under another sun

Christmas Day. Up and breakfasts... Scrambled egg and salmon on toast for everyone. Then a lengthy present opening session. I did well with lots of presents, including bamboo socks with pheasants on them, a book Anton gave me, about cooking Indian food on the BBQ, which seems an adventure. Lorraine bought me a picture which was an assembly of stamps, many of the Japanese, containing pictures of Peanuts characters. Really cool. And of course we all lapped up wine that Mum had sent us.  Despite Lorraine doing quite a bit of cooking yesterday, still lots to be done. Our turkey this year was more of an ambitious chicken really. Not too large, and was cooked in two and a half hours. All the usual veggies, including my special mushrooms cooked with sage and featuring some Kenny Farm celeriac made into a delicious puree. A happy and tasty meal, eaten in our dining room, looking resplendently festive with its red walls and twinkly tree,   In the evening we had a cheese selection with ...

Off to Ashford this morning to celebrate Pat's ninetieth birthday -- which like Sam's is actually tomorrow on the 29th -- in a car full of cupcakes and balloons, and boards that Lorraine had painted, and covered with photos of her dad and his family through the years. We also stopped to buy some flowers en route. Sometime later, after following a couple of tractors on the way, we reached the Collingbrook Hotel in Ashford in good time, to discover Ken and Claire in the carpark with two harlequin Great Danes, who were coming to the party too. Soon there were lots of hands on deck prepping the room. It did look very nice. Soon there were thirty three of us. It's hard for me to keep track of Lorraine's family as they are many, but most people I had met before at least once.  Importantly Pat's children were all there, Lorraine, Ken who had hopped over from Ireland, and Derek who had travelled over from Finland.    A really cheerful affair, with Steve kicking off events b...

To Pat and Maureen's in Ashford. Lorraine had not seen them with her own eyes since before Christmas. They were okay, although poor Basil cat may have to be put down, as she is unwell and requires constant medication and tests which are costing a fortune.  Lorraine took one of her excellent chicken and leek pies down, and Pat and Maureen had prepared vegetables. Maureen had also made me an apple and blueberry pie. She spoils me via the medium of  apple pies.  Sad news that Ken's mother in law in Ireland needs an operation for a brain tumour. Ken is back with the family at the moment. Words are slippery things however, and when Maureen talked about a brain tuna I had to laugh.  Peaceful afternoon. I even fell asleep in an armchair for a bit, after my big lunch and a glass or two of wine. Rallied a bit, and then did a bit of work on my phone. I had to name an event, so I just had to come up with a few candidates which I typed in as a note.  Maureen advising Lorrai...

Lorraine and I off this morning in the rain to see Pat and Maureen. Traffic jams on the way, but we reached there. Took Pat and Maureen off to a local retail park, where Maureen looked at rugs to replace the one she said she was sick of the sight of, because Basil cat often brought its prey there, which left stains. A bit of struggle choosing the right ones, looking at quite a few. Children playing among the hanging rugs, underneath the signs that said do not let your children play under these hanging rugs. Maureen struggles to wear a facemask at the same time as her hearing aid, which makes shopping harder.  A grey rug secured, Pat and I sauntered back to the car. I opened the car stuffed in the rug, and then lost then briefly lost the keys on the back seat. Pat then urgently needed a wee, and we had some trouble finding a place, but eventually emergency was averted in Costa Cafe.   Home again, and Maureen talking knowledgeably about wool, double knits, four-plys and so on. A...

Yet another heavy day of house moving stuff. Off to The Big Box company with Lorraine at eight where we met the Ark removals guys. Lorraine drove me home, and then had to go to work leaving Betty and I to several hours of accepting and directing two and a half trucksful of stuff through the house. The Ark guys Steve and Martin are really likeable and get the job in a way that reduces stress. Spotted them a decent tip at the end, (referred to as 'a drink').   House now looks like a bomb hit it all over again. Betty and I tried to clear spaces of civilisation, and also rebuilt Beth's enormous bed. Beth surprisingly strong at lifting things. Personally I was in need of smelling salts by the evening, and aching. Cats locked up in the bathroom while the movers here. They have a new enemy: a pugnacious looking ginger and white tomcat who sits in the garden like a malevolent garden Buddha waiting to menaces them at the cat door. FaceTime with Mum today, feeling unwell after...

A definite hangover this morning. L and I slugging about. However we managed to drag ourselves off to the supermarket and then collect Pat and Maureen from the station. Had a nice supper with them of salads and chicken, forgetting to invite Anton who we had mentioned it to the other day. We skyped Derek and Claudia in Finland, as it is Claudia's twentieth birthday. Claudia I think planning her return to England. Listening to desert island discs this morning, and heard a track chosen by Guy Garvey the lead singer of Elbow, called New Grass by Talk Talk. Ended up downloading the album it came from (called ' Laughing Stock ') and found the album to be sublime, and I am amazed it never crossed my path before. Listening to it all day off and on.

Cat in the doghouse Basil the fat cat in the doghouse this morning as it had pooped indoors for the last two nights. Basil won't or can't use the catflap and we have been poking her outside at regular intervals but this method seems not to be working. Lorraine not pleased to be coming downstairs to such a catastrophe. Nice to be sitting up on the mezzanine level with Lorraine, who was working from home this morning, as I laid out the programme, and other bits. Looking forwards to doing the concert and being able to fix some of the niggling things... like getting some more copywriting work so that Lorraine and I can have a holiday. In the afternoon I walked into town and spent a couple of happy hours tinkering with old poems in Marwood cafe. The work I did was stale but it is good to knock on the door again. I can work among hubbub or in silence or with ambient drifting music. Anything in between doesn't work. Lorraine home early and we went to Sainsbury's, where I tease...