Sunday 2 May 2021

Is it really Maypr

 How quickly May has arrived and what a strange April it has been.   The driest April since records began and more frosts than any other April since records began.   And now, in typical Bank Holiday fashion tomorrow threatens to be very wet, windy and cold.   And just to underline all that - the glass just inside my front door shows a fine day tomorrow - it has gone up during the day today.   Is there any accounting for British weather?

It is now eight o'clock on Sunday evening, the wind has dropped, there is a low sun shining and the sky is palest blue.   It is very chilly out there and the central heating is on.

I did make myself go for a walk round the block this morning.   I didn't feel like it but as it is the day my carer doesn't come in the month I knew if I didn't go out I wouldn't see anybody to speak to.   As it was I chatted to a man in his seventies out for his morning walk.   He watched me down the slope of the drive - not sure what he would have done if Priscilla had run away with me.  (She has good brakes) and we chatted for a while.   Then later on my walk I met M, a neighbour, on her way home  from chapel and we had a chat.   My son also rang and we chatted for an hour, so quite a chatty day after all.

That is the sum total of my goings on today and I have just realised it is Zoom Book Group in the morning.  We are all taking a book we have read over the Summer which has made an impression on us.   I am taking 'Shuggie Bain' The Booker Prize Winner, which I thoroughly enjoyed from the first page to the last and which I can honestly say made a profound impression on me.  So I shall go now and make a few notes for morning.   See you tomorrow......

22 comments:

Heather said...

Enjoy your Zoom group meeting - something to look forward to. I have been very busy this morning and actually sat out in the sun for a short time this afternoon. I thought I had better as we are forecast rain for tomorrow. What ever the weather does now, we know we are progressing toward summer.

The bike shed said...

I must read Shuggie Bain.. I have such a reading pile; real and virtual, to get through... I hope I never stop reading and writing.
PS. Oscar is a whippet - fabulously fast and my constant companion.

terry said...

I recently re read "Shuggie Bain" and enjoyed it just as much. It is the sort of book that stays with a person. I am glad you got outside for your walk and spoke to a few people today.

Chris said...

I'm still waiting to get Shuggie Bain from the library and can't wait after hearing your positive review.

Bonnie said...

I'm happy to hear you had several nice conversations with people today including your son. I hope your evening was enjoyable.

Tom Stephenson said...

Book recommendation if you haven't already- Ridley Walker by Russell Hoban.

The Furry Gnome said...

You're writing thise at 8.00 and I'm reading it at 7.30! Weird!

Cro Magnon said...

I've covered my Tomato plants for the past two nights, but I needn't have. We were warned that there could be frost, but without cause. I think our low temperatures have now gone. Thank goodness!

Jim said...

Mrs. Jim's book club changed from being at the library to being on Zoom.
I left this yesterday on your May 1 post but will add it here.
"Nice to meet you, Weave. The Ausies use the term for us, "OBE" for "Over Bloody Eighty." I'll be 88 in October."
..

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I see it's been an expensive April too - my electricity bill usually goes down as I use less heat in April, but this year it hasn't dipped much at all. I keep meaning to read Shuggie Bain so thanks for the nudge.

Rachel Phillips said...

Have you ever not liked a book Weave?

Rachel said...

First time of posting Pat but I always read. I'm reading Shuggie Bain at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it but oh my word its harrowing at times.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Rachel - a lot of it is autobiographical which makes it even more harrowing - but good to know the author is now very happy and living in the US

The Weaver of Grass said...

Rachel - yes I am often not keen but usually try to sruggle through. Occasionally I givee up these days

The Weaver of Grass said...

Jim - from one OBE to another - welcome.

Derek Faulkner said...

Pat, I seem to live in a different universe from you and your commenters when it comes to reading material. I do believe that in all the time I've been reading your blog, I've yet to have heard of a book before you mention it - oh yes, just one, Monty Don's latest one.

Rachel Phillips said...

Me too Derek. I switched almost exclusively to biographies several years ago such was my constant disappointment with fiction.

Derek Faulkner said...

I agree Rachel, two thirds of the books I read are autobiographies or biographies.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Reading is such a person thing Derek and Rachel. My favourite of all is probably Travel Books - I have recently re read (for I think the third time) Michael Palin's 'Sahara' - I never tire of reading it. I also love books on Gardening like the one you mention here Derek - which I dip into most evenings. But I suppose my first love is fiction as long as it is what I consider to be a 'good book' whatever that means.
My Book Group - eight of us and we meet monthly - have such different tastes and it means that we read books we would otherwise never read - last month we read Marcel Pagnol's 'My Father's Glory and my Mother's Castle' in transslation from the French. I had never heard of it - and thank goodness M in the Book Group chose it - otherwise I would never have read it. And it was quite one of the most beautiful books I have ever read.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks to you all. How we do get little discussions going and in these lockdown days how stimulating I find it. So thank you so much for contributing.

thelma said...

Could you not start your own book club Pat? One of the problems is of course we all have different tastes. Tasker has one answer by starring what he reads.

Karen said...

I just bought Shuggie Bain. I'm not too worried about the dialogue as my maternal grandmother was Scottish as is my brother in law. Get a pint or three in him and his accent is crazy!