Hope that Spring is near 🌷

 

My granddaughter Errin brought me flowers with my daughter as they dropped off my pharmacy prescription and some fresh food. The flowers so so uplifting that no matter in New Year with pandemic, vaccination, brexit there will be Spring ....as nature follows her own cycle of renewal....with this a fest of colour, pattern & form beauty.

Frozen Beauty

 

Knitting projects

 More knitting for Family Link Up 

The Moon Sister a powerful story..💟

 I am well and truly hooked on Lucinda Riley's writing, her storytelling is powerful..she draws you in to feel part of the story journey and adventure.  With Moon Sister she has cleverly woven together stories within stories... The book has helped me escape night pain...unable to sleep with painkillers barely dampening the ragging fire of pain..... I have sat on the edge of the bed...reading...rubbing my painful thigh and drinking herbal tea...so glad I got this book for lockdown Christmas New Year...755 pages of gripping story..so thank you Lucinda .. photo below..the cosy day with hot water bottle under a warm snuggly shawl as knee cover ..soothing Classic fm music and reading.

Reindeer love

 Watched a lovely programme on a reindeer school in the Cairngorms Scotland...they not only help Santa at Christmas in the community ..but also do therapeutic visits to elderly care homes. It was wonderful to see the elderly full of excitement like children... their spirit brightened and greater and freer than their aged body... 

Powerful Story..

This is so powerful its needs to be made in to a film..I learnt a lot and was very moved. Put through a range of emotions ....Very well written...

Lockdown side effect

It has been a challenge over the last 2 weeks..( hence no postings on this blog! ).we are all being challenged this year!! But I have developed a painful problem.  The side effect of lockdown and shielding at home as meant I have gone from zip zapping in to London for meetings..and travel to local towns and going to Belgium ...to being at home in my small studio bungalow..  Sitting for zooming, knitting, reading as meant pressure on my butt....lol..So I have compression on the right branch of the sciatic nerve.  The pain off the scale... radiating round into the thigh...aggravating my arthritic knee..but a mild numbness in the lower leg....  so watch out zoomers....vary positions ....mind you I had ..but still got a problem......Scary as older I do not want to lose my independence through mobility issues.  The pain in the night so bad had to contact our NHS 111...though fearing to go in hospital, as many are in this pandemic year.  All praise for the on call doctor ...was helped a lot and listened too... he respected me as Marjorie but also as retired nurse midwife... so i was able to give professional information on my leg....which thankfully was not showing signs of circulatory problem.  So between me, him and my GP we have the diagnosis and treatment plan ..the  plan analgesics and as nerve problem I suggested pregabalin which my GP agreed with plus codyramol for breakthrough pain. Plus physio referral. So all clicked in place GP Pharmacists Physio community care..no need to go to the overloaded local hospital.

The darn leg gave way after a shower no warning and I had a fall thank God no head injury or # neck of femur....but now showing my condition a fall risk! ..I managed to crawl to my tablet to message my daughters.... So now I move to another phase of my life ...which hope improves not worsen.... but have pressure relieving cushion and walking stick.....the stick give confidence support and balance.... I am from the Hippie Flower power days ..so well pleased with the floral quite sophisticated pattern on. The family clicking in to action...shopping cupboards full food...My lovely Leen from my Family Link Up project calls me every day to check on me, play and learn together. Bless her uses her umbrella as walking stick to be with me..we worked a dance out too with walking stick...to have a laugh...! That helps me cope. 

I was able to have Christmas dinner with my daughter & grandchildren in the permitted bubble..I was given so many beautiful presents..and the dinner so good my plate empty every portion ate & enjoyed.  I love the arabic perfume in the presents from my granddaughter. 

Operation nights sleep!

 

English tea advent box

 This has been fun to use lovely infusions of tea in surprise boxes.. They have been brilliant to involve Leen from my Family Link Up on our skype calls she has been choosing the boxes for me and we chat while I brew the tea...English Tea there is a good selection of other boxes on Amazon.

Festive cards link up

 

Family Link Up  link up with Medact  

as Bushra's Art is chosen 

for this years festive fundraising cards

Medact Order link  

thanks to caring doctors for choosing this artwork

Powerful Novel Italian Girl

Italian Girl by Lucinda Riley is a powerful story. I found out about it on Libelle Belgium Magazine site  in a recommended book to read. Wowee I can say yes it is recommended to read too.. The novel is well structured and so many twists and turns in the storyline that it is real page turner.  It takes us into the world of opera but geographically from Naples to Milan to New York to London and the Cotwolds..The power of Lucinda's writing is that you feel every emotion of the characters react with anger at two of the manipulating characters in the story. Feel for all the pain and anguish and feel uplifted by the lighter parts. I am not going to say more as you simply have to read this story to have the journey as the reader WITH the characters... So much so that now I have finished the novel with a surprising ending I need space before I can read another story. You feel with the characters some time after closing the book... 

"Nothing sings as sweetly as love, or burns quite like betrayal.... 

Rosanna Menici is just a girl when she meets Roberto Rossini, the man who will change her life. In the years to come, their destinies are bound together by their extraordinary talents as opera singers and by their enduring but obsessive love for each other – a love that will ultimately affect the lives of all those closest to them. For, as Rosanna slowly discovers, their union is haunted by irreversible events from the past . . Rosanna’s journey takes her from humble beginnings in the back streets of Naples to the glittering stages of the world’s most prestigious opera houses. Set against a memorable backdrop of Lucinda Riley’s trademark evocative locations, The Italian Girl unfolds into a poignant and unforgettable tale of love, betrayal and self-discovery."

and as I found about the book in Dutch - here the book synopsis in Dutch from Standaard Boekhandel Belgium

"Rosanna is nog maar elf als ze de man die haar leven zal veranderen voor het eerst ontmoet. Ze ziet operastudent Roberto in het café van haar ouders in Napels en is op slag verliefd. Als ze gevraagd wordt een lied te zingen, is Roberto zo onder de indruk van haar stem dat hij Rosanna ervan overtuigt dat ze net als hij een grootse toekomst in de opera heeft.

In de jaren die volgen blijven de paden van Rosanna en Roberto elkaar kruisen. De twee bijzonder getalenteerde operazangers reizen de hele wereld over. Maar de glamour en het succes gaan niet altijd samen met Rosanna’s onwankelbare liefde voor Roberto. Hun turbulente romance kent diepe dalen en hoge pieken. En dan wordt Rosanna geconfronteerd met het onomkeerbare verleden, dat hun geluk in de weg lijkt te staan…  

Het Italiaanse meisje neemt je mee op Rosanna’s onvergetelijke reis van het harde bestaan in Napels naar de luxe van Milaan en de meest prestigieuze operahuizen ter wereld."

Playing Oud art

 

Playing Oud - Gaza 2020

watercolour 

by Rawan Anani 

in facebook newsfeed so beautiful 

Coffee Friends art

Coffee and Friendship' by Martina Heiduczek

Windrush Child book Webinar

 

Good webinar from Brunel University Writing Group with Prof Benjamin Zephaniah talking about his book Windrush Child Was a good time of sharing with chats and Q&A.. ordering this book for sure. When the webinar recording is available I will post the link. 

Home. Hope. Song. | Shelter Christmas Carols Service 2020

this was a beautiful carol concert that I watched and sang along too at home. The case stories are moving and worrying so please see if you can help Shelter with their valuable work... Here is the link to their donation page for you to help as you can... Shelter Work & Donation