A Ramble Around my Brain

 A piece of pedantry

I nearly entitled this post ‘A Ramble Round my Brain’ but then I realised that GB, my pedantic brother, (possibly et al) might pick me up on whether it should be ‘round’ or ‘around’.  I settled for ‘Around’.  Views on a postcard to The Pedants’ Society, please.

Recently I stumbled across a reference on the internet to forming a Pedants' Society.  It ran thus.

    "I've realised there are enough people on here who appreciate proper English and who pay attention to detail. Send a private message to me or post here to join. If we get enough people we'll become a proper society and then we'll change the world."

    The only responses were -

"Shouldn't that be whom?"

and

    "Also, ‘we will’ would be technically more acceptable..."

In fact, there is already such a Society.  (Should that be a Capital S or as lower case s?)    In the book ‘This is Craig Brown’ by Craig Brown the title of the existing Society (ditto as above in brackets) is made clear.

It’s been a long short day

"(Lizzie said) ’You know, it's been a long short day!  Or maybe a short long day.  You know what I mean, right?  One of those days where it's a long day, but you don't get anything much done that you had wanted to get done.’  That is precisely what the day was -- a long day, with a lot done, but not the stuff you wanted. 
…  From now on, on the days when everything happens and nothing planned gets done, I'm going to remember that line.  It's a long short day.”  Messymimi

Well, yesterday was just one of those long short days.  I set out to do some gardening – it poured down.  I put a wash on; I put the washed clothes into the dryer; I dried the clothes.   Somehow that process managed to go on all day.  I made some lunch for Partner-who loves-tea. I read a bit of my Val McDermid book.   I wrote one postcard.  I read the various postcards and letters I received.  Hello, it’s bedtime. Where on earth did that day go?

So many letters and cards

I love snail mail.  There is something so exciting about hearing the postman (I’ve never seen a postwoman on our round in ten years) chuck things through the letterbox. Almost invariably nowadays there will be at least one postcard or personal letter amongst the dross of bills, adverts and the like. On a day when there is no such personal mail I feel quite let down for a while until I realise it gives me a chance to catch up on sending mail.

Yesterday was quite spectacular so far as the receipt of mail was concerned.

First of all there was a typed letter from Marcheline.  When did someone last take the time and effort to restore an antique typewriter and then type you a letter?  I loved every single word of it.  Thanks ever so much.

Then there were two cards from postcrossers – one in troubled Ukraine and one in the USA.

DawnTreader sent me another envelope full of goodies.  There was a postcard, a book of stamps with the story of Stanley Gibbons and a prodder.  OK, I know that’s not the proper name for it but I’m not sure what its correct title is. A rubber-ended-thing-that-helps-you-press-the-correct-letters-on-a-phone-or-tablet-screen.    GB gave me one last year and now I have another – that means my phone and tablet don’t have to share any more.

 A French postcrosser with whom I swap cards sent me some of Tuscany (and an ancient map of great Britain)

My Chinese student friend (or I should say one of my two Chinese student friends), Tatia, not only sent me an envelope full of cards but enclosed a  bookmark as well.  Have I ever mentioned I collect bookmarks?  I must show you some of them some time.

Well, the sun is shining and I can hear the garden calling – there’s work to do…  Bye.