Letter from home

I am feeling depressed this morning. The news is so bad. Not only is there a permitted genocide playing out in Gaza, but there are right wing attacks and demonstrations against asylum seeker hotels. It’s so appalling. I understand why when this country is falling to pieces and people are having such a hard time that they resent people from another country being fed and housed, but why can’t they understand what asylum seekers are fleeing from? Where is the compassion? 

And where are the politicians speaking up and explaining that?

All Keir Starmer says is he is going to STOP THE BOATS and SMASH THE GANGS.  

Why isn’t he explaining who these refugees are and what they have been through?

Where is the positive talk about helping people in distress, about the international law we are signed up to, and the positive contribution that people from other countries make to our national life and culture?

And why aren’t asylum seekers allowed to work and support themselves?

Enough…here is the news from home.

I went on a wonderful three day art course in July and now I have signed up for a three zoom session course in September with an artist whose book I found on the art course, and bought, and am finding very helpful. He is called Paul Bailey and paints semi abstract landscapes in strong colours.

 His book is extremely helpful in that he goes through his process when painting paintings shown in the book - with specific colour choices, and tools used. He is so informative and very clear. 

I’ve decided I’m going to have an exhibition of my latest paintings and I’m excited because an exhibition feels like a party! I hope one or two of my loyal readers will come. It’s going to be the last weekend in September. More details later.

The lovely Jaine (daughter in law) and almost three year old MsX and I went to Chatsworth House Farm and Adventure Playground where MsX had a ball and I enjoyed her having a ball. She lightens my life. All of my grandchildren enhance my life but now the older ones are growing up and away, it’s such a treat to have a brand new little one plop into my life and for her to live so near to us. 

On Thursday Liz and I went out for breakfast and then drove to Minninglow, which is a small but very prominent Derbyshire hill surrounded by a ring of trees. On its summit there is a Neolithic chambered tomb and two Bronze Age barrows.  I have never been before but wherever I cycle or drive around here I can see Minninglow on the skyline. At the top of the hill inside the ring of trees it feels so special, so peaceful. Liz took this picture of me, unawares. 

After I’d got back home and had a nap I went for a bike ride. Oooh, I adore my electric bike. I am so so lucky to have one. I love being out in nature on my own. I attain some kind of peace. Then I come home and read the news and want to be dead.

We are swimming in unripe plums. They are all laid out in the bay window room to ripen on trays on the table and on the floor. We realised last year that we lose fewer to birds and wasps if we pick them like this and let them ripen off the tree. Fortunately they do not behave like those peaches and nectarines you buy from the supermarket which NEVER ripen.

These are just the ones on the table

At the moment we can keep up with eating them as they ripen, but when their ripening speeds up we are going to have to stew and freeze them because Dave doesn’t eat crumbles any more and I have never successfully made plum jam with any kind of flavour.

This is today’s haul - a jam pan full.

I’m in a troubling phase of wondering what my purpose is. Is it to enjoy myself because so many people my age (almost 76) have chronic ailments, and I am fit and healthy?