Stonehenge and eye ops… Plus sneaky peaks

I couldn’t resist showing you this. Look what my brother added to the photograph I sent to family saying I was okay and it all went well (which it did, thank you for your messages) after I had my cataract operation this week, a pirate flag and a parrot on my shoulder Photoshopped in for giggles! When I saw it , I actually laughed out loud in the reception! He is such a wag, our Derek.

It was all good and hopefully by the time you read this I will be able to see and drive again, and see up close with a special lens that I asked to be put in, but I still might need glasses on air. (Actually, I found out a super-strange coincidence about Derek this week – see below!)

Me and Litty at Stonehenge British Museum

Also had a super trip up London earlier this week to see the British Museum exhibition about Stonehenge. When I did my archaeology A-level, one of my exam questions was all about Stonehenge and the landscape in and around it in Wiltshire, and I’ve always been fascinated by that and ancient artefacts, as regulars will know. Loved every minute of it and I recommend it. There were mostly drawings but lots of contemporaneous (I’ve always wanted to use that word since watching the film Roxanne!) finds found here and also across Europe, many on loan from other museums, and some extremely significant. Litty particularly loved looking at the Nebra Sun Disc, something she’s known about for ages, showing that even 3600 years ago, they knew about the movement of the sun and the moon in the heavens and representations of the constellations. Amazing. Some were behind glass like this one, but some, including swords and pots and wooden artefacts, you could almost reach out and touch. What a connection with time gone by. No wonder I’m fascinated by the Last Kingdom on Amazon Prime at the moment, from the Anglo-Saxon era LOL. And they were selling a really interesting book called Stonehenge, a novel by Bernard Cornwell, which I shall probably order on audiobook!

We decided we have to do more like that. On the way home, I passed what has to be one of my favourite shops in London – will definitely be visiting there when it’s birthday gift time. Now I know what to say to people when they ask me what I want for my birthday next month, although I would have to be very choosy about what fossil to add to my collection in my very, very small display in my flat!

Also ended up going to the theatre – see below as well! Busy week. 🙂

Snippets

That’s shellac!

Talking of old things, look what my mum‘s partner dug out of his lock up, some really old gramophone records from the 1920s when they were rock hard and brittle, and made of shellac. The original shellac nothing to do with nails! One of them was I Only Have Eyes For You, I didn’t know this song was that old. Anyway, we were talking about how people are clearing out their houses and how I might have to do mine at some stage in Devon, and selling things on eBay and Facebook et cetera. And he said “what do you think I should get for these?”! Any suggestions where he can find out, let me know. 🙂 We did however cheat and ask Alexa to play the songs!

Duck sitting

We have ducks nesting right outside our office windows by the edge of the lake at the Chiswick Park estate, opposite Gunnersbury tube! Mummy duck sits on the eggs and daddy duck stands not far away most of the time, and I watched as mummy shooed away the little birds trying to peck the bird food someone had left for her when they got too near her eggs or her nest! It’s very sweet! I will keep you informed!

Tenko tale of the unexpected

Stand by for the weirdest coincidence ever, and I mean ever. Aged 11 or 12, brother Del boy was once in 80s TV series Tenko as an extra. In a Christmas concert scene with Stephanie Beacham, she addressed a group of children sitting on the floor in the audience, dressed in rags and covered with grime, one of whom was my brother.  She said ‘Ladies and… ladies,’ (it was set in a women’s Japanese prison camp or something ), and he waved his arm, and she said ‘oh and gentlemen’.  That was his big scene and he has spoken about it from time to time ever since, his big moment when he was a child actor, briefly. Well,  just this week he was talking to his oldest daughter who said to him to look at the person sitting almost next to him on the floor in the scene. A fresh-faced, slightly younger actor, also from Meg Shanks Theatre School in Wimbledon, who Derek only vaguely remembered but didn’t know his name. Well, that boy in that scene, all those years ago, just a few feet away from Derek, would grow up to be… his eldest daughter’s future husband! OMG! They never knew until literally this week! How weird is that! Ever heard of anything like that? If you have leave me a comment below…

Watch

Firstly a bit of TV, it has to be The Marvellous Mrs Maisel. This Amazon Prime series is back for its fourth season and for me, it’s better than ever. I love the scenes with willowy comic Sophie Lennon, and the interactions with the diminutive manageress. It is a work of comic genius and well worth watching – set in the 50s and early 60s, based around the life of a female comic something like an early Joan Rivers. Watch it if you can!

Plus we went to see Come From Away, at the theatre, finally. Me and my little theatre gang had tried to see it before Christmas, but of course things were being postponed again back then. Seems such a long time ago now! It tells the tale of strangers who got diverted to a tiny airport in Canada at the time of 9/11, and their memories of everyone helping each other when 3000 extra human beings arrived in a little tiny town. Really tested people’s strength of character! Getting great reviews and worth seeing if you can.

Podcast

Last week, Will sat down with George Clowes. This week, he chats to Anna Griffin. You can listen to all the podcasts here.

Vlog

Yes, guess where I am on this latest clip! Go on see if you can… A video blog over on my Facebook page and don’t forget to follow my social media to see my updates in between each week’s new post here on Stories!

Book of the week

This week I’ve been mostly reading Amongst Our Weapons by one of my favourite authors, Ben Aaronovitch. I know I’ve talked about this before, but it’s been what I’ve been enjoying while I’ve had to relax! I cannot emphasise enough how much I love the narration by Kobna Holdbrook Smith. Check out the whole Rivers of London series if you’ve not read any yet.

Also, while not able to see anything clearly as I was recovering, I listened to a lot of Why We Sleep. Really need to get more hours kip every night after listening to this, that’s for sure! Fascinating science on sleep and health. Don’t ignore it. Especially when you get older. We’ve had banging and drilling outside our bedroom windows at the flats while they decorate the exterior and I have to say, having some nights had only four hours sleep, it was not a surprise to me when at the end of last week I came down with a really bad cough. (Not Covid, thank goodness). Definitely need to get a grip on sleep that’s for sure. I’ll add it to my resolutions in my 60s, that start in less than a month on 10th May.

QVC top deals for the next seven days

Friday (today) – go here to see and buy what’s left of the superb Emma hybrid mattress deal. If you haven’t tried this one and you need a softer mattress to cuddle your contours and help with lumps and bumps and bony bits, definitely give this a go. Here are my reasons:

• Most awarded including Which Best Buy August 2021 and several previous years
• One of the softest, and is brilliant for side sleepers
• Features a special, more open type of memory foam on the top, airgocell, which is great for hot sleepers. Plus the top cover is removable so you can wash it
• Delivery is 10 to 15 working days in a box, no one needs to enter your home and it’s fast. Shrink wrapped bed in a box, easier to do it yourself
• 200 night sleep trial, yes, 200 nights!
• Get it now with around 45% off the normal price

It’s item 816875, search that item number on QVC UK . Ends tonight at midnight but beware of early sell outs. Don’t miss it! Go here to see and buy right now.

Saturday – the Ninja Dual Zone Air Fryer 9.5L is back, one of the more affordable, straightforward ones, to save you energy to cook with this season, plus a massive alfresco dining and gardening day on QVC as well.

Sunday – also here early, the Philip Kingsley four-piece collection, go here to see and buy it now!

Big deals are available on air for usually a week, they may be longer online if stocks last. New ones every Sunday night!

Dannii Minogue printed drawstring waist skirt
Monsoon Gelato striped print midi dress
Cozee Home Cozee Paws cooling pet bed
Prime Fifty Skin, Hair & Nails eight week supply
Liz Earle Botanical Beauty Regime five-piece collection
Neom Mini Wellbeing Pod & Essential Oil thee-piece collection
8Greens Daily Greens Effervescent Tablets in mixed flavours
JM Fashion by Julien Macdonald chiffon overlay tunic with trim detail
Northern Nights set of two PUR feather pillows

Go here to see and shop them all

And here are the new Big Deals launching on Sunday 24th at midnight:

Adesso leather cross wedge sandal
Gatineau 90 Years Young Tan & Glow collection
Shoon Elan metallic stripe trainer
Elemis three-piece Dynamic Resurface & Reset Night Routine

Now back to the Today’s Special Values for the rest of the week:

Monday – another one online now that you can go and order nice and early – the Ultrasun three-piece Supersize collection, in different options. This is the time and the way to get your stocking up done! And a huge Beauty Day on here as well.

Tuesday – Moda in Pelle return with the perfect Oreena sandal ready for summer!

Wednesday – time for Ecozone with another home cleaning kit. And that night I will be launching the…

Thursday –Tarte SEA Marine Miracles five-piece Colour collection and bag, looking forward to this one and a really good value set if you want to revamp your make-up bag from this very ‘gentle to sensitive eyes’ brand.

Friday – Lee will bring us the Amazon Fire 7, 32gb tablet with extras along with an Echo Dot, you will not believe the price! I’m serious, make sure you check it out! And that night at 9pm I will also have…

Friday 9pm – the My Garden Stories Oslo oversized garden rocker, looks interesting!

Plus launching in the middle of the week, a new deal from Clinique, don’t miss it!

Next week – how will the eye be shaping up? Plus a big early siblings birthday treat with me and my family! Have a good week.

Best wishes,

Debs

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