A Nice Day Out

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Last Monday my friend M and I enjoyed a day out in Covent Garden. It was a day trip with our favourite coach company. Picked up near home, dropped off in the  theatre district and collected from there 5 hours later.

We had a lovely time browsing around all the lovely shops then lunch, and glorious weather was an added bonus.

oOo

I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Paul O'Grady, I was a huge fan. He will be sorely missed, not least of all by the staff at Battersea Dog's Home where he was a much loved ambassador who helped raise the profile of Battersea to millions around the world through the hugely popular ITV series 'Paul O'Grady For The Love of Dogs'.

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

A Very Good Read

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

In the 1580’s a couple living in Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. The boy Hamnet died aged eleven. Four years or so later, the father wrote a play called Hamlet.

The story starts on a summer’s day in 1596. A young girl takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home?

Their mother Agnes, is over a mile away tending her garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of their children will not survive the week.

This beautifully written novel, almost poetic in places, is inspired by the son of a famous playwright. The playwright is never mentioned by name, just referred to as husband, father, brother or son. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief.

It is also the story of a kestrel and its mistress; a flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; and a glovemaker’s son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is the tender reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.

∼ Happy Reading∼ 

Polly x

Mother's Day

 Happy Mother's Day 

to all the wonderful, loving, caring Mums

My daughter and I are being taken out to lunch to Cosy Club. My daughter took me there for my birthday a couple of years ago. It's a lovely place, a combination of art deco with a feel of Cuba. Last time we went they did a fabulous cherry bakewell cocktail, I hope it's still on the menu 😋 

My lovely daughter and son-in-law have bought me a Kindle.

∼ Be safe and well ∼

Polly x

St Patrick's Day

 

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Born in Wales somewhere around AD 385 Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. It's thought he was carried off by pirates and spent six years in slavery before escaping and training as a missionary.
The most famous story about Saint Patrick is him driving the snakes from Ireland. He died on 17th March in AD 461 and this day has since been commemorated as St. Patrick’s Day.

I often wonder how much fact is in such stories, and how much is elaborated for a good story as they get passed down through generations.

∼ Be warm and well∼

    Polly x

Thoughts On A Chromebook

I see Rufus got his paws on the chromebook, telling everyone that I eat too much chocolate!

I've been using my chromebook for 5 months now, and, like many things in life it depends what you want to achieve. It's good for most things I want to do.

I can:

Edit and publish my blog posts

Buy items online

Play games online

Access Netflix and most TV stations

It's neat, compact and lightweight with a good size screen and a fast processor. 

There are a couple of negatives:

I create quite a few documents, Google documents aren't as easy to use as windows, sometimes it's very frustrating.

Once something is deleted it's gone, no changing your mind, it doesn't have a recycle bin.

Overall I'm happy with it, but if I buy a new one in the next few years I will buy a laptop.

∼ Be warm and well∼

    Polly x

Rufus' Diary

Hello dear reader, Rufus here, I hope you are well. I don't have much news.

   

We've had some frosty mornings followed by beautiful sunny days.

We saw this on one of our walks, someone had put it on top of the fence.

Polly thinks it's a skull but she doesn't know what animal it was.

Pretty spring flowers are blooming, hopefully heralding some slightly warmer weather, and let me tell you dear reader it can't come soon enough, Polly is morose and lethargic, I recently heard her say all she wants to do is eat chocolate and watch Netflix!! She does go out with friends for lunch or coffee though, she's working on the dolls house, and she's made a start on tidying the garden. So she's making an effort to get off the sofa 😀

   Be warm and well     

Rufus 🐾

St David's Day

Happy St David's Day

St David is the patron saint of Wales. He was born in the year 500, the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, King of Ceredigion. According to legend, his mother St Non gave birth to him on a Pembrokeshire clifftop during a fierce storm. The spot is marked by the ruins of Non's Chapel, and a nearby holy well is said to have healing powers.

St David became a renowned preacher founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Brittany and southwest England – including, possibly, the abbey at Glastonbury. He reputedly made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, from which he brought back a stone that now sits in an altar at St David's Cathedral, built on the site of his original monastery.

St David died on the 1st March 589 and was buried at the site of St David's Cathedral, where his shrine was a popular place of pilgrimage throughout the Middle Ages. His last words to his followers came from a sermon he gave on the previous Sunday ‘Be joyful, keep the faith, and do the little things that you have heard and seen me do.’ The phrase ‘Gwnewch y pethau bychain mewn bywyd’ - ‘Do the little things in life’ - is still a well-known maxim in Wales.

   Be warm and well     

Polly x