Agatha Christie-Mallowan, Syria I am reading 'Come Tell Me How You Live' by Agatha Christie Mallowan.

I am reading 'Come Tell Me How You Live' by Agatha Christie Mallowan.

In 1930 Agatha Christies married Max Mallowan a young archaeologist. According to the foreword by Jacquetta Hawkes 'Agatha did not see her own renown as any bar to sharing in her husband's work. From the first she took full part in every one of Max's excavations in Syria and Iraq.'

After the 2nd World War Agatha wrote: 'My thoughts turning more and more to those days spent in Syria, and at last I have felt impelled to get out my notes and rough diaries and complete what I had begun....For I love that gentle fertile country (Syria) and its simple people, who know how to laugh and enjoy life; who are idle and gay, and who have dignity, good manners, and a great sense of humour, and to whom death is not terrible.

'Inshallah, I shall go there again, and the things that I love shall not have perished from this earth...

Spring 1944.

Yet, seventy years late, moved to tears by her words in the knowledge of recent events in Syria, I ask myself if anything remains of the Syria she knew and loved. 

Young at Heart

Yesterday, I took my granddaughters to see the new Disney production of Cinderella. The ten, nine and five year-olds loved every minute of it, and so did I. It's very enjoyable to recapture one's childhood by immersing oneself in a fairy tale.

Easter Sunday

Nothing exciting on Easter Monday, but the sunshine was very welcome.

I fitted in a lot of writing and enjoyed a satisfactory day. My daughter's 13 year-old son very kindly came round to help me to finish clearing a garden shed in which son number two had stored a lot of junk, some of it too heavy for me to shift. By now, the rubbish, which included ancient tins of paint, rusted tools etc., etc., filled about ten dustbins. My grandson insisting on sweeping away all the cobwebs and the floor while muttering, 'disgusting,' at regular intervals.

After my grandson left, I moved a pot of lilies, which will be scarlet when they flower, to the front garden and then planted a rose bush, which will have red blooms, and some polyanthas  at the front of the border. I then picked curly kale from the garden and made colcannon topped with grated mature cheddar cheese for lunch.

Ashridge Estate

Yesterday, it was a little chilly at Ashridge Estate but  my daughter, my twin sons and nine grandchildren enjoyed giveing and receiving Easter eggs and cards, and each other's company. After a long walk we sat outside the café having hot drinks and scones full of cream and strawberry jam. From our seats we were entertained by the sight of my two taller grandsons trying to hoist my daughter's shorter son up into a huge tree. Eventually, my twin sons heaved him up and then helped the other two into the tree. The branches spread out leaving a hollow where the three of them sat and chatted for ages. The three girls entertained themselves, climbing another smaller tree and the two younger boys found plenty to do.

We finished the day off with a meal at an Indian restaurant down the road from me. By the time I reached home at half past eight I thought I would drop off to sleep while watching Poldark but managed to stay awake.

Today, after I finish writing and 'writerly' matters,I plan to get on in the garden, planting out more broad beans which are in the greenhouse etc., etc.

Eyes Which Do Peculiar Things

I don't like eyes which do peculiar things.
She dropped her eyes. I have a vision of her taking her eyes out of their sockets and dropping them. Why not write; She looked down.
His eyes darted. Where did they dart to/
She fixed her eyes on him. Did he appreciate her fixing her eyes on him. With what did she fix them?
His eyes stabbed her. Weird eyes, did he sharpen them?
Also, I'm not keen on body parts which do peculiar things.

Potted Plants, Lilies

After the rain stopped while I got on with 'writerly' matters, I worked in the garden. I tidied the back yard and the greenhouse and planted some scarlet lilies in a tall terracotta pot. The lilies will be 18 inches high and look beautiful at the back of the border beneath my sitting room window. I'm also looking forward to the stargazer (pink lilies), which I potted up earlier in the year, flowering. Pots of perennials are useful. They fill gaps year after year and need little more than an annual feed.

Writer's Days, Cinderella, Grandchildren Garden Centre, Peach and Nectarine Trees

I was shattered on Tuesday and even more shattered by yesterday evening. I devoted four hours to 'writerly' matters and went out at 11 a.m. I bought tickets for Cinderella for next Tuesday when I and three granddaughters will see it. The tickets bought, I went to the Garden Centre where I bought, 2nd early seed potatoes, red geraniums for the window boxes and red lily bulbs. They will be 2ft high and look good at the back of the border beneath my sitting room window. I also b...ought golden rod that will make a splash of colour next to the Michaelmas daisies in the autumn.

The pot in which I had planted a bay tree broke so I chose a heavy clay pot that I hope the wind won't blow over and planted the bay tree in it. What else? Oh yes, some succulents two green ones and a dark red one which are now on the kitchen window sill. I like the rosettes the leaves form. After unch out I went to the library to collect books I had reserved.
My daughter had an early appointment in London this morning, so I stayed at her house for the night. I gave the children their dinner, heard my 5 year-old granddaughter's reading, put her to bed and read a story about Aladdin, a princess, a genie, a villain and a baby camel to her. Then I played draughts with my 10 year old grandson until it was time for him to go to bed. Afterward, while waiting for the 13 year-old to go to bed I got on with some more 'writerly' matters. When he went to bed I read for a while before going to sleep.
This morning was busy after we all had porridge for breakfast and the children went to school. I worked on writing projects, then sorted out my mini peach and nectarine trees. Last year there was loads of fruit on them but it dropped off before it ripened. I've re-potted them in John Innes No 3 and pollinated them with a paintbrush. The pink flowers are so promising and pretty that, fingers crossed I will enjoy the fruit this year. Any advice about their nurture would be welcome.
Made a vegetable curry for lunch and then read until I returned to the laptop.
Hopefully the weather will be good for two days and I'll be able to do much more in the garden - but I must remember to wrap up all the Easter eggs.