All Purls. No Swine.
On this day--186 years ago--June 20, 1837, a young woman, just eighteen years old, ascended the British throne. She replaced her uncle, King William IV, and was just seventeen years removed from the death of her grandfather, King George III. (Remember him? I do--even just through history studies and because he wasn't--at least in my… Continue reading The Empress of India (and Much Else)
Yesterday was Memorial Day in these United States of America. Somewhere along the way, I heard a small blurp on a news report that May 29, 2023 was also the seventieth anniversary of Edmund Hillary’s and Sherpa Tenzing’s successful ascent of Mt. Everest. It is a time so long ago (barely sixteen months before I… Continue reading “Because it is There”
ICYMI, May 21 was "International Tea Day." I celebrate it here: Gosh. When I discovered this event, I thought–as so many of my progenitors, particularly those like Auntie Pat and my Granny, might have–How marvelous! A day celebrating the joys of tea, its restorative effects in the face of calamity, and its propensity for inducing calm… Continue reading Happy (Belated) International Tea Day!
Eighty years ago, on May 16-17 1943, an elite group of airmen, mostly from the Royal Air Force, but also with contingents from Canada and Australia, took off in nineteen Lancaster bombers from the RAF station in Scampton, Lincolnshire. Their mission was clear: Destroy three dams in Germany’s Ruhr valley, thus taking out the hydroelectric… Continue reading Dam Busters +80
Dateline, the Daily Telegraph, April 16: “Brecon Beacons to be renamed over links to climate change: National Park says the symbol of a ‘carbon burning beacon’ is incompatible with its ‘push to net zero.'” I can’t even. For first (channeling Christopher Smart, because I am an unregenerate Boomer Bluestocking who still has a connection to her past… Continue reading For the Beacons: A Lament
Not since Adolph Hitler dubbed Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother "the most dangerous woman in Europe," has an adult human female so triggered the forces of evil. Job well done. Rest in peace, you bloody-minded, bloody difficult, woman.
Crimenutely. I can't quite believe the flap that's taking place in my native Britain this week over the King's Coronation invitation. First, let me say that I think it's a lovely piece of artwork. Sure, it's being criticized as looking like a page from a child's coloring book, but I think it's delightful. Here's the… Continue reading A Point of (Royal) Order
“The Lockdown Files” is the name of a series of investigative reports in the Daily Telegraph, reports which are currently rocking the United Kingdom, having to do with the government’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. Keep in mind that the governmental structure in the UK is much flatter than it is in the US, that there… Continue reading The Lockdown Files
So there I was this morning, walking into the Wellness Center for my thrice weekly half-mile swim, when I meandered past the kiddie-pen (they always seem to be having a marvelous time) and noticed the large hanging banner in green sparkly cardstock wishing everyone a “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!!” Glory be. It doesn’t arrive for… Continue reading Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!
Today (February 13, 2023), I'm reviving a post from just six months ago. For a couple of reasons: First, because today is the anniversary of the birthday of the incomparable Eleanor Farjeon, who was born 142 years ago today, on February 13, 1881. She's mentioned, although peripherally, in the post below. And second, because of… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Eleanor Farjeon!, And RIP, Richard III