This is the view looking out our front window. I needed a picture that conveys domesticity, because we spent all yesterday at home, except for a shopping trip to Sainsbury's which hardly counts as adventure. (Even though we went to the big Sainsbury's at the O2 Centre, which is like an American grocery store, with all kinds of exotic things on offer like tofu and tamarind seeds and even clothing.)
While we were at the store, a stooped older lady came up to me and said, "Excuse me? Can you help me?" And I said "Sure," even though I was inwardly thinking, Am I dressed like a Sainsbury's employee?
"There's a bottle on the floor over there. I think it could be a bomb," the lady said.
She began to guide me around the corner, but then she peered down the aisle and said, "Oh, it's gone now. You know, you can't be too careful!" And with that, she tottered away with her shopping cart. I thought, it's a sad state of affairs when little old ladies feel like they have to fear bombs in Sainsbury's.
Dave and I also went to Homebase, where I bought some completely unnecessary geraniums -- or pelargoniums, to use the proper name -- that were on sale for a pound apiece. You can never have too many geraniums. Dave bought a showerhead, in his ongoing quest to make the flat more comfortable. (He thinks our existing showerhead is clogged with lime deposits from the water. I'm not necessarily disputing this, but I'm not necessarily confirming it, either.)
Mrs. Kravitz came back from vacation and I confessed to her that I climbed into her yard to retrieve Olga's dog toy. I felt compelled to say something in case she had a security camera filming me. She didn't seem too fazed, but seized the opportunity to argue once again that we should cut down our holly tree.
I finished that questioning book I had to read for work -- thank God. Now I'm just working on Arundhati Roy's newest. I'm about halfway through, and there are millions of characters (well, it does take place in India, after all) and I'm not exactly loving it. I'm hoping it all comes together by the end.
I like your front window and notice you have some stones/rocks on the sill over on the right. Where did you get them from? We have many stones in our house that we have picked up from various beaches. I labelled a few of them but most are now mysteries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that things have become a sad state of affairs. As you know we went to Pride on Saturday and were dismayed to see armed Police patrolling in two's. It actually spoilt things a bit when I saw them. Trouble is I remember when policemen were there to help and had nothing but a truncheon down the side of thier trousers ( I just know that you are laughing at that, tut tut ). I'll leave it there. lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
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You very first sentence eccoed the theme of my blog post today
ReplyDeleteI agree with YP - you have a lovely view from your front window.
ReplyDeleteMercy. With a heading of The Bomb, I expected your window of domesticity to morph into a story of a bomb exploding outside. I'm happy the one in the store turned out to be a dud. . . or at least was detonated somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteYou really DO have a lovely view from your window.
ReplyDeleteA bomb, eh?
Well, thank goodness it was dealt with handily.
Mrs. Kravitz needs a life. I say this as a professional needs-a-lifer.
I'm reading Cloud Messenger which is a biography of a Canadian doctor who lived in India. It's a good read.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful view out the window. I have fond memories of walking up that lovely street. You live in a very pretty neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI love that view out your window. It's quite lovely. Surprising encounter at the store. Well, we sure do live in interesting times.
ReplyDeleteYou have cleared up a (sorta) mystery for me - why the geraniums my mother kept when I was a child (summers outside and winters inside) are different from the perennial geraniums we now have in our flower bed. Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteLove your description of the lady tottering off but yes, it's sad to think old ladies buying groceries are worrying about bombs.
Your front window view is beautiful, calm and serene - just lovely.
An elderly lady at the post office made me check all of my dollar bills to be sure that the edges were not creased, she was convinced that is was a malicious code. Folded corners of bills are most certainly subversive. I understand the anxiety these days. AND what's with the acid attacks on the streets of London? Crazy!
ReplyDeleteIf a shower head makes the lad glad, so be it.
That IS a lovely view! "I'm not necessarily disputing this, but I'm not necessarily confirming it, either..." I'm going to start using this for "discussions" with Mike. Ha!
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