Yesterday was Valentine's day, a great splutter of hearts across the internet and then it is gone. For those whose loved ones are no longer here, a time of remembrance, joy not sadness for me. So determined to put aside sadness, I went to Pickering to buy flowers and Lucy's special new food which she seems to enjoy. Yellow tulips and bunches of daffodils because yellow is a happy colour and Paul loved flowers round the house. Bought at Lidl not the Co-op, the price difference is amazing. Down the back lanes, the verges are full of blackbirds, full ditches of water and the edges of fields show ribbons of water.
Switching on the television this morning, and the small town of Mytholmroyd in the Calder valley, just one mile from Hebden Bridge, is getting ready for another storm, named Dennis this time. The skips are still on the street from last week's flooding. Try saying Mytholmroyd, it will get your tongue in a twist, famous for Ted Hughes, poet. My daughter and grandchildren who were supposed to come down this weekend are not coming because of the weather and flooding in their town.
Watched a rather scary programme on Channel 4 yesterday on the subject of Corona virus. I think my advice to people would be is not to move around too much, it is hardly in this country, and is not dangerous to the majority of the people who catch it but travelling from one city to another will not help. One expert pessimistically explained that as far as he was concerned we are only at the 'December in China' stage, we do not know what will happen. I think the Chinese have tackled it well, I mean who could build two hospitals in two weeks? At least they are are being open about it to. Though today they are offering to build the HS2 rail link, don't let your imagination run riot on this one!
Sue in Suffolk inspired me to pick up this one at the library, so that is what I shall be doing today. As the rains and winds of Storm Dennis come this afternoon.
And the latest political storm, could not resist this Pat! Polly Toynbee - This Revenge Reshuffle has a Dangerous Message; Absolute Power resides in No. 10
"Johnson’s choice of pipsqueaks and placemen, yes-women and yellow bellies is the most under-brained, third-rate cabinet in living memory. "
Sue in Suffolk inspired me to pick up this one at the library, so that is what I shall be doing today. As the rains and winds of Storm Dennis come this afternoon.
And the latest political storm, could not resist this Pat! Polly Toynbee - This Revenge Reshuffle has a Dangerous Message; Absolute Power resides in No. 10
"Johnson’s choice of pipsqueaks and placemen, yes-women and yellow bellies is the most under-brained, third-rate cabinet in living memory. "
As you know, we have a lot of yellow here (truth be told, it warms up and brightens up a dark house!) Yellow flowers always look so cheerful and I agree with you about flower prices - we buy them in Aldi (occasionally Tescopolis if in a rush, but nothing over £5). Try not to shop in Co-op at all as they are so expensive and limited in what they sell. I am glad you made Valentine's Day a day of happiness.
ReplyDeleteLoved your description of the drive to get the flowers. Enjoy that book (trying not to be tempted!) and stay in the warm.
£20 red roses at the Co-op, nothing under a fiver, except of course the £1 daffodils. Just started the book and it is fascinating, lots of stories not a historical development book, but £20 is a lot for a book, she has also written another one on colour, someone to keep an eye on.
DeleteHow dare Polly Toynbee link us Yellow Bellies with Yes Women - am sitting here trying to think of some strong famous Yellow Bellies women but can't think of any offhand! Stay dry up there in the Wolds. The sandbags are out in my son's village - he lives in the lowest part so all the water eventually lands up going past his property which stands back from the beck so is fairly safe but his neighbours have barricaded up and they are only back a fortnight ago from the last flooding so today will be a worrying day for them. It is already raining here.
ReplyDeleteAnd my most favourite 'bad ass' woman has to be Marina Hyde of course, with a tongue you could grate lemons against.
Deletehttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/14/dominic-cummings-cabinet-reshuffle
Does Weaver mean people from Lincolnshire? IS Polly Toynbee aware of that association or was it just a lazy term for sycophants? Marina Hyde makes us laugh nearly most weeks.
DeleteI had to go and look that up I thought Pat meant cowardly type people, but the Lincolnshire explanation is so much more interesting. A Wiki of course...............
Delete"The uniforms of the old Lincolnshire Regiment were green with yellow facings. The fastenings of the uniform tunic, which were known as frogs, were also yellow.
A species of newt, frog or eel (there is disagreement on this point) found in the Lincolnshire Fens had yellow undersides.
Bacon hung up and stored for a long time turned yellow (reasty).
The backs of farm workers who stripped to the waist in hot weather turned dark brown but their bellies turned yellow.
Opium extracted from poppy heads, and taken to relieve malaria that was prevalent in the fens in earlier centuries, turned the skin a shade of yellow.
Sheep grazing in mustard fields were dusted by pollen from the blossom that turned their undersides yellow.
Women traders on street markets in past times are reputed to have worn a leather apron with two pockets, one for copper and silver and one for gold. At the end of a good day they would say they had 'a yellow belly' meaning they had taken a large number of gold sovereigns.
A folk etymology says that the term originated from Elloe, the name of the rural deanery that serves the fen area of the Lincoln Diocese. This in turn took its name from the Saxon Wapentake which was referred to as þe Elloe Bellie - Elloe meaning out of the morass while bel was the Celtic word for hole or hollow."
I have a custard yellow kitchen. The rest of the painted walls in the house are a calmer colour, but it brings me huge pleasure. Arilx
ReplyDeleteHi Aril, yellow is perhaps only for kitchens but as you say it brings pleasure as it lights up your world, especially at this time of year.
DeleteI was looking at that book in our local bookshop this week, I would be interested to know what you make of it as it sounds really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI have only read 40 pages, but it is very interesting and well put together, full of little stories as she moves from subject to subject. Definitely a good buy but expensive, perhaps wait till it gets cheaper, is there a paperbook around?
ReplyDeleteYou could also try This Golden Fleece by Esther Rutter - British sheep, their fleeces and knitting their yarn.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that will look out for it. Gold is the keyword, what about the golden orb spider as well?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFF68_bME9E