Sunday, 1 March 2026

Z pushes back

 I'm looking after myself.  I hope it'll help.  Yesterday evening, we went to a fabulous recital with Jonathan Lemalu as the singer and a really excellent accompanist on the piano, Kathryn Mosley. Despite a road closure on the way home, which my satnav didn't recognise, so creative navigating was required, it was an excellent evening.  Today, I have mostly read.  Reading a book in a day has always soothed me, but I've got out of the habit - and it wasn't accurate anyway, it wasn't one day.  I started it two days ago, but hadn't had time to progress past the first 50 pages,  I sat down after lunch and finished it in a sitting.  Lovely book.  "Of Thorn & Briar," it's called, by Paul Lamb, who is a traditional hedgelayer.

I might have seen him, a few years ago.  I was driving between Wink's home and her office and, at the side of the back road, a hedge was being layered very neatly and professionally.  I can't think that many people do that job for a living any more.  I wanted to stop and speak to him but there was traffic behind me and I had to be somewhere soon - I've always regretted not going back.  Anyway, it's @westcountry_hedgelayer and he has quite an Instagram following (I hate the Insta app so, whilst I have it, I don't use it much) and I admire him very much.

I had work to do today, but I mattered more.  So, though I will regret having left it, I was right to put myself first.  

Chin up, darlings.  It's springtime.  It'll get better.  But now, though it's only 8 o'clock, I'm going to have a bath and then go to bed.

Thinking of having my hair cut shorter.  


1 comment:

savannah said...

I drove past a small streetside free library yesterday. It's becoming more and more poular in urban settings for people to set-up free book exchanges in their front gardens. I wish I had stopped, but like you, I was in a hurry, so kept on driving. I know that feeling of "wishing I had!" I like your idea of "looking after yourself" and I, too, am thinking about getting a shorter cut! xoxo