Saturday

Morning, everyone.  As so often at the moment, it's a grey start to the day, none too warm but not really chilly and it will probably brighten up in a while.  We might even see sunshine, you never know. 

Thank you all very much for all your advice and info regarding the Kindle Fire.  Of course, typically, as soon as I talk about replacing my Paperwhite, the thing starts fully changing again!  However, I rather fancy getting something a bit more that simply an e-reader.  I am considering subscribing to Readly which is a magazine subscription service - it would be a saving compared with what I currently pay for my monthly magazines - and I would need something like a Fire for that.  Do any of you use Readly?  What do you think?
Anyway, I am looking into the various choices I have so on Black Friday, I know what I want.

Looking back to my last chatty log, on Thursday, just to say Chris was very happy to accept that pot of plum jam so that's one down, two unopened and one that I will be working through.  It's really very tasty.

Chris reminded me that it is only a month until her first grandchild is expected so I must get started on the crochet blanket, the proper, non-practice one.  I'll take it with me when I go up to the Peak District; I can work on it in the evenings if we don't go out.

Yesterday was quite a busy day in a nice way.
As always, the SW meeting was good.  It was a full group time as people were expecting it although Jen would have made it weigh and go, had people wanted that.
Then Sharon turned up and chopped my hair so I feel neat and tidy again, thank goodness.
And finally, the cleaners worked their usual magic.  What a lucky lady I am, to be sure.

I watched the new King's speech and was hugely impressed.  Gone were all the ums and ahs and uncertain word choices, gone were the facial grimaces that are partly inherited from his father and partly, I think, nervous in nature; he spoke clearly, simply and movingly, showing he really has moved into his inheritance in more than just a material way.

I also watched the service at St Paul's.  I suppose it's been in planning for quite a long time but it was well done so soon after the queen's death.

Now we enter a period of official 'national mourning'.  To me, that feels perfectly appropriate.  It doesn't mean we, as individuals, have to mourn, but as a collective nation, it is right to officially mark the death of the most significant woman in our collective life and, arguably, in the world.  Seventy years is a very long employment record!

And, to be honest, Charles is three years older than I - and is just starting the most important and difficult job of his whole life.  Would I go back to teaching now?  Not a snowball's chance . . . 
I guess he has no choice really but even so, it is very impressive.  No taking life easy, no taking the foot off the accelerator, not now and not for the rest of his life, barring serious illness.

Moving on - today is a quiet day.  There's nothing in the diary, I've just finished off the ironing and I have a blanket to start.  I might stroll out into the country and see if the blackberries are better after the rain.  They might be.
I've just remembered that I have sheets to wash.  Unexpectedly, the cleaners changed my sheets for me yesterday.  I didn't ask them to and wasn't expecting it but what a nice surprise.

And I will be keeping the TV on so I can catch significant stuff - like the proclamation at ten.  It's living history and I want to stay aware and feel just a bit involved in my own small way.

How do you feel about things?  xx