under another sun

Off this morning to the Crypt in Seaford. We saw some of Adele's work on display, and looking lovely. Also we bought a print by Kitty Oakley, who happened to be there. She told us about following an obsession with a nineteenth century woman called Maria Scratton, a seamstress who married excellently to a rich man who adored her, despite people looking down on her, and wore splendidly fashionable clothes. Downstairs there were two excellent thrones, and I persuaded two people to let me take their photos while sat on them. Home and did more work in the garden, I bolted together the last bits of a smaller raised bed. We now have three of the beauties. This involved a good deal of rugged, manly hefting and tightening coach screws by hand. As soon as you start to grow things, you have to also have concerns over them. Lorraine's courgette seedlings have been devoured by an unknown assailant, but clearly not a snail as there were no trails. In for supper and I spoke to Mum, who had ju...

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...