13 November 2012

Editorial

 
Contents 11 November 2012
October Images: Roger Morton
Not infected yet: Joselyn Duffy Morton
Mitch's India and Nepal: Mitchell Jack Love Morton
Vivienne Chandler in India

11 November 2012
Our grandson has redesigned the blog for me.  The process annoyed him immensely. He’s been visiting friends ever since. Lord knows when he’ll come back. Meanwhile I don’t know where all my old editorials have ended up (or where I am going to put my new one – ie  this one.) I had hopes that I would end up with labels/sections for cartoons, poetry, environment etc – but no.
This is my 100th posting so I thought it would be appropriate to bend to family pressure and re-design the blog. Can’t say it works for me. Probably the problem is that other people’s blogs are only about one subject  (cooking, fashion etc) I’ve got various subjects and various contributors and that doesn’t fit the mould. (I don’t feel that I fit any mould either so maybe it’s appropriate that my blog is also out of sync.)
I could give up, but as we’re going to be home for the winter, I would actually have the time and inclination to do it. (That is, if I don’t get too depressed by the pissy events that continue to unroll around the world.) Roger got very excited by the start of the Vendee Globe yesterday. I googled Samantha Davies. What and impressive and capable femme. She’d like to be sponsored so she could Skype her 14 month old child. So anyone with some spare dosh – bung it her way. To sail for 3-months single-handedly around the globe, without stopping, is an immense challenge. She only sleeps for 90minutes on the trot and only for a maximum of 4 or 5 hours over every 24 hours. Four years ago, she lost 32 hours by helping rescue another yachtie, so she came in 4th. This year she hopes to get in the first three. Bonne chance, Sammy.
The other big news was that Barack Obama got re-elected. This time, we weren’t confident that he would. I don’t feel the excitement that I did 4 years ago. However, the depression that would have come if he had lost to the rich right-wing Mormon would have been too much to cope with.
We have been in London, Oxford and Paris – hence the lack of blog-posting. Luke took Roger sailing down in Poole; We did some baby-sitting in Oxford, some hanging around in Muswell Hill and celebrated at the book launch of our friend Karl (CK Stead). His latest novel Risk  is published by Maclehose. It was a friendly, buzzy affair on the top floor of NZ House. Afterwards, Roger took Matt and me to the Criterion in Piccadilly Circus – a golden end to a fine evening.
Then there was Paris and Marie’s lovely flat. The cheapest tasty couscous at L’abribus café; a coffee at Felix’s new job – Braisenville, tres chic. I could have stayed in Paris for another week (or forever) but Mitch was keen to see his friends in the Dordogne (and of course we didn’t have the money to be there at all!).
All that was just the tip of the pleasures we tasted. (We even went to a Marché Fermier in Paris and ate Felix’s Dad’s chicken).
Today is Remembrance Day, which takes place at 11am on 11th of 11th month. I don’t know what the world has learnt in the past 94 years. Not enough. This morning, François Hollande looked more like a President than previously but evidently his popularity is lower than ever. If all the rich people do leave France to go and live in Belgium and Switzerland, what then?
Remember my darlings, we are talking multi-Billionaires not dime-a-dozen millionaires.
Keep warm, Joselyn Morton

Roger Morton's October 2012

dots Oxford Street

Louis Vuitton uses dots

Escher decides it's time to take over

Felix and his Dad at the Marche Fermier, Paris


All images Roger Morton