Simple Pleasures.

I haven't had a moment to myself since yesterday morning, because Grandson was so ill he just wanted to be cuddled. That was fine, because it's a bit of a luxury to do nothing for a whole day. He slept quite well too, only needing some Calpol at about 3am because he was burning up. This morning, though, he was fine - pointed to his open mouth and said "all gone". So I was able to drop him off at Pre-School and just hope he will last the day.

I've had even more excitement from Sitemeter, which dotted Dubayy in Dubai, Myanmar in Rangoon, Grand Rapids in Michigan, Little Rock Arkansas and a place called Chagrin Falls in Ohio (that's 3 in Ohio now!). Chagrin Falls sounds just the sort of typical American small town you could describe in a laconic American drawl - it looked to be right in the centre of North America, close to a huge body of water. I should maybe go to these places and meet the people who have logged onto my Blog - what an adventure that would be, especially for someone who's never been outside Europe.

The news continues to rabbit on about the threat of obesity in 25 year's time. It seems we haven't adjusted to sedentary jobs, labour-saving devices and high-energy foods. These facets of modern life were all considered 'progress' of course, though not by me. Nor by my Grandmother, Martha, who never stopped working and lived to be 95! I have a job to sit down during the day (I know I'm doing it now, but it's not for long), and even when I was working in Advertising in London, I couldn't sit still for long. The creative process, for me, involved a lot of rushing about
talking to people, making cups of coffee and using up masses of nervous energy in meetings with clients. It was not what I would have called a sedentary job. And neither is being a mother of course. Now there's a job where you never sit down - if you are doing the job properly, that is.

And as for labour-saving devices, I actually prefer to wash the floor on my hands and knees, and to whip cream, mash potatoes and make pastry with my own hands instead of a machine. But of course, if you've never seen anyone doing this, or been encouraged to try yourself, then it probably doesn't occur to you.

High energy foods are a mystery to me too. What are they? Do they mean fish and chips, Kentucky Fried Chicken, ready meals? And there's Cocal-Cola and all those other sugar-filled drinks. Luckily for me I grew up after the War when we only had the fresh stuff. My Mother cooked fresh food every day (maybe because she had no choice) and as a result I do the same today. We may have had a basic and not very adventurous diet, but it has created a generation of healthy old specimens. Trouble is, these new findings mean that many of us will probably outlive our children - what a dreadful thought. Perhaps I should start smoking again to shorten the odds. UGH..

The thing is, when I do sit down in the evenings, having done all the jobs, fed my students, sorted out the kitchen etc, I really enjoy the evening, whether I'm chatting to friends on the phone, reading, sewing (by hand of course) or watching a film. And speaking of films, it's Toad in the Hole (made with Organic pork and apple sausages) and a video with Gay Friend tonight. Simple pleasures...