― Charles Dickens
I'm an aunt again (for the 27th time) and I'm resenting the Corona virus more than ever today because I don't know when I'll be able to see this little cutie in person. Nevertheless, it's a time of rejoicing and a reminder that even in- especially in- troubled times, there is life and love and family. “I love these little people; and it is not a slight thing when they, who are so fresh from God, love us.” ― Charles Dickens
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“Is there not glory enough in living the days given to us? You should know there is adventure in simply being among those we love and the things we love, and beauty, too.” Related Posts:We had some more snow this week: This time of year it melts away fairly quickly, although we're supposed to have another storm on Monday. I bought a pot of tulips to remind myself that it's actually spring: And spring arose on the garden fair, Like the spirit of love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast rose from the dreams of its wintry rest. -Percy Bysshe Shelley I'm not housebound at present time- I'm still going in to work almost every day. One reason for this is that the company I work for is sourcing materials for making masks and scrubs, though demand is swiftly exceeding supply. But we're working with a skeleton staff, with only between 2-4 of us in the building depending on the day. I am finding this social distancing wearing, mostly because I'm used to spending time with various members of the family every week, and now haven't seen any of them in person for about a fortnight. I played Trivial Pursuit online last night with my parents and two sisters, but it's not the same. I especially miss seeing my nephews and nieces, though at least I get to see updates on their activities on Facebook. For example, some of the nephews organised a tourney with various challenges including archery (they have compound bows) and duelling with "swords": Toasting their successful tournament: My church's services are only online at the moment, so I'll be attending at home again today: I'm finding this social isolation wearing, but am not really complaining- I know that I am incredibly fortunate to still be working when so many are not. But I do worry about how long our economy can sustain having so much shut down. I know that it's necessary to keep this virus from spreading, but it's also necessary for those with families to feed to be getting a pay cheque. I don't envy those who have to do the risk assessment and make the decisions on these matters, but I'm hoping that they manage to find a balance between justifiable precaution and economic necessity. Stay well, everyone. Related Posts: “Again, the publick shewed that they would bear their share in these things; the very Court, which was then gay and luxurious, put on a face of just concern for the publick danger. All the plays and interludes which, after the manner of the French Court, had been set up and began to increase among us, were forbid to act; the gaming tables, publick dancing rooms, and music houses, which multiplied and began to debauch the manners of the people, were shut up and suppressed; and the jack-puddings, merry-andrews, puppet-shows, rope-dancers, and such-like doings, which had bewitched the poor common people, shut up their shops, finding indeed no trade; for the minds of the people were agitated with other things, and a kind of sadness and horror at these things sat upon the countenances even of the common people. Death was before their eyes, and everybody began to think of their graves, not of mirth and diversions.” ― Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year Balancing out my frivolous Wodehouse and Broadway reading, I've been taking a look at Daniel Defoe's 1722 book A Journal Of The Plague Year. Written in the first person, the book gives a grim but fascinating account of 1665, the year London was ravaged by the bubonic plague. There is some dispute as to whether Defoe's book should be classed as fiction or non-fiction. On the one hand, all the places, events, and happenings in it seem to be verifiably true. On the other, it reads like a novel and, though it's written in the first person, that person isn't Daniel Defoe: he was only five in 1665. It seems likely that he based the book on the personal journal of his uncle Henry Foe; like the protagonist, Foe was a saddler (made & sold saddles) in London, and Defoe actually published the book using the initials H.F. In any case, as a work of accurate historical fiction A Journal Of The Plague Year is informative both about the progression of the plague and peoples' response to it. Although of course our "plague" today is much different, certain facets- such as found in the above quote- remain very familiar. Related Posts: This image is from the 1944 film noir Laura, starring Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, and Clifton Webb. In it, police detective Mark McPherson is called to investigate the murder of society girl Laura Hunt, who was brutally murdered with a shotgun blast to the face when she opened the door of her apartment. As his investigation proceeds, McPherson discovers that a lot of Laura's friends were not really her friends and he himself is becoming oddly obsessed with the dead woman. Then... **Spoilers Ahead** it turns out that Laura isn't actually dead. Not only that, but the unknown-now faceless- woman killed was having an affair with Laura's fiance, Shelby Carpenter; he was meeting her at Laura's apartment while she was away in the countryside. In this scene, McPherson has taken Laura Hunt in for questioning about the murder... and a few other, more personal things:
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