Unseen Rythms

Isn't Rythm an odd word? I had to check its spelling before I began, as I felt it did not look correct.


As I get older, I find I am forgetting some spelling!


Gom watches children's game shows, where they have to spell, & I find I make a few mistakes!





When we were children, our mother had a huge Dictionary. It was a Westminster Dictionary. It was akin to the Bible in our house.





If we had a query on spelling, we were told to "look it up in the dictionary!"


It was great advice, because, more often than not, I would end up following more & more words, & might be found some time later, still reading the dictionary!





That particular dictionary was illustrated. I was always fascinated with the items chosen to be illustrated. They seemed so random, & some seemed so ordinary & everyday, I wondered why they had been chosen... surely everyone knew what one of those looks like?

Eventually my mother's dictionary fell apart. Though she tried, she never did find another Westminster Dictionary, & had to content herself with Oxford, which she felt to be inferior.

Of course language is a living thing, changing all the time. It was nice to be able to consult Westminster for the definition of a 'Fletcher' or 'Farrier'or 'Hooper'. Old words which ceased to be relevant in the modern world, old careers, which ceased to exist as technology evolved.

My mother would have loved a computer, with all the information available to her. She never stopped enjoying leasrning. She mourned the fact that she had had to leave school early. She would have loved to go to university, & she loved to study up on everything that interested her, which was almost everything.

We used to tease her about her Medical Dictionary though! I think at one stage or another, she must have 'suffered' almost every ailment in that book! Or if she didn't have 'it', one of her grandchildren had 'it', whatever the 'it' of the day might be.

Perhaps it is a good thing she didn't have the resources of the Internet for medical matters!

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I have been noticing fluctuating energy patterns myself. They don't seem to have any ordered rythm. I seem to have 2 or 3 days where I have energy & feel quite able to tackle shopping, cooking, & sewing.

Other days have been a trial to stay awake, the prickly sticky humidity sapping all my physical strength from my limbs, all capacity for thought from my tired mind.

I began to read a book, that Gom had finished, & recommended. It gripped me, to the point I spent a day & half lying about gobbling it up without pause, in greedy great gulps. I even got up at 6am yesterday, & sat & finished the reading. A good start to the day.

I have finished the "Red Square Dance" aka "Red Devil" ! I asked Gom what he wanted it to be called, & Red Devil didn't appeal to him, so he suggested Red Square, which didnt appeal to me, so it is now deemed "Red Square Dance". It was quite a dance to get it quilted on my machine, & I am pleased with the way it turned out- yes, even the wobbly crooked bits where I was too lazy to mark straight lines, at the borders!

I washed it, & tumbled it dry- it was raining, so I felt quite comfortable drying it in the dryer. I am happy with the end result.

When SG saw it, he fell in love with it too. When I told him it was for Gom for Christmas, he said, "Well you'd better hide it Nanna, or he will see it!" He is still very much about surprises, bless him.

His sister had decorated their tree, in a pretty pink & silver colour scheme. Thier dog has decided to make his new 'kennel' under the coffee table next to the tree, & pretty baubles & tinsel comes flying off, as he scuttles under the table! He gets into trouble for that.

Granddaughter came up to bath Leo for us. He is such a fatty now- Gom overfeeds him, but I have given up trying to get him to change! He was quite well behaved, but would not tolerate his feet being trimmed of the woolly 'boots' he appears to wear.

I intended to bath Honey myself, & just. could. not. do. it. I finally got the energy on Sunday afternoon, & she looks all nice & fluffy again. She was happy too, & tore around like a puppy, playing with her toys.

I have begun another project, in the sewing/quilting line, so am hoping the cooler weather we have will last. Also the energy supplies!!