Kathy Thompson

@WTSchultz I would love to read that! How are you? It’s always good to read your posts here!

I would love to write an essay on the conceptual history of the word closure

*One month before her 95th birthday, Patricia Routledge wrote something that still gently echoes:* **“I’ll be turning 95 this coming Monday. In my younger years, I was often filled with worry — worry that I wasn’t quite good enough, that no one would cast me again, that I wouldn’t live up to my mother’s hopes. But these days begin in peace, and end in gratitude.”** My life didn’t quite take shape until my forties. I had worked steadily — on provincial stages, in radio plays, in West End productions — but I often felt adrift, as though I was searching for a home within myself that I hadn’t quite found. At 50, I accepted a television role that many would later associate me with — Hyacinth Bucket, of Keeping Up Appearances. I thought it would be a small part in a little series. I never imagined that it would take me into people’s living rooms and hearts around the world. And truthfully, that role taught me to accept my own quirks. It healed something in me. At 60, I began learning Italian — not for work, but so I could sing opera in its native language. I also learned how to live alone without feeling lonely. I read poetry aloud each evening, not to perfect my diction, but to quiet my soul. At 70, I returned to the Shakespearean stage — something I once believed I had aged out of. But this time, I had nothing to prove. I stood on those boards with stillness, and audiences felt that. I was no longer performing. I was simply being. At 80, I took up watercolor painting. I painted flowers from my garden, old hats from my youth, and faces I remembered from the London Underground. Each painting was a quiet memory made visible. Now, at 95, I write letters by hand. I’m learning to bake rye bread. I still breathe deeply every morning. I still adore laughter — though I no longer try to make anyone laugh. I love the quiet more than ever. **I’m writing this to tell you something simple:** **Growing older is not the closing act. It can be the most exquisite chapter — if you let yourself bloom again.** Let these years ahead be your *treasure years*. You don’t need to be famous. You don’t need to be flawless. You only need to show up — fully — for the life that is still yours. *With love and gentleness,* — Patricia Routledge

Hi, @walterkirn - your conversation w/@mtaibbi on today's "America This Week" about the shopping list you found blowing down the street, reminded me of the great Walter M. Miller, Jr. novel "A Canticle for Leibowitz." In that great post-apocalyptic SF novel, an entire world religion is based on St. Leibowitz and the lone surviving relic of his life - a shopping list.

@paulwellerHQ I am so sorry to learn that Rick has passed away. My condolences to Rick’s family and you and Bruce. As well as fond memories of your music it was a delight to see you all occasionally in Palings in Hanover Square back in the day.

I'm shocked and saddened by Rick's passing. I'm thinking back to us all rehearsing in my bedroom in Stanley Road, Woking. To all the pubs and clubs we played at as kids, to eventually making a record. What a journey! (1/4 - P.W)

@WTSchultz Me too!

@KathyKTLC I love Iris!

@WTSchultz Happy Halloween! How are you? Well I hope. I am sure you knew this! I continue to delve into your books.

Now…Oxfordshire. Fabulous.

@simonmacmichael How fabulous! I am delighted for you.

It's been 4 years, but finally I can answer Q. "Will you get another dog?" with "Yes." 🥰 We met Ronnie this AM, he is a 5-month-old Pomeranian, owner (who is local) needs to rehome him. We're keeping his name, so I won't be having a row with Laura over my choice, Tibopino 🤣

@A_B_Morgan Wonderful. As Bruce Lee said ‘words have energy and they cast a spell. That’s why it’s called spelling’

My seven-year-old asked for a dictionary this week. We went to the bookshop today to buy one. She walked home hugging it, pausing every so often to look up a word, grinning as though she had been given a book of spells, the key to wonders.

@Sarah_Kendall Hi Sarah - you started a great thread. If you haven’t already, do look up on TED the wonderful poet Rives with his talks on the 4 in the morning mystery and how he became the accidental curator of 4 in the morning stories.

Is there a name for the time between 4am-7am where you wake up for a wee, then start thinking about how you don’t like it when Tom Hiddleston dances and then you end up worrying about the end of democracy and that no one likes you and then you doze for 30min? What’s that called?

@SoVeryBritish A brilliant thread

18 Very British Problems with… Going to the Airport 🧳✈️ 1. Being advised to get to the airport 2 hours before your flight, so getting there 6 hours before, just in case. 2. Having to cross at least seventeen mini roundabouts before finally arriving at Long Stay Parking. 3. Waiting 53 minutes for a shuttle bus advertised as “every 15 minutes”. 4. Hoping your suitcase will somehow weigh less if you put it on the scale very gently while wincing. 5. Worrying you’ve accidentally hidden 10 kilos of cocaine around your body as you go through security. 6. Never being more flustered than when trying to put your belt back on in a hurry. 7. Being determined not to stop in Duty Free, until the sight of a bear dressed as a Beefeater next to a plastic Union Jack-patterned Mini full of shortbread proves irresistible. 8. Splashing out £130 on ostentatious sunglasses because you’re on holiday so money isn’t real. You’ll sit on them on day 2 of your holiday. 9. Trying to act as if casually applying eight different perfumes is a completely natural thing to do. 10. Buying a travel pillow, thereby decreasing the total amount of space you'll have on the plane by about a third. 11. Coming perilously close to knocking over a display of extremely expensive whiskey with your massive rucksack. 12. Wondering if five novels will be enough reading material for a flight from Luton to Alicante. 13. Wishing your partner would hurry up taking the photo of you giving a thumbs-up next to a giant Toblerone. 14. Searching every single clothes pocket and bag compartment to locate your boarding pass, which is in your hand. 15. Thinking that going to the pub at 7am is normal behaviour. 16. Never feeling a more powerful rush of adrenaline as when your gate number appears on the board. 17. Replying to the airport staff member's “have a good holiday” with "thanks, you too!" 18. Protecting your spot at baggage reclaim as if your family's life depends on it. * Check out the Very British Problems books if you enjoyed that: shorturl.at/npfbv

@jbromovies So many incredible performances over the years from this formidable actor. I love this scene beyond words. May he rest in peace. My heart goes out to his family.

Rest in peace Donald Sutherland, my favorite role of his was the big hearted girl dad Mr Bennett. So much grace and tenderness in this performance, this scene makes me emotional every time.

Thank you Rebeka ⁦@manderleypress⁩ what a joy! Have a wonderful weekend.

@ec_schneider Thank you for sharing- a brilliant story Elena

Remembering my Grandpops today: General J. Lawton Collins — Lightning Joe. He commanded the Army’s VII Corps and led the #DDay invasion at Utah Beach 80 years ago today. (Please indulge me in a personal 🧵.)

@melgirm How fabulous

@alisonbarrow Wonderful photograph. I am so sorry for your loss x

Here I am, emptying my pockets of all the stories. How lucky I am to have had something that makes saying goodbye so hard. My dad. Bill Barrow, no longer here. Always here. ❤️📚

@RMCunliffe This is a wonderful thread. Thank you.

Right then. Since somebody asked about it, yes we have named all the neighbourhood cats that turn up in the garden to see Clio. Yes this is totally normal behaviour. So here is the definitive taxonomy of the Disaster House garden cats. Read on!

@SteveMaslinG A Jungian analyst would have a field day! Great movie!

The human mind! Last night I dreamt with crystal clarity a scene from 1971 Clint Eastwood film, The Beguiled. The clothes, characters (Mr McBurnie), even the sound of Amy's voice. It must be nearly 50 years since I saw that film. It spooked me what else might be lurking in there!

@JennyAnnDee Bless her soul Jenny. Very beautiful. You are in my thoughts x

God but my mum was beautiful. I think she’s 23 here.

@Matt_Casbourne Take good care!

I’ve arrived in Brisbane, Australia, a shell of my former self. 22 hour flight with the second leg lasting 14 hours. Barely slept a wink. I see now why people do these trips for a month or more at a time. Jollier travel updates to follow. Think 🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨🐨