“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been.” —Rainer Maria Rilke

For those who have been reading of the admittedly serious flooding here in South Wales, I thought I should report that I am OK, not drowned-dead, and that my home-made contingency arrangements, ad hoc drains and emergency ditches, have proved fit for purpose. Hereabouts, we deal with disaster in our own ways...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYVGPeCgGM4

Oh gosh, I meant to ring you, Annie, to find out if you were OK... (Mind you, having eighteen members of my family round for dinner yesterday kept me mega-busy and I forgot... which I hope is a good enough excuse!)

But it's a relief to know that Storm Dennis didn't give you hell.

Jayne

My wife and I are celebrating the birth of grandchild number six – the first girl after five boys. We love her big brother and her four cousins, of course (some of them can read by now, so they’d notice if I didn’t mention that), and they all seem to agree with the grown-ups that there’s something special about finally having a girl in the family. The baby arrived on what would have been my late mother’s 91st birthday, a coincidence that we find not actually significant, but heart-warming to the max.

From one grandparent to another, congratulations, Chris. It's good to know that even after six the thrill is still there... We welcomed our 2nd into this world a few weeks ago and still feel the thrill from the 1st, so we are doubled with the feeling.
I can hear that simple, unadulterated excitement in your voice as I read your good news. I know the feeling. It's funny, too, how coincidences always seem to come with events such as this. Perhaps if we looked long enough and hard enough and in all the right places we might conclude that just being born is the world's way of saying everything is connected. Six and two and counting...
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Yay, Hilary Mantel finally finished the last book of her Cromwell trilogy! It's out next month. Not that I have time to read an 800-page book right now, but it's something to look forward to. I loved Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies.

Mine's on pre-order, estimated delivery March 9th. Meanwhile...

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...mantel-extract

Whooppee!!!!

Today my granddaughter gave birth to a beautiful (8lbs) baby boy... after many months of grave concern for the health of both of them, an emergency appendectomy at 7 months into the pregnancy just adding to various other serious problems that have prevailed...

But all's well that ends well... and the family is mightily relieved that the worrying is finally over.

(I must just add that I am not really old enough to be a great-grandmother! :D)

Jayne

Congratulations to one and all, Jayne! It's good that things turned out well.

Clive

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Hi Jayne — You and I could talk over coffee for hours about the emotional rollercoaster ride that is a troubled pregnancy. And we could continue into the evening toasting the outcome with champagne : ) My daughter just gave birth after a similar difficult pregnancy and — all is well. Exhilaration never felt so good.

But you? A GGM? That calls for a feast! Go feast with love on the little one... Sleep well... The best is yet to come : )
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