Friday, August 06, 2010

Stasis


State of stopped flow, stagnation. Rather like I feel today with regard to writing a post. I did consider enlightening you with the longest words in the English language but by the time I’d typed honorificabilitudinitatibus I was glazing over. However – just for Randall (see sidebar) here is a German one:

Lebensmittelzuschusseinstellungskommissionsvorsitzenderstellvertreter.


I’m not going into Mary Poppins and that song, but you all know the Welsh place with 58 letters and which means the church of St Mary in a hollow of white hazel, near to the rapid whirlpool and St Tysilio church, near to a red cave.


The longest English surname is said to be Featherstonehaugh which as we all know is pronounced Fanshaw.


(Courtesy of the Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable which has found its way into the upstairs loo).


Today’s good news is that dementia can be staved off by eating copious amounts of fresh fruit and veg. Many people have thought – why be tested – Alzheimer’s is incurable, but it seems the right diet and continuing education can delay the progress of the disease. After the perfect peach I had yesterday eating fresh fruit and veg is no hardship for me.


The other good news is my grand daughter is back safe and sound from Puerto Vallarta and - as she knows I will be much occupied next week - will do a post for me and asks we keep fingers crossed for her A level results.


I now understand what you devotees of To kill a Mockingbird felt. I am reading my very own copy and it is balm to my soul. I want to tell you about another book I have just enjoyed but need to concentrate and collect my thoughts. I’ll try to make good use of the waiting around that next week promises and post it. I haven’t got the next book to read in mind – which always panics me slightly. I did consider The Third Man by Peter Mandelson but it sounds like a damp squib.

I’m going to follow my own advice of how to keep on an even keel by doing some routine stuff that doesn’t engage deep thought: some ironing and potting. My new baby chrysanthemums are looking sturdy enough to move out of their medium sized pots into ginormous ones. I need six so must turf out some plants which haven’t cut the mustard visually. I must remember to keep my pelvic floor taut when lifting.

Happy weekend all:)

35 comments:

Eryl said...

So glad you're enjoying To Kill a Mockingbird, it's one of my very favourites. Have you read Mrs Bridge by Evan S Connell, there's something of the same tone about it? It's a lovely quiet story of a marriage, astoundingly well written in tiny chapters that together combine to be much more than the sum of their parts. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Fingers and toes crossed for you, enjoy your potting.

Pat said...

Eryl: thank you:) I have a date in the kitchen with MTL (coffee)and then It's Amazon for Mrs Bridge. Bless you.

lom said...

I agree I read To Kill a Mockingbird quite a few years ago, it's a book that stays with you

Pat said...

LOM: I've yet to meet anyone who thinks differently.

Queenie said...

Hugs to you, Pat, and I hope you have a happy weekend too x

Pat said...

Queenie::)

Unknown said...

One of the most restful (and 'dipintoable') books I know is Parson Woodforde's Diary. The full title is The Diary of a Country Parson by James Woodforde,selected and edited by John Beresford. My favourite ficional work is Jane Austen's Emma, which is a bit like it, in that nothing very exciting ever happens, but it is full of real people, who are recognisable as types who are still very much around today. Enjoy.
Best wishes, Mike and Ann.

mapstew said...

Have a great weekend Pat. (I'm still decorating!) Now, I'm off to look for my pelvic floor! :¬)

xxx

Pat said...

Mike and Ann: thank you - that sounds like one we'd both enjoy.

Mapstew: thanks for the giggle:)

Ms Scarlet said...

Amazon is a dangerous place - be careful on there - I always spend too much.
Sx

Pat said...

Scarlet: somehow they seemed to think I wanted 2xMrs Bridges and one Mr Bridge but I managed to convince them it was just the one Mrs Bridge:)

angryparsnip said...

Pelvic Floor..... wahahahahah I just love the way you tossed that in a the end of your post !

I am wishing you a sunny, breezy and enjoyable weekend.

cheers, parsnip

Pat said...

Parsnip: I suddenly realised I'm not meant to lift. Ha!
Thank you - the weekend may well be sunny.

Warden Files said...

Dear lady, To Kill a Mockingbird is a simply delightful novel, and often accompanies me on long train journeys. As for fresh fruit staving off the tendrils of dementia, I can never remember where I left the darn things.

Pat said...

Warden: 'I can never remember where I left the darn things.'
Fresh fruit or tendrils?

Warden Files said...

I'm afraid I may have forgotten the original question dear lady.

OldLady Of The Hills said...

You know Pat, I haven't been here in some days---(I haven't been anywhere....) And I fel I missed something about where you will be next week....I hope wherever it is that you will be alright, my dear friend.....

Thanks for your sweet words about Sweetie....They are deeply appreciated....!

Mage said...

Routine here too. It's so very nice to be able to do routine again. Fingers crossed. Hugs.

Pat said...

Naomi: as you know Sweetie (the lovely picture you took of her) sits on the little round table in my office/dressing room - with my parent's photos so she's in good company and in my thoughts every day.

Maggie: thank you:)

Warden: you are hopeless! Join the club.

Anonymous said...

I was in trial yesterday, and didn't see this until this morning. Thanks for the plug, BTW.

German is a funny language because you can combine as many nouns as you want into a single word. Your example is technically possible, but would never be used in regular conversation, much less written communication.

Oh, and I love the photo!

Cheers.

Pat said...

Randall: oh that's a shame. I pictured you and the EMBLOS bandying it across the breakfast table:)

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

That book will end up being one of your favourites.

Don't you just love Scout?

You should see the movie with Gregory Peck acting as the father. Sigh. Drool.

As for fresh fruits & veggies, my *best friend* told me about those and 'old timers' some time back, he said lots of leafy greens are good. I've been lecturing my ma ever since but now that you've said it Pat, she will believe me. Yay.

Pat said...

GG: I did see the film originally and lately saw it again on TV. One of the pleasures of reading it is visualising Greg as Atticus. And yes I love all three kids but especially Scout. And it makes me want to ask Boo what he felt about the kids when he was leaving presents in the tree.

Daphne Wayne-Bough said...

Have you checked out The Book Depository? Very good prices and free delivery anywhere in the world.
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk

Pat said...

Daphne: I'm fairly sure I've used them through Amazon when looking for best buy. What appeals to me about Amazon I don't have to keep identifying myself.

Madame DeFarge said...

A wonderful miscellany of musings. Hope you had a lovely weekend.

Nea said...

Thanks for the reminder Pat, when lifting. And make sure those pots aren't too heavy, or the iron for that matter ;)
I married on the condition that I never did the ironing (his condition not mine :)

For me the best book I have read this summer so far was True North by Kimberley Kafka. It's set in Alaska so conditions were similar to here and I learnt a few survival tricks :)

Also Marian Keyes always makes me laugh, her latest The Brightest Star in the Sky was brilliant.

Pat said...

Madame D: thank you - quiet and restorative but I haven't finished the potting.

Nea: thank you - those two will go on my list. It's lovely getting recommendations and so far I haven't been disappointed and have enjoyed books I would never have read otherwise

Murr Brewster said...

I've tried keeping my pelvic floor taut when sneezing, but I usually have to change out the carpeting anyway.

Pat said...

Murr: commiserations. Try sneezing flat on your back with your legs in the air. Who looks at ceilings?

rashbre said...

I love your long words thing.

If its not un-PC, i think you could make your word even longer by turning it feminine, by adding 'in' to the end.

So the consultant (vertreter) would be a female consultant (vertreterin).

I know its artificial, but its fun.

mfg, rashbre.

Kim Ayres said...

I can actually pronounce Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - it's one of my party pieces.

Meanwhile I'm waiting for the headlines "Eating healthily has been discovered to improve health!!!"

Pat said...

Kim: you must do it the next time I see you. I was beginning to worry about you. It's what I do:)

Rashbre: nothing un-PC about making anything feminine. Bring it on:)

debra said...

My late mother-in-law was born in Chester. She would delight us with her pronunciation of long Welsh towns.
Sending you love and light, Pat.

Pat said...

Debra: thank you - I 'm feeling it:)