Today is Alistair's A-Level day, as I
thought. He hopes to do computer science at Glasgow University, my
own alma mater, or one of them. No news yet.
Alexander agrees with you,
JeanfromCornwall,
that my mysterious plant isn't knotweed. He says that knotweed has
pretty well finished growing for '14 so it was hard for him to find
anything like a young shoot to compare, but he doesn't think the leaf
shape is right. He suggests an alder, an idea my husband pooh-pooh's.
It must, if not knotweed, be a little tree of some sort, however. We
will nurture it carefully. We like trees.
Thank you for the birthday wishes (and
more on Facebook). My dears, BRANDON MABLY wished me Happy Birthday!
Now I'm 81. It's just like being 51, inside, but one is weaker,
weaker. I'm also two years older than my husband's sister got to be.
She died of cancer in March, 2011. All through our long acquaintance,
she was two years older than I was and now the position is reversed
and it seems odd.
I got my replies to the wedding
invitation written, both formal and informal. Mary
Lou, I nearly added the words “There'll always be an England”
yesterday when I mentioned the 5:30 wedding breakfast, but then I
wondered if enough of you were hardened old-time New Yorker readers
to understand. It's obviously a throwback to the Old Days,
religiously, when bride and groom and wedding party would have had to
be fasting in order to receive communion at the wedding Mass. Some
prompt food at the party would have been essential.
And, thinking it through, I decided to
eschew this one, although it's a shame to miss the speeches. If my husband can be persuaded to go, we have promised him
he doesn't have to eat in public. His hands are swollen with
rheumatism and he is clumsy. He can skulk in his room and be brought
delicious tidbits. So it seemed easiest -- certainly for the organisers -- if I planned to leave at that
point myself, if I am alone, and head for the station.
Knitting
I picked up the stitches from the top
of the Rams & Yowes centre, the cast-off edge. It was tough going
and I stopped when I got to the corner. It was sufficiently tough
that I think it would be prudent to count stitches, top and bottom,
before I go on, just to see how close I got. If all is well, I should
finish the picking up today. The new needle, 150cm long, is a great
help.
And I did a little more Unst Bridal
Shawl edging. The dental appt was so promptly kept and so brief that
not much was achieved there.
Today is a pick-up-pills-at-Boots day.
I think I will allow myself the new Rowan book, at least I will if
there is something better inside than that alarming cover picture.
There are some good links in the Knitty
Blog – news of the Glasgow University Knitter-in-Residence; the
huge Abertiefi Cardigan; and a race between a sheep and a cyclist.
Breaking news: Alistair got his place at Glasgow!
Breaking news: Alistair got his place at Glasgow!
Belated Happy Birthday wishes from Downunder - is it really a year since your 80th? It seems much less.
ReplyDeleteAnd very pleased to hear the exam results landed Alistair a place.
Ditto!
DeleteBelated birthday wishes to you, and congratulations to Alistair. It's always a relief when hard work pays off with the desired result.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday and congratulations to Alistair.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes for a very happy birthday!
ReplyDeleteI hope all of the grandchildren's exam results meet their goals.
LisaRR
Happy Birthday - I am now two years older than my mother ever was, and it feels strange. After I wrote my comment, I thought about my parents wedding and breakfast then party back at the house because of needing to fast before communion. These days the 5:30 the next morning might be more likely! And Brandon Mably is a fanboy? Cool.
ReplyDeleteMore belated birthday wishes to you, Jean, from Western New York. And heartiest congratulations to Alistair!
ReplyDeleteA very happy birthday to you, Jean. The years fly by all too quickly. And to Alistair - congratulations. A young man I taught here in Mexico is doing graduate work at that university.
ReplyDeleteRon in Mexico
Belated Happy Birthday to EWE.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday! And congratulations Alister!
ReplyDeleteIt is odd getting older than someone who was older than you, I feel that way about my friend Amy, I'm now 4 years older than she ever was, despite being born 18 months after her.
Another belated happy birthday to you, and congratulations to Alistair!
ReplyDelete-- stashdragon
happy birthday! Goodness - that year has flown by! And I hope Alistair got his grades :)
ReplyDeleteMany Happy Returns of your Birthday Jean.
ReplyDeleteTry a parthenocarpic courgette next year - no males required! I've had success this year with Parthenon which I got from D. T. Brown.