Rom com?

What’s your definition of romantic?

We’ve been together for decades, so the romance? It’s a bit depleted now. We could have date nights, but we stay in a lot of the time, particularly now the cost of living crisis has got so bad.

Hubby sometimes brings me breakfast in bed. A slice of toast with a dot of butter and a half boiled egg. At least he tries. I sometimes take him a cup of coffee upstairs but I shake to much to carry much.

So what makes me feel romantic? A good, old fashioned romantic comedy. Not anything modern, but something silly like Bringing up baby, with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant, or something slightly more modern, like Sleepless in Seattle. Maybe an old Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers musical? Or something like Singing in the rain?

They all appeal to me, a film where you get slightly weepy, watching boy mets girl, hates girl, falls for girl, girl then hates boy, threatens to leave, he rescues her from a storm/ alien attack/ obnoxious family situation….

Basically anything like that, cheerful, kind, obvious, gentle. Romantic…

White hydrangea

Hydrangea Macoropholia

I said we had got a white hydrangea a few days ago but it’s only just beginning to flower. It’s still in a pot, and looking closely it seems to be a very pale pink.

We had one a couple of years ago with conical instead of flat flower heads. But because it was very shady in the garden it didn’t thrive. That’s why this one is in its pot-so we can move it around… Anyway I think its lovely X.

I painted an elephant portrait.

Seven years ago I had a small exhibition at Etruria Industrial museum. This blurry photo just came up on my Facebook memories.

The blurry image of my painting was taken from a photo of my friend with a white elephant she had made of paper and willow withies. She was sewing a rich red and yellow fringe around it as way of hiding the legs of the person who was to carry it. The back had a hollow ‘houda’ I think its called? Like a basket to sit in. This was so a person could carry the elephant but look like they were riding it. I loved this representation of the elephant and decided to paint this image. My friend had the painting. The elephant? I think it was destroyed in a fire in the shed where it was stored…

Sleep deprived

I was looking at a friend’s Facebook page and she talked about how some nights she sleeps well but on others she struggles to sleep at all with lots of thoughts flying around inside her mind.

It reminded me of something I now do. I’m not pretending this is a cure for the problem, but it might help? I wrote a comment about sleeping problems: “I get them a lot, but someone told me to think the word ‘the’ over and over again. It takes your mind off other things, while it is innocuous enough not to prompt other thoughts. It doesn’t always work but it certainly helps.”

It’s interesting that I’ve got so old without anyone sharing advice until this suggestion, except the old idea of counting sheep!

My random gallery

Lots of photos, thousands! Because I use my phone to edit and experiment with images, I keep ending up with too many photos. I’ve worked out (finally) how to optimise them on this new phone, but it means that images I have been adding here are taking up too much space on WordPress /Jetpack.

Editing the photos as I go along does take time when I am busy with other things. Duplications get missed, or sneak into other folders, I haven’t created the folders, the phone does it on its own! Then Jetpack gets upset with me, my picture content is always hovering around 100% so I have to delete old photos (I have over 1800 images in my folder here!).

I’ve started using free images here, but often they don’t really represent what I want to depict, so the majority of images I add are my own.

Prime ministers question time

Wednesday at noon. Prime Ministers question time is on again. When the House of Commons is sitting this is the time to question the political situation in Britain.

It is a spectacular event. An argumentative debate. Noise and heckling, shouting, barracking, hundreds of members of Parliament shouting at each other. Conservatives, Labour, Scottish Nationalists, Democratic Unionists and Liberal Democrats put forward their questions about what the government is doing.

Varied questions came up today: private renting costs, the Northern Irish parliament, melanoma, cost of living crisis, accommodating migrants, student debt, steel manufacture amongst other questions.

The Conservatives, who are in power ask mainly soft subject questions, pleased with themselves and smugly denegrating the opposition. The opposition parties try and ask searching questions, but are often sarcastically fobbed off with flippant answers.

This method of questioning is not always enlightening or clarifying. The world might be a better place if the whole procedure was rethought. A lot of it is Members of Parliament trying to get seen by their constituents by asking questions. Some of it does clarify policies. I’ll continue to keep watching this spectacle.

With thanks

How do you express your gratitude?

You have to say thank you when you receive a gift, or service, or just someone’s kindness. Why wouldn’t you?

Sometimes just the words will do, but when the person has done more for you, or worked harder than expected then perhaps a gratuity (tip) is required. That might be when you are getting work done on your car. Or the waiting service at a restaurant is good (and in some cases people only make enough money because of tips).

When you say thank you for something to a friend, that may mean that you want to give them a gift. Maybe something small? Some flowers or some chocolates. The recipient may not expect or want a gift, but that shouldn’t stop you from making the offer. Even a thank you note is considered a pleasant gesture.

So don’t forget to pass on your thanks when it’s deserved. Or even sometimes when it’s not?

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July 2023 from across the pond. I don’t know all the details of this holiday but I know it’s important over there.

I know it’s independence day, and that there was the Boston Tea Party and the declaration of independence. We don’t have a written constitution here and we don’t pledge allegiance to the flag.

I hope today is harmonious and friendly for you. That you have fond memories of the day. Wishing you all the best X