One up on Ebeneezer's Hearth.

These are unhappy times. What doesn’t help is the knowledge that being unhappy isn’t just about the causes, real though they might be, but at least as much about how we react to them. That’s what I’ve always had trouble controlling. Keen feelings are like fire: a good servant, but a bad master.

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Still, I did have at least one constructive thought over the past three days. Take a look at one of Gustave Doré’s illustrations to Idylls of the King:

 

Isn’t it interesting that we consider wrecked old buildings to be more romantic than pristine new ones? If only we could apply the same perception to people.

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Time to see whether the newly laid fire is burning up like a good servant should, and then I’ll re-heat some pea and potato soup for dinner. Home made pea and potato soup is a cheap meal, but fortunately I like it. It’s thick and well laced with pepper and herbs. And it beats gruel.