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 The headlines say the UK is investing £4.7 billion in defence. I call it warfare. Why aren’t we investing in diplomacy? Why aren’t we investing in STOPPING a war from happening?

In Gaza, horrors continue. This is an excerpt from the Refuser Solidarity Network’s latest bulletin (RFN is an organisation that supports conscientious objectors in Israel):

In Colorado, there is good news. Jewish Voice for Peace reports the success of their support for a Democratic candidate who cares about what is happening to Palestinians. (For your info, AIPAC is a very powerful pro-Israel lobbying group)

Here at Hepworth Towers, we call a genocide a genocide and we don’t believe in war.

And our garden is taking over. I call it a garden, but it looks more like an abandoned park, or even a meadow. It is so untidy, with clumps of flowers flopping and draping everywhere. It’s a wonderful exuberant mess. But also a little disreputable. Imagine all my borders looking like this one. 

The sweet peas are flowering, and the wildflower patches I sowed are also starting to bloom. The gooseberries want picking - a job I hate because of the prickles - and the blackcurrants are ripening so soon it will be jam time.

On the painting front, I have four paintings in an exhibition in Ashbourne Town Hall.

Photo by Valerie Dalling

They are all for sale, but I won’t find out if any have sold until I go in Saturday for the last day of the exhibition, when I’m on duty as a steward. Fingers crossed.

The last thing I want to say is…I have just read a wonderful book, (well actually I listened to it on Audible while I was painting and I LOVED it) - The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans.

Do any of you have any book recommendations?