under another sun

A rainy day, with puddles. In this year of drought quite a sight. It felt cold too, with seasonally normal temperatures. Lorraine busy all day, off to rhyme time, and being with Pat and Maureen. Pat still unwell. Weary, perhaps from a minor bug, I spent the day indoors, and worked up a small idea from the little drawing below I did years ago, into a little paper zine, called Rules of Thumb. Below is rule one. Other than that did little. Spoke to Mum, and cooked a chicken stew, and enjoyed being at home.    

Busy, despite feeling lethargic, but doing some stuff with zines, laundry and other tidying bits this morning. Heard from Anton, and Klaudia and Oskar have visited Anne in hospital.  Patrick unwell, with a chest infection. Lorraine sorting out a call with the doctor, and getting him antibiotics prescribed.  In the afternoon Lorraine and I drove off to Eastbourne, to a shop called the Aquarium and Reptile Centre, where Lorraine and I bought some plants for Maureen's aquarium. Lots of reptiles there, and some interesting tropical fish downstairs. The sound of chirruping crickets too, as there were boxes of them to take home to feed your reptiles with. I bought plants, and both Lorraine and I talked to the shy teenage boy who sat on a chair with a snake on his arm, like a large bracelet. I asked him if I could take his photo and he agreed. Lorraine went off to do her pottery course and I caught a 12 bus to Seaford, then collected Patrick's prescription and went around to Strathed...

Back to the smoke today. Lorraine dropped us at the station, and we chugged along the coast, seeing low misty clouds between Seaford and Lewes. Changed at Brighton, the gaps between the train and the platform are huge if you are older. Then up to St Pancras and safely to Mill Hill. I was going to uber from there, but when I opened the app, the prices were utterly mad -- £40 for a ten minute trip. Instead we jumped on a bus, and changed buses at Edgware station and were home for free.  Wynford happened to be standing outside his house, as we arrived, and we were able to offer our condolences, for the loss of Barry, his dad, on Friday. Wynford seemed philosophical about it. The fact he had died peacefully in his nineties with no pain and at home, was a great comfort to him. I think Mum was pleased to be back in familiar circumstances. Had tea and biscuits and took her case upstairs and had a good chat, and after fond farewells,  I pushed off a little before three. Home by half s...

Beth and Enzo around this morning, bringing sunshine with them. Mum enjoyed seeing Enzo and Beth. Beth on good form, and the baby impossibly cute, demonstrating his piano playing skills, and love of cars and trucks, but most of all being sung to by Beth and Lorraine and clapping along with the songs and doing little movements that go with them. Beth is so animated with him, he is full of delight at the world. Then we took Mum to see Pat and Maureen. Maureen very warm with Mum, and their sunny sea view was spectacular, with people sat about enjoying the unseasonal Sunday sun. She brought out a bag of plastic butterflies, and said she was thinking about sticking some of them to her wallpaper, which is a big woodland scene. Quite a novel way of thinking about it.  I popped into Morrisons on the way home, enjoying the walk. Mum and I just hung out in garden this afternoon, while Lorraine went off to the studio and did some pottery. Enjoyed chatting with her, while we sat outside, then ...

After breakfast, Lorraine dropped Mum and I off at the seafront, while she did a supermarket shop. Mum and I went as far as the Martello, and sat on a bench looking at the boats and the crows and seagulls on the shore. It's good to stop and stare, and this was a lovely few minutes. I took the photo below of a crow leaping from a pole. Lorraine picked us up there, once home and unpacked, we simply sat in the garden and had cups of tea.  Steve came around, and told us about his trip to Erfurt in Germany with Dutch Mike, and about trips to the home of Bauhaus and other art. trips to nearby towns full of art and interesting things. He brought with him a jar of wild plum jam, and we sent him home with a bag of fresh tomatoes. Mum liked him and found him interesting. After Steve went, and we'd eaten lunch of smoked salmon sandwiches,  Toby called on Mum's iPad. He's busy at school, but he's off to California next weekend to see his nice pal Alex, who I've always thoug...

Up to Edgware this morning. En route Anton called to say that he'd seen his valve specialist, and there is no doubt he needs the surgery, which now planning for. Later that day, he had to call an ambulance for Anne, who ended up in in A&E for coronary care. Extra stress is the last thing Anton needs. I felt bad that I can't do more to help. Lorraine busy with Pat and Maureen, and also going off to specialist glazing course this afternoon, but also having to arrange someone to be there to collect Pat this afternoon. Chris did it, kindly. Arriving at mum' a fairly quick turnaround. We jumped into an Uber to Mill Hill Broadway, and then trained it slowly, but mercifully smoothly, down to Seaford. Mum enjoyed seeing fields of animals, and lots of trees, and the chalk cliffs near Lewes which made her think of Folkestone. And we arrived home at about four. Cups of tea and saying hello to Lorraine. I'd nipped out at Brighton to buy a sandwich as we were hungry.  To the Boo...

Enzo here today, and the little chap with us for breakfast, playing with three new trucks.  I made off to life drawing. The model a man with SEX tattooed on his thigh. I mostly drew his feet, had a laugh with my life drawing pals though. Home rapidly, and Anton came around at lunchtime to talk to Lorraine and I about how he's going to manage the aftermath of his surgery, and take care of his mum, who is not well. He needed to talk, he has so much to manage when he really just needs to be taken care of himself.  Then I did the Understory Conversation. Charlotte mortified by a glitch in the contents page of some of the printed versions of Orange Cats. A horrid thing to happen to a writer.  As a reader I breezed past this and simply loved the poems. Linda delivered a fabulous four line poem that blew us away. A bit of a rushing about day. Below a snoozing Enzo.

Slow start for me, but like the chaos butterfly, me not getting up properly and making breakfast made Lorraine late. The bus arriving to collect Patrick was early, and she had to zoom around, but then she was unable to attach the headrest of the new wheelchair, needing an Allen key she did not have. So she had to take Patrick and Maureen to Eastbourne, and miss Rhymetime and felt stressed all day.   Far less stressful for me. I wrote a light substack post about being photographed . Otherwise boxes of who gives a crap loo rolls were delivered. I spoke briefly to Anton, and Sylvia was here. The Gym later, and then home for five, shower, call Mum and start dinner.  Had to down tools however,  to go with Lorraine to pick Patrick off the floor, as he got up as Maureen had been in the kitchen. He was completely unharmed thankfully. Home again, thank goodness its just five minutes away, and relaxed with a spot of Celebrity Masterchef.

This morning writing responses to poets who said they were prepared to read my MS. Extremely flattered, and surprised with the warmth my requests were receive. I feel very lucky and touched.  Seemingly lots to do this morning, and early afternoon I went out for a walk, as I have got out of the habit during the endless hot weather. Am listening to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as I mooched along by the sea. Never read one of Le Carré's books before. Interesting mix of grubbiness and paranoia, along with the international espionage. It all feels very cramped and sweaty. Home feeling clammy and sweaty too, as it is very humid.  Beth dropped in with Enzo, who today crawled, with Lorraine's help, all the way up the stairs. Anton off for another procedure today, and meets his valve surgeon on Friday.  Then cooked and early dinner, so Lorraine could make off to her pottery class. I then spoke to Mum, went for another short walk, tidied up, and listened to Jazz and played about ...

Up with the larks. Downstairs and out into the garden to  greet a fox, who was drinking from our little wildlife pond. I have suspicions about foxes wanting to move in, having seen one or two over the weekend. Lorraine said Mum would like it.   Lorraine off for a personal training session, not usually on a Monday, then to see Maureen. Meanwhile Chris arrived two hours early to do a boiler service, and swap lots of friendly chat.   Once he'd left, I finally overcame the cringe, after Lorraine told me to just get on with it, and set out some emails asking people to look at my MS and, hopefully, supply endorsing quotes about the book for the cover.   Then, the cringe wearing off a little I slipped off to the gym, where I trundled about a bit.  Then home to think about Zines for a bit, and chat to Mum. Lorraine and I ate a block of random frozen stuff from the freezer, which thawed into an unlovely soup.  Below incredibly vivid skies in the evening, including ...

A happy day, Lorraine and I spending time together in the studio, living the bourgeoise dream, Lorraine quietly doing pottery, me drawing a zine about someone murdering a cat.  Also we had the baby boy for a couple of hours this morning. He was his normal cheery self, until after Lorraine had spooned him a food pouch of various veggies and he was sick. We were in the living room, so Lorraine soothed him while I cleaned up the sofa, carpet and Lorraine, who had to change. Poor little lad. However my trusty gold sofa is covered in such miraculous material that it cleaned up effortlessly. Ate more of a particularly delicious chilli I had cooked yesterday for supper, and quiet night. To bed, once I'd dealt with a Shelob of a spider on the bedroom ceiling that Lorraine hadn't even noticed. Looked again -- more cringing -- at the photos Innis took of me. Decided that I needed to use them. Here's one of me smiling by the sea, which is perhaps a bit too cheery perhaps to use as an ...

We heard Delores spent part of her day outside her house sharing chocolates with passers-by.  After my French holiday, and a week of socialising, I am edging into Jabba the Hut territory , despite going to the gym. Swerving beer for a week seems a quick win. Maybe it's my age, but I really like waking up feeling crystal clear. After my birthday's done in October, I'm toying with a pre-Christmas interlude of booze austerity.    A fox or two sunning themselves on our lawn this morning. I went out to say hello. One hung about and looked at me fairly calmly, before springing over the fence. It's all very spidery at the moment. I got several spiderwebs in my hair in the garden and the glasshouse, and found it is also full of big brown moths. Lorraine and I had seen the chrysalises earlier and wondered what they were. We went into Seaford and looked at fabric. Lorraine took me into two shops where we looked at 'fat quarters' and other material. Lorraine knows how to b...

A Peter Friday with some time to think. I read Charlotte's Orange Cats . I love the way she writes, often with a deceptive simplicity that takes you straight into complex and interesting subjects. She really is such an excellent writer, and I wrote to her to say how good I thought it was.  My own thinking about writing, still a bit bitty and unproductive. I feel like I've emptied my larder of ideas, and need to go out into the world and get some new ones.  Spoke to Anton, still in his liminal phase, but he has two appointments next week. Also Mum. I went to the gym this afternoon, and it was a good time to go. In the evening Lorraine and I off to  The Union Club to celebrate Delores birthday. Many of the rebooters, plus Delores' daughter Sophie, and grandchildren including Asha who I've had a good chat with in the past. Yvonne and Brian there, with their pal Martyn, who I liked very much. Great to see Brian cheery and out and about after his knee replacement.  Delore...

Enzo first thing, little lad has a cold but otherwise cheery as ever. He climbs stairs now. Lorraine had found a big yellow plastic tipping truck which she gave him this morning. At first he was a bit afraid of it. I sawing it eyeing it nervously as it rolled on the kitchen floor. By the end of the day he was playing with it happily. Lorraine cunningly used the small phase of Enzo being scared of it to good use, putting the truck on our stairs to stop the bairn climbing up them.   I made off to drawing class, where the model was a folk singing woman, fully clothed in a long dress, and a staff with a deer horn crook. Her having clothes on threw me somewhat, and I had to abandon my long drawing after twenty minutes as I had got all the proportions completely wrong. Very bad at drawing today, but I enjoyed it, and chatting to my fellow 'articipants' as Melissa calls us. After class chatting with Debbie and Melissa about the zine fair, which they are both participating in. Melissa ...

A bitty morning, achieving little. Sylwia here, who is loving the continuing heat.  Spoke to Mum late in the morning, before we drove off with Maureen and Lorraine to Paradise park to choose a small fishtank. I ended up selecting a small tank with a filter and heater, substrate for the plants to grow in, and gravel. Home for a bite to eat, then when Lorraine drove to Eastbourne to collect Pat, I slowly put the thing together, with Maureen impatiently wanting it all to be ready immediately. Wanting to double check the filter, I scanned the QR code which took you to a completely different product. I worked it out, then added substrate for the tropical plants and gravel and a large rock. Maureen said she didn't want the rock, and added that she'd always wanted cold water goldfish.  Lorraine back with Patrick, and then we left, and I promised to return tomorrow, as it needs extra gravel.  Pat said he wanted tropical fish, so Maureen firmly decided it was going to be a tropica...

Woke up early and read a message from Katie, now ensconced at Ian's house. She has had a horrid time, but is on the mend now I hope. A productive morning. Lorraine surged out to her personal trainer. I was able to choose some photos that didn't make me look like a Weimar Republic sex murderer from the shots Innis had taken. Also began drafting emails to a few people I'm asking for a couple of sentences for the book jacket of  One Day Forever .  Not sent them yet, but the cringe is real. Hello... Peter Kenny here. I know we don't really know one another all that well, but will you tell people I'm fabulous? Thanks.  To Brighton this afternoon, to spend time with Anton over a game or two of bones. He was at The Bier Haus on the Kemptown side, which he can bus to on a number 7, and in decent spirits. He is awaiting a date for the valve operation with mixed feelings. Otherwise he was armed with his book on horology, Practical Watch Repairing , by Donald De Carle, written...

Jangling and nervy first thing. Good to be at home though, so wrote a list of things that must be done, and did many of them which made me feel better. Writing a list and doing the things on it is a kind of therapy really. To the gym at lunchtime, which also helped.  In the afternoon working on zines. Adele along with Kitty Oakley, an artist we have a print of, have set up the Seaford  Zine Fair. I have said I am going to be an exhibitor, so am frantically trying to design a zine or two in time for 17th October. It is outside my comfort zone, and there's no time. But plus ça change . Spoke to Anton and Mum and messages with First Matie. I felt calmer and more in control as the day progressed.

After Breakfast, Lorraine went to Pat and Maureen's place as Cyndy plus some of their other old Ashford pals were coming around. Beth took the wee bairn there too. I walked up to see Yvonne and Brian, who showed me his knee scar, and said the pain was still dreadful. Like having a terrible toothache in your knee, which is keeping him awake. Weeks of not sleeping are miserable. Otherwise he was mooching about a bit and looking good to me. Yvonne was doing well too, and we sat outside in the warm and had some coffee for an hour. Then their grandsons piled in, and I made an exit as this was lots of work. Then I went strolling towards Splash point, and I bumped into Kate and Carole on bicycles, and had a lovely chat with them. Kate said they'd been talking about Friday night at the Boot, and how nice this was. Later Carol texted Lorraine to tell her too. Lovely. I enjoyed a mooch in the lovely weather along the seafront and had done my cheeky ten thousand paces by the time I got ho...

A peaceful day on the Kenny estate. No springing early from bed, but a slow breakfast and time to do things like talk to each other and laundry. Also going down to harvest and freeze lots of our glut of tomatoes. There was wild talk about doing lots of art and pottery, but above thinking about Zines, as I have signed up as an attendee of the inaugural Seaford Fair, so actually making a zine or two might be a good idea. Otherwise I slept for an hour in the afternoon, and Lorraine and I stayed close to the gold sofa. Both of us felt better for a day of rest and relaxation. Below some non-tomatoes from the glasshouse, although it has been a poor year for cucumbers, we've had the odd one or two, plus some padron peppers, red and green chillies.