Monday 3 June 2013

Monday.



Hello again. Sorry about the hiatus (?)  The screen on my computer blew a gasket. Had it replaced this morning.
  Had everything gone as planned this weekend we should now be in Denmark. Planned to sail from Harwich on Sunday afternoon. On Friday last my doctor insisted on seeing us before we sailed, and in the end forbade it. My heart has been playing up again (mainly angina). The doctor advised very strongly against our travelling ("I can't actually forbid your travelling, but if my heart were in the state that yours is I wouldn't THINK about  taking a journey like that!")   Ann pointed out to me that having been advised against it by our doctor would, of course, negate our travel insurance. At this our doctor said that, of course he would be prepared to write to  our insurance company, and tell them that the journey had been cancelled on his advice. And in the end our young misery guts/spoilsport of a medicine-man  won, and we called the journey off. 

On the Sunday afternoon on which we had planned to start out we decided to have a drive out and look at two or three churches that we haven't seen for a while. In both of them we saw something we hadn't spotted before.  



Before that though I took the above photo of some of the aqilegia  in our garden, which is in its prime.
Below is a bunch of them in our drawing room.


The photo below is of  Jairus' daughter. It's a small part of a large pre Raphaelite  stained glass window painted about 1860 to 1880 I think; but isn't the face totally modern ?


In a fairly secluded area of the next church we visited we found a Mr. George MacKenzie Robertson's headstone (below) with an engraving above the inscription of an articulated lorry. Made me wonder what Mr. Robertson's job was, and possibly his nationality? Previous sentence heavily ironic, I'm afraid - please ignore.


10 comments:

Z said...

I'm sorry you've been declared unfit to travel, hope things improve very soon.

The headstone next to my sister's husband's grave has an engraving of a caravan. I'm afraid it always makes us giggle.

I know noting wv is old hat, but Fzilled astronomers, seems worthy of note

Rog said...

Woops - sorry to hear about the Scandinavian trip but it does sound sensible. Motoring in East Anglia is the way forward!

Crowbard said...

Yes Rog - unless you're a Calledonian articulated lorry-driver - in which case the way may be downwards!

Hi Mike, re: Jairus' daughter image, I believe we primates have worn similarly modern faces for the last 300,000 years since the hominids split off from the hominins. Her image brings to mind that fin-de-ciecle phrase "an interesting invalid". It's a lovely piece of work.

Unknown said...

Thank you Z. Like Fzilled astronomers- must have something to do with 1950s science fiction?

Unknown said...

Hello Rog. Yes, I suppose I know it makes sense (at one level). Don't much like it though.

Unknown said...

Hello Carl. Perhaps it doesn't come across in the photo, but there's more there than the obvious 'interesting invalid' I think.

Liz said...

What a shame that your holiday has had to be cancelled. I hope you can find somewhere closer to home for a holiday later in the year.

Unknown said...

Thank you Liz. But...... Doctor's orders, you know.

Crowbard said...

Indeed you are right to think so, Mike. Her portrayal encapsulates that hint at regret and the profound sense of assurance exhibited by those recalled from the very gates of Elysium. I still find her 'interesting' but perhaps I should have inverted the 'invalid' because I believe it was a completely valid experience.

Was Jairus a Horner by any chance, I find his daughter visually akin to the Horner wenches?

Unknown said...

I can see what you mean, but as the name is said to be one of the few pre conquest English names, and as the same name is not that uncommon in Germany, I've always assumed we are of Anglo Saxon descent. That being so (and the Germans held the Romans at bay in the Black Forest area -I'd have to check that one though) I very much doubt that Jairus and the early Horners were akin.