under another sun

Woke up in the spare room this morning, with Lorraine coming in to say hello. The baby slept like a baby last night, and Beth did too, and had colour in her cheeks this morning. Enzo adorable this morning, Lorraine getting in some cuddles with him, before driving them home then went on to see Pat and Maureen, and work her way through a long list of to-dos.  I had intended to submit a completed manuscript for a poetry competition, as today is the deadline but last week's illness put the kibosh on that. In a selva oscura  with my writing, and thinking about it just makes me feel hopeless. So... If in doubt tidy up. So I tidied up for hours, did laundry, shopped, cooked, and swept up the muddy clods of moss which accumulate outside our front door have been chucked off our roof by the pesky returning seagulls.  Went for a walk in a break in the rain.  Carl called, as I am hoping to visit him soon, and was talking about a night out in Liverpool. What could go wrong? Also ...

So up and a cheeky poached egg breakfast with Sue and John. Fond farewells, with Whiskey the dog springing about squeaking its toy, which John said made the sound of a bitten rat, we left Bromyard. Lorraine drove for half an hour to see Lorraine's lovely cousin Maxine, where we were warmly welcomed, and spent a couple of hours sipping coffee, nibbling on fruitcake while her dog, Zippy contentedly gnawed a large bone under the coffee table. Heard about Tay and Emilia -- now studying away from home and doing well. Simon was working in Liverpool today, but Maxine was on a day off from work, so I think she was pleased to have some visitors.   Fond squeezes goodbye with Maxine, then we drove mostly along the A5 road through some absolutely beautiful Autumn countryside on either side of the Welsh border. The Shropshire hills, which I had never seen. They were stunningly beautiful. The tiring bit, for Lorraine, was that as we were driving, partly through Wales, then towards Merseyside, I...

Up with the larks this morning, as Lorraine set off very early. The dawn was rosy, and I looked out at our pebbly garden and everything looked slightly pink. Worked quietly from a bit before seven till lunchtime, then went to the gym. I need to do things every day now into the foreseeable future to promote Magnificent Grace. Getting the ball rolling will take steady effort. I will give it that. Ellie putting the cover on her instagram and facebook with a link to Amazon which is excellent. I discovered an album by Joan Armatrading called Into The Blues recorded in 2007, and love it. Apparently it topped the blues charts in the US for weeks. Enjoyed watching a documentary about her on TV the other day. It reminded me yet again how her 1976 album, just called Joan Armatrading , is one of my all time favourites. It was given to me by school friends as a birthday present for my 17th birthday. I went to see her live in the seventies too. Lorraine and Beth home from various works and we ...

Up after a good night's sleep. Beth and her pals Emily and Eliza fragile after a long and lively night, and needing breakfast. Otherwise a fairly quiet day. Went for a walk in the park with Lorraine and excitingly dried clothes in the launderette. While sitting about in the kitchen this afternoon, Lorraine and I started playing the Sherlock Holmes game that Anton had lent us. Involved lots of reading, and thinking about clues, which led to drinking some wine the girls had brought us. A nice interlude.  Match of the Day was watchable tonight too, with Chelsea winning, and the bonus of the Manchesters City and Utd both losing. Spoke to Toby, who said there was a strike affecting his school tomorrow. My dratted phone ran out of power as we talked. More stressing this morning over getting the layout right for the kindle book. But it is now okay I think. After I texted Ellie this morning, she finally revealed to Carl that she had done the cover for Magnificent Grace. He was really...

A rather slow start to the day to Easter Monday. I seemed to have developed a mysterious hangover during the night, which necessitated staying in bed till 11. Lorraine and I eventually up fuelled by feverish desire to finish the little patio at the bottom of the garden. Drove to the garden centre again, buying more bags of North Sea cobbles, and Tweed pebbles and so on, and finished the job after quite a bit of cobble hefting. Both felt rather pleased with ourselves, backs intact too, and our garden beginning to take shape. Beth continuing her dinosaur business, and dropped off her CV at the local pub too. It was a gorgeous day, and the gardens around us all lively with people and Lorraine had a nice chat with our nexties Caroline, Clem and young Orla who is mad for playing football. A well-earned rest before we made off with Beth to Dawn's cottage in lovely Steyning. Loads of tiny flies clinging to the car for some reason. A lovely evening in Dawn's cottage, now beautiful ...

Did not burst in my sleep, although a fairly ghastly night. Able this morning to pee again with something approaching normality, which was ( boom-tish)  a relief. Claudia left for Ashford today. I really enjoyed having her to stay, and she is a funny, intelligent  girl with bags of character.  She is, without a doubt, my favourite niece. A day of rest, I stayed still. In fact I was glued to the gold sofa and sleeping heavily. However my lovely Lorraine drove us to three nearby houses to look at them before I returned to the gold sofa. Two were really nice. Contacted by Carl who said Ellie had started a holiday job in a chip shop, which she had gone out on her own and got. He is very proud of her. Also had a chat with First Matie, who is saying Yes to life in lots of ways. Details are embargoed but I am chuffed for her. Also an email from Richard as his and Jane's Tuscan sojourn is drawing to an end. "We’ll miss the vibrant street markets; pre-dinner drinks in the ...

Whizzing about today. Lorraine having a girly shopping day with Dawn. I kicked off with a bit of writing, then to the gym where it was incredibly hot and airless. I felt for the poor guy recovering from a stroke, his wife helping him to clamber onto various machines in the humid heat. I sweated more than I have sweated in my entire life. I spoke to the people in LA fitness about it, but they said the a/c is not working. Home, a much needed shower, then off to see Janet and Ken, and drink tea and snaffle biscuits. Ken has lost some weight and is looking quite trim. Janet fine too, and still managing to press on with her artistic pursuits in fabrics, and collaborations with Huss. Then to the printers to pick up our wedding invites, then home to have a meeting with the estate agent who is selling The Old Church Hall. Weasel. This done, a quick supper before going to the Battle of Trafalgar to meet the charming young couple who are buying the place in the Twitten.  All fine there. ...

Some of the big draws of Chester Woke up feeling unfairly fresh considering the previous night out with Carl. Carl, Jayne and Ellie came to the hotel for breakfast, which Carl kindly bought me. It was another amazingly beautiful day, so we decided to go to the nearby City of Chester, which dates from Roman times, and not too far away from Runcorn. A beautiful place it was too. We trundled around a few shops and I snapped away happily. Then to another pub, for a glass of cold lemonade before another stop as Carl and Jayne needed some food shopping, which allowed me to sneak off and take a photo of Helsby Hill, which from certain angles looks like a face. Eventually Carl dropped me back at the station. Fond farewells to him, Jayne and Ellie, and promises not to make it such a long gap next time. The train journey home was fine, after I had turfed out an irritable woman who was using my reserved seat as a place to rest her case. Listening to The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse again, which I...

A night out with Carl A day more like June than March. Lorraine and I off to Brighton station, travelling to Victoria together. I then made my way to Euston to visit Carl in Runcorn, and Lorraine went to Leeds to see Sam. A stress free journey, listening to Kate Mosse's The Winter Ghosts on my iPod. Carl waiting for me at Runcorn station and it was heartwarming to see him again after two and a half years. He was looking well and cheerful. And he drove me off to the Premier Inn and then returned with Jayne and Ellie once I'd unpacked and got myself sorted in a clean and reasonably pleasant room. Then off towards Frodsham and the Lady Hayes craft centre. Jayne went happily into a craft shop, and Carl, Ellie and I zoomed about in the patented Watson short attention span tour of other attractions. One was a shop selling aromatic and expensive candles owned by Bob Carolgees of Spit the Dog fame. The famous owner was there, but we weren't moved to speak to him. There was a micr...

Tense buns Out this morning to do a spot of shopping and the weather felt positively autumnal. Noted balefully that the price of prawns, which Calliope eats for breakfast, now rising. Food is becoming more expensive by the month. Fragmentary work for much of the day, although I took a briefing from Karam on the newsletter I am going to write about haemophilia, a welcome spot of work over the next few days. Enjoyed talking to Karam who had been to Japan recently, and was raving about it. He liked, among all the fascinating things how drivers on the buses the driver said goodbye to each person as they left. After this off to get a massage. Tension in my shoulders had been giving me a backache. Apparently I had tense buns too. Felt the traditional runover feeling afterwards, but it is definitely a healing thing, and wasn't as painful as it had been, and I didn't feel like sobbing this time either which was an improvement. Gloomy and bored tonight. I am so rarely feel bored that it...

Held responsible Up to London. Popped in to see my glamorous accountant and hand over things I'd signed. Then into the agency. A long and slightly trying day. But all well when I left at sevenish, the first neuropathic pain work coming to a raging climax today. Interestingly, Richard the visualiser was using a Tablet PC, allowing him to draw directly onto the screen of his computer. Really cool, and makes amending the image really fast, without having to start again like traditional visualisers. Slunk off leaving the ever suffering art director (in this case Sean) to see the work through. Feeling tired on the train home, half looking out at the occasional firework bursting in the sky while listening to Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk. It is a series of linked short stories, in a style the author calls Transgressive Fiction. The opening story, Guts , which I mentioned the other day is without exaggeration, and by some way, the single most disgusting thing I have ever read. Apparently pe...

Carl returns to his homeland Friday. Sprang out from bed having slept well and set to work. At lunch sloped off to the gym for the first time in ages, and gingerly did a bit of the hulk legs machine and the treadmill. Utterly hideous job given me this afternoon, to do referencing on material about heart attacks. Once I'd had enough of this up to the Smoke to meet Carl and Bob. Met Carl with Jayne and Ellie, and the old Mad dog at Euston. Spent a couple of hours chatting with Jayne and Ellie, whose twelfth birthday it was today. I was particularly pleased to find that Ellie is a delightful, funny and intelligent girl. I'd not seen her since she was a little thing. Then Carl and Bob and I sloped off to have a few beers and shoot the breeze. Carl pacing happily into his childhood turf south of Euston. Really great night, and just like old times. Pleased to see Carl looking well and in good shape, Bob a little frazzled as it was his birthday this week and his workmates had taken hi...