Drifting...

for Knots in the String.

I just want to hop into a little red boat and drift.

Where ripples are small and the sea is calm.

Isn’t it fortunate then, that my kayak is a little red vessel?

All I need is a smooth sea, no wind and the freedom to float – just for awhile.

Bookshelves:

On Kindle, a really nicely written and well-grounded book which is part of the Perveen Mistry series by Sujata Massey.

It’s called The Bombay Prince and was released last year. Set in Bombay (Mumbai) during the Indian fight for independence, it perfectly conveys the setting, the caste tensions and British imperialism. That Perveen is a female lawyer at this time creates an added layer of angst, further exacerbated by the Mistry family being Parsi. 

I shall be reading more by this author.

On Audio I’m listening to Anne Glenconner’s Lady in Waiting…

…and until Chapter 12, I despaired that I had wasted my Audible credit on a Hooray Henrietta’s list of the aristocracy’s appalling parties and tantrums. How she stayed with her mentally deficient and immature husband, I will never know. But then her first son (who was plagued with terrible OCD and other behavioural issues) became a heroin addict, her second son announced he was gay and contracted Aids at the beginning of the epidemic and her third son was in an horrendous bike accident, sustaining head injuries and slipping into a coma.

I began to think that this woman had serious spine, the way she kept going like a duck, smooth sailing on top of the water but paddling like a mad thing below the surface. I’ve reached as far as her third son waking from the coma with the faint possibility of a normal life and I find I’m engaged enough to see how Lady Anne Glenconner reached 90 years of age - strong and cogent enough to read this memoir herself.

And finally, a few academic papers on medieval monasticism and medieval illumination for my current Work in Progress.

Watching:

Britain’s Got Talent (don’t judge me) which is a great variety show and exhibits some really quality acts. Some not so good either, but always fun.

Alone. There’s always a series that I haven’t seen, and I really do admire these folk. Weeks alone in the wilderness – mentally and physically surviving. Or not.

Cobra. Probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen come out of the UK.

Joanna Lumley’s Britain. Beautiful. Love her voice, her charm, her ability to communicate, along with my favourite pieces of Britain.

Boredom Busters:

Having my fourth Covid booster and flu shot together – ouch – and feeling very seedy for a day or so.

Finding out I’m off to hospital at the end of next week – I tell you, knowing one is going to hospital makes one achieve quite a bit. Like the above reading of academic papers. Like finishing the beading on my spectacle case. Like changing the sheets, weeding the veggie garden and getting a haircut.

Walking twice daily with Dog. Worth every minute. I’ve seen bandicoots, hooded dotterels, plovers, and a sea eagle (my spirit bird) gliding on a thermal. And Dog and I have found his favourite shells and played together. At night, I’ve seen wallabies, possums, and the stars pricking a navy night sky while the moon hung bigger each night, with a mist all around, courtesy of an approaching weather change.

Winter arrived – chill, with an iced wind and a reminder that summer’s coming. Eventually…

Ballet. Beautiful. We laugh, we learn, we dance. And I found out I’m a third cousin to one of my friends at ballet!

Gardening. Planted all the bulbs in the tiny townhouse garden. Filled the gaps with some heucheras and ferns. Cut back heaps. Tomorrow, I start planting bulbs and winter annuals in the big garden.

I love late autumn – the leaves have almost all fallen, we fill the leaf mould bins weekly, we plant with promise and from now on, every day becomes a journey of excitement as I walk around the garden looking for a tender new shoot showing me that spring is coming and that colour and joy will eventuate.

Embroidery. Planning the spectacle case for my other glasses. Stitching more hearts after a few weeks break. Stitching the auricula gift for my friend.

Writing. A newsletter, but even better, more of my WIP – disappearing into the life of a young amnesiac monk in the 12th century. He is returning from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, seeking his memories and his life.

And that’s it really.

The week has been so busy, so filled with huge things.

Like I say – all I want is to float in that little red craft.

Just for a moment…