Wednesday, December 30, 2020

 

I’m feeling a bit low, and apprehensive about the year to come. Perhaps because of having missed my walk again – it was judged too slippery.

 

However, I have knit on, past the corners of the hap-centre. And have baked my sourdough, which came out all right. I kept some for myself this time. It’s good, but not as stunningly wonderful as I half-expected. Helen cut the loaf, when she was briefly here to tell me I didn't have to go for a walk, and gave some to Daniela, who said "olEEgo olEEgo" (="Just a bit"). Alcibiades, had he been there, would have understood it, as I did, although neither of us speaks modern Greek.


I don't think Latin turns up in Italian quite so often, although, wonderfully, "Salve!" is still used as a greeting.

 

James’ wife Cathy has got Covid – classic symptoms, and a positive test after two negative ones. She’s asthmatic. James – so far symptom-free – is a Type 1 diabetic. The NHS threatens to be overwhelmed with this new, fast-spreading variant. There’s plenty to feel low about. But we’re about to start using the Oxford/Astra-Zeneca vaccine – that’s good news. Much cheaper, much easier to store.

 

Reading

 

I’ve finished Roy Strong’s diaries, 1998-2003 or thereabouts, The next volume is very expensive, even in Kindle form, so it’ll have to wait.

 

I’ve got going with Rachel Ray. She’ll keep me for a while. Shandy, you say that Orley Farm is on the radio. Where? Radio 4 had an hour-long programme about pantomime at 3 this afternoon. Kirsten, I’m delighted to have your recommendation for “Crampton Hodnett”.

 

Other

 

Chloe and Mary Lou: I have no idea where George Blake got the knitting needles for his rope ladder. It would have needed a lot of them, assuming the walls of Wormwood Scrubbs (wonderful name) are of a reasonable height. It is a detail frequently mentioned – i.e., copied from one to another – in accounts of his escape. It implies a custom-made rope ladder, not just one you would pick up off the shelf of a rope-ladder shop.

19 comments:

  1. I empathise with your apprehension Jean, I find it difficult to imagine who might be ready to bound into 2021. However, from Australia, on NYE, I would like to thank you for your daily posts, updates on your family and walks and sourdough and reading and italian classes and exercises and journeys to various stores and your cats and of course knitting - reading your posts are one of the first things I do each day, they've been a comforting constant throughout the year. I wish a much more 'precedented' year - take care, and happy new year x

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  2. Wormwood Scrubs is just south of the westbound railway out from Paddington. It was always the routine when travelling from Penzance up to London that one looked out for the prison, and when you passed it you got your suitcase down from the rack.

    My hopes and prayers are with your beloved family - these are horrible times.

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  3. Anonymous1:29 AM

    That is very scary news about your daughter-in-law. Best wishes for a good recovery without long-lasting effects - and that your son manages to avoid becoming ill.
    The hap knitting sounds like it will be very comforting to work on in the coming weeks.

    I echo some of the other readers who mentioned how much they enjoy and appreciate your posts! I know it's not easy to post so frequently but please keep posting if you can. You feel nothing is happening - but we enjoy just seeing a photo of the Aga or whatever lovely object you are knitting.

    Your spring will be there soon (we have a long wait in Ontario).

    Please keep very well,
    Lisa RR

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  4. Love your posts, read them every day. Enjoy hearing about your walks, kitties, family, reading, Italian lessons, and of course, your knitting.

    Apparently, there were a number of years worse than 2020--1348, 1918, 1967 and a few others. I believe this was according to the NYT. Connie Willis wrote an excellent (fiction) book about 1348 called "The Doomsday Book". It does involve some time travel, but one gets some feeling of the hopelessness of the plague. Highly recommended, especially the Audible version.

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  5. "Orley Farm" was on Radio 4 Extra at 3pm on 28th,29th and 30th Dec. It is available on BBC Sounds. i just googles Radio $ Extra and it gave me the schedule for the week.

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  6. Anonymous11:00 AM

    Rope ladder store...thank you for my morning chuckle, Jean. So sorry to hear about your daughter-in-law and by extension, your son. I hope they are getting the best medical care. So much depends on that, I think. Along those lines, I wonder if the Olympic athletes will be prioritized for vaccinations. Maybe we all should start training for track and field. Chloe

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  7. Anonymous11:05 AM

    Rope ladder store...thank you for my morning chuckle, Jean. So sorry to hear about your daughter-in-law and by extension, your son. I hope they are getting the best medical care. So much depends on that, I think. Along those lines, I wonder if the Olympic athletes will be prioritized for vaccinations. Maybe we all should start training for track and field. Chloe

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  8. I hope the weather allows you out for a walk. It does lift the spirits, at least mine. I had a lovely Zoom chat with knitting friends yesterday and when it was done discovered I had worked the wrong chart in Brindabella and had to rip several hours worth of kntting out. I used to like to bring those kinds of ripping out projects to my class so my knitting students could see that we all make mistakes! I baked a Swedish Visiting Cake from the NYTimes, supposedly such a quick cake that the woman it came from said her mother would start it when she heard a car in the drive. It took me a bit longer than that, but quite quick and very nice with a cup of tea.

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    Replies
    1. Mary Lou, thanks for the reminder about this cake - a neighbour turns 95 tomorrow, and this will be her birthday cake! (With lots left for us, as she eats very little and will only accept half a cake.)

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  9. =Tamar2:14 PM

    I'm sorry to hear about your daughter-in-law. Best wishes for recovery. Perhaps in lieu of outdoor walking you could take a few extra turns around the flat. I am trying to walk around a bit more here.
    I used to make rope ladders. My brother's bedroom window overlooked a dip in the landscape so it was three storeys high. My mother gave me the rope and instructions from a Boy Scout magazine and told me to make a fire escape ladder. It had to be replaced occasionally as the rope aged. It didn't use knitting needles, just a way of tying the rope to make steps wide enough for a single foot.

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  10. I hope your D in L and son are doing better. My brother and his wife got it. She has a chronic lung condition and we were really frightened but it was mild in both cases.

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    Replies
    1. I am encouraged to hear that your brother's wife had a mild case of covid - I am becoming more anxious about covid because of my own lung condition, so it is heartening to hear good news.

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    2. Kirsten their MD had the. On D3 since summer, it is supposed to help.

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  11. I went for a walk today - thought I would go out of our back gate and down the bank through our overgrown laurel hedge and walk along the cycle track, but the track was an impassable sea of mud. Then I couldn't find my way back through the laurels to the gate; I felt it would be too undignified to call my husband for help on my mobile phone, even though I could see our door through the hedge! So I got down on my hands and knees and managed to crawl through the bushes and find the gate. Felt exultant at having rescued myself (and very silly for having got into the predicament!) Now wearing clean trousers and consoling myself with a cup of tea and pretending it never happened!

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  12. Wishing you a healthy new year. I enjoy reading your missives first thing in the morning here in California.

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  13. I would like to echo Tamar's suggestion of a few turns about the flat. It puts me in mind of Jane Austen's young ladies taking turns in the drawing room.

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    Replies
    1. It strikes me that your flat might be round about the right age for a turn around the drawing room as described by Jane Austen.

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  14. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/12/22/nancy-olivieri-how-john-le-carr-changed-my-life.html

    Here is an link ( although it doesn’t look like it is active) to an article by a doctor here in Toronto who had a run in with big pharma and how she became friends with John Le Carr.
    I thought it might interest you.
    Stay safe and keep on knitting.

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  15. Anonymous4:50 PM

    Really hoping Cathy is soon well and James never gets it.

    Wondering what was lacking in your sourdough bread? It is usually so delicious!

    Beverly in NJ

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