A good day, although I have been desperately feeble. Many deliveries, and I’m still waiting for some cat litter. It has turned colder, but it was the right kind of cold, bright and crisp like football weather. American football weather. Helen came early, and we got around the garden.

 

I decided that the size of the Evandoon was probably about right, and have progressed to the final ribbing. I find, to my considerable embarrassment, that I am not absolutely sure which size I am knitting (there are lots). I  must be losing my grip. I suppose I could find out by counting the stitches. 

Podcasts really are the best thing since sliced bread, for knitters – and we now have an entertaining columnist in the Times who writes about them once a week. I’ve listened to Americast today  -- Jon Sopel claims to be in the “Crown”, as himself – how is that possible? He’s the wrong date. But they said it so often, with much laughter, that it must be true. And I watched some of Sit and Knit a Bit with Arne and Carlos. It is pleasantly tedious, I find.

 

The Times columnist has put me on to “Waldy and Bendy” – two art historians talking. The latest episode had a segment about the five worst public statues in Britain. I’ve never seen any of the ones mentioned, but goodness! they sounded awful. They have a segment at the end where each chooses (in imagination) a work of art they would like to live with while lockdown continues. My husband and I used to play a game like that when we went to exhibitions – which one would we like to take home? Waldy and Bendy keep choosing recondite modern artists I’ve never heard of. Like a shot, amongst all the art I've ever seen, I’d go for Titian’s Clarissa Strozzi:

 

We saw her in London once. 

 

Allison, thank you for finishing off the pursuit of Cameron Strike in the “Crown”. (Comment, Tuesday) Ah, but who is Dazzle Jennings? And in which episode does he appear? I’ll leave that for you to find out.

 

Thank you for interesting comments about Kindle-reading and forgetfulness. I read everything on my Kindle now, except for knitting books and cookery. Mary Lou and weavinfool, I think you may be right that part of the problem is being deprived of the memory of the physical book, and your remark, Tamar, about the recent study of students’ retention (and non-retention) of books thus read is most interesting. I will tell my friend Sylvia, who sometimes drops in here.

 

Thank you, too, for the information about sunrise in New Jersey. The opening shot of Queer Joe's episode 11, in which he is said to be getting up between 5 and 6, with light in the window behind the bed – was staged! I left a comment yesterday, and he has confessed that the picture was taken at about 7:30.