RANDOM JOTTINGS

January over half way through and thank goodness for that. It is a month I really dislike and even more so this year with the death of my friend Erika and sorting all things legal and domestic out.  Clearing out somebody else's property is a melancholy experience. I am so used to being in the bungalow with Erika and chatting and talking while she makes me a cup of coffee, it is almost an intrusion to be there going through everything, but it has to be done.

At the solicitors this morning where I had to Swear a Document. This always sounds to me as if I should be standing there letting rip with a stream of expletives but of course the opposite is true. I had to put my hand on the Bible and swear that the contents of said document were OK and I would do my duty as executor etc etc and off it goes. So now I have to wait for the Grant to arrive and then sort out all the monies that are due to be distributed. I also have to arrange for the house to go on the market and all that entails so I am having a busy start to 2016.

I was up in London last weekend seeing the family and wonderful to see them all even if my grandchildren insist on (a) sleeping with me and (b) bouncing up and down on the bed in the morning. But I will not complain as I know full well that these happy years pass and to make the most of them. I always come home and take to my bed after a visit to restore my health and sanity. In a couple of weeks time their mum and dad are away for a weekend so all hands on deck and grandparents (assorted) will be taking care of them and I am really looking forward to that.

I am managing to read in between all this and after my perusal of The Mistresses of Cliveden just before Christmas, I was then fired with enthusiasm to find out more about Nancy Astor and am now halfway through an excellent biography of her. I am not overwhelmed with enthusiasm for her personally, she sounds quite a handful, but I will write more fully when I have finished it.   From the other point of view, I have also just read a book written by her maid and companion of over forty years and that makes really fascinating reading.  More of that later too.

I am finding concentration difficult at the moment with so much going on and last night I decided to sit back and watch a DVD and slotted into the recorder one of my all time favourite old movies which I recently got from Amazon, The Crimson Pirate with Burt Lancaster. Years ago when I was about 12, I went to my local cinema in the school holidays to see this together with Calamity Jane – what a double bill that was. In those days they did not turf you out at the end of the show and I went in at 1pm and came out at about 7pm having watched both films three times.  I was entranced with the glam Burt Lancaster fighting and swashing his buckle and showing off his circus training by trapeze like gymnastics while being chased by the Nasty British soldiers who were all totally inept and fell over at the touch of a finger. Years later when I saw Pirates of the Caribbean I spotted a scene which was a direct lift from this film and said out loud Blimey the director saw the Crimson Pirate.

Check out the trailer and you can see what I mean. Wonderful stuff

Anyway it was great and I have just remembered writing about this some years ago on Random and the link is here.

Knitting – contemplating my next project but in the meantime, at the request of my sister, I am making her a bobble hat. As I have never made one before I have warned her that this could be a dangerous exercise but she is willing to take the risk.  According to the pattern it is very simple and 'even a beginner should be able to do this in about half a day'…..HA!

Au reservoir.