Monday 1 February 2016

The First of February, Two Thousand and Sixteen.. already!

Goodness me! We are already into the second month of the year and what have WE done, well, not a lot, I regret to say. There's been no gardening done, she is deeply, madly jealous of friends whose gardens are outside their house. For she, as you all know, has to travel for an hour plus before she can even set a foot into a puddle.

And she woke up this morning and her immediate thought was 'DRAT.. I've missed the Shoes!' and she has, for they'll be packing them up and breaking down the exhibition today. What shoes? The Shoe exhibition at the V&A which she promised she would go and see but never did and forgot to go yesterday on her way home from Parson's Green.

Ah well, there will be something wonderful along soon and in the meantime, she could get up to the British Library to see the exhibition that is on there and, whilst she's there, start research on Dr Angus Mc.Dowell. Who is he? Her 4th Gt.Grandfather.

The British Library hold most of the records of the East India Company, of which he was a surgeon, and they have got the original contract that he signed in the 1700's when he joined them. She knows he wasn't at Edinburgh Medical School as they, very sweetly, searched their records way back into the 1600's. But the BL (British Library) will have his details, so off she must go.

Now what she WILL not miss, this is for sure, is the FREE exhibition at the BL that is on until April 17th, 2016 on Lewis Carroll (not his real name) and his marvellous book 'Alice in Wonderland'.

Yes, they have the original manuscript and illustrations and this is why she is very willing to give the BL and the V&A, her tuppence happeny each year which goes to fund purchases like this. For imagine if it had been bought by a private collector and disappeared 'underground' forever.. those of you in the 'know' will appreciate my choice and usage of that word.

And talking of originals and the such like, she meets twice a month a charming pair of Rumanians, she is a baker and bakes very, very delicious cakes. They are next door to Debbie Goaty Mum at Parson's Green Farmer's Market.

She cannot quite recall the sequence of events.. oh yes, she can she says.. it was when she asked then what happened to the cakes that were left over and the husband said, with a dead pan face, "what do you think we live on during the week?" and in a flash, she said "do you know the stories of Beatrix Potter?"

The answer was no, so she told them the story of Ginger & Pickles, Ginger being a cat and Pickles, a Fox terrier dog and how they ran a villge store but allowed too many people credit and ended up broke and eating their own produce. Both of their faces lit up with joy at such a silly tale and she thought to herself.. an eBay book is needed to complete these people's neglected education!

Yesterday they were there, she told Debbie abut the death of Sir Terry Wogan and explained to Elena and her husband who he was, Debbie said "Part of my childhood".. we forget she's the same age as BUB and much younger than my mum..

They explained what it was like growing up in Rumania under the Communists with no BBC World Service.. no BBC2 or even BBC1! Let alone Radio Caroline! Do YOU remember Radio Caroline? She does, she remembers listening with Constance to their first-ever radio broadcast.. LONG time ago.. in March 1964.. that's almost fifty two years ago!

Lordy.. where have time and the years gone?

She read an usual 'small' book last night.. by an English author called Diana Athill, it is called 'SOMEWHERE TOWARDS THE END'. We use the word 'small' because it is not a big, as in long book with lots of pages, but it carries a BIG punch. We recommend you read it, it was published by Granta in 2008. ISBN 978-1-86207-984-7.

She's got to go.. she has to confirm what time she's supposed to be at the hospital and also has to get herself onto those scales, the lovely Rumanians gave her a BIG slice of Carrot cake yesterday and somehow it made itself home yesterday intact, in fact, it's still intact but she's going to take it with her to group, weigh in, then eat it!

I tell you.. some mothers' do 'ave 'em. Do you know people who are as cunning as she! Or as mad!

GeeGee Parrot.
February 1st, 2016.
PostScript: We completely forgot to say 'White Rabbits' on New Year's Day, did you but I do hope you've said it today. It should be said before midday, on the first of each month that has an R in it.. a bit like eating Native Oysters in season.

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