Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum | 1 February 2012
Yesterday we arrived at my mothers flat at 1.00.
God's Gift drove us, we both had bellies full of porridge, he with milk me with water. We didn't eat again until 6.30 when I bought a bag of Cheese and something Kettle crisps. By the last handful my lips were sticking together and I had a thirst on.
I stood in the middle of my mothers memories and took a deep breath.
I started on the books, sorting the ornaments, add a 'p' and thats pretty much what we got, a room full of offensive pornaments.
I boxed up the photographs. Moved to the bedroom and sorted her several diaries.
Moved to the hall and emptied sheets, pillow cases and towels into black bags. I couldn't face the kitchen.
Four hours later we had packed the back of the car with my mothers life.
So thats it. 25 years of independent living either in the skip, in the boot or in denial.
Last night me, him and the dawter went through some photographs. The passing of time. Decades slipping through our fingers.
I made a mug of hot chocolate and went to bed. I don't remember falling asleep.
Today I washed, ironed, sorted, unloaded, re-stacked and reorganised. Miraculously my mother has fitted very well into my life.
Her books on Russia, her books on writing and her damask table covers.
I shall visit her tomorrow and take her bits that she cant remember she had.
I have become acutely aware of every footstep that I take.
All good things really do come to an end.
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Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum | 30 January 2012
Curtis Stiger is singing to me. I love his new album. He came onto the show on Sunday and he sung to me in the studio. I realised that I had my eyes shut for far too long, whilst listening, l could have stared at the gorgeous man and he would never have known.
There's a lot of muted trumpet on his new album - my favourite sound.
I am back to work with a vengeance. One week in the city of bagels and I am revived. How long it will last - who knows?
Nick Funnel is a complete angel. He and his crew helped B and I out so that we were upgraded on the way to America. We had booked BA tickets but only found out, after it was too late, that we had booked with American Airlines.
The food looked like leftovers left out in the rain, and tasted worse.
Well we weren't really upgraded, just given seats with leg room, two first class bags of eye-shades and creams and a plastic bag with a scarf and duvet, not to mention a bottle or two of champagne with a big bowl of ice-cream to cool down the fight.
We gave Pammie the bubbly.
Nan, our Air American hostess was delightful. The same cannot be said of Sammy on the way back. He looked at me like I was a British Tourist trying it on to get an upgrade just because I was a UK citizen....which was fairly accurate.
Continue reading "Tales of the City" »
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Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum, Ad Infinitum | 26 January 2012
New York was sunny.
Cold.
Snowy.
Sunny.
Rainy.
Noisy.
Fabulous.
And when I have slept off the jet lag I'll tell you about weddings and oysters, libraries and dragons.
Right now I cant keep my eyes opezzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum | 26 January 2012
New York was sunny.
Cold.
Snowy.
Sunny.
Rainy.
Noisy.
Fabulous.
And when I have slept off the jet lag I'll tell you about weddings and oysters, libraries and dragons.
Right now I cant keep my eyes opezzzzzzzzzzzzzz
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Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum | 14 January 2012
Last year on January 14th Gods Gift took his bow along with Toby Young, Denise Gough and the rest of the cast of THE PAINTER, which debuted at the new Arcola in Hackney. At 10.10 precisely, the curtain came down on my my sister-in-law as she took her last breathe.
I stood on the stairs as the first night audience slapped backs and slurped cheap red wine.
It hardly seems possible that 52 weeks have elapsed since she died. My brother has brought flowers and I'm lighting candles.
A close friend died last Thursday.
'It's over.' said the text message.
2011 was a year of loss. This year, with the strangest of moons lying on her back, has already started intensely.
My mother in a home. Her anger with me for removing her from her flat is palpable. She imagines she was somebody else when she was there. As a family we had no choice but to place her in 24 hour care but I still carry the guilt of that decision like a pack mule with loaded saddle bags.
Continue reading "24 hours." »
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Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum | 5 January 2012
The ending of the spending is in sight.
I bought myself a big red page-a-day diary.
I bought myself some purple nail varnish.
I bought myself some cinnamon capsules.
In the middle of which my phone went and I got an update on my mother.
She is okay. My mind says different but it's easier to go with the experts
I was bought lunch by the dear Ms Stewrat, who also paid for me to weigh myself on the scales in Boots. My BMI was sufficient for me to buy myself an expensive box of herby things that everybody is raving about in Hollywood.
If they work I'll give you the run down.
I've made a cabbage soup, steamed some fish and made a salad with yellow peppers to bring bit of sunshine to the table..
It's time to sit with Gods Gift who spent five hours trying to get across the windy Dartford Bridge.
We are going to watch a film and put the phone on silent. Why not it's nearly February already......
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Posted by Jeni in Ad Infinitum | 5 January 2012
The wind is up again. Gusty gusts that make the trees hummmmm.
I posted off Susie Pearls book to a friend, it is the best gift to anybody who wants to rearrange their life. I sent it from the little sub-post office on Green Lanes behind my house. The new post mistress is Indian with a great taste in jewellery. We had a chat and she popped the parcel in the sack.
It's nearly difficult to type as my eye is now watering - well it has been ever since it started but some days its worse than others - today its watering out of sympathy for me.
I drove to Brighton to have my hair cut. The Barry says I look younger than ever I think I look like an old lady who has put a stocking over her head. There are no photos to prove it.
Continue reading "Brighton Rock Not" »
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Posted by Jeni in | 2 January 2012
It has been twelve days since writing this blog as I have been utterly rushed off my feet.
I tried to re-write the 12 days of Christmas but by the time I got to '3 Fur lined Gloves', and '5 cell phone rings' I gave up.
On Christmas Eve I did a four hour show for the Beeb. Georgio Locatelli and James Corrigan brought in so much food and drink by the time I got to Charing Cross my goose was aready cooked.
I arrived home just in time to eat B's Christmas Eve meal and hear the news that my German girlfriend had missed her plane on account of the bottle of wine she had imbibed on her own, she overslept and missed the flight from Hamburg.
There was one mouth less to feed.
Christmas day was less wrapping paper than normal and more Champagne than usual.
From Boxing day until today I have been working. A quiet office, a team of dedicated radioheads and an audience who have bothered to call in despite their dyspeptic stomachs.
The Christmas tree started out all green and piney and ended up looking all grey and spindley. There with more needles on the floor than an arboretum in Berkshire. We chucked it out two days after christmas.
Gods Gift drove us up for New Years Eve, we stayed in The Charlotte Street hotel as the Beeb couldn't find us a bed for the night. The Holiday Inns and Travel Lodges had single beds and mould whilst the Charlotte Street Hotel had a double bed and fresh apples in the foyer.
I sent the 'oosbind off last night as I was so tired and the rain was coming down in arcloads.
I watched Sherlock Holmes and Ab Fab and fell asleep after room service had brought me up a bowl of soup, three slices of bread and a bill for twenty quid.
The show today was the longest three hours of 2012 and the train ride home bumpy.
I left my bag on the train seat until a lovely young man handed it to me and told me it was the second time he had rescued an old dame in distress.
I had some delicious folk on the show from Jasmine Birtles who teaches in a Sunday School and helps people out with their financial woes.
I had Susie Pearl on and her yellow and pink, tourquoise and orange book:'INSTRUCTIONS FOR HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS' which had me hyperventilating into my camomile tea.
I had the brothers CAINER on DAN and JONATHAN, who spoke and sung about the year that was and the year that will be. Jonathan Cainer told us to look out for VENUS which will swing pass the SUN on JUNE 6th of this year. Making it auspicious.
Continue reading "Happy New Year" »
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