aboveboard
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An hour in the library
Went to the library to spend an hour on a computer looking up attitude and driving on the web. I arrived before it opened because I thought, as it was half-term, it might fill up with school kids. It did fill up, but not with school kids. Older folk got there first. At the end of my hour, all the terminals were taken.
I never reached attitude and driving. I looked briefly at a site mentioned in .net and stayed with that; it was so interesting. It was about how to motivate people to learn. There was a good sentence about management and its effect on employees. 'The more you use your reins, the less they use their brains.'
Another bit that caught my eye was: 'Describing the things that do not work is often more effective than showing how things do work.' This is know as the WTF principle.
'Knowing what not to include is more important than knowing what to include.' There is a limit to how much people can take in.
A sentence that cheered me: 'Things you hold in short term memory vanish as soon as there is an interruption.' That explains a lot; that explains why, on reaching the top of the stairs, I've often forgotten why I went up there. Half way up I spot something that needs attention, or think of something that needs attention.
Two more courgettes have been attacked. I hope whatever is eating them leaves some for me.
Thought for today
An atheist is a man who has no invisible means of support.
John Buchan, (1875-1940) Scottish novelist
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1.6.07 21:17
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Taking an eating
Only two out of my nine courgettes remain. The others have been eaten. Aargh. I planted the remaining seven seeds today in big pots and I'll let them grow bigger before I plant them outside. I hope they have enough time to prosper.
Not wishing the pumpkins to suffer the same fate as the courgettes, I potted them into bigger pots and shall keep them in the safety of the greenhouse. They can go outside in the daytime for an airing but will return to the greenhouse in the evening. Like hens in a coop--out in the morning, locked up for the night. Reminds me of the woman who used to live opposite years ago. She thought babies ought to go outside for an airing. It did them good. Everyday she put the latest baby outside in its pram for a bit of fresh air. I doubt mothers would do that now for fear of their babies being snatched.
The p and d is due back tomorrow so my peaceful existence is soon to end. Actually, it's not that peaceful; there's always so much to do, especially in warmer weather. I wonder why that is.
Thought for today
If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit: no use being a damn fool about it.
W C Fields
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3.6.07 20:14
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Normality returns
In other words, disruption. The p and d arrived this morning. The sitting room is full of the stuff from the hall and looks a shambles. The hall, meanwhile, looks better; it looks bigger and brighter with no furniture and no curtains.
There is an drug used for treating patients with a bone marrow cancer that can prolong their life for a year. It costs £80,000. Needless to say this drug is not available on the NHS. The company, according to a report on the news today, has offered to refund the NHS, should it pay for the treatment, if the treatment is unsuccessful, by that I suppose is meant if the patient dies in less than a year. This proposal seems to have been met with favour. However, I'm puzzled. £80,000 is a lot of money. If I was doomed to die in a year or two, I would rather the money went to someone of my choice, tax free; someone who could enjoy it. I'd bargain for £40,000. Even that would be a bonus for someone. In fact, I'd forgo the treatment if the government would forgo the inheritance tax on my estate.
Thought for today
A son might bear with composure the death of his father, but the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair.
Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince, 1513
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4.6.07 20:45
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Light returns
It's amazing what a difference lack of curtains make. I removed the curtains in the hall and landing for the painting and decorating. Both areas are now much lighter even though the curtains were thin net. The p and d suggested I replaced them with blinds. I shall have to find out about blinds; there are different sorts. The only ones I am familiar with are venetian blinds with horizontal slats. Apparently there are sorts with vertical slats that fold back like curtains. I think the ones in the office at work were like that, but my memory of work is hazy now.
One courgette remains. Sigh. However, the pumpkins, my little hooligans (that's the type) are growing. I have shut them up in the greenhouse for the night. No sign of the sweetcorn yet, nor the reserve supply of courgettes. I must be patient; they've been in the soil only two days.
In spite of the longer length of daylight, there still aren't enough hours in the day for me to do all I want.
Thought for today
Live as if you expected to live a hundred years, but might die tomorrow.
Ann Lee
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5.6.07 20:27
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Dust returns
Dust everywhere again. I found the landing curtain rail, complete with curtain hooks and cords, in the spare bedroom (now known as the store room, junk room or sorting room). The p and d must have put it there. It was propped up against one of the bookcases and fell over when I knocked it while looking for a book. A shower of dust dropped from it.
On my way back from collecting a duvet from the cleaners, I went into a shop that sold blinds. The p and d mentioned it yesterday. I am not one to rave about household items but some of the blinds in the shop were beautiful. The material and design were a revelation to me. When the last of the dust has settled, I shall order some blinds. I didn't ask how much they cost in case the price worried me.
The one remaining courgette is still alive. I feel bad about the other seven; I let them down. I didn't look after them well enough. The little castor oil plants I planted outside at the same time are untouched. They belong to the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, and their genus is Ricinus. Not surprisingly they are poisonous; perhaps that's why they've been left alone.
Thought for today
Nothing is as irritating as the fellow that chats pleasantly while he's overcharging you.
Kin (F McKinney) Hubbard (1868 - 1930) American humorist, journalist
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6.6.07 20:21
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Another revelation
Today's discovery was how to clean grease from the grain of doors. Years of greasy hands touching the doors had left their mark. I had scraped off as much as I could with a knife but couldn't remove that in the grain. The p and d showed me that the rough side of a scouring sponge covered with washing up liquid removed the rest. I had used one but not the rough side in case it removed the varnish. I never expected a man to be able to show me how to clean house. I went round cleaning doors, some of which had, what I suspect, were blood stains. There are many devices and liquids for cleaning inside houses but there is little that can beat a damp sponge and soap.
The extra sweetcorn seeds that I planted in pots earlier in the week have germinated; the tips of green shoots are now visible. The kale and broccoli seedlings that I repotted yesterday have survived the process. The cuttings I took of a pheasant plant a few months ago had started to look less healthy; the leaves were mottled. I discovered the reason; they were infected with red spider mite. I have isolated them outside and hope that the cold and damp will kill the bugs. Life is a battle with nature.
Thought for today
The English (it must be owned) are rather a foul-mouthed nation.
William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830) English essayist
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7.6.07 21:12
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What changes?
Here's an extract from Sketches by Boz by Charles Dickens. On one side, a little crowd has collected round a couple of ladies, who having imbibed the contents of various 'three-outs' of gin and bitters in the course of the morning, have at length differed on some point of domestic arrangement, and are on the eve of settling the quarrel satisfactorily by an appeal to blows, greatly to the interest of other ladies who live in the same house, and tenements adjoining, and who are all partisans on one side or other....
In addition to the numerous groups who are idling about the gin-shops and squabbling in the centre of the road, every post in the open space has its occupant, who leans against it for hours with listless perseverance. It is odd enough that one class of men in London appear to have no enjoyment beyond leaning against posts. We never saw a regular bricklayer's labourer take any other recreation, fighting excepted. Pass through St Giles's in the evening of a week-day, there they are in their fustian dresses, spotted with brick-dust and whitewash, leaning against posts. Walk through Seven Dials on Sunday morning: there they are again, drab or light corduroy trousers, Blucher boots, blue coats, and great yellow waistcoats, leaning against posts. The idea of a man dressing himself in his best clothes to lean against a post all day!
Thought for today
Fashion condemns us to many follies; the greatest is to make oneself its slave.
Napoleon Bonaparte
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8.6.07 20:25
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