under another sun

Strangely hungover this morning. Lorraine however, awake early, and brought me a cup of tea in my footballer's mug. Very slow to get up. I made fried tomatoes on toast and brought back to bed. Then eventually up, and doing what Lorraine called paperwork, which was chiefly scowling at computer screens. Drove into town to collect money for our Cordoba adventure which will start on Saturday. Be nice to go to Spain. I've been to Portugal, and to Barcelona once for a gruelling stag weekend. But I'm looking forward to it. Home again, and armed with Euros. Then Lorraine and I sauntered through a few open houses. A gorgeous sunny but not too hot day. Fewer houses open than usual. Saw one painting that was fairly good of the side of Tate Modern, and some amazing embroidery by Agnes Chevalier the embroiderer I'd bought some work from once for a present for Lorraine. Lorraine bought some gifts for people at school, and then we zoomed home. Beth came by for dinner and a chat. ...

Quietly philosophical this morning (a.k.a hungover) but Lorraine and I were up early and off to Sainsburys to buy some baguettes and make a large breakfast for Beth, John, Eliza and Emily, who were still recovering from a late night of partying and sitting about on the gold sofa blearily watching Friends and other comfort viewing for most of the day. Lorraine and I went for a walk this afternoon, happily mooching about in some of the open houses near us, and bought a few bits and pieces. One house particularly good, and featured the embroidery of Agnes Chavalier . I'm not usually big on this kind of thing but her work looked like paintings, but because the threads were going here and there it reflected the light in an interesting way and I began to see the possibilities of using embroidery that I had not before. I particularly liked this picture and bought a card of it. Back home and the girls gradually rousing themselves to travel home, and Beth went to stay with John. Lor...