under another sun

Up and finalising the manuscript for a new pamphlet I've been writing in a frenzy for the last few weeks. For better or worse it is done, and I just have to send it off now. Another private feeling of accomplishment. I've entered it into a competition so nothing much more to do with it for the time being, as the results won't be announced till next year. Then I went to the gym, now that I am over my cold. Enjoyed it. Lorraine busy, taking Pat to Eastbourne this morning. Then she brought Maureen home. In preparing a lunchtime bite for us all, I went to the glasshouse and picked a particularly gnarled, knobbly cucumber with prickles, which I showed to Maureen who was appalled by it and refused to believe it was a cucumber. She ate some of it though. A long chat with Maureen this afternoon, after she'd had an afternoon doze. It gives her a bit of a break when Pat goes off for the day, and Pat seems to enjoy it. When  Lorraine drove off to Eastbourne to collect Pat in the a...

Up and feeling excited, made off to my desk by 7.00am and wrote a grown up reply to Wolfgang, accepting his kind offer. It all felt a little realer after I replied.   Lorraine and I had breakfast and she made off to her personal trainer. I got down to some editing of the podcast, and at lunchtime made off to the gym. Walking past Blatchington Pond, I bumped into Guy. He is on the committee of volunteers who look after the pond.  He had been woken up this morning by someone sending him a photo in the early hours. It was of one of the pond's carp with the O of its mouth breaking surface, apparently gasping for air. He and another man then worked to aerate the water with a pump for a few hours, and was just finishing when I walked past. Something about him being sent a carp mouth photo tickled my sense of the ridiculous, but this is important work. Another symptom of the effects of climate breakdown.  Lorraine and I heard the sad news from Adele today that her mother had die...

Up this morning and off to Friston Forest with Guy, and his two small and elderly dogs sporting day glow coats with handles on the backs so you could pick them up like suitacases. I told Lorraine that I was off dogging with Guy. A glorious crisp cold morning. Nice to get to know Guy a little better. He's very friendly and easy to chat with and I enjoyed our walk. Thanks to things like a nice walk in the forest, noticing that I am feeling more motivated, and cheerier. Arranged to meet people, to go for a walk with Brian on Wednesday, to see Anton on Thursday, to arrange a date with Messrs Hoibak and Hartley.  Lorraine spent much of the day with Beth and went to a Christmas Wreath pottery workshop this evening, which they both enjoyed. I sat at home and watched some documentaries about the end of civilisations.