I am still hankering after some books I have lost, lent or given away over the years:
The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon
Autobiography of Chad Varah
3 birth books, by Michel Odent and 2 other writers
An anthology of parenting pieces by La Leche League
A book by Anais Nin
Even though I could look online and get 2nd hand copies, I won't because I am not that bothered by their losses, just niggled by them. I have plenty of newer books sitting waiting on the shelves while I read online!
Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
Unnerving familiarity, archaeology and an experiment
I get a shock when I click on a blog and find that it is using exactly the same template as mine. I tend to forget that the design I'm using is ready made.
Today I went to an archaeology session at the Ashmolean in Oxford. We were able to handle flint tools made during the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic times in this country. One fitted my hand so exactly. Others were warm from being handled by the others as we passed them carefully around the big table to each other. I nearly dropped one flint at the beginning! The table had layers of soft plastic over it, but even so...
How timeless things are - the archaeologists can tell if a piece was chipped into shape by a left or right handed person. Most people doing the chipping were right-handed back then. They can also spot small pieces which were mistakes. They were chipped in not quite the right way and so a differently shaped piece popped off and was left on the ground.
The last part of my day was dealing with 2 eggs which were past the eat-by date. T and I have done things like burning a whole pack of matches in the garden to see what would happen. H and I haven't done this sort of thing yet. So, we went and egged the old stable wall in our back garden. H had such a good time. He flung the eggs with such force and we were both so happy at being vandals!
Today I went to an archaeology session at the Ashmolean in Oxford. We were able to handle flint tools made during the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic times in this country. One fitted my hand so exactly. Others were warm from being handled by the others as we passed them carefully around the big table to each other. I nearly dropped one flint at the beginning! The table had layers of soft plastic over it, but even so...
How timeless things are - the archaeologists can tell if a piece was chipped into shape by a left or right handed person. Most people doing the chipping were right-handed back then. They can also spot small pieces which were mistakes. They were chipped in not quite the right way and so a differently shaped piece popped off and was left on the ground.
The last part of my day was dealing with 2 eggs which were past the eat-by date. T and I have done things like burning a whole pack of matches in the garden to see what would happen. H and I haven't done this sort of thing yet. So, we went and egged the old stable wall in our back garden. H had such a good time. He flung the eggs with such force and we were both so happy at being vandals!
Friday, 17 May 2013
3am phone call
Yes, exactly! That's what I thought. Is my father dead? Has my mother died? Has S's plane fallen out of the sky on the way back from Beijing to Heathrow.
I got there in time to hear the message, a contact in Beijing was calling S's home phone here, instead of his local contact number there. Nothing unusual at all. Phew. Back to my duvet and back to sleep.
I got there in time to hear the message, a contact in Beijing was calling S's home phone here, instead of his local contact number there. Nothing unusual at all. Phew. Back to my duvet and back to sleep.
Wednesday, 8 May 2013
Saving a life
A bee was in a bad way on our drawing room floor. It moved a bit when I touched it. I opened the door to the garden, so I could carry it straight out there. I picked a leaf to be its stretcher. I shunted it onto the leaf, which it promptly crawled around. I thought it might fall straight off again, but I twirled the leaf to keep it on the top side. Then I put the leaf, plus furry patient, onto the bluebell leaves. It moved surprisingly fast into the undergrowth.
I wonder whether it was aware of being saved? I only did my bit, I couldn't move any of its legs for it or know where to go. It was doing all the work of being a bee, apart from my moving it from the human drawing room it had got lost in. If I hadn't seen it and tried to pick it up, it would have just died there later on.
Life is so dependent on others' actions and on pure chance.
I wonder whether it was aware of being saved? I only did my bit, I couldn't move any of its legs for it or know where to go. It was doing all the work of being a bee, apart from my moving it from the human drawing room it had got lost in. If I hadn't seen it and tried to pick it up, it would have just died there later on.
Life is so dependent on others' actions and on pure chance.
Saturday, 4 May 2013
"All the feels"
It's a new phrase T told me about just now. It means that all emotions are happening all at once. Overload. Confusion. Multi-channelled brain events. Multi-tasking, but not in a good way!
A few days ago I did a piece of writing which I might or might not share at the writing group I am trying. I entitled it: 'My Nameless/Formless Feelings'. I was happier once I had written that title. The writing is rather waffly, but the title is great.
Anyway, I have cancelled my planned one day trip tomorrow to see my parents because of my sore throat and huge sleepiness, 6 hours under the duvet on the sofa today. There was a rib pain whenever I breathed in, but that has gone now.
A few days ago I did a piece of writing which I might or might not share at the writing group I am trying. I entitled it: 'My Nameless/Formless Feelings'. I was happier once I had written that title. The writing is rather waffly, but the title is great.
Anyway, I have cancelled my planned one day trip tomorrow to see my parents because of my sore throat and huge sleepiness, 6 hours under the duvet on the sofa today. There was a rib pain whenever I breathed in, but that has gone now.
Friday, 3 May 2013
Identifying people in a village
Well, this is even more simple, you describe and or name their dog or cat, then it's perfectly clear who you are talking about!
On a walk I will notice and recognise the dog first, then I'll look carefully to see which human they have with them.
On the road it's a case of spot the car/recognise part of the registration number, then peer into the semi darkness to see who's driving it and wave. Or, brake and pull over because there is a huge tractor coming, then wave on the basis that it might be so-and-so inside, but it's too high up to actually see for certain.
The other trick is to stop in the middle of the road, open the window and you both have a catch up chat as the driver's seats are conveniently placed so you can do this. I do this one when someone has moved and it's the first time I have seen them for a while.
On a walk I will notice and recognise the dog first, then I'll look carefully to see which human they have with them.
On the road it's a case of spot the car/recognise part of the registration number, then peer into the semi darkness to see who's driving it and wave. Or, brake and pull over because there is a huge tractor coming, then wave on the basis that it might be so-and-so inside, but it's too high up to actually see for certain.
The other trick is to stop in the middle of the road, open the window and you both have a catch up chat as the driver's seats are conveniently placed so you can do this. I do this one when someone has moved and it's the first time I have seen them for a while.
Village house names
This will come as no surprise to anyone who lives in a village.
Houses here have their postal address, but that isn't the real identifier. Our house is 'The Old Vicarage', but really it's 'the B...'s old house, before that it was a Dr Reid who lived there and before that it was the Rev Smith-Masters' house'. Various people have told us how they had to go and have an interview with him in his study before he would agree to marry them.
The house next to us used to be a shop. The big one across the junction is known as 'Talkie's House' because an old gentleman called Talkie Taylor used to be there and if you look carefully you can see all the letters for Happy Birthday covered up with white paint on the ancient side of the barn opposite. That must have been some birthday celebration for him.
Sometimes I explain where we live by saying that we are right opposite the P...'s, who run a local taxi company.
We are used to the pattern of lights being on or off at night and watch out for these in our neighbours' houses at the back. The car head lights shine briefly as they pass over a distant hill.
Houses here have their postal address, but that isn't the real identifier. Our house is 'The Old Vicarage', but really it's 'the B...'s old house, before that it was a Dr Reid who lived there and before that it was the Rev Smith-Masters' house'. Various people have told us how they had to go and have an interview with him in his study before he would agree to marry them.
The house next to us used to be a shop. The big one across the junction is known as 'Talkie's House' because an old gentleman called Talkie Taylor used to be there and if you look carefully you can see all the letters for Happy Birthday covered up with white paint on the ancient side of the barn opposite. That must have been some birthday celebration for him.
Sometimes I explain where we live by saying that we are right opposite the P...'s, who run a local taxi company.
We are used to the pattern of lights being on or off at night and watch out for these in our neighbours' houses at the back. The car head lights shine briefly as they pass over a distant hill.
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