Who the Dickens Wrote David Copperfield?

In the days before washing machines a great deal of the housewife's week was spent doing the laundry.  First ,  lighting the copper to get the hot water.  Before the Clean Air Act when we started using smokeless fuels the air in our cities was dirty and, if you lived near a railway or factory, full of smuts so clothes had to be soaked.   Then scrubbed, rinsed, starched, mangled, dried and ironed. All these jobs taking a great deal of time and effort.My mother used to tell me about her friend's family, the Mullers.  Mr. Muller and his two grown up sons ran a fish shop and wore clean white shirts and aprons every day.  Poor Mrs. Muller seemed to be always at the wash tub.  Mother's friend, Maudie Muller, aged about 12 was blind.  She was. however, an excellent reader of Braille books and would sit by the garden door reading  David Copperfield   or Oliver Twist to her mother as Mrs. Muller did the washing. Their favourite was  Pickwick Papers  My mother was often there and said that she learned to like Dickens because she listened so often to Maudie.

What Did You Say?

On changing the battery in my hearing aid I was surprised to see from the record book that I first had a hearing aid in 1986 from the Victoria Hospital in Folkestone.  Changing the battery is a fiddly thing to do at the best of times but long practice has made me proficient.    I am so glad to have it.  I can't hear at all in my left ear.  The doctor surmised that my deafness might be due to measles. though I don't remember having measles.
Don had all the childish ailments when he was small.  When I said I hadn't had any that I could remember he said"You should have had them before you married me".  I think he visioned himself having to act as my nurse.  The ironic thing was that he caught whooping cough from our small son and he was quite ill and I had to nurse him!

British?

I have been watching those clever people on British Bake Off.  Not that I wish to emulate them or to eat any of their weird and wonderful concoctions.  Too many funny mixtures of ingredients.  I'm only capable of old fashioned plain cooking.   I'm quite impressed with the fact that so many of them go on to make a career out of cooking.  I suppose that explains the emotional involvement., but I do wish we could do away with the "love-in. " I get quite embarrased by the tears and hugs.  I don't call that very British.  What next?  John Humphreys hugging the losing contestants on "Mastermind?

Mind Your Language

I know the English language cannot stay the same as when I was at school but some Americanisms really annoy me.  When the waitress brings you your food and says "Enjoy".  Enjoy what?  You have to enjoy something.  The meal, the restaurant, the music?  Another bone of contention is "There you go".said by the girl at the checkout.  This is an "ageist" complaint.  The older checkout ladies say "goodbye".  Huw Edwards, the TV announcer (sorry - newsreader) always signs off by saying "Have a good night".  I always feel like saying don't tell me what sort of night to have.  Why not just "Goodnight"?
I'm often amused by road signs.  The ones that begin with "Slow".  "Slow  deer".  I always thought they were fleet of foot.  Or "Slow children crossing" or even worse "Slow Elderly Persons" with a picture of two bent , doddery figures with walking sticks.  (No need to rub it in , we can't help being a bit slow) I remember a building site with a warning notice saying "Men at Work" and sprawled on the ground beside it was a group of men drinking mugs of tea.  As for computer jargon - words fail me.  I'm told I was on a digital detox while I was without my computer.  You learn something new every day.

A rose by any other name

After filling in my three Christian names on yet another form I grew to wondering why I had them. In my family it appeared to be the custom, as in many families, to name children after their parents, grandparents or favourite relatives.  I was named after two aunts and a grown up cousin.  But we had another peculiarity.   My brother and I were known by our second names.  My second name was May and I was known as Maisie.  This became a little confusing when at the age of 12 I changed schools.  On the first morning at my new school the teacher called the register.  "Jessie Ellis" she said.  I looked round wondering who the girl was who was also named Ellis.  It was a minute or so before I answered never having been called "Jessie" before.  I expect the teacher thought we've got a right dozy one here.
My brother, Francis or Frank, was known by his second name Herbert, or to make it more confusing Bert for short. This was to distinguish it from my father, Francis Henry.  When Bert changed schools he became known as Francis or Frank and his wife always called him Frank  while my mother still called him Bert.  This led to a rather amusing incident.  Frank brought his small son to visit us one day.  When the little boy arrived home his mother asked him who he saw when he went to Nanny's house.  He replied "There was Daddy, Nanny, Auntie May and another man they kept   talking to called Bert but I couldn't see him."

Hello Hatters!  Sorry about the gap.  I'm still here.  The computer it was that died.  I will try to bring you up to date.
Since I last wrote   I spent a lovely day  visiting friends in Bath and meeting our friend from Tokyo, always a pleasure.  She was paying a visit to her family and seeing her brother who had flown in from Seattle and who was at school with my son.  I also went to Ringmer for two lovely sunny summer family days.Some Tuesdays were spent with my friends at Seaford courtesy of Mike.  My kind daughter-in-law came to keep me company while my family were in Ireland.  My days would not be complete without trips to the Eye Hospital  and finally I have a new girl to do my hoovering.
I think that brings you up to date.  Not exactly a Hollywood epic but quite exciting enough for a nonagenerian!