Monday.

Photo is of senior offspring Sarah and her husband Mikey in our kitchen yesterday morning, trying to work out how to get into a couple of puzzle snuff boxes. Both are extremely difficult of access unless you know the trick, and are then childishly simple. Ann has accompanied our good friend Terry Turk to Snape today (shopping). This morning I spent pottering about in my workshop completing jobs. This afternoon went to lipreading class. I think I've got a difficult decision to make before the end of term. I'm just coming up to the end of my fourth year of lip reading, and whilst I am still enjoying it, I think I've probably had my share -places are scarce and I don't want to be greedy. Anyway, unless an 'advanced' course in lipreading is started (and there was talk of this at one stage) I think I've learned nearly all that this class can teach me. That sounds vain. I think I'd better have a talk to Jill, our teacher, about the way forward for me.

Poem :- Crime - Now and Then.

He who takes what isn't his'n,
when he's caught should go to prison.
While she who takes what isn't her'n,
good from ill cannot discern.
And if you scorn this little verse,
and then from bad go on to worse,
Well then, wise men, both State and Church
will advocate the use of birch.
And Teacher says ( for I have heard her)
that if you kill someone it's murder.
Murderers' careers the Courts will check
By hanging caught ones by the neck.
And these wise punishments really should
persuade survivers to be good.


Well, that was then,
Victorians, theirs attitudes robust;
knowing their punishments for crime were all quite fair and just.


But now :- a 'phone call in the middle of the night --
A son's voice whining with self centred fright,
"I've been arrested , Dad. I'm in the nick,
for nothing really bad. It makes you sick.
My offence was minimal, nothing shady.
Not really criminal, just mugged a dear old lady.
It wasn't for profit, 'cause her purse was bare.
So I made nothing of it. It just ain't fair.
So Dad, come out and bail me.
or they'll jail me".

Words fail me !!!!!!!!!!!!