Peonies: A great froufrou of petals, so easily shed by this heavy headed flower. Paul planted it and this is the first year it has had so many flowers, that rain over winter and then dry sunny late spring certainly did something for the plants. But it stands on the windowsill that overlooks the graveyard and the grave of a young 27 year old man, who killed himself. His younger brother, I think, often comes and sits on the grass underneath the window and talks quite animatedly to the grave. He did yesterday evening. Of course I know where he is coming from do not I carry on an endless conversation with Paul in my mind, we are not mad just reaching out.
Jo phoned yesterday and we chattered for about an hour on the genealogy of the various feral cats and kittens that are in the village. She has four of the kittens in her barn which she feeds but had found a black cat unable to move and had taken it to the vet, it was put down sadly though it was carrying kittens. Such is the life of a feral cat. She wanted to find out if it was my kitten, but Green Eyes had been in the back garden all morning (yes she has got her feet under the table) sitting under the bird feeder waiting for a miracle, a bird to fly by her.
The above was written yesterday, today dawns a bit brighter than yesterday's continual rain but I was happy to see it, marigold seedlings planted and some cosmos to go in today.
I quite like the surrealistic aspect of life at the moment, statues to fall left, right and centre. Feel like putting in my order, the whale bones displayed on the cliff at Whitby. Slaughtered probably in their thousands through the Victorian times, why should we display their bones? Also calls for the Captain Cooke statue to come down in Whitby, he was instrumental in the killing of Maori folk in New Zealand. It becomes ridiculous when people don't know their history and just take on a street cause. It is changing history, but history changes itself anyway, we have to make way for different culture views but we should also keep the history we are trying to throw away.
I did my weekly shop this morning, spacing myself at 7 o clock with the men coming in for their daily rations, and a lady (she was a bit snooty) who was shopping for nine NHS officials refreshments.
Co-op can be a bit boring as far as originality is concerned but their coffee beans are in now, only plain flower but I have some baking powder. Parcels arrive through the door, already I need to send off for some more coffee filters. Mark sends me books, Lebanese cook book arrived yesterday, a couple of Aldous Huxley, some fictional and others on 'how to succeed'. Yes at this end of my life my son thinks I should be more aspirational? Also, this is the time of year when a batch of birthdays come through. Do I have cards? a few thank goodness. When will we shop properly again I wonder.
I hear that Baden-Powell has been taken down. I just hope that they don't replace all these statues with Nelson Mandela.
ReplyDeleteWhere is it all going to go though? In America not only are they knocking heads off statues but questioning the naming of military centres. Either we are in for strategical ordering of the rights and wrongs of history - who can judge, or it will all fall by the wayside. Even Mandela had a wicked first wife called Winnie.
ReplyDeleteI have been to the very spot where sailors from "The Endeavour" shot dead nine Maori people who by all accounts approached the nervous white visitors in a warlike, threatening manner. At other points on Cook's visit to New Zealand, he and his men enjoyed friendly relations with the Maoris they encountered. Cook was a wise and capable leader and I am sure that he regretted what happened at The Turanganui River. It was all a tragic misunderstanding. Condemning James Cook for that one tragic incident is in my view quite wrong - political correctness gone mad. He was an employee of the British Admirality - following orders. Should we condemn the Hawaiian warriors who killed him in similar tragic circumstances? By the way, there is no evidence that Cook himself shot at the Maori warriors that day.
ReplyDeleteIt is not just political correctness though, but a problem with the teaching of history and interpretation of the morality of the subject. The young are hot headed. Lucky you to go to New Zealand, it has always looked a fabled land and thank you for explaining Cooke's actions.
ReplyDeleteWhat started with good intentions could so easily get out of hand and that would be such a pity - let's hope it all goes in the right direction now and really does become a movement for change.
ReplyDeleteThings can never be as we want Pat, there will always be young (and old) waiting to join in the battle for their own reasons. Like bad policemen they need to be recognised though.
DeletePeonies are unashamedly blousy and I love them for it.
ReplyDeleteArilx
Don't think they are happy in this wet weather Aril, their skirts are definitely bedraggled.
DeleteMy father was a great lover of peonies, and planted far too many. They followed me around to every house I lived in with me mother, but at this last move, they stayed behind. I've been nice to them too long; it's another's turn now.
ReplyDeleteI always thought they were difficult to grow, but once established they glow. The habit of taking plants from house to house is sweet though but sad if they die.
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