Month: July 2019

The Master Of Rain*

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Walk Dolly in the rain this morning. Here we are:

It stops raining halfway through our walk which is good. It is lovely to see my favourite girl. Cuddle her even though she is wet.

Am not feeling well today which is, I think, due to side effects of my cancer drugs. Have nausea and am exhausted.

Have a bath after lunch. Mum sits with me in the bathroom as am feeling dizzy and sick and don’t want to drown in the bath.

Sleep. Mum goes out in the pouring rain looking for Fluffball. Eventually she finds him:

It’s 6.33pm. Am under my furry blanket on the grey sofa, feeling nauseous. The panther lies next to me, resting his heavy head in my lap.

Outside: the male Greater Spotted Woodpecker is on the peanut feeder. Know it’s him as he has a red head and the female doesn’t.

On the plus side: there’s an episode of Midsomer Murders on tonight that I don’t remember so either haven’t seen it or have seen it ages ago so we can watch that.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

*2002. By Tom Bradby. Murder mystery novel set in Shanghai in 1926.

So Long, Marianne*

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Work hard at training where we do upper body: see my incline chest press above. Do four sets of all my weights and trainer is pleased with me.

Have lunch, meditate and sleep. Rush to my favourite cinema – the Everyman in Belsize Park – to see Marianne And Leonard: Words Of Love. There’s a lot to unpack in it. Have a cry at the beginning and the end. Think it’s brilliant. Am not going to say any more as I want you to go and see it whilst it’s still on. Ignore the bad reviews.

Wear my macaw dress for the first time this summer:

Finally the weather is warm and sunny but not too hot. Let’s hope it stays like this for a bit.

Am lying on my bed. The panther lies next to me, resting his heavy head on my back. Need to change out of my dress and make some supper: it’s 8.21pm.

Happy Monday everyone!

*1967. Song by Leonard Cohen from the album Songs Of Leonard Cohen.

When All Is Said And Done*

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Mum brings Fluffball in to cuddle me this morning when I’m in bed. We have the best cuddle. Love that boy so much.

Look at the morning glory this morning:

Mum counts thirty flowers on it.

Parentals drive me back to the flat where we unpack the shopping and hang the washing on the airer.

Do four sets of all my weights at the gym. Here I am:

Watch a docudrama about ABBA called ABBA: When All Is Said And Done. It is gripping with tragic parts. It was on at Christmas so you probably won’t be able to get it on the iPlayer anymore. It’s a Channel 5 production.

Meditate and sleep. Now am sitting up in bed writing this. The panther lies next to me with his head on the pillow. I scratch him under the chin because he likes that.

Happy Saturday everyone!

*1981. Song by ABBA released on their last studio album The Visitors and also as a single in the United States.

Case Histories*

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Work hard at Spin – it’s The Princess’s class – here we are:

It’s a twenty minute flat road followed by a twenty minute hill climb.

Then work extra hard at Barre:

Have lunch at the farm with The Boss, The Master, my Barre Instructor and a Barre chum. The Master is leaving us soon and will miss him So Much.

Come home and read a bit more of my book and then have a sleep. Wake up and keep on reading: have nearly finished Big Sky now.

Am on the grey sofa with the panther. Mum is at the other end of the sofa, reading. Dad sits in his chair – reading The Times.

Fluffball is next door in the playroom sleeping on his black chair. It has been raining on and off all day so he’s been hanging around the house a lot, asking for extra meals.

Happy Saturday everyone!

*2004. By Kate Atkinson. Jackson Brodie detective novel.

Big Sky*

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Work hard at Spin. It’s The Boss’s class. Here we are:

Teach Swimming in Pilates and it goes well and teacher is pleased with me. The class seems particularly tough today: am still not 100% after the heatwave I think. Here I am:

Come home and start reading the new Jackson Brodie detective novel by Kate Atkinson, Big Sky. It’s brilliant. Show you:

Have lunch, a bath and a rest but can’t sleep.

Feel So Much Better after completing my two exercise sessions which reassured me that there is Some Point to it all.

Thank G-d the hot weather has vanished for the moment. It’s been raining on and off all day. Fluffball is in for the day now.

Am going to return to my book now. Kate Atkinson is one of my favourite living authors, along with Fay Weldon of course and Martin Amis. Anyway – a new Jackson Brodie novel is certainly something to celebrate and want to crack on with it a bit before supper.

Am sitting on the grey sofa. The panther lies next to me, resting his heavy head in my lap. I stroke the soft back of his neck.

Happy Friday everyone!

*2019. By Kate Atkinson. Jackson Brodie detective novel.

Another Man’s Poison*

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We watch Another Man’s Poison last night. It is excellent. Bette Davis is just wonderful of course.

Wake up this morning and don’t feel well. Cancel Spin and then go back to sleep until eleven o’clock.

Wake up and drag self up to the hall where Mum is reading. Ask her to take me swimming. She says that Dad will when he returns home.

Dad takes me to the swimming pool but receptionist tells me it is full and they’re not allowed to let anyone else in.

Here is my swimming costume:

It’s from Marks and Spencer.

Go back to sleep. Wake up at five o’clock. It’s good to know that missing my exercise makes me feel Much Worse in every way: shows that there’s Some Point in forcing myself to do it every day.

Tomorrow will teach Swimming in Pilates and am just learning that now.

Fluffball is on the floor in my brother’s room which is the coolest place in the house as it’s underground. Here he is:

The parentals have gone out – leaving us to look after each other.

It’s raining. There is a heavy shower and then it stops. Today is the hottest day perhaps ever in London: 37 degrees.

Dad texts to ask me to close the roof lights if it rains. Had better do that – be back in a minute…

Done. Can hear the rumble of thunder. Am sitting on the grey sofa and the panther lies on the floor at my feet as it’s so hot. He is stretched out to his full length.

Happy Thursday everyone!

*1951. Feature film starring Bette Davis, Gary Merrill, Emlyn Williams and Anthony Steel. Written by Leslie Sands and Val Guest. Directed by Irving Rapper.

Still Life With Woodpecker*

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Walk Gandalf at nine o’clock this morning. It’s a bit cooler in the woods but the hot weather makes my breathing worse, so we’re both panting. Kiss him and cuddle him. Here we are:

It’s Really Tough today at Barre, despite the air conditioning. We manage it but we’re all quite grumbly. Here I am:

The female Greater Spotted Woodpecker is on the peanut feeder. Know that it’s her as the male has a red head and she doesn’t.

We have lunch sitting outside in the shade. See the nuthatch on the peanut feeder. Then have a long sleep. Sleep through the hottest part of the day which is 31 degrees!

Am sitting on the grey sofa next to the fan. Last night Dad records a Bette Davis film Another Man’s Poison so we’re going to watch that tonight.

Fluffball lies on the wooden floor in an attempt to cool down:

Am on the grey sofa and the panther lies next to me with his heavy head on my lap. The fan whirrs and oscillates.

Supper tonight is tofu and mushrooms with tender stem broccoli.

Happy Thursday everyone!

*1980. By Tom Robbins. Novel.

Postural Assessment*

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Suzy wakes me up at eight o’clock when she leaves for school. Have breakfast and Mum arrives at nine: we’re walking Dolly half an hour earlier than usual at nine thirty due to the heat.

Here we are:

Kiss and cuddle Dolly. Soon enough we’re both panting in the heat.

Read this when arrive at the parentals:

It is complicated but on Sunday will have to do a Postural Assessment on my cousin for my course which will involve her standing around in her underwear for half an hour and a plumb line made of string. Still: at least have made a start now.

In exciting news: Big Sky has arrived – the new Jackson Brodie novel. Will photograph it tomorrow as am sitting outside now. Blue tits and great tits jostle at the peanut feeder.

Shell the peas. It is So Hot. The panther lies on the floor at my feet, his head resting on his front paws.

It is Spaghetti tonight – yay.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

*2011. By Jane Johnson. A guide to postural assessment.

The Man On The Washing Machine*

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It’s Upper Body day at Personal Training – see my Lat Pulldown above. Do four sets of all my weights and trainer is pleased with me.

Return to the flat and put a wash on. Disaster! Washing machine fills with water but nothing happens. Speak to the company about it and they can’t send anyone till Thursday between eight am and six pm. So I will have to come back here on Wednesday night.

Phone up to ask Dad if he has my insurance documents which I need and tell him the situation.

“Oh good,” He says. “You’ve paid them hundreds of pounds for insurance – at least you’re finally getting something for it.”

Meditate and sleep. Suzy is coming round later. Am sitting up in bed and the panther lies next to me, resting his heavy head on my shoulder. My fan is on. It’s going to be hot tomorrow so we’re walking Dolly at 9.30am, half an hour earlier than usual.

Happy Monday everyone!

*2015. By Susan Cox. Book 1 in the Theo Bogart Mysteries.

The Long Goodbye*

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It’s a sad day at Cyclezone today: The Master’s last class. Here we are with The Boss:

They do a team teach with The Boss taking the first fifteen minutes, The Master taking the rest of the class which The Boss films. The Princess rides up front too. It’s very sad: going to miss The Master so much – he’s always been so kind to me.

My friend takes me home and we have a coffee in the garden. Fluffball is lying on the rockery between a few of the plants with his tail stretched out behind him. We see blue tits feeding on the fat balls.

Mum brings me back to the flat. Have a sleep and then my cousin comes for her Pilates lesson, which goes well.

Now am lying on my bed with the panther. He rests his head on my back so I can’t move. Soon will make some supper. Have an episode of Midsomer Murders to watch later. Will have supper at the dining room table: have a rule that am not allowed to eat whilst on the beautiful new sofa. Wonder for how long will be able to keep this up.

Happy Sunday everyone!

*1953. By Raymond Chandler. The sixth Philip Marlowe detective novel.