Mad Darby Diaries

 I hate talking about my personal life, especially to comparative strangers.  A group of us were having lunch yesterday when one of us suddenly demanded that the 2 women present tell him everything about ourselves.  Why are you on your own?  Were you married?  Why aren't you married now?  It continued in this vain while we ignored him.  This appeared to annoy him as he turned to me and demanded to know what I knew about him.  'I know you are Dutch and that you have a granddaughter,' I replied.  He had just shown us a photo of her.    'What don't you know about my personal life?' he asked.  I sighed, 'I don't need to know anything about you and frankly I am not interested in knowing more about your personal life, unless you have lived somewhere interesting or had an interesting job.  Your opinion  on world affairs would make conversation, or a good  book you have read or almost anything apart from your marital sta...

The long, hot summer continues with major rivers looking more like dust bowls and wild fires devastating forests, homes and wildlife.  On top of that the Antarctic is melting, and yet little is being done to tackle climate change when you look at the major powers.  Ok Biden passing his latest efforts will help but when looked at through the lens of the wider picture, it is very little and far too late. Someone who is definitely feeling the heat is Trump but in his usual fashion he lies, exaggerates and raises a fortune in contributions from all the suckers who listen to his tosh. Nothing much in the political  world can shock me these days but I was close to it when I read an article on the BBC website that said anyone in the world can become a member of the conservative party, even if they are not British, are not eligible to vote in UK elections and have never lived in Britain.  Yet here we are having the next British Prime Minister being chosen by people totally u...

 When you have family staying the time passes in a flash but it is so enjoyable while it  lasts.  This year the heat has meant that most things have had  to be done early doors in order to avoid the afternoon heat.  I don't mind how hot it is but I struggle with scorching sun shining down on me; I am definitely a shade person.  Now my family have left I had time to meet up with friends in a café this morning.  The temperature was better, helped by a gentle breeze, and I could have stayed there all day chatting away in French to my friend on the right and in English to Ann  on my left.  The group is a moveable feast, different nationalities turn up and stay as long as they like and it makes  for a relaxing way of passing the time.  Ann said she was concerned that she wasn't using her brain enough so I asked my French friend what she did all day.  Apparently she spends the morning preparing and cooking a three course lunch for he...