Current temperature: here 64F/18C, there 12C/54F

Spring is definitely here and the grass has become rampant. As have all the weeds that thrive therein. We’ve been trying to mow for a few weeks but it wasn’t until yesterday that dry weather and free time coincided appropriately for the rampaging plant life to be mown down. And boy was it rampageous! Took me forever, with my handy dandy electric mower, to make it all the way around our corner lot. It doesn’t exactly look like a beautifully manicured English lawn but at least the city won’t come round and complain.

Afterwards I sat and watched the local wildlife indulge in a feeding frenzy of bug consumption. There were a pair of robins hopping across the lawn looking for worms who were particularly interesting.

Current temperature: here 64F/18C, there 12C/54F

Mother and Child

Hairball #1

Current temperature: here 64F/18C, there 12C/54F

Current Temperature: here 14F/-10C, there 0C/32F

Current temperature: here 14F/-10C, there 0C/32F

I managed to start shovelling early in the afternoon, so the sky was clear and a bright blue, and standing in the sunlight was pleasant. The shadow of the house only crossed the pavement in one corner so I didn’t get to stand in the cold for too long. The job took about 40 minutes and was not too onerous. The tricky spots as usual were the end of the front walk, which was filled in up to 6 or 7 inches by the wind and the two spots where the pavement intersects with the street which the snow plough had filled in.

Current temperature: here 14f/-10C, there -1C/30F

They are a rambunctious rabble,
gathered at one’s table.
One wonders if one has the mix right?

Geoffrey seems to have knuckled under one’s latest diktat,
even if he’s gone all Brussels on one.

Willie is.
Snooze inducing. The sensible wet side,
balanced by the mad monk, to one’s far right.

Sadly, Norman is nowhere in sight.
Maybe someone stole his bicycle?
Words will be had.

Oh my, Michael’s soft silky mane is so out of control.
All it needs is a good brushing, stroking, teasing, petting.
One might wind one’s fingers around those long luscious locks.

God, no! Cecil is flirting with one again. If one were not such a people person one would bash his head in with one’s hand bag. (It is a lethal weapon, registered with Her Majesty’s Secret Service.) Only to be used in the most desperate circumstances. Apparently, this does not count.

My. One is thirsty. Where is one’s husband when he is needed?
A cuppa would go down right well about now.

Margaret Thatcher was the UK Prime Minister, 4th May 1979 – 28th November 1990.  The following were all ministers during her tenure as PM.

The mad monk aka Sir Keith Joseph was the so called power behind the throne in what came to be   known as Thatcherism. Served as Secretary of State for Education and Science, and Secretary of State for Industry.

Willie Whitelaw served as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Secretary.

Geoffrey Howe served as Deputy Prime Minister, Home Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

Norman Tebbit infamously told the unemployed of the north of England they should get on   their bikes and go south to look for work. Served as Secretary of State for Employment, and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Michael Heseltine‘s challenge for leadership of the Conservative party helped oust Margaret   Thatcher and led to John Major becoming Prime Minister. Served as Secretary of State for Defence, and Secretary of State for the Environment.

Cecil Parkinson served as Secretary of State for Energy, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, and Secretary of State for Transport.

Current temperature: here 13C/55F, there 57F/14C

Current temperature: here 55F/13C, there 14C/57F

I was a big fan of Shapely Prose, the fat acceptance blog begun by Kate Harding, and mostly bought this book to be supportive and see if there were further insights to be gained that were not obvious from following along at the blog when it was still active.

It quickly became clear that I am not the target audience for this book. From the word go I found the book’s style to be far to be to loosey goosey and was not impressed by the lack of depth and seriousness. I think this book is much more suited to a twenty something who’s never really given much thought to how the world works and how she’s being manipulated and mislead by the main stream media. In some respects this book is a not unreasonable introduction to the subject and a jumping off point to learn more.

For me the style was way to informal. The style of writing more suited to a blog, rather than a book I’ve paid hard earned cash for. I wanted more depth and seriousness. While studies were quoted there was no really digging down into analysing what science had to say about fat issues. I wanted to grapple up front and personal with the hard issues where this was a brief introduction and hand shake.

The book definitely has an urban bias, which makes a number of its suggestions untenable for those living in a rural environment.

Current temperature: here 55F/13C, there 17C/63F