Tuesday, September 22, 2020

 

I had a lovely time in Waitrose this morning, except that I didn’t much enjoy mask-wearing for that length of time. I felt claustrophobic and my glasses steamed up so that I couldn’t read labels on the top shelf. Archie did all the heavy lifting and then we came home to a delicious lunch, a favourite of both, a Nigella Lawson warm salad involving lamb fillet which my excellent local butcher doesn’t sell in that form although I dare say he could produce it if asked.

 

And its just as well we got that done, because from today we have been forbidden to ride about in each other’s cars. I don’t know how the new semi-clamp down will affect either Rachel and Ed’s visit scheduled for next week (visiting each other’s houses is forbidden in Scotland but not in England) and my cruise now only about three weeks away.

 

Our Leader is going to address us soon.

 

Knitting

 

I decided that there was no avoiding the trying on of the EPS sweater. And I’ve done it. The sting in the tail, of course, is getting the stitches back on the needle. I’ve done that too. I think I could have managed the whole job by threading half the stitches on to a second circular needle.

 

The problem was that I still haven’t decreased down to 40% of K, but the faux raglan seams are 10” long and I think I read somewhere that that’s as long as you want to get. However, all seems well. The neck is, indeed, too low and too big, but I don’t see any reason why another inch will do any harm. The yarn is heavenly on the skin. I have forgotten its composition, although I remember that Ginger Twist (local indie LYS) no longer offers it.

 

Reading

 

Again, thanks for suggestions.

 

I’m tempted by an omnium gatherum biography of the Mitford sisters, suggested by Amazon. The collection of letters which I am reading is sort of low on event. I’ve now passed the point of Nancy’s death and I fear that things may fall apart without her.

 

I have on my own shelf a volume of her correspondence with Evelyn Waugh. Maybe I should go on to that. Have I read it? In the end, I finished re-reading “The Loved One”. The second half is funnier and less savage than the first. It’s dedicated to Nancy Mitford.

 

 

7 comments:

  1. Re glasses steaming up while wearing a mask, lift your glasses up, pinch the mask tight over your nose, then lower the specs so that they rest over the mask. Your out-breath should go out the side of the mask and not steam up the lenses. Glad you had an outing today.

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  2. I feel for you Jean. Here in Melbourne, we’ve been locked down for six weeks. Restrictions will ease very slightly this weekend but continue for another four weeks. Daily cases have dropped from over 700 to less than 40 (Monday was the lowest at 11).

    Go to www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus for details.

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  3. I have ordered Love in a Cold Climate

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  4. Re Melinda's comment, If you pull your glasses a tiny bit further down your nose than usual, that helps too. Here we must wear a mask in public transport. We are also going into a new peak and restrictions are stricter again.

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  5. Anonymous11:07 AM

    My American mother was an Anglophile (we read all the Agatha Christie books, among others) and was intrigued and amused by Nancy, her contemporary. (Downplayed Unity for obvious reasons). So fun to hear you discussing her books, Jean. I echo MelindaJ's FYI. Makes a big difference. Easy to forget at first. So many other things to think about during an outing. Hence my repetition. Chloe

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  6. I recently got new lenses in my glasses, and the optician gave me some anti-fog solution that is supposed to work even on lenses with AR coating. I'll report back!

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  7. Anonymous2:34 PM

    Jean, Good advice to avoid steaming your glasses. I use that method myself - but it has its own downfall... went to the doctor and by the time I was called in to the office, I was slightly dizzy. The nurses made me sit in the first office while they decided I was dehydrated. We got home and the test results call said I was fine and "maybe" breathing my own masked air isn't what I want to be doing. In this here world of Corona virus, it is just a dizzy time. stay steady, and be well. Paulette

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