under another sun

Working early this morning, I also billed my old French clients, who payed me an astonishing twenty minutes of receiving the invoice, and had good chat with Keith. Things are going to slowly change, as I look to slackening off on my work load somewhat. Meanwhile Chris the plumber putting a valve on on one of the toilets and came into my study to look at the boiler. Also Lorraine being called by a stressed Beth as her car had started acting strangely on the motorway as she was driving up to London, and she had to await the AA. Then Stephanie, our neighbour came for coffee with Lorraine at 11 while I was working. Stephanie just lost her mum, who was well into her nineties died recently, and she is still getting over her husband suddenly dying three years ago. But she is a cheerful resilient soul, and Lorraine and her trading helping her set up her Alexa for borrowing her shredding machine.  Lorraine and I then went shopping to Morrisons in the car as we were buying heavy things. Stop...

Thursday... A bit bleary this morning having gone to bed after one last night. A slowish morning. At lunchtime we walked to Waves gym and bought a couple's membership for a year, we celebrated by having a cup of splosh in the gym cafe, and gave each other pep talks about the value of gym membership. Mooched home and as the weather had improved I cleared the big rocks and garden ornaments away from the area we are going to put our raised beds. Lorraine meanwhile hung solar lights and pricked out assorted seedlings. I then had a work meeting with Gabriel, in France and later had to discuss another work offer with Keith which I am not going to accept.  Carl got in touch -- confirming he is coming down to London on the first of August. And also Carl said that Ellie had referred to me as her 'stand in dad' -- which made him laugh. As he has often in the past been a stunt man Kenny -- such as the time Toby had a party which got utterly out of hand. I was at university at the time...

I got up fairly early and sent off another manuscript off, more out habit than anything. Had planned a bit of a saunter in the woods with Brian, but it was a miserable morning. Off this evening to the Royal Festival Hall. Met Robin on the train to Lewes we changed at Clapham for Waterloo. A wincingly pricey sharpener downstairs first, and then up to the fifth floor and the Poetry Society event, presenting the National Poetry Competition prizewinners. Brilliant to go with Robin as a tag team. It would have been a bit toe curling going alone. Thanks to Robin I was on the guest list. I naturally availed ourselves of the free wine and beer and canapés with alacrity (as did Robin) and wandered about separately, and together, chatting to folks.   Enjoyed the readings from shortlisted poets, and then the winners. Can't say I was astonished by anything I heard, but the woman who was the runner up, Tifo Kusoro, read her poem very well. Nevertheless cheery to be rubbing shoulders with like m...

So a rather excellent Monday, lots of sunshine helping. Got up and started a new poem, but more importantly my head in a good place, and feeling much less agitated than of late. At midday, Lorraine went off to her gym, and I caught a bus to Brighton, the route following the sea. Maybe it was my mood, but it was all rather lovely. Got off the bus at the Old Stein and cheery to be strolling up through the North Laine to see Stacy, who cut my hair with his usual perfectionism. I have often noticed the little plastic figure of Speedy Gonzales on his shelf, but today it made me wonder if it is placed there to remind him to get a wiggle on.  Back by train, as the timings worked well. I got off at Newhaven Town, however, where Lorraine was waiting for me, and we went into places like Homebase and Screwfix to buy a special drill head for M10 bolt screws which we will be building our raised beds with. When we were in Homebase I looked at their garden section and saw Beech, Hornbeam and Holl...

A rainy morning, which we spent tidying the house.  Beth came around for the day. I left her and Lorraine deep in conversation and took a long walk, walked west along the coast and then doubled back. Walking on the path just inside the little park of the Salts Recreation ground, just down the road from us, I noticed distinct sea litter on the path, whelk eggs and mermaid's purses. I then continued along to Seaford Head, and lurked in its golf coursed foothills and explored the streets on the Eastern rim of my new town. As I walked I was listening again to the audiobook of The Trees by Percival Everett, which I am enjoying. Just great to get out and stretch my legs a bit. Home and after a shower, sat with Lorraine and Betty chatting for some time, and prepping a Sunday roast with loads of veggies. Had a nice chat with Beth, as Lorraine needed a power down for a while. Heard about her pal Olivia who knows she is having a baby girl, who is going to be called Margo. Apparently Olivia ...

A day of industry and sunshine. Lorraine and I hard at work in the garden again today. We had taken delivery of a cast aluminium garden table and six chairs. We had to bolt the legs on and so on. Very sturdy and nice, and the chairs are very comfortable. Sat there having cups of tea in the sun, and ate lunch on it too. Then in the afternoon we did a bit of rearranging of rocks in our rocky bit. Then we deployed the circular saw Lorraine ordered recently, and working together I sawed lots of sleepers in half to make the short ends of the beds. I enjoyed doing it too, which is weird. If on my own, I am not sure I would have felt confident enough to do a job like that. But one of the excellent things about Lorraine, who was busy measuring and using the set square to draw lines, and hefting sleepers with me, is that she makes it all possible somehow. Finished late afternoon, just as the rain came again. As a footnote to the joyful garden, there is creature, a wood pigeons perhaps, or s...

Up to see Mum and Mas today. Caught the train at Seaford just before nine and had a fairly smooth journey train hopping till I reached Mill Hill. En route Mum texted me to say the pesky new car didn't start -- and there had been a confusing time having got the people round to fix it, who refused because it was the new car and the paperwork wasn't right. Anyway, luckily they arrived at The Jolly Badger in one piece in the car that Ben across the road had made work.  Pleasant food and a nice young Spanish guy serving. It must be one of those days at the Jolly Badger when they have a half decent chef. I had a couple of pints of steadying Guinness and Mum had a cider. Both Mum and Mas were both okay, though a bit stressed by the morning, and wondering if the car would start again. It did, fortunately. The car itself looks rather sporty to me (given that I know nothing about cars) and is a hybrid, so when mum turned it on when I was there, it seemed to make little or no noise. Fond ...

For one reason or another work -- and one job in particular that won't go away -- is really stressing me out. I can't quite work out why it is driving me quite so mad. But I felt like I had reached the end of my tether today.  I don't feel like I am in control of my own workflow or even life at the moment. Better, however, was working on the other job for mes amis in Paris about dogs' ears.   I went for a walk after work, having been manacled to my desk all day, listening to The Trees by Percival Everett, which I am really liking. I ate some more veggie chilli and then Lorraine came home and instantly made everything feel better.

Mother's Day in the UK at least. The sun shining this morning, and all well. Lorraine and I got up to have coffee and a bite of breakfast. Maureen called, feeling unwell, and Lorraine called an ambulance. This arrived quickly and they did tests on her, and then took her back to hospital. Lorraine and I did a spot of gardening, and then Lorraine drove to Ashford. She arrived at the Hospital when the doctor was making their rounds. Luckily Maureen's was well enough to be released back into the wild. A stressful start to the day for everyone. Beth was due to call around this morning and spend some time with Lorraine, but they bumped that till next weekend.  Meanwhile I called Mum and had a pleasant chat with her. She sent me and Lorraine a note thanking us for the Mother's Day card. Felix has mange, and Mum has a treatment for him. There are foxes in her neighbourhood. He must have caught it from a fox. I aim to zoom up to see her and Mas next week. They were going to the Joll...

Lorraine and I running about tidying the house this morning. Both in a very happy mood, and talking about what is important: spending time with each other. We also made ready for a visit from Tanya and Catherine, who were coming over for lunch.  We all lurked in the kitchen eating veggie chilli and rice and assorted cheeses with dates and grapes and caught up. Naturally we showed them around our new house, and Lorraine took Tanya around the garden -- they are going to Chelsea Flower Show together later in the year. There was lots of news to catch up on, and some of it mixed. Catherine and Tanya moved house a little after we did -- which they are happy with, and Catherine has had excellent book cases built -- which she showed me a video of.  But Catherine has been up against it with flu, covid, and Catherine had shingles  -- which she is mostly recovered from. She also started a very promising new job, which turns out to have a vile work culture and this has proved to be v...

So a day manacled to my desk working with Keith to get everything ready for a presentation. Otherwise Lorraine brought me up a sustaining lunch snack with had germinating seeds, nuts, cheese, fruit and homemade sourdough bread, which felt a bit like being loved on a plate. The presentation didn't happen in the end. Bastards.  After work, I went for a walk at the end of the day. I popped into Morrisons and got some provisions including two bottles of Mann's brown, a drink I had a bit when I was a yoof. Not seen it for decades, and discover it is a mere 2.8%ABV. A pint of bitter is around 4% and lager 5%, so it's almost a health drink. Really nice taste.  Feeling very happy it is the weekend. I hated work this week. A quiet night feeling unstressed with my wifey just what was needed. Below looking towards Newhaven at sunset.  

Awake early as I always am when Lorraine is away. Picked up the threads of a job to do with dog health for Val in Paris as well as uploading the podcast, with my interview with Robert Hamberger who is a lovely bloke. Felt a bit like I couldn't see the wood for the trees on the job I was working on. Luckily Brian called by at 2pm and drove us to nearby Friston forest. Lovely to walk among real trees there. I am getting to know him better now.  He is an interesting and thoughtful man. Among other things we were talking about the miracle of Jesus helping a blind man to see, by rubbing his spitty thumbs on his eyes. When the man opens his eyes, however he can only see trees, but when he opens them again he sees people instead. He drove me home, but not before we stopped at The Plough and Harrow at Littlington and quaffed some Long Man bitter, which is literally brewed across the lane. It was great to have an interlude out of my office.  Home, and I spoke to Lorraine who was still ...

A wall of work. The stuff Keith and I were working on needs to be redone, we found at the evening presentation -- so we will be back on it on Friday trying to fix the problems of our own creation. Meanwhile Val, my lovely French client, contacted me with another job for the beginning of next week. Working for her is always a pleasure however, and I can do it on my own. Out of energy and finding it hard to assert myself.   Lorraine off to Ashford to spend some time with Pat and Maureen at lunchtime. Mum called me just as I finished work. She is finding it difficult to work out how to use her new car.  I went for a short walk by the sea, fresh and lovely although it immediately started raining. Home via Trawlers where I scored fish and chips and mushy peas. Served by the nice woman who works there and always chats.  At home the cats moping about and both trying to sit on me at the same time as Lorraine isn't here. In the evening I tweaked and uploaded the podcast, after Rob...

Excellent news today about Jade, who has now a full time job at St Andrews, which is an enormous credit to her resilience and talent, and also means she and Sam now have more stability in their lives. Otherwise lots on today with Keith on a job, and juggling the podcast. Also had an extended lunch break, Lorraine driving me off to Adele and Patrick's house where people were working in Adele's glass studio. Adele is going great guns with her work. Deana, Jane and Kate were there, all busy with glass designs.  Nice to chat with them all, and eat some lemon cake and have a cup of coffee while looking at them making their designs. Kate was rapidly making a very nice duck with shards of glass as feathers, for example. I loved being there, and it felt great to just think about glass for a couple of hours. I spent it drawing designs for glass for the garden. Nice to chat to the ladies -- and they offered me lots of advice on glass in the garden. And Adele happened to have a book calle...

Up early and recording with Robin... Did all the extras in one hit, which is unusual for us. Robin had been reading Ian Duhig, and I talked about Elegy written in a country church-yard. But I had to spend a lot of time editing, and I was a bit garbled so still hadn't finished by the end of the day. Keith and I took a briefing at 5pm for a job to start tomorrow. Wanted to spend more time with Lorraine than was possible. A bit of a slog ahead this week I think.

Gardening with gusto this morning. Then Beth and James came around this afternoon armed with a large bottle of Nero D'Avola and we strapped on a chicken nosebag, and ended up sitting in the kitchen playing the card game Golf. Beth, wearing a dinosaur teeshirt, fresh from working her fingers to the bone the last few weeks, and at last has had a few days off. James had cycling this morning. Just felt really nice to be hanging out in the kitchen (and feeling warm) and eating a chicken roast. They are definitely thinking of moving this way at some point, as Jame's mum Julie lives on this side of Eastbourne too, the idea of them doing that makes Lorraine very happy. They left at tea time, and Lorraine and I had a mellow evening.

Outside this morning, feeling cheery. Before we left to mooch about the shops, Lorraine and I nipped out to hang some washing out, as it was briefly sunny. There is a covering for the umbrella like drying line, and we hold this in place with one of the grotesque concrete animal sculptures that infest the garden.  I am now collecting these things and placing them carefully by the side of the Summer house in a way that all the cartoonish rabbits, and frogs, and fornicating rabbits etc. look at back at you like the figures in Anthony Gormley's Field for the British Isles.  Anyway the concrete animal fell from some height onto my foot. I was only wearing my canvas Vans, and it hurt two of my toes like a bastard.  Lorraine and I into town (me with throbbing toes) to do some shopping. Looked at the little market, and bought nothing, popped into the Crypt where there was an exhibition of Sussex printmakers. We have pieces by two of the exhibitors. We liked lampshades made by Sal...

Ah merciful warmth. The new boiler is fully installed. Heat coursed around the house late this afternoon, and it was glorious. Obviously this had been the coldest week of the year, but now that we have heat, and hot water too, everything is glorious. Chris had done an excellent job, and is a lovely bloke. This morning, I mooched off to shops, and during the day there was a certain amount of gardening, poking bamboo sticks into the ground by the raspberries and gojiberries and trying the bamboo tripods at the top to the pergola and other rugged manly stuff.   Dawn came around for lunch.  We sat in the kitchen, eating Lorraine's delicious vegetable lasagne, and having long chat. For one reason or another we'd not seem much of Dawn for a while -- and there was even a swap of Christmas presents. Including a wee bottle of their home made sloe gin. After Dawn left, it was possible to move around the house without a blue nose, and have a shower and not be savaged by arctic skuas etc....

Lorraine back home this morning. I got up early to do some freelance work in my lounge nest. Chris here working hard. Still very nippy, but it seemed warmer in the back garden when I got there. Lorraine pottering about in and outside, I  helped in the garden (very carefully due to evil back). But I am beginning to walk much more upright again. I did some of my own writing this afternoon too, which was nice. Some prose.  In the evening Lorraine and I went off to The Old Boot Inn, where we met Yvonne and Brian who were celebrating the birth of their new grandchild Sebastian -- born on the same day as his older brother Jude. As well as Patrick and Adele (who arrived late from her Seaford Cinema committee meeting) we met Brian and Yvonne's pals Rick, Gabby, Guy and Barbara. A hugely jolly evening. Amid the general banter, I had a proper heart to heart with Brian about God and the meaning of life and so on. We are going to go for a walk in the woods and talk next week. Barbara and ...

Nastily cold day. Woken by Calliope and Brian offensively early. Up and let Chris in at 8:30 to continue replacing the boiler and water tank and so on. Then I spent hours in my nest editing my most recent interview for Planet Poetry, and cringing around the heater. Chris and I left at about the same time. I met Steve at the station and we caught the train to Brighton, now at last upgraded and with on board toilets as if it were the 21st century or something, where we went to the Battle of Trafalgar where the beermonsters were assembling for the first time in many months. A full complement, with Nick, Richard and Claudius too. Claudius now living in Senegal most of the time -- although back for a few weeks. He really likes it in Dakar which is an up and coming place, and is taking French lessons. Richard was on excellent form, looking happier and healthier that for some time, and was just starting a few weeks vacation. Nick, always cheery, telling us among other things about the wonders...

A cold day, with snow in the north but welcome rain on Kenny acres. Saw on facebook that there had been  spot of snow in Hove apparently this morning. Back gyp preventing me from doing much. Frustrating to waste my free days yelping and shuffling about. Nested in the one chair that is now comfortable with four layers and a shawl-like sofa throw over my shoulders editing an interview for the podcast. The raw recording riddled with my mistakes, but luckily I can simply edit them out. Meanwhile the freelance job I might have been starting tomorrow has melted away. Good news -- as I want to devote my energies to moaning and being miserable. Meanwhile the likeable Chris - arriving today with pain-free gnashers - working hard inside and out. And Lorraine busy cooking, and tidying and ferrying Adele and Patrick back from dropping their car off for an MOT and taking delivery of garden furniture and lots more  before she left for Maureen and Pat's this evening having cooked dhal and a ...

Needed aid from Lorraine to get up in the middle of the night as my back had seized up and I couldn't move without whimpering. I took a diazepam when I woke up, which is a muscle relaxant and helped with the spasming, and made me feel nonchalant about being unable to put my socks on.   I gingerly got out of bed, Lorraine was dealing with Chris the plumber arrived first thing and began the business of replacing the boiler and water tank. He had to leave this afternoon, however, to get emergency dental treatment.   Lorraine, who is looking a tad slimmer these days, off to her personal trainer at lunch. She returned with canes for the raspberries and food from Morrisons.  Bob phoned walking his dog saying we should go to see Carl.  Shortly after, Anton called to tell me he had begun the construction of his glider tailplane. Some of the balsa pieces are a few millimetres thin, and breakable balsa apparently.   Delighted to receive email from MSR for the first time s...

Lying in bed with Lorraine making plans about the day. Up and moving the carpet in one of the rooms to prepare for the boiler being replaced. I lifted up the sideboard so we could move the carpet.   My back gave very painfully. Swore repeatedly and with feeling. Lorraine slapped an ice pack on it. I kept moving, and we went into the garden and did a few small jobs and felt okay and got lulled into a false sense of security. But once I sat down everything began to seize painfully -- just like when I did it last summer. Gah. Football a cheering diversion. Manchester United, who have been nowhere near their best have been showing green shoots of a strong recovery. They went to Liverpool, their greatest rivals and themselves having a difficult season, and were spanked a record 7-0. I know it is wrong of me but you'd have to have a heart of stone not to have texted Anton about it and to be gladdened by Match of the Day 2. Spoke to Mum today. She has sourced a car, and the driving instru...

Tidying the house this morning. Some of our carpets are unlike any carpet I have ever encountered. You can vacuum  them with our efficient new hoover, and they will cling like velcro to fluff, cat fur, and other stuff. You have to change the head to the narrowest one possible to remove things. It ends up like cutting a lawn with nail scissors.  However, having the house tidy is a fine thing.  Jess and Andrew came for lunch, a little early so found Lorraine in her pyjamas cooking.  I showed them around the garden, despite it being rather nippy. While Lorraine got ready, having cooked all kinds of nice foods such as haddock cooked en papillote with tomatoes and served with Persian rice and beans and sugar snap peas. We drank Prosecco as Jess to celebrate Jess having just turned 70, this is hard to reconcile as she is one of those folks who looks and acts twenty years younger. They had been to Florence recently where Jess, who has been learning Italian, enjoyed chatting...

Assorted admin this morning including a chat with Keith which quickly strayed into the importance of  cherry shrimps in tropical fish tanks. Keith a big advocate.  Met Anton at Seaford station at 12:20. Bumped into Joy from next door. She said the walk we were planning was short. Met Anton, and we caught a bus to the entrance to Friston forest, but didn't go in but instead and walked back across the water to to the Cuckmere Inn, then along a path towards Cuckmere Haven and the sea, passing a couple of houses that have not yet eroded into the sea.  Disappointingly I was feeling twitchy, and after a while of walking, I got to a point where I was standing by empty fields with a sheer drop on the other side. Ticked all my boxes for feeling too exposed, and so we did a u-turn. Anton kind about it. Especially as we had to go the long way back which after his knee operation is a bit testing on his walking. I shall conquer Seaford Head but next time I will choose another route, a...

A rest from brainwork today. Instead, an intense day on Kenny Farm. Zoomed off to Morrisons round the corner in the car as they were selling multipurpose compost at a snip, and got six bags of this some of which was put into the raised bed, along with topsoil and a layer of John Innes no. 2. Into this Lorraine planted her hardy winter salad leaves.   Meanwhile I set about digging a trench, through a layer of stones, and a membrane layer quite deep. This was filled with with manure and soil, into which two raspberry canes and a goji berry plant were planted. We had lunch outside in the sunshine and after a few hours, felt that we had done a good day's work. Lorraine really happy when we are working together in the garden -- and I am finding it satisfying, and cheaper than the gym. So the tally of things we have introduced...  Pears, apples, plums, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries, blueberries, rhubarb, hardy winter salad leaves, and Lorraine has planted seeds for chillie...

Lovely to wake up knowing I could get on with some of my writing. Like hundreds of poetry writers I was finalising my manuscript ready to enter the Poetry Business Competition. I think I managed something tolerably coherent. There is something bracing about knowing you have to finalise it NOW. Who knows? But at least I have tried.   Lorraine and I then had lunch and them purposefully went down to the work 'ouse and assembled a raised bed on legs. However not without a bit of a performance. The instructions tell you that you need to make sure you have all the pieces beforehand. We had several pieces missing. Down to the garden centre with dinosaurs and we were told there the mistake was actually in the instructions.  They gave us the extra pieces anyway, but they proved not to be needed. Lorraine sourced some membrane for the bottom of the bed anyway. Hard work with a couple of broken drill bits, but Lorraine and I assembled the structure below from at least twenty pieces and f...