Royal Wedding

After all the miserable gloomy news in the press and on the radio how wonderful it was to have something nice making the headlines. A handsome Prince in his scarlet uniform and his beautiful bride in the loveliest dress. The bride's sister looking serene as she held the hands of the littlest attendants and all the children behaving beautifully. Prince Harry was in his usual impish mood.

I was glued to the TV. The looks the happy couple gave each other said it all. We wish them well.

The flypast of the Lancaster in the Bomber Command Memorial Flight our family felt particularly moving. The Queen and Prince Philip are amazing. I noticed that the grandparents passed up on the evening disco.

Easter

What a glorious Easter! The warm sunny weather continues. I listened to the Easter morning service. I love the rousing traditional hymns. Alleluia! Visits from the younger members of the family. Lunch at the top of the garden. Easter eggs. My first piece of chocolate since the beginning of Lent. Endless games of Rummy in the garden with , I am sure, my grandson adding new rules each time we play confusing his poor old Grandma and causing shrieks of laughter.
Today my son rang from Paris and my youngest grandson wished me a Happy Easter in perfect English and the older grandson has learned to ride his bicycle as well as roller skate. What achievements! Such a lot of nice things to be thankful for.

Centenarians

I read that more people are now expected to live to be 100. Well, I'm doing my best. The trouble is that by the time I am up and dressed and have put some polyfilla on my face so that, as Mrs. Patrick Campbell said, I don't frighten the horses, I am ready for another little nap. Oh well, must press on.

Tulips and narcissi filling the kitchen with the sweet scent of spring. The tulips, pink and deep purple,are standing up straight like guardsmen on parade protected by the lovely green sheaves of their leaves. They are in a tall green and white vase thatwas a 21st birthday present. They will last a few more days before, like the beautiful pale pink ones from Mothering Sunday, I shall come in one morning to find them gracefully bending over, almost falling out of the vase, but beautiful still in their old age. I could wish my old age to be like that of the tulips.

Madeline

It is Sunday and I am feeling sad. It is just a year ago that I started my blog with the story of cousin Madeline and the bee. Now I am sorry to say she has died. Since we both were widowed she had often phoned me on a Sunday afternoon to laugh about the silly things one does in old age, to deplore the way things have changed since we were young and generally put the world to rights. I shall miss her.

88 not out

Another milestone ! Have had a nice birthday with cards, presents and phone calls and a surprise bouquet of spring flowers from family in Denmark. How fortunate I am !

I read that the Bingo callers are not allowed to say "Two fat ladies" any more because of political correctness or some such nonsense. I don't mind, though I am only one!!!

Poetry

I have been looking at a book of poems for each day given me by my grandson. I think poetry should be read aloud. At school we learned by heart and I can still remember my favourites - "Upon Westminster Bridge", of course as that was close to where I lived. "Ozymandias" and "Abou Ben Adhem" At aged 11 in the scholarship exam I had to put into prose a poem called "The Windmill" which began "Behold a giant am I, aloft here in my tower. With my giant wings I devour the maize, the wheat and the rye" I find I am often put off modern poetry by the lack of rhythm and rhyme. Not all, of course. I love T.S.Eliot's Book of Cats read out loud. Shakespeare's poetry I know best when it is set to music as I learnt at school. On reading Alexander Pope (born 17th century) I was surprised at how many everyday expressions are quotations from his poetry.

• To err is human, to forgive, divine.


• Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.


• Love the offender yet detest the offence.


• Hope springs eternal in the human breast.


• Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel.


• Damn with faint praise.


• You beat your pate and fancy wit will come. Knock as you please, there's nobody at home.

How true those last two lines !

Mothering Sunday

It was once the Sunday in mid-Lent when young people in domestic service living away from home were given a rare day off to go home to visit their families and, with them attend their parish church. Some years ago when I ran the Sunday School we would spend the Sunday previous making Mothering Sunday cards and then on the Day families would come to church and during the service the children would collect a small bunch of flowers from the vicar (provided by the ladies in the choir) and give them to their mothers. It was a very sweet little ceremony. Today I was the recipient of some beautiful flowers and had a very nice lunch with Mike and Amanda. I also received greetings from Tokyo which was so nice. For several years I used to get a card from a French friend addressed to "My English Mummy". I feel sorry that my own mother is no longer with us. She so enjoyed any excuse for a celebration. Her obvious pleasure at receiving a gift, however small, gave pleasure to the giver.