under another sun

Up early today, thanks to the persuasions of Brian. I took Jonas and Claudia a cup of tea and Lorraine a hot water with lemon, then later we had breakfast. Jonas and Claudia enjoying Kenny farm tomatoes on toast with cheese. Then Beth came by with Enzo so Claudia and Jonas could meet him.  Then we made off to The Barn on the top of Seaford Head. Lorraine took them to where there was an art exhibition. Palo was there, and Lorraine bumped into Kate and Debbie too. As I was walking down with them, however, walking down I couldn't cross a bit of the hill where there was no cover or trees and felt frozen and overwhelmed by a feeling of exposure. I tried and failed several times to get across and then had to call Lorraine to say I wasn't coming down to the Coastguard Cottages. Instead I did quite a few of the day's paces walking enjoyably around other woody bits. I met them coming up, Lorraine striding ahead as she was worried about me. All was well, however, and we had a coffee ...

Up for a bit of writing, then out to pick pears to slice into our breakfast yoghurt and seeds and nuts. Beth also arrived with Enzo, who was very cute (see below). I squeezed in a bit of writing, and chatting to Luke who was grinding out mortar between bricks in preparation for repointing them. Later in the day I discovered that he had not brought his mask with him, and couldn't be bothered to get one. I shudder to think of him breathing that dust all day.  Fond farewells to Sam setting off for the great trek north. It had done us all good to see him. Lorraine, sad he had to go so soon, sped him to Lewes, and then spent the afternoon at Beth's house.  I did some more murdering of darlings on the shorter version of the collection. This against the background disruption of wall grinding, like the sound of having your teeth cleaned at the dentist. As for the collection, I still have not landed on a name that I am completely convinced about.  The weather turned cooler, though...

Awake at three and barely slept afterwards. Heard cats fighting outside, Sam getting up, a mosquito in my ear, and had a brilliant idea which the morning light revealed to be a dud. Feeling a bit wan this morning, however walking still a priority and did 15.5K paces listening to Tolkien's letters, he is now older than me in it, and had fallen out with C.S.Lewis, which is a shame. In my mind, they were a bit like Lennon and McCartney, friends and who spurred each other onto be better. Otherwise a day with Sam, Beth and Enzo came around to see him. Sam meeting his nephew for the first time, and then going with Lorraine to see Pat and Maureen. Also Luke came around to work on our wall, removing a brick and hooking out bits of damp sand and stuff that had gathered there from the cavity. This was one theory about the damp we have in that corner. There wasn't too much of it, but the bricks are going to be repointed  When not walking, or making tea for Luke, I decided my proposed coll...

Lorraine off to do Story Time, I did some writing. Then Lorraine arrived with Beth Silwia still here and delighted to see the baby. We hung out in the garden for a while. Young Enzo well behaved and when not sleeping eating constantly.  Good to see with my own eyes how well Beth is doing. Later, I went out for a longish walk in the afternoon. A beautiful day, and I walked at northern edge of Seaford, sometimes on the edge of the fields. Gorgeous golden corn and a beautiful blue sky. In the evening, off to the Boot for food and. few drinks. Today Chris and his friend Julie, Andy, Guy, and Carole were there.  Below Enzo being burped, and the blue and gold of corn in glowing black and white.

Lorraine off to be with Beth.  James had to travel to London for his first day in the new job. He got up with the sparrows, this morning and got there almost two hours early.   I spent all day indoors waiting for the irritating electrician. He never did showed up, and Lorraine was unable to reach him. Luckily I was writing, looking and thinking about the stuff Robin had said to me the day before.  A nice chat with Anton. He has a very bad knee, but otherwise cheery. Made him laugh telling him about the seagull on the roof that flies at me raging as soon as it sees me. Later I walked over to Squirrel's End to be with Beth and Lorraine, and held little Enzo while he was dozing happily. Lovely little chap. Beth much brighter, and sitting downstairs with Lorraine and the baby when I arrived. Then after chatting with Beth, and holding the baby, Lorraine and I zoomed off to Moon of India to get a takeaway, as Beth had really fancied something a bit spicy. Lorraine and I pushed ...

Lorraine and I trying to keep busy this morning as Beth was going to have a c-section this morning. Lorraine went off to do Story Time in the Library, I did a few bits of writing and so on, while Simon the roofer came around and replaced the rotting roof on the summer house in the garden. He worked very hard and fast in the heat, and did a good job.  Before he finished however, we were summoned by James. Lorraine had returned from the Library, and both of us were getting antsy. The baby was born at 11:19, however, and everyone doing well. One job first: Lorraine and I bought a pensioner's double of fish and chips and took them around to Pat and Maureen -- then we drove to Brighton.  Found a place to park nearby, and made our way via two lifts to the ward. I felt quite anxious for some reason. It is novel going into hospital for a nice reason. We had to wait in the corridor for a bit. We could hear a crying baby, and then James emerged carrying his little baby on his shoulder, ...

Up and doing last bits on Gordon Road this morning, I want to make it good, but I don't want to tweak it to death. Then I took myself off just after noon to the gym, and did a fairly decent workout there. Lorraine brought Pat and Maureen back to sit in the back garden, and Beth came too. Today was her due date but she's relaxed about it, and doesn't want to get into the mindset that the baby is somehow late.  I prepped a little bit for the reading, had a catnap and a shower. Robin came to collect me, but only after Maureen had told me off for having dirty glasses, and cleaned them for me. Took some tupperware with food in it, and Robin parked on the little bridge in the middle of Arundel, and we had a sort of picnic on a little green by the river looking at black headed gulls, and a man with a very old dog. I had forgot to pack a fork, but felt a wave of love for Lorraine as I opened it up to find she'd packed one. Robin and I walked through the streets of Arundel, whic...

Slow morning, gradually crept up, tidied the kitchen and had breakfast. Sat out on the patio under the parasol all afternoon, and Beth came over and hung out with us, which was lovely. She likes talking through the baby business with Lorraine lots, and I really like hearing about it too.  I also caught up with doing some of this blog, and called Mum to organise seeing her tomorrow in Hampstead. Otherwise today was a happy day of rest. In the evening some distant thunder and lightning, and two heavy showers of rain, from storms heading across the Channel from France. The driest spring for 67 years apparently. I stood in it as it was falling, in big warm drops but not the steady downpour we need. Still better than nothing. My lightning tracker going off all the time, with thunder in the channel. We have yellow roses in the front garden which look amazing when next to irises.

I have a man cold, so had a low key day. Lorraine off shopping with Beth, who although it's a bit of a cliche, had a glow about her. She has a pregnancy craze for eating apples, which makes me smile. Then L had to sort out a bedding emergency at Pat and Maureens.  Not having much energy, I channelled my inner Dilly  and lurked in my study listening to podcasts, and organising the pencils and drawing stuff I have accumulated across decades. One of two pencils I've had since school days. Threw out the dozen dried up biros and felt tips, organised the ones that still work. Took ages, but was oddly therapeutic. When everything's chaotic you don't know what you have. I have a surprising amount. Also threw away lots of scraps of paper and bits and pieces. Organising and clearing out is very calming. Otherwise a quick pop around to Pat and Maureen's flat with Lorraine, while P&M were downstairs playing bingo, to change sheets and so on. After a warm day, the temperatur...

Off to the gym early afternoon. Walked with Lorraine to Annency Catholic Primary school where Lorraine met Beth and there was a nearly new sale of clothes and kit for babies and toddlers. Considering how few weeks they wear things before the grow out of things, they are barely worn.  They arrived home shortly after I got back from the gym, having had a coffee and lunch and armed with special baby related stuff, including tiny baby grows with dinosaur patterns and so on. A sort of vibrating device to gently rock the baby in its containers and a sort of contraption you can put in the bath to support the baby while you are bathing it. I suspect life is going to take a turn for the Kawaii   though both Lorraine and Beth suggesting with some force that I will need to change nappies. Poos aren't kawaii, so I saw this as a category error. Below turns out there is plenty of cute poop in cyberspace.

After rather wild winds, a fairly sedate and showery journey off to see Mum. Delayed trains, nothing to do with the weather, made it a lengthy journey.  On arrival we zoomed off to The Waggon and Horses, and had some lunch. Mum's mates laughing it up. Steve came over to me and mentioned Mum's near miss with the scammer. Nice that she has friends there who care enough about her to mention that to me just in case. Exciting news from Beth and James. Beth had another scan today. A new development: they now know the sex of the baby, which I will wait for them to share more widely before I reveal it in this blog. I am surprisingly, very invested in the whole baby business and rather excited. Then home, and after teas and some lurking, Mum cooked for us a bit later on, and we watched MASH and drank some wine and drifted off to bed, where I slept heavily.

A quietly productive Sunday. Gym after a late breakfast, then home and some writing and listening to an excellent interview Robin had recorded for the podcast with the poet Tishani Doshi. Beth and Lorraine spent time shopping, doing a vast jigsaw and wanting to be together because of Glenice. I left them to it, taking in the odd herbal tea. A quiet evening eating lasagne on the gold sofa.   

Low energy still. This afternoon Mariscat put up The Sampler on their website . But off this evening (after a judicious afternoon snooze) to Eastbourne, collected Pat and Maureen, and Delores and Lorraine drove us off to the theatre to see Vagabond Skies a musical about the life of Van Gogh.   We met James and Julie there too.  Lorraine and I had seen it as a kind of work in progress a few years ago, but now it was a full musical-length production. It really worked I think,  and the cast, directed by Sarah Dormandy did a great job. Richard Lock, playing Vincent, was excellent and the songs were strong. Obviously all our eyes on Beth, who played a prostitute, and in the second half had a solo as a Nun who was looking after Van Gogh. She did this really well. It is so great to see her on stage, doing what she loves so well. Home, and dropped off Delores, who had already seen it earlier in the week. She loved it, and was very kind and friendly to Pat and Maureen. Pat and Ma...

A sore throated weekend, feeling wan and deeply attracted to the gold sofa. Luckily the European Nations cup finals had started, and so I was able to simply able to watch football most of the day.  Sunday, a lovely text to start the day from Beth wishing me happy stepladders (aka stepfather's) day.   I was still wan and sore throated but simply got on with light stuff in the garden with Lorraine, potting seedlings and deadheading roses and filling a feeder pool for our fishpond to see if it is leaking and so on.  We spent an hours tidying up the house and we went to Morrisons. Then Lorraine went off to help Beth, and I had more gold sofa action with England unconvincingly winning their opening game against Serbia while tucking into roast chicken and assorted veggies I'd sorted out, in a cheesy sauce Lorraine made.  Spoke to the Tobster, whose birthday it is tomorrow. He is spinning many plates, finishing up the school year, which is in itself stressful, while having ...

Feeling slightly under the weather still without being sure what ails me. Uploaded the podcast today, a day late, after Robin had made some final tweaks. Generally quite happy with the episode however. A late night email from Rory Waterman, the poet I spoke to, thanking Robin and I.  A bit of other time spent making some tweaks to my latest horror story. Not quite settled on the name for it yet, probably What's inside. I just need to increase the horror quotient in it, as some of the dialogue is quite funny. Lorraine did story time, then made off to spend the afternoon with Rosie, and also pick up her birthday ring from the jewellers.  Spoke to Mum at lunchtime, then later went for a walk this afternoon. Feeling a bit tired and achey, but it was a bright fresh day, despite being very chilly compared to recent years. This evening in London a reunion of folks from my old agency, which I swerved. Although there are lots of people there I like, even if I had been full of energy, t...

May the first... Up and working at eight, recording with Robin, then spent much of the day editing. Nice to chat to her, and she was as ever, encouraging after my two shortlisting and getting nowhere. Still getting the time-lag problem, and I had to reboot wifi and computer halfway through.  Lorraine off to do Rhymetime, and then she spent the rest of the day with Beth, who had taken the day off. At the end of the day,  I walked across the back of Seaford to Beth's house, where I found her in the enormous back garden with a large net, scooping sludge up from the bottom of the koi pond. She had also been mowing the lawn. She is changing. Lorraine had been gardening with her too. They'd had a really fun time together. James on a cycling holiday around Spain. I met Micky, the cat, for the first time. A frisky little tabby, who is clearly besotted with Beth. Beth and I were standing outside when Lorraine and I were leaving, and Micky was looking at us, with what Beth says is look ...

I got up and worked on the horror short story I had started a while ago. Can't shake off this chesty exhaustion at the moment. So Lorraine and Beth went to Seaford to do some shopping.  Some time later they returned giggling. Beth carrying an entire cod in a black bin bag. Lorraine spent a good deal of the afternoon packing up the giant fish and cutting it into steaks. She also wanted to use the giant head about as big as the Labradors head as the foundation of the fish stock. There was the idea of cutting out its gills and delving into the head I saw the girls were still there. I started to cut at them for her with a sharp global knife but the whole business made me feel so disgusted I felt like retching. Lorraine however is made of stronger stuff than me and completed the job with scissors.  In the afternoon I was overcome by feeling of nausea. After a sleep however, this seemed to wear off.  I was suddenly worried I would get the vomiting bug now too, but I managed to ...

Maureen's birthday today. I got up early and began organising some notes towards another interview. Breakfast, with Maureen opening cards and presents. Lorraine had to rush off and be horribly sick, and spent the rest of the day and night in bed, probably with some kind of vomiting bug, or maybe food poisoning. Possibly from her home made kombucha we drank yesterday which was a bit pokey. I think it is a bug, and she was not at all well today.  Spoke to Mum who had been out to a neighbour's party last night. She'd also been to the pub in the afternoon, and chatted with some of her mates there. Love the idea that she had some fun. Rearranged the day, instead of us all going to Betty and James's place for cake and coffee, and having dinner here, Beth came around to collect the food we had bought, including lamb, and she cooked for Pat and Maureen at her place this afternoon. I stayed at home to monitor Lorraine, but instead fell asleep on the bed with her and woke up with...

A lazy morning, and breakfast. Chatted with Mum, before making off to Squirrel's End, what we have decided to call Beth and James's house. Sure enough as we arrived and looked out at the expanse of their back garden, a squirrel was obligingly sitting on its haunches in the middle of the lawn. Naturally lots of organising still to be done, but they are definitely installed now.  Lots of spiders in the conservatory, and Beth is no fan of our arachnid friends. I offered to wrangle the spiders next week if it was still a problem. James rallied, having felt peaky all week.  He was watching cycling in the background on TV as he got things ready. I must say I was quite getting into it. As today was Mother's Day, it was another Mum summit and treat for Lorraine and Julie, who arrived with Lorenzo and Andy. Beth had cooked up roast chicken and ham, and salads and roast small potatoes and so on. We toasted their new house and Julie and Lorraine with Prosecco. A cheery afternoon. I li...

Beth here this afternoon James off on a stag weekend, which he had to organise. Lorraine and Beth lurking in Seaford shops and a cafe. I went off to lurk in the gym. When I got home, Beth and Lorraine were playing a game using the TV screen called My Time at Sandrock, bimbling (a Beth word) about building things in a desert landscape with some odd characters. Those type of games just seem like work to me. You have lots of problems to solve.  In the evening we went off to Spice Village, but it was too full so we repaired to the Bengal Palace, and had a nice time there, poppadoms and a couple of cold Cobra beers. But I by far prefer the food in the Spice Village. Both of us loved spending time with Beth, if all the stars align she and James will be Seaford residents in March.