Today I visited the beautiful village of Chalfont St. Giles in southwest Buckinghamshire.   I was with my son  and we stopped for a delightful tea at “The Deli” and they had lots of exciting things on the menu.  It was a typical English  village with a duck-pond and village green.  Next time we will visit “Merlin’s Cave” for a drink!    Finally, a visit to see Milton’s House is a must.

The Deli, 4a High Street, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks, HP8 4QF. Tel. 01494-871099. Open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea.

Adapted from The Woman’s Book of Spirit, by Susan Patton Thoele (Conari Press, 2006).

We live in a youth-worshipping society, but we are beginning to glean wisdom from indigenous and Eastern cultures who revere their elders. Age can bring a beautiful patina to the soul.

Here is a quotable quote about older women to send to all your friends, and a story about seeing a Grandmother Rock that was a huge inspiration to this author.

Those who choose to look at what they have gained from advancing years, rather than what they lose, generally have a lustrous heart and a gleam in their eye. Ideally, the experiences accrued throughout the years bring increased wisdom and instill an inner security that allows us to speak our truth fearlessly and act from an unshakeable sense of integrity. Here is great quote:

“Time and trouble will tame an advanced young woman, but an advanced old woman is uncontrollable by any earthly force.”
–Dorothy Sayers

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I used to worry about all the “serious error” messages from my computer, writing them down and not knowing what to do until I could get advice from someone.

It really was too much for a V.O.G.

Then my son gave me the following advice, and since then I have slept a lot easier:

“If it tells you off, turn it off.”

Even my recent transition to Windows Vista hasn’t been too bad thanks to this advice.

It is unnecessary to go abroad to see lovely places. Here in England alone we have such lovely places to visit.
These past few days I was joined by my son and daughter-in-law who were on a visit here from Germany. Firstly, we drove to Rye, which is in West Sussex. This is a charming medieval town with cobblestones and endless antique shops. Lovely!

Saffron Walden, near Cambridge, is also worth a visit with lots to see.

Bourton-on-the-water in the Cotswolds is a charming place. This lovely town had recently suffered with the floods, but there was very little sign of it when we were there.

Believe it or not, I, the VOG, had never been to any of these places before!

I was at the doctors this week for a check-up and he asked me to remind him of the medication I am taking. I rattled off all the different pills I have to take and afterwards I realised that this was his way of testing me, for he already had all these details on my medical records which he had in front of him! Is this some kind of test for Alzheimers?

Does anyone other than me sometimes feel invisible?

Why, in a crowded room, one is made at times made to feel invisible?

Maybe it’s with people you know or don’t know, it makes no difference.

You’re a V.O.G. and you can’t possibly have an opinion.

Oh!dear! I think I must have had a very bad VOG day yesterday when I wrote the above! All is well today and I have a lot of fun things to do with my son who is visiting from Germany.

Meet “The Zimmers” – a rock band of 40 OAP’s with more aggression than Nirvana and more style than The Who. Meet 99-year-old Winifred who is fed up in care homes, Joan who hasn’t left her tower block for three years, and lead singer 90-year-old Alf whose beloved bingo hall is being shut down.

http://thezimmersonline.com/

http://www.easyjet.com

Gets me around Europe, with easy on-line booking. The same cannot always be said for their promised compensation for delayed bags!

http://www.wikipedia.com

“The best link on the web” says grandson #3!

A little book of Jenny Joseph’s famous poem.

Warning – When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple

By Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple
with a red hat that doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
and satin candles, and say we’ve no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I am tired
and gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
and run my stick along the public railings
and make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
and pick the flowers in other people’s gardens
and learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
and eat three pounds of sausages at a go
or only bread and pickles for a week
and hoard pens and pencils and beer nuts and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
and pay our rent and not swear in the street
and set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Buy the book from Amazon!