The holiday is over and we're leaving Cornerstones and travelling back to Dorset. We've managed to spend time together relaxing, as well of plenty of happy days with the family, and time with friends at church.
This time last week Rosie was sitting on a blanket at their cottage - Adrian and Jon had removed all the horrid stained carpets. Now Jon and Bob have laid some decent laminate flooring and it's all looking splendid [I forgot to take pictures] Bob and I have put in some time on the refurb of the Futility Room. Bob has removed the end of the worktop and rearranged the appliances. This is to make space for the fridge freezer currently in Dorset.
The plain white melamine wall cupboards, which we bought cheaply in B&Q more than twenty years ago have been utterly transformed. It's over a year since we started planning and bought the paint from Wilko for this project.
Now the walls are grey, and the duck egg blue cupboards are rehung. On the opposite wall, we have a rail of hooks. An eclectic mix of sizes, acquired in CS and Yard Sales here and there - ready for coats, hats, aprons and more. There's more to do - drawer and cupboard fronts to be painted blue, and the light fitting to be changed [my lovely metal shades from Kirby repainted in a gunmetal grey] The dry wipe board to be replaced by a blackboard, and a roller towel fixed on the back of the door. The windowsill will be tiled properly. And all of those tasks involve repainting or repurposing things we already have. I'm so pleased with the rests achieved on such a tight budget. I'm hoping that by the New Year it will be complete [not specifying which New Year though]
One task we didn't complete - the decking is starting to sag. At last I've found a use for the Garden Draughts set! The interlocking pieces are marking out the unsafe area until we can repair it. All in all I think that we've managed to get a good balance of housekeeping and holiday here in our Norfolk home, but I'm ready to return to our Dorset one now.
I love the Norfolk Village Yard Sales. On Saturday we went to the one at Great Ryburgh [home of Perfick Pork, purveyors of finest sausages] It was enormous fun, with around thirty residents displaying their goods in front gardens, on plastic tarps, or trestle tables. Excellent cakes, tea and coffee were on sale in the Village Hall. Just £5 if you were selling, and for punters like us, 50p for a map showing the locations of all the vendors. This was helpful, especially when some were "down the loke behind the chippie"
We bought a few items Bob enjoyed finding old tools, including a whole box of chisels for just £10, whilst I spent a total of £2.50 on two books and a pair of unused pinking shears [I foolishly lent mine to a friend of a friend, back in May and I'm still awaiting their return]
I love books by Janet and Allen Ahlberg, and will enjoy sharing this one with Rosie. The Usborne Christmas Decorations Book is in pristine condition and a bargain at 50p
The village has a number of memorials dotted about, including this one on the wall of the old school, marking the end of the Boer Wars. The Memorial Village Hall was opened in 1953, Coronation Year, "in memory of his gracious majesty, King George VI" The community spirit survives today - profits from the sale will be divided between church, village hall, the playing field and the village shop. The latter also houses the Post Office and welcomes walkers and cyclists. Not only selling refreshments, but providing seating and tables and use of a microwave so you can warm pies, pasties and babyfood. Oh, and loos and washing facilities too. Later on in the day we called on Liz, Jon and Rosie. The new flooring is almost complete. Rosie and I made paper boats and went outside away from power tools to float them on a baking tray.
This chair originally came from Dereham Baptist Sunday School - and when it was discarded, I repainted it for Liz over 30 years ago.
Not everything can be repaired. My summer shoes - bought for a song in 2015, have definitely worn out. The heels have gone right through and let in the rain. The soles have split at the front and gravel works its way in. They have been binned and will not be going back to Dorset But I've had my money's worth. Cost per wear is about 3p a time! Definitely a day for celebrating bargains. Do they have village sale days where you are?
... Not An Owner So says Lord Grantham to his wife when they are discussing Downton Abbey. It is an important principle when we consider the things we have and the world we live in. I think that I prefer the word 'steward' to 'custodian' - but here's the thing : we need to care for things, use them wisely and do all we can to leave them in a good state for our children and our children's children. That quote, plus eleven others, are on the CS jigsaw I bought to do on holiday. It had 1001 pieces. Once I'd completed the puzzle, I turned the one remaining piece over and realised it was from another puzzle [different colour card on the back]
I enjoyed the puzzle, a challenging mix of words, people, and backgrounds. But I don't want to keep it now I've completed it, I shan't do it again.* So this will be a summer giveaway. If you'd like me to send it to you then leave a comment on THIS post before August 25th. I'll pull a winner out of the hat, and post it. *As Lady Violet Crawley says "At my age, one must ration one's enjoyment
You just can't win at the healthy diet game. One week the 'experts' say coffee is bad for you, the next, it is full of health benefits. Obesity will shorten your life- but now they tell us that a long term low carb diet will have the same effect!
I think "all things in moderation" is probably a good way forward. But this is our holiday and the odd treat** here and there doesn't come amiss. It's long been a family tradition to take fruitcake with us on a self-catering holiday. This year I bought a yellow-stickered jar of Waitrose Luxury Mincemeat for 40p [originally £1.79] when I was with Liz in London. That was the basis of two Crank's Belgian Cakes [one for Norfolk, one for the freezer] The recipe is here
Last Sunday we had a lovely BBQ at Marion & Adrian's place. For dessert, I took a Chocolate Courgette Cake [our neighbours have a little hutch outside their house, where they put surplus produce for people to help themselves] Recipe here - I made the ganache from the BBC recipe instead of using the vegan 'buttercream' suggested. I think next time I will peel the courgettes- I think the skin gave a slight peppery taste. [that's the BBC photo - not my cake]
Yesterday Jon and Liz had a barbecue so I used some of our Cornerstones rhubarb to make another Rhubarb Windows Cake. Here it is cooling under my mesh food umbrella [we have been besieged by flies recently] I have added a tweak to the original recipe which Jenny gave me [here] I chop three small pieces of crystallised ginger finely [here] and stir it into the batter. It adds a little bit of fiery sweetness to contrast with the acidity of the fruit. All these were fairly quick to prepare - and made at least a dozen portions each. **I was very disappointed by my 'cream tea' at a cafe in central Dereham last week - one slightly stale scone [plus pot of jam & tub of cream] accompanied by a cup of hot water with a tea bag in it. And I didn't even have my own saucer - my cup, and Bob's cup of coffee arrived together on an oval plate with a small jug of milk. Full marks go to Bawdeswell Garden Centre, who do understand the importance of fresh scones, and a proper teapot, cup and saucer!
Over the years I've made dozen of teacosies. Some for charity [here and here] others for friends and family [Here]
And even some which won a place in a prestigious exhibition [I still can't believe it] But this summer I have been taking a tea cosy apart. It's a vintage linen one, printed with an embroidery design. I have been repurposing it to form the basis for a piece of needlework which will be a small part of a friend's much larger project. Apart from the green bugle beads I've not had to buy any other materials. I cannot reveal more about this project right now - but this is my progress so far.
More details in the Autumn!
[on the subject of crafts, the latest series of Repair House, 6.45 BBC 2 has been great]
16 August 1819 - 199 years ago today - marked a significant moment in our democracy. Up in Manchester, over 50,000 people [half the population of that city and the surrounding towns] had come together- peacefully - to call for parliamentary reform. The men, women and children - many dressed in white - bore banners proclaiming "Liberty and Fraternity" and "Taxation without representation is unjust" marched to an area of Manchester known as St Peter's Fields. For many, Monday was their day off, particularly the people who worked handlooms in their homes. It was a bright, sunny day. Witnesses spoke of 'the peaceable intentions on the crowds' - they travelled in from Oldham, Rochdale, Middleton, Saddleworth and beyond. They wanted to hear the speeches, and show their support for this just cause. Old Sarum - a deserted windswept hill outside Salisbury had two MPs at this time. Manchester, the great, growing metropolis has none! But despite the peaceful, jolly family outing atmosphere, the authorities panicked. They were terrified of events turning into the sort of bloody revolution which had happened in France and elsewhere on the continent. They panicked- and sent the cavalry riding into the the crowds, brandishing sabres. The first wave of troops clattered down the cobbles of Cooper Street, knocking down a young woman named Fiddes - and trampling on her baby son - the first fatality of the day. Other people were crushed against walls, slashed with swords, injured by horses' hooves... 200 were sabred, 180 trampled by horses, and 70 battered by truncheons. Within twenty minutes of wild panic, the field had been cleared of people- apart from victims were strewn on the grass, and friends seeking desperately to help the injured and comfort the dying. Many were afraid to report their injuries or seek help - for fear that they would lose their employment. Others were turned away from the Infirmary, and refused medical assistance, because they had been at the rally. The nation was shocked- a local reporter decided to make a pun on the name of Wellington's Victory four years earlier- and told the story under the title of the Peterloo Massacre. For his pains, he lost his job, and went to prison for sedition. Parliamentary Reform was slow in coming ['Beginning reform is beginning revolution' declared Wellington] Some reforms happened in the 1830s, but it was to be another hundred years before women got the vote. But the massacre did result in the founding of The Manchester Guardian - and it did cause many ordinary people to take more positive steps towards reforming our democracy.
I looked up all this information recently, because of my brother! When we were driving through Manchester last month, we saw a sign to St Peter's Fields, and Adrian asked "Is that where the Peterloo Massacre was?"...and none of us in the car could answer, or remember what it was all about. I'm ashamed to say we did study it briefly at school, but I had forgotten everything. However I am hoping to find out a lot more this autumn [and use my Meerkat Movie concession again!]
Serious relaxation includes serious [and not so serious] reading time. Here's my stack, courtesy of Norfolk Libraries - Dereham and Fakenham branches. From top to bottom. Seven Dead - a British Library Crime Classic by J Jefferson Farjeon. Not started this yet. Numero Zero - by Umberto Eco. I loved "The Name Of The Rose" but gave up on this after one chapter. Two by Peter James, from his Roy Grace detective series. Halfway through the purple one: Not dead yet [that's the title] Set around Brighton with plenty of detail of police procedure. *** Making Peg Dolls And More. Great ideas, clear instructions and templates but look
I don't want to seem picky, but none of these is a peg IMHO. But I will let her off because I think there are a lot of fresh interpretations and inspiring creations.
I like the swallow marionette with the Thumbelina inside it, based on the Hans Christian Andersen story. There's a similar dragon too.
The Comfort Friends, filled with soothing lavender are sweet, along with a similar tooth fairy cushion. And you will find Christmas decorations, cake toppers and more. This gets a definite ***** Happy Stitch. Jodie Rackley's 30 projects are well explained but nothing particularly innovative ***
Everything Oz is a great book from the team who produced 'Everything Alice' [review here] It's full of great patterns for items to make for a Wizard of Oz themed event. Foods, favours, fun stuff. Some is rather trivial, some very time consuming to create. But I love the book for this one item... if you make lime jelly with tonic water instead of regular water then it will glow in the dark under ultra violet light! I cannot wait to try this out ***** Wild Things to Make is a follow up to an earlier book [reviewed here] Very similar ideas [dresses, capes, pinafores etc] Good stuff - but Rosie is not in need of any more clothes right now **** Sew classic clothes for girls [details] comes from the author of the Cottage Mama Blog. There's an accompanying CD with all the patterns. It's intermediate /advanced level sewing. Good tips re piping etc. But the designs are a bit too 'girlie' for me. *** I cannot review the bottom two yet as I still haven't looked at them!
Five years agoI went with my friend Christine to the Norwich Records Office to see an exhibition about the Paston Letters. These letters were written during the 15th century by an influential Norfolk family. The collection is interesting because of the diversity of the correspondence - both in the authorship and the content of the letters. This year Norwich Castle is holding an exhibition entitled "The Paston Treasure : Riches and Rarities Of The Known World". It is all about this painting
Painted around 1655, by an unknown artist, this is an amazing 'Vanity Piece' - not just a regular still life composition but one designed to showcase the treasures belonging to this family. At this point, the family were at their most wealthy, hosting visits from the King at their mansion [Oxnead Hall] bringing back souvenirs from trips to Europe and the Holy Land... And they wanted to keep a record of these things. And so the painting displays their refined tastes [art, music, fashion, foods] exotica, scientific interests. We see a lobster, a monkey, shells, plus a young girl and an African youth. But there are subtle messages too - clocks, fading flowers and fruits, and a guttering candle- symbolising time passing, decay, vanity and death. And modern techniques have enabled us to discover more about how the painting evolved- and was changed during its execution...
There are mysteries - who commissioned the piece? who painted it? who is the girl? who is the African slave? The music book under the girl's hand shows a song about mortality "O Charon, Charon" - and only recently has this song actually been identified. It was written in 1630 by a Scotsman, Robert Ramsay - just one manuscript survives [in the Bodleian Library] At the exhibition you can listen to the first ever recording of this piece
Meanwhile on the shell cup, the golden stem portrays a satyr holding a tiny music book. The real cup is on display [loaned by the current owners, the Prinsenhof Museum in Delft] and now experts have managed to decipher that song too [another 16th C round, also about death!]
It is believed that either William Paston - an epic traveller and collector commissioned the work- or maybe his son Robert, to mark William's death in 1663. It is believed the little girl is Robert's daughter who died in childhood.
But Robert spent his fortune lavishly [especially on entertaining the King] he died aged just 52. The family went into decline, overwhelmed by debt. The treasures were sold off and Oxnead Hall was neglected, then mostly demolished in the 18th century.
Scholars have been fascinated by the treasures and research has gone on for many decades. The painting was originally sold in 1709, and in 1947, the then owners, the Buxton family of Norfolk, donated it to Norwich Castle Museum. I have enjoyed reading about this artwork [eg here]
Of the 130 objects depicted, just the whereabouts of just 5 are known - and they have been reunited for this exhibition, for the first time in 300 years. Other items of a similar style and period have been brought together to give a better idea of what treasures the Pastons enjoyed.
We both really enjoyed this, and learned a lot about the family and the time in which they lived. Your regular Norwich Castle entry fee includes entry to this exhibition - so we were able to visit the keep, the Roman and the Egyptian sections. Well worth seeing *****
Everyone I have spoken to agrees that this year's charity Go-Go trail in Norwich/Norfolk is the best yet. So many hares, and leverets all over the city [and some out in the county] I've tried to take photos of all those I have seen - but it began to delay our progress - and so some ended up out of focus as I tried to hurry the photography [waiting for small children to clamber down, so I could snap the hare, but anxious not to lose sight of Bob disappearing up the street] As well as all the actual hares, there are hare window displays too. Can someone tell me how to take photos of these without getting all the reflections? It has been excellent, and I admire all those who have taken part. Here are just a few of this year's animals...
Don't YOU think they are good too? But there are an awful lot of BLUE ones!
What then is faith? It is what gives assurance to our hopes, it is what gives us conviction about things that we cannot see [Hebrews 11:1]
Two years ago, my friend Val gave me a MudLOVE bracelet bearing the word faith. I've worn it a lot and it has sparked interesting conversations. The other morning I went to put it on, and the pink elastic snapped.
Fortunately I found some narrow black cord elastic in my stash. I put it with my holiday packing. I carefully photographed the way the pink stuff was knitted then dismantled everything. It took three attempts to get it right - but it is now repaired and back on my wrist.
A good reminder that sometimes life takes it out of us, and our faith may be weakened. But God longs to strengthen and renew our faith. Even when we are weak, he holds on to us. I know my sheep, and no-one shall pluck them out of my hand
Holidays mean the chance to relax Stacks of books from the local library Candlelit suppers [cooked by Bob] A new charity shop jigsaw to do
Time to repair things properly [what sort of woman takes her awl on holiday? ] Planning the decorating of the Futility Room Our sermons to prepare for 12th & 19th
Lawns to mow Cupboards to sand
And a trip to the cinema
Lunch with a relative BBQ for family and neighbours Pottering round Fakenham Market
Eating Sicilian arancini on Norwich Market
Strolling around charity shops Watching TV Enjoying knitting and embroidery
Appreciating sun, rain, rainbows and glorious sunsets ...and waiting for Liz, Jon and Rosie to arrive...
Summer holidays offer a wonderful opportunity to catch up on reading - and I have been saving a 50p John Grisham I picked up in a CS especially for this week. I get on well with JG's stuff- I like his writing style, and think he is generally a good bloke - he raised 8.8 million dollars, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, to help rebuild the Gulf Coast, and he has done much work to help the impoverished people of Guatemala.
Camino Island came out last year - it isn't his usual courtroom/legal stuff. This one is a thriller about the theft of some F Scott Fitzgerald manuscripts from Princeton University Library. I polished it off in 2 days [and nights - when the heat and my cough kept me awake!] Mercer Mann is a young woman who is struggling with writer's block - who ends up being involved in the hunt to recover these precious documents. Grisham writes about books and publishing, and knows what he is talking about! This is all about writers, not lawyers- and summer romance, hot sun on your shoulders, and sand between your toes. There are moral dilemmas, plot twists, and all you'd expect from this accomplished wordsmith. It is clever, entertaining - and just the right thing for holiday reading A *****review
With our car insurance, we now get 'Meerkat Movies' - so we were able to go 2-for-1 [seniors] to the cinema to watch Tom Cruise and co in the latest M.I. film. It is just like all the others. I enjoyed the motorcycle chases round Paris - especially where Rebecca Fergusson, on a lovely British Triumph Tiger, beats Cruise who is driving a BMW [car]. I cannot find a picture of RF on said bike - any attempt at Google Images of bikes in Fallout seems to show pictures of Tom on his BMW.
It did bring back happy memories of our summer holiday in 2006, when we took our bike to France, and sped along the Peripherique. Except that we rode round the Arc De Triomphe in the correct direction. I have clearly spent too many years listening to Bob talking about PA gear- when Vanessa Kirby picked up a microphone, I spotted that it was a Shure 55! [VK plays Princess Margaret in 'The Crown']
Age must be creeping up on me- I found Simon Pegg's character far more interesting than Tom Cruise! The London and Paris scenes had more action and suspense, I felt, than the final denouement. Some bits of the plot were a little too guessable. But as MI's go, this was was all you'd expect. I am 7 years older than Mr Cruise and certainly couldn't attempt the stunts he does. I would give it ****
... Of A Bicycle Made For Two [Or More] Recently Liz and Rosie were commuting home when they saw a Pedal-Me bike. This cycle taxi service has been operating in London since the start of the Year. Rosie was very taken with the "Special Bike" and has been watching out for them ever since. So on my first afternoon London the other week, l went over to UCL to meet Liz from work. We collected Rosie from nursery and then Chris arrived on his taxi, to take Rosie and me home, with Liz bringing up the rear on her own bike.
It was enormous fun. Chris told me he'd been a rider for the company since March, explaining that he began "while we had the Beast from the East - this sunshine is much better" The bikes are built in the Netherlands [not surprisingly] and the P-M riders.go over to collect them, and ride them back, as that is the cheapest way to get them into the UK. They will transport people or goods, operating 8-8 on weekdays and 10-6 on Saturdays. Sunday is their Day of Rest [well done for that]
Liz booked with the app, and knew exactly when our bike would arrive, and the name of our rider. The ride was speedy and smooth. Rosie had a brilliant time, and so did I. We sat astride the comfortable padded bench, and could hold the side rails if we wanted [Ro occasionally stuck her arm out to signal when we were turning!] I did remove her shoes: the floor is not solid, but a series of tubes - I was concerned that if a small shoe fell off, it might fall through the gap.
It was a blistering hot day, but whizzing along on the bike was cool - I every sense. We attracted lots of admiring glances and Ro has developed a very regal wave, accompanied by smiles and giggles.
I was particularly impressed by the route we took home, which is the girls' regular commute. 95% was on cycle paths and the London Cycle Superhighway. We had hardly any interaction with cars, buses or lorries. It was Rush Hour but I felt remarkably safe. It's reassured me to experience their daily journey and Liz was wise and thoughtful to organise that. Enjoy this jolly little song from the Seventies...
I saw this in a bookshop, and liked the look of it - so borrowed it from the library! Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Light & Easy Cookbook. He stresses this is not a diet book - but in an effort to lose weight and reduce his cholesterols, HFW decided he should cut down on gluten and dairy products. This book has some 'obvious' recipes, and shows Hugh's penchant for re-naming tweaked recipes [e.g. he adds oats to his smoothies and calls them 'thickies'] but there are a number of interesting meals. I am interested to try out sometime his 'healthy' chocolate mousse, and his 'Chocolate Bean Cake'
But last week, I was using up the fridge contents, prior to the holiday. I had some baby spinach and new potatoes to deal with. I liked the look of the recipe below - and Hugh said that canned sardines would work as well. They did!
[this isn't a picture of my salad]
Mustardy
Mackerel, Spinach and Spuds [serves 4]* 800g new potatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
150g baby leaf spinach
3 medium smoked mackerel fillets **
salt and pepper
For the dressing***
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp smooth mustard
1 tsp grainy mustard
scrap of garlic, crushed
lemon juice
Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil. Reduce the
heat and simmer for 7-10 mins, until just tender.
Put the dressing ingredients into a jar, add a pinch of salt and some pepper
and shake to emulsify.
When the potatoes are cooked, drain them well and return to the hot pan.
Fold the
spinach through till it wilts – put potatoes and spinach into serving bowl.
Pour over the dressing , flake the fish, gently fold everything together.
Squeeze over some lemon juice
* I halved the recipe ** I had a can of sardines to hand, so substituted them *** I also subsituted the oil from the can, wine vinegar, and some IKEA mustard&dill I would make this one again. I think this would make a good salad for a packed lunch. A slice of bread is useful for wiping round the bowl and mopping up the dressing!
On June 4th, the former President Of The United States, William Jefferson Clinton, published his first novel. He co-wrote it with thriller writer James Patterson. Hardback copies then cost £20. Less than 8 weeks later, I picked up a pristine copy for just £1 on a secondhand bookstall in Lower Marsh, London. Despite the excessive heat last weekend, I read the whole thing over the course of 3 days. Reviews have been extremely mixed - this British one is quite sniffy about it [Guardian Review]. The publisher's blurb stresses that because it is written by an ex-Pres, it has 'insider knowledge' of the White House. But the Washington Post review suggested that "the CIA can relax...'The President is Missing' reveals as many secrets about the US Government as 'The Pink Panther' reveals about the French Government...Yet it provides plenty of insight into the former President's ego"
Real life parallels - William Jefferson Clinton lost his father early, but rose from difficult circumstances to become state governor. He met his brilliant wife in law school, and has one daughter- Fictional Jonathan Lincoln Duncan has exactly the same bio. The story is told in the first person - so the POTUS is never really missing, as the reader [and many other characters] always knows where he is! Much of the action centres on one room full of computer nerds. Inside that room, Duncan and co are aware that the USA could be destroyed at any moment - but outside the rest of the world plays baseball, eats lunch, and carries on as normal. There's a bit of media interest in the President's whereabouts, but no sense of National Panic. Bob read it equally quickly when I got back from London. We felt it was enjoyable - but not brilliant. Some ends were tied up a little too neatly for me, and other parts of the plot were too guessable. I am not sure if anyone has started planning the film yet, I am sure they have. [Ryan Gosling is too young, George Clooney is too old. Possibly Ben Affleck?] I think it is the sort of light summer holiday fiction which you read once, and then discard. Fun, but not a keeper - I'd award it *** Get it from the library, but don't buy it. Ziffit have paid me £2.18 for it, so I think I've done OK there [If I could give half-a-star, I'd give it 3½* just for the resale value]
UCF Kids' Club 2018 - Just Chillin'. What a great team we had [this shot doesn't include the half dozen people outside on car park/security duty] Everyone working really hard in extreme heat. Thank you to all those who made it so special Final Kids' Club Event at church this morning, then
...proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain [So says Shakespeare in Macbeth, when he sees a dagger before him] I really have found it hard to think straight in recent weeks. I have been conscious of completely misunderstanding things, my head feels as if it is on fire, my thoughts are fried. For Instance, here is a sign on the construction site just outside the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre. I walked past quite slowly on Thursday, tired from my train journey. "NOTICE - PPE required beyond this point" it says. And I found myself thinking "it must be really hard to get a job as a labourer nowadays, if you are required to have a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics" - until I remembered that in this context, it means Personal Protection Equipment. I sent Bob a text to let him know i had arrived safely, and he replied with a string of emojis.
"Two little green men are less than three" I read. Well, this is undoubtedly true. It was only later that I realised that symbol may mean less than three to a mathematician, but the rest of the world sees it as a heart on its side, a symbol of love! But in all this sun-induced confusion, I have learned something interesting - I've not blogged about the great Bronte-fest going on at the minute [it is 200 years since Emily's birth]. I've never been that excited by Wuthering Heights [I blame our English teacher, a Yorkshirewoman, who succeeded in putting me off the book by making it all so boring] I was exceedingly pleased when Liz sent me a chart from the Guardian showing I am taller that Charlotte Bronte [Jane Eyre was always my favourite of the Bronte heroines anyway]
So there I am, just between Charlotte and Thomas Hardy [and bigger than an Emperor Penguin too!] It is good to know one's place in the order of things. I think I need to go lie down in a cool, darkened room...
Preacher, teacher, wife, mother, grandmother, craftswoman. Married to wonderful Pastor Bob since 1979, now happily retired to Norfolk, but still busy. I am blessed with two brilliant grown-up daughters and four wonderful grand children
