under another sun

Finished the latest piece of freelance this afternoon. Was told that the work I had done yesterday was actually what was wanted all along, not this new stuff I was told to do. A feeling of cheery release at the end of the day, especially as it was a pleasant winter's day and the enticements of the garden were making themselves felt. Lorraine planting rhubarb and loving being in the garden.  In the evening we watched the last episode of Star Trek Voyager. Enjoyed seeing all seven series. I liked the characters of Janeway, Tuvok and the Doctor and they were well acted -- and everything enlivened by the introduction of the Seven of Nine character. The final double episode has Janeway, as an Admiral going back in time to right wrongs so her younger self and the crew could get home more quickly.  Below Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine. A proper SF heroine. I snapped this from the TV screen -- and some frogspawn Lorraine showed me in our fishpond.

Dreary Monday. Three hours waiting for folks in France to forward me a single email containing a few files they promised on Friday. Then, gallingly presented at the end of the day but then the goalposts were moved, so more tomorrow. However I have to look on the bright side. No travelling needed, and I could do everything from home -- and have chats with Lorraine from time to time. All is well, for a Monday. Funny how whatever you are doing, Monday's still have a residual work pall about them. Anton called. Chris the plumber stopped by to measure things. Texts from Keith.  Lorraine went to her physical trainer in Bolney, and even popped into school by arrangement and Rebecca's class read some stuff out to her. A big step to go back, and she said it felt perfectly natural and weird at the same time. The new head sweet with her.  We roasted a chicken this evening (held over from yesterday) with roast parsnips and potatoes and assorted veggies. Lorraine and I are eating less meat...

Maureen phoned at a little before four AM to say she was waiting for the ambulance as she wasn't feeling well. A bit alarming. There was nothing to be done right now. But I found it hard to get asleep. I have been having really fiery indigestion off and on for the last few days, and I lay awake for an hour, experiencing stabbing chest pains, which in the context of worrying about Maureen wasn't so great.  Lorraine and I up early. She spoke to Maureen, who was being released back into the wild this morning, the hospital having found nothing alarming. Thank goodness. Greatly relieved, Lorraine drove over and collected her, and stayed with them all day until returning tonight. Left to my own devices, I worked on poetry for several hours, until I broke off to manfully surge into the garden. Here I filled the trug that Lorraine and I had resurrected yesterday with a layer of garden soil, two bags of compost and generous handfuls of British horse poo. Into this I planted five strawbe...

Lorraine and I up fairly early doing more in the garden. Every day more progress, and it feels like a kind of excellent therapy -- every day seeing a bit of progress.  I dug a hole and we planted the third acer, in what we call the island, and decided the other side should be rocks. And also we managed to rebuild the wooden trug we brought with us from Brighton, ready to take strawberry plants. It involved quite a lot of work, and fiddling with rusted bolts me having to employ things like WD40 and a chisel. This gardening malarky may turn me into a hairy chested man of action yet. Lorraine off to see Rebecca, one of her former colleagues, at her mother's house this afternoon. Her mother lives in Seaford and Lorraine was a kind of school mum to her, so it was a sort of mum summit.  I tried to work on poems but I seem to bring muddiness and indecision to everything, when I need the exact opposite.  Had did a bit of job admin. Having to chase information about the job I was ...

A day Lorraine and I really enjoyed. Although I was up early to take a briefing from a team in France  first thing. I am doing this job next week. The rest of the day free after a smidge or two of business and podcast admin. A nice note from Mark Fiddes, who we featured on the podcast this week. A note from Spooner on Facebook to say they are old University friends. Lorraine in bed sorting out a last minute MOT, and found a place in Seaford just by the Duke of Wellington, so we dropped the car off and had a mooch about the tiny little town together, and even had a cup of coffee in a cafe called Pomegranate and stopped off in Gallery Uno and had a nice chat with he guy who runs it.  Being free to do this made us feel happy. The car's MOT done and dusted by this afternoon too. Then home and a spot of gardening, doing some sterling work -- digging holes in the island where Lorraine and I planted two acer trees -- also lots of other bits and pieces in the garden. Lorraine lurking ...

Got up early this morning, and did some writing. Am trying to pull a manuscript together for a competition. The last time I did this I was shortlisted. I live in hope I can go one step further.   Also spoke to Keith trying to read the runes on current work. Then the French team Keith and I have been working with got in touch. Despite our best efforts it seems one of our ideas got through to win. Heard from Betsy today too -- who has been living back in the states for several years now, and wanted me to work on a job with her despite the eight hour time difference. I declined. This time.   A bit of a Pooterish cast to the day, with lots of Cummings and Gowing.  Just after lunch Brian arrived with his chainsaw and cut some bits down for us. He's such a nice man -- and had been in church this morning as it was Ash Wednesday. Yvonne came with him, and I sat chatting to her. Her daughter Annabel is about to give birth, so everyone a bit excitable -- she may be induced tomorrow...

A bit more recording this morning with Robin and a bit of writing.  Today mostly a day of gardening. We are loving being out there.  The evil buddleia all but vanquished now. Lots of moving things around in the garden too. I piled bricks and tiles into the little brick shed. It is only about five foot five high, and has a corrugated low roof dense with spider webs. I used my head as a duster a dozen times, and felt like I was alive with spiders. I saw some beefy ones today. Lorraine bringing order to the workhouse too, after lots of sterling work in the garden. Mum called to say she reversed her car into a wall in the car park of the Jolly Badger yesterday, and the car is to be written off. Luckily she and Mas were completely unharmed, and the Jolly Badger folks very kind, and gave them coffee and a taxi ride home. Mum seemed okay about it but it must have been a shaking experience. Fish pie tonight. Lorraine and I feeling the effects of working physically for hours. No need f...

Monday, and a cheeriness about not having to do any thinking about concepts. I got up early and did a smidge of writing, reading throughout the day, and then met Robin for a chat and to do some recording. Robin has some lurgy, but has to sing in a concert at the weekend. Vocally we both sound a bit ropey.   A burst of garden work. Another bout of wrestling with the vengeful buddleia bush with its root system like the nazi underground hospital in Guernsey. The buddleia is still winning. I went for a walk in the afternoon, just picking a direction from home and walking in a straight line up the alley nearby onto Carlton Road a road and then more alleys then across a field. There was a road the other side of the field, called Grand Avenue and continuing the straight line I had been walking led to St Andrew's Church at Bishopstone. I must have been walking what remained of an old drove path. Then I walked down to the sea walked back home, adding a circuit of The Salts, a recreation gro...

Sunday and Lorraine and I up and working in the back garden. I made war on buddleia pruning a big stand of the stuff near the summer house harshly.  I hope buddleia don't hold grudges. Then worked on uprooting a huge bush. An exhausting struggle, with me having to leave off with the bush victorious. It isn't over.    At lunchtime we collected Adele and Patrick and drove off to Newhaven where we had a decent Sunday roast in the Hope Inn which overlooks the mouth of Newhaven Harbour.  Patrick and Adele are great company. Adele has another show in the Crypt, where some of her glass will be based on the striped legs on the Duke of York's cinema. Patrick told us the story about a gig his band Polar Moon played, when they were supporting U2, when the nascent supergroup played a gig in Ballina in the west of Ireland. Apparently, the locals unimpressed by the attitude of these Dubliners who fancied themselves, the crowd were shouting for local band Polar Moon fifteen minutes...

Lorraine and I into Brighton together this morning. Lorraine off to have her hair cut. I popped into Churchill Square and saw an exhibition Beth had organised, on up cycling clothes. From there I went to my old ideologically unsound Starbucks and sat there sipping their largest oat milk latte and working on some poems for a couple of hours. Lorraine on her way, I mooched across the road into the Library where they were holding a poetry and spoken word performance, by trans writers. I stayed for a bit. There is a hard polarisation happening these days. Trans exclusionary feminists who don't think calling yourself a woman suddenly makes you a woman and that trans women who are really men in women's spaces is threatening. Meanwhile trans folks, especially trans women who most of the ire seems directed at,  feel victimised and don't feel that their reality is acknowledged, and that they really are women. I have no dog in this fight and just look on aghast at the viciousness tha...

Lorraine and I doing a bit of planting in the front garden, two rose bushes, pyrocantha (orange glow) and a chaenomeles aka the Japanese quince. This done, along with a spot of business admin, I kissed Mrs Kenny goodbye and trained off to Brighton to meet Anton, walk over the hill down to the sea at Hove and play boules in the stiff chilly wind, which was great fun. Anton still frenzied at work, and had to break off a couple of times to send emails. We played three games of boules. Anton won the first two easily, but I managed to last to save face.  Then in search of warmth and a pub. Several of them, even on a Friday afternoon, not open till four. We had a bite to eat in The Hampton, and then walked back to Anton's to drop off the boules. Ambled past a few closed pubs, until we popped into the Batty, which was open and very full with dutch people. The Batty was serving Brains SA on tap, a beer from Cardiff that my old mate Simon used to go on about when we were at university. I dr...

A work free morning, so naturally I was wide awake at seven. Not a great night's sleep without Lorraine. Brian making strange noises on the duvet woke me up in the middle of the night.   After an early breakfast, and putting the washing machine on, I slipped out for a walk. I counted seven times people cheerily wished me good morning, the majority of them ladies walking dogs. Seaford is friendly. I'm not much of a one for the canine fiends, but there was one small dog that when walking lifted its legs like a horse doing dressage which made me laugh out loud. The tide out, revealing a bit of sand. A hazy sun. Fresh air, and all good. Only walked for 40 minutes, but felt quite tired at the end of it -- usually 40 mins is nothing to me. Home and hung out the laundry outside on the line (channeling my inner Maureen who has clear rules about hanging things) then went to my desk to briefly tinker with poems. Fixed two of them, which felt good -- one of them I think is rather good. Ju...

Valentine's day. I managed to not get Lorraine anything this year, which I felt bad about. I had a nice card, from Lorraine who forgave me and a tasteful set of egg cups as I'd remarked the other day we needed some. I think Valentine's day is more for the hopeful unattached really, but it is nice to be thought of. In the love department my (egg) cups runneth over. Despite it being a gorgeous sunny day, I was in a poor mood this morning, despite it being the last day of the job with Keith. Doing a job when you feel ill is no good. I was far from my best all the way through it -- and this harmed what we produced. On this last day I kept thinking fondly of a former art director, Nev, who, when we were working on a computer catalogue, endlessly repeated the mantra 'you can't shine shit'.  Lorraine and I mooching about in the garden for a bit at lunchtime, even sitting briefly in our summerhouse till I was summoned by text back to my desk. Just so happy in the garden...

Working with Keith again. Another day I found stressful. Lorraine off to her personal trainer in the afternoon, then went around to see Rosie and had dinner with her in the Giggling Squid. Steve, who has been ill ventured back into the world today. I met him for an hour in The Old Boot Inn after work. Nice to throw off the desk manacles over a cheeky pint of mother in law. Steve mainly repaired. He blames the convention of harmonica players in Brighton he went to recently at the Brunswick, where he spent hours in a darkened room with lots of people wheezing through their mouth organs. Many were ill afterwards apparently.  Home at seven, and Lorraine arrived later. To bed, cheered by the idea that I have only one more day on the current job. Arranged to meet Anton on Friday, which I am greatly looking forward to. Star Trek Voyager with Lorraine, then bed.

A cheery weekend. Short bursts of energy for gardening. Lorraine and planted a pear tree and an apple tree -- which hopefully will be groaning with fruit in a couple of years. This is unbelievably satisfying.  We are going to have plums, apples and pears simply growing on trees.   I lay low on Saturday evening recovering from these exertions. Lorraine went to see Beth for dinner on Saturday. I am still pacing myself.  Lorraine busy on many fronts.  She has made a batch of sauerkraut from scratch.  All it is is salt and cabbage and caraway and cumin seeds. It is in a jar and needs to be 'burped' a couple of times a day, releasing a gasp of cabbagey goodness. It will be ready in a week.  To bed wanting to press the fast forward button on the next two days.   

Feeling distinctly perkier -- walking around in a non-wheezy way. I worked in the garden for a while too. Definitely -- after two weeks -- feeling suddenly lots better.    L andI went to Paradise Park, home to large model velociraptors a dinosaur experience, and a garden centre. Walking around not feeling out of breath and weird is great. We have not been to the dinosaur experience so far, although we could hear what sounds like a model train or something, beeping continuously driving around on the other side of the garden centre wall, which sounded minimally exciting. Lots of browsing, and we came away with shrubs and strawberry, raspberry and goji berry plants as part of the dense agricultural business that will be our back garden.  I'm beginning to look at tropical fish again. There were some at the garden centre, and also at Pets at Home in Newhaven. I have a vision of a tank that is lushly planted but sparsely populated with just a two species of tetras in small shoa...

Up early and working with Keith. Presentation at lunchtime went fine, despite us being a bit apprehensive about it. A fairly cheery afternoon. Finished work and Lorraine and I went to Morrisons and then we went to The Old Boot Inn for half an hour. I had a single beer there -- it was enough as I was quite shattered. But it was an important landmark, the first time I had been to a pub for two weeks. Felt a bit weird. Home and Lorraine made courgette fritters, and we had a sort of mezze with lots of picking bits. We watched an episode of Happy Valley, which is miserable and stressful, but well written. Just so happy that it is the weekend now. 

Mercifully had a day off, was brain dead and needed to recover. Actually went into the outside world today. To Lewes garden centre, and looked at plants and bought some, and bags of soil which I carried. Then in the afternoon Lorraine dropped some things off for Steve as he is unwell. Then we drove off to the vet with Calliope. We had been given a tranquilliser to give her, but she still yowled (albeit more quietly) all the way there. Good as gold in the vets, and had her blood test (at the fourth attempt poor thing).  Work emails during the day, and then a request to start another job when this one is done next week. I declined.  Home and I had overdone it. The weird veil between myself and reality, that I have had for the last week and a half had returned in forced. I needed a sleep. A bit perkier this evening however.

Up and working like a dog with Keith. Everything is hard. I write a paragraph, and then look at it again, and it is gobbledegook or full of repetitions. A difficult day. Somehow we managed to get everything sorted and presented in the afternoon and we got away with it. So happy to have a day off tomorrow to regroup. 

Struggling. The current job feels really hard and it really shouldn't. I will have to get up pre-sparrows tomorrow to fix things. I feel horrible, and my brain just isn't working and it is stressing me. My lovely Lorraine cheery however. And is, under the guidance of Zoe program, noting her blood sugar after various breakfasts. Yesterday was oats. Today the same amount of calories but in cheese and so on. Her blood sugar seems very steady though generally, which is good. This afternoon she planted another tree, the black tulip magnolia, in our front garden.  Lots of to-ings and fro-ings today. A man called Paul came to fit the new fridge freezer and dishwasher into our kitchen, but had to leave with only the dishwasher installed. Lorraine said he was a really nice guy, who will be back tomorrow.  Rosie called around late this afternoon, after working at a school nearby. When I was finished work, I joined the ladies for a chat.  Lovely to see Rosie as ever. Mum called too,...

Working today. Feeling a tad brighter -- and noticeably coughing less. Four trees were delivered, and Lorraine, now feeling decidedly perkier, and full of purpose again managed to dig a hole and plant a plum tree in it. We have also taken delivery of an apple, a pear and a black tulip magnolia -- like the one Anton bought us some time ago but didn't survive. After removing some trees, it is good to be planting new ones. Pretty done in after working. Nice to be with Lorraine on the gold sofa. Below Lorraine next to our wee Victoria plum tree. Much fruit and jam will derive from it we hope.  

Feeling a tad brighter today, thank God, and did my best to be more cheerful and positive. Despite it being Sunday, I got up and worked for a couple of hours on the work I was doing with Keith, as I had been pretty poor last week. Able to focus a bit better. Lorraine much better now. And she is feeling positively optimistic which is lovely to see. In the afternoon Lorraine and wrapped up and went outside, as it was quite warmish and sunny. Ate sandwiches with tuna mayo garnished with sprouting seedlings. Tasty. We walked about talking about where to put the fruit trees that are soon coming early next week, and even spent some time weeding together. Later I did much of the cooking too.  Tobs called it had been dangerously cold with the wind on Friday, and that what compensation he would get for his cancelled flights over Christmas was still uncertain. Canada, eh?  Anton called, having had a good weekend of gaming and drinking with his mate Dan. They were debating which day of t...

If anything feeling worse than I had done during the week -- the bagpipe lungs remain, but a new kind of tiredness now. However, Lorraine improving steadily. Joy, our next door neighbour, brought us some provisions, which was kind. I am feeling dismal, and ill -- conditions which bring out the Worst Possible Peter Kenny.   I wrote to Robin to say I wouldn't be recording anything for a while, still. She was a brick.  Lorraine busy doing things, as she recovers, and impatient to be out in the garden.  She is nurturing assorted seed sprouts which are packed with goodness of all kinds. Baking bread, which has now started escaping from the tins when left to prove. Give it a hundred years or so and it will be inventing its own tax system, and making its first tentative steps into manufacturing.

Trying to get moving again. Went for a walk around the block before starting work. A bit of an error as lungs reacted badly to the cold air, and I felt worse afterwards. Really disoriented talking to Keith at one point this morning. Kept trying and failing to explain a simple idea but just couldn't find the words. We made as much progress as possible and were somewhere near where we should be. Ten minute doze at lunch. Very pleased when we stopped -- feeling barely able to cope. Lorraine, luckily, feeling somewhat brighter, the Covid seems to have been milder this time. After work Lorraine drove us to the chippy, weirdly empty, and I dived in and scored medium chips, medium cod, and mushy peas twice. Home and good for nothing except watching TV just happy to be with Lorraine. Had the bagpipe lungs for a week -- and they are making everything difficult.

Up at the crack of sparrows to take a brief with Keith from colleagues in France. One good thing, however. In thinking about the job -- something to do with radiography -- and I had an idea for a much better ending for a poem I started last week.  Feeling not too bad, considering. A sleep at lunchtime -- a bit rubbish at the afternoon. Keith supportive. I'm not sure I should have taken this job on, but day one has been accomplished. Lorraine, feeling not too bad considering. I am pleased.  Spoke to Mum. TV. Early to bed.