Sunday 5th January

Reliquiae;  It dropped through the letterbox yesterday afternoon, beautifully wrapped reminding me of Paul's absolute neatness.  Acquired by a long stint in a Japanese studio, tools arranged to perfection.

I have read the book lightly, needing to go back and explore the words, for this book etymology is at its heart.  They are explored, used singularly, in poetry but not as you know it and even in language, where after each small article Tsimshian words are given their meaning. 

By Paasikivi - Own work, 

There is a long article on the word 'borage' that beautiful blue star shaped wild flower that catches the eye, we go through the latin to explore how the word was arrived at in borago officinalis it is because the flower was an official herbal medicine in the gardens of the monastery.   Borra meaning wool or hair, see how this is true of the stems.  Marvel at how the colour changes, you will see it  also in pulmonaria, or the lungwort as we call it, also a medicinal herb of the lungs, again a family member of the borage plant.  Flowers make you see that nature can create more beauty in a flower than any painted image. The poem is of course the written essay and he ends with the one line.............

The eye of touch is  Borage blue.  Oliver Southall

And now for mouths to feed;  Mother and kitten feed at the table, still have not organised for the capture of the feral mother cat for neutering, but a sweet photo..............

They appear around lunchtime, hiding behind the wall, and swiftly vanish when I come out, the mother cat shows all the signs of having produced many kittens with her thin underside.