under another sun

Anton's birthday today. I celebrated with a long early walk, up and around the sides of fields and down to the seafront. I think I found a fossil. Lorraine went off to Caroline for personal training. Also passing   Sarah Harvey in Bolney in their cars. Both jumped out for a hug before they drove off.  In the evening Lorraine and I made off to Brighton, where we zoomed up the hill to Anton's place to give him his requested present of cedar wood boot trees and a card. Then we walked down to The Cow, with Anne, Oskar, Klaudia and Anton, very sprightly on his stick. A Thai meal, which was tasty, and it's always a treat for me to see Klaudia and Oskar, and I had a few nice chats with Anne too. Then back to Anton's house for some birthday cake. Oskar demonstrating that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, talking with enormous brio about 'spidering' in raw denim, aided and abetted by Anton, also enthusiastically getting out his phone to add detail. Oskar inte...

A call at 6:30 from Steve in the Waggon and Horses sounding a bit shaken and telling me that Paul had died in the night, and if I could let mum know as he thought she'd find the news upsetting. Steve and Paul had come to Mason's funeral and both are regulars and friends of Mum's at the Waggon. Too early to call Mum, so I waited till 9ish to tell her the news, then called Steve back. He'd received a call early this morning from Paul, and had rushed around to see him, but found him. He gave him CPR for 15 minutes, till the ambulance turned up, but poor Paul was already dead. Mum was obviously saddened by it, and said she was going to the pub this afternoon.   I found the whole thing somewhat triggering. Something about a sudden death, involving Mum, the day after Mason's birthday and I felt very stressed over breakfast. Lorraine gave me a hug, but it was a shadow over the day, and I only felt happier when I talked again to Mum in the evening. She'd been to the pub...

Lorraine out helping Pat and Maureen for much of the day. I had a quiet day of writing and thinking, just want I wanted. This sort of thing exciting and interesting for me, it doesn't much make for blog fodder. I called Mum this morning, and the wifi went dead. No wifi this afternoon or evening. Luckily however we were going out this evening as it was Anton's birthday. I also belatedly sent Bob a card too, as it was his birthday too. Chris came around to service the boiler too, had a long chat with him. I had to summon him back shortly afterwards as the carbon monoxide alarm went off above the boiler. But he checked all his workings, and sniffed about with his CO monitor and couldn't find anything, and it didn't go off again.  I managed to lose my Berghaus recently, so we forged out into a fine soaking rain, just missed a bus by the station, and went to get a faster bus, of which there were none. Twenty minutes at the bus stop, so we were going to be late for the meal w...

Up with Lorraine and was at my desk at 7:30 when Lorraine left. Feeling anxious this morning, like there was a fire alarm going off in one of the rooms but you can never get to it. However I managed to take Pat and Maureen some tea in bed, then nipped around the corner to get some chewy brown bread for Maureen to take back with her.  Plumbers due between 10 and half past, so making sure they were breakfasted before then. The plumber and his mate were late, of course, and meanwhile I had been phoned by Val with an urgent job to turn around. Managed to do this while the plumber was raging his innocence "100%, on my kid's life" etc. on his speaker phone, taking repeated calls about a job that hadn't gone quite right before. Sent back the French work rapidly, then immediately wished I had spent more time on it. The plumbers finished their job, replacing a radiator in the kitchen, and all was good. Beth had come around, as she had been to Lorraine's school to receive...

Up early, and getting Lorraine off to school. Two more hours searching for my Harry Potterish new glasses. Took to facebook to moan about their disappearance, Rosie suggested I should use strings to keep them on me. The majority of the day fiddling with the book layout for Magnificent Grace, which absorbed a good deal of patience. Decided on a quick walk, and took my camera to photograph the fog that settled on Brighton in the afternoon, but its battery was flat. I took one snap on my phone of misty Blaker's Park. The evening Lorraine, again home at six which is very early for her, we cabbed off to Anton's house where Anne was having a little gathering for her 80th. Anton unexpectedly had to work in London today. Anna there however to help, which was kind. Both bairns there too being excellent. Good to see Klaudia who we'd not seen over the festive period, now recovered from tonsillitis. Oskar now clearly taller than his sister. I expect he will be looking down on the a...

Lorraine's first day back at work, off to run her inset day. I spent my day happily working on organising Magnificent Grace to go onto kindle. Hoping I can get it all done by the end of the week. Getting to grips with Sketchbook, the drawing app. Sat outside in the sun in the bottom corner of the garden at 11 having worked for a few hours, and listened to the wind under the tree and meditated for a few minutes. Not abounding with energy today, and felt hungry all day. A friendly note from Sita, one of the nice people I was working with on that debacle of a job last week. Anton and Bob's birthdays today. I messaged Bob, whom I am going to meet with Carl in a couple of weeks. Lorraine and I cabbed to the Cow, which used to be the Tin Drum where we first clapped eyes on each other, in seven dials. Under new ownership, and now seems very friendly. We had a birthday Thai with Anton, Anne, Klaudia and Oskar. My godbairns make you say things like My! You've shot up , etc. a...

Call with the agency that contacted me last week this morning, and it looks like there will be some work this week from them, which is excellent. Waiting for them to send me a contract, which didn't arrive till the evening. Still all well. I went to the gym in the afternoon, after writing my story in the morning. In the evening I walked off to Anton's house, where Lorraine headed too. Christiane was over from Australia with her partner Sam who I met for the first time and liked a lot, and their toddler Sadie. Interesting to hear about their lives in Perth, in Western Australia. It's a very remote town. I remember reading about it in a book called The Boy Behind the Curtain , by Tim Winton. Lovely to see Christiane again, who I have always liked. Sadie a spirited, sweet natured little thing. The Godbairns there too and Anne, so a cheery evening all round. Oskar had been skiing lately, and loved it. Anton made his peerless pizzas. Home fairly early, Lorraine somewhat wash...

Up and about this morning. Both of us went to our respective gyms, despite both of us feeling sluggish. I managed to trundle on the cross trainer for 25 minutes before feeling washed out. Walked there and back, so much better than nothing. Lorraine went to her gym too. Met back at home, and then got ready to go to Anton's house to celebrate Ann's birthday, which had been on Monday.  Oskar had been to a Chinese society in the morning, with one of his best pals. His pal, from a Chinese family, got bored and left Oskar there. His pal's dad, who was running the class, translated everything for Oskar. Klaudia there too, of course, but was feeling under the weather. Anton had excelled himself in the Chef department, cooking steamed pork and poussin and ribs in a Chinese themed meal. Lovely stuff. As usual, a very cheery evening. Anton under new advice to cope with the raging tinnitus he experiences, which involves meditation and going to bed at midnight for the first two weeks,...

Up and did some work today, as Lorraine was having to sort some stuff out too. Then we walked down in the afternoon to Grand Central where Louise Tondeur launched informally her short story collection, Unusual Places. It was quite an informal affair, though lots of poetry pals were there, Louise's wife Sarah Barnsley obviously, but also Jeremy, Charlotte, Robin, Stephen, Janet Sutherland and John McCullough among others. Lou read a very good extract from one of the stories, as young Zach encouraged people to buy the book. Lorraine and I did, naturally. Lorraine and I talked to Bob the husband from the husband and and wife team behind Cultured Llama the publishers. Then home, after this pleasant interlude, before we headed out again to have an surprise birthday bite organised by Klaudia for Anton. We met in a newly-opened burger joint called Patty and Bun. Anne, Anna, my excellent godbairns Klaudia and Oskar and L and I tucked into various burgers and had a cheery meal. Nice to se...

Lorraine and I sloped off to Sole Sister's this morning to get our feet serviced. A nice guy sorting my plates of meat out, buffing them and getting rid of excess skin and sorting my bruised nail out and my slightly ingrowing big toenails. They almost looked like a real boy's feet at the end of it. Then we mooched about five ways briefly, and bought some vegetables and looked in other shops. Spoke to Mum, and Mas is still in hospital for tests, but is bored and wants to go home all the time. Then we took lots of stuff to Oxfam, me loads of books, and we also got rid of a few other bits. It is what is known in Kenny Towers as a house poo. Not necessarily pleasant, but everything feels a good deal better afterwards. Then back home, and Lorraine did some epic cooking of biryani and other lovely side dishes, and I helped where I could. Suddenly feeling really sleepy and tired, and dozed for ten minutes as Lorraine worked. Soon Anton, Anne, Klaudia and Oskar came aroun...

Both of us a bit sluggish and tired again, but we still managed to have fun. We had invited Anton, Anne, Klaudia and Oskar round for tea. This gave us some direction to the day, and we did a bit of gardening (mowing the little lawn, clearing away fox poo, and Lorraine putting some little garden lights into it) and tidied up the place somewhat. Also Lorraine and I went to Sainsbury's. I don't know why but trundling around Sainsbury's with Lorraine always makes me feel cheerful and secure. The simple pleasures are the best. Spoke to Mason to wish him the best for his birthday, we are zooming up to Edgware next week and will take them out to celebrate. Good to see Anton, who is doing remarkably well, and had been for a walk around The Ardingly Reservoir and under the Ardingly Viaduct with Oskar. He is currently researching chess sets. Meanwhile Lorraine had cooked a delicious lemon chicken tagine and, after food, Lorraine initiated a game of  Uno. Anne sitting out this bit...

Saturday and the feeling of freedom has not sunk in yet. But zooming about seeing people and catching up with real life a bit. Lorraine ff to her hairdresser. I did some pleasingly humdrum stuff, like laundry, and invoicing. Then walked down the hill into town, picked up a prescription and met a smartly-haired Lorraine in Hove, and dropped in on Janet and Ken, armed with pastries. They are more settled now, and nice to see their paintings on the wall. House moving is exhausting. Janet still negotiating over the garage with the freeholder, who is a bit of a slippery character apparently. The weather annoyingly cool and overcast this side of the downs. The rest of SE England basking in the sun, including Wembley Stadium, which was being shown on TV.  Lorraine and I headed off to Anton's house. He'd planned a BBQ, but we ate indoors, while the radio and TV (both on) were chattering fake news about Chelsea being beaten by Arsenal in the FA Cup final. Anton barbecued splendid bur...

Lorraine and I working today. Lorraine with loads of school work, and me doing various bits of admin for my business, and writing a press release for Edinburgh. Both feeling a bit grumpy about having to work at the weekend. However Lorraine and I went off to walk in the bluebell woods we always walk in this time of year, somewhere near Burgess Hill. It has been a very dry couple of months for this time of year, but they were still out in force and the smell was lingering in a lovely way. Spots of rain while we were walking about. We heard a woodpecker knocking on a tree and then I saw it disappear into a hole in another tree. We spent some time peering at this hole to no avail, however. Home again, and after a bit of a rest, we walked up to see Anton, and hung out with him, Klaudia and Oskar. Had a nice time, and I enjoyed seeing my godbairns as usual.  Oskar showing Lorraine how to do animations on the program he had, so she can do it at school. Nice to chat to Klaudia too,...

Lorraine and I finding it difficult to get up this morning. The sore throat from hell seemed to be trying to stage yet another comeback. However Lorraine and I had a really nice day. A bit of gardening, mowed the lawn and Lorraine poked in a few plants. We then sprawled about doing little. I slept heavily for an hour this afternoon. At tea time we walked down to the Joker (in the rain obviously, berghaus lost in Bedford) where we met Anton, Anne, Klaudia and Oskar as a belated celebration of Anton's birthday. Got off to a bit of a sticky start as when we arrived a party of 56 French people had turned up and so every seat was taken. They all left after about half an hour, mercifully so we were able to get seats and baskets of wings. I had the usual woof woofs. Heard the astonishing tale of Anton's head injury while in Bulgaria with Anne and Klaudia and Oskar. He'd been going down complex slides into the various pools of the resort all day. On the last go, with Klaudia th...

Lorraine and I got up to go to Oskar's confirmation at an unspeakable five o'clock, which felt like four due to the clocks going back in the night too. Enjoyably enough managed to shock and appal Beth and Laura, who were just coming home after a lively night out with their top hats at an angle. Lorraine drove us nearby, and we walked in the hosing rain to St Nicholas' church. Here we found Anton, Anna and the bairns. Lorraine and I sat with Brian and Anne, and David and Stephanie (who I'd not seen for some time, and it was nice to meet again). The service started in the dark, with people finding their way to pews with their phone lights. Klaudia came and sat next to me, and we snickered together at the sight of one of the clergy bumping into the spiral of stairs up to the pulpit as he walked from a lit room in the dark of the church. The service starting in darkness and employing candles and fire to good effect.  The Bishop of Lewes was leading the service, and at o...

Lorraine and I started the day in a frenzy of list-making and assigning ourselves tasks, which eventually after doing bits and pieces ended up with us nesting on the gold sofa till the evening, when Lorraine and I walked down the hill and up another one to Anton's house. Rumours of a possible Brian appearance were confirmed, and it was great to catch up with him. Anne and Anton, as traditional, had assembled an top notch feast. Fingerfood starters, then a fish course of prawns, crab and salmon lox, followed by a fantastic steak au poivre with fries and asparagus spears. This was the first time I have eaten a steak in several years, Anton dancing about with steaks and making the sauce, which really was melt in the mouth stuff. This followed by puddings and cheese, all accompanied by wines and so on. Lorraine and I really enjoyed this evening of lovely food, and cheery company. Klaudia and Oskar managing to stay awake till midnight, for a spot of Auld Lang Syne-ing in front of th...

A busy day on Lorraine business. We disposed of the waste and high tailed it to Bolney to see Lorraine's new school. There was one teacher doing some prep there, and the caretaker. I don't think I've walked about an empty school out of term before. Lorraine taking notes while walking about and looking in all the rooms and learning the layout of the place. Looking in store cupboards and so on. One had a direction post with Back of Beyond, and Front of Beyond on it. To Horsham to dispose of Mrs Kenny's confidential waste in her office. Strange being with Lorraine in a busy office.Then off to drop her laptop off at her boss Chris's house. We were invited in and had a nice chat with Chris and his wife and daughter. A bright cheery room, and very pleasant people. In the evening, Lorraine and I sauntered down to The Joker, where we met Anton, Anne and my Godbairns plus Christiane (Anton's cousin and also Goddaughter) over from Australia. Lovely to see Christiane a...

A clap of thunder this morning as Lorraine and I got up. A chat with Matty boy this morning, and we may be doing some work together next week which will be nice. Otherwise hard at work on my various bits, including revitalising my marketing site , which I am now pouring some love into, prior to launching the marketing project I've been working on off and on. Off on the afternoon for a variety of missions. Up to Oskar and Klaudia's school to do some literacy work with Oskar for an hour or so. I was a last minute stand in for Anton, and helped Oskar with some story work in a small group of children with a parent each. Oskar not paying much attention to the teachers who were leading the group, but having one good idea when it came to the actual writing, which rather saved the day. And I, at least, learnt about good writing from the two rather good teachers. As I was leaving, a brief howdy with Klaudia and Anna the bairn's godmother, who was collecting everyone. Then to see...

More gardening today, which is giving Lorraine and I great pleasure. We laid the slabs down for the patio, on top of sharp sand and weed-preventing membrane, then scattering pebbles and cobbles around them. As we were doing so our next door neighbour Jenny, who seems very nice told us that she had just seen a fox and nine cubs emerge from underneath the decking in her garden, just a few feet away from where we were working. As soon as we had returned from the garden centre and surged out into our garden the foxes had retreated. Off to Anton's house this evening in a cab where we made merry. Anton and his mum had cooked a delicious meal, with a variety of lovely fish starters, followed by roast lamb, and lovely wines, delicious cheeses and puddings made by Lorraine and Beth, followed by cake made by Anne. A really cheery evening where I ate and drank my fill. Below my iPhone was swiftly removed from me by Klaudia resulting in my phone being filled with a bazillion selfies, ma...

The best night's sleep of the year so far. Here and there this morning. Down to The Old Church Hall, to pick up a bundle of post, that despite postal redirection is still being delivered to the wrong address by the incompetent Royal Mail. A bit galling. Also around the corner to pick up framed pictures, the nostalgic Tales from Topographic Oceans Roger Dean poster, and two photos by Adrian that we'd finally had framed for our new house. Then home, and then out again, this time on foot, to stroll across the park, then up to Seven Dials where we popped into Anton's house to give Klaudia her present, as she was 11 yesterday. I gave her a Golden Ticket to a mystery theatrical night out with her Godfather so I can say no more here. Klaudia getting ready to go off to a James Bond party, and emerged after Lorraine put her hair up looking very sophisticated.  Got to hang out with Oskar while Klaudia was getting ready, sitting with him as he whizzed through one of his computer ...