Clowns to the left of us, jokers to the right.

What's app has gone even mad than usual.  The Lammasmead posse, thought phew, a few days a go as planning permission was refused for a patch in the street.  But today another patch of land has been sold and the rumour is that one of the local traveller families is planning to put their caravans on the site.    The street was designed to have lots of green patches but all of them have recently come up for sale and ever since the community has had to come together to try and protect them from getting planning permission.  In fact I have been doing some guerilla gardening on one to try and make our claim to forage on them even more accurate than it was previously - two of us really do forage there, but apparently most objectors have claimed to forage there too.   Anyway so that has been going on now for over a year.  But at work too there are lots of lots of messages going back and forth.  The English base of my English language online school looks like it is going to be replaced by A.I.  So now we are fighting to see if we can either get an alternative job with them or gladly finally walk away.  They have mostly been such rubbish employers and so not surprisingly they seem to be breaking all the rules whilst dealing with us all.   But basically none of us have been getting much work and even that will be over soon.   However, as the world is being run by more mad white men than ever, these concerns seem minor.  On Facebook people call for others to be murdered and Facebook just ignores it,  Trump is saying even more unbelievable things than ever,  the poor Ukrainians must be tearing their hair out, except they are too busy fighting a war and the Gazans are being sold.  It was only a few years ago we were being told that the world is safer than it has ever been, but right now it just feels very fragiel and there is a possibility that even Germany will vote far right on Sunday  so yes the world seems very fragile                                                                  

Play On, everything a musical should be. 

On the plus side,  and it is "funny" how one can be in real despair about the world and yet still enjoy onself. I have more time to try and sort out old videos. I recently got the VCR repaired and have just found footage of N when he came to my work and made everyone laugh.   We had lunch for my birthday on Tuesday before he flew back to Croatia and then in the garden we had birthday cake, so the celebrations continue and my plan is to spend the whole year celebrating.   So I went to a wonderful musical with friend C,  and got to Chinatown with G,  so the plan is working so far so with
luck the world will still keep spinning that long.  

Also I must give a shameless plug to my niece, Emily for the simple reason, I really like her music, she has so much more courage than me, and talent of course, but she has turned her love of music and performance into something real.    Her second single is out today.   I have joined Spotify to listen. 

Unexpected find in North Cheam. 

18, 21, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and up.

 I am told by a Czech friend that I have just celebrated a round one and she is right.  It seems absurb, but also a privilege to turn 70 last weekend.  So a time for reflection, I was quite anxious weirdly so, but I think many of us get pensive around significant dates.  So many people never get to this age.  It has  also made me look back. I think at 18 I actually won a competition for my ditty, and I was given a lovely birthstone ring, but I think by the time I turned 21 mum was just beginning to show signs of the cancer that would kill her aged 50, so I don't remember any big celebrations.  I also don't have a clue as to what I did at 30. However, I do remember getting dumped by my very attractive, younger, Palestinian boyfriend on my 40th after a night out in my previously favourite cafe in Highgate.  I suffered another such dumping a couple of years ago, it is not nice, and somehow being on a birthday is so much worse. However, going to two funerals on my birthday is to be recommended as more friends and family are around than normal.  This year my sister had a belated 60th just last week. It was lovely to see my Scottish cousins and most of her friends I have met and some I have known for longer than many of my own friends so it is always good to see them.  And we had a ceiledh so great fun.  My 50th was a fundraiser in recognition that N's father had died of typhoid, so we raised money for Water Aid. My 60th the last time I got both Dad's together, before Brian died.  Also several London friends and other family came so it was a very pleasant occasion.  This year though I did not want anything fancy, and was pleased to spend the day just with my partner at Cecil Sharp House listening to great music.  70 years gone by in a flash. 

Because my niece is now on Spotify, I have finally joined their services, and now I have a play list and this band, Edgelarks,  were the first I put onto the system as they blew me a way with their musicianship. 

Talking of which I am currently regularly going on the Daily Antidote of Song and listening to musicians from around the world but mainly in America on that.  Suitable for woke listeners.