5 books.
A day full of events...
After Himself had finished shopping for my father, which also included restocking his fridge, examining a faulty telephone handset, checking out the plumber's work on fixing the loo and deciding how to neaten the finish he'd left, and collecting a biggish box of photographs 'which you might enjoy looking through'
there was just time to have a drink, put a few things in our own fridge and set off to meet some friend at a cafe on the seafront (about 40 mins away).
There was a brisk breeze blowing, but bright sun took some of the chill off, hat, scarves, gloves and thick trousers and jackets helping as well. It was very enjoyable sitting out, and also gave Himself and opportunity to scope out wheelchair access and the condition of the seafront path - both good enough to bring my father on the best sunny day.
Home, for a late lunch of fish and chips (supermarket, not chippy).
I settled down to a bit of book cover sewing. The final patched are pinned into place, and a couple of mistakes have been oversown to fix them
It looks a bit of a riot at the moment, and I photographed it draped over my lap so it's not showing its best. We shall see.
Then a surprise phone call... a good friend of a good friend died recently after being under the weather since November and then progressively more ill until her final few weeks in our local hospice. Her bungalow is in our road... we had said, as you do (or maybe you don't?) that her bungalow 'might be the sort of place that we could want in the future' as I am finding stairs increasingly demanding. I'm OK for now, but you don't need a crystal ball to see how things are was going.
Anyway, our friend had permission to show us round... it is the sort of place that would suit us very well indeed... suddenly thoughts begin to become more solid... and the amount of work to downsize from 3 bed house to 2 bed bungalow takes on a slice of reality... We even measured a wall...
We came home from this with our heads spinning...
I'm still putting painted pebbles out on my front wall . (Memo to self; put out 2 tomorrow to catch up)
Today, as Himself delivered a letter to a friend in the next round he discovered pebbles dotted around the front walls of local houses...
I'm rather sad that the paint has run in all the rain. I thought the paint pens I used were waterproof. I'll have to buy some varnish, or maybe a coat or two of clear wax shoe polish might do the job? I'll give it a try tomorrow.
But this pebble is protected from the rain. I'd never spotted the little hole in this tree, at a convenient height for a small child.
