Long time no see. Last week we had some sunny April days that fooled you into thinking it was summer already. So time had to be spent on DIY outdoors such as painting all the house doors and keeping them open for 14 hours to dry. After that it was lovely to catch some vitamin D and color up a bit after the winter. Bonita was not happy. We don’t understand how a dog who was born in Malaga, Spain in temperatures above 40 degrees can dislike the sun so much. We had lovely family outings in a great part of the Netherlands called The Veluwe. But now I have seen so much nonsense in the news that my grumpy old woman has risen again.

The item that irritated me the most was about those poor old Electric bike users who are responsible for the fact that in the Netherlands there were more accidents by cyclists than motorists. We, as I am one myself, will have to be told how dangerous such a fast bike is and wear helmets. Most of us have driven vehicles far faster than an electric bike and have been cycling for over 50 years. No one was giving any numbers about how those accidents happen mainly because of people in a car driving irresponsibly. And what was even more ridiculous was that they were showing such an old cyclist nicely paying attention to the traffic cycling between hordes of young people looking at their mobile phones or listening to music with both ear buds plugged in. There is a lot of ageism going round.

I have to say that I don’t envy the French president Macron who is visiting his colleague in the USA again. I think he will soon join the #metoo or the #neveragain groups as Trump was constantly kissing him, holding his hands and generally being very touchy-feelly. I know Macron is not bad looking and Melania has probably kicked him out of bed because of his affairs, but really guys : Get a room!!
And this is the same man who did not want to shake hands with Angela Merckel one of the most remarkable women of our time. She is apparently visiting next week so watch this space. 

The last few books I read were all very good. Jane Gardam is at 90 still going strong. Her Old Filth series is hilarious and written in a Jane Austen style but fully connecting the olden days with the now. I have read the fifth installment of the Space Opera The Expanse. There is already an eighth out and up till now they have been very exciting ans still different enough not to get boring. 
It is hard to do my own writing with all the good Summer reading coming out and my desire to be outside when the weather is nice. From now till end of May  find Nature at its most lush. Between all that and my outings to and with various friend I am giving myself a lot of excuses not to get on with the book.
Ah well retired people are allowed to do whatever they feel like anyway.

[social_warfare]