under another sun

A calm start with a short meditation from my Plum Village App.  Recommended to Lorraine by Sian, and is the best one of its kind I've encountered, free and full of lovely meditations that I've only just started working through. The morning spent completing the first draft of a website about parasites. At lunchtime I sent it to  mes amis and made off to the gym. Learning about Resucsi Anne and L'Inconnue , which was mentioned in a horror podcast. Fascinating. Apparently the face used in resuscitation mannequins is that of an unknown girl fished out of the Seine in the 19th Century. Although the BBC article I have linked to, questions just how preserved the face looks. Home again, and I did some admin, wrote a review of Keyhole  (a collection of short stories I'd highly recommend), arranged to meet Helen to discuss the Centaur, and spoke to Mum who had been out in London. Watched part one of a BBC documentary series about Thatcher. Funny to see times you clearly ...

Writing a new list today, and sending two poetry MS off. Then working on Nothing Compares to You my long story and writing a new mega-list. To the gym at lunchtime, and pushed myself quite hard. While parts of me are stringy and wifey, I have a fat stomach, despite going to the gym. But going is better than not going I suppose. Sigh. Home, more work and reading some more of Matthew G Rees collection of stories Keyhole , great stuff. And also looking at Janet Sutherland's Home Farm , which is a gorgeous collection of poems. Rather humbled by the quality of both.  Chatted to Mum this evening, who had been having trouble with her front door bell. It doesn't work, although when next door's bell is pressed, hers rings. Maddening.

Tucked indoors working on things today, I had drawn up a list on the train going up to London yesterday, and I simply did them this morning. They were mainly to do with publishing my children's book on kindle. In other news a magazine came through with a poem of mine,  Thunderstruck , but it had been misformatted and so looked weird. So it goes. When I looked at it later noticed Robin had three in there. Got Matthew G Rees, my new friend in horror's short story collection through today, and read the first story Keyhole , which gives its name to the collection. It was excellent. Didn't go to the gym, but instead did planking for about 45 seconds, and some other exercises with the wee lady's dumbbells Dawn gave me. Better than nowt. When Lorraine got home we walked off to vote in the local elections. I had to nip in the bud the efforts of one of the party workers whose role seemed to be to knock all day till you voted. The polling station a lot quieter than the Brex...