SMILIN' IN THE RAIN

It's been raining... a lot. While Scotland has been having it day after day with the ground now sodden in many places, it is much worse in England.  They are having a huge problem with flooding: rivers bursting their banks, buildings and electrical sub-stations which are built on flood plains under water which recedes and then starts all over again as another weather system comes in from the south-west.

Edinburgh - images from their newspapers.

We are not affected by flooding but the 'mingos in the garden are looking distinctly 'drookit' [soaking wet].

The little tete-a-tete daffodils in the flower pot opposite the kitchen window are doing their best to hold up against the continuous downpour.

So there has been a lot of bad luck about because of the weather.

Set against that ...  I have to report that I have had a remarkably 'lucky' day!

This morning a friend in our Music Appreciation class asked if anyone would care to take up the offer of a spare ticket for Scottish Opera's production Nixon in China which is playing just now at the Theatre Royal.

As it happened, early this morning I looked on Scottish Opera's website to see if there were any spare seats left.  There were a few scattered ones.  However I looked at the price ... yikes!... (its been awhile since I have been to the opera)... and decided against it.

Then, as luck would have it, I was the only person to put my hand up...so... I am off to the opera this Saturday.  While I do not know the opera (I will have to do some homework here) I do know someone who is singing in it.

Then, before the morning was finished, a lovely lady of 92 years that I know gave me a box of chocolates at our class coffee break by way of thanks for giving her a book about one nurse's working experience.  This is the book: I picked it up in Waterstone's Braehead on a visit that Ishbel and I made before Christmas.

* * * * * *  One more word before I leave this topic * * * * *

Earlier this week I took this photo of some snowdrops in the park (the kids call it The Secret Park) at the back of our house.  It may not look like much but I planted those several years ago and and delighted to see (a) they have doubled in number ... as snowdrops do ... and (b) the squirrels have not found the bulbs!  For me, they are the best flower in the calendar!

THE WORLD I FELL OUT OF - BOOK BY MELANIE REID

Anne lent me a book stating "Here...read this.  You'd like it."  She was  absolutely right!  And I highly recommend it.

I have concluded in my old age that if I am going to read a book it has to be well written. (This one is.)  I don't really mind the subject. For starters it needs to engage me. (This one did.) Furthermore, because I do a lot of typing of material which is to be sent to the printer (for whatever reason) my eye is hyper-sensitive when reading text; and because I work with images for the same reason, my attennae are always rather twitchy. It really bugs me when I find basic publishing errors. (This one had some.*)

About 9 years ago this lady who lives in this part of the world fell from her horse and broke her neck.  This is her story of being taken from a healthy active 52 year old to a disabled person confined to a wheelchair. She is a journalist and used her writing as a way to deal with her misfortune.

The blurb states:

"Paralysed from the top of her chest down, she was to spend almost a full year in hospital, determinedly working towards gaining as much movement in her limbs as possible, and learning to navigate her way through a world that had previously been invisible to her.

As a journalist Melanie had always turned to words and now, on a spinal ward peopled by an extraordinary array of individuals who were similarly at sea, she decided that writing would be her life-line. The World I Fell Out Of is an account of that year, and of those that followed. It is the untold ‘back story’ behind Melanie’s award-winning ‘Spinal Column’ in The Times Magazine and a testament to ‘the art of getting on with it’.

Unflinchingly honest and beautifully observed, this is a wise and inspiring memoir about risk and dilemma, heroism and love . Above all, The World I Fell Out Of is a reminder that at any moment the life we know can be turned upside down – and a plea to start appreciating what we have while we have it."

[BBC image]

She is a tall lady, always on the go, so I warmed to her subject.  Yes, there but for the grace of God go any of us.

Something I had not come across before: the quotation from Florence Nightengale:

I think one's feelings waste themselves in words; they ought to be distilled into actions which bring results.

          _____________________________________________

* My Twitchy Attennae:

This book was published by 4th Estate, part of 'HarperCollinsPublishers'.  Like the author I am very fussy about spelling and grammar. So what do I find:

[1]  Her quote from Virginia Woolf has a typo.  We all know how 'spell-checker' can give problems; not picked up was the missing 't' in 'thoughts'....

The eyes of others our prison;

their thoughs our cages.      

[2] About half of the black and white photos included are low reproduction, i.e. poor to abysmal quality for a book.

ALASTAIR'S 12TH BIRTHDAY

Alastair has turned 12 years old this week.  Here are a few photos taken recently.

 On a day out with Dad.

 Last weekend in London to visit the Tutankhamun exhibition.

In our living room with the 2 Munchkins who wanted to surprise him with some flags and cards they made.

* * * * * * * * 

Yesterday in the garden. The sun shone so it was time to get the chalk out for painting the path or playing hopscotch.

Ellie likes the library and will sit with books long enough for me to read the paper!

GAMESMANSHIP and ... OH YES ... BREXIT

The UK withdrew from the EU at 11 p.m. GMT on 31 January 2020, beginning a transition period that is set to end on 31 December 2020.

* * * * * * * * * 

Meanwhile life goes on ....   I liked this article below and simply want to make a note of it while I am noting this historic event today, well, actually last night.

This article by Graham Chainey in TLS December 6, 2019:

 https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/lifemanship-ctd/

His series of humorous books on how to secure an unfair advantage began in 1947 with Gamesmanship, purporting to show how poor players can beat better ones by subtle psychological ploys. This sold prodigiously and led to a series of sequels covering other aspects of life.

This led to other 'ships' for ploys or manoeuvres in social situations, namely, 

Lifemanship. and Oneupmanship