Mrs D Makes Furniture

Unbelievably, Mrs D be turning her unsteady hands to woodwork. She have made a table and two chairs already. Well... more like two footstools really.
She be singing the praises of balsa wood and glue, although it do make her cough when she sands the wood down... and believe you me... with the state of her woodworking skills there have been an awful lot of sanding down.
I mean, she do measure the legs but still ends up with one being quite a bit longer than the others.
Then too... her end-cuts are not the straightest to be honest. So they have to be filed level and all in all..... it be a miracle there is any chair leg left by the time she finishes.

But at least The Old Man and me do have something to eat our dinner off now. Even if the table is only about four or five inches high.

Seven Ages Of Man: Sans Sight

The Old Man do finally go for an eye test. I be complaining for some time that he is not seeing properly. So when his frames broke and he is forced to dig out an older pair of glasses and is a bit shocked to find he can see better through the old ones than the current pair... he admits defeat and goes off to the opticians.
As you may know The Old Man be somewhat unique in all things... to the point of tedium really. So it is no surprise that his eyesight is an inconstant sense... now he sees it... now he don't... sorta thing.
Anyway. He be very pleased when he do emerge from said opticians with a grand total of THREE pairs of glasses on order. A new set of lenses in a new frame, a duplicate pair... in a new frame... and something called "enhanced reading" lenses in a new frame. Apparently this last is for viewing things slightly further away than a book. The Old man says... a computer.. (Ha! Optician don't know that the eyes what does his computer work for him be mine!)... or a newspaper....

These had better work. I see plenty of room for The Old Man's "Princess and the Pea" syndrome to rise up here... three times over.....

Grey Doll And Criminal Reading: Homegrown Reading

You know me as a bit of a Scandi-crime enthusiast. Bit? Huh... total reading matter more like.....
But recently I do return to home roots with  M.H. Baylis's "The Tottenham Outrage" which I certain do enjoy... packed full of multi-culture and a lively view of the streets of North London.

It opens with the death of a family picnicking in Finsbury Park on a lovely spring day. The Hasidic family are found slumped over their food and onlookers are accusing a group of Muslim youths of spraying them with something. Local journalist Rex Tracey and his photographer friend Terry get caught up in the event and what follows takes us on journey amongst the streets of Tottenham and the Hasidic communities of Stamford Hill with Terry getting accused of another murder along the way. The crime story is interspersed with the account of one "George Smith" and his involvement with a true-life historical event, the failed Anarchist robbery of 1909 known as the "Tottenham Outrage".

The writing is characterful and funny and Baylis handles the two time threads very well. In all, this series featuring Rex Tracey and the streets of North London is certainly one I would visit again. You can read the full review here.

The Old Man Continues His Washing....

....which has caused the unearthing of multiple albums of Callas singing "Anna Bolena"....
This, in turn, be caused by us watching a DVD of the Vienna Staatsoper live recording (2011) with Anna Netrebko as Anna Bolena and Elina Garanca as Jane Seymour.

I like most of the singing... and certainly Elina Garanca seems very fine. Not so happy with some aspects of the production itself. The set, although fairly  restrained do seem a bit tricksy now and then for no good reason. And the characters are sometimes left bobbing up and down on one knee... erm... also for no good reason that I can see. There is indeed rather a lot of milling about stage business to no dramatic end. But on the whole - I'm happy.

I am a bit uneasy with my increasing tolerance of Donizetti. I seem to be starting to like some of his operas. Though don't ask me to rush towards "La Fille du Regiment"... I'm not ready for that yet. (Brisk shake like a dog).

Madame Deficit Considers Scottish Indepence

Bon jour...Mes amis écossais.... today you say whether you wish to be independent of the jolly old UK.
I do not blame you for considering it.
But it is really Westminster you do object to, non?
Believe me Celtic friends... or perhaps it is... Gaelic friends... many of us in the hedonistic south do also feel that Westminster is an isle unto itself. If you succeed in becoming independent....Can we be too? And just leave Westminster to get on with life by itself which is to say.... independently?
Alors....We shall see what you decide soon.

Just one moment, though. Perhaps if you say "Yes"... you would consider admitting an immigrant? I find that I have Scottish "baker" blood in two strands of my illustrious ancestry.
So.... I can bring plenty of cake.
Please?

For An Old Friend - Eliza Banks 1920-2014

A dear friend has died. A long life. Artists' daughter, wife and mother, traveller, acupuncturist, "roadie" for an African drummer, astrologer... What did she not do?
Her own recent words... "Interests: discovering what makes a person tick - dealing practically with problems - coming to terms with old age -"

'Bye, good friend. Here's the drumming.

If You Could Hear The Things I Hear When I'm Cleaning Records....

The Old Man is very happy playing with the present I do give him. It's a gizmo to help him clean his vinyl.... Record albums, that is.

It's called a Spin Clean and compared to top end products it doesn't cost a fortune but it does the job. I got him some new paper inner sleeves at the same time.

He's a happy bunny.

Those Caterpillars

You know that Elephant Hawk-Moth caterpillar The Old Man do find on the path the other day?
Well he's getting good at this. Just found a fifth. On a path. Sometimes at the front of the house. Sometimes at the back. Five, I tell you.
Or else the same one be going round and round the house.