SUMMER SOLSTICE It was the longest day on Saturday. From now on the nights grow longer. So are we half way through the year now?Let me see: there are 365 (and a quarter!) days in a year so half of 366=183. That means that the mid-point falls on 2nd July. . .

READING My sister-in-law’s Book Club was reading “The Day the World came to Town” by Jim DeFede so I read it while over in California. DeFede investigated the response of the townspeople of Gander, Newfoundland when thirty eight planes were diverted there immediately after 911. The local people were generous in their welcome, with strangers stranded in their midst for six days. Enjoyed the book – especially reading the epilogue, written some 20 years later.
Now I am reading ‘Old Filth’ by Jane Gardam. Do not be put off by the title! Filth = ‘Failed In London, Try Hong Kong’. To summarise, “Sir Edward Feathers is a retired judge of the Inner Temple, recently widowed and living in Dorset. He looks back over his life from his early years in the British Raj to his legal career.” Gardam writes well, describing a fictitious life that was at times tragic and at other times happy, against the historical background of British Colonialism.

CRAFTING
Silk scarf marbling was the best activity of my recent holiday. My granddaughter-in-law had been communicating for years with Rita from the Mayu Silk Art in Huntington Beach and she booked us a session.

COOKING Now I am back in my own kitchen I need to focus on making my own meals once more. I did make porridge every morning at my brother’s house. Aware of the potential for microwaved porridge to overflow I decided to use a pan on the hob instead. Back to microwaving my morning porridge in a large bowl I have decided that I can’t detect any difference in flavour. Plus using the microwave means that I do not have to wash the saucepan!

WATCHING. I had forgotten how much advertising there is on American TV and how many different channels. So why couldn’t I find something that I’d like to watch? My brother and his wife watch ‘Jeopardy’ and like to guess the missing words. Goodness me: my Mother used to watch that and she died twelve years ago! Back home I have not been watching anything but I need to check what is on offer . . .Ahah! Agatha Christie’s “And then there were none. . .” with Charles Dance.Of course I have seen or read the story before BUT I had forgotten the plot and Christie is so good at teasing with many ‘red herrings’.

KNITTING yet another baby blanket in multi coloured baby double knitting yarn. Baby is due in December so I shall set the blanket aside to knit poppies for the Southend poppy appeal. Yes, I know! It is very jingoistic to keep celebrating ‘war’ but on the other hand it is nice to participate in a communal project. Perhaps we should have had white poppies instead? If the Pier is one mile and one third long that amounts to 5280 plus 1760 feet = 6040feet. With an estimated 4 poppies per foot, at least 24160 poppies will be needed to string out side-by-side the length of the pier. Poppies look better en masse, rather than singly. It’ll be interesting see how they are displayed.

GARDENING My back yard grew furiously while I was away. Well, the weeds did – especially the bindweed, (convolvulous), that has crept in from next-door. It is looking a bit better now that my gardener has tidied it up. I have two patches of bare earth for which I require some sort of planting – preferably permanent During a heatwave is not the best time to be gardening, so right now I shall concentrate on watering.

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