Hydrangeas are my one weakness

...if you don't count all my others, including sugar; hoarding expensive soaps; books; kitchen gadgets; books; chocolate; cookery books....

I pass these flowers every day, and if I've blipped them before, so be it. They amaze me every time I see them. I think the name implies that the flower has many heads.As the flower petals fall off, these little seeds, which look like sweets in colour and hazelnuts in shape, are gradually revealed. I may need to find out more.

Lovely social day today, despite my continuing neck pain. I've tried most things I can think of for this, but it's my constant companion. May have to practise paradoxical relaxation, i.e. forcing my mind to dwell on the pain, only on the pain, until it gets bored of this exercise. as it does of most things, and freedom from pain is achieved for a short while as the mind wanders.

I had agreed to help out on a stall in the farmers' market promoting courses run by the WEA (Workers' Educational Association). I saw people in the market that I hadn't seen for years, and had some interesting conversations with folk about courses, whether or not they wanted to go on ours or not. It's always a pleasure to talk about learning with adults, and people who are learning for fun, rather than out of necessity.
I also managed to buy some double espresso fudge; a cup of coffee; some chocolate roulade (far too much dairy cream) and an amazing stuffed red pepper for lunch. So it was an expensive but gourmet sort of volunteering.

Life drawing (I'm the model) class followed, I kept my mind off the neck pain by explaining to the tutor beforehand that I couldn't turn to the left at all, and by reading during the second pose. I'm reading another West Highland potboiler by Alexandra Raife, Belonging. I don't think this author likes men much. Most of her male characters are ciphers, while the females are strong and quite believable.

Now i'm off to try and watch catchup TV now. Alternating between two set top boxes and my iPad add, I still can't watch Channel 4! Remember when tellies were black and white, portable, and had three or four buttons, and zero vertical hold?