Weekend not in Manchester

Me and Reggie, March 2022

I'm going to assume that all the details are going to be needed for this post, seeing as I spent the weekend with Lola II and Mr M and they are sticklers for this sort of thing. And they took all the photos, and even gave me some notes to remind me. But I shall not yield to their pressure; some details are still too uninteresting to mention. Like the Cambozola cheese that Lola II bought in my honour. Cambozola is certainly my favourite cheese and I was very glad for it to have been bought, but this fact really has no inherent interest for any reader. 

The weekend was planned to be one of our classic weekends to mark Lola II's birthday, and we had decided to go to Manchester before we decided not to after all, and stayed in London. The first thing to admit is that I was late. There were several reasons, including badminton the night before making it more difficult to get out of bed early, the time it took to load up the car, the fact that someone had again obstructed my garage so I nearly couldn't get the car out, the local roadworks adding 10 minutes to every journey south, and the need to fill up with fuel. Considering all of this, an hour late wasn't too bad.

What it did mean was that I spent less time with Reggie in the park. Reggie is the dog that Lola II borrows, and is a bundle of energy who scavenges anything that he can get in his mouth - old Doritos, plum stones, face masks... He had a run around the park before I arrived but never sat still for a moment when he came back with us. Nevertheless, he's very cute.

After taking Reggie home we set off to our first assignment of the weekend, which was Pillars restaurant. This is a teaching location where the public can book for table service by college students studying catering, so there can be interesting situations, like the one Lola II and Mr M described where all the cutlery on the table was taken away after the starter, only to be brought back in time for the main course. The only unusual feature of our meals was when we were offered bread between the main course and the dessert, and Mr M even took some.

The starters were really outstanding (mine was watercress and mint soup) and I was optimistic for the rest of the meal, which unfortunately fell well below that standard. The vegetarian main course was spiced Quorn on herbed bulghar wheat with something else sauce (I forget what) and, although tasty, it had the appearance and consistency of school dinner slop. My pudding of rhubarb trifle was surprisingly flavourless. But thanks to Lola II and her allium intolerance we had a good time educating the students - teacher came over to help for that one. And the wine was very cheap.

We relaxed for the rest of that day before work began in earnest the next day. Two of the scheduled duties for the weekend were to tidy up Lola II's home office, and to sell or give away more accumulated possessions. The office was first, and I stood guard as Lola II sweated over paperwork and filing and deciding what to take back to the office at work. At one point I allowed her out into the exercise yard, but she made a break for it and tried to get Mr M to hide her. She claimed it was a conjugal visit but I hauled her back to the isolation wing pretty quickly.

Sister D came for lunch and stayed for the afternoon, when she helped enormously with the listing of my old possessions on Facebook marketplace while Lola II grappled with eBay. Unlike last time, I haven't had much interest in my goods, but Lola II has fared a great deal better with her childhood collection of erasers. Who knew a load of old rubbers would fetch more than £25?

Lola II cooked a delicious lunch in the kitchen wing of the prison, but we treated ourselves to a Thai delivery in the evening where I overdid the ordering of fried goods, given that I don't allow myself any at home. Next day started by me being put to work on replacing light bulbs, as Lola II isn't great with ladders and Mr M has struggled with the fittings in the past. I performed my God-like powers (Let There Be Light) despite one of the fittings showering me with small shards of black plastic.

Lola II managed to finish the tidy up of her office revealing the carpet below, which may be replaced some time soon. There were carpet samples to consider, and she and Mr M managed to reach agreement but may need more support and encouragement from the prison guards to see this through to completion.

We went out to the local pub at the end of the weekend, and were served by the most clueless barmaid I've met for a long time. Coming home, we somehow managed to be talking about different types of Irish cream, and Mr M revealed that he had three types in the cupboard - original Baileys as well as supermarket versions from Sainsburys and Aldi. So, of course, we had to perform a taste test. I guessed all three correctly, and preferred the Baileys, then Sainsburys, then Aldi. Which brought the weekend to a lovely fuzzy alcoholic end.

High Table

Lovely capital decoration at the gate of a restaurant, Cambridge, February 2022

Thanks to Lola II having another birthday, I was invited to attend 'High Table' at Christ's College, Cambridge. Lola II and Mr M had been holidaying in Cambridge for a couple of days before I turned up and had been royally entertained while lodging in The Bursar's Rooms in College. 

I had to give some consideration to my outfit, given that I no longer even have to be smart enough to go to work. I fished out the Lady Shoes, tried on the last smart thing I wore (for my nephew's wedding) but I felt it clashed with my slightly purple hair, found something else that would do, along with earrings and everything. As it turned out the Lady Shoes just had a weekend away without having to do any work as I wore ordinary shoes in the end.

The evening proper started with sherry in The Bursar's rooms. I discovered that we were going to Do Things Properly, even though it turned out that The Bursar had forgotten that students don't have the option to attend a formal dinner on a Saturday. So rather than actually being at the High Table in front of a load of undergrads and postgrads the six of us (The Bursar, Lola II, Mr M, me, JW and JD*) were dining very exclusively in the Senior Combination Room (just a fancy name for a wood panelled room with a dining table in it).

Despite being within that room, Doing Things Properly meant that we didn't sit down at the table until Tim the Deputy Butler came in and announced that Dinner Is Served. Also, The Bursar insisted on standing to read the Grace Before Meals, which in the main Dining Hall is quite long but with our small party was shortened to just two words. The table setting always includes a piece of College silverware, which in our case was something known as the FA Cup due to looking a bit like that trophy. On discussion with Tim it was replaced with a sculpture of a Yale** - a mythical creature similar to a goat with two horns pointing in different directions which features on the Lady Margaret's coat of arms, she being the college's Foundress.

We were served with three courses with wine and then, on a different table in front of the fireplace, with cheese and a different wine (after we had stood to receive The Bursar's Grace After Meals). In a further college tradition Lola II was presented with a bottle of wine by JW which was recorded in the latest of a series of books dating back many years. Entries other than the presentation of wine and port include various bets between college members and also fines awarded - in 1836 Mr Darwin (Charles, for he is a Christ's alumnus) was fined a bottle of wine for being 'too late in hall'. It was a lovely evening full of ancient tradition.

On Sunday Lola II and Mr M went to visit mum and dad, JD and JW went out for a cycle ride while I met another friend for a pub lunch and jigsaw exchange, and more friends for supper. The theme of Cambridge friends was extended to Monday when CERNoise (blog reader extraordinaire) came to visit me to survey the famed Lola Towers which she had previously only read about. "It really exists!" she exclaimed. We had lunch in my favourite Indian restaurant (Indian food being hard to find on the French/Swiss border) and had a short tour of Leamington, which sadly didn't put on its best weather for the visitor.

* JW and JD = new names for family JJL&J since L&J have grown up and moved out.

** Note from Mr M: The mythical Yale has no connection to the US university, which was named after an Irish benefactor whose name sounded like Yale. They do use a Yale (the animal) in places at Yale (the university), but only because it shares a name with the gentleman.

A lot of Buddhism

From Sangharakshita's collection, Adhisthana

I've been doing a lot of Buddhism recently. Our local group meets every Tuesday evening, my study group with people from Birmingham is every Monday evening, and I've joined another local study group on a provisional basis, which takes place fortnightly on Thursdays. There have been a couple of occasions when I've gone to the Birmingham Buddhist Centre on other days, and we've also been running an introductory course on meditation and Buddhism for newcomers, and a weekend retreat in Herefordshire. And I do most of the admin for the group - things like emails about Tuesday meetings and who is going to bring the milk and planning future meetings.

Thanks to the miracle that is Zoom, we held the introductory course in person while the regulars met at the same time on Zoom, then at the end of the course the newcomers were invited to carry on attending and the regulars joined us in the village hall. I wasn't supposed to be involved with the introductory course, but one of the teachers had to drop out because of illness in her family, so I was asked to stand in. Thirteen people had signed up to attend, and most stayed for all four weeks and expressed an interest in carrying on. It was the first time we'd had to run a course ourselves - previously an ordained Buddhist had always helped us out - but I think it went pretty well.

The retreat was quite a significant event. Retreats can be just a day, or a weekend, or a week, or much longer. During lockdown the idea of online retreats appeared, which are still taking place but don't appeal to me as much as attending in person, because one of the main aspects of a retreat is to take a break from ordinary life and focus on Buddhist practice. Not so easy to do at home, when you can't even turn the computer off because that's how the content is delivered.

This retreat was specifically aimed at three small groups, each of which would not be able to supply enough people to warrant their own event. The significance was also that for three of our group it was their first retreat experience and for two more it was only their second.

We travelled to the retreat centre through Storm Eunice, but the journey was completely uneventful apart from it being rather windy. We even managed a walk on Saturday with brief periods of sunshine and no rain. The rest of the time there were talks, meditation, a communication exercise, ritual, reflection, and discussion in groups. I had been asked to facilitate a group, which put me on the organising team as well as wanting to make the first timers as comfortable as possible. Usually I return refreshed and energised, but I got a bit worn out with the responsibility. It was still a great experience which I think helped to bring the group together and make it stronger.

So after a rest on Monday I welcomed Glf back to do the pointing on the front wall of the house, which I hope will prevent damp coming through to the Auditorium. I have given up on finding a roofer for two reasons - one is the stormy weather that means many people need a roofer more than I do, and the other is that the leak is so small and intermittent that I doubt we'll find its source until it becomes worse. So I'm prepared to wait until it does get worse. The LTRP isn't over, though - the lawn needs mowing again and it may be time to do something about the garden next.

Glf pointing, February 2022

What I've been reading

My Ántonia
by Willa Cather

narrated by Jeff Cummings

"Through Jim Burden's voice we revisit the remarkable struggles of immigrant life in the Nebraska heartland, with the Russian brothers plagued by memories of a fateful sleigh ride, Antonia's desperately homesick father and self-indulgent mother, and the coy Lena Lingard."

I really enjoyed this one from the classics list, though I'd never heard of the author before. The pronunciation of the eponymous character's name is An-to-NEE-ya, because she and her family are immigrants from Bohemia, and one of the joys of an audiobook is that the narrator can convey the accents and voices much more clearly than if I were reading from print. It's an interesting story in an unfamiliar setting (to me) with well-defined relatable characters, and plenty of action, tragedy and suspense. There are three other books by the same author on the list, so I might come back to those.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
by J. K. Rowling

"As Voldemort's sinister forces amass and a spirit of gloom and fear sweeps the land, it becomes more and more clear to Harry that he will soon have to confront his destiny."

I liked this one more than most in the series, probably because there's less interaction between Harry and the bad guys to endure - but that's replaced by having to put up with teenage hormones. I even understand the plot with the Horcruxes a bit better this time, and that's saying something because it's still stupidly complicated.

The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig

"Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life."

This was lent to me by a Buddhist friend after I had expressed regret at a decision I had made earlier in my life. He challenged my statement, and insisted that I would find the book interesting and relevant, and he was right. It is well written and thought-provoking and its message has stayed with me ever since I finished it - if I had acted differently in that decision there is no knowing whether the outcome would have been better - the person I am now is predicated upon all my past decisions, good or bad. There is much to be thankful for and little point in dwelling on regrets.

I Hear Her Words: An Introduction to Women in Buddhism
by Alice Collett

"Is there gender equality in Buddhist traditions? What do Buddhist texts say about women? Do Buddhist ethics support prejudice against women? Are there Buddhist doctrines that imply that women are inferior to men?"

This is a new publication from the Buddhist catalogue, and I saw it advertised and decided it wasn't really for me, but then I was given it as a present. So I've read it, and it contains lots of information about women in Buddhism. Sometimes there was misogyny and sometimes there wasn't, and should I ever need to refer to it, it will be on my shelf. And that's about it.

The Assistant
by Bernard Melamud

narrated by Richard Davidson

"Morris Bober, a grocer in postwar Brooklyn, 'wants better' for himself and his family. First two robbers appear and hold him up; then things take a turn for the better when broken-nosed Frank Alpine becomes his assistant."

I discovered that there are a number of books in the Audible catalogue that are free as long as you listen to them by streaming rather than downloading, and as I was running out of my yearly credits I thought I'd give it a try, using my phone rather than my very old iPod. The streaming works well, and the book (another one from my classics list) is a little strange but not too bad. The narrator also does a great job of representing an immigrant Jew in Brooklyn.

The Story of Tracy Beaker
by Jacqueline Wilson

"Tracy Beaker's not exactly sure what her mother does, because Tracy has been in foster care for as long as she can remember. And maybe one day Tracy's mother will show up and reclaim her long-lost daughter, and together they'll have fabulous adventures. Then again, maybe she won't."

Double Act
by Jacqueline Wilson

"Ruby and Garnet are ten-year-old twins. Bossy, bouncy, funny Ruby loves to take charge, and is desperate to be a famous actress, while quiet, sensitive, academic Garnet loves nothing more than to curl up with one of her favourite books."

I was staying with family LLJ&L (although J&L have now left home so I'm going to have to think of new names) and had a bit of spare time. I was allocated to L's bedroom and found her collection of Jacqueline Wilson books, some of which are on my classic lists. So I read a couple - they aren't long, and are easy to read given that they are aimed at youngsters. But they tackle difficult topics - foster care, adoption, parental death, family disruption. I wasn't going to be buying or borrowing them, although it would only have taken me an hour or so to read them in a library, so I'm glad I now know what sort of books they are.

Three churches

Mr M in St Mary's Church, Swinbrook

I had another opportunity to muck about with Lola II on Saturday, and this time Mr M was there too. It was actually part of a weekend to celebrate his birthday, which he permits with some reluctance. We met in a town called Burford in Oxfordshire - a pretty, old Cotswold town with significantly more cake shops per mile than Oxford - but before allowing ourselves cake we planned to visit the church and then go for a walk. The town itself was very old, with a door marked 1603 (Mr M adds: a year before the first European settlement in the Americas since the Vikings).

I'm not usually all that interested in churches, but having read 'Pillars of the Earth' recently, which has the building of a cathedral running through it, St John the Baptist Church was built around the same time in the 12th century. There was a leaflet describing some interesting features - the Harman memorial for example, in which are carved the images of the sixteen Harman children as well as the first known depiction in England of Amazon Indians. Henry Harman was one of King Henry VIII's barbers, a gentleman of his Privy Chamber, and also one of the witnesses to his will. The leaflet also mentioned the incident in 1649 when 340 of the rebel Levellers were imprisoned in the church. One of them carved his name into the lead within the font, and three ringleaders were shot in the churchyard. (Mr M also reminded me: the church also had a 14th century clock and an interesting tomb with a stone skeleton that has a human femur).

The weather was not great, and although it didn't rain and was even sunny for a time, the wind was cold and bitey. We set off across country and reached the village of Swinbrook, which has another really interesting 12th century church which not only contains the strangest monuments that I've ever seen, but also the graves of four of the Mitford sisters and their parents as well as a memorial inside to their brother Thomas who was killed in World War 2.

The strange monuments in St Mary's Church are two sets of three reclining figures set one above the other as if on shelves. The first set was created in 1613 and the second in 1686, and each represents a member of the Fettiplace family, who held the manor of Swinbrook during the 17th century. When I did some online research to get these facts right, it seems that we missed some of the other features of this church, including the 'big nose misericord' carved in wood.

The third church on the walk was St Oswald's Church, which was originally a Saxon or Norman structure but most of the current building dates from the 11th century. The surrounding village of Widford has now disappeared, perhaps from plague or economic failure, and the church was closed in 1859 and used as a farm building. When it was restored in 1904 they not only found a Roman mosaic beneath the floor (which has had to be covered up again due to pilfering), but they also uncovered several 14th century wall paintings.

The walk took a bit longer than anticipated, but thankfully cake shops were still open in Burford. It was a lovely day and Lola II and I celebrated Mr M's advancing years with tea, coffee, chips, a sandwich, and a scone with jam and cream. Interestingly, Mr M was the only one who actually ordered cake.

Can you tell which one is Mr M?

Angus and Bruce

After the disappointment of the cancelled weekend with a trainee Guide Dog, I was offered two more weekends, first with Angus, then with Bruce.

Angus

Angus is a yellow Labrador, and he's usually looked after by the daughter of a badminton friend who had just the previous week been showing me pictures of him. He's quite young and hasn't done much of his training yet, and I was warned that he sometimes brings shoes or clothes as presents. I had told the trainer that I had my music group on the Saturday and asked whether it was going to be OK to take him along, and the trainer thought that would be all right, but suggested a distraction in case he got bored.

Well, it was like having an energetic toddler the size of a 10-year-old child romping about the house. I had to move EVERYTHING out of reach, not just shoes and clothes, but towels, plants, books and anything else that was movable. Then I had to shut all the doors (he likes toilet paper) and block the stairs, and still any time we weren't in the same room I was on edge wondering what mischief was going down. The only time he stopped moving was when I was watching TV, and even then he tried to sit on top of me rather than next to me. The worst moment was when he almost managed to jump over the garden wall - he would only have ended up trapped in next-door's garden, but still, it would have been inconvenient.

I imagined it would help if we did some long walks to tire him out, but he's not much more than a puppy and I'm nearly 60, so what actually happened was that I tired myself out, especially after playing saxophone and clarinet for three hours. Angus was completely at ease with honking sax and squawking clarinets, and didn't really need the distraction of a frozen soaked kibble filled bone, although he was very happy to be given it.

But he didn't like getting in the car. Picking him up from the Guide Dogs centre he was fine, but it was a bit of a performance to get him in the back so I could drive to the music group, and I was pretty sure that we were going to have trouble getting him home. Sure enough, at the end of the session he absolutely wasn't interested in getting in the car. Luckily the director of the group was last to pack up and came over to offer assistance, which I gladly accepted. So he picked Angus up and shoved him bodily in the back. I realised that I'd have to plan for getting him back to the centre, although if all else failed we could walk, so I withheld breakfast until we were ready to go, and put the bowl in the car, which worked beautifully.

The strangest thing was that while Angus was with me on Sunday I was contemplating whether I could actually manage looking after a dog full time and very grateful that I was taking him back the next day. But on Monday afternoon I was already missing him.

Bruce

Bruce is also a yellow Labrador, and he came to stay for just one night. One of the interesting things about this whole scheme is that I'm seeing the differences and similarities not just in the dogs, but also in the trainers. Bruce's trainer seemed to be less organised than the others - she wasn't there at the time she'd told me to meet her, she hadn't arranged the sheet of information that accompanies a dog to let you know the relevant information, and he didn't come with any toys or special treats. They hadn't even arranged to provide the right amount of food - supper was handed over, but not breakfast until I asked. 

He reminded me of Angus but was much less naughty: he didn't go upstairs, and didn't mess with my belongings except for a gift of one solitary glove when I really had been ignoring him (I was cooking). We didn't have much time for walking, but even though he was the least reticent about getting in the back of the car I decided to walk him back to the centre, and made the rookie error of forgetting to bring poo bags. Despite having done his business already that morning he managed another on the way there, which I had to leave where it was and pick it up on the way back.

When I arrived at the kennels there was nobody about at all. I rang the bell a few times, then put Bruce in one of the runs and texted the trainer to check whether it was OK to leave him like that. Then some staff turned up and took charge even though they weren't expecting him, and the trainer still hasn't replied to my text message (although it's possible the kennel staff reassured her that all was well).

They have already offered me another dog, but for dates when I'm away so I've had to turn it down. But one of my Buddhist friends was telling me how he'd had to cancel his attendance at a retreat because his brother and parents couldn't look after his dog, so I offered my services as dogsitter and we'll be meeting up soon.

Bruce again

Two Lolas in Oxford

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, June 2021

It's been a while since the two Lolas descended upon a town, but we managed to find a time when both of us were free - not so easy nowadays - and off we went to Oxford.

Lola II had done the required research about where we would eat, because now that I have gone properly vegetarian it is no longer a foregone conclusion that it will be Japanese food. We settled on an Arabic bakery (Za'atar Bake) that was some way from the station, so we started to catch up on the way.

Lola II's big news is that seven years after joining the 'Borrow My Doggy' website, she has finally gone ahead and contacted some dog owners. She is now in regular contact with Reggie, taking him for walks and bringing him home as well. Meanwhile, I was contacted by Guide Dogs ahead of planned weekends with Angus and Bruce, which have actually gone ahead this time. Dog news is on its way in future posts.

Throughout lunch (me: flatbread with cheese, spinach and pomegrate seeds, Lola II: chicken tagine with lemon, olives and rice), we talked a great deal, and then walked back into town to the Weston Library which has exhibitions that have always proved interesting in the past. This time was no exception, with an exhibition about melancholy based on a huge book published in 1621 called 'The Anatomy of Melancholy' by an Oxford Scholar called Robert Burton. For a 400-year-old book it had a lot of relevant insight into depression, its causes and its treatment.

There was also a huge tapestry on display, showing what remains of a map of Oxfordshire and beyond, made in the 16th century. It actually stretches as far as London to the east and Cheltenham to the west, and despite large portions being missing it's in remarkable condition after restoration - especially knowing that, like the book we saw, it's also more than 400 years old. In looking up the information to include here I found out that it's one of four maps commissioned by a man who lived in Warwickshire, and that the only one that is still complete is of Warwickshire, and can be found in the museum in Warwick. I think a visit is in order.

After all that culture we needed cake, so after some difficult research we ended up in the covered market. Oxford really needs to up its game when it comes to advertising cake shops, and the selection was not impressive. More talking ensued, and then we decided to extend the trip with a visit to the cinema where we saw the film Belfast (tipped for Oscar nominations). It turned out to be a showing with subtitles, which I was very sorry about because I find them incredibly distracting. Lola II didn't mind.

As far as I know, we didn't take a single photo the whole day, not even of lunch or the cake, so I've had to include a picture from a trip last year at the top of this post. And apart from wearing masks when going into shops and the library, it felt very normal and pre-pandemic. More trips are planned.

What I've been reading

Goodbye to Berlin
by Christopher Isherwood

"Written as a connected series of six short stories, the book, first published in 1939, is a brilliant evocation of the decadence and repression, glamour and sleaze of Berlin society."

A lovely little book, much better than the previous one I read by this interesting man, who was living in interesting times in interesting places among interesting people. One of the short stories forms the basis for the play/film 'Cabaret', although they are somewhat different in tone.

What is the Sangha?
by Sangharakshita

"The usual image of the Buddha is of a man seated alone, deep in meditation. So it can be a surprise to find that Buddhism gives great importance to the Sangha, the spiritual community."

This is the textbook for the next module of my Buddhist study, all about how being an individual associating with other individuals is as important as the role of the Buddha and all that he taught. I have found it much easier to read than other books I've had to tackle within the course, probably because it was community that I was looking for when I got involved in the local Buddhist group  so I understand its importance.

The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex
by Mark Kermode

"Outspoken, opinionated and hilariously funny, this book is a must for anyone who has ever sat in an undermanned, overpriced cinema and asked themselves: 'How the hell did things get to be this terrible?'"

I wouldn't call this 'hilariously funny' because the humour comes from the author ranting about all the things that are wrong with the world of film making and cinema, but it's an interesting look at the commercial angle that influences the business behind the scenes. And supports the reason why there are so few films that I really like - I am not part of the 'mass market' in any way, not liking many superhero films, not having children, not wanting popcorn, ice cream or nachos in the cinema, not interested in horror or violence... the list goes on. We could do with an independent arthouse cinema in Leamington, but at least we have the Vue in walking distance so I'm not complaining.

It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive
by Mark Kermode

"Join him as he gets lost in Russia on the trail of a low-budget horror flick, gasp as he's shot at in Hollywood while interviewing Bavarian director Werner Herzog, cheer as he gets thrown out of the Cannes film festival for heckling in very bad French, and cringe as he's handbagged by Helen Mirren at London's glitzy BAFTA Awards."

After finishing his second book (above) I dug out this first book to read again, and it's quite entertaining if you know the man's work. I'm not sure anyone who is unused to the Kermodian way of reviewing films would find much of interest, though. It occurred to me that given the amount of time he devotes to the horror and gore aspect of film, it's surprising that he has much time to spend on anything else.

Writing with Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process
by Peter Elbow

"Employing a cookbook approach, the author provides the reader (and writer) with various recipes: for getting words down on paper, for revising, for dealing with an audience, for getting feedback on a piece of writing, and still other recipes for approaching the mystery of power in writing. "

This is a very dense, long book, and comprehensively covers both factual ('expository') writing like reports and memos as well as more creative writing. It is probably more suitable for dipping into if you were stuck writing something, but nevertheless I read the whole lot, and would return to it if I ever manage to start writing in earnest. As with all the other books on writing that I've read, it strongly advises 'free writing' - just writing anything for 15 minutes first thing every day. I'll let you know when that happens.

Lord Jim
by Joseph Conrad

narrated by Nigel Graham

"The story tells of Jim, a young, good-looking, genial, and naïve mate on the Patna, a cargo ship plying Asian waters. One night, when the ship collides with an obstacle and begins to sink, Jim jumps overboard and lands in the lifeboat bearing the unscrupulous captain and his cohorts away from the disaster."

I really must remember not to read any more Joseph Conrad. Apparently, he wrote Heart of Darkness in the middle of writing this, and they have very similar atmosphere - this in Malaya and the other in the Congo - but both featuring a displaced white man with a dark history. Very slow narration, mostly tedious, and the last chapter was the most interesting and plausible of the lot. But please, no more.

The Pillars of the Earth
by Ken Follett

narrated by John Lee

"A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of 12th-century England. This is the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known."

A monumental read, in many senses, set in the 12th century and running over a period of time that I know little about. King Stephen followed by the second Henry plus an interlude of Maud, and the central theme of the book is the building of a cathedral. I quite like a saga, and there's plenty here - the audio book is 41 hours long. I mostly liked it, but would have preferred a little less detail of the sexual violence.

First Love
by Ivan Turgenev

narrated by David Troughton

"At the end of a dinner party, the remaining guests drink wine and tell stories of their first love. For one of them, it will be a dark journey into his past, reawakening unbearable memories of his obsession with the beautiful Zinaida."

My Audible subscription has started offering free books if you listen online. Mostly I use my old iPod which means I'm not listening online, plus I have a very stingy data plan so I use my phone very little without WiFi. But there was a problem with the download of the last book, which made me try the free online option, so this is a short story from the Classics list. And it's OK, nothing special, but good to listen to a proper Russian book for a change.

Nothing to see here except a large pink flower

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, June 2021

Almost nothing has happened that is worthy of note in the last week. Obviously I've been doing things - I went to see mum and dad, and I've done some mind-stretching stuff for Mr MXF, there's been badminton, the Buddhists keep me busy, and I went for a long walk with a friend, watched films and did shopping and cooking and another jigsaw and listened to some very long audiobooks. But even the expected dog didn't arrive because his regular family managed to catch Covid so they didn't go away and need a weekend dog-sitter after all.

So I've nothing to say here, which is fine because I'm very happily pootling along, carefree, without any stress, and how many of us can say that at the moment?

Who listens to music cassettes?

Canal at Taraloka, November 2021

There isn't much going on here at the moment, what with being in the midst of cold and only sometimes crisp winter weather. I don't feel much like going out, and have few reasons to do so. I found a vaccination shift lurking online and booked myself onto it, only to have it cancelled almost straight away, as was the previous one, so I sent a message to the head nurse asking if I'm needed any more and she told me that they have hardly any customers and are opening for only 4 hours a day, so the people employed by the clinic don't need any extra help.

Otherwise I venture outside only for shopping, or going to see mum and dad, or badminton, or an occasional walk with a dog-owning friend. Even the Tuesday Buddhists are online at the moment, although I went to a one-off session in person on Saturday in Birmingham and even combined it with meeting an old friend for lunch. This is not good enough - staying indoors all the time is comfortable and enjoyable (I have watched quite a few films and finished the fiendish jigsaw) but not healthy in the long run, so I need to come up with a plan. When it gets warmer I will start running again, and maybe one day there will be a dog? Actually, I am due to be looking after another dog at the end of January, but once more it's only for a weekend.

Health news: I think my hurty arm is getting slightly better with the change in posture at the desk, although I am doing more sitting at the desk catching up with work for Mr MXF. I have embarked on a post-Christmas-and-New-Year dietary regime, which does not include chocolate or snacks, and it is working and not making me too miserable but probably needs to continue until at least the end of February.

LTRP news: I called the roofer who continued to not turn up and asked if he actually wanted the job, and he said he didn't, so that's helpful. I wish they'd just say so rather than promising to come round at some future unspecified date. So now I need to contact my previous roofer, and chase the builder again to give me a date for pointing the front wall. Otherwise Lola Towers is pretty much in order on a structural level and in the spring it may be a good time to consider starting work on the outside acreage. 

I am still occupied with the ongoing weeding out of clutter, and had a go a giving away some cardboard boxes, a stand-alone clothes rail and some old music cassette tapes. I listed all three with the same wording on Freegle, Facebook Marketplace and Nextdoor and received no response from Nextdoor, one request from Freegle, and a large number of enquiries from FBM, of which only one included the word 'please' and one 'thanks'. Two people even asked me to post the cassettes to them, but one is local so I asked him what he wanted them for. "To listen to, of course! What else could I do with them?" he responded. I am even more intrigued to imagine that someone wants to listen to shonky old tapes of LPs from the 80's and 90's. At least I have saved them from landfill, even if only temporarily.

And I have found a willing recipient of the jigsaw, so that's sorted.

The fiendish jigsaw (only one piece got lost)