The end of The First week of November

I ate an Italian meal alone.
Not a good look, since Italians are all about family and conviviality. Still I had an appointment at 4.00 and had to fill three hours until ‘OUR BOYS’ at the Duchess Theatre in the evening.
I took my seat facing what I thought was an Italian mama awaiting her family until I realised that I was looking at myself in a large mirror.
I changed seats and sat diagonally opposite an American on my right and a young Swedish couple to my left.
Behind were four frightfully smart ex-militia. She piped up, in a far louder voice than was necessary.
‘White wine and we were in the LOIREEEEE.’
I choked on my soft bread roll and Anchor butter. I had difficulty unwrapping the little square of burro since the tips of my fingers are mashed with all the loading and unloading I’ve done over the last three weeks. They are so dry that I’ve used up all me hand cream on the kitchen window sill.

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Scrubbing

Sleeping is easier since I pulled the suitcases from the top of the wardrobe, emptied my bookshelves, removed all the Jewellery boxes from the side of the bed and took down paintings that I had grown out of.
But last night I was spinning around in my head, what with one thing and another and another…. Went down stairs and read the Daily Mail gossip, tickled the cat, let her upstairs so she could sleep on the bed, and finally fell asleep around two.
I awoke to John Humphries talking about the Chinese Election – or was it Erection?

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Eyrie……

So the leaves on the lawn have created a damp carpet of bronze.
Jim and I have been changing the cottage round, and have trodden thousands of wet leaves into the soft lawn. Apparently it’s been the wettest year since 1766. I have managed not to slip on the beech leaves. Walking gingerly with bags and boxes and piles of stuff. My broken toe still sore.
Intense work.
Intense pleasure.
Intensely unsettling.
Jim has gone into the studio ‘Le Shed’, and I have moved into the attic,
The attic was B’s home for years but since she now only visits I was told to reclaim the room.

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