Saturday, January 09, 2021

 

All well, I suppose. Plenty of walking today – Archie came, and we got around the garden. It was very cold, but there wasn’t much ice. 2393 steps at present – this will be the best day yet. Anxiety and gloom still tend to gather at the end of the afternoon, as darkness comes. 

 

And the knitting advances, too. I’ve reached the 18th border round, of 50.

 

Kate Davies’ message today consisted of wonderful photographs of her walking in the cold. She lives more or less at the foot of Loch Lomond.

 

Two of my favourite sources of punditry (the Financial Times and the BBC podcast “Americast”) have said that Trump’s final video about Wednesday’s events was like a hostage video, and so it was. But who could have made him do it?

 

I had another pleasant Italian lesson. It sounds as if, just for the moment, Italy is doing better with COVID-19 than we are. The situation in London is terrifying. Scotland is somewhat better off. The Queen and Prince Philip have been vaccinated.

 

I haven’t committed to a new read yet. “Housekeeping” sounds too glum, despite your two recommendations. I wonder if I could find an Inspector Wexford I haven’t read. There’s always “The Speaker of Mandarin” which I have been avoiding. I’ve ordered Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s new book, but that doesn’t count. Recipes and life-advice.

8 comments:

  1. My household is convinced Trump was essentially blackmailed into making the video with threat of the vice president and others invoking the 25th Amendment and removing him from office if he didn't stop all of his seditious statements. It was obviously written by someone else, and he didn't go off-speech once. Of course the WH is just down the street from Madame Tussaud's DC location...

    Have you ever read Louise Penny? She's a Canadian mystery writer that I find incredibly calming, despite being murder-mysteries. I've recently read about another mystery writer, Amanda Cross, that sounds interesting but haven't been able to find many copies of her books in the local library system to try out.

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    1. I love Louise Penny. Especially the first 10 or so audio books. Love the person reading's accent. One of my favorite series.

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    2. I LOVE Louise Penny's Armand Gamache. Start at the beginning of the series. Still Life.

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  2. Hey, Jean - did you not say you were up for "Barchester Towers"? Although Volume Three is a bit random, the earlier chapters are really worth a re-read. Then we could discuss his attitudes to women. And no violence to take you by surprise..

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  3. I gather Trump was convinced to make that video after White House counsel (probably rather pointedly) explained the possibility of prosecution). I've not watched it, nor do I intend to do so.

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  4. I like the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffths. Despite being murder mysteries, they are greatly comforting in these weird times.

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    1. Anonymous2:02 PM

      Yes, I love Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway books and also Louise Penny. Time for a re-read binge, methnks!
      JennyS

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  5. I've just ordered 'One Woman's Year' by Stella Martin Currey. It seems to be a sort of Commonplace book - it was the woodcut illustrations that decided me. I like having an on-going book that runs with the year. Still haven't started the Hare with Amber Eyes. I'm wearing a fleece cardigan with zip pockets that I can keep my phone in to see what my step count gets to - I had forgotten about that app until you mentioned it.
    We have little flowers made of ice on our salvias; they look like small down feathers caught on the stems. I'll post pictures on my blog.

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