Betty and Brideshead

Lorraine up early and, via school, off to Kingston Hospital to be with Beth. As the day wore on Beth had a scan and it is thought she has an ovarian cyst rather than appendicitis as first feared. A good deal of hanging about waiting in vain for explanations. Eventually at nine Betty was discharged on the proviso that she return if anything worsened. She went back to her student house with painkillers to the attentions of her pals. Lorraine home late and in need of a glass of wine and the fisherman's pie ready meal she'd bought herself.

My day was good. Made good progress on my business book this morning. Time is always a good editor, and my enforced layoff is proving helpful now I am back into it. Otherwise not much to report. Am off the antibiotics, which feels better, and I am gulping down live yogurt to repopulate my flora and fauna. It is a long time since I have felt so ancient and run down.

Perhaps this temporary world-weariness is making me enjoy Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited even more. I am listening to it as an audiobook, read by Jeremy Irons. My second-hand understanding of a book put me off it for years. But I am loving its vivid characters and find it a beautifully written quest for meaning set against the Autumn of a world of privilege. Sad and wonderful, and excellently narrated by Irons too.

Also watched a documentary about Jeanette Winterson, whose Why be happy when you could be normal? made such an impact on me. She's the tops.