Pleasure

You may recall I mentioned Tamasin's birthday.  I didn't go to her party in Adelaide and look what I missed.

cake by Willowa, the Cake Queen

feast by Tamasin and friends

Reading this book was some consolation.  It's quirky and in some ways doesn't make much sense but I like the idea of a detective who tracks down the meals and flavours from our past that still haunt us.

This turned out to be the best book I've read in a long time.  Admittedly I read it in translation but is so simply written and consists of 2 stories 100 years apart.   Of course it helps that it is about a dog and it's in rural France.  The story set in 2017 explores themes close to my heart.  The story set in a small village during the First World War is gripping and for the first time made me realise how difficult it was for women to take over the farm work when their men went off to war.  It hadn't occurred to me that farming implements were designed to fit and suit men's bodies.  This made their use by women extra difficult and, of course, they still had all the domestic and caring duties they had before the war.  There's a lot to think about in both stories.

Here's Jill PD on Pat's new sofa.  I love that Pat, who is 20 years older than me...,  splashed out on the sofa of her dreams.  Steve's Mum always wanted a pink leather couch but would never buy one because it 'wasn't worth it' at her age.  I have to say that, as a dog lover, Pat has covers on hand so that dogs can sit comfortably, thus you don't get to see the full glory of the sofa.  Pat is thrilled with it and feels it is very Noel Coward.  I suggested a grand piano next.

Now a little surprise.  I never thought that going to Breast Screen could be a pleasure but in Rosny it was.

the lovely windows in the waiting room

unnecessary but beautiful detailing

The receptionist was charming and funny, the medico taciturn but calmly professional.  Even the clamping didn't seem so bad.

Oh and, later on, the results were good.

🥐🗼H A P P Y   B A S T I L L E   D A Y🥐🗼