Saturday, January 18, 2020


The yarn has pulled that familiar stunt when it seems to be at death’s door and then discovers the secret of Eternal Youth. I am three scallops past the second corner, in my edging of Gudrun’s “Hansel” shawl, and probably have enough yarn in the first ball for a fourth. So I’ve got plenty of blue yarn. It would have been sad to have to order a third ball for the sake of a few yards.

The knitting went better today. It really does need my full attention. What about the Andrew Marr show tomorrow morning, a feature of my Sundays? I can always revert to the Dathan.

Cam (comment, Jan 15), you have sold us all on the idea of a jumper board. Jamieson and Smith? But it doesn’t solve my problem, of knitting for great-grandchildren.

Non-knit

James’ wife Cathy’s father has had a fall – James told me when he rang up about Kirsty’s Oxford place. That’s what we all dread at this stage of life – falling. He’s making a good recovery. My sister phoned this afternoon to say that her husband Roger – the youngest family member of my generation – has had some sudden, serious internal bleeding. He, too, is home from hospital and recovering. But oh! how precarious the whole structure is, at our age.

My sister also told me about the “Whole30” diet. I had never heard of it. I looked it up on Google – sure enough, there’s lots. But it’s not for me – no soy sauce!

Southern Gal, I’m a Sayers fan too. Inspired by you, I got “Nine Tailors” for my iPad today. (Special offer at Amazon: 99p.)  I don’t think I’ve re-read that since my youth. The death of the dead man is so uniquely dreadful that I haven’t wanted to think about it again. The book itself is, I believe, a well-regarded primer on bell-ringing which is a most interesting subject.

I can recommend Trollope for avoiding (on the whole) angst and violence. Start with Barchester Towers. I agree with you about the delights of re-reading when you know every turn and twist of the road ahead. I can remember, though, my fury – during my first delighted and astonished reading of “Mansfield Park” – when a footnote in the Penguin edition casually gave away a major plot twist well in advance.

5 comments:

  1. =Tamar10:00 PM

    Somewhere I recall reading that the death in The Nine Tailors is unlikely, and that the belief in it was a way to warn kids to stay out of the bell towers. Like Jenny Greenteeth being a warning about swampy ponds.

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  2. If you are looking for an engaging read, what about "The Giver of Stars" by Jojo Moyes? It's not great literature but it is about the Packhorse librarians in Kentucky in the 30s. All sorts of things you could say about it - sensational, overly sentimental etc etc, but I really enjoyed it.

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  3. I do like Sayers, and bought a few for the kindle at a good price a few years ago, but not the Nine Tailors. Off to look for that. And Shandy, as a horse lover, I’m going to look for Giver of Stars, thanks for the tip!

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  4. Have just downloaded 9 Tailors for 99p - too good to miss! I've never done church bell ringing, nut I used to be a member of a handbell consort. They took it very seriously. We didn't do change ringing (like churches) but arrangements-The Light Cavalry was our star piece. Hectic work keeping up.

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  5. Love Sayers - both for her literary efforts in the mystery realm (and more importantly elsewhere) but also in the Xian realm. My favorite of her Lord Peter Wimsey novels is Gaudy Night. Don't judge:)! FWIW I just came home from NYC after VKLive! and have had an amazing time there and seeing Aaron Sorkin's version of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

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