Yes

A simple answer to a simple question. But not without irony.

I worked hard today, particularly at making the bedroom beautiful. I decluttered, focused on the Feng Shui and bought two aspidistra. These plants are very difficult to kill and are apparently symbols of middle class dullness. I can embrace that. Dull is at least free of stress, and resilience is good.

Our new Hungarian friend made us a loaf of sourdough. It is astonishingly good. I feel touched and honoured at the gift. 

The Booker shortlist was published today. I recognised none of the titles and knew none of the authors. That will make for an adventure.  I didn't go to the Booker group meeting as I didn't feel up to it. Tiredness. But I will start reading.


My new podcast is published today. Episode 35. Hear me recite a poem by Jane Austen's mother and listen to Kathy Bates and Owen Wilson talk about the meaning of life.


Aspidistra (from Wikipedia)


As a popular foliage houseplant, A. elatior became popular in late Victorian Britain and was so common that it became a "symbol of dull middle-class respectability”. As such, it was central to George Orwell's novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying, as a symbol of the need of the middle class to maintain respectability according to Gordon Comstock, the novel's protagonist. It was further immortalised in the 1938 song "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World", which, as sung by Gracie Fields, became a popular wartime classic. An aspidistra is mentioned in the Wallace and Gromit short, "The Autochef", from the Cracking Contraptions series. In two Dorothy L. Sayers books from the mid-1930s, Busman's Honeymoon and The Nine Tailors, characters make disparaging remarks about aspidistras.

Aspidistras can withstand deep shade, neglect, dry soil, hot temperatures and polluted indoor air (from burning coal or natural gas) but are sensitive to bright sunlight. 

"Aspidistra" was the codename (inspired by the above song) of a very powerful British radio transmitter used for propaganda and deception purposes against Nazi Germany during World War II.