This is what the trees look like in paradise. First I spent the day reading and finishing Claire Tomalin's
Mrs Jordan's Profession. I loved it. I found myself thinking about the biographer easily as much as Mrs Jordan. Mrs Jordan was the mistress of William IV, and bore him ten children, living as his de facto partner for many years before he rudely got rid of her in response to the advice of his royal advisors. She was also a superb and very famous actress, both before, during and after her relationship with William (the Duke of Clarence while they were living together). She was born in 1761 and was on the stage from the age of 14. She worked through all of her pregnancies (13 live children and still more miscarriages) and was back on the stage within a month of giving birth. Tomalin, herself a very interesting woman, often draws explicit links between modern day parenting and Jordan's effective parenting and caring skills. I'm keen to read more of Tomalin's work.
Then on Saturday night I went to Barrytown with a friend to see
Rachel Dawick and Jon Saunders in their concert 'Boundary Riders'. Great music and great stories and great company.
Come Sunday, I was ready for more wonderfulness and so Brighid and I took Mary K (86) to the Sunday Market. Persons in fashionable parts of the country might be forgiven for not understanding what a significant achievement it is that we finally have a flourishing weekend market.
Then in the afternoon my lovely family and I went for a walk on the latest part of the cycleway. Where I took the photo of the cabbage trees as pictured above. It was all so good that I even came home and made hummous and chocolate cake for school lunches. Budget fortnight requires planning for home made lunches every day. Swimming lessons, dancing lessons, kung fu classes, cubs and hockey fees and subs have arrived
at once.
Now I am off to read
The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck.
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