Since my last post there had been lots of activities, even though we have been in the village, rather than BP. I did Roy's driving licence application online on Monday and, would you believe it, it arrived at Linda's on Thursday. One hopes that other government organisations, (like the Pension Service) have improved and attained equally good efficiency, like it used to be in the past.
On Tuesday I spent most of the day reading the 4th chapter of Trotsky's "The Revolution Betrayed". I had a look what the questions were going to be at the reading group and tried to answer them. After the last reading group where there was a lot of silences, this time round there was plenty of discussion, most of it relevant.
Sample only
Engels in Hungarian
I also started reading Engels's "The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State". I am planning a lead off on this book and need to refresh my memory. It is such a fantastic book, I am enjoying it tremendously and I am sure that all comrades will benefit a lot from my presentation. Assuming I can get it together in a few weeks, that is. PS: I have just ordered two copies of the book in Hungarian for ease of making notes and to write the final speech.
We
spent quite a lot of time in the garden last week. Having finished the
plum harvest, I had a word with the guy whose plum orchard we buy from
every year, when our harvest doesn’t fill 4 barrels. We actually got as
far as 2 and 1/3 barrels, so we will probably have to buy appr. 170 kg
of plums from him. He told us to ring again mid/September, as his plum trees are of the late harvest variety
The roses are still going strong, some beautiful pinks, yellows and
whites are blooming, as well as the usual deep red ones.
Low sun in the back garden
On Wednesday the weather was so beautiful, that I suggested to Roy that we go to get the moving cache called "Northern Green". This one travels on the marked paths and roads of the green markers, mostly along the border between Hungary and Slovakia. Currently it is reasonably close to us, but soon it'll move Northwards and further East, so it was important to get it. It was quite close to a village, so I went and got it, walked through the village of Nagylóc with it and hid it a few hundred yards beyond the village under a tree.
Nagylóc church
Some village wildlife on a tall post
In the afternoon we had the reading group and I took part remotely, using Google Meet. As I have written above, it was a lively gathering, lots of opinions and ideas about the subject matter. The topic was mostly the transitional period after the Russian Revolution, the critique offered by Trotsky about the policies of the Soviet bureaucracy. I definitely enjoyed it, probably the best one I have so far attended.
András working/cleaning the stove
And then on Thursday we had András Trenyik, who built our pottery stove
and had maintained and repaired it ever since, turn up for a big job of
not only cleaning it, but getting rid of several years’ worth of tar
from the inside, which had settled and blocked some of the flues and
made it impossible to use it from last January onwards. The cause of all this was a load of turkey oak that Pali delivered a
good few years ago and which is so full of tar and acid, that it is sure
to ruin any stove. I bet he didn’t use it in his own stove, but it
nearly destroyed ours.
The lower inspection hole
András spent 6 whole hours getting most of the tar out and charged us only £95 for it. Now we have to use a very nasty chemical powder, which I couldn’t use while Roy was sleeping in that room, which loosens the tar. We will use it daily until all 4 bags we have of it is gone, after starting heating the house from October/November.
Roy mowing by the holihocks
On Friday we did some tractor mowing to get the grass short, and one early evening I caught some low sunrays on the back garden, which looked very atmospheric. I usually do most of the tractor work, but Roy is allowed to do the Cottage garden, as that is his speciality.
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| Sunday lunch with champagne |
On Saturday we did a bit of cleaning and making beds in readiness for our guests next week. In the living room, we dusted and washed all the pots that had to come down and put them back. We also cleaned the top of the stove, which you don't want to know what amount of filth lived up there. Also on Saturday we did some more mowing, but this time with the petrol mower in places where the tractor couldn't get.
My plate: roast peppers, potatoes and carrots
And finally, for once, we actually had a Sunday roast on Sunday. Roy dug out an ancient pork joint from the freezer and roasted it, plus I got my usual roast peppers and full trimmings. We washed it down with BB dry champagne, which is the cheapest and still the best champagne in these parts. The late afternoon was perfect to finish all the mowing in the back garden by using the electric strimmer in the Cottage garden and on top of the cellar over there.
Roy's plate: roast pork, gravy, potatoes and carrots
I also had a small chat with my comrades via Google Meet, about the agenda and other important matters for the next branch meeting. The bad news was that Zsófi and Adriam might have Covid, as there was an outbreak of it at the Congress. They looked tired and not quite well, but hopefully it is just the exhaustion that one always feels at the end of an intense week of politics, socialising and drinking. We agreed on the agenda for the executive's meeting on Tuesday via Google Meet, which other than the four of us will include two more comrades.
Callum with Mickey
Today is the 14th birthday of my eldest grandson, Callum. I am hoping to talk to him this afternoon, wish him a happy birthday and hope that he will like his present. We usually send money and then either his parents, or he himself chooses something that he wants and/or needs. I was told by Alex a few days ago, that he will take him out on his birthday and let him choose a rucksack for himself.
Must go now as there is further cleaning to be done in the house, prior to the arrival of Serena and Anne, who are staying for a few days next week. I have made their beds, its the turn of some dusting, hoovering, cleaning of bathrooms and the of stairs today. Next post might be late, as the girls don't go home until Thursday.
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