Friday’s wind blew my glass and plastic recycling bin over, scattering some of the contents around the garden. Obviously we need to drink more wine so that we have more empty bottles to weight the bin down. It also blew two of my pots of flowering plants off the garden wall. Fortunately they survived and have now been brought down to ground level in a more sheltered spot until the weather calms down fully. And I have an honesty plant which has gone from vertical to horizontal. When things are completely calm I will find a cane of some kind to fasten it to and restore it to its former glory.
Saturday was slightly less windy than Friday and today is calmer again. But the rather later than expected March winds have not yet given way to April showers. Pretty soon someone will tell us not to water our plants. It doesn’t take long for weather panic to set in.
Across the Channel the French go to the polls today to decide which is the lesser of two evils: Macron or Le Pen. It must be quite a hard choice but surely the French can’t finally elect a President Le Pen, even if it would mean the first ever woman president of La République Française! We wait with bated breath.
Another woman in politics, Angela Rayner, has been accused by the Daily Mail of using her feminine wiles to put the Prime Minister off his stride in the House of Commons. Crossing and uncrossing her legs! Whatever next?! I have mixed feelings about Ms Rayner but I must say that her response is quite pleasing:-
“Women in politics face sexism every day - and I’m no different - this morning’s is the latest dose of gutter journalism courtesy of the Mail on Sunday.
I stand accused of a “ploy” to “distract” the helpless PM - by being a woman, having legs and wearing clothes. I am conspiring to “put him off his stride”. The rest I won’t repeat but you get the picture.
Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin. They know exactly what they are doing. The lies they are telling.
The potted biography is given - my comprehensive education, my experience as a care worker, my family, my class, my background. The implication is clear.
But it is the PM who is dragging the Conservative Party into the sewer and the anonymous Tory MPs doing his bidding are complicit. He and his cheerleaders clearly have a big problem with women in public life. They should be ashamed of themselves.
I won’t be letting their vile lies deter me. Their attempts to harass and intimidate me will fail. I’ve been open about how I’ve had to struggle to get where I am today but I’m proud of my background, I’m proud of who I am and where I’m from - but it’s taken time.”
The whole episode reminded me of a scene in the book I am currently reading, another Barbara Kingsolver novel, “Animal Dreams”. One of the main characters, a tall young woman is in a cafe and realised another customer is staring at her long legs. After some time, she crosses her legs and tells the “gentleman”, “Look, I have two of them”. He’s not shamed by it but instead asks her to marry him.
I don’t think Mr Johnson can do that! But he and Ms Rayner are also accused of flirting across the House!
Meanwhile ministers get on with their work. Jacob Rees Mogg is urging civil servants to return to the office. Here is Mr Mogg’s message to civil servants not at their desks: “Sorry you were out when I visited.
“I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.”
One suggested response to that is to leave a note on his desk along the lines of:
“Walked past your office. You weren’t there. Hope to see younout of office soon”.
And Newsthump suggest: “Civil servants admit biggest reason for working at home is to avoid risk of bumping into Jacob Rees-Mogg.”
Ah! The cut and thrust of political debate.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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