Some of us want our own experiences,

Others have to share...

 

 

 

 

 

Friday was made special as a pull of curtains revealed blue, yellow darts shooting to feast on sunflower carcases heavy with seed. What a truly joyful sight and totally unexpected. I dressed for work with a broad smile worthy of Chris Packham. Life stood still and stared http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMj1L_uunAw

Red Sails make him strong
Action make him sail along
Life stands still and stares

As I left the house a package on the doorstep revealed the new Martha Wainwright album and this was gleefully slid into my car CD as I drove to my 9 to 5. First impressions were good but Martha’s emotive take on Proserpina was a lovely surprise. The song, written by her mother Kate McGarrigle, was performed at ‘A Not So Silent Night’ on the December 9th 2009. Kate would succumb to cancer a few weeks later on January 18^th 2010. Here is that last performance which I was lucky enough to witness and Martha’s own beautiful interpretation.

http://vimeo.com/12183699

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZGLMM6WD3w

 

 

I found myself sobbing in the car with the beauty of it. You can feel her loss in the voice and the prospect of my own mother’s passing surfaced once more. I’m sure Martha will perform the song on the 7^th December when my beautiful companion Marije and I go to see her at St Georges. I will take tissues along, just in case.

Prosepina, Prosepina go home to your mother
Go home to Hera now
She has punished the Earth
She has turn down the heat
She has taken away every morsel stone
Where she walks cry-crying alone

My day at work was uneventful aside from email exchanges with my ex tutor and an arrangement made to meet on Tuesday to give feedback. Abigail was the one good thing about the course and I’ll be sure to let her know this but also be candid and frank. She will need to stand back; I made the right decision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_dWP6_o8L8




No regrets
No tears goodbye
Don't want you back
We'd only cry again
Say goodbye again

 

After work I met dear friend Paul at Cafe Délice, my hang out of choice on Kensington Gardens. It’s been years since we worked together at the old Komedia, but as was always the way, my secrets were teased from me. I welcome Paul’s take on all matters and we talked effortlessly of love, monogamy, Gooner, group sex, promiscuity, flakes (not the Cadbury variety), recreational drugs, babies, domestic violence, my father and eggs. It was an oasis with a deep well to be drunk often now that Paul works in Brighton again.

Saturday saw more hoards with pained expressions asking the same questions, but thanks to the engaging company of Catherine, Amy and Olly the day was peppered with laughter. I also got paid which I find really helps maintain my enthusiasm on these occasions.

After a quick pit stop to feed Mike’s beautiful boys I returned home to tend my own charges who welcomed me with a chorus of frenzied clucking. To my surprise, both allowed me to pick them up today for a quick stroke which was magical. Whilst they scratched and dug, I toiled in the garden and harvested six pumpkins the size of planets.

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/photo.php?v=10151066031921507