I am unwell with one of those not-Covid horrible chest infections that are around at the moment. I’m mostly staying in bed, although I did make an unwise decision on Friday that I was almost better and of course I tried to do too much. So The Thread of Her Tale is very short this week; I don’t have the energy to write the Thing About Dates that I was going to write, I have no studio update because I haven’t been in there for days, and nothing much has caught my eye. Well, nothing I can write up at this point.
I have a whole lot of stitchery I need to get done in the next six months, and that six month deadline isn’t as far away as I would like. So to try to deal with the frustration of no sewing, I’m trying to do bits of thinking, and reading on and off.
I’ve been listening to Hunting the Falcon: Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and the Marriage that Shook Europe by John Guy and Julia Fox. So far I am enjoying the listen, although it did lead to some very odd dreams last night. As a bonus, it gave me one of those Dates I have been meaning to look up, so as long as I can remember it, it has saved me a job. I really should stick a bookmark in the hard copy so I don’t forget.
I’ve also started to read The Man on A Donkey by Hilda Prescott (first published in 1952). I have been meaning to read it for a while - it’s been on my Kindle for ages thanks to an endorsement from Hilary Mantel (“A classic of historical fiction... Captures all the poignant strangeness of the era”). It’s set in the 1530s - the same time as Mantel’s Cromwell Trilogy. I’m a couple of chapters in and while it’s too early in my read to say anything definite, I have a feeling I am going to love it. I’ve started hunting online for nice physical copies, and telling myself to wait until I have read more.
So now back to bed, no getting up today, but hopefully I will get back into the studio next week. That Cromwell Narrative Cloth isn’t going to stitch itself.
By one of those fortunate coincidences I acquired a pristine copy of The Man on the Donkey only yesterday. I was intrigued, having not come across it before, but thought it might make a good companion read to the Wolf Hall read along.
So now I shall be joining you, looking for references to stitching as I read.
So sorry to hear that you are unwell. Stay home, stay warm and rest and let who will sort Christmas festivities. Jx
Dr. John Chambers and I wish you a speedy recovery from Vienna! https://www.khm.at/de/object/969/