under another sun

Up early and wanting to write this morning. Lorraine scampering to be with Maureen when she took a medical call.  Writing some bits and pieces, and seeing if Gordon Road can be built into my bigger collection and so on. Wrote to Mariscat recently asking for more copies of the Sampler , but they are able to send me only two copies. This suggests the print run was minimal. It does mean that if I put some of the poems from that into a fuller MS most people won't have seen them. Then off to the gym, where I did quite an enthusiastic session on the cross trainer, but the weight machines were all clogged up with geezers, so I cut my losses and sloped home in the heat.  Lorraine and I had a rather idyllic afternoon, lounging outside under the big parasol.  Rebooting tonight. We met Helen and Andy, Matthew and Andy for a drink. Just as I was sitting down the Tobster called. He's secured a pied-à-terre in Toronto for when he resumes teaching.  After a couple of burgers and a...

Low energy still. This afternoon Mariscat put up The Sampler on their website . But off this evening (after a judicious afternoon snooze) to Eastbourne, collected Pat and Maureen, and Delores and Lorraine drove us off to the theatre to see Vagabond Skies a musical about the life of Van Gogh.   We met James and Julie there too.  Lorraine and I had seen it as a kind of work in progress a few years ago, but now it was a full musical-length production. It really worked I think,  and the cast, directed by Sarah Dormandy did a great job. Richard Lock, playing Vincent, was excellent and the songs were strong. Obviously all our eyes on Beth, who played a prostitute, and in the second half had a solo as a Nun who was looking after Van Gogh. She did this really well. It is so great to see her on stage, doing what she loves so well. Home, and dropped off Delores, who had already seen it earlier in the week. She loved it, and was very kind and friendly to Pat and Maureen. Pat and Ma...

A stormy morning, Lorraine and I hoping that Pat and Maureen would be sitting looking at the grey sky and lively sea thinking this may not be what they had signed up for. So up and read through and sent off the stuff for mes amis in Paris. Then breakfast with my babydoll before she set off to do Story Time then go round to help Pat and Maureen. I wrote to Valérie today to tell her that I had closed my business but would do odd jobs for her still. Lovely reply from her. Otherwise did a smidge of my own writing (it has not been a good writing week). Also watching some of the speeches from the Democratic National Congress in the US. Some fine speechmaking on show, exhibiting rhetorical skills currently thin on the ground in the UK. Well written speeches, seeding in ideas sometimes very subtly.  Longish chat with Mum, who told me Tanya suggested they go out with Robert to an Indian Restaurant, and that the road was now done. I am going up next Tuesday to see her. Also spoke to Anton at...

Lorraine and I made six jars of plum jam today, from our own plum tree. Very industrious of us.  I also did some admin for the podcast, arranging for an interview. Then I had a two hour meeting with the Understory Conversation folks, which proved interesting and very useful for me.  I also received the absolute bloody final proofs of the Mariscat pages, they looked very good. Looks promising in the great Pat and Maureen move too... Hopefully they will be installed in Seaford in the not too distant future. Innis and Rosie around at tea time, having spent a good deal of time with this afternoon with assorted raptors, as a birthday present for Innis, sharing lots of detailed information about raptors and their ways.  Naturally this needed to be further discussed over a beer in the Boot, followed by noodles in Amie's kitchen. I had a phô which was rather nice -- I don't remember having one of those before -- and it was quite pokey in the chilli department.   Below Innis...

Up at seven. Fiddling more with my other website, trying to bring it into the 21st century.  Big news for me during the day was that I was sent the proofs of the Mariscat Sampler One. It looks rather lovely, and I am pleased with the selection that has been made. I read Helen and Marilyn's poems today (the two other poets in the collection) to Lorraine while we were sitting outside. We were really impressed with their work. I am so pleased with it. The poems the Editor Hamish Whyte chose from me are these: The House With Blue Curtains, Forgiveness:A Guided Meditation, The Door in the Wall, Thunderstruck, Black Kawasaki KH250, Jack Daniel's, Chrononaut, Relic and The House of Hidden Hope. They will appear in that order, and hang together nicely.  I went to the gym in the afternoon again. Trying to get back into a routine, and enjoying it. Already, after just three visits this week, I feel the positivity it gives you. Lurking a bit in the garden this afternoon with Lorraine, who...