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
