What a lot of activity on here! So much to read and inwardly digest, so many interesting and altruistic deeds...
Kaimoana - I love the way you speak of your friends with so much love and compassion. You know so many courageous and heroic people out in our society, who are normally invisible to most, and treat them with such kindness. I’m so happy that Karen is out of hospital, but so saddened that she is forced by the institutions to work when she is simply not able…it’s so very Victorian, so profit-motive driven, so unfeeling. Not the NZ that proudly led the world in social experiments of welfare and care.
What a beautiful bride, and how sad. I hope Heather and her Jeremy had years of joy in each other, and that she can be farewelled surrounded by those who love her.
Lovely that DGS can come for a whole week! I hope you spoil each other rotten – what fun that will be!
Grammaretto -I am so sad for you, coping without your lovely MrG. Another lady of boundless courage and admirable determination. How wonderful for you, that you have such a loving and close family, physically distant though one branch may be.
You and Cushie still working like navvies I see. Heaving bags of manure around is quite a challenge, but the result is always so gratifying, come summer. Good luck with the new specs!The bowls sound beautiful – what a clever lady you are! The pottery day sounds like brilliant fun…lucky girls. And I love the idea of a poetry-reading gathering. People always seem to come up with interesting and unusual poems.
One of my favourites is from “Odysseus” (Tennyson):
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
It’s very special to MrJ and me for many reasons.
Doodle - another glasses-breaker! I just seem to scratch my lenses, for some unknown reason. They are very expensive in NZ – a fact that makes me very cross, when I can get 2 pairs in Australia for less than half the price – in fact, the difference would pretty much pay for my airfare! Yes, casual clothes are so comfortable, aren’t they! Not looking forward to having to change my shorts for jeans. The mornings are now a little cool, though days are still warm. The bulk of my tiger figs are just ripening now, though so slowly. Roasted with sugar and cinnamon, they are really yummy, though very calorific.
At 4 pm, there’s another Zoom seminar with the Uni of Auckland, which looks interesting, so I’d better go and get organised shortly. Tomorrow to Whangarei again to the specialist, and to have lunch with my cousin and ill husband. Thursday is really full-on, running 2 U3A groups…I’ve spent most of the day preparing materials. Friday is my Mediaeval History group, which I don’t run, just have to sit there and enjoy someone else doing all the work. My covid family are a little better, and will be out of isolation tomorrow, though I doubt that DS1 will be able to go to work, and DIL certainly won’t. I hope their care package gets there today, or the fruit will spoil, and the baking probably squashed. I’ve also ordered a bulk pack of artisanal beef pies from a farm that makes gorgeous ones, using the meat of their own happy cattle who spend their whole lives outside in the sunshine…yes, I know it sounds unhealthy, but they are so delicious that I hope they will tempt the invalids.
Right, up, up and away…Cheers folks x
. She came out of hospital on Saturday and wanted to work today. She looked, sounded and clearly felt dreadful but insisted she could manage - but I wouldn't let her, she could hardly breathe, let alone work and she’s lost a lot of weight. 
