'treat myself' to two weeks in cottage in middle of nowhere, just before christmas, there to read many books, take long walks, listen to radio, generally relax.
Weather turns freakishly cold.
Weather in Countryside so cold that all pipes freeze, and thus no water- 15 min round trip down (or up) steep hill, unlit at night, to get water, bathe, use loo.
Man tells me with relish It Has Not Been This Cold In A Long Time. Smile politely, avoid all further conversation, as we are clearly headed for We're All In It Together, Wartime Spirit type chat, which may make me scream.
Cottage therefore unpleasantly cold- ice inside windows at night etc, so spend week sulking beside inadequate and sulky gas fire, NOT reading, listening to radio or relaxing, but watching e4 a LOT, which i do not have at home, as tv is interestingly unable to recieve chanel 4 or bbc2, which i do watch, despite having over 500 chanels. I have newsnight withdrawl.
DID manage numerous long walks on most days, as weather, despite being sub zero, was startlingly sunny, abnormal blue skies etc.
Elation increases with each ringing step on frosted lanes, crossing rimey fields etc- Can This Be England?
Feel momentary exhilaration atop hill.
News- Entire Country Ground To Halt In Snow- confirms it is indeed.
Eventually cross and frozen beyond tolerance ( man said Obviously Not Gas Fire On Over Night. Weakly agree, though unsure why not-if safe in day- why night danger??? Vampire Gas Fire?) returned early to london, and warmth, just avoiding countrywide gridlock occasioned by 1" snowfall.
Though no e4.
Made mincepies, turned heating up, read books.
Saturday 22 January 2011
Thursday 8 April 2010
bank holiday weekend QED = rain.
finally, break in windy weather allowed launching of blazing boats from dover, postsmouth etc at weekend. french complaining about conflagrations from french ports, now spread cross country by rampant wildfires; paris etc rubble (brittany, basque regions safe as both v. anti french and sepratist). take that, nation too lazy to invent new words for 70, 80 and 90. and weekend. and for insiting that, despite english being most widely spoken language in the world, french be official language of fifa, uefa and eu.
return to real life, after bank hol and franco war; boredom abounds.
end of lent allows resumption of drinking; drank wine, am now hungover and cross; rather thn sober and cross, as last wk.
return to real life, after bank hol and franco war; boredom abounds.
end of lent allows resumption of drinking; drank wine, am now hungover and cross; rather thn sober and cross, as last wk.
Sunday 28 March 2010
shoes and books on sunday.
sunday.
Film Editor Friend texts, is back from holiday, would i really like to help tend new, but overgrown, back garden? Yes, i really would.
realise then that gardening books either from The War, or are The Victorian Kitchen Garden, and that my previous gardening experiance confined to Digging Deep Holes In Soil, and killing houseplants. not one to let lack of expertise or killer touch hold me back, will sally forth with 1930s trowel and small red plastic beach spade. and insistance on need for water butt and compost heap, due to affectionate childhood memories in the large, victorian garden of my childhood, watching mosquito larvae wriggle in water butt, and miracling at the heat inside the soft grass clippings from enormous lawn, on the compost heat. also green, and money saving, but less compelling than (unhealthy?) desire to recreate my past.
weather continues cold and raining. it is england, one could not expect more, but hope weather perks up with freak heatwave soon, as due for two weeks' camping mid april, and dislike endless rain noise on tent and general soddenness.
as precaution booked emergency, alternate train tkt back option after a few days, following unforgettable gale force 8 storm camping 'holiday' on cornish cliff top two years ago- 'sorry, miss, but it'll cost £18,257 to change your ticket and travel back today'.
never. again.
bravo megatrain for your cheapness.
currently engaged in toture of listing things on ebay to sell- clears out rubbish, and funds purchase of shoes; win win.
reading 1924 schoolgirl's own annual. i love morcove. and old books. book on medieval civics, and alain de bottain- top of reading pile- def less fun, more baldy.
1930 shoes wanted, but half an inch too small. accidently bought anyway. i am beyond help.
Film Editor Friend texts, is back from holiday, would i really like to help tend new, but overgrown, back garden? Yes, i really would.
realise then that gardening books either from The War, or are The Victorian Kitchen Garden, and that my previous gardening experiance confined to Digging Deep Holes In Soil, and killing houseplants. not one to let lack of expertise or killer touch hold me back, will sally forth with 1930s trowel and small red plastic beach spade. and insistance on need for water butt and compost heap, due to affectionate childhood memories in the large, victorian garden of my childhood, watching mosquito larvae wriggle in water butt, and miracling at the heat inside the soft grass clippings from enormous lawn, on the compost heat. also green, and money saving, but less compelling than (unhealthy?) desire to recreate my past.
weather continues cold and raining. it is england, one could not expect more, but hope weather perks up with freak heatwave soon, as due for two weeks' camping mid april, and dislike endless rain noise on tent and general soddenness.
as precaution booked emergency, alternate train tkt back option after a few days, following unforgettable gale force 8 storm camping 'holiday' on cornish cliff top two years ago- 'sorry, miss, but it'll cost £18,257 to change your ticket and travel back today'.
never. again.
bravo megatrain for your cheapness.
currently engaged in toture of listing things on ebay to sell- clears out rubbish, and funds purchase of shoes; win win.
reading 1924 schoolgirl's own annual. i love morcove. and old books. book on medieval civics, and alain de bottain- top of reading pile- def less fun, more baldy.
1930 shoes wanted, but half an inch too small. accidently bought anyway. i am beyond help.
pub, rain, mac.
-----satuday -
film editor friend back from hol soon- offered to help dig over and replant garden of her new flat. infinatly more excited by this than she, as have only blac, and enjoy digging. and gardening, but mainly digging holes; digging in my wormery only limited fun. keep sneaking looks at bookcase, which continues to delight.
excited by prospect of meeting freind at edward at pub, who came to give me some software and stuff, as new harddrive on mac ment all software gone.
edward unable to give over software- essentially didnt get round to it. bite back rudeness, smile charmingly instead, discuss in the loop, book he read called edville, and his brother. brother big cheese in marines, and amusing offshoot SBS (- the SAS, but in boats); occ works in anti terrorism things- aparently IS just like Dr StrangeLove, and they really all do go an sit in a bunker, around a big table.
Police in neighbourhood Asking Questions about Neighbour, his absence now noted. wall still sturdy.
weather remains wet and cold, intermitant busts of eye watering sunshine kept to thankful minimum.
film editor friend back from hol soon- offered to help dig over and replant garden of her new flat. infinatly more excited by this than she, as have only blac, and enjoy digging. and gardening, but mainly digging holes; digging in my wormery only limited fun. keep sneaking looks at bookcase, which continues to delight.
excited by prospect of meeting freind at edward at pub, who came to give me some software and stuff, as new harddrive on mac ment all software gone.
edward unable to give over software- essentially didnt get round to it. bite back rudeness, smile charmingly instead, discuss in the loop, book he read called edville, and his brother. brother big cheese in marines, and amusing offshoot SBS (- the SAS, but in boats); occ works in anti terrorism things- aparently IS just like Dr StrangeLove, and they really all do go an sit in a bunker, around a big table.
Police in neighbourhood Asking Questions about Neighbour, his absence now noted. wall still sturdy.
weather remains wet and cold, intermitant busts of eye watering sunshine kept to thankful minimum.
Saturday 27 March 2010
friday- Provincial Lady, Enchanted cottage
bought new bookcase, several hrs happily employed playing with books. usual angst over Who Would Not Like to Be Next To Whom (more commonly found arranging music collections). unfortunate arrangement of sloping ceilings, doors, windows and radiotors coupled with already staggering amount of furniture mean now have no more room for bookcases. clearly need to Get A Man In, to build mmmm floor to ceiling shelves.
went to garden centre and bought Large Bag of Compost, to plant out some of the wild flower seeds collected on camping trips. as i hoist bag onto shoulder, woman at till remarks that Gardening Keeps You Fit, and is my car Far? reply that i walked and she is horrified; 'but it's raining!'. lie and say 'its not far'. is in fact 4 miles, and i am indeed cross and wet when i reach home, and do not feel Fit, but in need of alcohol.
went to off liscense, but for dime bar and monster munch. Man seized oppotunity to remind me of outstanding tab of long standing (previous crisps and choclate consumtion, rather than Vodka or Gin). had not forgotten, but hoped he had, as bookcase, vintage shoes, bills, new ipod, mean i have No Money, and am on rations.
i am become provincial Lady, and recourse to Pawning Great Aunt's Diamond Ring To Pay Bills. sad actual absense of diamond ring means stomach, and man in offlicense, will go without a little longer.
many years since last read provincial lady; clearly due for reprise. have vague intention of putting library ticket like post it notes in back of all books, to write the dates of when read, but unable to decide whether this sad, or in fact interesting. thankfully procrastination, and infinate amount of books, prevents such labour.
wonder whether i shall soon be writing of our Vicar's Wife, remember i know no vicar, and think again of joining local Wi. decide again would make me Feel Old, begin to watch law and order, watch instead the Enchanted Cottage, and cry . (scored by roy webb, whom, along w contempoary max steiner, was an amazing composer).
>
went to garden centre and bought Large Bag of Compost, to plant out some of the wild flower seeds collected on camping trips. as i hoist bag onto shoulder, woman at till remarks that Gardening Keeps You Fit, and is my car Far? reply that i walked and she is horrified; 'but it's raining!'. lie and say 'its not far'. is in fact 4 miles, and i am indeed cross and wet when i reach home, and do not feel Fit, but in need of alcohol.
went to off liscense, but for dime bar and monster munch. Man seized oppotunity to remind me of outstanding tab of long standing (previous crisps and choclate consumtion, rather than Vodka or Gin). had not forgotten, but hoped he had, as bookcase, vintage shoes, bills, new ipod, mean i have No Money, and am on rations.
i am become provincial Lady, and recourse to Pawning Great Aunt's Diamond Ring To Pay Bills. sad actual absense of diamond ring means stomach, and man in offlicense, will go without a little longer.
many years since last read provincial lady; clearly due for reprise. have vague intention of putting library ticket like post it notes in back of all books, to write the dates of when read, but unable to decide whether this sad, or in fact interesting. thankfully procrastination, and infinate amount of books, prevents such labour.
wonder whether i shall soon be writing of our Vicar's Wife, remember i know no vicar, and think again of joining local Wi. decide again would make me Feel Old, begin to watch law and order, watch instead the Enchanted Cottage, and cry . (scored by roy webb, whom, along w contempoary max steiner, was an amazing composer).
>
Friday 19 March 2010
there was hardly any blood.
'wall' up on nearby stretch of grass. looks superb, is almost straight. instantly surrounded by ferral teens drinking, fighting, smoking weed, etc; i am a bonus to my local community.
weather cold, rain QED resumed.
enjoying having mac back. realised i trust mac users more than PC users. am a technological fascist. i am non PC.
'this week' graced by excellent mr pienaar last night. again unable to watch QT due to being too tired to shout at tv- (viewer yelling compulsory).
when 'thick of it' back?? malc and jamie so uplifting. ' och, there was hardly any ****ing blood'.
fave illustration from a fave book..
weather cold, rain QED resumed.
enjoying having mac back. realised i trust mac users more than PC users. am a technological fascist. i am non PC.
'this week' graced by excellent mr pienaar last night. again unable to watch QT due to being too tired to shout at tv- (viewer yelling compulsory).
when 'thick of it' back?? malc and jamie so uplifting. ' och, there was hardly any ****ing blood'.
fave illustration from a fave book..
Thursday 18 March 2010
The hundred Years War. Resumed.
Thursday.
War with France is now ON.
Am gathering arsenal of Tricolore books and garlic bread to load onto boats, fire, and set off towards Callais. Dunkirk in reverse. As w Spanish Armada, God, and the wind, in our favour.
Tintin, Poirot safe; are Belgian.
Off to pub, later- then quick change to superhero kit later, save some people blah blah blah, back for end of Question Time (compulsory shouting at the panel), This Week- then bed.
A Fleet Foxes day.
War with France is now ON.
Am gathering arsenal of Tricolore books and garlic bread to load onto boats, fire, and set off towards Callais. Dunkirk in reverse. As w Spanish Armada, God, and the wind, in our favour.
Tintin, Poirot safe; are Belgian.
Off to pub, later- then quick change to superhero kit later, save some people blah blah blah, back for end of Question Time (compulsory shouting at the panel), This Week- then bed.
A Fleet Foxes day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
