Auntie Mary, 6th April 1923 – 14th January 2016

Still Smiling

Auntie Mary October 2015

Tea

Aunt enjoys her tea

Easter Weekend Weather

Happy Easter

It’s been a wonderfully cool Easter weekend. After days of warm sunshine, April remembered not to steal summer’s thunder entirely, though there may be rumbles tomorrow afternoon, and doused the temperatures for Good Friday and yesterday. Both days started fine with blue skies and sunshine, but a chill wind was on bass, and clouds made occasional percussion like appearances. On Friday a friend and I poked about the City, and yesterday I ventured North for a splendid day with people I have known for thirty years. Today has been equally good. Heavy showers and light rain. A great day to curl up with a book, submit to a sleeping cat across my knees and later sift through papers, do the dusting.
It’s not that I haven’t enjoyed the foretaste of long days, open windows and the promise of open toed sandals; the near future banishing of socks to the back of the hot press; light lingering in the skies until ten in the evening. I have loved it. Quinoa salad is firmly back on the menu. The garden dances with colour. But a long warm weekend means people nearby staying up late, probably drinking too much, shouting, singing along to favourite songs, talking animatedly into the night in their gardens and on their balconies. And unless you are one of those who falls asleep easily no matter what noises echo off the sun warmed walls (and I am not), that means enforced late nights and tired mornings.

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Merry Christmas

It’s nearly midnight on Christmas Eve. Here, all is quiet. My friends left about half an hour ago. Not Cat is asleep. We exchanged and later opened some presents. I have a lovely ceramic to put on the wall. Not Cat was initially shy, then sociable.
The fairy lights twinkle. The gifts are all piled up. Westminster Abbey choir sings on the cd.
I had a Christian upbringing. My mother wanted to be a missionary but she met and married my father instead.
I’m not much of a believer, but the Christmas story touches something raw and hopeful year after year.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we all had selfless lives; if the lion did lie down with the lamb; if peace reigned over all the earth.
You don’t have to be a Christian to see that the Christian message, undiluted, stripped of the political, is one of hope for all humanity.
Merry Christmas everyone.