Remembering Floriade

I think it must have been 1982 when my friend Maddy and I visited Amsterdam at the time of the Floriade flower festival. It's held in different parts of Holland, every 10 years.

I remember seeing gerberas for the first time. We were given one in Floriade and then a woman on the bus gave us a bunch to tulips to enjoy in our hotel room. She also gave us instructions on how to keep them fresh and straight! She told us that the Dutch always take flowers when they visit other people.

I bought gerberas and a bunch of white chrysanthemums yesterday when I was doing the food shop. We like to have flowers in the house and I loved these vivid colours.

Regular followers will recognise that I have been in my "studio" today, i.e. the lounge with white boards balanced on a table. (Nearly an emergency blip.) I've been at home because this morning Aggie received a steroid injection to try to settle down the fluid she has been harbouring since March. She and I have had an uncomfortable day, but we are OK - and paracetamol is great.

I have to rest for a day or so, but I'm aiming to be back to full walking by the start of the festival on Saturday 7th October.

I caught up with Doctor Foster and played a few word games on the iPad. Not much else to report really.