The Pot of Basil

A few of us met our WEA tutor at the Laing for lunch, to discuss starting a new course, possibly based around the Arts and Crafts Movement, or the Pre-Raphaelites. Because there aren't enough of us to make it financially viable the idea is that we'd do a short taught course and some self-study directed by our tutor Moyra. We might make some visits to Arts and Crafts houses as well as look at literature and art. To get in the mood we had a look at a few paintings, one of which was "Isabella and the pot of basil" by Holman Hunt. It is quite a grisly story - her brothers did away with her lover, whose severed head she has in the pot. The basil is flourishing.

Then I called round to see how Nathaniel was coping with even more pox spots. He'd given his mum another bad night, but seemed quite perky when he and Ella ran about chasing bubbles. That's the extra.

I am going to have to get my head round packing for our road trip. We'll be heading south spending time with friends in Skipton, Sabden, Ilminster and Corfe Castle, before joining #3 daughter and family in Normandy.