WE LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES
6th May 2010
I have been here in Idaho for two weeks now and what an extraordinary time it has been - full of drama, cant say happy times, but to use the slightly distorted famous line "we live in interesting times".
It started for me with the Icelandic volcano and like so many others, I hung about until I could make my journey. I hear the ash is back. We have had the horrific Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I think honestly this is the worst as it has so many consequences, for the environment, the wildlife, for people who live and make their living in the area. BP have at last stepped up to the mark and are taking responsibility and doing something about it. But they should have been much quicker in my opinion. If you have big money, you have big responsibilties - of course Goldman Sachs haven't taken that view. Hopefully they will be made to pay for their callous abuse of the market and have to pay for their complete lack of morals. How naive am I? On this side of the Atlantic we have the abortive bombing attempt in New York, fortunately the bomber was such a klutz, it didn't come off.
And the floods in Tennessee - my uncle lived in Tennessee, just outside Nashville. I have been to the old Grand Old Opry, what a fascinating theatre that is. My uncle was my father's brother - he got out of Germany ahead of Hitler and came to America (his comment - do I have to go to that ridiculous country!) only because his father, my grandfather, would not let him go to China to fight for Chiang Kai Chek. My uncle became more American than any American, was a leading neuro surgeon, decorated during the Korean war, for being the first 'Mash' doctor - the first to take brain surgery on to the battlefield, he loved America and he loved Nashville and would be very saddened by the tragic floods there.
On to Europe and the Greek crisis, which is really wobbling the world economy. I always had my doubts about the EU, I am sorry to say. How could countries who had historically so often been at war with each other, with such diverse histories and cultures hope to function as one entity. I hope I am wrong, it is a great idea and should work. However it gives the Euro a serious handicap and honestly I dont think that it was properly thought through - the euro that is. We shall see.
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 And so to the UK - what a dilemma, we have - a hung parliament. If the two parties that end up in power can really work together, it may be a good thing - to get us out of the financial mess we are in. Again we shall see. As I said
we live in interesting times, originally a Chinese curse "May you live in interesting times".
Well we do, hope the curse doesn't live up to its name.
I have been having a more practical time with my son and daughter-in-law and the grandchildren, bringing me nicely back to reality and what really matters in life. Also been working out with a gorgeous trainer, who looks a bit like Hilary Swank, has a body to die for, wears no make up and still looks stunning and is driving me beyond what is reasonable for woman of my age. Still I am enjoying in a masochistic sort of way.
It has been freezing here with icy cold Northern winds and often overcast. I am not happy
as I tell my friends, if this weather keeps up here and in the UK, I am moving to the Sahara desert. I hate the cold. However I am off to Los Angeles next week, where it is sunny and warm, to try to sell our short horror series and see friends. And of course relive memories of a life led there.
Well my dear friends, this is all this time, wish me luck in LA.
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