Odds and Ends

Old friends are coming to lunch today, so I will eschew photography. She is a former Latin-teaching colleague of mine, he a scientist retired from Aston University. They married a couple of years ago, widow to widower, and you can see the shawl I knit for Jenny on my website: http://www.jeanmile.demon.co.uk/jenshawl.htm

I was delighted that nephew Theo -- he of the Koigu sweater -- contributed a comment here yesterday, defending GWB for not going to Washington on 9/11 as it was essentially a decision of the secret service. From here, I think Bush should have realised that on that exceptional day, it was his duty as Commander in Chief to override the secret service. It isn't a matter of high intellect -- I think Reagan would have got it right.

Until this week, the worst London tube disaster ever (I think) was at Moorgate station in 1975 when a driver committed suicide (I am sure) by driving a train at full tilt into the buffer-less wall at the end of the station. I just Googled it up, and was surprised to learn that the number of dead was less than this week's dreadful total. There were similar reports, in the days afterwards, of the emergency services working in the tunnel in dreadful heat to get all the bodies out.

Knitting

I'm working on Repeat #25 of the Princess shawl. I'm making a real effort now to learn the pattern -- not just to memorise it, but to learn it. I'm making some progress, I think. Perhaps by the time I reach the half-way point...

And the first sleeve of the striped Koigu is getting on nicely. Photograph of it, and of my doorstep lettuce, very soon.