Just Thoughts on a Monday Morning

It looks like this will be a pleasant spring day - about time, too. The flowering trees are lovely. Yeserday, Easter was celebrated with a lovely lunch at The Blue Danube; this place is one of Trenton's hidden treasures and long one of my favorite places. For the longest time, I took guests to either Pete Lorenzo's or The Blue Danube. I finished the day by watching the third and final episode of Mastrepiece Classic - an update of "Upstairs Downstairs." I started watching because it got great reviews; I found it silly and somewhat unbelievable. Then I switched over to The Learning Channel for the latest Royal stuff. Yes, Blogolanders, I am following the stuff about THE WEDDING. The Kid teases me about it; I am a great fan of most royalty, especially the British tribe. It started back in 1953 when I was in the hospital having my appendix out; my parents brought in a Coronation coloringbook and a box of crayons to keep me amused - I was hooked. On July 29, 1981, I woke early, fed Nicholas, got him dressed in a clean diaper and light shirt. Then I settled him in his baby chair in front of the telly. I knew he wouldn't remember a thing (he was just five months old), but I wanted him to say he saw the Prince of Wales marry. Nicholas promptly fell asleep. I can't explain why I find these people interesting; some of them have been plain stupid. This I know, part of my interest has been based on The Accident of Birth. Their ancestors, if you will. Diana, for one, was the great great granddaughter of one Frank Work of Chillicothe, Ohio. Nothing seems to be known of his ancestry - probably good peasant stock. The late Queen Mother has a few interesting types in her family tree. So all this flab about Miss Middleton's ancestry is rather amusing. So what if an ancestor was a miner? In a few generations (assuming the Brits keep the monarchy) it won't matter a damn. Actually, this dose of good rich red commoners blood is not a bad idea. The constant intermarrying made the Hapsburgs a family of idiots. One person I never really warmed up to was Princess Diana; especially when the marriage hit the skids. The theory that she had no idea what would happen doesn't ring true. Her family has for generations been chummy with the Royal Family. She was born on the Sandringham estate; her maternal grandmother, Lady Fermoy, was one of the Queen Mother's closest friends, her father Earl Spencer had been a member of the court, her brother-in-law was private secretary to the Queen. Everyone assumed they were getting an updated version of the Queen Mother and instead found themselves with an unhappy, not too bright young girl. But I will continue to waste time this week following THE WEDDING news; hell, it's harmless. As one Englishman said to my late husband years ago, "Buck House puts on a good show." Finis