I'm trying to wash a jacket.  It's one of those you have to do with special 'wash out' then 'wash in' so that it's at least shower-resistant.  You know the kind of thing, Dear Reader?

As the label said 'wash at 40°C' I put it on the 'synthetics' program. Two hours later I'm still waiting for the program to end.  Then I'll have to do the 'wash in ( Read more... )

A cyclone hit Bangladesh last Saturday, cyclone Roanu.  Did you hear about it on the news, Dear Reader?  I didn't either, and I specifically watched the News last Saturday and Sunday (and every day since.)  Ok, so I was knitting at the same time, or eating tea, but I think it might have registered if it was reported ( Read more... )

Ethiopia is in the grip of another drought, the March rains were much less than usual.  Consequently more crops are stunted and harvests reduced.  Erratic rainfall and the El Niño weather pattern have caused two consecutive harvests to fail ( Read more... )

Tried to get online yesterday.  Got a screen saying something to the effect of "You are not connected.  You need to sort this.  You need to be a more privileged user."  The last sentence with, had I been feeling somewhat paranoid, overtones of "Nya!" and an extended tongue!  H had a good investigate, even went up to the chapel to try accessing the ( Read more... )

So, Dear Reader, did you get to see the Venus/Mars/New Moon conjuction this weekend?  Friday evening, when it happened, it was raining here.  Clahds in between, strike one!  Saturday evening it was clear, had been all day.  I forgot to look, strike two!  I set a reminder for yesterday evening, then cancelled it as, you've guessed it, it was raining ( Read more... )

So, Dear Reader, did you get to see the Venus/Mars/New Moon conjuction this weekend?  Friday evening, when it happened, it was raining here.  Clahds in between, strike one!  Saturday evening it was clear, had been all day.  I forgot to look, strike two!  I set a reminder for yesterday evening, then cancelled it as, you've guessed it, it was raining ( Read more... )

Have some more Good News from Africa - Oxfam helping people to help themselves to reasonable lives.  I'm still disgusted that Foreign Aid is necessary, but glad that such things are happening.  Small scale 'aid' seems to be so much more effective than giving large sums to governments.  I wonder why ; )

And to further inform, Dear Reader, poverty ( Read more... )

There he goes!  Yesterday Andy Murray crashed out of Wimbledon in straight sets, and he'd been doing so well.  Which just goes to show that he at least had heard the maxim, "It matters not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game."  UK Tennis fans are trying to be British about it, again!  Hey, now he can concentrate on representing ( Read more... )

You may or may not have heard, Dear Reader, about the war currently going on in the Central African Republic.  It's bad, children are being taken as soldiers, women are being raped, many are being killed, up to half the population have been displaced from their land and are now refugees ( Read more... )

For comparison with any cold weather you may be experiencing, Dear Reader, you may or may not know that Ben Saunders and Tarka l'Herpiniere are retracing Scott's expedition to the South Pole.  They are travelling unsupported, pulling all their food and kit on sleds.  They achieved the Pole and are now on the return trip, heading for the Beardmore ( Read more... )