under another sun

Missing Calliope this morning. But up fairly early for a Sunday and Lorraine and I zooming about getting ready for Guy, Tim, Catherine and Tanya who were arriving at around 12:30 for a Christmas lunch.  A festive affair, and a long afternoon of eating far too much, beef and chicken, roasties a plethora of veggies etc, plus Guy and Tim brought around some salmon mousse, and Catherine and Tanya had home made a delicious Christmas pudding, all washed down with a fair amount of Prosecco. A cheery afternoon with lots of chat.  Our friends left at tea time, and I lay on the gold sofa in a food coma, able to stir myself to watch the final episode of Wolf Hall. Henry VIII and Cromwell's enemies tratorishly turning on him. All rather sad, but brilliantly done. Also Match of the Day, with Chelsea now back to winning ways powering up to second in the league. 

Sunday, up fairly bright and early and made off to Brighton by train. It being Rememberance Sunday there were lots of people wearing poppies and sombre clothes. I feel a bit conflicted about this. I think those who died in wars should be remembered. But there seems to be a nasty reactionary whiff about it all these days, as if it were some kind of loyalty test. But maybe this is just my own prejudices speaking. In Brighton we met Guy and Tim, Catherine and Tanya in Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. We were early so did a bit of window shopping. Lorraine has her eye on some side tables. We met in the restaurant, and a jolly time was had. We celebrated a belated bumper birthday for Catherine, Guy and me. I got lots of presents, some excellent books, a jar of St Peter's honey and chocolates. Had a really tasty lunch, and then as is now traditional floated off to Brass Monkey's for ice cream and coffee outside. Lovely conversation with all of them as usual. Lorraine and I made our way h...

Up and enjoying not having to do much. Spoke to Mum and Lorraine spoke to Maureen and then Lorraine and I caught the train into Brighton to meet Guy, Tim, and Catherine and Tanya. After popping into Pen to Paper and infinity foods we them all in the Chilli Pickle by the Library for lunch, and as a belated celebration of Tim's birthday. Lovely time as usual, and we gave Tim a bottle of olive oil and a crocheted bag Lorraine had made. I also gave each couple the Mariscat Sampler, as Tim has read some of my poems and listens to Planet Poetry, and Catherine and Tanya have been interested in my poems too.  A lovely meal, and well priced. We guzzled a few starters and I had lamb balti grand thali which was almost too much. Catherine had gunpowder fries and Tandoori Chicken Xacuti. Lorraine had an aubergine grand thali. Then, as is traditional, to Brass Monkey where we sat outside licking ice cream. Spoke most to Catherine, who is working from home again full time now. She has now turned...

Off to Brighton today, to celebrate Tanya's recent birthday. We trained to Brighton station, then climbed up Muesli Mountain, where at Catherine and Tanya's house we had our now traditional glass of fizz and a few crisps with them and Guy and Tim. We gave Tanya the gardening gloves, the same ones Anton had bought for Lorraine and I when we moved to Seaford.  We all walked down through town to Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. Apart from the vegetarian Tanya, we all ordered a roast called Three Meats, containing small amounts of lamb, pork and beef. A carnivore's delight. Cheery and interesting company. There is a Rembrandt in town, and Tanya went to see it the other day. Guy full of stories as usual. I was teasing Tim about his rebel rousing, last time we met. After lunch we made off to sit outside Brass Monkey for some ice cream. A great place for people watching as well as good ices. Some of us, Lorraine and I included, included a scoop of Pedro Ximenez ice cream which I'd...

Lorraine and I up and tidying the house in a frenzy of hoovering and dusting and so on. Not long after noon, Catherine, Tanya, Guy and Tim arrived. And we had, as is traditional, bubbly and crisps first. Great to see everyone and catch up. Tim greatly recovered now from his illness, and is looking very well. A cheery throng. We sauntered off to Amie's kitchen for some anglo Vietnamese food. Even though there was only six of us, we had to order it a day or so in advance. I had a noodle soup and splashed my shirt with it. Sitting opposite Tim who with a naughty gleam in his eye was talking about throwing off duty and responsibiltie and just doing what you want in life. Why didn't I, for example, just go on a writing retreat for two months?  Went for ice cream at Holy Cow! and we sat outside. Guy making friends with two older ladies and a dog. Then we all went for a stroll along by the seaside. I had a lovely long chat with Catherine while walking along, a fascinating conversatio...

Lorraine and I off to Brighton to call in for lunch with Catherine and Tanya. The familiar climb up muesli mountain to Hanover. Lurked outside the wrong house for a bit, till we remembered what number their new one was. After admiring the new bookcases, where Tanya has finally unpacked her library, a lovely chat with them both. Tanya talking about the free-flowing writing she is doing in the morning, as well as the meditation she does and running her indexing business. Catherine also writing a new professional book as well as online coaching for doctorate students. We went downstairs for lunch, a lovely vegetable curry, and poppadoms and home made chutneys of pineapple, Jerusalem artichoke and a beetroot raita. Admired the framed sheet music for a musichall song called Do Shrimps Make Good Mothers . Catherine told us the story of a novel called The Blood of the Vampire by Frances Marryat -- which has made me want to read it. A lovely afternoon, and Lorraine and I sloped down to the st...

I got up at 6:45 and did some freelance stuff and sent it off. Later I ended up having to have a meeting about it before it could be killed off. IT playing up, bandwidth problems, meetings disappearing from my desktop calendar and so on. I have two and a half days work in January too. Keeping a small freelance iron in the fire, but with little enthusiasm. Also did some editing on the podcast and got this loaded and published this afternoon. Tidying and doing food prep with Lorraine as Guy, Tim, Catherine and Tanya were coming around at four. I managed a nap though and a shower, after which I felt a bit perkier.  A quick chat with Mum, who has her new car now. A cheery late afternoon and evening. Lots of Prosecco and chat. We'd done a bit roast dinner and we had Christmas pudding it was all festive and cheery. They left at a sensible hour, and we pottered about a bit before an early night. Revelling at the idea that I won't have to get up early. I am feeling a bit worn out. 

Off to Brighton this morning, rain dodging to the station and up Museli mountain to Cathrine and Tanya's house to celebrate Catherine's birthday with them and Guy and Tim. Great to see Tim looking well after a difficult health year. Such wonderful conversations with these folks.  Talking to Tanya about EM Delafield, who she would like to write about, and her current indexing job is for a book on Schopenhauer, talking to Guy about interior and textile design and family, having deep conversations with Catherine and Tim about life in general. All good. A few glasses of bubbly there, and we  walked into town to go to Petit Pois. Love this restaurant, and always good food. Lorraine and I both had vegan food, toothsome  mushroomy and leeky main courses which we shared. Then, as is tradition, off to Brass Monkey, the ice cream place, where we sat outside under the awnings having ice cream and coffee and watching the rain. On East Street Lorraine saw a 12X (the fast bus to Seafor...

A sociable day of guests. Catherine and Tanya came around for a long lunch. They are always splendid company. Catherine was recovering from shingles, and leaving a job with a toxic atmosphere, and so on. But things improving for her now, and they are settling nicely into their new home. Lorraine made a thali which was highly tasty.  Having fondly squeezed Catherine and Tanya goodbye, and run about tidying up, and watching a few minutes of Final Score. (Chelsea, astonishingly, winning again) Steve came around with Freja, who is off back to the States shortly. Freja and Lorraine have a lot to say to each other about plants among other things. A lovely woman, and a cheery evening sitting outside till ten, as it was so warm.  She's back to Sacramento in California this week. She was surprised when I told her the first time I had met her that I'd been there with Toby one time.

Lorraine and I running about tidying the house this morning. Both in a very happy mood, and talking about what is important: spending time with each other. We also made ready for a visit from Tanya and Catherine, who were coming over for lunch.  We all lurked in the kitchen eating veggie chilli and rice and assorted cheeses with dates and grapes and caught up. Naturally we showed them around our new house, and Lorraine took Tanya around the garden -- they are going to Chelsea Flower Show together later in the year. There was lots of news to catch up on, and some of it mixed. Catherine and Tanya moved house a little after we did -- which they are happy with, and Catherine has had excellent book cases built -- which she showed me a video of.  But Catherine has been up against it with flu, covid, and Catherine had shingles  -- which she is mostly recovered from. She also started a very promising new job, which turns out to have a vile work culture and this has proved to be v...

Up fairly early this morning and we zoomed off to Tanya and Catherine's house for a few glasses of bubbly with them and Tim and Guy to celebrate Tanya's recent birthday. Excellent to see everyone and have a gossip. Comparing notes with Catherine and Tanya about their house move. They are staying in Brighton, and moving a few streets higher up muesli mountain than they are now.  Tim and Guy on entertaining form as usual, Guy is such a natural storyteller. We sauntered down into the old lanes to Petit Pois for Sunday lunch. Excellent, decently priced food there. We had booked thankfully. I had roast lamb for the first time in years and talked lots to Catherine and talked about visual art with Tanya, and we plotted to go to a gallery together at some point. Then we walked off to eat ice cream outside Brass Monkey. Fond farewells with everyone, and Lorraine and I bussed home. Sprawled happily, and very tiredly, on the gold sofa from tea time. Star Trek The Next Generation our curre...

Up and we walked down to Catherine and Tanya's place on Muesli Mountain where we met them, and Guy and Tim and drank a bit of bubbly. Really good to see everyone, and it feels like the turning of a page somehow from winter into spring. Turns out that Catherine and Tanya are thinking of moving soon too, but only a couple of streets away.  Then we all walked down to Ship Street for lunch. Had a good catch up with Catherine, before we had reached  Petit Pois, a lovely cafe restaurant with a French owner. Really good food, and very reasonably priced too. I was sitting opposite Tim, and we had the best conversation we'd ever had about memory and myth and childhood and so on. From there off to the usual ice cream place where we sat outside licking lovely ice cream. Guy is such a natural story teller. He can talk about something as trivial as a dream he had last night and make it completely compelling.  Fond farewells with everyone -- I didn't talk to Tanya due to where we were ...

Lorraine and I had a nice afternoon. We whizzed over to Catherine and Tanya's house for some fizz with them and Guy and Tim for Catherine's birthday. We gave Catherine some cheese and cheese plates. Guy and Tim brought Catherine a trip to the circus. Guy told us that he and Tim had bought each other genetic testing kits, and found out they were both bog northern, with a touch of Irish. Guy surprised to learn that he had above average Neanderthal DNA too, finally dispelling his dreams of really being suavely French.  Then an amble down to the Giggling Squid followed by Brass Monkey ice creams, consumed int he cold outside. Excellent ice cream. I had a black sesame -- the first time I had ever had licked a black ice cream. It was nutty and nice. Spent lots of time chatting to Guy, who was telling me about the appalling journey he had to get a diagnosis and operation just a short time ago for an endocrine problem which has been blighting his life for the last seventeen years. Tim ...

Bank Holiday Monday. And nice weather too.    Jade doing a tense interview for a University position today, for a St Andrews university. She had to give a lecture first thing, and then do an interview. By the afternoon they offered her the job -- a tremendous achievement. She has shown enormous resilience, and as far as I can tell as a philosophical plains dweller, absolutely deserves it.  Meanwhile Lorraine and I cabbed over to Catherine and Tanya's house, where we also met up with Guy and Tim and had a bit of bubbly to celebrate Tanya's birthday. From there we sauntered down into Town to a restaurant called The Flint House, where we had more bubbles and tapas-style food. Loved talking to everyone again, and I sat opposite Catherine, always a conversational treat. After we went to the Brass Monkey ice cream parlour where we all had a dessert. I had scoops of hokey pokey, a honeycomb ice and a ginger ice cream. Both delicious. Fond farewells with everyone. Lorraine findin...

Lay in bed this morning reading an essay on a picture of Bathsheba by Rembrandt, by Hélène Cixous which was utterly brilliant. It was so full of ideas it was hard to finish, because it made me want to go away and write things. Wonderful. Sauntered off through the streets to see Catherine and Tanya this afternoon. We met in the Open House, which is fairly well run, with booths outside, and minimal interaction. High quality chat about all manner of things. They were telling us about a place they stay in which is like a residential library just over the border of North Wales. They made a week of reading in a gorgeous library, and as Catherine said, opening your beak three times a day and being fed, they made it sound brilliant. Sadly they were unable to go this year.  A couple of beers here, and home again for an undemanding evening with my lovely wifey.  Below Lorraine spotted this tiny rubber person, on the road surface. Also flowers in our back garden.

Got ourselves slowly up and at em. Muggy, overcast day, a few drops of fine rain, and mistiness. Lorraine and I walked off to The Open House pub, where we were greeted by neighbours from three doors down, who are running it. Shown to a booth outside which I had pre-booked. It had a corrugated iron  which I was pleased to see as we were expecting a deluge which actually never arrived. Loads of space, and far from anyone else, so it felt a great place to be out and about. Soon joined by Catherine and Tanya, who w'd not seen in the flesh since February.  Great to see them, and hear how they had appeared to thrive in adversity,  even though they think they had covid early in March or February (early adopters as Catherine said), but Catherine was working very hard but felt absolutely shattered for a month. Despite the distancing and the unnaturalness of this, it was great to see them. Had a nice bite to eat there, and left after a couple of hours, Lorraine and I walked h...

Up early today, and working on the job sent through by pals in Hampton, did this pausing only to phone and email my accountant. Suddenly realised it was 12:40 and that I had to be in Hove in twenty minutes for the Freelancer's Beano. Grabbed a cab and had a nice afternoon with Beth, Emily, Tim, Innis, Rosie, Tanya, Catherine and Julia in The Better Half . A few drinks and some fairly decent grub. All kinds of chat on everything from intersectionality to whale milk. Beth on funny form. A very hospitable barman/waiter who sat down at our table to take orders and chatted lots, with little freelance business being discussed, as it should be in a Beano. Beth and I went with Innis and Rosie back to their home, and Lorraine came from school, where there were Nativities today, and drove me home, which was great as the rain had started.

A lovely time with Catherine and Tanya who we met in The Bath Arms for lunch. Unusually chaotic there with a bull in a china shop man serving the tables, who dropped our tray of beers on the floor next to us, soaking my shoes and trousers. The food was microwaved, and none of the desserts advertised were on. However the company was excellent. Lots of good chats. From there we went to a new ice cream place where we had some rather delicious ice cream and coffee. Here I was talking about the idea of putting together some kind of course, and Catherine and Tanya were so positive about me, and so full of helpful and encouraging suggestions that it was far better than any therapy session, and I came out of it with a rapidly emerging alternative path ahead of me. It was brilliant to talk to them, and of course Lorraine was as supportive as ever. So all in all a lovely time for me. Home, and I took the sodden clothes from the washing machine to the launderette, and then after I returned, spe...

Up fairly early this morning, and then Lorraine and I walked down to The Geese to meet up with Catherine and Tanya at noon for a tasty early roast lunch. They were excellent company as usual. Catherine making a point about money which is so obvious, that money is a very emotional subject for people. And people often shun dealing with it because of its scariness, and boredom. This we followed by walked down the road to their home to have a piece of Jamaican ginger cake and admire their cats. Then a walk home again, blown uphill by the blustery wind. I spent the rest of the afternoon trying not to sleep, and reading a poor story by Thomas Ligotti, and spoke to Mum and Toby this evening. Mum's next door neighbours, the concrete dog people, increasingly eccentric. Toby all well despite it being a hard winter. I mustered my ducks in a row for going up to the agency by the river in Hampton tomorrow.

Up early and writing the poos and kidneys job I was doing. Looking at the Bristol Stool Scale first thing, is not my favourite way to start the day. I popped into the garden at one point to empty the compostables tin, and noticed lots of fungi growing on our soggy log bit. Only a few hours on this before I leapt aboard the 5b and headed off to Hove for the second Freelancer's Christmas Beano. Attendees were Innis, Rosie and Emily, Rosie's new pal Lucy from Nottingham, Catherine and Tanya. And very jolly it was too. There is something alarming about having a beer at 12:15, it reminded me of being as student. But nevertheless I soon got over that. Lovely group of people, and non-stop chat. We had a table in The Connaught Pub and Kitchen in Hove, which was not overcrowed, and did the job well. I had a sort of chicken burger with katsu sauce, which was fine. Eventually the Beano broke up but Innis and I lingered and had another drink and talked about films and then went to The ...