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Beginning to get my Mojo back again .. but oh boy this has been a tough 3-4 weeks .. had a week of not being able to sleep .. no more than 10 hours sleep altogether in that week .. followed by days of sleeping 12-15 hours at a time .. and now 'sort of' back on track with my sleep .. back to 4-5 hours at a time .. but still at the wrong time of day .. or should that be night hahahaha
Yesterday the sun shone for about 3-4 hours .. the first proper sunshine since Christmas .. it gladdens the heart and makes you feel 'perky' again .. heheh All those 'gloomy' snow filled days ... then we had about 4 days last week of continual rain .. I just couldn't get myself moving .. couldn't find any energy .. just sat and watched some old half remembered movies .. half heartedly played games on the Internet ..
.... and started 'Spring cleaning' .. well my version anyway .. I decided to get some glasses down from a top shelf in the kitchen cupboards .. I thought while I was there I would wash the shelf .. which lead to taking everything out of the cupboard .. piling it all on the worktops .. then not having the energy (or motivation) to carry on .. then I looked for something in the bedroom ... leaving clothes and things strewn all over the bed .. which were still there come time I wanted to get in bed ... so dumped them all on the floor in a 'messy pile' ....
..... I fully intended to sort them as soon as I woke up ... but when I woke up I decided before I put them away I'd get a couple of storage bags out of my store cupboard .. yes of course .. they were right at the back ... so ... by now most of the kitchen things are out of the cupboards and on the worktops ... half the things from the bedroom drawers are stacked on the floor ... and most of the storage crates from the store cupboard are stacked in the lounge ..
... and I just couldn't face it all ... so went back to bed .. !
Since then I have been slowly sorting out a bit of this and a bit of that ... and a sense of order is beginning to happen again ... I should know better than to do all that ... but that's the way my brain works when it's 'not at it's best' ... I start things .. then move on to something else .. then can't find the energy to clear up the 'mess' I've made ..
I've definitely noticed over the years that the more 'chaotic' my brain is the more 'messy' my home seems to be .. and I don't seem to notice the 'chaos' until my brain is functioning better ..
Anyway .. I know the bad days of snow, gloomy half light days and very cold weather are behind me now .. or at least they had better be, don't want another session like that ... I'm restoring order to the chaos both in my home and brain .. and I feel 'up to it' again ..
By the time Spring comes round and everyone else is just thinking of tackling the 'big clean' ... I shall be just finishing mine hahaha Because now I have started clearing out the cupboards and drawers I may as well carry on ... but a bit at a time not all in a big messy heap ...
.. it's been a very odd month ... achingly long days of darkness, snow, cold ... but somehow all gone by in a flash of forgetfullness too .... and yes, I'm feeling much better now ... got some energy coming back and finding my Mojo again
YAY ... yesterday I went outside my home for the first time since Christmas Eve .... had a 'mini' panic attack just as I was leaving the driveway .. it would have been very easy to go back .. but I knew I MUST go on .. or it would be even harder the next time .. it's not a serious problem .. just the winter gloomimess of cold, snow, ice, rain, dark skies, regular winter 'deppression' ...
I'd been 'fighting' with myself this last week ... 'go out' ... 'won't' ... 'you must' .. 'can't' ... 'why not' .... 'because err, I just can't' .. 'GO' .. 'NO' ... hahahahaha ... bloomin' fibro .. thinks it was going to be 'boss' of me .. but I showed it ... I DID go out ... so there ... nah na na nah nah ... anyway .. that's all in the past now .. once I've been out I know I am 'over' the winter blues again for another year ...
Been sorting out a huge pile of 'rubbish' ... where does it all come from ... why am I still hoarding stuff .. I reckon I have filled up one of those BIG blue industrial sized bins all on my own this week .. yards and yards of plastic packing material (I am obsessed with keeping all bits of useful packing materials) .. swathes of bubble wrap ... a BIG bag of those polystyrene packing chips ... all gone to be recycled or reused .. half a dozen 'odd matched' mugs ... the workmen had those for their t-break use .. 'that'll stop the wife nagging us, thanks love!' ... a set of cheap but very heavy drinks glasses been split up between 3 people who only wanted an odd glass or two each ...
Funny thing is though .. I don't seem to have any more room than I did before
Hi, Patootie, sorry to have been away for so long but we had to go over to Exeter last week for a few days and somehow I'm still scrambling to get organised again.
Really sorry that the winter has been so rough!! I was shocked to think you hadn't been able to get out for fully a month----but I guess between the weather and the fibro it's been very limiting. Even without fibro, I've had hardly any exercise for the lats 6 weeks cos it's been so treacherous underfoot. But WITH the fibro it sounds like you had quite a nasty time. Give yourself a giant gold star for getting back out there, Patootie! Are you able to ride your beautiful new steed, or is it still to cold for that? Have you been able to get back to that super italian bakery?
I do admire you for undertaking spring cleaning at a time like this!! You have to be the most organised person I've ever known! Although i also know the feeling of 'how can there be a pile there? I just threw out three bags of junk from that room!'. Maybe it multiplies in the night.
I was thinking of you a few days ago cos I went to the first meeting of this mediaeval Latin reading group at Leiden University. There were about 20 people (which is a real tribute to the young German don, since this is a wholly voluntary group, no credits or exams or anything) and we are supposed to read a 1500 line poem called Waltharius, composed between 850 and 1000. Being an ignorant peasant I've never even heard of it, but it was really interesting to hear him talk about the various theories about when and by whom it was written, and the ways and reasons that mediaeval Latin differes from classical Latin. You would have loved it! We had to do the first 10 lines in class: and I was relieved that, while this is right at the edge of what i can manage,I did know enough to get the gist of what was there. We're supposed to prepare 100 lines a week.....that should take me only, oh, about 15 hours....!!! But just being forced to do it is really what i need.
I meant to tell you lots of other things, but it's midnight here, and I'm falling asleep, so I'll be like Sheherezade and make you wait for the next instalment
))) Sleep well, Patootie! xx
Walthurius (originally thought to be by Ekkehard [most likely only edited the grammar], but research since 1941 has determined that the author was probably a Bavarian, one Geraldus, or Gerald) .. http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/waltarius1.html
Flippin' 'eck it goes on a bit doesn't it .. hahah Lots of interesting stuff about the poem here .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltharius#Manuscripts
And highly complicated by being a poem in Latin about Germanic heroes, and written in Aquitane which was then a Spanish province (The Latin hexameters in which the poem is written are based on Virgil) .. and was possibly written around the time of Charlemagne founder of the Carolingian empire. How complicated is that for starters !
Isn't it marvellous ... so much info is known of this time .. meticulous records .. heroic deeds wriiten down in full .. very much drawn to detail and correctness ...
And here's a scoop for you .. Walthurius was translated and discussed at length for his dissertation by a young man called Abram Ring .. he is in the public domain as saying he is keen to help anyone with translations and the like of Mediaeval Latin works ... he's even written a Windows application to aid translation of Latin Text .. Lector Latinus ... his email address abram.ring@fandm.edu
Blimey .. you could spend years just researching this one poem (and of course many have done just that) .. I've read a short synopsis of the poems story .. all gripping stuff .. haven't found a full length translation yet .. lots of potential translations but all leading to dead ends .. heheh
Well you have certainly taken on a BIG task ... but I can hear the enthusiasm and energy in your post .. so very good luck to you .. it IS a very good story too so you shouldn't get bored along the way ..
Ohh .. and forgot to say ... I am completely the opposite of 'organised' .. I am sooooo disorganised you wouldn't believe ... it just takes me soooooo long to do anything that I have to start months ahead
I get started .. I stop for a week .. move on to another task .. remember the first thing and go back to it .. my life is a constant never ending circle of starting, stopping, remembering, going back to .. and restarting .. rarely do I ever 'finish' anything as it's time to get started all over again ... hahahahaha ...
Been out on Black Bess a few times now .. need to find my motivation again ... been too cold to go all the way to the Bakers .. but I will soon as the weather changes .. and I am planning a short trip to a Farm shop type place this week .. there I've said it now so I will have to go .. my car is being serviced tomorrow .. drat, just remembered that and I haven't cleaned the car out .. I think I have a mini rubbish bag of screen wipes and stuff that should have come out .. better set the alarm and get up early in the morning and pop out and check .. good job you reminded me of that ... !!
The farm shop looks lovely and is only a few miles away .. so I will be planning that for Tues or Weds perhaps ... http://www.gogmagoghills.com/html/menu.html .. and there is a coffee shop too ... just a bit too far to go on the scooter sadly ... and along a main road with no pathway I'm told .. but if I like it I can always drive there while I still have my car (don't want to give it up, but I ought to, I suppose) ... or without a car it's a short taxi ride .. !
And .. I MUST plan a holiday somewhere ... I just don't know what I want to do or where to go ... it's so hard to plan something as major as a holiday in advance ... bad weeks do crop up unexpectedly .. and I just couldn't manage on my own on a bad week .. I'd just sit in the bedroom and not go out hahaha But I will give it my best shot and see what I can come up with.
Oh Patootie, you're going to be a great encouragement to me, I can see that! Much of what you wrote is exactly what the lecturer told us in the first, background session. (One of the more piquant aspects of this is that these lectures are in Dutch. Luckily my Dutch is pretty good, so I don't have to translate into English to understand, but I did have to decide whether to prepare my translations in Dutch or English. Since primarily I work in English, I decided to translate from Latin into English. Once I have it in English I can translate on the spot into Dutch if I need to.) Although we were told that Geraldus was not the author of the poem, but probably just the person who wrote the (later) dedication that occupies the first 10 lines or so.
It does sound like rather a fun story, doesn't it? Plenty of dramatic moments, but (rather unusually for sagas, in my limited experience) a happy ending where everyone goes home friends!
I'm glad you've got out on Black Bess at least a little. It has been SOOO bliddy cold this winter that few of us have got out all that much. But your Gog Magog shop looks like great fun---and rather treacherous. Farm shops tend to have all sorts of seductive, home made stuff that is so obviously pure and traditional that it would be positively unpatriotic not to eat it!!
Incidentally, I was thinking of you today because I've been wrestling with a rather odd problem and you always seem to know about such things. A friend gave me a bergamot, and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. In the end I decided to use the juice for salad dressing (which was very good, especially when toned down a bit with other citrus juice) and to preserve the rind in sugar (like you do for citron). This turned out to be something of a palaver, since you first cook it for about 3 hours til soft, then you boil it in a light syrup, let it cool, leave for 24 hours and then repeat the boiling and cooling 2 or 3 more times, then dry it out very slowly in an airing cupboard or very low oven. In order not to waste my efforts I also did some lemon peel and orange peel at the same time, and I must say the orange peel (the only one I've tasted yet) is really good!
But anyway, here's my question: What would YOU do with a bergamot????
Right, I need to go slog away at the Waltherius. It's VERY slow going, and I have to do 100 lines! (which will take me all week....)
Goodness .. a bergamot ..
I would expect to find it in my Earl Grey tea of course .. and the even more lovely Lady Grey tea .. and it's often used as a fragrance in perfumes and other toiletries .. and I did know you can use it in marmalades and jellies ...
Special because the oil is an anti depressant .. (okay, so I've had to look this up) A gentle yet powerfully effective oil - uplifting, balancing, refreshing and calming for the mind, body and spirit.
Essential information: This delightfully versatile, delicately scented oil incorporates numerous healing properties, which will help you relax and restore your vitality by relieving stress and tension, building your immunity and restoring your physical, emotional and spiritual balance.
Description of aroma: A light, delicate, refreshing top note, a little like lemon and orange with slightly floral and balsamic overtones.
Alternative suggestions for use: Can be used as an insect repellent, and apparently keeps cats away from plants.
... Well any old dried orange peel left in the garden is supposed to stop cats from digging in your prized flower beds ... 
The I consulted Wikipedia ... which of course I should have done in the first place .. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange
I then searched for a luscious recipe to give you .. ohh myyy .. this could be the one .. Bergamot Orange Creams ... yummylicious sounding ... !
http://www.hungrycravings.com/2010/01/bergamot-orange-dreams.html
And I found this ... http://www.recipe4living.com/recipes/gentle_rain_body_mist.htm
Blimey ... vodka in your perfume .. !
It looks like you could use it in most recipes that call for citrus fruits .. !
Mmm Bergamot Liquer ... http://www.calabroliqueur.com/calabro/en/liqueurs/Bergamot-liqueur.html
Apparently the bergamot fruit is mainly grown in a very small area of Calabria in Italy ... !
Sigh .. now you've got me wanting one to try hahahaha !!!!
Went to a Farm Shop on Tuesday ....
It was lovely ... just looked like some 'clapped out' old farm sheds to start with .. then you go in through the door and in front of you is a wonderful selection of succulent juicy looking fruit, vegetables that are bursting with goodness and vitality .. I can't quite describe this .. but I felt .. 'invigorated' just looking at it all ...
I got one of the lovely little wicker baskets that you use to put your purchases in and started wandering around ...
Lots of wonderful little pots and tins, jars etc of quirky concoctions and delightful bags of organic deliciousness abounded .. pastas, cous cous, sauces, pickles, breakfast treats .. frozen organic meals .. luscious organic ice creams .. butchery counter had a good selection of home made sausages .. dry cured bacon .. and all the meat had that wonderful 'just butchered' texture and fresh firmness ... pork chops from old fashioned breeds pigs .. mince that looked like best steak .. then some rather splendid cakes ... beautiful crusty bread .. barn laid eggs that you chose yourself from the large basket .. (ohh myyy that was scary I was dreading dropping one hahaha ... ) ..
The butcher was more than happy to spend some time with me telling me about his pigs, how they know exactly what goes into the pigs .. and how lovely the meat will be .. if there was any cut of meat he hadn't got he would be very happy to select a joint and cut it for me .. he couldn't have been more helpful ...
Then I went across to the little coffee shop .. a large rectangular room .. chill counter with astonishingly enormous cakes, rolls, baked biscuits, brownies etc ... a selection of nice fresh rolls (I had a ham salad with cheese, utterly delicious and ohhh the ham .. it just melted in the mouth) .. and a cappuchino coffee .. nothing was over expensive .. the teas are all leaf tea .. (no nasty commercial dry tea bags) .. the coffee was one of the best I have had for years ... really smooth, fragrant and a good strength without being at all bitter .. the seating area had a large wooden table that would seat 8 with ease .. then 3 square wooden tables for 4 people .. and a breakfast type bar with high stools for the more nimble and agile .. and all lovely farmhousey type wooden chairs !!
The whole place had a very happy atmosphere .. all the staff were friendly, polite, helpful and gave genuine attention to detail .. I told them I was on a 'reccy mission' for my sheltered housing scheme .. and they were more than happy to sit down with me and discuss how much help we might need, how many wheelchairs etc ... and that furniture could soon be moved around to allow folk room to get sat down if needs be ... honestly they just couldn't have been more helpful and interested in me and my requests ... it all seemed very genuine, just an 'old fashioned' desire to please and give good service ... !
I got myself some bread, eggs, two lots of sausages, two juicy (no bone) plump pork eye chops, a small lemon madeira cake ... (but forgot all about going back to the shop for my fruit and veg !!) .. and I bought a wondrous coffee cake back to share with the other residents at the next days coffee morning ... it was absolutely yummylicious ... moist, eggy rich, butter icing, yet not over sweet or sickly at all .. it cut like a dream and from the one medium cake we got 20 decent portions .. (the cake was a good 6" high, so a small slice was more than enough).
100% good comments about the cake .. it suited everyone .. then loads of questions .. when was I going again? .. can we have a trip to the place? .. it really got people talking and I could see the 'gleam of interest' light up in folks eyes .. yes we will be arranging a trip there very soon .. I am soooo pleased everyone seems so keen and eager to get the trip sorted ... sadly quite a lot of the over 80's never seem to go anywhere .. they dislike long drives or sitting still for too long .. and as this place is literally just 3 miles away ... it will be perfect
WELL DONE PATOOTIE!!! That sounds like a fab farm shop---than which there is no nicer place. We have a lovely one near our home in Cobham, it's one of the things I still miss. And your description...well, I think you hshould offer it to that shop for use in their advertising! It's the kind of place that is truly a source of inspiraiton, isn't it? Even just looking at the different jams and chutneys and things always gives me new ideas for things to do. And next time you'll have to get back to the fruit and veg---it's probably just as good as everything else.
But what a truly marvellous idea to make the connection with your residence! It sounds like a place your fellow-resuidents would hugely enjoy, and one that would be happy to welcome them! how typical of you to make the link there, and to follow it through! It might be someplace that your group could visit regularly through the year, as the seasons change. Brilliant initiative, can't wait to hear more about how it goes! (You're definitely back in fighting form, aren't you?!?
))
But I'm getting better at it, and it really is very absorbing. I sat down at 5 pm to do an hour, and when I looked I was shocked to find that it was 7.30 and everyone was prowling around waiting for dinner! And the really nice thing is that once I get good enough at it, there are so many things I want to read! I looked in my Reading Mediaeval Latin book, and there are excerpts from all sorts of things, including an account of the sinking of the White Ship in 1120, which was one of those events that changed history. (Executive summary: the ship sank whilst carrying Henry I's only son and heir to the throne, together with about 150 of the brightest young nobles of England, back to England from France. It was both a national and a personal disaster-- it was said that Henry never smiled again; and after his death there was a period of about 20 years when the crown was contested by two different branches of the family.)
C2 is coming home tonight for half-term, it will be super to have him here! It's still snowing, though---do you have snow lying there? It's been here for more than a week, and since the temperature sneaks up to around freezing during the day there is a lot of ice underfoot which means there is NO chance of running and even a walk requires quite close attention.
Oh, I meant to ask you one more thing, Patootie. Are you listening to the BBC 4 series called 'The history of the world in 100 objects'? If not, go straight to the website and start from the first one. It's brilliant, you'll love it!
Right, must go put the bedclothes in the dryer. Hope it's a good day up there!! xxOhh myy what an odd week I've had .. the on/off weather finally got to me .. fibro flaring brighter than sun spots .. one day we had sunshine .. next it snowed .. then it was bright and sunny again .. then more snow .. my fibro simply couldn't cope with the all the barometric changes that were occurring from day to day .. I tried to 'fight' against what I knew was going to be a bad flare up .. but it happened anyway ... every few hours I was getting a 'new' symptom starting .. can't sleep, can't keep awake, joints hurt, joints ok but muscles hurting, muscles better then skin hurt .. then the itching skin syndrome .. I hate the itching it's just so itchy you just have to scratch constantly, bloating, then not bloating .. up, down and around I went hahah .. my ankles were skinny one minute then puffed and swollen the next .. face looking like a hamster with full cheek pouches then drawn and pinched .. hardly knew who I was some days I looked so different .. but .. it never lasts .. and here we are 7-10 days later and definitely on the mend again ..
So ... where had I got up to ... ohhh yes ... a week last Thursday I went back to the farm shop ... got some lovely veggies (ohh the taste, delicious and soooo fresh) some rather posh ready made meals for those days I don't feel like cooking .. meats, cheese, bread, eggs etc ... and I took one of the ladies from the housing scheme with me ... she loved all of it too ... we had a nice cup of coffee in the little farm cafe and had a sausage roll each .. ohh my the pastry, light and fluffy without falling to bits ... a beautiful large sausage that is just full of meat .... and not a sign of any greasiness was left on the plate when we finished .. and shortly after that the flare up started ... dratted fibro !!
I got confused just reading about your multi language studies .. how on earth do you get your mind to work in so many languages at once ...
Did you try emailling that prefessor chappie I gave a link for .. he did a dissertation on the old 'walrus' poem and as he is American he is sure to have done it in 'English' ... and he did say people could approach him for help ... !
Years ago when I was studying for my City and Guilds exam I used to use a 'pinger' timer thing ... I found it very helpful to be 'stopped' swatting after so much time had passed by ... they do say you only take in so much info at a time .. and I never did more than 90 minutes at a stretch .. ! Even now if I am doing a task that needs a lot of thought .. I like to stop to refresh myself .. sometimes things 'fall into place' while you aren't so absorbed in the task ... and I get 'Eureka' moments where a particularly tricky problem suddenly gets 'solved' without me thinking about it ... the answer just seems to 'pop up' in my brain ...
Yes, I am watching that Beeb programme, it's an absolutely fascinating programme .. beautiful, but sadly, hidden away treasures that we 'mere mortals' would never ever get to see .. and the explanations behind the objects are sooo interesting and of course David Dimbleby speaks so well .. not too technical or above my head .. yet in a scholarly fashion too.
I bought a set of Mediaeval crime mysteries by Bernard Knight online last week .. I seem to remember being told about the author by someone .. perhaps it was you .. trouble is they are soo good I end up spending the whole night reading rather than sleeping .. hahha !!
OK .. my attention span is still at the capacity of a gnats brain .. fibro flare ups cause all thoughts to cease and become drawn out and protracted .. so thats me done for a bit ... "brain fade stops play" hahaha
I became an unintentional 'heroine' today ...
Picture the scene .. I was having a bit of a lie in this morning .. then at about 10am decided to get up and make some coffee and toast .. still padding around in my jim jams I set about getting out the bread, programming the toaster and turning on the kettle .. and clattering about getting out butter, plate, knife etc .. ...
.... then I stopped dead .. hmm that's funny .. I could have sworn I heard someone call my name .. nope .. silly me .. must have imagined it .. so I carried on getting my brekkie ready when ..... >HELP< ....
.. blimey ... where did that come from .. who, what, where ... HHEELLPP MMEE .... 
...
I rushed out into the corridor .. jim jams flapping .. hair wild and unbrushed ... and ....
..... ohhh mmyyy there was my wheelchair user neighbour peering out from our tiny rubbish room just across the corridor ... she sobbed .. ohhh thank goodness you heard me .. I'm stuck in here ... her wheelchair had become completely jammed between the wall and a new rather large rubbish bin .. she could neither go forwards nor backwards .. and she was really starting to panic ..
.. I heaved, pushed and pulled to no avail .. then she started breathing erratically and going a very funny colour .. so without further to do .. I reached down and somehow heaved and lifted up the wheelchair (with her in it) until I had her wheels pulled round enough to mover her forwards again ... then I had to manoevre the enormous bin out of the tiny rubbish room into the corridor .. finally I reached into the cupboard (about 6' x 3') and dragged her out .. aww bless her she was in floods of tears .. tears of sheer relief I shouldn't wonder ..
... I got her back to her flat .. rushed back here again and hastily got dressed and went and sat with her until her son arrived to give his poor old mum a big hug .. poor woman .. what a terrible thing to happen .. thank goodness I heard her ..
new life, feeling good & moving on
at moment all 3 are at a holt
Yesterday (Tuesday) My shoulders and legs were aching like mad .. what with driving on Monday (visited my mum 45 miles away) and then 'rescuing' my neighbour on Saturday (apparently she is still very upset at getting trapped .. and the care team who arrived said they'd have struggled to free her too as you could only get at her from behind the back of her wheelchair and the space was too small to do much manhandling ..
Their report goes something like ... 'it was a very regrettable and not to be repeated incident where a frail wheelchair user was trapped in a 'dingy rubbish cupboard' ... it was only by sheer luck that her 'severely' disabled neighbour had heard the weak cries for help and putting her own health and safety at risk worked diligently to free the lady from her predicament. The incident has left the person in deep shock and too scared to go near the rubbish room again ... while her rescuer suffered cuts and bruises during the rescue.' The care team then decided it had been essential to free the poor woman as quickly as possible and that due to my immediate help on hearing her cries I had saved her from having a much more serious panic attack and the possibility of further collapse (blimey, unknown to me once I left her with the care team she had all but fainted and had to be revived!) .. it would seem I have been given glowing praise for my fast thinking and selfless action ..
And further update today ... good news ... at todays coffee morning the lady was telling everyone about her 'dramatic rescue' by her 'quick thinking' neighbour .. apparently she was even laughing about it by the time she'd ended the story ... so all's well that ends well ...
WELL DONE, PATOOTIE-----YOU ARE A HEROINE FOR SURE!!!! You tell the story in your inimitable fashion, but it sounds like a situation that was actually extremely dangerous for your neighbour. Someone as fragile as she might really panic, and that could bring on a heart attack or heaven knows what. How you managed to manhandle her and her chair, I really can't imagine. It sounds like the sort of exertion that would be tough on someone who was fully fit, never mind someone who'd just come through weeks of fibro acting up! You deserve every single word of praise, and more.
And the nicest thing of all is that your neighbour is starting to be able to laugh about it now. You must have given her the most immense reassurance! And it must make you feel awfully good to see that she is not just physically safe now, but overcoming the mental strain too. WELL DONE YOU!!!!
Wow, it's hard to move from that back to the humdrum world I live in, but let me go back a couple of posts. Yes, I certainly did check out the site of that American academic, who clearly has specialised in this stuff; but while there was a link to an English translation of Waltharius, that has been pulled off the web. I think it is being considerered for publication, so it's natural he wouldn't give it away for free. In the meantime, another friend of mine has found a good translation into French, which is fine for my purposes since my French is pretty good. The DIFFERENCE in being able to check my translation against something I throughly understand.....! And of course it helps ever so much, becaus if my translation is slightly off (which it often is, usually because of the subtleties of grammar) I can wrestle with the Latin til I see how the words work together. I've always known languages where word order controls meaning----you know: 'the boy bit the dog' v 'the dog bit the boy'---the only difference is the order the words come in. But Latin works differently, and the word changes according to whether the boy is biting or being bitten, if you see what I mean. And with that kind of language word order doesn't matter because the word endings tell you who is biter and who is the bitee, so to speak. But you have to recognise all the endings and know what they are telling you. And I'm not there yet.
I'm also starting to read up on some of the legal history----which is fascinating! You would love it, Patootie! In the early period, the whole ting turned ou choosing the correct 'form of action' which was the exact legal form you chose to make your claim. If you got that wrong, then your claim would fail, simply because you wouldn't meet the requirements for that form of action. This actually went on til the 19th century (Dickens writes about how petrified the system had become) but in its day it worked quite well. Sometime if you have time to spare and want to have a look, look here. Maitland was maybe our greatest legal historian, and he lays everything out so clearly it's great to read.
I
We are building up to Easter here now. C2 got home from uni a couple of days ago. His girlfriend is coming for a week, and as soon as she leaves C1 (now working in London) will come, the next day Tante Kit (Mr C's aunt) will come for the Easter weekend and other friends are coming for Easter dinner so at the moment I'm testing out recipes. I need something I can put in the slow cooker when we leave for church, that will be ready when we get back and can feed 10! I got mixed reviews yesterday for 'creamy ragout of prok with prunes in white wine' so I think I'll try a Caribbean pork roast and see if that goes better!
Have you been out on your new steed yet in this lovely weather, or are you in the middle of the rain that is affecting so much of England??Hey Patootie, I've just come across something you might like, with your eclectic interests. I imagine you've heard of Abelard and Heloise? Quick summary: he was a brilliant, controversial teacher in the early 12th century, when the universities were just starting up. A cleric, of course, he stirred up strong feelings as he was very clever but not very, um, tactful! He fell in love with Heloise, who was the niece of a senior churchman in Paris, about 20 years younger than Abelard, and a beautiful, educated, cultured girl. They married and had a son; but they continued to try to hide this because it would damage his career. But when it was found out, members of her family attacked Abelard one night and castrated him. He became a monk, and Heloise a nun, but throughout their lives they continued to correspond, and to support each other in their religious lives. (There is some doubt about the authenticity of the letters, but they are at least credible.) It's all amazingly melodramatic, but true.
Anyway, Abelard wrote an autobiography about all this called The Story of My Misfortunes. It's astonishingly vivid, with scraps of dialogue between him and various people, and it's all there on the web, translated into English. If you want an intriguing glimpse into the 12th century through the eyes of one of its most briliant and difficult men, have a look:
http://historymedren.about.com/od/historiacalamitatum/a/hc_main.htm?nl=1
That's great .. I have heard of Peter Abelard .. no doubt in one of my various periods of being interested in the great philosophers ... and with reading about him came across the story of Heloise and their love for each other .. and I slightly remember him being given the 'snip' by the in-laws in their mistaken attack on him .. so I shall read the story with relish . thanks for that ..
I'm still trying to get my head round your multilingual prowess .. your 1st language is presumably Dutch, yet you can easily translate into French, German (and probably more too) and are now learning Mediaeval Latin using various languages as translation aides ..
.. I can only wonder which language you dream in ... hahaha !!!
Yes, I am really enjoying my novels .. http://bernardknight.homestead.com/ they are quite down to earth, full of local 'flavour' and seem to give a pretty good outline of what life was really like in 'those' times .. a simple, but very hard life .. Knights books are really easy reads, the stories flow very quickly and the descriptive elements give a real insight into how life would be, along with enough historically correct content to please most historians I shouldn't wonder .. I only started reading them at the end of february and I'm almost finished the 6th book in the series .. and that's the trouble with good authors, the books are so readable you don't put them down and all too soon you've read everything .. !
I am also very taken with Michael Jecks Mediaeval murder mysteries .. http://www.michaeljecks.co.uk/ another good author who's books flow beautifully .. just a shame I can read a lot faster than they can write .. !
I trust everyone had a pleasant Eastertime ... the sun came out for a while here .. I had a little ride up and down looking at folks gardens .. Spring flowers only just bursting into bloom .. it's not quite time yet for going on longer forays .. but give it another week or two .. can't wait to get out and explore again !
A few weeks ago I suggested we hold an Easter Raffle here at the sheltered housing complex ...
I bought 4 very cheap pretty long handled baskets (like the ones flower girls would have at a wedding) and 30 chirpy cheepy little Easter chicks from Ebay and sorted out some ribbons, shredded crepe paper etc from my crafting box .. the club reimbursed me for my costs (just £9 in all) .. the club bought 4 Easter Eggs to go in the baskets and a few more prizes and we had some donations .. enough prizes for all to win something ..
Last Wednesday we held the raffle at the regular Wedneday coffee morning .. I'd had to dash off to have my monthly pedicure so missed the raffle itself .. when I went back to the lounge I found I had won ... won THREE things .. wooohooo
I won the top prize ... a crisp £10 note ... and I also got a lovely box of Marks and Spencers luxury soft nougat .. and a very nice magnetic fridge memo pad for my shopping lists ...
That can't be bad .. my suggestion and I won top prize ... yahooooo .. !!!
I was just eating the last Easter Hot Cross Bun (literally hot as I had toasted it) .. and this plopped into my email inbox ..
Cambridge Corn Exchange - Christmas Show just confirmed!
Wednesday 15 - Friday 31 December 2010
SNOW WHITE ON ICE
CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE CHRISTMAS SHOW 2010!
Book early and get £2.50 off a ticket .. !!
Hahahhahahah ... now .. where did I put the tinsel ... !!
And now this morning ....
Ohh myyy goodness .. in the snail mail post ..
Titan HiTours travel presents ... quality escorted ..
CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR 2010 holidays ...
I feel as if I am in a time warp .. Christmas ... what happened to Summer, Autumn .. etc ..
PS .. not bad prices either .. for a door to door service ..
Holy cow----Christmas already???? I get narky when I see Christmas decos going up in early November---don't know how I'd react to having them through the box at Easter!!!!
Thanks for the link to those mediaeval novelists, by the way. Both very interesting people---and one of them (can't remember which) had a penchant for VERY expensive, but VERY beautiful pens. I followed the link to their site and had a jolly good drool!!
Loved the idea of you making all those beautiful Easter baskets, but what club is this?? I didn't know you were a member of a club, Patootie. And do I gather that you have also done the Easter goodies for all the residents of your building as well? Lord, woman, you never stop to draw breath, do you? <boggles in admiration before imaginative and energetic Patootie>
On the other hand, it sounds like the fibro has been behaving itself a bit better, which is VERY good news! The fag end of the winter was pretty rough, by the sound of it, so good that it's spring all round. I remember so well the beautiful, clear, slanting light in Cambridge at this time of year, with the daffodils all nodding in the wind and rainbows at every opportunity!
By the way, you overrate my language ability by a long way! My first language is very definitely NOT Dutch---I'm the Anglo half of an Anglo-Dutch couple. We met and married in England, where all the kids were born, but we got a chance to be posted to the Netherlands in the arly 90's and found The Hague a much easier place to have a family than the London area. Instead of having to rely on Southwest Trains we could all cycle to work/school, The Hague is a small city (think Bath) so everything is close together compared to London, and Holland is very family-friendly. So we decided to move over here. Not abandoning England altogether, we still have our house there but it's let out now so we have in the meantime bought a small flat in Exeter to use as a pied a terre when we're in England. So I speak Dutch reasonably well now, but it is NOT my mother tongue, for sure! I did French at school, but it's awfully rusty now so i'm trying to resurrect taht since we're going to spend most of our time in France from this summer. The Latin is really a laugh, it's like pulling teeth, but to do any serious work in mediaeval law I have to be able to read the manuscripts so even if it's like being dragged through a hedge backwards I have to get it somehow.
That might not entirely make sense, but much of my thinking doesn't!
We're in France at the moment for 10 days---our last visit before we move down here in the summer. Again, we're not cutting all links with the past. We'll keep our house in NL and friends will keep a good eye on it, and we'll go back regularly to see friends, visit the dentist, tidy the garden etc, as we don't know how we'll find it here longer term and we don't know where the kids will pitch up. But for a few years we have a chance to do it, so we're going to give it a go!
You said ..... "Loved the idea of you making all those beautiful Easter baskets, but what club is this?? I didn't know you were a member of a club, Patootie. And do I gather that you have also done the Easter goodies for all the residents of your building as well? Lord, woman, you never stop to draw breath, do you? <boggles in admiration before imaginative and energetic Patootie>"
The club is our little sheltered housing club .. an 'entertainments and outings' club .. think 'small' .. it's just a few people .. and some of the older residents came along and decorated the baskets with me ... we just shredded some crepe paper to make 'nests' .. then attached a few flouncy bows .. but it all looked very pretty and Eastery ... the little chicks were 'hidden' around the corridors and once folks had spotted one they handed it in to the scheme manager and received a pretty lacey bag with some of those tiny 'Mini Easter Eggs' ... to me it was just a little bit of fun .. but apparently some of the older ladies were 'thrilled' by the whole thing .. and the decorated baskets were coveted by all .. it never ceases to amaze me how much fun you can have with a few pounds worth of bits and pieces .. and everyone agreed it was so much nicer to know we'd all 'joined in' and made things rather than bought stuff from the shops ..
I'm an 'ideas' person .. I have the idea .. and then pass it on to others ... I can sit and have ideas .. no physical effort required heehehe ... so far this year we had a Burns Night in January with Haggis tasting .. Feb was Valentines afternoon ... then Shrove Tuesday pancake evening .. Easter of course .. I'm thinking about May .... and ..... and .......
... and ... now for the BIGGIE ...
I am planning a 'secret' party in July .. I haven't had a Birthday Party since I was 21 .. !! ... and I think I have come up with a cracking idea .. I am having a Hawaiian Luau style party ... so far I have got a blow up monkey to hang from the rafters, a 5 foot purple foil palm tree .. dozens of little those little umbrellas and gaily coloured sticks with fold out fruits for drinks and nibbles .. straws with fold out paper fruits attached, matching tropical island cups, plates and napkins, a BIG banner saying Luau Party .. and one saying ALOHA ... I've got dozens of brightly coloured Leis (very cheap ones, but bright and FUN!) .. a 6 foot blow up limbo pole (got to be 'safe' for all the oldies) .. some 'banana leaf' plastic bowls .. palm tree table confetti .. 42 feet of hanging beach ball, flip flop, sunglasses decorating strings .. yes, it's all a bit 'tacky' .. but will be extremely bright and colourful .. and our communal lounge will be transformed by the time I've done with it .. and everyone will be told to come in their brightest and boldest summer clothes ..
And then I shall put out bowls of salad, lots of nibbly things for sticks .. and other party goodies I haven't even begun to think about yet .. lots of fruit ... and I shall make some yoghurt to drizzle over sliced bananas and then sprinkle crushed ginger biscuit over them .to make little trifle type puds .. . and we are having fruit juices (and cups of tea for those who insist) .. and a wonderfully moist carrot cake for my Birthday cake ..
Phew .. I'm glad I'm planning ahead .. I feel exhausted already .. but I am really looking forward to it .. it just feels like fun .. and I am enjoying all the planning and secrecy .. secret because until the actual day I'm hoping people won't know what I am planning .. so it will be a BIG surprise to everyone .. I just hope people will come and will enjoy the party ..