The Anger Management Mans teenage son phones from France to thank us for the telescope we gave him. ' I has been lookin at the stars' he tells me in heavily accented English. This call is a not so subtle reminder to see whether we can get him a job this summer. The problem is not that his English is practically non-existent but that work visas are now required. Another of those Brexit complications that keep on appearing. The work visas are based on core skills. I'm not sure, if any, his might be. Some thought will need to be given to this.
Sophie and Angus make it onto a beach bathed in bright sunshine. The sky over the wee cottage was clear when we left but looking back dark, heavy clouds can be seen barreling down on the still sleeping 'Font'.
By the time we've made it home the dark, heavy clouds have shed a scattering of snow. The PONette has probably seen snow half a dozen times in her life. She takes its reappearance as a cause for wonder and celebration. Nothing tastes as good a fresh snow. She wants to give me a 'life is good' kiss but I decline the offer.
The process of downsizing continues. Moving from 1000 m2 to something a fifth that size is more of a jolt than we'd expected. Yesterday we donated some old pictures to a museum. Time for them to be seen by a wider audience. A picture of Charles 1st 'liberated' when he was captured by the Scots army at Newark ( and still in its original frame ), an execution scaffold portrait of Mary Queen of Scots holding the old Scots crown and a ' stay strong in the faith' picture of protestant reformers smuggled into the country during the times of religious persecution. They may form part of a ' be careful what you wish for' exhibition. English monarchs were so keen to get rid of troublemakers - Scots ,Quakers and other non-conformists - that they shipped them off to the American colonies ( and Jamaica ) in large numbers. Come 1776 that means that there were generations of ' tartan riff raff' in the Carolinas, Maine and Georgia that had little love for King George. Their presence had unintended consequences.
Not sure where London would fit in this :https://twitter.com/ev/status/1633158866757373954
Pay to have your children sit elsewhere ? What is the worst flight for parents with children? The snooty ( and always full ) diplomats Washington to London shuttle on a Friday night or any weekend Kennedy to London Investment Bankers special . British Airways always dealt with this by corralling 'little ones' and their parents into the back seats of a 747 near the wash rooms where they could be neither seen nor heard. Canapes up front, squalor in the rear : https://twitter.com/TheresaAFallon/status/1633113898566967300
8 comments:
It takes a strong mind to part with pictures such as those shown.
As for dressing appropriately for one's environment - Eskimo-style is what's required in Aberdeen right now...
Cheers! Gail.
PS Any other news from France profonde?
Love the last photo of Sophie . a girl in her true element!
I've read that there is a shortage of fruit pickers in the UK - perhaps the Anger Management's son would give it a try? It's doubtful that fluent English is essential.
How good that others can share your paintings - at least they are worthy of Museum status. unlike most people's family art treasures.
That looks like enough snow for the winter. I had a University classmate in FLorida who flew to London most weeks on Thursday or Friday night and back to Orlando on Sunday. Daddy was on the BA board.
I hope you'll show us the paintings in the upright and vertical position. They look interesting and beautiful. And how generous of you to give them to a museum for public viewing.
Those divesting decisions have to be incredibly difficult.
I always marvel at the absolute joy all dogs appear to experience at the sight of snow. I seem to recall when the portrait of the reformers first made its way to the Rickety Old Farmhouse.
Does Sophie rate fresh snow higher than a Jaffa cake or bacon roll?
How could ne refuse a kiss from that muzzle?!?
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