Well darlings, I’ve had little success in finding a date for the blog party that will suit everyone. Sunday 15th July is still a possibility as there is only one couple who certainly can’t come, but how about the weekend after? We’re free then. Saturday 21st or Sunday 22nd, that is.
It’s not exactly busy here, but there’s been quite a lot happening. Here, it’s mostly been finally getting the electrician in. Lights have been failing, one after another, and I kept forgetting to ring him. But at last I did and he came and tonight we didn’t have to rely on a table lamp and candles to see what we were eating. Even more remarkably, we’ve been and bought the other light fittings we need (all in one fell swoop, as Shakespeare put in in a rather different, tragic context), and he’ll come back as soon as I ask him to (we just want to unpack one of them in the morning to be sure it’s suitable) and then it’ll be a Lo! Let there be light!! thingy.
Wince the gardener turned up with his chainsaw this morning. I remarked on this and he told me that one of the Scotch pines had fallen over in the gale last week. I hadn’t noticed, which he found surprising, but I’d only looked for any to have fallen onto the road. It went the other way and I simply didn’t see it. I’m the least observant person I know, though LT is only a few places behind me: he didn’t see it either, but then it wouldn’t have occurred to him to look. It’s cut up, branches heaped for burning and logs stacked for drying.
Rose and Lawrence took us out for dinner last night, which was fabulous and I realise I should have taken a picture of the menu, if only to remind myself of the wines. But I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. It deserves a post of its own, or mostly so, because I might waffle as Z does.
My well-documented Z resilience has taken a few hits of late and I’ve actually been quite low. But I seem to be surfacing again, or I hope I am. Hope is a vulnerable word and I am wary of using it, but I think I should, once in a while. I still have a lot of blessings to count. One of them is darling Eloise cat, who is so very loving nowadays. I never thought I’d love a cat so much and I’m thankful that she never goes out onto the road. Love feels like a vulnerable word too, but it’s such a necessary one.
Every time I visit over here the date has changed! The new dates are the first weekend of the school holidays in many areas. FWIW.
Resilience is futile.
I know, I’m so sorry. I was trying to avoid the holidays but so far I haven’t found a date to suit everyone who’s responded. Can you make it that weekend? I’m aiming for a date everyone can manage, failing that, one that the fewest people can’t. And once it’s decided – and we really are down to the last options now – it’ll be fixed.
Without resilience, it’s a downward spiral, though. Knowing how much is ultimately futile and still smiling and carrying on is resilience, isn’t it? Something makes us wake up and put the kettle on each morning, and sow seeds every spring.
Any of those dates are still OK for us.
Resilience is such a ‘buzz word’ in these times.
Resilience, to me, is slightly different to the accepted view I suspect… it’s about knowing when to stop because it is futile to go on doing things the way one is, because no matter how much one tries, it isn’t going to make a blind bit of difference.
Swimming against the tide… and in the present climate, those of us with high moral ethics and values, and a history of selfless ‘community service’ are often left feeling rather battered I think. But maybe your situation is different to mine 🙂
I don’t know, love. I spent 28 years as a school governor and I know I did a lot of good work and I also know that Gove undid most of it and I wasted my time. I’m pretty bitter and it’s best not going there.
We’ll go for that weekend. I’ll confirm Saturday or Sunday as soon as anyone says a preference!
21/22 July is now fixed in my diary.. I do hope everyone will be able to make it.
I’m so glad, dear heart 🙂