Probably everyone knows that Oscar Wildes’s last words were supposed to have been ‘Either that wallpaper goes or I do.’ This is almost certainly not true but a famous wit like Oscar Wilde couldn’t possibly be allowed to die without a bon mot on his lips. But leaving the realms of the apocryphal I thought …
Continue reading “Death is Nature’s way of telling you to slow down.”
When in bed at night I often listen to podcasts about true crime and the other night I was listening to one about a serial killer. My friends think this is weird – just carry on reading and you’ll find out things that are really weird – but I like them. Tucked up safe and …
It seems most unlikely that any parent sets out with the express intention of killing their children, but sometimes it appears as though that is what we did. As a baby I assume that I was left to cry until my parents heard me – there were certainly no baby monitors about – although to …
Continue reading “Being a parent is like folding a fitted sheet; no one really knows how to do it.”
Obfuscation is a good word. According to the dictionary it means “the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. An example being: “when confronted with sharp questions they resort to obfuscation” This seems to me to be exactly the case when celebrity couples announce that they are divorcing. “It’s completely amicable” they say, “we still love …
In the world we live in today are we supposed to talk about ‘person’s’ best friend? It is all a bit ridiculous. When I talk about ‘Man’ or ‘Mankind’ I mean the human race. When I talk about dogs it is an inclusive term for dogs and bitches. Technically I don’t have any dogs, I …
I’m definitely going potty. Nothing new there then. I read the newspapers in total incomprehension most of the time. There are words and phrases I simply don’t understand. A TERF for example. I have Googled it and it stands for Transgender Exclusionary Radical Feminist – whatever that is! And who knows what ARFID is – …
Continue reading “I’ve lost my mind – I’m sure I had it a moment ago.”
If you dream you’ve found a toilet, don’t use it. What a great piece of advice. It hasn’t happened to me so far, but with age and the necessity of getting up in the middle of the night it can only be a question of time! Sir Thomas Beecham famously said that you should …
Continue reading “People living in glass houses should consider drawing the curtains.”
Procrastination is an excellent word. The dictionary definition is: To put off intentionally and intentionally the doing of something that should be done. Should be done – that’s the key. I prefer to call it displacement activity – after all I should clear out that drawer but on the other hand I probably don’t need …
Umbrage – it’s a good word, it could be a town in Italy or a herb, one might ask ‘How is the sauce?’ and hear the reply ‘Very good, but it could do with a little more umbrage’. However, taking umbrage is a common reaction today but it is difficult to know when one is …
It can become more and more difficult to find things to laugh about as we get older – unless we discount accidentally seeing our reflection in a mirror! We have to take our pleasures where we find them. One of my favourite pastimes used to be eavesdropping – unfortunately even with my hearing aids in …
Has Anyone Seen My Glasses?