A Midsummer Night’s Dream
I’ve read it before but not for many years, and I once saw it performed live.
Now rereading it, I see what an extraordinary and unique piece of work it is. Whatever could have put this into Shakespeare’s mind? And humour is not often durable, but the rustic players in Act 3, Scene 1 made me laugh aloud; it’s still very funny after 500 years.
AIMILIANOS MONAI, ALEXANDRIAN, A.D. 628–655, epitaph
Out of talk, appearance, and manners
I will make an excellent suit of armor;
and in this way I will face malicious people
without feeling the slightest fear or weakness.
They will try to injure me. But of those
who come near me none will know
where to find my wounds, my vulnerable places,
under the deceptions that will cover me.
So boasted Aimilianos Monai.
One wonders if he ever made that suit of armor.
In any case, he did not wear it long.
At the age of twenty-seven, he died in Sicily.
When I was very young, I have been told, I was sick down the back of Denys Watkins-Pitchford, a friend of my father. Watkins-Pitchford was an artist and an author of children's books, writing as 'BB' but illustrating them under his true name. His books are less well-known now, but perhaps worth a revival.
At the front of every book BB included his motto, which his father had recorded from a tombstone in the north country apparently.
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Here's the pond from another angle. The big news is that the dwarf waterlily has put out a new leaf.
I hear a lot about mutant but I don't get it. I didn't even know ants could talk
This rather unusual plant is growing in my garden. I didn't plant it and didn’t know what it was, but having recently found out about the astonishing Bing visual search “Name that plant” I uploaded a photo and got my answer.
It’s not clear whether it is a British native plant. It seems to originate from the Mediterranean region and South Asia, and so it might be a garden escape. Although it is poisonous and has a somewhat sinister appearance, it is cultivated for its unusual “architecture” as one web site described it and you can buy seeds from garden centres.
Its botanical name is Euphorbia lathyris. Euphorbia are a large(ca. 2000) genus of flowing plants, ranging in size from a few centimetres up to large trees. They all exude a milky poisonous sap, latex, which seems to have evolved as a defence against plant eaters (although it's said goats are immune, maybe that's why it's caper spurge).
There are other spurges you might see in your garden; common spurge, a weed of flower borders, and sun spurge which is it bigger cousin, which I think is a native wild flower but is also cultvated for its intriguoing and decorative appearance.
The common name spurge comes from the plant's traditional use as a purgative.
At one time I was an international boat-napper. It’s an unusual occupation, but basically I used to take rowing boats and hold them to ransom.
I remember one episode in Scandinavia, where people with names like Lars, Magnus, Gerd and so on all had dinghies pulled up on the beach next to their chalets. With so many to choose from it was a difficult decision, but finally I took the hull by Bjorn’s.
I’ve had a musical pacemaker fitted and now I wake each morning with a song in my heart.
Won a gardening competition yesterday. Behind at one point, but luckily I had an acer up my sleeve.
This rather stylish shoe is named ‘Pablo Picasso’.
Inspired by it I dashed off the following lyrics
It's one for the Monet
Two for Tissot
Three to get Redon
Now Gaugin go.
Well you can do anything but don’t tread on my blue suede shoes.
Q. How do cats make their morning coffee?
A. With a purrcolator.
Last night I ate like a pig. Mind you swill is a bit of an acquired taste.
A creative friend has created a magical garden-within-a-garden. We bought most of the plants, the pond liner and some of the materials, but we also scavenged a lot of cobbles and the wonderful Cornish limestone slabs you can see. We currently have a drought locally, so the pond is not filled yet.
This miniature pond is designed to be soothing to the eye and spirit, but also to act a wildlife sanctuary for a variett of small animals, We had hardly finished when this young hedgesparrow came really close to us. LIke robins they follow the gardener.
At night the area appears magical.
Of all the philosophic twists
Here's the one that most persists
Why does the Universe exist at all
When not existing would be more economicall
There were two birds sat on a bough
If they’ve not gone they’ll be there now.
There’s a popular garden centre near here where what plants you get is decided at random. It’s called Taking Pot Luck.
I’ve been fretting about a poem with this title for years and maybe coming close
When the Angel of Death arrived,
It was a Hummingbird at my ear.
I was astonished, and said, I thought you’d have strong wings, to carry me.
No no it replied, I am here to enchant and to guide,
Your wings alone shall bear you up,
Let me help you emerge.
My grandson writes:
I have cat-like reflexes. Whenever I see a cat I instantly like it.
These cherry trees stand at the front of my house.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
A rose is a rose is a rose.
They are not long, the days of wine and roses.
He who wants a rose must respect the thorn.
It’s the time that you spent on your rose that makes your rose so important.
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