Face-Off

The family dropped round, and I bought out the packet of Party Ring biscuits I'd hidden in the cupboard.

Rosie immediately cried "Grandma! Can we do the Biscuit Face Challenge?" So we all had a go. The rules

• biscuit is placed on forehead and moved to mouth
• only move it using facial muscles, no touching 
• if biscuit falls, you are out [pick it up, dust it, eat it!]
• one minute time limit

We all took part with differing results. Rosie changed seats after her first ring went down the back of the sofa. Jess was happy just looking through the hole

Bob concentrated really hard, and succeeded. At least he said he did. Unfortunately I'd turned away at the crucial moment so didn't actually see the ring disappear. But I trust him!

Important extra Cornerstones rules -

•  nobody gets more than three tries
• biscuits down the back of sofa should be retrieved promptly and put in the bin

I may be a grown-up, but I still enjoy Party Rings -  they have "less fattening centres" as they used to say in the Maltesers ad.

Have you played this game in your family?

Why do children love Party Rings so much?

Goodbye, Dolly!

The wonderful Dolly Parton has left us, to go and sing with the angels! She will be greatly missed by so many. Her nephew paid a moving tribute.[see video below]
I loved her, for her music, her honesty and her openness about her faith. I loved her generosity - helping children in the US get to College, and her worldwide Imagination Library [my own grandchildren benefited from the books they received through that] I am appalled that the hypocritical President says flags will fly at half mast for a week at the same time as his Republican Party is withdrawing funds from the I.L.across the States.

Here's Rosie, ten years ago, with her first Dolly Parton Book!

When she learned that the doctor who once treated her after a car crash was working on a vaccine for Covid, Dolly's immediate response was to pull out her chequebook and donate $1M to help. Thanks Dolly, I had my Moderna Jab!

Dolly once said “God has a plan for everything. I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine. And they are now.”

She brought joy throughout her life, to so many people. but never forgot her humble roots, and was always generous to others. She had a very long and happy marriage. RIP Dolly- we will always love you!

I did love the tribute from the band outside Buckingham Palace today! 

There's A Mouse In The House!

 

On Saturday, the final full day of their Norfolk holiday, Liz suggested we did the Museum Open Day. So we did. Mouse crafts, Mouse Hunt, and much more mousiness - Rosie spotted that the mice were all wearing the hats and scarves I'd been knitting before the holidays. A volunteer I'd not met before thanked me for all my mouse-making. Then I walked with the girls in p to Starbucks where Liz was waiting. A long cool drink was very welcome.

Do you like their Mouse Ears? 

Thank You, Bob

Today is our 47th Wedding Anniversary. Six years ago I quoted Anne Bradstreet's Poem to her 'Dear and loving husband'  It is a favourite of mine. I was going to use it again - but that would be its fourth appearance in 18 years. Is that too much? 

Instead I am reproducing the two "poems on the underground" which hang opposite the dining table. The first a gift from Bob to me, the second is one which I gave him. 

CLOSE CLOSE ALL NIGHT
Close close all night the lovers keep.
They turn together in their sleep,
close as two papers in a book
that read each other in the dark.
Each knows all the other knows
learnt by heart from head to toes.

[by Elisabeth Bishop]

OUR MEETINGS
As in the underground there's no mistaking
the train's approach - it pushes air ahead,
whirls paper, the lines singing - a sort of dread
suffusing longing and my platform shaking
so it is before every meeting
till you arrive - hear how my heart is beating.

[by Andrew Waterman]

I am so grateful to God for this lovely bloke who brings such love, life and laughter to every day

Cosy Crime In Cambridge

Last month saw the end of  "Grantchester" - it began back in 2014 with James Norton as Rev Sidney, then Tom Brittney [Rev Will] and finally, in series 10 & 11, Rishi Nair  [Rev Alphy] and Robson Green as Detective 'Geordie' Keating throughout. It was all set in and around Cambridge in the 50's and 60's. Norton himself studied at Fitzwilliam College.
On Wednesday, Ben Miller [St Catharine's College] returned to ITV as the fastidious Professor T [ a spin off from the Belgian series] and on Thursday David Mitchell [Peterhouse College] was back as the cruciverbalist John 'Ludwig' Taylor. We watched Prof T and Ludwig, but I have a few comments...DON'T READ THIS POST IF YOU HAVE YET TO WATCH THEM
Spoiler Alert!!
We enjoyed Prof T this week, despite the absence of his eccentric mother played by Frances de la Tour.** His equally batty and quirky aunt Zelda [Zoe Wanamaker] filled the gap satisfactorily. But I missed Lisa Donckers [killed off at the end of last series] I love the Prof's smart, buttoned up [and gloved] persona. He's almost a British 'Monk' 
Ludwig is back for a second series, and this time his sister in law Lucy [wonderfully clever Annas Maxwell Martin] gets a bigger share of the script. The murder was during the performance of an opera called Song of Solomon, and the cops picked up a baby doll, one of the props. I thought these were two huge pointers which nobody remarked upon. In 1 Kings chapter 3, wise King Solomon encounters two women [one lying] and a dead body. And he establishes whodunnit. 
But Ludwig never mentions the Bible Story even though he has two women, one lying - and a dead body... I wait with interest to see if there are similar obvious, but unmentioned pointers in subsequent episodes. 

** Our Gallic cousins may have Le Tour de France, but we Brits have Frances de la Tour!
Why is Oxford the serious crime place [eg Morse, Wimsey] whereas Cambridge is more cosy? 

Are you watching Prof T and/or Ludwig?
Do you enjoy them?

Still Burning...

 I came across a prayer this week, which I am sharing as I found it helpful ..

Loving God our Father, who has blessed us,
And given us a good world to live in as stewards,
We bring before you all those who are affected 
 by the wildfires ravaging Europe
We especially pray for those
 who have been evacuated.
Give them peace and safety
 as they wait for the end of this crisis.
We are so grateful for the firefighters
 and other workers who are risking
 their own lives to bring the fires under control.
Protect them and strengthen them
 as they serve their communities.
And bless all those in authority
 who are releasing funds and resources
 to provide shelter and other necessities
 to those at risk.
We thank you for the outpouring of concern
 and support for those in need
And we pray that this community spirit
 might be seen among us all the time
 not only at times of emergency.
Lord, we are conscious that the world is warming,
 and that human activity is contributing significantly
 to the changing climate.
We are sorry and repent of our selfish consumerism.
Help us all to find ways to reduce
 our footprint upon the earth,
And give wisdom to those in power
 to find a way to reduce greenhouse gases
 in the atmosphere.
We offer this prayer in the name
 of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
Amen. 

With thanks to John Bavington, Chaplain of Aquitaine, CofE in Europe

Artistically Anxious Angela

Such a thoughtful Flat Gift arrived with my squares this week. K picked up on my request about improving my art work.

The blurb says "On each spread, illustrator John Bigwood has given a colourful and quirky watercolour outline of a person/people, with humorous suggestions of features to copy. Don't worry about wonky lines, weird features, smudges or scribbles as every stroke of your pen adds personality and flair.
This fun and accessible exercise is great for anyone who wants to practise their drawing."
You get a page of ideas, and opposite, a coloured splodge to decorate, like these...

I will show you when I have tried some of these out...thanks again K.