Tuesday 6 November 2018

Progress report.

My hedge is all down, including the thick trunks, and all is carted away to a bonfire pile on a nearby farm.   My gardener has dug the ground over well and is busy measuring up at the moment so that he can go and order the wood for the replacement fence which he will probably make in my garage on wet days in the next week or so.   He insists it is 'not a big job' and I must say that once he gets stuck in he really does make it look so easy.

My friend and neighbour next door is a keen gardener and her garden is lovely.   Now I can see it at least until the new fence is in place and it is lovely to do so.   Also, the amount of light the removal of the hedge has let in is amazing (the 
 hedge was high and was a dark green coniferous hedge).

I have been out to our fortnightly lunch when twelve or so of us go to our local meeting place and eat lunch together.   We have lots of laughs and all get on so well together that it is an enjoyable occasion every time.   Today it was pasta with meat balls followed by apple crumble and custard and a cup of coffee - and all for five pounds.   Can;t be bad and all home cooked. 

Now I am back home, I have turned the central heating up higher.  The thermostat was set at twenty but it is quite a warm day today and when I came in the bungalow felt quite cold - now it is snug and warm again.  

I suppose we are all waiting 'with baited breath' for the mid-term election results.   Although we are across the pond they will have an influence on life here - and around the world.   The future looks quite scary unless something changes I think.   But do we really know what is happening?   As with everything, we only know what we are told. 

Here, the really sad and sickening news is that someone made a model of the Grenfell Tower and actually burned it on a bonfire last night (Bonfire Night) - at least the people concerned went to the Police Station when people began to complain.   Did they not realise the terrible hurt they would be doing to the survivors?

These things and also the stabbings on the streets of London - where are things heading?   What sort of society are we making for ourselves when young men resort to this.  Sorry to be so negative today but that is how it all looks to me.

23 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

Be surprised if we are all waiting with "bated breath"for the results of some election in America, or at least I certainly ain't. I wonder how these youngsters that go around stabbing each other would fancy being put in the army and sent to face various enemies in the Middle East, I somehow doubt that they would come across as very brave at all.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I think it's important to remember that, according to latest estimates, there are 8,787,892 people in London. Most of them do not go around stabbing people or posting appalling videos.

angryparsnip said...

There is good and bad all around us.

cheers, parsnip and badger

Rachel Phillips said...

Don't believe everything the television wants you to believe. Best not to have it on in the mornings. Start your day with a crossword puzzle instead. Miss the news at 6 and watch Homes Under the Hammer. Nobody waiting for anything here with baited breath except for tonight's Spurs result.

galant said...

What a lovely day you have had, Pat, the garden coming along nicely, and the meal with friends. Sorry it has been blighted by the awful news and I disagree that we should not look at the News in the morning. We need to be aware of what is going on even though a lot is truly awful and,for the most part, we are unable to do anything about it.
Margaret P

Rachel Phillips said...

Weave is well aware of what's going on because she reads the newspaper each day. Nothing worse than television news programmes telling you what they think the world is thinking when half of the world isn't actually thinking it. And just think, I am cheerful because I don't watch news on tv. I do read the newspaper which is altogether less intrusive than the tv.

Wilma said...

Although I love a good hedge, sometimes they are just not the right thing in the right place. I am sure your garden will be much brighter and more spacious looking. Like Rachel, I prefer to read my news. We don't even have a TV. I think I would feel mentally and emotionally besieged if I were living in the US and watched TV. BUT - I am keeping a close eye on the election and am hopeful for changes for the better. Enjoyed hearing about your nice day.

Derek Faulkner said...

An interesting opinion but what exactly makes the written word any more believable than the spoken word.

Lynn Marie said...

I've just voted in my little town in Maine. It's always so pleasant. The election volunteers do a good job organizing and keeping things on track. People line up and wait patiently and chat to each other - but never about politics as that would be considered rude on election day itself. It's such a contrast with what we see on the news, what we're voting about and what's on the line. I guess, more than anything, I want to preserve the small-town, New England-style democracy I've had the privilege of experiencing all my life, and I want others to be able to experience it as well. I feel like it's under threat now like never before, and I hope and pray my votes today will help make a difference in our future.

Bonnie said...

How nice that the hedge removal went as quickly as it did. I bet you do have a lot more light now. We just returned from voting and I am hoping we will see a big change in our Congress. It appears that the voter turnout has been excellent all over the country and hopefully that is a good sign. It took us over an hour to vote due to the line and the very long ballot. We'll be watching the returns tonight.

Rachel Phillips said...

I didn't say it did Derek, but I said it is less intrusive. It is less sensationalised. It is also easier to pick and choose what interests one in a quiet manner.

Jan said...

We have voted and will watch the returns tonight. Whatever happens is whatever happens-it should be interesting.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

The world terrifies me I must say

Derek Faulkner said...

Thanks for your answer Rachel

Heather said...

There are hedges and hedges, and a conifer hedge in a small garden is not a good thing. I was amazed at the transformation to our garden when our neighbour got rid of theirs. So much light and plants began to flourish when they had struggled before.
I always have to remind myself, when the news reports of yet another sick person's activity, that there are more decent folk than sick ones.
As for anything to do with politics - we can only vote and hope for the best.

Librarian said...

Your gardener sounds like he really knows what he's about!
The mid-term election is closely watched from Germany, too. Historically, the US have been an important partner/friend/supporter for this country for decades, and whenever relationships between our heads of state are strained, we see it with much regret and hope for improvement.
Just the other day, I read an article in my weekly paper about how much fewer good news ever make the headlines (in print and on the screen); good things DO happen all the time, we are just hardly ever told about them.

thelma said...

Well the news is out now, and the bonus is that it has pushed our national news to one side. I recommend listening to radio 3 in the morning, or Classic (if you can get your ear past the adverts).
Envy your multi-skilled gardener by the way, change is always exciting ;)

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Tom Stephenson said...

The trouble with modern media is that bad news gets here so quickly. At least you had to wait 24 hours to read about something in a newspaper, and even longer if it happened abroad before telegraph.

elf said...

Our state's vote percent went up astronomically from usual mid-term ... I think 7x as many voted as usual ... but we still went red. I think every last liberal turned out to send the bastards home, and the white nationalists and their polite, "civil" little boot-lickers knew we were coming and turned out too ... and they outnumber us. People were throwing Nazi salutes in the streets of my home city last night. It's no good. Weaver, world, I'm so sorry.

EM Griffith said...

Jenn, I'm not sure where you live and am surprised something like that didn't make headline news across America. That's the sort of thing that does make the news. Midterm results are mostly in. Dems won back the House. Some voters are happy. Some less so. But in 2 years there's always another election. I've avoided most news of any sort for the past month. Standing by a cemetery plot freshly laid with sod puts all of it in a different perspective. Especially when you know the plot next to it will look the same before long. Our parents are dying. Literally. And I'm old enough to know the political pendulum always swings. Have a little faith. It'll swing whichever way you want it to before long.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks everyone. I shall not watch Breakfast TV for a while - I will stick to The Times and see if it makes me any more optimistic about the future.

Derek Faulkner said...

Could also avoid blogs that enjoy regular discussions on international politics, as well Pat.