Tenuous connections

I've finally got through the majority of my busy work stuff for this summer - how glorious - and this week my mind's beginning to freewheel. So here are a set of rather dodgy associations to mirror the unravelling of my brain.

The light was completely pants today, except late this afternoon when I was on to other things. So at lunchtime I went into Winchester to buy a birthday present for a friend and took my camera. I found this lovely Roman glass in the museum and was completely enchanted by it. I love its confidence and individuality and (first tenuous connection) its round femininity and decided it had to be my blip for the day.

From the museum I could hear the Olympics on the big screen in the Cathedral Close, so afterward I wandered out to see what was happening. It was the semi-finals of the women's boxing with Katie Taylor winning. I can't imagine why anyone would want to box but, given that they do, I say well done the girls for storming this last male bastion.

Which (second dodgy connection) makes me think of what I've just been reading on the ancient Olympic Games - Greek, mind you, not Roman, but ancient all the same. Girls were not allowed to take part at all. You could watch if you were a virgin, but married women - uh oh, no sirree! Even skipping forward to the first modern Olympics, in 1896, there were no female contestants. They were allowed to play tennis 4 years later, but in 1904 this was replaced (not added to) by archery.

And for years after that it was assumed that the female of the species couldn't run more than 3,000 metres - in fact the marathon for women wasn't included till 1984!!

Okay, that's my trivia for today..

Thanks for all the hearts, stars, lovely comments and kind thoughts yesterday, I really do appreciate it