Sunday 19 January 2014

Oh No It Wasnt!

Kind Quaker friends took me to the Burgess Hill pantomime on Friday evening. I liked watching the little dancing girls  pointing their toes and twirling round  (there were lots of those) but I seem to have lost my taste for ugly sisters and dames, I found them a bit sad and upsetting.   Still I stayed awake throughout, always an acid test for me.
I needed to have B. Wiggins looked after for the evening so daughter J took him off with Jumble and Tiger and her friend to the IOW to visit her dad.  So I have been dogless the whole weekend      It feels most odd. I caught myself talking to my handbag which I mistook for BW lying on the sofa.
So here I am on a Sunday afternoon lolling about, listening to Open Book and Poetry Please on the radio and reading the Observer without feeling guilty, though the sun is shining and the daffodils are poking up through the wet grass.  I shall be glad to see him back tomorrow, even if it does entail long walks in the relentless mud.      .
We are going to have a village orchard in Ditchling. We had a meeting yesterday.  Someone has given the land and the fruit trees will be planted in a few weeks. I hope I live long enough to pick the fruit and make some pies. That`s what I volunteered for as I don`t feel up to digging and planting. It is a lovely idea. 

Thursday 9 January 2014

Two Lovely Black Eyes.....

I was cheerfully walking home from my friend D`s just up the lane when I tripped, and landed  flat on my face.  I always think there are three things that cause any accident and in this case they were:  firstly, I am OLD. Secondly, I had my hands in my pockets, and lastly, it was dark (no street lamps in country lanes)  My face was a terrible sight to behold for a week but it has miraculously more or less healed itself, or perhaps I have just got used to my battered appearance. I was also bruised all over and groaned at every step but that is getting better too and I am thankful that I broke no bones.
I am very sad about Simon Hoggart`s death. He was only sixty seven. For years I have always turned first to his political comment in the Guardian and also his funny column in the Saturday paper which was often about round robin letters, srtudents` letters home from disastrous gap years and silly labelling on things you buy. He also used to be on the News Quiz and he was part and parcel of my life.   I will miss him.
I am thankful that the Brighton family have returned safely from Goa where they opted out of Christmas,with not a stocking nor a turkey in sight,   They stayed in a sort of beach hut and it was all beautiful and they fell in love with India as people so often do.
I am utterly engrossed in one of my Christmas present books; The Pure Gold Baby by Margaret Drabble. Every word in it is pure gold too, her writing is superb, I just marvel at it as I read. Also it is set in my bit of North London and that always endears one to a book. I really don`t want to finish it as I am loving it so much. Other good new books: Quiet London, full of places to visit and eat and look at libraries and art galleries that no one knows about.   Trouble is they will now,  if they all read the book! Also a good new poetry book: The Crumb Road by Maitrey Abandhu  He`s one to watch.