under another sun

Out of bed fairly late for a Monday. Calls with Mum, who has a sore throat and a cough. She was able to pick her prescription up however, and I am going to arrange to have them delivered from henceforth. Otherwise a decent morning's writing. Slow progress on the Kansas story and it feels like hard work.  This makes me wonder if it's any good, as most of the published stories have slipped out easily. Then a few housekeeping jobs, and a walk.  Something has been eating the goldfish. There are only  handful left now. I did see an egret there recently looking down his long beak into the water, and I've seen foxes and cats taking an interest.   Lorraine spending much of the day with Maureen, and they called around on Beth. I made off to The Evening Star, where I met Messrs Hoibak and Hartley for several beers. Mark is about to become a grandfather, as his lovely daughter Melissa has passed her due date. Peter radiating good cheer as usual.  We drifted down to Fato a ...

A lovely card today from Janet Caulfield, thanking me for choosing her painting and subequently buying it. She said it was a big boost to her confidence. The painting fits in so well with what I am writing about at the moment, that I should be thanking her. Feeling decidedly more on the ball at last. Luckily so I interviewed a rather excellent American poet, Danez Smith, this afternoon over in Minnesota. I really liked them (Danez goes by they/them pronouns) and hopefully our conversation will turn into good interview when edited. Very relieved to get that one in the bag, for some reason it turned into a big deal in my head, and feeling washed out still made me a bit apprehensive. Lorraine much more energetic too although in danger of over doing it, in a  bit of a tidying frenzy, and playing piano and generally getting busy. She made sourdough for the pizza bases, and a tomato sauce for the tomatoey stuff, and she led the making of pizzas this evening, using olives and anchovies an...

The backdrop of life is getting twitchy again, with the infection rate rocketing, not to mention the UK government prepared to break legally binding agreements it made with the EU.  However, I stopped off for a quick chat with my glass pals meeting in the park this lunchtime. They sat, as usual, in a fairy ring of chairs near the rotunda. Adele gave me another mug for Lorraine, which was very sweet of her.   Making my excuses, I made my way to Anton's house where I was put to work on the back of the house where I scrambled up the scaffolding where I gave the back of the house another coat of paint. I find painting quite therapeutic, and it was lovely bright day for such work. Then around to the front to paint his front garden wall and entrance. A brief chat with Anna, who stopped by to drop Oskar off, I'd not seen her for ages.  This done, it was one of Anton's famed pizza nights, and Lorraine and Anne joined us in the kitchen as Anton made pizza, played records from the ...

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,...

A sober day of working. I had bits of freelance to do this afternoon, and various other things to do with the upcoming Telltale reading. In the evening Lorraine and I drove off to see Anton, where he had one of his spectacular pizza nights. I ate enormous amounts of pizza, and suffered through the night for it. But if it is a thing, death by Anton pizza isn't the worst way to go. After eating enormous amounts of pizza, Anton produced a delicious Dorset apple cake, and I had to eat two slices of this too, and then take a couple of slices home. I'm unbelievable. Enjoyable hanging out and listening to tunes too. Under Anton's tutelage I am trying to like Being Boiled by the Human League. Met Beth at the car, as she had been rehearsing all night in Beastbourne. Home under a full moon, like a big pizza pie in the sky.

Working with Jerry today, an art director I'd not worked with for some time. He was full of enthusiasm for the job, and has got married since I last saw him. Off in the evening up to Anton's place, where he was marshalling the ingredients for his delicious pizzas. Lorraine came and we ate unfeasible amounts of pizza goodness -- far better than any commercial ones I've eaten -- and drank beer and listened to a variety of music. Lorraine and Anton inexplicably ganging up on me when I played Anton's copy of The Yes Album . I went to bed wild eyed, and feeling as if my body was a suitcase strainingly packed full of Pizza.

A pizza the action Beavering today writing up the interview I did yesterday, and played at journalism. Mike at On Track also called to ask me to do another interview, which I have set up for Monday morning, and said they were going to use a little speculative piece I'd sent them about the woodslick. My old agency also called offering a couple of weeks work, so all in all a good day from that perspective - but I am tantalizingly close to finishing off a couple of my projects, so I have mixed feelings about taking time out now. But naturally I will do the work to buy myself a bit more writing time. Spoke to Toby, who is off to Canada first thing tomorrow. Sorry that I only got to see him once, but I am fairly sure we'll see each other again shortly. Also briefly spoke to mum as they were busy gloating over the hits to mum's websites. Very pleased it was Friday. What I find unreasonable, however, is having worked 5 days this week, how few people are prepared to offer me any sy...

A variety of pies After treating my home like a hotel all week started cleaning up this morning. Amazing how much stuff needs to be done after five days. Decided to make my missions today small and accomplishable. For example, I decided to make a pie. I've not made one for ages. Off into Brighton to get a rolling pin, and a pie tin. Ages since I made pastry. I made a "layer pie", which Mum used to make for us when we were kids. It's a pie (concentrate now) with onion and whisked eggs layered in with pork luncheon meat -- and is curiously tasty. Put in a few tiny bits of chili too to make the eggs slightly huevos rancheros style. Had some this afternoon and it was surprisingly good. It is one of those pies which is better cold. In the evening went up to see Anna and Anton. Anna out to a mother and baby market event she'd organised for the charity. We sat about while Anton did things in his kitchen domain, and I spooned more food into Oskar. Anton making pizza pies...