Leaning into spring

... but it's not here yet. I chose this tree for its absence of green shoots. Looking back at last year's blip, I see a mass of wisteria blossoms. No chance of that today -- our own wisteria, on a sheltered south-facing wall, barely has buds on it now. I looked long and hard before finding any vines with signs of life. With all the rain we've had there is more grass about than usual, but little other sign of spring. Still, we did see the sun today.

Today's big news in the UK made me think of what I was doing on 22 November 1990: dancing in the marketing director's office at the publishing company I worked for, while phones rang and whoops were heard in the open-plan office outside. It reminds me of a suggestion I heard for an inscription on Mrs Thatcher's grave: Licensed for dancing. She aroused so much vitriol and anger. "Where there is discord, may we bring harmony," she famously said when she was elected. Nothing could have been further from the truth. There are many places in Britain where she will never be forgiven for what she did to people and communities. But in many ways today's politicians have done things which are just as bad, but without her massive self-belief and lack of hypocrisy. You were never in any doubt that she believed in what she was doing, however repulsive it was.