The Blue Bird Of Happiness

In 1908, the Belgian writer Maurice Maeterlinck wrote a story called The Blue Bird about two children, brother and sister, named Tyltyl and Mytyl. It is a fairy story [not specifically for children - synopsis here] but in the tale, the fairy gives them a magic diamond which will reveal truth to them. Mytyl wants to find happiness, and they seek everywhere for the mystical Blue Bird which will grant this. In the end, they go home, and there all along is a cage containing a blue bird. Tyltyl gives this to his sister. That's sort of where this happy blue bird idea started [why did he give the children such odd names though?] And in 1939 Judy sang about bluebirds over the rainbow, and soon after Vera added the bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover.
But what are these bluebirds? Here's the thing - in the USA a bluebird is one of three species of thrush [Easterm, Western, and Mountain Thrushes] with vibrant blue and reddish brown plumage. But we don't get them in Europe...

The writer of the 1941 song was from the US, and never even visited Dover till long after the war. He was unaware we didn't have bluebirds here! So people have made various suggestions

• that blue birds' represented the RAF pilots in their blue uniforms
• that they were the peregrine falcons with blue feathers in their backs - flying over the Channel, trained to intercept German carrier pigeons.
• that the swallows arriving each summer had a blue sheen to their plumage, and that return brought hope.
• they could be the Eurasian Jay which has a bright blue flash on its wing
• they could be blue tits... feeble claim, these are tiny garden birds, and unlikely to be seen soaring over Kent!

Sorry if that burst your bubble...

But do have a look at my bluebird which has just flown in to Cornerstones. A tiny little amigurami crochet blue tit. It was a gift on Monday when I delivered a pair of memory bears. My friend's mother died recently - she was a very colourful lady, 89 years old, and fond of brightly coloured dresses.

I made two identical bears, for my friend and her sister. They have blue bows at the neck and personalised backpacks. And the 'pads' are made from her Mum's fleecy dressing gown - which she wore all the time in the last few weeks of her life. I used the dg to make two bags for the bears to travel in
My friend was thrilled [I may have to include packs of tissues next time I deliver bears] and said she couldn't sew. I admired the crochet items in her lounge, saying that I struggle with crochet. She immediately gave me a tiny bluebird!
Currently he is sitting with the orchids - but I may add a hanging ribbon and put him in the Xmas Tree box.

Can you crochet?

 Have you ever made amigurami birds or animals?

Monday Merriment

Three things which made me smile over the weekend
First, in a toyshop in Holt, Steven Seagull/Seagal. Seems quite appropriate really, one appears in films, and acts violently, grabbing people's possessions. The other appears on Cromer promenade, acts violently, dives in and grabs people's crisps and chips!

Second, Saturday afternoon, Jess decided she wanted to do crafting with Grandma. I insisted we went through the arts and crafts book and made a list of which activities she thought she might like to do in future [to save time later] Then she opted for making a dino "Keep Out!" sign for her bedroom door "for when I want to be private, Grandma" ... enter at your own risk!

Third, I have a lovely teardrop shaped soap dispenser in the bathroom. The grapefruit scented liquid was used up long ago. Steph sent me the picture below. She knows me too well!
It's always a good idea to start the week with a smile, if you can!😃

Fun And Games

Tuesday was wonderfully quiet and restful. In our pjs till midday, and I spent the afternoon sitting sewing.  and watching yet more TV while Bob sat in the other armchair - coughing, blowing his nose and drinking honey and lemon. [Thank you NellieGrace for the brilliant suggestion to make large quantity and keep it in a flask]

We have enjoyed all the quizzy stuff on TV these past few days [thank you Victoria, Amol, Clive and Richard] We were able to catch up with "Slow Horses" at Steph's. 

And while Julian was here, we watched "The Man Who Invented Christmas" - an interesting take on the creation of Charles Dickens' classic novella. An excellent cast and clever script.

The only downside- we have been watching Miss Scarlet. That's also set in Victorian London and filmed in exactly the same Dublin streets. 

And we have enjoyed sitting round playing games - an old favourite, Cluedo, and a new one, Shenanigrams. That's a Scrabble/Upwords hybrid. [Thanks Julian!]

The Klimt jigsaw is half done, rolled up to be finished next year! 

Have you enjoyed any good programmes or family games this Christmas?

It's Almost Five Weeks...

 ...since we declared The Kitchen Project "finished". Thoughts thus far

• we still need one more coat of white paint on the door surround. Oops!
• despite using the room A Lot, it remains amazingly tidy and clutterfree
• however late it is, I will not go to bed if there is anything on the worktop which should be elsewhere
• the undercounter lighting is superb
• the majority of 'new protocols' have worked
• keeping the Futility Room as a 'scullery' for dishes and cutlery [both clean and dirty] is proving a very efficient system
• the 'Breakfast Area' works really well, apart from one minor change ***
• regular use of my new, more accessible, breadmaker means I am buying less bread, and eating in more mindfully
• the bins under the sink [recycling, compost and general waste] are an efficient system
• listening to other people's comments is amusing
• I like the alphabetical pull out spice drawer, I want one!
• Where did you get the Atora sign? [Liz picked it up from a freebies heap on the school run]
• How do you know where everything is? [I have it all listed in my little file here]
• The labels on the electric plugs are brilliant...especially the one that says μwave, because μ means micro [this from my GCSE student]
• The tiles look really brilliant
• having the cooker hood venting to the outside has made a difference- especially in this hot weather. The kitchen is by the front door, so the exhaust comes out over the doorbell. The Evri delivery guy actually said to Bob "Is that your wife cooking the tea? It smells delicious - she's a keeper" I'm still grinning about that unexpected compliment.

Fitting that hood was one of the worst parts of the whole project- crawling in the tiny space under the eaves, directing Bob below in the kitchen as he tried to drill through.

You know that bit where Tom Cruise is suspended, and mustn't put his foot down or everything will go wrong. I felt just like that as I balanced over the joists, in the dark, struggling to breathe behind my face mask [mustn't inhale insulation dust!]

**the minor change is the relocation of the toaster. According to Emma Perkin, in the Guardian this week, one "clever storage hack in your kitchen" is to get a tall cupboard, and fit an electric socket inside it, so you can store your airfryer and toaster in there - and use them there too. I cannot believe she got away with this dreadful advice! It is essential to have space around these appliances. They get so hot. The ROSPA and the Fire Service are already alarmed by the rapid increase in domestic fires since air fryers became so popular.

My air fryer and toaster now stand to the left of the hob, there is no wall cupboard above them, and when in use they are moved into a position where there is ventilation all round.

***yes that is a shiny new Dualit. Our Very Old [17+ years] toaster went on the blink in May, the plastic knobs had broken and kept falling off, and worse, it kept grilling, and didn't stop-and-pop-up. And  Not safe at all. So we looked around, and decided on this one. Buy well, buy once -  if any part goes wrong, they will replace that part. Ours was assembled by Michael [it says so on the label underneath!] and it has a very clever bagel setting, as well as the option to toast 1,2,3 or 4 slices of toast. We are thrilled with it, the engineering and design is excellent.

...and the cupboard doors close, the drawers do not collapse, the contents of corner cupboards are accessible, and I feel the kitchen is really fit for purpose. Which is useful as we have dinner guests coming round twice in the next week!

🧀🧀🧀 Thank you for all the wonderful cheese comments yesterday. It is good to see so many of you supporting the cheeses local to your area. 🧀🧀🧀

Take Me With You, I Can See Perfectly!

If you have seen the Great Escape, you will remember this reference. Donald Pleasance, playing Blythe "the Forger", who did such great work producing fake documents for escaping POWs. But close work, straining to see in poor light, really damaged his eyesight. 
I have had my sewing machine out over the weekend - repairing leggings for Liz, and shortening a pair of trousers for myself. Here are my current two Top Tips for needleworkers.

TIP 1If you keep a few bobbins already wound, label a couple white and black. It is incredibly easy to pick up a dark bottle green or navy blue bobbin - or a grey or cream one, in error. It saves a lot of squinting! If you can't see the difference between black and white bobbins, and you can't thread the needle TIP 2 get an eyetest.

I had my last test in April 2023, but since Christmas I have been struggling with small print, and with needle threading. So I popped down to Vision Express, and discovered the sight in my right eye has deteriorated [fortunately there is no change in the cataract situation 'slight signs, nothing to worry about']  

One happy woman at the sewing machine - I'm wearing my new glasses. Remarkably similar to the last pair, but cheery cherry red frames this time. 
Pleased to report needles and small print no longer an issue. The glasses were not especially cheap - the varifocal lenses cost £££ even if the frames didn't. [I got my eye test free as an OAP]

But it is worth the money, I do a lot of close work. [Sewing, not forging passports] The new glasses are making a very positive impact Off to the dentists this morning - double appointment, first with hygienist then a routine check up. More ££££

Skrattar Fortfarande

That's Swedish, it means "Still Laughing". Because we are - there is no point in getting upset by the tangle of pipework behind the sink, or the electric sockets all at different heights. We are just getting on and getting it sorted.

I never mentioned the brilliant sign Bob produced on the day the flatpack kitchen was delivered. If you shop in IKEA you will know their staff wear sweatshirts which say Hej! The driver was extremely impressed, and asked if he could take a picture to show them back at the depot. I said they should send it to customers to print off.

The boxes are all neatly stacked and awaiting the Great Unboxing. That's a while down the road as yet, Gavin-the-Plumber needs to come and sort all our pipes first.

We are getting a new built in fridge [so visitors will open 3 cupboards before they find the milk for their tea] That is obvious not delivered as a Flatpack.

I am used to seeing arrows pointing to TOP, but the fridge box is also labelled at the front and back.  We were childishly amused by this information about handling, and the fact that our new fridge has a backside!

Our old fridge was purchased less than three years ago, and was in excellent condition. I posted it on Facebook Marketplace.

One person responded "Is this still for sale?" I said it was. "Where are you, when can I collect, please?" Now I am aware that there are scammers out there...

So I checked the profile of the potential buyer. She lived in Newcastle, and all her purchases had been in that area. This is odd- I posted in a Norfolk group. I replied with the name of the village, and said I was confused as her profile indicated she was in the North East. She replied immediately that the fridge was for her gran, and she was here in Norfolk staying with her [in a village just a few miles away]

She was here within half an hour, and extremely pleased with the fridge, and handed me the cash. I apologised for being suspicious but she was really nice about it, and said it was a reasonable question on my part. 

The dust continues to settle on every available surface, as the drilling and plastering for the sockets is sorted. 

My GCSE pupil had a good result in her maths mock, so that was an encouragement. We continue to plough through revision of Romeo and Juliet. Her school are going to show films of the set books after school on Fridays. "So we will see Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet In Spectacles and everything" [What??!!??]

I rewound what she had said...it was actually  Christmas Carol, Romeo and Juliet, An Inspector Calls... But we did like the idea of the star crossed lovers of Verona popping into Specsavers

I wonder which version they will watch. I only know the 1954 Alastair Sim classic - but I suspect they will see the 2015 film with David Thewlis, Miranda Richardson, Ken Stott etc. I must try and find it and watch it.

I did struggle with Baz Luhrmann's R&J. Too contemporary, all those guns and big cars...

Has anybody seen the 2015 version? Is it true to J B Priestley's original book?

Why Are There No Aspirins In Romford?**

  - and a second riddle, what connects these four pictures?

The wonderful Hepburn/Bogart film, Jimi Hendrix, the Great Storm, and a Surrey Petshop?

Do you know? can you guess? It's this vibrant green bird, 

The rose-ringed parakeet [aka psittacula krameri, ring-necked parrot or Kramer parrot]  This beautiful bright green bird is a wild-living, non-native parrot, found in the UK - mostly in London, and the South East. There are estimated to be about 12,000 breeding pairs! 

Nobody is quite sure how so many of these birds, with different subspecies native to Africa and India came to be flying around our Metropolis [The Esher Rugby Club has named its women's team The Parakeets in tribute to the profusion of birds around their training ground]

The four most popular theories [none of which has been fully endorsed by ornithologists] are these

[1] Some birds imported to Ealing Studios for the 1951 film escaped 

[2] Jimi Hendrix, who lived in London in the late 60's released some in Carnaby Street

[3] A number accidentally escaped from a Surrey Pet Shop in 1970

[4] Some aviaries were damaged in the Great Storm of 87, and scared birds flew away
In truth nobody knows when or how this influx started!  But we do know they were first spotted way back in 1855 [here in Norfolk, of all places!]

In the last 25 years, more people have had cameras on their phones, and so pictures, and therefore awareness has increased.

There are some living in Rosie's Street in London - and I was surprised to see them out of the bedroom window on Saturday morning [we had stayed overnight with Julian in Romford]

There were three being quite noisy round the neighbour's bird feeders, but as I got my phone out, one flew away. There is concern about their impact on the environment, but some of our native birds [sparrowhawks, peregrine falcoms and hobbies] have been observed preying on them [and predator numbers in London have increased] But their presence has been likened to that of the grey squirrel- increasing and maybe destroying native species.
But they did brighten up my Saturday morning.

**There are no Aspirins in Romford because the Paracetamol/Parrots Eat Em All. 

Sorry! This old joke only works in the UK. as my US friends call the second drug Acetaminophen,

Being Consistent

I've always felt that it is important to be consistent when working with children. It is not fair to them if you are frequently changing the rules, or acting one way one day,and differently the next. We have tried to keep to the boys' regular routine in Manchester

Cuddles.and stories in the morning and at bedtime, teeth-cleaning, please&thankyous, etc etc. And they have responded well and been a delight to look after.Now we are in London with Rosie and Jess, and doing our best there. 

But I wish to have a rant about child safety equipment. Why do they apparently make no attempt whatsoever to be consistent?

Why do the manufacturers of buggies, carseats, and stair gates choose such a diverse range of mechanisms?

I just get used to unfolding the double buggy, when I have to operate the single one in Manchester, which is quite different from the one in London....

Then there are the car seats, front facing,rear facing, isofix, not isofix...

And stair gates that must be clicked or squeezed or lifted [possibly one handed as you are carrying a baby]

And we persevere, because we take our role as grandparents very seriously.

As Bob was reminded in IKEA on Monday, with great power comes great responsibility. 

We are gradually getting to grips with it all, as we stay in our daughters' homes - including learning to use a piece of kitchen equipment which many busy young Mums find indispensible nowadays...

It's challenging, abd tiring looking after children [more so as we get older] but it is truly a privilege to spend time with them.

Steph and Gaz are home safely now, after a brilliant 40th birthday celebration holiday. 

EWOKs and NEPOs

If you are a Star Wars fan, you will know that ewoks are "sentient furry creatures, 1 metre tall, native to the Planet Endor. Skilled in primitive technology, they created gliders and catapults and helped the

 Alliance beat the Stormtroopers"  
In my back garden, however EWOK stands for Egyptian Walking Onion [from Kirsten]  The two plants she sent me last August split into four quite separate shoots, producing bulbils which made divided into more, and then leaned over...I've planted some of the small bulbils in a pot, and taken some of the red onions [size of large marbles] and planted them in the earth behind the oil tank. We wait to see what happens. Other red onions have been sliced into salad, or halved and fried off and dropped into casseroles and ragu sauces. And the green shoots chopped finely and sprinkled like chives. All very satisfactory [thanks K] 

Then there's NEPO. Bob was checking our shared calendar, and there was a mysterious entry saying "Breakfast with W @ NEPO" He knew who W was, but NEPO? I had to explain this is North Elmham Post Office.

An excellent spot to meet with friends for breakfast, elevenses, light lunch or tea and cake...

But the rest of the world has a different understanding of NEPO - it is shorthand for Nepotism Baby or Nepo Baby. That is, someone who follows a famous parent into the same line of work - leaving many to question if they would have got the same breaks if they'd 'come up the hard way' without all the right connections.
The term has nepo has become popular in the last 4 or five years, but the concept has been around much longer, particularly in the film & TV industry.

Take this list

Jamie Lee Curtis-Tony Curtis 

Michael Douglas-Kirk Douglas

Paris Hilton-Richard Hilton

Angelina Jolie-Jon Voight

Jane Fonda-Henry Fonda

Lily Allen-Keith Allen

Charlie Sheen-Martin Sheen

Nancy Sinatra-Frank Sinatra

Hilary Benn-Tony Benn

Kate Hudson-Goldie Hawn

Miley Cyrus -Billy Ray Cyrus

Stella McC-Paul McCartney

Kiefer Sutherland-Donald Sutherland

Not to mention the acting dynasties - check out Samuel West's relations, the Redgraves, the Cusacks, the Foxes...and all those Katdashians

Well, as of this week, there's a new NEPO  out there on the BBC. Son-of-celebrity-chef, Jamie, Buddy Oliver is hosting his own show on CBBC. I watched on i-player whilst working through the ironing mountain. And I really did enjoy it. 

Buddy is approaching 14, and has been making short YouTube cookery clips for about 4 years. This new show, Cooking Buddies has this lad teaching another young teen to prepare a simple dish - and then his guest teaches him a skill [boxing, football, karate] I thought it was fun. These young people were patient with one another, complimentary when things went well, and encouraging when they didn't - with plenty of good humour thrown in. 

I know some people think there's altogether too much Jamie O on TV - but personally I thought this personable young chap came across really well. And he has clearly learned much more from his dad than just knife skills! I shall definitely be talking to Rosie about this show next time I see her.

Today the BBC is designating "Just One Thing" day, in tribute to the late Michael Mosley. I hope there is not too much unctuous hagiography,[I suspect MM would have hated that] but I shall try and catch a few of the highlights on TV and radio.

The Cover Version

In musician's terms, a 'cover version' is a reworking of a song, maybe by the original singer, or perhaps by someone else. Occasionally the cover version becomes better known and more popular than the original. If I mention the theme song from the 1982 animated film "The Snowman" "Walking In The Air" you will probably think of Aled Jones - but his was a cover version, whilst the original, used in the film, was sung by a choirboy from St Paul's Cathedral, Peter Auty. [Aled's version led him to instant fame. I'm pleased that Peter also has a great career as an international operatic tenor]

Then there's that song "Unchained Melody". First written in 1955, The Righteous Brothers achieved a hit with their cover version in 1965. At the time I was baffled- there are no chains mentioned anywhere in the lyrics. I found out later that the name came from the fact it was the theme song for a prison film called "Unchained". This has had over 1500 cover versions recorded in the last 70 years, by loads of people; BBC DJ Jimmy Young 1955 , Elvis Presley 1977, Robson and Jerome 1995, Gareth Gates 2002, Barry Manilow, Bono...

Kirsten and I decided our next project ought to be something other than just a stitched piece of fabric, and as we are both collectors of notebooks, a pair of notebook covers [A5 size] seemed a good idea. "You could call it The Cover Version" said Bob.

We have both been making notebook covers in recent months. First Kirsten did a lovely handstitched patchwork cover.

And then I created a machined cover for a sewing journal, to record all my projects, as try out the fancy stitches on my new machine.

These had regular square pieces - for variety we are going to attempt different sized rectangles. A bit like Victorian Crazy Patchwork.  Each piece will be sewn down with neat almost invisible stitches and decorated as it is affixed.

We will work in a hoop to keep things flat and not the decoration over the seams till the very end. There will be flaps folding inside to hold the covers in place, and one will have a blank panel where we can add names, dates and details.

This our third collaboration. Watch this space!

A Second Help[ing Of Mincemeat

Make a cup of tea, and grab a mince pie or slice of Belgian cake...for I have fallen down a rabbit hole full of sailors, spooks and secrets. I've unearthed more info about "the man who never was" and those who created him.

[1] in 1938, Admiral Godfrey issued a now famous memorandum, later named "The Trout Memo" The memo reads, in part: "The Trout Fisher casts patiently all day. He frequently changes his venue and his lures. If he has frightened a fish he may 'give the water a rest for half-an-hour,' but his main endeavour, viz. to attract fish by something he sends out from his boat, is incessant." The memo lists 54 ways that the enemy, like trout, may be fooled or lured. #28 was the suggestion that misleading documents might be planted on a body to fool the Germans. This inspired the idea of Operation Mincemeat

[2] The memo was actually prepared by his secretary - at the time a young 30 year old chap who later went to work with Montagu and Cholmondley on OM. His nickname for Godfrey was "M" [because she terrifies me as much as my Mother"] and he worked closely with "Q" department which produced all those hidden compasses, maps concealed in silk linings etc for the use of spies and escaping POWS. And this debonair chap was none other than Ian Fleming! This was a decade before he began writing the Bond novels - but you can see where much of his inspiration came from. Macintyre does give lots of credit to IF in the book - and there are random remarks in the film just in case you didn't make the connection!

[3] Ewen Montagu took the body of Glyndwr Michaels from the crowded St Pancras Mortuary, to the smaller, quieter mortuary in Hackney[built in 1890 in the Rectory Garden, next to the parish church] Ewen M was a significant member of the Jewish community in London, and after the was became a judge. Martin Sugarman of the Jewish Ex Serviceman's Association, felt that Montagu's part in the helping Britain win the war ought to be recognised. So two years ago a plaque was unveiled 

[4] There is also a Special Forces Memorial Grove as part of the National Arboretum now, where OM is remembered with a plaque. The Hackney Memorial acknowledges 'a corpse' but the Staffordshire one names Glyndwr Michaels. Now here's the thing - it was 1996 when historian Roger Morgan discovered Glyndwr's name, unredacted in some declassified reports. 

[5] But there are those who say "the man who never was never was a Welsh tramp". The plot thickens. Everything relates to another incident in April 1943 - the unexplained explosion and sinking of HMS Dasher on the River Clyde,  close to the town of Ardrossan. There are those who believe that the corpse transported to Spain on HMS Seraph was in fact one of the fatalities from Dasher. 

It is all meticulously detailed by a married couple from Ardrossan, John and Noreen Steele in the third book they have written about the disaster.

Personally I am not convinced that the corpse was in fact a seaman named John Melville, and  was not Glyndwr. But I do agree with the local MP for Ardrossan, Patricia Gibson, who raised the subject of HMS Dasher in Parliament last year on the 80th anniversary of its sinking. I have carefully read the transcript in Hansard[this was a deep, deep rabbit hole I fell into!] 

But I do the the Hon lady was right, in saying that those bereaved by the Dasher Tragedy are entitled, after 80 years, to have some proper answers to their questions. [Read her speech  yourself, if you want to!]

But for now I am leaving WW2 secrets and moving on to more pressing matters - like getting Rosie's bedroom ready for her arrival shortly, and finishing Holiday Club plans, and working on my Cross-stitch Collaboration!

Finally,  a HUGE thank you to Will in NZ for alerting me to the books of Reginald Victor Jones, another WW2 science boffin. Norfolk libraries do not stock any of his works - but I now have his biography on reserve!

The Lesser Of Two Weevils...

We all have them - those days when things don't go to plan...and every little task seems to take three times as long. I was making bread, and I found a container with just a small amount of rye flour, right at the back of the cupboard.[In the inaccessible corner where I keep my flower vases] And ugh! there were weevils [tiny flour bugs] in it. I checked the other containers of flour [plain, self raising, and "strong bread". And fortunately they were all ok [I think because they were stored in another place] But I carefully took the glass jar outside and emptied it, and then dismantled the wire clip fastening and put the jar and lid through the dishwasher on Sunday night..

I have a lot of these jars [not all pukka Kilner, some are IKEA, some Wilko etc] But why oh why does it take me an age to reassemble the wire clip after washing? I put a complete one in front of me, and arrange the pieces of the newly washed one... and always manage to get one bit or the other upside down. But I like using this storage - I can see the contents, they are properly airtight [I check and replace the rubber seals if they get dodgy, split or perished] But re-assembling is a pain, and took up a ridiculous amount of time on Monday,

Then there was the Big Bang! I'd done my washing and was pegging it out on the line and suddenly there was a Very Loud Bang! I jumped, and said Wow! "Are you OK?" called Bob and came outside." There was a bang" , I declared. "I think it came from behind me." We checked around the garden. I suspected the deflated football Bob had pumped up earlier in the day, No, that was OK. We peeped over the garden fences. Nothing dodgy at the neighbours' houses. Bob looked in the Lathe Palace, and went all round outside the property. Nothing...

Then later in the afternoon, Bob went to put away my bike. It had been out on the patio since I cycled back from Craft Group. "When did you get a flat tyre?" he asked. I had no idea. That's when we realised that the Big Bang had been my bicycle tyre exploding. 

Bob had kindly pumped up the tyres before I went out - Was it the heat? did standing on the hot patio all afternoon prove just a little too much? Fortunately he had a spare inner tube which he fitted.

The washing all dried beautifully and I brought it in before we had our evening meal. Then we settled down for Quizzy Monday on BBC2. I started watching the new drama [Inheritance, Channel 5] but Bob gave up and went and did stuff in the study. He came in as I was catching up with the 10 o'clock news, and suggested we should go to bed - it had been a long, hot, tiring day. That was when I realised I had taken off the bedding to wash it - and not put on fresh linen. It was 11pm before I finally rested my head on the pillow. 

Proceeding From The Heat-Oppressed Brain

 I really do not handle hot weather very well. It is too hot for me to think straight. In times like these, I'm grateful the Lord did not call me to be a missionary in hotter climes. Meals are easy, I'm not going to slave over a boiling stove. Fortunately Bob enjoys cooking some meat on the bbq while I toss a cool salad. Or we have a simple one pot dish which cooks itself. Months ago I ripped a Yotam recipe out of a magazine, and we enjoyed for lunch after church [total time at stove around 5 minutes at the start of prep, and another 5 cooking a couple of flatbread. 

I love it when mine looks like the picture - and tastes good! 

Yesterday was really busy. Church in the morning included an AGM [We gave our report on holiday club] Then Bob went to the Hospice for one of their regular memorial services. In the evening, the Installation of the new vicar in our village [Rachael and I have already become friends, we have heaps in common]

 After lunch, I indulged myself in 100 minutes of pure nostalgia on BBC 2. 

I love C S Forester's books, and the film of 

The African Queen is a classic. Katherine Hepburn as the upright, tea drinking Edwardian maiden missionary, paired with Humphrey Bogart as the gruff, gin-drinking dissolute steamer captain. Fabulous cinema! 

At the beginning of the film, Hepburn is playing the harmonium at the mission station where her saintly, caring brother is preaching. And as I sat dozing in the summer afternoon, I suddenly noticed an alarming resemblance between the late actor Robert Morley and someone else much in the news lately... 

I'd only been drinking tea, not gin, I promise you... 

Goodbye Glenda!

It must have been around 2001, Liz was a student in London, and one Saturday afternoon she telephoned me, very excited

"Mum, I've just seen Glenda Jackson in the Garden Centre in Blackheath!!" 

"Oh Wow! Glenda Jackson the actress? How fantastic!" 

"No Mum, the Labour MP..."

And I suddenly realised that this brilliant woman had given up acting to become an MP when Liz was about 10, and so Liz only recognised this woman for her second career in politics. 

When I was 16, I loved watching this fiery woman portraying Queen Elizabeth I in the BBC series-  from the feisty young woman to the tired old monarch, it was riveting viewing [we only had a black and white TV then, sadly]

She was superb. Her working class roots meant she understood grim poverty, but she also was wonderful in Shakespearian roles, and film adaptations of DH Lawrence books.

In 1971, she received an Oscar for "Women in Love" - and 18 years later in "The Rainbow" she acted as the mother of the character she'd played in the earlier film.

From 1957-1992 she was in films,on TV, with the RSC and acting on Broadway. 

But all the time she held strong political values - fighting for women's right, protesting against the VIetnam War, supporting Oxfam and the International year of the child. A lifelong member of the Labour Party.

She left the stage and in 1992 became the  Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate [later Hampstead and Kilburn], serving till 2015. She stood no nonsense, and spoke her mind. A champion of the underdog - she really did care about making the country and better place. 

And then aged 79 she retired from Parliament and returned to the stage again in 2015.

At the age of 80 she played the title role in King KLear to great acclaim.

She is one of only 24 people to win the Triple Crown of Acting Awards [Oscar, Emmy, Tony] But it took her nearly half a century to do it!

Oscar in 1971, Emmy in 1972 - and the Tony in 2018. 

In her last role, based on a true story, she plays the wife of a WW2 veteran [played by Michael Caine]who absconds from his Sussex care home to go to France for the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings. I am looking forward to seeing The Great Escaper.

Having been friends for years, Sir Michael led the tributes when her death was announced this week

What did she regard as the best moment - she always said that the apotheosis of her acting career was appearing as Cleopatra in the Morecambe and Wise Show.

She was so popular, that she was invited back again.

Thank you Ms Jackson - for your wonderful acting - and for the years you spent working on behalf of your constituents and your country. RIP

Good Crieff ! And A Dundee Trip

A rather eventful weekend. We got up late on Saturday and went down to explore Crieff. "Remake Scotland" was brilliant. Loads of recycled stuff and items rescued from being scrapped

Bob found replacement speakers for use in the study. I got a pack of blank cards and envelopes, and a useful box full of unused Scottish postcards. Total £4. I'd brought my knitting but forgotten a stitch holder, so splashed out 20p on a yellow plastic one. 

We visited the Christmas Shop, but thought it was quite expensive, lots of plastic, and I did not find a suitable holiday souvenir for the tree.

Returned to the cottage for a late lunch in the garden. The sheep came to the fence up watch us eat

In the evening I avoided Eurovision and sat knitting whilst watching Far From The Madding Crowd. I saw that in the cinema in Dorset when it first came out. I enjoyed the scenery and the costumes [proper Dorset buttons] 

On Sunday we went to the Baptist Church in Crieff. A very warm welcome, good service, excellent sermon - and fig rolls with the coffee afterwards. A real treat.

We set off for Dundee. The plan was lunch, then HMS Discovery then the V&A. But I completely messed that up. As we left the car park I tripped whilst crossing the road. I went face down onto the tarmac 

I smashed my face, bent my glasses, broke two teeth and split my bottom lip badly. There was blood everywhere. Bob helped me to the central refuge. A couple behind us with a buggy were wonderful. They took us to Boots, where the pharmacist had a look and said "It's a deep cut, go to A&E" We got there just before 2 and I was triaged at 2:15, and told to expect a long wait.

The A&E is right next to the wonderful Maggie's Centre, the award winning Cancer Support unit. It was lovely to see a place about which I have read so much - and put the minor discomfort of a split lip and smashed teeth into context.

After three hours I saw a doctor, who stuck up the gash on the front of my chin with superglue, told me to rinse out frequently with a saline solution for the mouth gashes, and try to see the emergency dentist in Perth asap. [At least I got a decent shot of my smile on Saturday - my face is a right mess now]

Home by 6, Bob lit the wood burner [I was shivery - delayed shock?] And I managed to wash all the blood from my scarf. Liz and Steph have been so supportive since I told them what had happened, as have the other two friends who I whatsapped. SO grateful for the kindness of both loved ones and complete strangers .