A Few Green Leaves

Here are some beautiful Dalmatian bellflowers from our gardens here.  Taken by Col.  I though at first it was Aubretia, one of my father's favourites - he always had some in his gardens.  And I have named a character in my upcoming Disraeli Hall Aubretia.

I am re-reading "A Few Green Leaves" by Barbara Pym - her last book I believe.  It did indeed mark the end of a fictional era in that Esther Clovis dies.  And a book I might be reading is "Darkness Descending" by Ken Jones . I just saw his story in a series called "I Shouldn't be Alive".  And, indeed, after what happened to him... no, he should not be alive.  But I am very glad he is.

We spoke to Jacks today - things go on with her much the same - it seems an age ago that we used to see each other all the time.  Jean is back and we have had a couple of phone chats. I also phoned Lilian ex of Arabee.  We like to talk about old times now and again - its hard to explain them to anybody else, even if they were interested.

She is also someone who believes in God and who respects the Bible - and I am trying tactfully to get across to her the urgency of the times we live in.  Didn't Jesus himself compare them to "the days of Noah"?

I am having to take anti-inflammatories and strong painkillers now, which is slowing me down a lot. And I was slow enough to start with. Anyway, I did manage to make an apple crumble for Captain B today, and the Sandwich Fairy has visited the fridge, as his two weekend packed lunches are safely in there.  I am trying to reply to Kathryn's lovely letter, and have got it started but its all going so slowly.

Torrential rain this morning.  The Green nearly became The Lake.  It is real humid thunderstormy weather.