Rock and roll lifestyle

Well, crawling and rolling actually. Less than seven months old and really going for it. I have a feeling this one will keep us busy …

Being a grandparent is a privilege I never expected to have, a joyous and fascinating experience. 

I did a bit of creative cooking today (see extra). Just for me as TSM is on a dietary regime that is the culinary equivalent of self flagellation. I love cooking with aubergine. Food of the gods.and the salad had a pesto dressing. Fab.

Outside of my bubble the ghastly world of Gaza and the Ukraine continue to horrify. I am reading one of the Booker shortlisted novels (set in Ukraine) at the moment and a theme is how appropriate a sense of humour is in wartime. This is particularly interesting when a mad American President is doing a deal with a murderous Russian leader. By way of an example this is (allegedly) a joke that the Ukrainians themselves tell having been invaded and abused from both directions.

When God created Eastern Europe, he carved from the earth three hulking nations: a dull gray valley called Germany, an endless white tundra called Russia, and, between the two, a bursting field of yellow flowers called Ukraine.
When the Ukrainian people saw their new home, they could not believe their good fortune. They walked the fertile fields marveling at the richness of the soil, breathing in the crisp air of the Carpathian Mountains, and staring out in awe at the glimmering Black Sea. They looked to the dull German valleys to the west and the barren Russian plains to the east, and then back at the Eden in which they were going to get to spend their lives.
They said to God, “What have we done to deserve such bounty? What have we done to deserve such good fortune? Why have you blessed us with such riches?”
And God said to the Ukrainians, “Let me introduce you to the neighbors.”