under another sun

Zen beans Living in a pocket of rain, for just a wee bit up the hill from the Old Church Hall snow had settled. L and I went for a drive today along the slushy roads to pick up wine for the concert next week. The Downs were snowy and whiting out in the distance. Rather beautiful. Feeling much improved today, less achy and with a good deal more energy. Lorraine doing some steady work. Calliope chasing the other two cats out of boredom, and I made a very successful beanjar. The Zen task of honing the perfect ingredients continues: today I cooked it with pork, fresh parsley, onions, carrot, haricot and butter beans, but also to provide depth of taste: small amounts of garlic, tomato puree, cumin, black pepper, mustard powder,dried sage, fresh bay leaf, mixed herbs and turmeric. One day I will cook the perfect bean jar. It is my life's work and destiny. Watched The Time Traveler's Wife on TV tonight. Not a bad film of a very enjoyable book. A piece about Matt and I on the Brighton...

Memories are made of this Sometimes the simplest-seeming briefs are the ones that sap your soul. I worked on the train this morning, and after an hour I thought I had cracked it. But got into the agency and the Gnome pointed out that I'd got the product name slightly wrong, which meant I had to start again. Going through a phase of making silly mistakes like this. Perhaps a couple of weeks off showing Sprinkles the delights of England will be the refresher my brain needs. In the office slogged against the clock till lunchtime with the Gnome and then we went for a pleasant walk upriver into Chiswick, stopping in the Black Lion for a few minutes where we glugged some sparkling mineral water and cranberry juice. After work, I met First Matie and Matty on the terrace of the Riverside Studios, as it is still unseasonably hot. We ate and had a quick drink, with First Matie and Matty drinking the infamous pink wine. We three, the FB and others all took part in the infamous Summer of Pink ...

Time travelling A pleasant day. Really enjoying listening to The Time Traveler's Wife which is a wonderful book by Audrey Niffenegger, it is essentially a love story with a time travel element. This throws up interesting perspectives on the nature of love, attachment, and memory. But it is a real page turner, or would be if I wasn't listening to it on my iPod on the train. Wonder what would happen if you sat on the train and mimed turning pages for an hour? Only light bits and pieces to do at work again today, and went for a pleasant walk and chat with The Gnome to Putney Bridge. And was even able to think about my own writing off and on during the day. After work I found myself having a few beers (they have just got in the bad Zywiec beers that I sometimes drink with Anton). I'm very fond of this beer, despite its strength, and always enjoy the picture of the gaily prancing Polish boy on the label and think of Anton who was forced by his dad to wear that garb as a boy. F...

A toe in the water Off to work feeling untraumatised. Arriving at the office, I found there was little to do, and the Gnome still on holiday. So had two brief chats with Anton about Dragons, talked to Mum. And swapped emails with Aimee who has had lively time of it when her friend fell off a fire escape down three stories and broke lots of bones and bled heavily. She said that she went for a manicure the next day, and the manicurist was complaining about her dirty nails not knowing it was her friend's blood. Also First Matie who is under the cosh as usual, and Sprinkles who was having ideas for TV programmes. Spoke to the French Bloke who has also taken up gardening, with a chainsaw. Happy to sit at work, watching the red buses cross the river on the green and gold of Hammersmith Bridge every now and again. A lovely warm day and Trace and I had a walk for an hour at lunchtime talking about psychics. Little to do in the afternoon too, so I melted away early. Wonderful to be heading...