under another sun

At my desk early, and the joy of several hours on PK bits, pulling apart two collections and tweaking bits and pieces. Also sending off two more MSS one to a magazine, another to an anthology. Lorraine off to her personal trainer this morning.  In the afternoon we made good in the bathroom, and rehung mirrors, and I drilled a new hole in the wall and put a screw in it to hang a mirror from. Later I began dismantling bits of my study too.  I purchased neck lights today -- having bought some for Lorraine a while ago, and sat looking at her with her lights shining at me like a robot. She uses them for sewing and crochet etc. These are fabulous for reading books in low light situations. Reading in bed  with my neck lights tonight. Game changers. Below the bathroom, now with the old time olive walls we painted, which makes sense of the existing tile colours. I like it, and feel it has turned the world of biscuit colours into something a bit more grown up. Feeling a bit like a...

Lorraine to Ashford. I had a writing day, and split my mass of poems into two collections. They had started off as two collections but then I merged them, but this proved overcomplicated and a mistake. Sorting this out again, has made sense of everything again. Very pleased. Also began preparing my study, as this is the next place to be decorated. Went through a folder of old tax stuff and receipts payment slips and so on. I shall look forward to burning them. Spoke to Anton, and we are very much looking forward to meeting up on Thursday, when he falls off the waggon with a few beers and a game of bones -- and he promised to make some delicious pizza too.  In the afternoon after being at my desk for several hours, a walk. Passed some trees full of magpies, so many I lost count as I got into the teens. Then along the seaside and did my 10k paces and got lots of fresh air. Lorraine home this evening, and we had a bit of a defrost it and see what it is kind of meal. All good though....

Finished off the bathroom with Lorraine. Then I did a bit of touching up with a very fine brush listening to more H.P. Lovecraft based podcasting. Then I joined Lorraine who had been getting excitable in the garden with a strimmer. I mowed the lawn with our newly-fixed lawnmower. Otherwise a peaceful day. I spoke to Mum in the evening, and Lorraine and I ate fish pie.

Lorraine and I up late, and after breakfast I sent off the MS of my collaboration with Palo, and Lorraine played piano. Then we dragged off the broken lawn mower to the repair cafe in Seaford. We saw Kate there who was volunteering and altering clothing. There was a bit of a queue and after we had been given a job ticket, we had two cups of tea. Plenty of folks eating there. It was then I noticed a man peering at our lawnmower. Not one of the repairers but a someone with a passion for engines. He seemed positively sad that it was broken when being so new, and told us how the lawn mower should be fixed. When the fixer came over,  our new friend offered to advise him. I was then treated to 40 minutes of his life and times with engines, and how he was excellent at fixing them, then a deep dive into the subject of garage engineers and what rogues they were, complete with half a dozen examples of how he had outsmarted roguish garage mechanics with his superior knowledge. Unbelievably, L...

A sunny Friday and off to Elstree to see Mum and Mas. Managed to do a bit of writing on the upward journey. Pleasant walk from Elstree & Borehamwood station. Arrived at the Waggon and Horses a minute or so after Mam and Mas.  For Lunch I had two Guinnesses and grazed on grilled halloumi and falafels. A bit busier in the pub today, and the man with two dogs one came in and said hello  to Mum and Mas. Lots of people say hello to them. I can see why they love the place, despite the mans two dogs, one black and the other white, pleading for food under our table or growling nastily at a very placid bulldog.  Mum had an all day breakfast as she often does, and makes off with the sausages and bread to give to the foxes and birds. Mas enjoying his plate of hot and spicy wings.  The Waggon and Horses is a timeless sort of place, and although a bit of a trek, a nice place to see Mum and Mas.  Home listening to podcasts and so on. From Seaford station, where I arrived...

Did some of my own work this morning. Found a completion for a small eight page publication, which could be visual and poetry. I had a brainwave, and suggested a wee collaboration to Palo Almond that we could use some of her images, and the four tanka form poems I had written inspired by them. She was, happily enough, up for it. Later Lorraine and I started painting the non-tiled bits of the bathroom a colour called old time olive. Brian had done wees on the sheets on the floor so those had to be removed. We also popped into Seaford to do some shopping, and went for a walk along the Seafront.  Lorraine off a book group Burns Night and had made Cranachan, a traditional Scottish dessert, to take along. I attended, virtually, a Poetry Society reading which I did not enjoy. Luckily, the Tobster called three quarters of the way through and I simply spoke to him instead. Lots going on for him at the moment, what with the Romster starting her new job.  Before bed, I sauntered into to...

Lorraine off to Rhyme Time in the library, a more manageable group size this time, and she had a friendly conversation with one of the babies' grandmothers, an ex-nurse she had lots in common with.  I did some writing of my own, really delighted to focus on my own work. I also felt a mite perkier than the last few days. When Lorraine returned from nursery rhymes with babies, we went for coffee with Joy and Jim next door. Just as we stepped onto the pavement, however, a bird voided its bowels with an audible splat on my head. Seconds after, with the guano still enriching my scalp, Anton called and enjoyed my predicament.  To Joy and Jim's with an unbefouled, or should that be unbefowled, head. We both like our neighbours. Astonished to learn that Joy will be 80 this year. She looks ten years younger. We also discussed the bit of fencing we need to replace. Good fences makes good neighbours. A few bits of house bits this afternoon, and I scribbled down an idea I had in Joy and J...

Lorraine in Ashford this morning. I got up early, thanks to the pesky cats standing on me, and after breakfast went to my desk and had a productive morning, and got another short MS sent off. Feeling a bit under the weather still. In the afternoon, made my way to Brighton. Just missed the train at Seaford so I caught a bus, and enjoyed its pootle along the coastal road, looking down from the top deck at the white sea, and waves breaking over the Marina. Grey loveliness. Went to see Stacy to get a haircut. He told me he had been having worryingly heavy nosebleeds, and had a small one while he cut my hair, finishing my cut with a wad of tissue in his nose. Felt sorry for him, and suggested he go to the quack if they continue. Just missed the train at Brighton.  Home, and I cooked and lurked in waiting for Lorraine to get home.  Very happy to have her back.  Reflected light in Brighton station. Just liked the evening blue of the sky and the yellow light inside. 

The house had survived storm Isha the night before, the worst of it was the hours around midnight. Woke up feeling drained and sore throaty, which made me irritable.  We got up and after breakfast together, I interviewed Seán Hewitt, a Dublin-based poet.  I was very impressed with his work, and he was a nice guy too, young and thoughtful. Lorraine busy doing lots of stuff such as laundry, tying up the fence with Joy on the other side (we are going to have to replace that fence anyway) and a spot of piano practice before zooming off to Ashford to see Pat and Maureen. She also left me with soup for lunch, and dinner.  The interview in the bag, I took myself for a short walk, down to the happiness sign, and then along the coast for a bit. It was low tide, but the sea was rough, and the wind strong.    Sluggish afterwards, and lurked mainly on a Lorraineless gold sofa. Pleased however, that I had space and time to simply recover at my own pace. Watched Network News ...

Both of us with very low energy, today. Major event: the supermarket then it was a gold sofa day, sleeping and listening to an audiobook etc.  Spoke to Mum, who had taken Mas off to have his hearing aids adjusted again, and then they zoomed off to have a roast dinner at the Waggon and Horses. Lorraine cooked us a lovely casserole and my favourite... An apple pie.  Storm Isha this evening. Expecting 70 mph winds and Seaford in the teeth of it again. Lying in bed, we can hear the wind gusting around the house -- though it is not yet pouring as expected rain. Feeling lucky to be indoors and in the warm and dry. An early night. I have to do an interview first thing tomorrow.  

Fairly leisurely morning. Lorraine played piano, I played my guitar a bit going back to basics with the music app Lorraine has. After lunch, Lorraine drove us off to Brighton, after a detour to a thread shop in Seaford where I was charged with nipping out to buy some DMC thread for Betty. To Brighton, Lorraine dropped me Seven Dials, and I went to Anton's house and Lorraine drove off to Southwick to see Betty. Anton and I mooched down to the pétanque court by the peace statue. A bit crowded with pétanque players, but they were friendly and accommodating and we found a space. Pretty cold and windy, but nevertheless good fun, and we played three sets, and a shock 2-1 victory to me though nobody had to 'Kiss the Fanny' apparently the phrase for being whitewashed. Then off to find a cafe, which we did in Hove on Western Road, where we played a game of bones, and sat there in our matching Guernsey jumpers not looking at all odd. Had to leave half way through a game, which we wil...

Feeling free and happy. No podcast to make, no freelance to be done so at last I had a morning doing poet stuff, such as writing a cover letter, and printing and mailing a pamphlet length MS in the post office, which felt pleasingly old skool.  Lorraine off to a story telling class this morning, and read books with her special upside down reading skills to small children. She enjoyed it lots.  A lunchtime interlude of cat flap struggles. We had it installed at great expense of glass cutting, yesterday. To discover today, the flap isn't working properly. We need to program it to recognise the chips in our cats, and so stuffed an increasingly irritated Calliope through the flap a few times, but the mechanism didn't work. Currently the cats can get in and out but with no locking. The cats reluctant to use it. Brian, when pushed out looked pleadingly at us through the glass door rather than using the flap a few feet away.  I went off to post the MS off and go to the gym, and ...

Up early and rushing to get the podcast out, plus questions to mail off to the publisher of a poet I am interviewing next Monday. This took up much of the day, apart from an hour or so I spent with Lorraine in the back garden clearing the garage and moving things out of the glasshouse prior to us cleaning it out. A man arrived after lunch to install new piece of double glazing with a hole in it so that we can use the catflap again, as living with a litter tray indoors has worn thin. I caddishly left Lorraine to sort this out while I worked. Got the latest episode out, featuring an interview I did with an old friend Tammy Yoseloff who I knew from the 80s. Robin and my stuff afterwards took a lot of editing too, and I sent it off to Robin who did a brilliant job hacking a few more mins out of it.  A great relief to get the episode up, and also to have sorted out questions and mailed them for next Monday.  Spoke to Anton, and I am going to see him this Saturday to drink coffee, a...

Woke up at 6 with a migraine. I've worked out that these may be triggered by low blood sugar, as I've not been eating so many carbs and the episodes seem to follow fairly clean and lean days. Went back to sleep, as the spangles abated, and apart from a mild headache little the worse for wear afterwards when I got up. An overcast day, and only just above freezing.  After a spot of my own writing first thing, a podcast day. Lots of editing, and an hour of recording with Robin. Also an exchange of emails with Charlotte this morning too, asking her advice on a publisher. Lorraine, meanwhile, running her first Rhyme Time in the library. About 30 children today, and she was practicing the 'hello' song in the kitchen this morning.   After I recorded with Robin, chatting about Shakespeare and the T.S. Eliot prize winner Jason Allen-Paisant, Lorraine and I put some white undercoat on in the bathroom. Then I went back to editing, till it was time for dinner. Cheerily watched the ...

A productive day. Feeling as if it were the first day of the rest of my life. Up with Lorraine, who after breakfast went off to Caroline's and did lots of exercise. I went to my desk and got busy, sent off an invoice, paid my tax, recorded with Robin, and had a good conversation about the pod, the year and so on. I also chased up a book that had been supposed to have been sent me for next week's interview and received a PDF by return. Began editing what I had recorded with Robin this morning. Lorraine in the garden playing with streamers after she returned despite it being very cold, After lunch with Lorraine: incredibly healthy stuff of course... Rocket leaves grown in our garden, avocado, some feta, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, alfalfa shoots and a very thin slice of seedy sourdough loaf.  I went for a walk for an hour and a half, crisp cold day but barely a cloud in the sky, so beautiful and mood enhancing too. On my return, we did a bit of prep on the large bathroom, before ...

 Sub zero overnight, but it was a sunny beautiful day. I went up to Elstree to see Mum and Mas, quite enjoying the ride and scribbling stuff in my notebook en route. Helped a man who was struggling with cases at St Pancras. Helping someone else even if it's only moving a couple of cases for a hundred yards or so for them, made me feel pleased afterwards. Helping a complete stranger feels good.  Really enjoyed the walk to and from Elstree station to the Waggon and Horses. Mum and Mas there a minute or so before me sitting in their usual place by the fire. Mas seeming somewhat steadier than of late. Had a nice time with them, although cringing when Mas began talking to a table full of French people who could not speak English. Wendy still there, a lovely woman, who chats to Mum nicely. I had a glass of wine and some falafels and a few squid rings.  I said goodbye at the pub, and mooched back to the station and then home on the trains. Although the journey is quite time cons...

A day when nothing much had to be done. More peeling wallpaper from the bathroom today, which was good. Amanda had told Lorraine the best way to do it was to strip off the top layer, and then went the underlayer. It simply peeled off without damaging the plaster. Next step is taping it up prior to painting it with undercoat. No Laura, Braheem and baby today, as the wee thing is still ill. Emails with Charlotte today about her and SJB's the Understory Conversation. I am going to join if I can.  Roast chicken dinner tonight. Happy to be in out of the cold tonight. Talked to the Tobster for quite a while this evening, who told me about their adventures in Japan, luckily on the opposite coast from earthquakes, tsunamis, and so on. He sent me a snap of him and Romy and Momoyo taken today. Watched Barbie the movie tonight, or I watched the first half and was so tired, at 9:45 that I simply went to bed. Lorraine followed shortly after.

A cheery day. Woke up feeling as if a cloud had lifted. Lorraine and I started peeling old wallpaper from the big bathroom. Much of the bathroom is tiled, but there is a strip of biscuit coloured wallpaper running around the room. We are replacing this with a fairly muted olive green which will nicely bring out the colours of the tiles.   In the afternoon we made our way to Patrick and Adele's house and spent the next several hours reading aloud Richard The Second, the Shakespeare play. I had never read this before, and I really enjoyed it. Was a play about a weak king who, rather mysteriously, gives up his throne without a fight. We sat about eating snacks and eventually having a couple of drinks while doing this in an array of silly voices attempting to help the parts sound different. Adele slipping in and out of a Birmingham accent into a few others.  Lorraine and I were invited up to Patrick's music studio and we heard the latest version of Shiny Shoes, which he had been w...

Still thoroughly buoyed by last night. More kind messages, and I received such a nice email from Sarah Barnsley, full of encouragement. Various bits of admin to do this morning. Sent files of my latest interview to Robin. She had really enjoyed herself last night too, and liked meeting some of the Seaford posse. Lorraine off to Caroline this morning and doing a workout. She collected me on return and we nipped about in Morrisons to do a shop. Funny how going shopping is always such fun with Lorraine. Laura and Braheem were supposed to come around for lunch with their first little baby Layla Rose. But Layla wasn't well today and they had to biff lunch. Chatted with Anton, Stav's funeral in Ealing sparked all kinds of feelings and sombre reflections. Anton a pall bearer, and there was a long way to carry the coffin, and Stav not a small man. He also delivered a speech in church, and afterwards saw his own dad's grave and his grandparents too. The reception was in the Polish C...

No work. Bliss. Up and breakfast with Lorraine, and she went off to walk and talk with Penny and other ex-headteacher friends I spent a happy couple of hours finalising my reading for tonight's Needlewriters. (Success happens when preparation meets opportunity, I reminded myself). A lunchtime walk, and the luxury of a nap this afternoon. Quite nervous, and bleating nervously to Lorraine once or twice. Pleased Robin and I were reading together which somehow made it feel better.  I'd not seen the rooms upstairs at the John Harvey Tavern so crowded. I counted about 45 people. All my favourite poet friends there, SJB, Charlotte, Janet, Stephen Bone, Antony Mair and Jeremy. Plus there was a delegation from Seaford, Adele, Patrick, Andrew and Kate. Then, greatly to my surprise, old Warwick University pals, Will Leith and Callum Murray appeared, who I first met when I was 19, and then sat in the front row. As I was being introduced by James Ellis, who did a great job all night, I some...

Another day's slogging from very early in the morning with Marlène, redoing some of the ideas based on the feedback that had come in overnight. We reduced the number to five concepts so the day was a bit easier. Lorraine off to the Library again this morning to do Rhyme Time again with lots of nippers. She takes herself for a coffee too afterwards. I had time for a short walk at lunchtime. I presented our revised opinions at the end of the day. And it seems that we did well, and our ideas were liked lots. A quick friendly chat with Marlène afterwards. I liked working with her, and came up with a visual idea for one of the concepts that was quite brilliant. All well then. Spoke to Anton today. He has Stav's funeral tomorrow.   Felt exhausted on completion of the job today. So happy however I didn't have work hanging over me the next day. Fairly early to bed, as I could barely keep my eyes open.

A long slog. Up and working at my desk at seven, until I had to give a presentation to a dozen or so folks, as Marlène not really fluent enough to present in English. I felt for her today. She had a cold and her son had kept her up all night with flu and having to spend the day working in a foreign language with me This evening, after scoffing a delicious dinner Lorraine had made, I sloped off to Patrick's house grateful for a walk, even though it was very cold. Spend the evening with him and Andrew listening to two new tracks he has put together. He has been composing in a sort of electronic dance music way, and one of the tracks Shiny Shoes , was a bit like Underworld, and a proper banger. It sampled people giving offensive opinions on phone in shows, which escalated into a song which was a refuted them. Andrew and I, accidentally in matching jumpers, listened to it at high volume, while sipping a couple of judicious beers and gave what feedback we could. Andrew a particularly pe...

Up early and sorting out what I was going to read on Thursday. Had a pleasant relaxed morning, then the computers made war on me shortly before I was due to take the briefing at lunchtime. I was to join with Microsoft Teams. Then had problems with the wifi, then Microsoft teams wouldn't work at all, then in trying to sort out this created a completely new set of problems meaning I couldn't receive emails. Very stressed by this sudden IT rebellion, as I had intended to quietly read through the briefs and background information. Luckily Lorraine here to sooth me and try to sort it all out. She is a diamond. I managed the meeting using my laptop, and in the afternoon things sorted themselves out and I could use my desktop again. Briefing a so called 'creative wave'. They briefed a few teams, with people from South Africa, Germany, US and France and they wanted 10 ideas by this time tomorrow. I was sailing under a French flag and working with the charming Marlène in Normand...

Maureen phoned early this morning, not feeling too well. Lorraine decided to drive over to Ashford today, instead of Monday. Maureen felt improved later on. As we were organising ourselves this morning, a man came to measure the new double glazing glass to allow for a cat flap. We are fighting a losing battle with the litter tray and will encourage them to use the great outdoors instead. The measuring man was done quickly, and Lorraine left.  I had a meeting with Marlène, an art director I will be working with next week. She is based in Normandy. Then Chris arrived to do some plumbing. Between all these interruptions, I was editing my latest interview for the podcast. At lunchtime I popped out to Morrisons to buy food, and then back to editing. I was done by 4:30, and then after chatting with Lorraine, went out for a walk by the sea. Felt again my luckiness in being so close to the sea.  Then I popped into busy  Old Boot Inn and met Steve. He was back from Leicester, and ...

Like yesterday, I woke up full of purpose,  made some tea and took two cups up to the bedroom, and as I sipped the tea, a spangly migraine started, taking the wind out of my sails. The rest of the day a bit wan and headachey (thank God they are not like my excruciatingly painful migraines of yesteryear). I managed to press on as much as possible. I watched an hour's video of the briefing I refused to attend just before Christmas on strokes for a job I am doing next week. Laugh a minute stuff. Also Lorraine and I took the decorations down, I disassembled two plastic trees. Later, able to look at the screen when dimmed, I some editing on the podcast. Generally, though, a bit short changed. Was thinking of going out for another walk, but it rained all day too. Bah.

Lorraine off to Rhyme Time at the Library, to sit in with someone delivering the session she is going to take over.  Lots of toddlers and mums. She really enjoyed it, and sat in a cafe afterwards making notes. I made my first list of the year, and felt better with everything written down in my yellow pad in blue ink. Began thinking about what to read at my poetry reading next week, editing the podcast interview and sending a few business emails. Felt good just being able to get on with stuff.  A gorgeous day, the sea still very rough. I went for a walk and snapped the happiness sign.  

Back to work for many today. Lorraine and I, au contraire, late up. Rosie was doing half a day's training in a nearby school. Innis drove here there then brought Pippi round for morning coffee and watched us eat breakfast and joined in with a piece of toast. , But before Rosie arrived I thought it would be a good idea to pop out for a walk by the sea. Turns out that Storm Henk was in full effect. Absolutely soaking rain, and the sea roaring and the wind wild and very strong.  Innis and I were the only people by the sea for most of it, passing only one other hardy dog walker.   Got home had I had to change, and lend Innis a pair of walking trousers and a towel as we were soaked to the skin.  Innis then drove to pick up up Rosie at lunchtime, and Lorraine cooked lunch. Rosie and Innis both had covid over Christmas. A nice relaxed afternoon with the pair of them, and then a quiet evening indoors watching strange TV insulated from the rotten weather outside.   Below me ...

New Year's Day a damp and windy affair, but last night's general japery had done me good. Although alarming news first thing of an earthquake and expected tsunami in Japan, where Toby and Romy are.  Luckily the trouble was on the west coast, and they are on the east, so that at least was good. I start the year with no resolutions, and no grand plans. I don't feel I need to give myself that pressure. Lorraine drove us back to Brian and Yvonne's where I sheepishly collected my phone I'd abandoned bufoonishly the night before. We then went to the supermarket and bought a chicken, and hunkered down, ending the day with a rather delicious roast. Last night did me a great deal of good.  Chatted with Anton and mum.  Anton starting a miserablist dry January in an effort to kick start some weight loss. The night he is going to have a beer, following Stav's funeral, is the night I am giving my poetry reading in Lewes. Mum in fairly good spirits. Below our Jack in the Gre...