That was a most
invigorating rugby match, last night. Scotland won by a whisker, in the final
seconds.
Today is the 150th
anniversary of the first ever international rugby match. It was Scotland v.
England, played very near the spot where I am sitting. We won that one, too.
Princess Anne is patron of Scottish rugby (a very dutiful and supportive patron).
She has made a little video about the anniversary, which I am sure you could
find on the SRU website. She refers to Scotland’s victory at Twickenham this
year, and allows herself a very small Princess-Anne-y smile as she does so. The
Calcutta Cup itself isn’t mentioned. Wikipedia says that it was first awarded
in 1879, eight years later.
Last night’s match
was against France, which is always fun. We learned to sing the Marseillaise at
Hampton Elementary School in Detroit during the war, and I always enjoy singing
it silently along with the French team at the beginning. It’s complicated, and there are passages of which I still don’t know the meaning. I have tried to
teach myself the Scottish anthem “Flower of Scotland” but find that it doesn’t
stick. Essentially, it’s the speech of Macbeth’s which opens Act V, Scene 5. (“Were
they not forced with those that should be ours/ We might have met them dareful,
beard to beard/ And beat them backward home.”)
C. came this
morning, I did my new up-and-down-the-steps thing. We got once around the
garden. 2230 steps.
But still no
knitting. I must pull myself together.
I had a good
Italian lesson this morning. The weather is a bit cooler in Rome, too.
Reading
I have turned to “Wives
and Daughters”, finding that there is nowt so soothing as Mrs Gaskell.
Comments
Thank you for the
scam alert yesterday, Helen(anon). Rachel’s husband Ed got caught by that one a
few days ago. He didn’t transfer his life’s savings, but he did give them his bank
details which they then made use of.
Peggy (comment
Wednesday), Toast clothes are indeed preposterously expensive – but they are
very well made, and they last. I have two cotton skirts which I wear all the
time, and wash constantly because I am always dropping food on myself. They stand
up to it brilliantly.
There is a wonderful film version of "Wives and Daughters" - all the actors are their younger selves of course. It is on You tube.
ReplyDeleteWives and Daughters is my favorite of her novels. I too found re-reading Gaskell to be particularly steadying during these sad times. I chose to read the novels in the order of writing, which shows the author going from strength to strength. See if you can find collections of her short stories as well - published by Oxford or Penguin or perhaps some other house - interesting and worthwhile. I found them in my local library system.
ReplyDelete-- Gretchen (aka stashdragon)
scammers use many forms. I got one this morning claiming to be a receipt for a purchase made ten minutes previously, at a store five miles away that I haven't used for at least two years. I haven't even left the house for days. It was full of clickbait ("coupon", "survey", etc) - most likely to download malware as well as trying to collect my information.
ReplyDeleteBe wary!
Jean, you're tempting me to wander over to the Toast website. Perhaps when shipping times from the UK improve I might splurge! Re: scammers, I saw a terrifying movie "I Care a Lot"--would not recommend to anyone of retirement age or approaching retirement age.
ReplyDelete