The title of this post came to me one lazy Saturday afternoon in late July, between one nap and another, after a morning spent at the beach. It made me smile as I jotted it down, thinking it would make a perfect title for my memoir - that is, if I ever decided to write one. Needless to say, we have had an endless supply of sunshine since May, although it did rain quite heavily last week. The cicadas, on the other hand, didn't make themselves heard until around mid-July. I read somewhere that the temperature has to rise to at least 35C before they start screeching. Now it seems like they will never stop. My grandparents' generation, who never used a thermometer or any other scientific means of measuring temperature, used to say that the heat peaks around the 10th of August, on the feast of Saint Laurence - and, most years, they have been proved right.
This year though, it seems that the temperature peaked and plateaued, and it takes all my energy to drag myself upright to do the simplest of chores. Reading and wasting time on Instagram seem to be all I'm capable of at the moment but I'll believe in the old tradition that says that cooler days are ahead.n I just hope we don't have to wait too much longer.
It has been a strange sort of summer. Even though the days of the pandemic seem to be well and truly over, I still seem to prefer staying indoors. It has become a habit. Not a bad one but I need to get out and about more. Because if I don't I won't have anything interesting to write about will I? And I am sure you are all getting tired of my book reviews by now.
Operation Pedestal 80th Anniversary
Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of Operation Pedestal. On August 15th 1942, a badly damaged ship named the SS Ohio limped into Grand Harbour supported by two destroyers, Ledbury and Penn, and delivered a precious cargo of fuel, ammunition and grain to the Maltese population and the British forces. The island was on the brink of surrendering but the supplies delivered by the Ohio, and the rest of the flotilla that made up Operation Pedestal, ensured that it would continue to fight on. Embarrassingly, no official commeration was organized locally and, were it not for Heritage Malta and a local re-enactment group, this important event in our history would have been completely forgotten.
TV Shows
We've been enjoying the latest adaption of veterinarian James Herriot's memories in All Creatures Great And Small. It is a throwback to a different era. I always look back at the 1930s and envy the slow, sheltered life that most people lived during that time. Of course, the second World War ended all that but, in my imagination, the 30s were like a golden era of innocence, wholesomeness and good manners. Yes, I admit to being guilty of looking at the past with rose-tinted glasses. I am sure there were plenty of things which were completely awful. I should have listened more closely to what my grandmother's used to complain about instead of basing my opinion on a couple of TV series like this one and The Durrells.
Another show we're enjoying at the moment is Harrow, the story of a forensic pathologist with an unorthodox approach to solving his cases. It is quite graphic at times so it may not be to everyone's tastes.
I'll leave it at that for today. I must plan my posts better because this one seems to be a bit all-over-the-place. As usual, I am going to blame it on the heat.
Wow! Jason's video is very informative.
ReplyDeleteYour book reviews are always a pleasure to read.
The title does sound like a good memoir. :)
Despite the fact that we had African heat here, it's a long time I haven't heard cicadas for ages in Belgium, but they always make me think of Italy, there they didn't let you sleep. The Cicadas represent Italy for me and the seagulls screams the South East coast of England ! When I stayed in Eastbourne, they woke me up every morning ! And my friend ran out with a broom to chase them away because the steal !!
ReplyDeleteI tried to see the video of your son, but it didn't work here, don't know why !
The story of the SS Ohio and the entire convoy is so moving, thanks for all the links. I couldn't imagine how it would have felt to be part of the fleet with such a sustained barrage. It was an unbelievable effort to deliver the supplies against such odds.
ReplyDeleteOn a happier note, we also loved the new All Creatures! Harrow we didn't warm to but it certainly stands out for being probably the only show I can think of filmed in Brisbane.
@Mawywn: thank you. I will tell him. Who knows, maybe some day I will write a memoir.
ReplyDelete@Gattina: I agree about the cicadas. They are synonymous with hot Mediterranean summers.
@Pipistrello: the story of the convoy is very moving. It is a story of fortitude and courage and it saddens me that so many people don't care about learning more about it or commemorating it anymore.
Hi Loree, What an interesting post. Very cool that your son created a video explaining the historical event in Malta. Both the shows you're watching look interesting. I think the 1930's were a time of innocence in some ways. It was also the big "dust bowl" though.
ReplyDeleteJasons' video is excellent, your son iv very talented. It has been incredibly hot here all summer and I cannot wait for cooler weather.
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming by the blog today! It is strange to mourn for a person that one never met but for me I think it is sadness for her family and for the world at the end of an era and what seemed to be the last bastion of civility, logic, kindness and so much more.
Loree what a wonderful history of Operation Pedestal and to think Ohio played a part in this historical battle. Went over and visited your son on You tube and his presentation. Thank you for sharing the link. You certainly should be proud of him.
ReplyDeleteI bet I would enjoy James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small". Yes like you I tend to think the 30's were full of wholesomeness and good manners...most likely they were not but let's think they were :)!! Hugs