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elle
I recommend "The Painter of Silence" Georgina Harding- I may have done so before.

chrise. Found a caterpillar of the privet hawk moth on my newly-mown lawn yesterday ? dropped by a bird of prey? 3" long, fat, bright green. white diagonal markes with purple centres, spur on rear end, black and yellow underneath. put under shrub on soil as they pupate underground. 2 hours later it had gone.

Hello, Elle!
Not heard anything of Lyn for some time.
I presume she is still in North London.
Do you know that the title of her book comes from a Siegfried Sassoon poem?
"I died in Hell. They called it Passchendaele."
Her books were excellent.
Do you remember Sister Mary Stollard?
Saw Mark Cavendish on TV earlier.
Not sure if he rides today, though.
I like Cav.
Still a fine day here!

Hi, Rusty!
No, I don't think that I knew the derivation of the title of Lyn's book?
(Or if I once did, I have long forgotten it!)
I shall look up the poem........
Yes, I remember Sister Mary Stollard - from "The Roses of No Man's Land"!
That was she of the eccles cakes....... if my memory serves me correctly?
"The Roses of No Man's Land" remains my favourite of Lyn MacD's books!
It was also the very first of the series that I read!
I am just about to go out for a walk........whilst the sun is shining and the sky is still blue..........
Catch up further when I get back!



Hello, Ros!
Thank you for the recommendation!
Yes, I like the sound of that...I think I shall order it!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, Sister Stollard nipped out to the shop to buy Eccles cakes for her very important visitor!
I forget how old was she?
I would say "Roses" was my favourite, too.
An excellent series of books, they were.
Yes, a grand day for a walk!

Hi, Rusty!
We are home again now from our walk!
Quite warm out.
I think Sister Mary was 90?
I have just set the recorder for the Passchendaele programmes, whilst I remember to do so.
My daughter has phoned.
The family are all okay and recovered from their long journey yesterday!
We shall see them on Wednesday as usual.
Well, it is usual to see daughter and YB on a Wednesday...... but for the next six weeks, son-in-law and BB will also be on holiday from their respective schools!
I must think what we can all do when they come over.
BB likes going to the Carvery , so we may do that for lunch!
And go to the park with the dog afterwards!
We shall see.......
Have you been watching the London - Surrey cycling?

Good evening, Elle!
Fine evening here, too.
I am recording the Passchendaele programmes, too.
I have been in and out this afternoon.
My neighbourly nurse had a puncture, so I took her wheel for repair.
There was a nail in the tread.
Then I watched the local derby game.
Then to ASDA, for I had ran out of milk.
No, I did not see the cycling (well, maybe about five minutes of it).
Remember to 'phone your cousin!

Hi, Rusty!
That was nice of you to help out your nurse friend with her puncture.
And speaking of neighbours.......
It looks as though we may soon be getting new neighbours!
The house next door - empty since the old lady died, and now in the hands of solicitors - is up for Sale.
We have seen various contingents being shown around by an estate agent!
Having had the same family - though varying members - live there for many years , it will be strange to have "new" people!
The only remaining family relatives are of a younger generation, who now live in Australia.
Hence, I am assuming, the selling of the property.
It feels like quite an upheaval!
Yes, I am remembering to phone my cousin.
I am just about to do so............

Hello, Elle!
The nurse is a neighbour, not a "friend".
Though we get on very well, as I do with all my neighbours.
You will be looking forward to your new neighbours moving in, when the house is sold.
I trust your cousin and family are all well?
It is quite warm tonight, I think.

Elle, a clue especially for you in today's Times...

15 A. Get the bug, and lose one's investment? (5,1,4)

"Catch a cold!"
I didn't even have to think twice!

A bit soon though to repeat the clue in one of the Times crosswords?