Saturday 10 September 2022

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



18 comments:

  1. Libraries have two online apps…Libby and Borrow Box..that I can read daily newspapers and magazines for free, plus library books . Just need to belong to a library to use it.

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  2. I too, get free mags on Libby.... all the UK mags for free and a lot of non UK titles too.

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    1. As above, thanks. I've never heard of this. xx

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  3. I'm doing the same as you and watching all of the significant events. I was impressed by the King's first speech and also by his interaction with the public outside of Buckingham Palace. I'll watch the formal proclamation on TV this morning and then may go to see it disseminated to the public locally on Sunday. I've always loved the traditional things and this is a change to see history in the making.

    I seem to have Blogger issues again and some of my regular readers have said that their sidebar links to my blog aren't working even though I continue to publish posts every day. I have the same problem linking back to some of the blogs I regularly read, so just to let you know that I haven't disappeared! xx

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    1. Oh, Blogger!!! I had that for a while and Chris, in particular, found that her blog didn't update. There may have been others too. So very frustrating.

      I did think about going into town today to the Shire Hall but I don't think I will. The Proclamations in London were very impressive. I love it when they give those centuries old costumes an airing.
      xx

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  4. Hi Joy. We have Readly, which I access on my Kindle Fire. My husband uses it frequently and it is a big cost saving on his magazines. I like it but use it less. The magazines available vary as agreements with the app change, but there's always a good selection. Because you can have up to five "reader profiles" on a membership we have added my daughter too, although she doesn't live with us. You may be able to do the same (or even piggyback onto someone elses account!) There's also some educational magazines and articles on there which can be interesting (I'm an ex-teacher too!)
    I hope this is helpful. Best wishes, Lizzie.

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    1. Thanks, Lizzie, that is so very helpful. xx

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  5. I use Readly and think it is excellent value for money, the wide range of magazines is impressive. There really is something for everyone.
    I read it on my phone.

    Hazel

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    1. I think I would find my phone screen far too small. I guess it is a different way of reading. Kindle behaves like a book really. xx

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  6. I use Readly on an amazon fire device- highly recommend it. You can let 4 other people use your account for free as well. My husband, my 2 sons and 1 of their wives use it as well - all for £9.99 a month ( it's only just gone up to that ).

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    1. Yes, I thought that a very reasonable charge in the light of the hard copy cost of the magazines I would want to access. Is it five people and five different appliances or five people on as many appliances as you want, I wonder. Not that it would be an issue for my needs but I would want to access it on Fire, laptop and desktop.
      xx

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  7. Agree about King Charles' s delivery of his speech - he seemed to have a quiet confidence that was good to see and it seems like he'll be putting everything into carrying his late Mothers baton forward.
    Alison in Wales x

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    1. Yes, he did. Later too, at St James' palace, the same air of self confidence as he made his declaration. It was very impressive and I could imagine the scenes in the past when a quick declaration was rather more urgent and less safe than it was yesterday.
      xx

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  8. I watched our Parliament here in Canada recognize Charles as King, and heard God Save the King said for the first time in a very long time on our soil.

    God bless.

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    1. Seventy years, I guess. A whole lifetime away. xx

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  9. I subscribed to readily and thought it was really good but now use kindle unlimited hitch is a similar price but I can get up to 20 books at a time as well as subscribing to up to 50 magazine titles. I think it depends on which magazines you wish to read.

    For reading them I do have a kindle but prefer to read them on the larger screen of my iPad.

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    1. Thanks for all the info. I know what you man about screen sizes. xx

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