Wednesday, May 26, 2021

 

All well, although panic increases. Even list-making doesn’t help, because by now the lists look long (although each separate item is in fact simple). I haven’t yet seen the girl next door, whom I don’t really know – I need to introduce her to the cats and give her a key. I think I’ll feel better when that conversation has been done. I allowed myself not to walk again today, which was probably a mistake. 738 steps. Oh dear oh dear. Archie is coming tomorrow – there will be no escape. And I did fill out and return a form to the Majestic line attesting that C. and I are in robust health. That’s one thing to cross off the list.

 

The charger problem is more mysterious than that, Tamar. (comment, yesterday) The telephone was happy to charge on the bedroom charger; the iPad charged fine on the kitchen one. Which charger to take along?

 

Mary Lou, (another comment yesterday) – you would benefit mankind if you demonstrated how to get stitches from one needle onto four. I didn’t do much knitting today, just sat there stewing in my panic, but I did advance the ribbing somewhat, on the second Pairfect sock.

 

And finished the first Cazalet book and started the second – WWII has been declared. The author is good on how huge events like that intertwine with daily life. The nearest comparison for me, I think, would be the week of the Cuban Missile Crisis, two months before Helen was born. We had nowhere to run to – Kirkmichael came later. My mother (I may well have said this before) was in Dallas that week, and hardly noticed, indeed confused it later on with the Bay of Pigs. Her own mother was near death at the time; that may have been why. Or Texas may have been so big and so far away that the danger didn’t seem as terrible and immediate there as it did to the rest of us.


It was November, of course; not a cheerful month at the best of times. I remember waking up and hearing the milkman's dear horse in the street and knowing that the world hadn't, at least, hurled itself into catastrophe for one more night.

 

 

11 comments:

  1. Jean - I think we are leading parallel lives, in our reading at least. When I finished Cazalet 1 I could hardly wait for Cazalet 2 to arrive in the post. Time passed - in desperation I started Mary Kingsleys Travels in West Africa. Eventually Cazalet 2 arrived and I am more than half way through. (And I have Cazalet 3 in hand). Hope you can get your travel panic under control and shut your front door and have a wonderful trip.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Taking your regular walk will certainly help with your anxiety - it does for me at any rate. I loved those Cazalet books. Amazing how so autobiographical some of the characters and storylines are. I am still deep in the Mitfords. Their letters , edited by a daughter-in-law were a fascinating read. Then, there was Max Mosley's obit in The Times...

    ReplyDelete
  3. It often happens to me that I get very anxious before a holiday to the point that I think I would rather stay put. I am always proven wrong afterwards and glad to have gone. That even happens without fail before my annual trips to Thessaloniki (where I grew up - now postponed since 2019, and no doubt the anxiety will return heightened!) I hope it is the same for you and the stress goes away once you board. I don't often comment and so take this with the caution it deserves, but I'd be happy to drop in on P & P if the plan with your neighbour falls through - I'm only a short walk away in the west end. Anna

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am relieved to hear I am not the only one who becomes so anxious before a trip. Lists help and once I am on my way I wonder why the anxiety. Only once was my anxiety justified. I had to make an emergency trip and was unable to reach my cat sitter. All worked out but I hope it never happens again.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think the anxiety you are feeling is natural, especially without having been away at all for so long. I don’t feel in a hurry to travel very far at all. I’m sure all will be well when I do. I’ll see what I can put together for the DPN plan!

    ReplyDelete
  6. =Tamar3:59 AM

    When sliding the stitches onto the dpns, I have the entire arrangement laid flat on a tabletop. The needle tips are lifted only just as much as needed to slide the stitches. Then the double check for the arrangement (so no twisting), and for the stitch count. The first stitch or two is done the same way, with the needles lying on the tabletop. The first round or two is done with the needles barely lifted.

    When I used to travel more, I always kept my suitcase packed, with spare toothbrush and so on, so I could theoretically just grab and go. Of course as the day drew near I would remove 'just good enough' clothing and put in specific items for the specific journey, but if I somehow forgot, all the important items were there. Actually, my suitcase is still kept packed, just in case.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How I envy you your milkman's horse!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous10:16 AM

    Chargers can certainly be pesky. Since your luggage will remain on the boat (I'm assuming) maybe you can take both. Perhaps one in your suitcase and one in your purse. Then you are covered. Chloe

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10:44 AM

    I tend to scour the Internet for tutorials, never relying on just one, so I am looking forward to seeing yours, Mary Lou. I hope you will do it. Chloe

    ReplyDelete
  10. Courage Jean et Bon Voyage! Marcella

    ReplyDelete
  11. Make the most of travel while you can. Here in Melbourne and Victoria we have started another lockdown due to the Indian variant escaping into the community. Seven days to start with, then they will re-evaluate the situation. My nephew has had to defer his wedding three times already in the past year and it looks like he will have to do so again from Sunday week. Carpe diem, Jean!

    ReplyDelete