I cannot believe that we have reached the middle of the year already. “Tempus Fugit”.

SIFTING and SORTING Today is “Dustbin Day” – again. My life lurches from one rubbish collection day to the next. Black sack/ pink sack/ blue sack -not to mention white sack and garden sack and the food bin. Black goes to landfill, pink is plastics (clean!) and glass, blue is  paper and card and white is textiles. 

TELLING TALES To celebrate midsummer my local Women’s Institute invited a story teller to our last meeting. Last time I heard a storyteller she told the story of the “Epic of Gilgamesh”, an epic poem from ancient Mesopotamia. A stirring tale of heroes and battles and the wrath of gods. This time, our W.I. Storyteller told us three fairy stories. After all, “midsummer” is all about magic. Some of the fairies were quite evil little beasties, setting out to trick human beings. I decided that I preferred the ancient tales of derring-do.  Of course it would help if I didn’t miss some essential plot elements because my narcolepsy made me nod briefly. 

KNITTING my baby blanket is  progressing slowly, square by square. Nowadays I find it easiest to knit with a hot pad underneath my right elbow to help with my arthritis.

READING my favourite form of escapism is to sink into a book. It always has been and as a child I was often  admonished by my Mother for ignoring her calls because my head was buried in my latest library book. I generally read  on my Kindle but  there is nothing quite so special as diving into a physical book. My daughter-in-law gave me a copy of “Godmersham Park”  by Gill Hornby. According to the introductory note to the reader, the novel is based on a true story.The characters are real and the events are taken from those recorded by Fanny Austen in her daily journal. The author has woven her plot around real people and real events – Fanny being Jane Austen’s niece. A fascinating glimpse into life back then.

SOCIALISING I have written before that we don’t stop doing things because we are growing older No, we grow older because we stop doing things. And now I find myself slipping and sliding down that slope. Going out requires effort and on a  bad day – painful arthritic joints/ miserable  mood/inclement weather – it is all too easy to stay in a comfy chair. Thank goodness for my friends who are amazingly patient and supportive. A couple of weeks ago I joined a couple of friends for the Essex Federation Women’s Institute outing on a Thames Sailing Barge at Maldon. The lack of wind meant that the Crew did not unfurl the red sails but used the engine to power us down the River Blackwater.

Then last week  the  Annual Meeting of the Federation of Essex Women’s Institutes was held locally. In between the entertaining speaker in the morning and a lively dance group in the afternoon there was  time to chat and catchup with friends. And I WALKED home, still chatting to one of my friends. What next? Ah! Another friend has volunteered to pick me up and drive me for coffee somewhere. I know exactly the place to choose: a Garden Centre with attached cafe.

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