Genesis

Another day that seems to have whizzed past with no time to breathe. Himself went out early to buy a paper, which in turn gave rise to one of the thoughts I had today. I'll come back to it. The main thing was that I was up and in my right mind rather earlier than I wanted to be after failing to get to sleep till after 2am (I don't know why. It just happened.) However, I walked to my art class, finished the piece I've been working on, and had time not only to start experimental sketches for the next one but to enjoy the sight of my  teacher starting out on a painting of her own, one which looks to be a great deal larger than mine and a great deal more exciting. Here, she is pouring out splodges of acrylic onto canvas, which she is about to attack with a largish brush. 

I had an hour at home before I had to trot up to the local hospital for an x-ray ordered by my GP to try to find out more about my back. I'm not holding my breath. The radiographer turned out to be the wife of my older son's best pal at school - Dunoon verily is a small world. She thought I'd taught her English ...

Then we ate, and I had time to read some of today's Scotsman (extra photo because I love the cover and the layout with the black extending to the back page, which has been a hallmark of all the editions since Friday. I also watched the departure of the Queen's coffin from sunny Edinburgh and - just before I had to go to choir - its arrival in rainy Northolt. No wonder she loved Scotland ... 

But this is when I was thinking how much more satisfying it is to read a physical newspaper. I realise that when I'm reading it online, I tend to skip over really interesting stuff which in a paper copy I read without hesitation. I subscribe to reading the Scotsman in its virtual form simply because it's not readily available here (Morrison's had 2 copies at 8am), but I enjoy the paper more. The second thing I was thinking about was the question of vocal protests like yesterday's in the High Street, for which a young man was arrested. Today social media is full of outrage because protest is being suppressed. And yet this experienced protester is outraged by protest that disrupts other people's grief, spoils an experience for other people, arouses anger when there should be quiet contemplation. I reckon if that young man hadn't been arrested he'd have  been thumped - I think he was, once, by a bystander before the police arrived. Should they have nicked the thumper while they were at it? 

But it's too late for me to think more of such things, and I have another early start tomorrow. Answers on a postcard, please ...