The Library

[bellamarie]

Dana,  this may be the video you are speaking of, my friend posted it to my Facebook page and I laughed til I cried, because it is true to form. I may or may not have used, the possible term Ginny and Rosemarykaye speaks of for BMW drivers, only for me I have directed it at my sewing machine and iron.      Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/U4c5eo_3-y0

YEA!!!  Jonathan is back, well and amassed with books!  I am so happy to see you are doing well.  I so agree with your wise words, "Stay happy. It keeps one immune to many evils."

Barb, that was a true gift you were given to experience such a beautiful sunrise.  I will never forget my first one.  I was staying the week end at a family friend's lake house in Michigan, I set the alarm to get up to go out on the balcony, I sat waiting, and waiting and then wondered if I had missed it.  Then all of a sudden I see out beyond the lake this reddish/pink horizon, I was in total awe sitting there watching the sun come up over the water.  The brilliance of colors and brightness was almost blinding to me.  I think you will never forget your first sunrise and sunset.  Your description was so perfect, I felt like I was there in your moment.

Ginny, I'm with you, I like to look at old black and white photos and wonder who the people are.  Nan, I hope you discover who the people are in your photos.  All my masks are donated, I just can't bring myself to charge for something that is so difficult to get, and so important to one's health.  Only, I have to admit, it's become a bit of a costly task to have taken on, so I have no judgement on anyone who may ask a fee, considering the supplies have to keep being replenished.  I had no idea Queen Elizabeth had recently said this: 

I  recall that Queen Elizabeth said in her recent speech on the coronavirus pandemic that we will look back and remember what we did to help in this crisis." and I love that sentiment.

  Her words are my exact sentiment.  And yes, everyone is doing something, to contribute to the world in their own way.  Ginny, I have to confess, I have taken a huge liking to playing this Cashman Slots, and once I begin, ugh.... hours have past and I am staying up into the wee hours to try to reach the next level. (all FREE)  My hubby has gotten hooked on it now too. 

Dana, I have never read the book The Thorn Birds, but I watched the movie with Rachel Ward, and my heart throb Richard Chamberlain.  Have you seen the movie, and is it much different from the book?  I loved the movie!

Speaking of Stir Crazy, I can tell just by the comments being posted on Facebook, how the quarantine is effecting people.  Surprisingly, more females/Moms are posting pics of drinking alcohol.  They are mostly those who work outside the home, and are going a bit "stir crazy" not being able to go to work.  I think men deal with it so much differently than women, they seem more chilled.  They joke a lot in their posts. The consensus of most, is... we are all lounging in our pjs, or sweats and sweatshirts, and no make up for the ladies. The men are just recently starting to complain about not being able to go to the barbers.  Luckily for my hubby, I have been his barber for over thirty years, so he looks all clean and spiffy!  We played Disney Family Feud last night with the kids, grandkids and my dil's mother Sandy, on Zoom last night.  We laughed so much!  Sandy lives by herself in an elderly apartment complex, so this was a real treat for her.  One of her neighbors knocked on her door to see if she was okay, she said she heard a lot of noise and was worried. 

Okay, enough of this, I need to go back to the sewing machine, on this dreary, rainy day, and think of Barb's sunshine.  Ya'll stay safe and stay healthy. 

[Dana]

Oh yes, Bellamarie, that IS it!  It's so funny isn't it, I watched it again just now and laughed even more.  I have a friend who talks exactly like her which makes it even funnier.  I am sure you do not do any of these things, however.  I used to sew a bit and I have done quite a few of them.....
...now I think I can copy and paste your version to my friends, for which, much thanks!

[bellamarie]

Dana, I do all them, except sew my blouse to the fabric.  lolol  The fact I and most all those making these masks do these, is what made me laugh so hard.  Oh, and if only she would have added ironing the thin cloth ties, that steam from my iron gets me every time.  I say, OUCH, and do it again. I guess maybe the glass of wine would help. 

[ANNIE]

 :)Hello my dear friends!  I just spent several hours catching up
with all of the posts about your lives during the pandemic!  It was pleasure  to
see that you are handling the changes of our lives with much hope that this is not going to last
forever! Kudos to Those who are making masks! 
Barbara, would you be willing to email me the article that you found with the recommendations on how to handle the quarantine gently from the hero of A Gentleman in Moscow.  I have a friend who’s going to read the book after our iives are back to normal and she can order it from the library!😉😋💕
My email is adoannie35@yahoo.com
One more thing I must mention is I called Cindy Gibbons a few weeks ago to see how she is getting along and she asked me if she could call me back after she got back home. I said where
are you?  She said in Puerto Rico!  I don’t know if the pandemic had started by then but she has
She hasn’t  called so I will ring her tomorrow.  We had planned to go to lunch but hadn’t set a date!  I will let you know if she’s there. 
😴😴😴 Nighty night!

[ginny]

Hey, Ann! Tell Cindy we all said HEY and would love to "see" her again! We miss Ella. A lot. We miss Deems, too.   I not only miss, but I think about fond memories of those of us here who have gone before as they say.

The little Oh Kay thing was so funny at the beginning, wasn't  it? We all know smug people.  I did laugh over the bandages, while at the same time wincing. She was so determined  to put up a front, wasn't she? 

The end, though, when she gave up? I found that quite sad. Perhaps I projected too much on it?

 I  had a monster for a teacher in the 3rd grade, a true monster. She threw a child out a window, if that gives you some idea. She slapped a child with a speech impediment in the face for not talking clearly.   I'm not going into her many prosecutable offenses and why she wasn't removed,   but my father went to her and told her if she ever struck me she would be sorry.  So she never laid a hand on me, she mocked me instead. Relentlessly. One thing stands out:  remember those pot holders? The little strings of elastic children  make potholders out of? Looked such fun, we were to make one for our mothers as a present. She didn't like mine:  it didn't follow her strict  pattern. It was a coat of many colors.  She  held mine up to the class and mocked it, got them all to laugh, and  say how awful it was,  and  said, and I quote, "you may be smart (they had skipped  me a grade, always a bad idea),  but you will never be able to do anything with your hands."

She was right.  I  never have been able to do any sort of handiwork,  crafts, etc., with my hands.

What a trivial thing. So long ago.  Who cares?

Apparently I do.  When I saw the end of that film, I saw Miss Thomas again. I  know how that person feels about trying to do  something, and failing. And while yes, I know it's a joke, and yes, there are people I'd personally like to see deflated,  I felt sorry for her defeat.

[bellamarie]

Ginny, I am so sorry to hear about your horrible experience as a child with that sort of teacher.  Some people are not meant to teach, and when they go into the field, they generally don't do well.  The woman in the video Oh Kay was all comedy.  I am sure she didn't actually give up, the video was to bring humor to us who are attempting to make the masks, and show what we go through.  With my two sewing machines breaking down, my bobbins clogging, my thread breaking, by circular cutter blade so dull it won't cut the fabric, and having no elastic, having to make these skinny cloth ties, which are so very time consuming, not to mention the ironing involved, that truly does burn my fingers.....nothing would cause me to give up.  Kay in the video was a hoot, and I loved the wine in the end.  I sent this to my friends who are also sewing the masks and we had a good laugh!  So relatable. 

Annie, It is so good to hear from you, and know you are doing well through this pandemic.  How sweet of you to keep in touch with Ella's daughter.  Here is an article about covid19 in Puerto Rico.  https://time.com/5815739/puerto-rico-ppe-coronavirus/ Seems they were fortunate to find some PPE  supplies they forgot they had.  I do hope Cindy was able to get back home before it hit.  Please let us know how she is doing.  As Ginny mentions, so many of our past members who are no longer with us, are sadly missed. 

Your friend will not be disappointed with A Gentleman In Moscow. I truly loved that book.

Ya'll stay safe and stay healthy!

[BarbStAubrey]

Some of us like to use humor to get through changes and difficulties - this short story from Shirley Jackson reminds us of our younger days when we were home with a young family all experiencing the flu that we used to call the grippe - remember Shirley Jackson is the author of the "Lottery" and other horrors so this short story is quite out of character for her...

https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Jackson_Night_Grippe.pdf

Also found a grand site from out of our past - Charles is no longer with us but he was a wonder, bringing to our attention the best of the best - this discussion he brought to us was short stories - great reading list when we cannot seem to sit for a long novel - one of the stories Charles included was The Night We All Had the Grippe.

https://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=3895.40

 

[ANNIE]

The sewing of the mask story had me ROFLOL 🤣🤣🤣!!! Especially when she sewed her blouse to the mask!  Wine is the only solution!!

I sent this to my cousin who collects so now he can send this one out!🤣🤣🤣🤣

Well I talked to Cindy and she’s getting along very well. Said to say hello to you all.

I love the stories you are all sharing about your soirées to get
out of your homes during the pandemic.  Very clever.

Barb, where did you find the article about A Gentleman in Moscow! Who led our discussion about
It?

Bella, your story about celebrating Easter was heartwarming!  By the way, I watch Mass on EWTN the Catholic Channel.  It’s a gift.  There are many other religions so the same thing for their members. 

My family stays in touch using FaceTime or is that Facetalk? We love it. 

I am reading reading TIME BOMB by Jonathan Kellerman.  It’s okay but he puts words together just like his sister or wife. Therefore I won’t be reading him again.

Just got a FaceTalk call from my friend in Atlanta so will say so long for now! Love you all💕🤓💕
Will


 

[BarbStAubrey]

Annie the article came from a literature site that i did not save in my messages - and so I no longer have the original from the gal in South Africa

I believe it was Karen who led the discussion - here is the link to the archived discussion
https://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=5187.0

[ginny]

Here it is, Ann:

https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/blog/cultural-cross-sections/what-count-alexander-ilyich-rostov-taught-me-about-quarantine-lessons

[ANNIE]

Thanks Ginny!  I texted it to myself and will see if my friend wants to read it!

Today while looking at what we have in other articles, I came across Talking Heads and truly enjoyed reading what we were discussing back in 2011.  I came across pedln and decided to try to contact her by using the provided email.  Sure would like to talk to her!
You all might enjoy reading what we were talking about back then!

[ANNIE]

Since I am in assisted living, I can’t do any thing like making masks during the pandemic.  I have started donating to our MID OHIO FOOD BANK by donating what I am saving by not having my hair
done plus any money for dinners out, movies not seen.  Also many prayers for all of us.  We will get through this!🤓❤️🙏🙏🙏👩🏻‍🌾

[rosemarykaye]

Oh my goodness, that Youtube video is hilarious - thanks for the link Bellamarie, I have sent it to my mother (who sews), she will enjoy it. I know if I even tried to make one of these things I would end up in tears (and definitely in need of wine) so thank goodness my younger daughter is making them. Like you Annie I am trying to contribute in other ways. I donated my personal Lent collection to a local animal shelter that is really struggling, and I am sending parcels to some of my mother's elderly friends who are finding it difficult to shop. One thing they really seem to enjoy is a home made cake, so whenever I make one for my husband I cut off some slices, wrap them individually and freeze them, then send off a parcel with cake, biscuits and anything else they have requested. I enjoy trying to think of what treats they would like. And I'm also doing reviews/mentions for authors whose launches have been cancelled or are going online.

And I forgot to say - good morning to one and all from a rather damp Scotland! Yesterday I planted my last two clematises, a Nelly Moser and a Westplatte. When I read up in my RSPB Wildlife Gardening book the author did not recommend either of those varieties for attracting wildlife, but hey ho, they were the only two Aldi were offering, and until the garden centres re-open I'd rather have something growing than nothing. Lots of plants are coming through in the garden now, which is lovely. Husband insisted on reseeding the (small) lawn with seed mixed with fertiliser. I was NOT happy but he would not give in, so i have been out and sprinkled wildflower seed mix all over it. Ha- the battle of the garden will continue.....  He has at least agreed to my making a wildlife pond, and my RSPB book has really excellent instructions. And yesterday I ordered a birdbath, also from the RSPB. The book has a lot of interesting information about those - it said most of the ones sold commercially are all wrong, far too deep with steep sides, whereas birds like something relatively flat and shallow, with perches. The author actually recommended using an old metal dustbin lid, turned upside down and supported on bricks, but we don't have either the bin or the bricks - good idea if you have such things lying around though.

Ginny - I recognise that kind of teacher all too well. My art teacher at grammar school was a bitter woman who only liked people who were good at art. I was not good at art - she once held one of my efforts up in front of the whole class and said 'And this is an example of how not to do it.' Like you say, small things but you remember them - I have spent all these years convinced I simply should never go near an art project. My artist daughter finds that teacher's behaviour unforgivable, and is always urging me to have a go at something, but I still lack the confidence. My husband's family is always seen as the 'arty' side of the family - his mother used to exhibit, and they are all good at drawing - but my mother recently told us that my grandfather - her father - who was gassed in the trenches of the First World War and came home an unemployable wreck - used to draw a lot and was naturally talented, though of course they were much too poor for him to have any tuition or attend any art groups - I am not even sure the latter would have existed in their part of London at the time.

And my Latin teacher at the same school was even worse. I expect I have talked about her before - she was a volatile horror, who used to scream and shout at us, throw blackboard erasers, and terrify and humiliate each of us in turn. I hate to say this but when she got appendicitis and was off for months we rejoiced, even more so when she took early retirement. There were so few controls on teachers in those days, no monitoring of lessons and no procedure for complaints. When i look back at that very blue- stocking all girls school, I can recall a number of very eccentric, weird women teachers - which is not to say they were all bad, some were inspirational, and I have nothing against 'eccentric', often preferring it to the mundane uniformity of the current National Curriculum and its obsession with tests, grades, box ticking and so on.  It was the unleashed temper and/or sarcasm and ritual humiliation that made our lives such a misery at times.

In the private schools here bullying by teachers has not entirely disappeared. During Madeleine's short time at one of the older Edinburgh schools (where we sent her because the art department was so good, but how I wish we hadn't) the gym teacher made her life hell - and indeed when I was at school, gym teachers were the worst for acting like sergeant majors and publicly mocking anyone who wasn't good at sport.

As you might guess, I was not one of the girls who cried on their last day at school - I could not wait to get out of those gates.

To change the subject, I was so pleased to hear about some of the members who are no longer participating on Senior Learn. As I was not here for quite a long time, I'm sure I have missed much of the news, but I wondered if anyone knew anything about Mary Page?

And of course I was delighted to know that Jonathan is fit and fine - and as encouraging and inspiring as ever!

I have just started reading Rumer Godden's The Battle of the Villa Fiorita. The descriptions of Italy and of the villa's gardens are wonderful, but I am not yet too sure about the story - a wealthy woman leaves her husband and three children to go to live with her glamorous film director lover in a sumptuous villa on the shore of Lake Garda. The two younger children, aged only 12 and 14, somehow make their way from London to Italy alone to confront their mother and persuade her to return home. The book was written in 1963. I will see how it progresses.

Last night STV started a new series - an updated version of Van der Valk. I have recorded it - it got quite good reviews. 

Hope everyone is having a good day,

Rosemary

[ANNIE]

You might find Mary Page in Talking Heads or Non-Fiction. It’s worth a look! I always enjoyed her
Pithy comments!  She was the best!😊

Glad to see that you are also donating to needy causes.  Love the sharing of your baked goods too!  Send me a slice of that cake!🤣🤣🤣

[bellamarie]

Rosemary, you never cease to amaze me, flower gardens, birdbaths, baking goods for senior centers, and reviews for authors!  WOW!  You are one very busy lady. I just love imagining how your flowers are going to look when in bloom.  I simply LOVE my clematis, I have attempted two times before in growing this type of flower and failed.  Three years ago I decided to have another go at it, and lo and behold....it took off and has been a real show stopper in my garden off my patio.  I look out my kitchen back door and just marvel at it's beauty.  I was out back checking out what I need to trim down, and see what is popping up and I counted seventeen Asiatic lilies pushing up through the dirt, my blue carpet phlox is in bloom, along with my periwinkles.  The hydrangeas are showing buds, as is the azalea bush.  I am so excited to see how the hibiscus I transplanted a shoot, from the larger plant last Fall, does.  Oh I am such a flower enthusiast.  My neighbor and I joke about us needing to go to Flowers Anonymous, we can't stop buying flowers, and I think we are enablers to each other.  Oh, but what a fun, joyful addiction to have.  Good luck with those wild flowers.  I was just considering this morning at the breakfast table, to plant the roll of wild flower seeds my friend gave to me a couple years ago. I haven't planted much from seeds, except my morning glory last year, which was a huge success.  I call my backyard, my sanctuary, where all the birds frequent, and the flowers are from many family and friends, so they are called, my memory garden.  My Mom's rosebush, lily of the valley and irises are of course my favorite.  I know she is looking down from heaven saying, "You did good!"  She was the green thumb in our family, and my older sister and I have been blessed with this love of flowers. 

Yes, my two birdbaths are shallow, and have perches, and I have an electric waterfall that the birds come to for drinking as well.  I heard hummingbirds love the trumpet vine, so I planted three of them last Fall.  I pray they do well.  I know they sure love my Rose of Sharon.  My grandson was sitting at the kitchen window, watching the birds, and remarked, "Nonnie, your backyard is like the Garden of Eden paradise."  What a nice description he came up with. He told me I can never move, because I can't leave my garden.

Ginny and Rosemarykaye, I have heard the stories you speak of attending private schools, but I must say, I have never personally experienced any horrible teachers as you have.  If anything, I have to admit, when I was in Junior High school I was a pistol.  I am sure a few teachers would love to have thrown an eraser my way.  As a matter of fact, one teacher did throw an eraser at my brother, and my Mom came marching into the school, went straight to the teacher's classroom and told her if she ever threw another eraser at her son, she would be back, and it won't be pretty.  lolol 

I've taught Pre-K through 8th grade students for over thirty years, and while I have had a few students that could unnerve me, never could I ever imagine ridiculing a student, or throwing any thing at them.  Now that I am retired, and only teach CCD (religion) classes once a week, for an hour and a half, I am seeing more and more students struggling with learning, home life, bullying, etc., to the point my heart hurts for them. I can't imagine destroying a child's self esteem, or self confidence in telling them they are not good enough, or their work is not good enough, and using it to show the class how NOT to do something.  No matter what age you were, when this happened, I can see it has stayed with the two of you into your later years.  I shudder knowing there are teachers like the ones you speak of.  I apologize on behalf of all us teachers who love our responsibility to encourage, teach, and help build a child's talents and intelligence, rather than do them harm. 

Okay, I have decided that I am not even remotely going to accomplish reading The Chilbury Ladies' Choir, even though it was my intent to begin it weeks ago.  This pandemic has me all out of sorts, so I am going to go to my work out room, where I have shelves full of books, glance at a easy read, beach/love type story, and just begin it.  I think I will make a solid commitment to read before I fall asleep each night.  Wish me luck!

Ya'll stay safe and stay healthy!

[Frybabe]

Gosh, this reminds me of my eighth grade teacher who often threw chalkboard erasers at students. He had a nasty temper. The worst of it was the day he nearly choked a girl. She was in the first row, chewing gum. He told her to get rid of the gum, so she looked to get a piece of paper to wrap it before throwing it in the trash. That just wouldn't do. He immediately took hold of her, dragged he to the trash can and was choking her until the gum dropped. One of the students was brave enough to bolt and get the vice principle, who duly backed up the teacher and gave the class a little lecture. We were horrified and indignant that the teacher should get away with such treatment. My family moved away, so ninth grade was at a new school. I did note, later, that the vice principal made it to principal, but I don't remember if the teacher "retired" or stayed teaching. the other event, a year earlier, was when the police chief's boy, who sat next to me, kept hitting me on the arm. I eventually, after putting up with this for some days, yelped aloud and told him to stop it. The teacher did not berate the boy for his provoking action, just me for my verbal response. You see, I disrupted the teacher and class, while he was only bruising my arm and getting away with it. This all was around 1959-60, a few years before the women's liberation movement of the 60's.

[rosemarykaye]

Bellamarie, your garden sounds absolutely wonderful, and what a lovely comment from your grandson. I am the same, I have a hard time not buying more plants - I have not had a proper garden in Edinburgh for a few years, so now I am up here in Aberdeenshire even this small garden is heavenly for me, especially with the brook flowing at the end of it.

Do you know which clematis you are growing? There are so many, and the pruning instructions sometimes seem so complicated - all to do with whether it's one that makes new growth from the old wood, or not - or something! But they are such amazing climbers when they do well. I have planted  Nelly Moser and a Westplatte - the Nelly Moser is a very common one with large pink flowers, but the Westplatte is smaller and has purple flowers.  The RSPB book says the ones with small flowers are better for wildlife, but like I said, i had to take what was on offer.

I have not tried morning glory but my book does say it is easy to grow, so maybe I will try it - it would be good to have something rambling over the fences. Same with the trumpet vine - we don't have hummingbirds here but I imagine other wildlife would like it. I don't have a hibiscus, I will look that one up too. My daughter has managed to buy quite a few plants on ebay, so I may have to resort to that - not as much fun as selecting things in the garden centre, but certainly better than nothing.

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir is an easy read, honestly!  But I do understand that sometimes one just needs something very undemanding - hence I periodically pick out a Debbie Macomber, I know the writing is less than perfect, but I admire her for her tenacity and I enjoy her characters.

And Frybabe, your teachers sound a lot like mine. My daughter, who has done some teaching and still works in school admin, says it is so different now, teachers constantly watching their backs, and some parents forever accusing them of all sorts of things and never even considering that their child's behaviour may also have been less than perfect. And as I said, not all of my teachers were terrifying, though I do think we girls lived in a more or less permanent state of fear, especially in the early years of secondary school. Bellamarie, please don't feel you need to apologise!  I am absolutely sure you were and are a wonderful teacher, and I agree with all that you say about what teaching should be. The best teacher I ever had was actually at university - a PhD student who led a course in child psychology. He was brilliant, and I have never forgotten how encouraging he was to me. I looked him up recently and he is now a professor at a university in the Netherlands.

I am persevering with The Battle of the Villa Fiorita, but I am hoping that the adults - especially the film director lover - get their comeuppance. I read some of the comments about the book on Amazon, and it was interesting to see how some people had the same reaction as mine, and others felt that a woman was entitled to seek her own happiness and should not have to stay in a marriage that was less than perfect just to please her children. I might share that view if the marriage was seriously abusive, or if the children were grown up and had left home, but these children are aged 12-17, and so far all we have learned about Fanny's husband is that he was away a lot for work and seems a bit dull! Maybe there is more to it than that, and things will become clearer as I read on.

Have a good day all,

Rosemary

[PatH]

Rosemary, MaryPage last posted here in July 2016.  She continued posting in our sister site until November 2016, then disappeared until a year ago, when Pat Scott Halbach passed away.  She then posted a moving appreciation on that site, remarking that she hadn't posted on any social site for 2 1/2 years, but that Bubble had told her about Pat.  No further appearance, but I like to think she's still OK.

I read The Battle of the Villa Fiorita when it came out, in the 60s, but haven't thought about it for many, many years.  Interestingly, I remember vividly the strength of the children's emotions, but have no idea how things turned out for the adults.  Anyway, I can't spoil it for you by giving anything away.

[bellamarie]

Rosemary, I think my clematis is the Late Large-flower Viola.  It actually blooms in May, and again in late summer.  It is budding now so I expect flowers in a couple of weeks. Here is a pic of it, last year.



Is Aberdeenshire your year round home, or are you just spending this time there for the quarantine?  I have a feeling you are going to be bursting with color from Spring to Fall, from the sounds of the plants you are choosing.  My hibiscus is just absolutely breathtaking.  I have a red one and my sister gave me a pink one.  The wind broke a hardy stem from the red one during a rain storm last year, so I picked it up and put it in the ground.  Oh my, it started growing with NO roots from that stem. 





This white Annabelle hydrangea got so tall I had to cut it back in the Fall.


This is just a small portion of my flower gardens in the backyard.  You can see why my grandson called it the Garden of Eden Paradise. 

Frybabe, how horrifying to hear how that teacher choked the student in making her spit out her gum.  I shudder to think of such teachers in a classroom.  Thank you Rosemary, I have a true love for teaching children, and am a strong advocate for their well being mentally, physically and spiritually. After retirement, I became a volunteer for Heartbeat of Toledo, a non profit organization to help unwed mothers.  It follows them from their first sonogram, to the birth of their baby, through four years old.  We educate the mother, (sometimes the father of the baby, if he is involved, which is not often) and give them all the knowledge, and tools to help them with parenting, and opportunities to begin a career that will help the mother and child have a better life. The mother earns points for accomplishing certain requirements, and then she is able to shop in our boutique for diapers, wipes, baby food, formula, clothing, and various baby items, all donated from different local businesses, people, the Knights of Columbus, and various Catholic schools, and churches.  We have two major fund raisers a year to help with purchasing sonogram machines, and recently a mobile medical bus unit, to be able to go into areas where mothers are not able to drive and come to us. Education is the key to a successful future, and so for any teacher to impede a student's self worth, or self confidence in being cruel and humiliating to them, just breaks my heart.

My grandson Zak turned twelve years old today, he is on the autism spectrum, and is extremely intelligent, but he did have a teacher at his public school who did not want to acknowledge him being on the spectrum, because of his high I.Q.  He struggled at the time (1st grade) with social anxiety, sensory, bright lights, and being capable of staying still for long periods of time.  I immediately recommended to my son and daughter in law to remove him from this school.  They placed him in a Catholic grade school, which was very sensitive and accommodating to his autism needs. He will enter Jr. High in the Fall, is now playing organized sports, and can stand up in front of a class and give a complete speech on awareness of autism.  I can't imagine where he would be today, had he remained with that teacher his entire school year, giving her the access to him, destroying his already fragile self confidence. Now, he has so much confidence and self esteem, he has expressed he would like to be a professional basketball player or a scientist who can cure diseases like cancer.  The world is his oyster!  I tell him he is my Knight and shining armor.

Okay, off to choosing a book to read for a few minutes before I drift off to sleep.
p.s. Ooops sorry, did I already post that Annabelle hydrangea?   

[nlhome]

Bellamarie, what beautiful flowers. Thank you.

My yard is bigger, my flowers not so big, but come early summer I will have very many and varied lilies. Right now the tulips are in full swing, daffodils are just winding down, and the one peony bush is growing with enthusiasm. Unfortunately, my one hydrangea is not bouncing back from winter; but the rose bush my son gave me for Mother's Day the year he left for Germany, so 3 years ago, is doing well.

I finished a couple of books, now have Gutsy women by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton and Dead Lions by Mick Herron on my tablet.

[Frybabe]

Bellamarie, what a lovely clematis. Years ago, I had a Nelly Moser that climbed up my lamppost at the end of the drive. It was surrounded by iris which matched color and bloomed at the same time.

nlhome, how are you likeing the Jackson Lamb series?  When I first started reading the series, the only ones available through FLP were the first two, so I earmarked the rest on my wish list at the library for when they open again. However, I did just check and FLP now has the whole lot available. Of course, everyone else has noticed and now there is a big waitlist. Sigh!  AppleTV is developing the series into a TV show with Gary Oldman playing Jackson Lamb.

Of course, some "in development" projects never see the light of day. I know one or two that have been "in development" for almost 20 years, including HALO which has been passed around since 2003 (if I remember correctly). Anyway, it looks like Showtime now has the cast and is working to get this thing on the air in 2021.

[rosemarykaye]

Oh Bellamarie, your garden is just beautiful! So colourful and varied. I hope you are right about mine, and that it will soon be filled with colour - it is very small - the best thing about it probably is the brook at the end of the garden, which I can hear through the window as a I type, and the woodland beyond the brook, which makes it feel like we are in deep country, when in fact we are on the very outskirts of the city.

I read about your hibiscus and thought 'I must try to get one of those' - then that very day my younger daughter Madeleine mentioned that the hisbiscus on my deck in Edinburgh was looking sorry for itself, so she has re-potted it and moved it to 'her' side of the house, which gets much more sun - I had completely forgotten that i even had a hibuscus! I don't know how well it will do in a pot, but Madeleine is doing her best for it.

I know Ginny has told me several times, but can you remind me how to post photos on here?

We have had this Aberdeenshire house for quite a while, as my husband uses it when he works in Aberdeen - which is likely to be more often now. I am usually in Edinburgh but I retreated up here before our lockdown as I was not enjoying being on my own in the house. As it happens my two daughters have now moved into the Edinburgh house, and although I would love to be with them in some ways, in others it is good that we all have some space. If they were up here we would be like sardines (especially, I imagine, compared to the size of most American houses!) - the Edinburgh house is larger but I think we might still have got on top of one another, particularly as both my husband and my elder daughter Anna are working from home, so need somewhere quiet during the day. I am enjoying all the peace and quiet up here, and the close proximity of country walks - the girls do walk in Edinburgh, but although the river ('The Water of Leith') is quite close, they say the paths are crowded, as are 'Leith Links' - a wide expanse of grass just a few minutes from the house. There are just so many more people in Edinburgh than out here. The more I am here, the more I wonder if I will really go back permanently, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it!  My daughter-in-law is hoping to start a postgrad physiotherapy degree at the end of the summer - it is run in Aberdeen so she would need to be here during the week, travelling back to the Highlands for weekends. If she were here as well it might get a bit crowded, though she is lovely, and extremely easy to live with, so again, we'll see.

I recognise so much of what you say about your grandson at school. Madeleine, who does have mild Aspergic traits, was almost destroyed by just two terms at one of Edinburgh's smart private schools - they made absolutely no room for anyone who did not fit their model of a confident, sporty, loud pupil, and M just shrank more and more into her shell. It was so sad to watch. I took her out and sent her to the Edinburgh Steiner School, and she flourished. Steiner would not suit everyone, and it took a while for her to recover from the trauma she had suffered, but in the end Steiner was the perfect place for her - especially for her art, but really for the whole ambiance of the place. It's now 4 years since she left and she still keeps in touch with many school friends from her old class. She's confident enough now to give presentations in her art department. She will never be sporty! But that doesn't matter to me, I just wanted her to be happy, and I think now she is. She is able to express herself very clearly on issues that matter to her - feminism, artists, politics - and these days she is the first one of the three children that I myself turn to if I want to have a moan or am a little upset about something, as she is very supportive, perhaps because she knows what it is to be unhappy.

The sun has come out here after a rainy night, but before I go outside again I must complete a book review.

PatH - I have finished The Battle of the Villa Fiorita, which I did enjoy in the end - it raises a lot of questions about whether or not a mother should put her children or herself first.  I imagine that 99% of mothers, including me, would always sacrifice everything for the children, but the book did make me think about whether that is always the right use of a woman's life.

I've now moved on to a British Library Crime Classic - John Bude's The Sussex Downs Murder, written in the 1930s. The British Library has republished many of the books from the so-called 'Golden Age of Crime' between the wars. They have given them all the most beautiful covers, and it's great to discover some of these long forgotten authors. The stories are nearly always puzzles rather than gory murders, so I can read them without any apprehension. So far this one is about a farmer who, instead of arriving in Wales for his annual holiday, has disappeared, with his car being found just a few miles from the farm. His brother worked the land with him, but they did not always see eye to eye. Now Superintendent Meredith is starting to investigate.

And Pat, thanks for the update re MaryPage. I too like to think she is still OK, she is such a character.

Have a good day everyone - I am hoping that the highlight of mine will be the arrival of my new bird bath!

Best wishes, Rosemary

[bellamarie]

Rosemary, I will do my best to help you with posting pics.

#1.  You must be on the "Preview" page.
#2.  The pic you want to post MUST be on a site, that you can "copy the pic address from"  I use my Facebook.  There are other sites you can use, it depends on where you place you pics.  Most pics online have an image address you can use.
#3.  Find the pic you want to share,  right click the pic, and highlight "copy image address"
#4.  On the preview page of this site, click the "camera icon" just below the bold B icon.
#5.  Once it shows the image brackets, , click between them to make space for your pic address link.  Paste your image address link you copied, inside the brackets, and that is it. 

I have not figured out how to resize the pic to make it smaller. Someone on this site can do that for us, if they choose to.  I really don't mind anyone, resizing my pics I post.  I apologize for not knowing how to do it.  Some image addresses when pasted, shows the height and width numbers to change the size, mine don't always show them, when I paste the image address link.

If I left out a step, or someone can add to this, or correct my steps, please feel free to do so. 

[nlhome]

Frybabe, I am enjoying the Jackson Lamb series. It is so different from the other books I have been reading, and it goes fast. I am also reading Shotgun Lovers which is set in my state, and that sometimes makes me sad. I loke to have something that is intriguing and provides an escape.

We had a couple of windy days. Finally it was nice enough to go outside today, and we had to water everything because the wind sure dried things up. Tomorrow should be nice, so instead of reading we will be outside working in the gardens.

[ginny]

Bellamarie,  if you'd like to resize your photos you can adjust the size in the coding once you've posted it full size,  or even before,  if you know it will be too large.




This is the coding for one of your beautiful garden photos:

[ img width=600 height=800]https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/p720x720/62182558_10219714909926636_4089234716094365696_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=BQVdngxHfXcAX-joMPg&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&_nc_tp=6&oh=c16d4264e39febc0c67d3ef3515cc25f&oe=5ECF6443[/img]

Notice that the red here has been resized by the website itself, it's the limit we put on photos and it's automatic. If it seems a bit large just reduce that 600 and get rid of the height entirely and let it fit it to the new width. You need , of course, to do this while you still have edits, the first 30 minutes after posting.

[ img width=400]https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/p720x720/62182558_10219714909926636_4089234716094365696_o.jpg?_nc_cat=106&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=BQVdngxHfXcAX-joMPg&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&_nc_tp=6&oh=c16d4264e39febc0c67d3ef3515cc25f&oe=5ECF6443[/img]

Then you post this without the gap between the [ and the img] and you get this:



Or whatever size you want.

[bellamarie]

Thank you ladies for the compliments on my flower gardens.  It takes years, as you all know who have gardens, to get your yard the way you want it to be.  I almost have no more space to plant any more flowers, so now I am putting up hooks to hang baskets.  My cousin has been enticing me to buy flowers by posting all the ones she has bought in the past few days at various garden places.  I generally wait til Mother's Day week end.  Our weather is so back and forth.

Rosemary, your Aberdeenshire place sounds idyllic, I hope you will share some pics of your flowers and brook.  I love the sound of water, so we bought a water fountain for the front yard, I can actually fall asleep hearing the water.  You will love the birdbath.

It's difficult for others to understand the difficulties and struggles a child goes through with any type of disorder or disability, unless they have experienced it personally.  It sounds like your decision to remove Madeline from the one school was the best decision, the Steiner school sounds like it was her perfect fit. 

I am proud to announce I began a new book last night!!!  It is The Island by Elin Hilderbrand. I think it's perfect for my need, for a light read, and takes place on Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket, which is my favorite place settings in these type of stories.  Hilderbrand is one of my favorite authors.

Birdie Cousins has thrown herself into the details of her daughter Chess's lavish wedding, from the floating dance floor in her Connecticut back yard to the color of the cocktail napkins. Like any mother of a bride-to-be, she is weathering the storms of excitement and chaos, tears and joy. But Birdie, a woman who prides herself on preparing for every possibility, could never have predicted the late-night phone call from Chess, abruptly announcing that she's cancelled her engagement.

It's only the first hint of what will be a summer of upheavals and revelations. Before the dust has even begun to settle, far worse news arrives, sending Chess into a tailspin of despair. Reluctantly taking a break from the first new romance she's embarked on since the recent end of her 30-year marriage, Birdie circles the wagons and enlists the help of her younger daughter Tate and her own sister India. Soon all four are headed for beautiful, rustic Tuckernuck Island, off the coast of Nantucket, where their family has summered for generations. No phones, no television, no grocery store - a place without distractions where they can escape their troubles.

But throw sisters, daughters, ex-lovers, and long-kept secrets onto a remote island, and what might sound like a peaceful getaway becomes much more. Before summer has ended, dramatic truths are uncovered, old loves are rekindled, and new loves make themselves known.

I fell asleep instantly after reading the first few pages, and am excited to get back to it tonight.

Ginny, We were posting at the same time.  THANK YOU, so much for the instructions on how to resize.  I am going to copy and paste them to my word program for future use.  Wish me luck, because I do get very confused with finding this so called "code." The red really helps.  I had no idea I could do this within the first 30 minutes of posting, in edits. 

I am so excited, the Quilter's Guild, who I am making the masks to give to Pro Medica has finally come through with elastic!!!!  I can't wait to get back to my sewing tomorrow.  Elastic has been like toilet paper, throughout this pandemic.  I saw it in the container when I dropped off masks yesterday and came running to the car to show my hubby.  I said, "It's MANNA from Heaven!"  He laughed so hard.  He said, "Marie, you looked like a child that just came downstairs on Christmas morning and found just what you asked Santa for."  He could not have been more accurate, describing my excitement. 

May 1st some businesses will be reopening, and it will be mandatory to wear masks. I was in the Dollar Tree the other day, and the checkout girl said in order for anyone to come inside their store after May 1st, they MUST have a mask on, including the employees. I am already getting requests from those who are anticipating going back to work, and will need one.

Stay safe & stay healthy!

[ANNIE]

Not much to say but I thought  I ran out of books to read but in looking for a book that I hadn’t read I found that I had A Gentleman in Moscow in LP from our Metropolitan Library and I am rereading it!  I’m  considering it a blessing!!
PAT-Thanks for giving us the latest on Mary Page.  I always looked forward to her opinions on what we were reading! 

[BarbStAubrey]

Took me awhile to find it - MaryPage with her entire family taken last fall

[PatH]

Oh my goodness.  That's magnificent.

[bellamarie]

Annie, you are going to LOVE that book.  It has stayed with me forever.  The Count Rostov, is my Mr. Darcey and Mr. Bennett from Jane Austen's books.  A man that has integrity, and fortitude to withstand all the trials before him.

WOW!  What a beautiful huge family MaryPage is blessed with. 

[rosemarykaye]

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for the instructions, Bellamarie and Ginny, I will have another go at the picture thing as and when I have one to share.  I know what you mean about not having space for more flowers, I had that trouble in one of my previous gardens. Here I am still filling in gaps and planting things that I hope will gradually spread - but it will be gradual, as here in NE Scotland things never grow as quickly as the labels promise, it is just too cold in winter (though not as cold as it was when my children were little.) I found a small acer at the supermarket yesterday so I am going to try planting that. It has dark red leaves.

Yesterday I visited the wholefoods shop in Aberdeen that a friend had told me about. Unlike everywhere else around here they have flour!  They had kindly kept my order of 3 kilos back for me, and I also got brown rice, Ecover washing up liquid, dates and honey. The lady was really lovely, so helpful. I will definitely go there again - the prices may be a little higher than the supermarkets, but it's worth it, and good to support a local business.  It was strange going into the city after all this time - it was pretty quiet, though there were still cars on the road.  My husband actually had to go in to produce some ID for the bank, so i didn't feel too bad about also getting my groceries.

My daughter says she has posted me a mask she has sewn, but as she only had thin elastic she is also sending spare ribbon in case the elastic breaks. We are not required to wear masks, but the Scottish government says it might be an idea in busy shops or on public transport. They are, however, very clear that masks are not a substitute for social distancing, which they see as far more important. I asked my ambulanceman son and he said exactly the same thing, though he did promise to see if he had any snoods he could send me (he and his wife being mad keen skiers).

Barb - thank you SO much for that beautiful photo of MaryPage and her family!  I cannot imagine having that many relations - we are a pretty small family here, I am an only child, and although my mother was one of 5, the 5 children only produced 5 children between them, one of whom lives overseas. Those 4 cousins of mine have only had 3 children in total, while I have 3 myself. So not much of an extended network. My father's brother lives in Southern California.  I often think it would be nice to be part of a huge family, but people who are tell me there are negatives as well as positives. I am, however, hoping that we will eventually move nearer to my son and his wife in the Highlands. Naomi comes from a large Irish family so has quite a different experience of life.

I too enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow very much, and I can see why the Count is your Mr Darcy Bellamarie! He is such a good man, so well read, so thoughtful, but also such fun.

Better get on now, the forecast was for rain but in fact the sun is shining, so I will get out into the garden soon.

Have a good day all,

Rosemary

[bellamarie]

A new book is coming out May 26th, and looks like something Jane Austen fans will enjoy.  I read The Jane Austen Book Club, and enjoyed it very much. 

The description says, "Fans of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society… A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal."

https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/jane-austen-society/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fbnewsfeedad&utm_term=jane-b&utm_content=fb-110x80-shopnow-buynow&utm_campaign=9781250248732&fbclid=IwAR2Yzhi8UJT7gdj1ZkmzWMJnS_sZZ5byG6yIjKLLnA8S-Ec6LIMDVu6hTxk



Oh dear Ginny, I just do not know why I am not able to resize.  I did everything you said and it still did not work for me.  In the image address there is no size for the height and width.  I went to the inspection and it showed it, but it is not available for me to place in this.  I've been at it for a bit, and can't seem to get it.  What ever am I doing wrong?

[bellamarie]

Rosemary, that was nice your daughter sent you a mask she made for you. The masks are not intended to be a substitute for social distancing.  They are in the suggested guidelines, along with, social distancing.  The masks are to protect others, in case you are A- symptomatic, and could be carrying the virus, and likewise, those who wear the masks around others, are protecting you/them, in the event they are carriers.  As of May 1st, many stores will not allow you inside without one, here in the U.S. Many business places are making the masks mandatory to return to work.  I suppose everyone has their own personal views, and will have to do what is comfortable for them, but for the safety of others I will wear a mask when in public. As the temperatures get warmer, people are going to begin shedding the masks, regardless, but at least we can feel hopeful do to so, since the curve is flattening, and the numbers of new cases have decreased.

We are going to my son's house today for a "social distancing" cook-out.  We will place our chairs 6 ft apart, and I will wear my mask, although we will have to remove them to eat.  He is an essential worker, and goes in and out of stores daily, so I am a bit nervous.  This will be our first time.  I do not intend to stay long.  The two grandkids will stay their distance as well. We have visited a couple of times before, for a few minutes outside, keeping our distance with our masks on, so we will see how this works.

Ya'll stay safe & stay healthy!

[ginny]

Bellamarie, it doesn't come with the size coding.  IF the image is too big for the parameters we set for the website, the website itself will do the coding  itself like [ img width=600] in my post above.

Once you have your image displaying, and you then look at it, if it does not suit you at that point, THEN you want to go into edit and indicate the sizing coding to it.

Here is what you had. There is no sizing here by the website, there is nothing wrong with the size, in the website's opinion, in other words:

[ img]https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/jane-austen-society/img/JaneAustenSocietyHC.jpg[/img] is fine with the parameters set in the website.

But if you want it smaller or larger,  then you have to set the coding yourself. You have to physically type in [ img "width=250"] or whatever. Without the quotation marks.

It may then look like this, depending on what you have typed in yourself:


 [ img width=250]https://static.macmillan.com/static/smp/jane-austen-society/img/JaneAustenSocietyHC.jpg[/img]

So you take the above, eliminate the gap here [ img], and it will  display like this:





Or whatever size you would like.

[bellamarie]

Ginny, hmmmm..... that is exactly what I did, and I didn't see any change.  I will continue to work on it, until I get it.  I so appreciate your patience and help.  I saved this to my word program, and followed it exactly.  It's good to know this site has it's set size.  Thank you so very much for your help. 

Well, we backed out of the cook out.  My hubby and I were not feeling comfortable wearing masks in these warmer temps, and then needing to take them off to eat.  It may just be unnecessary anxiety, but I think we'll feel differently in the weeks to come.  Ho Hum.....this too shall pass.

[BarbStAubrey]

Bellamarie I changed it for you - to the 250 width - to better see what you missed - where you had included the link to the book cover between [ img ] it is within that first bracket that you add the width - [ img width=250 ]

You were successful getting your link between the img bracket it was just missing the addition in the first set of brackets that gave the width -

Before you post you could hit preview to see how wide your photo will show and then you can adjust your width - for instance a wide photo needs a larger width than a long narrow photo like the cover of a book

Jane has requested we keep our width to maximum 400 so the photo will show on all devices

If you choose to preview first you'll see how it looks and you can scroll down and see what you entered and adjust the width number and then hit preview again to see how it will look - once you are satisfied then hit post.

Often what i do is use the [ img ] button then add my width [ img width=350 ] then the URL for the photo - when I hit the [ img ] button it automatically put the correct ending that shows after my URL [ /img ] and then I put my curser over the entire line including the [ img ] instruction and hit the button that centers just what has been covered by the curser and so the final looks like

[ center ] [ img width=300 ] http: -------- [ /img ] [ /center ]

If you can hit the img instruction button from above again, all you need to do is add to that first bracketed img - one space between the img and the word width=250 or any number that makes the photo show - actually a book cover can be as low as width=100 so that would look like [ img width=100 ]  you're computer smart you'll get it -

I looked for a site that would explain using other words that neither Ginny or I are using but the sites online are all so much more complicated and talk about adjusting both the height and the width - we have learned over the years by just adjusting the width that automatically adjusts the height making the process so much easier.

[bellamarie]

Barb, thank you so so much!!!  I will work at it, and copy and paste your instructions into my word program to use while attempting it.  I had no idea you need one space between the img and the word width=250 and it must be inside the first bracket.  Ginny it sure helped knowing I did not have to deal with the height. It's so much easier when the pic address includes the width and height.  I don't give up on learning so I will keep at it.  Like my Mom always said, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again." 

[bellamarie]

Pic resizing attempt.  This is my neighbor's magnolia tree.  I just love it!



Barb, Ginny, I think I got it!!!!  Thank you so very very much! 

[BarbStAubrey]

Tra la YOU DID IT...!

[rosemarykaye]

Well done Bellamarie - I'm sure that would have beaten me, I don't have your perseverance!

I'm glad that you backed out of that family meal - I know it would've been lovely to see people, but I agree with you, I would not have felt comfortable at the moment.

And thanks for the heads up on that new book, it looks great! I will look it up.

Re masks, I totally understand and agree that the intention is to use them as well as all the other things we are supposed to do, I guess my son is just saying that he is worried that some people will think a mask means they don't have to bother with any other precautions. He also said the mask needs to be washed at 60C or above after each use - I was thinking about how to do that without running the washing machine practically empty, and I thought maybe you can just pour a kettle of boiling water over it each time?  Anyway, my daughter's package has just arrived so I suppose I will be able to open it on Thursday!  And yes I do also agree, she is very kind to send it to me. When I was out walking I had a brainwave about elastic and asked my mother if she still had any (as she kept all her dressmaking stuff when she moved into sheltered housing) and although she thinks she handed most of it on to a friend, she sent me a list of the sizes of the bits she has left:

31.5 cm length x 1cms  white
63cm x 1.5 white
80cm x 2cm
121.5cm x l.75cm
105.5c x 1.5cm
Black  80.5cm x 1cm
In inches, also one more piece, 18 x one quarter inch.

None of this means a thing to me but I have sent all the details to Madeleine to see if she can use any of it.

This morning I started Marghanita Laski's The Village. It opens on the day that the second world war ends. Two women are doing their last Red Cross night duty (they have never had any casualties) - one is a fairly well-to-do person, Wendy, who lives in one of the big houses on Priory Hill, the other Wendy's former cleaner, Edith Wilson, who lives in one of the Station Cottages. During the war they have become friends and now call each other by their Christian names, but they both know that this will have to stop:

'"There's a lot of us will miss it," Edith said. "We've all of us felt at times, you know, how nice it was, like you and me being able to be together and friendly, just as if we were the same sort, if you know what I mean." "I'll miss it a lot too," Wendy said. There was no point in her saying that it could go on now, the friendliness and the companionship and the simple human liking of one woman for another. Both knew that this breaking down of social barriers was just one of the things you got out of the war, but it couldn't go on.'

The novel is not at all cosy, it is about all the people in the village and how their longstanding social positions are about to change. Many of the tradespeople - shopkeepers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics - have done quite well out of the war and now have more financial security than they ever had in the 1930s. They are upwardly mobile and have their eyes on better houses, and better jobs for their children. The formerly wealthy residents, however, have mostly lost money, are not used to having to manage without servants, and can't believe that things must change. They are absolutely stunned when the Labour Party wins the 1945 election, they had thought Churchill's Tories would be in power for life. Wendy is even more shocked when she discovers that Mrs Wilson has voted for Clement Atlee, who led the LP to a landslide victory:

'"You don't mean you voted SOCIALIST do you, Edith?"'

Meanwhile Wendy's plain, kind, shy, sweet but un-academic daughter Margaret is forming a friendship with newly-demobbed Roy, son of none other than ex-cleaner Edith Wilson. Wendy is desperate to get Margaret married off, but she still can't countenance her marrying someone who is 'not one of us', even though Roy is a good, kind, reliable man who loves Margaret and who is about to complete his apprenticeship and begin a well paid job as a printer.

And now the Priory Hill people are even more disconcerted when the unmarried owner of the drapery shop, who is about to retire, is found to have purchased a big house in 'their' neighbourhood;

'"Its a b--- impertinence" shouted Gerald (Wendy's husband) angrily, "Who the devil does she think she is, just because she's made a bit of money in that shop of hers?"'

(This from a man whose every money-making venture has failed, and whose family are now almost penniless.)

And new money is arriving in the village in the shape of a businessman and his American wife - the old guard don't know what to make of Martha Weatherall, who is friendly to everyone and who doesn't know the rules of afternoon calls;

'"She's a lady, as far as one can tell with Americans" Miss Porteous said with kindly contempt..."Besides, these days one must be broadminded about people"' !!!!

So I am about a third of the way through and absolutely loving it, looking forward to finding out how the middle classes adapt (or not), how the working class exercises its new power, and how Martha Weatherall is going to fit in to all of this.

I hope everyone is having a good day.

Best wishes,

Rosemary