Month: August 2021

Uneasy Money*

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Wake up at 7am this morning when I have breakfast at 7am. Return to sleep until 9.20am.

Go for drive with Mum to Burston’s where we purchase an aged 50 birthday card, an aged 100 birthday card, some packets of seed and some wasp-deterring Citronella candles.

Come home and have lunch, meditate 🧘‍♀️ and sleep 😴.

Wake up and the panther is lying on top of me. “I refuse to let you get up, he says, pushing my right shoulder.

“I’m getting up,” I say in a determined turn of voice. I swing my legs out from under me and drag my special sitting-up-in-bed cushion.

The US Open has started so we begin watching Nick Kyrgios vs Roberto Batista Agut. It seems like a good match but we have to leave it at 5 – 5 in the first set for me to have my supper – and Fluffball to have his.

On arriving in my bedroom, it seems that the bed is already occupied:

I just curl around my legs at the top of the bed. It’s a privilege to have my Fluffball’s company and his nursing expertise.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

*1916. By PG Wodehouse. Comic novel.

Love Among The Chickens*

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Wake up at 8.30am which is lucky as I’d assumed I was going to be doing Pilates at 10am. However, there must’ve not been enough people so I find myself doing Strength at 9am instead. It’s such a tough class, focusing on big weights: mine are four kilograms – and a set of fourteen exercises which is repeated. My teacher says that this half an hour weights class is all you need to stay fit: no slogging away for ninety minutes at the gym.

Am exhausted after the class and go back to bed with my special back cushion to continue Young Prince Philip. Am into the last bit now – the Coronation. Want to finish this book before my Jeeves books arrive on Saturday. I’m well ahead of schedule.

Have lunch, meditate 🧘‍♀️ and sleep. Wake up and read.

Gladioli in the living room.

Then it’s supper time and I come in for my supper and so does Fluffball. Mum gives him his pills wrapped in smoked salmon and he eats them. Good boy

Now I’m squashed at the top of my bed because when I come in, the lower half of the bed is occupied:

The panther is on the windowsill as he’s scared of Fluffball – due to the time that Fluffball launched himself, claws out, onto him.

“You’re so pathetic,” the panther sneers at me. “You haven’t been out of bed today, apart from loo breaks and mealtimes…

“I’ll do better tomorrow,” I say.

I’m just going to clean my teeth 🦷 and then sleep 🛌.

Happy Monday everyone!

*1906. By PG Wodehouse. Comic novel.

Vary Good, Jeeves*

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Mum wakes me up: I’m not sure at what time. Have breakfast and read Young Prince Philip.

We go for a stroll around the garden. A lot of salvias are just by the back door. Growing up big and strong, they will spend winter in the greenhouse before putting them in the ground next year:

A purple salvia and a pink one.

Salvia corner

My Macmillan nurse visits. I tell her about the constipation and tells me to take three sachets per day of the Laxido, rather than just the two I have been taking. Let’s see if this works.

The panther lies next to her on the grass. He looks cross. For some reason he hates anyone to try to help me.

We go to a nearby Italian restaurant. Look at my salad:

Get back, meditate 🧘‍♀️ and sleep. It’s 2pm and Mum wakes me up at 4pm. Have my snack and supper and now am back in bed with my Fluffball. He lies on top of the cover:

Happy Sunday everyone!

*1930. By PG Wodehouse. Comic novel from the Jeeves series.

My Man Jeeves*

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Cherry 🍒 lips salvia
Cherry 🍒 lips again

Mum wakes me up at about 8.30am as I have Pilates at 9.15am. Work hard in the class and enjoy it: Pilates is my favourite class. We all have a quick chat afterwards.

Say hello to Mum’s friend who is here for a walk. Then they set off and I read Young Prince Philip, which is enjoyable.

Mum comes home and we all have lunch together.

Meditate 🧘‍♀️ and sleep.

I need some more reading material, so I purchase the first four Jeeves novels. It’s a fifteen novel series so ought to manage this.

“What about your astrology?” The panther growls. We’re sitting outside on the upper terrace.

“I can read fifteen comic novels,” I say to him. “It’s my summer holiday reading for fun”.

“I think you should stretch yourself more”, he says, putting his back leg over his shoulder to clean his bottom.

“I’m not talking to you about this,” I say. “I read lots of classics when I was younger – now I need to be distracted from the horrors of my life.

Looking all around me, I see that he has dematerialised. On his return, I resolve to ask him where he’s just been.

Sit in the garden with Mum and Fluffball, who has a mucky bottom. When he comes in, I will make sure that he performs his trajectory from windowsill to under dressing table, there by making it impossible for him to soil my duvet cover,

Happy Saturday everyone!

*1919. By PG Wodehouse. The first of the fifteen Jeeves comic novels.

Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves*

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This is the view to which I wake up every morning: I’m so lucky. I can hear the blue tits and grey tits chatting with each other and the fledgling starlings argue with other. The starlings love the bird bath and wash in there. It’s so tranquil here, with only the sounds of bird calls to disturb my writing, Reading and exercise classes.

Today Pilates is at 10.45am. I work very hard and the class rushes past in a flash. Chat with my teacher and colleagues.

Have lunch, meditate and sleep 😴. Wake up and finish PG Wodehouse: A Life. Fantastic and fascinating book – do read it.

Shell the peas and broad beans with Mum.

“Why are you slow at that,” the panther says. Why are you shaking. Why can’t you do anything properly”.

Turning my face away from him, I continue with my task.

Mum helps me with my bath 🛁 . Then have supper. When I go to bed, Fluffy is already there. I put him on my windowsill but now he’s under my dressing table.

The panther lies curled up on the foot of my bed, trying to ignore Fluffball: they don’t get on.

Happy Friday everyone!

*1963. By PG Wodehouse. A Jeeves comic novel, Book 13.

The Garden Murder Case*

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Baby crocosmia
Two different red Salvias
Pink Salvia

Mum wakes me up at 9.30am and I read my PG Wodehouse biography until 10.45am.

Work Really Hard at Personal Training, despite the panther lying on top of my legs and whispering “You can’t do this, you’re not fit enough for it”. Ignoring him, I lift my 4kg weights in a skull crusher

Have lunch and then a walk round the garden, to see which flowers are new today. As usual, I find that several new plants have started flowering. I love this garden.

Meditate and sleep. When I wake up, have my snack.

Now am back in bed. The Fluffball is under the dressing table. The panther is sleeping at my feet. Every so often, he twitches the tip of his tail or an ear. He must be dreaming of all the places he goes to when he’s not here., I’ve asked him before where he goes when he’s not here, but haven’t yet been given a plausible story.

Right: must sleep.

Happy Thursday everyone!

*1935. By S.S. Van Dine. The 9th Philo Vance murder mystery novel, set in New York.

The Pale Horse*

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Wake up – myself – at seven o’clock. This is the first time I’ve woken self up for Ages. Maybe my mood is lifting.

Do Strength class which I love and chat to my teacher and friends.

It’s my Personal Trainer’s birthday and we go to The White Horse in Shenley for lunch.

I purchased this dress from Hayley Menzies last summer but this is the first chance I’ve had to wear it.

I get my teacher some stretchy ankle or wrist weights and she loves them:

I’m happy to have chosen the right present.

It is lovely to see my Pilates and Barre chums, to go out and chat. We seem to have endless amounts of things to talk about. They’re great people: I’m so glad to have them in my life.

Dad picks me up about 2.30pm and we rush home for my sleep.

Waking up, I have my snack in the garden and then come in for supper about 5pm. Fluffball has beaten me to it, so he’s fed first.

Now I’m in bed, Fluffball is under the dressing table and the panther is over by my wardrobe with his back to me. He’s not speaking to me, presumably because I had a fun time Out and wore a short dress, which he hates.

Had better settle down for my pre-sleep-sleep,

Happy Wednesday everyone!

*1961. By Agatha Christie. An Ariadne Oliver mystery, Book 5.

Tomato Basil Murder*

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Tomatoes
More tomatoes
And yet more tomatoes

Mum wakes me at around 9.20am. Read some more of PG Wodehouse: A Life, which is wonderful. So far, it seems that to be successful :authors should be versatile: PGW wrote short stories, was a librettist for musicals, wrote songs and was a screenwriter. And he wrote All The Time: all trips to USA were writing projects and when at home in England he wandered off to stay in stately homes, so he never wasted any time. He would often be grappling with a short story, a novel and collaborations with other artists. All this meant that he was able to stop working at a bank and resign to write full time after two years of work – aged a mere 20. Admirable.

Pilates at 10.30am. The class seems to go by so quickly – enjoy myself. Have a small catchup with Pilates crew afterwards.

Go for a walk with Mum around the garden:

“Lovely Parfuma” rose

Have lunch, meditate and sleep. Wake up and have my snack and Dad makes me an iced coffee. It’s a warm sunny day: 22 degrees still now at 6pm.

“You can’t sit here, looking like that,” the panther says – staring at me, his amber eyes full of disgust. “You’re too old for shorts and your calves are too fat”.

“You’re talking rubbish,” I say, with a confidence I don’t feel. “I look fine“.

He turns his gaze away from me and looks at the baby starlings. If I just don’t mention it he won’t kill them, I think.

Have supper and now am in bed. My fluffy nurse lies under the dressing table. He makes me feel so safe, loved and cherished.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

*2016. By Patti Bennington. A Darling Deli cozy mystery, Book 7.

The Adventures Of Sally*

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Mum wakes me up at 8.15am for Strength. It’s such a difficult class, working different muscle groups with 4kg and 2.5kg weights. It’s a minute on each exercise and then repeat the sequence, so two times fourteen moves. My teacher presses the “end session” button by mistake so can’t talk to her afterwards. Later she sends a WhatsApp message saying: “Well done, warrior. See you tomorrow for Pilates”.

So although the panther remains a drain on my somewhat limited resources, my teacher really understands how hard I’m working at my Strength class.

Before lunch, I stroll with Mum to see what’s new in the garden. Here’s some scabious:

Salvia icing sugar
Rose “Ebb Tide”
A blue Salvia

Mum goes to her bridge friends.

After lunch, I read my PG Wodehouse biography, which is detailed but also very readable. Recommend it: PG Wodehouse: A Life by Robert McCrum

Meditate 🧘‍♀️ and sleep. Wake up, Go and say hello to one of Mum’s Brisge friends. Have my snack and iced coffee.

Brother calls from Abroad where he is fine and enjoying life.

Now Fluffball is settled under my dressing table, fulfilling his duties as a nurse. I love my precious angel: he looks after me so well.

Happy Monday everyone!

*1922. By PG Wodehouse. Comic novel

Wodehouse: A Life*

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Have just started Robert McCrum’s Wodehouse: a life. It is really good so far: very readable and gripping.

Today we attend Burston’s Garden Centre. We purchase some presents and some more red bizzie lizzies to fill in the hole in the red bed where the crocosmia are dying. As we open the boot of the car, a wild lion 🦁 jumps in:

We manage to entice him out.

Have lunch, meditate 🧘‍♀️ and sleep 😴. When I wake up, I have an iced coffee and my snack on the swinging seat in the garden.

The panther lies on the paving stones at my feet.

“You’re such a failure,” he says, fixing me with that amber stare. “Just look at you: just one book published and you’re forty two…”

“And there’s another one coming” I say: meanwhile thinking of PG Wodehouse and his success aged just twenty.

“And you haven’t managed to meet anyone,” he says. Your life is pathetic.

“It’s not,” I say, although I’m feeling quite despondent about how-things-are.

Asking Dad what the time is, I find out that it’s 5pm.

“Right: I have to have supper,” I say.

I’ll come with you,” the panther says. “Someone ought to be watching your weight, you heffalump.

It’s after supper now and I’m in bed. The panther lies across the end of my bed. Fluffball is under my dressing table.

I’ll do everything tomorrow, I think.

Happy Sunday everyone!

*2004. By Robert McCrum. Biography of PG Wodehouse.