Big yellow trucks and Orange Cats

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 saying airily that the zine should look a bit rubbish as that was the nature of them. Debbie agreed, but said hers were going to have leather covers, then Melissa talked about the difficulty of hers having at least three colours. Hmm.

Another of my stories rejected by Superlative Fiction, but with a personal note from the editor being very encouraging and wanting to see more. 

Home, and Enzo full of beans. Had a quick bite to eat, then Lorraine drove us and Enzo back to Paradise Park where I bought another bag of gravel for Maureen's tank, plus some sherbet lemons. Then to the mobility shop at Seaford where we collected the new crash-proof wheelchair, which means Patrick can be taken to his day centre in Eastbourne along with other attendees, and not just driven there by Lorraine. Then Lorraine took Enzo to the pharmacy, where his ears were checked, as he keeps rubbing one, but there was no sign of infection. Otherwise the boy likes being in Seaford and is always excited by cars. I was then dropped off at Stratheden Court, where I added the gravel to Maureen's tank, and filled it with water, and treated the water to activate the bacteria in the filter, and so on. Today Maureen said she wanted to have goldfish not tropical fish. 

Home and I chatted with Mum later, after Enzo had gone home. 

I then made off to the John Harvey Tavern in Lewes, where Charlotte launched her collection Orange Cats, alongside Joanna Lowry. The place packed with poets for this event which was marvellous. Robin was there, very cheery having just moved house yesterday, and to be living in Lewes again. Among the wealth of poets I chatted to SJB, Stephen Bone, Janet Sutherland, Catherine Smith, Tess Jolly, John White, Kay Syrad, Sonya Smith, Michaela Ridgeway, Jeremy Page, and Robert Hamberger, who I felt for lots as he has recently lost his husband. The readings were excellent, and Charlotte did well, and seemed very confident, despite her Munch teeshirt. I'd seen some of her poems as things being worked in before, but am looking forward to reading the whole thing. Was delighted for her. Joanna had very contrasting style saying she was a storyteller, and with poems about famous women including Simone de Beauvoir.

A few people congratulating me on my acceptance by Poetry Salzburg. I felt less of an impostor because of it too, which is nice.

Mr Bone kind enough to give me a lift home to Seaford. A very cheery evening. 

Below a bad phone snap of Charlotte showing us her book before her reading. By accident, I snapped her when it was exactly in front of her face. Also, Eno playing piano with his feet.