The Fortune Hunter

Since childhood I have enjoyed reading. All too often a novel that seems promising disappoints me. That is not true of The Fortune Hunter by Daisy Goodwin. Based on historical fact it is the tale of a love triangle. The three people involved are Elizabeth, (Sisi) Empress of Austria - the Princess Diana of her time - Charlotte Baird, the Lennox heiress and Bay Middleton, a distant ancestor of Prince William's wife, the Duchess of Cambridge. The Fortune Hunter begins in July 1875 when Bay Middleton, the best equestrian in the united kingdom,  is chosen to pilot the empress on the hunting field. Daisy Goodwin has used fact and her imagination to create a fascinating read that kept me awake until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

False Pretences, Regency Mystery and Romance

Perhaps you would like to view the book-trailer for False Pretence (a traditional Regency novel: Mystery and Romance) at: www.rosemarymorris.co.uk.

False Pretences.amazon.com/dp/B009YK1MFO

If you watch it, please leave a comment to let me if you like it.

Home Grown Organic Salad .

Delicious lunch today. The only two things on my plate which were not home grown were an avocado and some Port Salut Cheese, even the salad dressing was homemade with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt  and home grown herbs.

Menu.

Drink. Apple Juice made with apples from the garden

First Course

Lollo rosso lettuce mixed with a small grated courgette and shredded dandelion leaves.

Mixture of runner beans, carrots and the last of my new potatoes with chopped chives in home made mayonnaise

Cherry tomatoes.

Cucumber with a little celery salt.

Avocado with a dash of vegetarian Worcester sauce.

Dessert.

Plain Yoghurt with summer fruit jelly made last year.

Yummy, yummy for the tummy, as my young grandchildren say.

Mind you, I couldn't do so much organic gardening without a gardener who comes once a fortnight and does all the heavy work.

Silver Car

Blog.

 

Before my son dropped off the second car Vauxhall Corsa he bought on my behalf I had a 2 hour, full body deep tissue massage. By the time I reached home I was too tired to test drive. Prior to driving it today, I studied the instruction manual. Somewhat nervous about the various controls I drove it this morning. The car is in excellent condition. The engine is quiet. I enjoyed a smooth, enjoyable drive. I’m smiling again although the AA mechanic misdiagnosed the problem with my old car.

 

According to the mechanic the problem was the starter motor. As it broke down on a Sunday the car was taken to Quick Fit. The new parts cost almost £500 which will be met by my AA repair cover. The car would not start and had to be relayed to Mercedes-Benz. The verdict – the throttle valve needed to be replaced. It would cost £700 + vat + £300 for labour and it might need some other parts.

 

My son and I decided the car was not worth repairing. Now, as the car can’t be driven and it is ten miles or more away from home we have to sort out how to dispose it – sell it for parts or scrap it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Car

I decided to scrap my car. It needed more repairs than it is worth. I am now the proud owner of a Silver Vauxhall Corsa. Its compact, easy to drive and cheap to run. Lucky me. After the fiasco with the AA and being stuck at home it's a relief to be mobile again.

A Broken World edited by Sebastian Faulkes with Hope Wolf

I've finished reading A Broken World, Letters, Diaries and Memories of the Great War edited by Sebastian Faulkes and Hope Wolf.

At times the poignant words of those who endured the First World War brought tears to my eyes.

I've now made a list of fiction set in the era and non-fiction also set in the era which I would like to read.