Signs of spring are all around – you just have to look.
The long wait is over.
The only thing I wonder about videos like this is whether it is staged. Whatever – it is worth two minutes for a laugh.
A day of Birthday Month treats.
And a time for conversation and laughter –
I shall enjoy decapitating the sugar mice – (below)
Many thanks to R&M
There is a wonderful poem that I have quoted before about the need to do other things other than housework. The trouble is that we have just started to do the clearing up after the new central heating installation, and my face is rather red. What a lot of dust and cobwebs behind the furniture. Now that was there before the plumbers got started with their drills under the floors. So far it is only one room finished, still lots to do. And then there is the decorating! Never mind, here is the poem.
DUST IF YOU MUST
Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need.
Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.
Dust if you must, the world’s out there,
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
The day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come, and it’s not kind,
And when you go, and go you must,
You yourself, will make more dust.
by Rachel Robinson
Creaking – That is the sound of the two of us – HBTW and Myself, struggling up the hill after extra Dancing tonight. We were trying to perfect a whisk and chasse in the waltz, and a zip-lock, running something and hoppity jump in the quickstep. As I can’t even remember the name of the complicated run of three steps, there is not much chance of getting the steps themselves right.
2703 steps in total today.
Now what question do you always ask plumbers when they have been in the loft and/or under the house or under the boiler in the workshop?
Are there any signs of mice?
I thought one of the plumbers was joking when he told me there were eight or nine corpses in the loft and four or five under the floor. Add in the one behind the boiler and that makes fifteen. Turns out he was being serious. Eeeeeek! as they say. The poison must still be working. At least there have not been any signs of activity in the house itself.
Blood pressure is rapidly rising.
It has been another busy day in Dalamory. The central heating engineers have been here working on the installation of a new oil-fired system. This is due to take a week during which we have no central heating and every room is upside down. Add to that the constant noise and dirt and it is no wonder the three of us are tired. (HBTW, Myself and Misty!) It reminds me of times long ago when we were having a partial rebuild on a house which was an old Smithy. Constant cold and dirt. At least this time we are managing to heat certain rooms with gas heaters; that includes a bathroom, so we can be clean at the start of the day. The long Janes have been dug out and I am convincing myself that it will soon be over.
When we lived at the Smithy we had only the two oldest children who were under 1 and 3. On one occasion we had to get the doctor out – he had to climb upstairs to the children’s room on a ladder. No safety harness in those days. I doubt it would be allowed now. After that renovation I said never again, but life isn’t like that, there are always jobs needing done. And when this current job is finished one side effect is that we are going to have a new fridge/freezer with separate icemaker. It’s all to do with pipes being run under the floor and an electric controller being moved.
I’m not sure how all of this fits into the Birthday Month celebrations. I’ll let you know.
Welcome to the world baby Hannah and God bless. 7lbs 1oz – Congratulations to proud parents – I am so proud of you all.
Photography mooc week two is nearly finished. Today I have been in the world of focal lengths, apertures, shutter speed, raw data and depth of field.
To be honest I am seriously thinking of going back to point and click.
OK – all you photographers, what do you think?
I couldn’t work out what was different in church this morning. Then it dawned on me – there were no flowers, just the two large aspidistras on either side of the pulpit. This is the first Sunday in Lent, traditionally a time of preparation and penance. . . . and a looking forward to the events of Easter Day. Doing without flowers in Lent is a kind of picture teaching if you like. It did remind me though of what Son #3 asked this week. He has decided to give me a plant for my birthday and wanted to know what I would like. Over the years he has given all sorts of different plants including two apple trees, which have been producing apples already.
I am going to ask for a rose bush. There is nothing nicer than the perfection of a rose.
A special rose for peace in our world, in our country and in our lives.
