June 2024

June 30, 2024

Happy anniversary, Wade and Gale!

Got up at 7am and packed up. We driving to Bristol from here to load up Nova’s belongings. Dropped Dina at Ben’s college on the way out of town – they are doing the same thing – and headed off cross country. Lots of A-road and roundabouts, but the journey time was about the same as leaving from north London. 

Pulled up before noon. Nova and I made multiple trips to and from the house with her bags and boxes while Adam loaded the car. It took half an hour but we managed to get it all in, aside from what she needs for the next few days. 

She’s going to stay with Dave (the guy she’s been seeing) and attend her last lectures before catching a train to London on Tuesday. 

Grabbed a bit of lunch at a cute place called Fed then headed for London. We were expected round Doron’s at 5pm in time for the England v Slovakia kickoff. It’s his birthday, and they invited us for pizza and the game. 

Made it just in time, though I went to the shops for beer and missed the first few minutes. The way England has been playing it was no great loss. This was better than previous matches, even though Slovakia scored the first goal. 

England finally equalized in the 96^th minute, with an overhead kick by Jude Bellingham, pushing it to extra time, then went on to win. A lucky escape, though there are high expectations for the team after the last two tournaments, and they are off to a very slow start. Nevertheless they are in the quarter-finals. 

Unloaded Nova’s stuff with help from Lyra who pulled up with Loki’s dad just after we got back. Lugged all the boxes and bags up to her room but put her plants into intensive care downstairs. She never seems to quite grasp the concept that houseplants require a bit of nurturing.  

June 29, 2024

Got up about 7:30am and had a good hour’s coffee and chat with Eytan before the others emerged.

After breakfast we set off on a long walk to Grantchester. It was baking hot and I was happy to reach the orchard (our destination) and sit in the shade. We considered having lunch, but there was a 45-minute wait for food, so we opted for one of their famous scones instead. 

Walked back through centre of Cambridge. It was graduation weekend and streets were rammed with gowned students and their families, as well as tourists. Bought food from the market for a late lunch, did bit of shopping and then headed home. I was glad to be back in their cool apartment – we’d walked 17km, which is a lot in that heat. 

Ate dinner at Fort St George pub, apparently the oldest on the River Cam. Being such a busy weekend, they were running out of food. I ended up with mussels and chips rather than the chicken burger I was after. It was nice enough, though the mussels were very overcooked and almost chewy. Rather that than underdone I guess… To bed by 11pm – we need an early start tomorrow.

June 28, 2024

Got Lyra off to school then headed to the allotment for a session of watering and picking: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mange tout, peas and broad beans. We are going to Cambridge to stay with Eytan and Dina for the weekend, so will ending up taking some of it with me. 

Got away about noon. Swung by their son Ben’s Cambridge college where Dina was helping him move out of residence before we got to their flat. He’s completed a degree in engineering, though he’s back in the autumn to complete his master’s. Their second son Dylan starts at Cambridge this autumn studying medicine. He’s done amazingly well to get in – it’s insanely competitive. 

Their flat is very nice. Eytan bought it a year ago with the money he’d inherited from his dad’s estate. They planned to rent it out but enjoying using it themselves. With both boys studying at Cambridge, it is convenient to have a family base there perhaps. 

After lunch we went for long walk along the river. Had a drink in a pub then returned via Tesco where it was sprung on me that I should cook dinner. Shopped on the fly – salmon, new potatoes, asparagus, mushrooms and broccoli to add to the allotment veggies I’d brought.

Their kitchen is very basic but I managed to pull together a nice meal in the end. Afterwards we sat and chatted until gone 11pm.

June 27, 2024

I felt those three glasses of wine this morning. I’m drinking so much less these days and consequently am more sensitive to it. 

A swim in ponds was just the thing for it. Another glorious morning, and I was surprised that it wasn’t too busy. Adam worked from home afterwards, but I didn’t see him all day as I was working in the office while he was upstairs. That’ll come to an end when Nova returns next week. 

Adam headed out to a work event in the evening. I made some courgetti pasta for Lyra and me. I didn’t have a burning desire to eat courgetti but wanted to do something with an overlarge zucchini I’d brought back from the allotment the other day. 

It came out pretty well, though I always cook it a bit too long so it gets watery. Watched Three Colours Blue – I enjoyed it, but preferred White, (the second in the trilogy).

June 26, 2024

Lyra woke with tightness in her chest and palpitations, which could be a side effect of her new migraine medication. Fortunately, she has one of Michaela’s spare inhalers and the ventalin helped eventually.

Called the GP and requested an appointment. The recorded message said we’d hear from them within two days, but they called back within half an hour with a 9:10am appointment.

Saw a better doctor this time. Lyra was taken off the propranolol for now and has prescription for her own inhaler (she’s been using a spare one of Michaela’s).

Cosmin came round to fit the new shower screen late afternoon – a definite improvement.  He finished up just in time for me to head out for a festival team drink at the Woodman. I didn’t have the time or energy for that project this year and plan to bow out. 

Time was tight to walk, so I marched it, arriving only ten minutes late. It was just Peter, Alicia and me. I was all set to withdraw from the team but then decided against, it’s a nice thing we’re doing and they are good people so I didn’t say anything.

Walked home via Lawrence’s to water the seedlings he’d left at the front of his house. He’s on holiday, I’d assumed with Madonna, but it’s a walking trip with friends. I’m not sure why he’s asked me to do it with his wife and son presumably home, but maybe he sees it as an extension of allotmenting. 

Met Adam at the Humble Grape for a glass of wine and a bit of food – tartiflette and grilled chicken. Back home we flaked out in front of Suits, not waking until gone midnight. It’s ages since I’ve done that…

June 25, 2024

It’s another hot one… Started my morning with 15 minutes of online exercise with Alice, who has a class she subscribes to. I enjoyed it and am surprised I haven’t engaged with this model sooner, despite having three clients who offer it.

Up and down taking receipt of deliveries all day: shower screen, shower seals, Alice’s new suitcase, something for Lyra, the new barbeque. If I wasn’t working at home, there would have been a pile of boxes stacked up on the mat (or not…)

Headed to the allotment late afternoon to do some watering and picking. I’ll be glad when Lawrence is back. I wouldn’t wish away the hot weather, but someone really needs to visit every day or two to keep on top of things. 

Watched the England v Slovenia match with Adam. England had already qualified so there was no tension there, though winning would improve their position in the draw. It didn’t seem to motivate them –an intensely dull game (even by football standards) ended in a 0-0 draw.

Nova has booked a ticket to Mexico City in January. Her plan is to start there, and gradually make her way south through central America over the next few months. Very exciting!

June 24, 2024

Got out on the patio early, where the plants are looking better already for my efforts. I need to stay on top of the watering now we actually have some warm, dry weather.

Put in some time on client work but I was feeling a bit listless with the heat. It’s certainly good for drying laundry on the roof and I much prefer not using the dryer.  

Lyra and I travelled into town meet Adam at Kings’ Place, for a live taping of Rock ‘n’ Roll politics with Steve Richardson. He gave a recap of the election campaign so far, focussed on the Tories in the first half and Labour in the second and took lots of questions from the audience. 

Caught a #91 bus home afterwards, practically door to door.

June 23, 2024

Went for a morning swim in the ponds. The weather was gorgeous and was keen not to leave it late, as there was sure to be a queue. Fortunately it was still fine at 9am – busy but not rammed.  I did three laps for the first time in ages, what luxury…

I drove both ways. Since our argument about driving last weekend, I aim to do more of it. I have to admit it feels a bit weird to have Adam sitting in the passenger seat like a little, but I suppose we’d get used to it. I’m surprised I feel that way, but my mum never drove so maybe it’s an unexamined childhood prejudice.

Tackled some housework when we got back. Alice is arriving from Innsbruck to stay a few days. We were expecting her at dinner time, but she turned up at lunch. Pulled together an impromptu meal. Afterwards she headed off with Adam – he was visiting Beulah, and she an uncle who lives in Barnet.

Ordered new barbeque this evening. I was initially drawn to a Japanese hibachi but ended up with a tabletop Weber. Purchased a Bokashi countertop composting system as well, as there is no way to recycle food waste here.

June 22, 2024

Spent much of the morning choosing a new shower screen and seal. I’m always surprised by the amount of effort involved in buying straightforward, boring items that I don’t have an opinion on.  If it arrives in time, Cosmin will be able to fit it next week, which will be a big improvement – especially in the girls’ bathroom.

Lyra is feeling poorly this morning, having drunk too much cheap prosecco. Loki was very soliticious of her – he’s such a good egg.

Spent the afternoon picnicking with Pete and Pasc on the Heath. The weather had been looking iffy, but the clouds blew over and it was a lovely afternoon. No need for dinner…

Watched Johnny Cash at Glastonbury thing Lyra got me. Both crying like babies. In that crowd. Hanabi very good as well. Lyra and Loki’s out for dinner with his mom going to be busy filming the next season of her show for the next several weeks.

June 21, 2024

Happy 27^th anniversary to us! We had planned a lovely day out. After a bit of work to clear the decks we headed off to Queens Tennis Club for quarter-finals day. There were no big names (Alcaraz being knocked out the day before) but it’s always good, grass court tennis.

Took the Piccadilly Line straight to Baron’s Court. “This was the tournament where we bumped into Christine and Gerald,” I said to Adam, who was scanning the shops for somewhere to buy a sandwich. And who was in line in front of us but Christine and Gerald…

It was already swelteringly hot at noon. We arrived in the stands between matches to find a woman collapsed with heatstroke in our seat receiving medical attention. Took the opportunity to pop back downstairs to buy a hat.

We arranged to meet Christine and Gerald for a drink before Draper match – they treated us to a bottle English champagne to celebrate our anniversary, which was very generous of them.  

We stayed at Queens as late as possible but had to leave part way through the last match for our dinner reservation at J Sheekey. The food was impeccable: I had six oysters; followed by the sea bass with razor clams, lemon and sea purslane butter; green beans with confit shallots; then split a raspberry posset.

There was an interesting couple sitting next to us. A foppish, portly, academic in his late 60s with a carefully waxed mustache and bowtie who was dining with a big unkempt Spaniard in jeans and sweatshirt who was at least 20 years his junior. It seemed to be a celebration/farewell meal, as the younger guy was moving to Barcelona for work.

We chatted to them a bit, discovering that the older guy lived in Wood Green at taught professors how to teach at London Metropolitan. Despite leaving the restaurant half an hour ahead of us, we ended on the same W3 bus around midnight. Both men got off on Ridge Road, so it may have been a break-up meal as well… 

Lyra was still out at a party when we got in, but travelling back with Loki to stay here so there was no need to wait up.

June 20, 2024

Good sustainable beauty meeting this afternoon followed by lots of amends. I think I’m finally starting to understand what they are after. It’s a difficult brief – with two conflicting steers and I need to straddle both. Worked late and finally got the content into a structure I’m happy with – though who knows what they’ll all think of it…

Lyra was over at Loki’s so it was just Adam and me for dinner – grilled salmon with lots of green veg, a nice straightforward supper. It’s the European Championships at the moment so it’s football every night…

June 19, 2024

Lyra had her final mock exam (politics) this morning, after which she has the rest of the week off. I was up early to do her breakfast etc and made Adam a packed lunch as he’s in the office, then going straight to his book group.

Lyra came back with Ava – they are both very glad to have their mocks behind them. They’d eaten earlier in town, so I had dinner on my own and read for the evening.

June 18, 2024

Lyra had her dreaded history exam this morning at 8:30am. It sounds like it went pretty well, reminding me of the old saying “the harder you work, the luckier you become”. Another day of UN work, with Adam alongside me in the home office. I relied on headphones quite a bit – he has a lot of phone meetings.

Kate calling a couple of times with issues concerning the fitness website. It seems a bit chaotic, every time we speak they are taking a new approach. The current thinking is to buy app development from a company instead of developing the functionality on the website (paying, booking classes etc.) Fine by me…

We had theatre tickets this evening. Worked right up to the minute – it was lucky the trains were running on schedule. The play was called People, Places and Things. I strongly disliked the main character (a selfish and self-pitying addict), but found it a provocative piece of theatre.

June 17, 2024

We’re predicted a gorgeous week of weather. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen that. Maybe last year…?

Lyra had her second English mock this morning, which went pretty well. I spent the day on UN work, editing a paper on the circular economy, which will be my main focus for the next few days.

Although it was a Monday, Adam worked from home today so he could take Beulah to a hospital appointment, for an ultrasound to explore her ongoing digestive complaints. Everything looks fine, which is good news.

Headed out to the shops about 3pm to pick up a prescription and some groceries. Dinner was duck breasts with puy lentils and rocket. Nice, but duck meat can be very dense and I felt overfull afterwards.

Although I didn’t feel much like it, I made a duty visit to the allotment. I’d planned to go on Saturday but the weather was a washout. There were lots of strawberries to pick, watering, and blasting blackfly off the broad beans.

Adam was watching France v Austria when I got back – I can expect a lot of that over the coming weeks.

June 16, 2024

It’s Fathers Day but Adam is away in the Lake District so there was nothing to do around that. I’ve always treated Mothers/Fathers’ Day as a morning-only affair – breakfast in bed or brunch/lunch out, a card or small gift at the most.

There’s part of me that resists the manufactured Hallmarkiness of the whole thing, but another that thinks it’s a positive thing to have a day where you express love and gratitude to your parents. Ideally you’d do it more than once a year… especially now I’m on the parent side of the equation…😉

Popped out early to buy groceries, as I was meeting Jane at Tate Britain to see the Sargeant and Fashion exhibition. I really enjoyed it and would happily catch it again before it ends. He and Whistler are two of my favourites.

It’s the first time I’ve seen Jane since Joc died, and it was good to catch up. She’s feeling fragile and there were family shenanigans around the death and memorial that are adding to her stress…

Adam had got back by the time I returned but gone straight out again for a swim. Made kofte with spicy yogurt, kisir and salad for dinner. Helped Lyra practice some quotes she wants to be able to draw on in her English paper tomorrow. England v Serbia was on the telly, their opening match in the Euros. It started well but wasn’t a great performance overall – I hope they’ll find their feet. There are a lot of new players in the squad.

June 15, 2024

The weather is all over the map today – sunny then torrential cloud bursts then sunny again. Popped to the shops when Lyra and Loki emerged to pick up food for breakfast – sage eggs, beans, avocado and toast. Lyra has a way of doctoring a tin of Heinz beans so that even I enjoy them.

Loki left afterwards and Lyra got down to studying. I’d planned to do some work (that didn’t happen) or go to the allotment (ditto, due to rain). Did a lot of reading instead, laundry, and reorganised my closet.

For dinner I made a chicken casserole with white beans, chorizo and olives that was a hit with both of us. Watched Three Colours White, which I haven’t seen in years. I bought two off the films in the trilogy in a Bristol charity shop and the third is now on order from eBay. It generally works out cheaper to buy second-hand dvds than rent films online.

June 14, 2024

Adam headed off first thing for a walking weekend in the Lake District leaving me with a migraine-y Lyra, who was too grogged out on sumatriptan to wake up for school. Emailed the school as per usual, and eventually she pulled herself together and headed off. 

Lots to do round here but I prioritised client work for a change – did a few hours of UN editing and prep and a meeting with the sustainable beauty group. I have a clearer idea of what they want now. The first positive beauty guide we produced was very consumer focused – the update is going to be aimed at a professional audience. 

Lyra was home for a bit before heading out to see Dexy’s Midnight Runners with Loki and his dad. There’s a blast from the past – I had no idea they were still making music, though I guess if there’s an audience why would you quit? 

Made myself some dinner and settled in to watch Orphee (by Jean Cocteau), which has been on my radar since Brittany when we couldn’t get the dvd player to work. Interesting interpretation and the special effects are charming, but by the time the kids got back at 11pm I was struggling to stay awake. Saved the last half hour for the weekend.

June 13, 2024

Dad would have been 93 today, what a thought… Didn’t have a lot of time to think about it as I had to be up and out early to travel to Bristol. I was a bit ahead of the worst of the rush, but the Victoria line was pretty busy and I ended up standing. A courteous young man with his hoodie up and tattoos on his face politely offered me his seat. Now my hair is “Nordic blonde”, that happens to me on the regular…

Caught the 8:30am train out of Paddington and pulled into Bristol at 10am. Nova was waiting at the gate and we headed straight to Hart Bakery for coffee and a chat. She’s looking very well and seems to have all her ducks aligned. 

Ate lunch at a Vietnamese place called the Viet Kitchen in Stokes Croft. We got there five minutes after it opened and it was already pretty much full. No wonder, the food was excellent and good value. Shared a plate of salad rolls, then she had a banh mi and I had a poached chicken pho. 

Next stop, the Everyman cinema down the road to see The Dead Don’t Hurt, written, directed, produced, soundtracked and starring Viggo Mortensen. It was a slow-burn Western, and we both really enjoyed it. 

Pootled downtown through the drizzle, popping into shops and picking up a few bits. Checked out Dave’s Oxfam bookstore but he wasn’t working this afternoon. Ate an early dinner (or a small bite really) at another place Nova was keen to try called Tare: asparagus tempura, mussels in cider, sourdough bread and a couple of glasses of Sancerre, after which we split an apple custard choux bun with miso caramel that was absolutely delicious. 

Bristol was outdoing itself in the miserable weather department on our walk to the station, serving up an aggressive 360° sharp mist that felt like an assault. The range of grimacing faces we encountered was hilarious. 

At the station, Nova rushed off to catch a train back to her house and I found my platform and settled in for the ride home. The train was about 20 minutes late in the end, and I’m entitled to 25% compensation on that leg. 

Tube, bus and walked through the door just before 11pm. Lyra was still up studying for English tomorrow, and I did 45 minutes of Hamlet language analysis with her before calling it a night.

June 12, 2024

Happy 18^th birthday to Isobel! Gale has been sharing photos on social media around her birthday and graduation from high school. I especially loved the one where she shows the results of all her hard work at the gym.

Took a while to get into the swing of the work day, what with cryptic crosswords, meditating, laundry, energy ball making, reading, festival website work, cat refereeing, etc to do. If I didn’t have a job, I’d have no trouble at all filling my days…

Lyra found out today that she will be allowed rest breaks during her mock exams. If she is struggling with a migraine she can put her hand up and the invigilator will come round, mark the time, and turn over her paper until she wants to resume. I think it’s a good outcome.

Chicken with pak choi for dinner – just Lyra and me, Adam was at the pub with Ben Schneider. Their house purchase is proving problematic and they need to be out of the current place at the end of the month. They have my full sympathy – I clearly remember just how stressful it was.

June 11, 2024

Caught a lift with Adam to the Heath at 7:15am. He did his walk with Doron and I had a swim. Walking along the main path, I noticed what looked like an injured insect lurching along but turned out to be a tiny little frog. Scooped it up and transferred it to the edge of the pond. Noticed a few more on my walk, but they weren’t in such imminent danger of being trampled so I let them be. 

It was a beautiful morning for a swim. The water is still deliciously cool and it was very quiet. Did two full laps, pausing to watch a coot building a nest, ducklings trying to catch flies, and the heron skulking through the reeds looking for some breakfast. 

Walked back to Crouch End afterwards, which took about an hour. Found a pretty good route, largely by intuition, that was mostly off the main roads and pretty direct. So-so work day, with a couple of meetings and a lot of faffing at the margins. 

Knocked off about 6:30pm to make dinner. I’m trying to eat a bit earlier than we have been, plus Adam was going over to Beulah’s for the evening. Made a recipe from the NYT Food section – grilled steak with a salad of romaine, feta and pinenuts, topped with a salsa verde-ish dressing. Went down well with everyone. 

Watched an episode of Ripley, then switched to reading my current book: Ultra-processed People. Lyra had an observation about Ripley that I think is valid – all the characters are so charmless that it is hard to understand why anyone would want to spend time with them. Unlike Jude Law and Gywneth who were golden and magnetic…

June 10, 2024

Cold, gray rainy day… We’re low on groceries so I popped across the street first thing to buy bits for Lyra’s lunch. I’ve decided to have a fasting day to balance out the full-on food weekend. It’s harder than it would normally be, having stretched my stomach this weekend but I felt better and better as the day wore on.

Had a sustainable beauty meeting and also wrote a couple of news items for my engineering client, which used up much of my working day. 

Lyra and Loki were around this evening and I made dinner for them – fassoulada and bruschetta (tomato-basil and spinach-yogurt). 

Worked until Adam got home then hung out for the evening – reading, testing Lyra on her German Reformation flashcards, a bit of telly and bed.

June 9, 2024

I’ve felt better… We all slept past 10am, which was a blessing and took the morning gently – coffee in bed, a stroll to the farmers’ market up the road, followed by a bagel brunch. I wouldn’t have considered eating if I’d been at home, but that’s not an option round theirs. 

Honestly, I think I might feel worse for all the food than the drink – I certainly ate enough to absorb any amount of alcohol. Experienced mild heartburn all day, which I haven’t had since I was pregnant. 

Drove home mid-afternoon, making the journey in about 1:45, which is good going. Lyra is angsting about her mocks, which start on Friday. 

Made salads for dinner (Loki joined us) kisir, white beans in a tahini dressing, and cucumbers with a sweet-sour vinaigrette and lots of fresh chilli. I wasn’t going to eat anything but felt up to it by the time I served up. 

Drove to the allotment with Adam and put in an hour’s work watering and picking. The broad beans are infested with blackfly which I blasted with the hose, soaking myself in the process. Lots of strawberries to pick and mangetout starting to come through. Left at sunset, which is 9:15 these days. 

Michael Moseley’s body has been found. It seems he took the wrong path from the village to the main port and eventually collapsed from heat exhaustion. Poor man…

June 8, 2024

Went for a swim in the pond first thing. There were lots of ducklings about – it seems a decent number have survived, though they might not be a safe size yet. Did two laps of the

Parked in Swains Lane so we could pick up a few things to take to Jules’ and Mary’s. Bury St Edmunds is pretty posh and also becoming quite a foodie destination, but we thought that Jewish food might be under-represented. (The Jewish population of the UK is less than  300,000, more than half of whom live in north London.) Bought bagels, cream cheese and taramasalata from Roni’s.

Got away about noon, arriving just after 2pm. They’d prepared a light lunch as we were going out for dinner, with heavy bottle of red to go with it. Their friend Charlotte popped round for a visit – the conversation was mostly about politics. The Conservatives are in such disgrace that Bury St Edmunds is looking like a contestable seat…

The television presenter Michael Moseley has disappeared in Greece. He left his wife to walk two miles back to their villa in the afternoon heat and never arrived. He’s the person who popularised intermittent fasting in the UK, and I have followed his work for years. He’s unlikely to still be alive, poor man, though how he managed to disappear is a mystery.

After cocktails – Sopwell House’s primavera – we set off for Lark, an amazing restaurant up the street from their house where we proceeded to eat pretty much everything. I was still feeling satisfied from lunch and a bit anxious about the impending feast. I tried not to overdo it, but it was difficult with twelve separate dishes…

Staggered home where Jules broke out the whisky – four bottles representing Wales, Ireland Scotland and England. Naturally we had to taste them all. Adam reminded me of the WISE Club in East Vancouver, which we used to frequent. I’d forgotten about that place. Did a search on it later, and found that it’s at risk of closing unless the public rallies round to support it.

June 7, 2024

Met Millie for a morning walk in Highgate Wood. We used to do this pretty regularly, but it’s not that easy getting to Highgate Wood from here. I planned to cut through Queens Wood but don’t know the paths well enough and kept getting pushed towards Wood Lane. Power walked most of the way and made it only a couple of minutes late. We walked around the field in the sunshine for best part of an hour – there’s always lots to talk about. 

Followed my old running route to Ally Pally, popping into garden centre for a pot of chives and tarragon. Cleo ruined my previous plants by digging and shitting in them after we moved. 

Worked all afternoon. I need to get going on the sustainable beauty work, and finally made a start. It sounds like the Irish fitness site work may be coming back as well… 

Lyra headed over to Bridget’s for a dinner party, with some of the crew of her upcoming show. Mackenzie Crook is directing this time round, and was among the guests. Lyra didn’t want to stay late as she’s studying hard for her mocks, so Loki brought her home about 10pm. 

We finally stopped working about 9pm. Adam mixed a round of G&Ts, ordered pizza and we flopped on the sofa in front of Suits. Mike finally out of prison – they certainly milked that storyline for all it was worth.

June 6, 2024

Went for a swim in the Lido with Adam this morning. It was a lovely bright day, the full pool was in use, and it wasn’t too busy. Felt like we’d hit the jackpot. I haven’t been in a while so only did a kilometre, which felt like enough. 

Met my friend Wendy for coffee afterwards. She went back to nursing at 50 years old, and she absolutely loves it. She works in a chemotherapy ward and finds it very rewarding to connect with people and make a frightening, unpleasant experience less awful. 

Worked in the afternoon but took time to prepare Lyra’s migraine dossier and send it to the school. She should be able to get rest breaks if she has a bad headache now, which is something. 

Did some Insta posts for the festival as well. There was meant to be a pair of high school students doing it, but they’ve flaked. I really don’t have time for this and will be glad when the festival is behind me. 

Chicken Caesar salad for dinner and watched The Warriors.

June 5, 2024

Started the day with a UN meeting – I’m getting a report on the circular economy at some point to edit/proofread.

Elsie is making her presence felt in the terrace. Tumsy at #9 has become hyper-vigilant apparently, patrolling his patio and sitting on their fence post doing sentry duty. Elsie has also been photographed sunbathing in #6’s patio, according no respect to their toothless and decrepit hound Kramer. 

Nova called needing advice about a form she’s pulling together to gather data for her dissertation. We had a chat while I did the cooking. Loki came round for dinner — grilled salmon with crabapple jelly and horseradish glaze, a medley of steamed green veg, steamed rice and chocolate for dessert. 

Adam had work to do this evening, so I ended up watching Suits (my current guilty pleasure) and knitting until bed. The current storyline is highly implausible, but that’s part of the fun.

June 4, 2024

I had thought of going for a pond swim when Adam did his walk with Doron, but it was a bit grey so I decided against it. Did the usual Lyra routine then meditated instead. Sounds like Doron and family are having a rough patch. He’s in the midst of prostate investigations and will likely need a prostectomy.

Ollie not doing well at uni. He’s falling back into some of the mental health issues he experienced last year, plus is having epileptic fits. He’s deferred his final exams and seems unable to organise himself at all. Antonia is driving up to move him home tomorrow.

Caught up with my womens’ exercise organisation. I’ve taken over maintenance of their website, and this was our first meeting around that. Afterwards Lyra and I cooked together – a tomato pasta that came out very nicely. Watched an episode of Friends then she headed upstairs to study. She has a lot of work on at the moment…

June 3, 2024

The morning was going nicely, and I was easing into the groove until Lyra texted to say that public transit was in disarray and she was going to be late for her politics test. Both the Piccadilly and Victoria Line had massive delays and part suspensions, and she gave up on the tube at Caledonian Road.

All the other commuters were in the same fix and she was unable to get on a bus for ages and walked most of the way to Kings Cross. We were texting and calling much of the journey. I tried to keep her from getting too stressed – things weren’t in her control, and all she could do was keep making the best available choice and she’d would get there eventually.

I had an unusual amount of work meetings, which I could have done without on my first day back, especially as I had to knock off at 4:30pm to take Lyra to the GP. I need some medical acknowledgement of the situation for the school so that they can accommodate her if she is sick during an exam.

It took ages for us to be seen by a locum, who didn’t seem very on the ball. At least she produced a sick note. It costs £150 to get a doctor’s letter (and takes weeks), which doesn’t seem right. I also requested and received a printout of Lyra’s medical appointments, and will produce a file contextualising it all.

Grain bowls for dinner – quinoa and brown rice, kimchi, kale etc. Have started reading Doppelganger, in which Naomi Klein complains of regularly being confused for Naomi Wolf who has disappeared down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole. Actually, if I was Noreena Hertz I’d be a bit pissed to not at least get a mention. They are all Jewish women of similar age, with similar names, who write books in around the same topics. (Noreena Hertz: “What am I, chopped liver?”)

June 2, 2024

It was nice to wake up in our own bed, though I wasn’t quite sure where I was at first. This house still doesn’t completely feel like home. Lyra and Loki cooked breakfast for everyone –crumpets in curry butter topped with a soft boiled egg – a Beulah special and very nice.

Focused on house things all morning — groceries, cat boxes, five loads of laundry. At least it’s nice hot day for drying on the roof…

Headed over to visit Beulah in the afternoon. She gave us our silver wedding anniversary present from a couple of years ago, which she’d stashed away and forgotten about. A lovely modern style candle holder, silver of course.

Made salade niçoise and gazpacho for dinner. Lyra and Loki were back again, having had their usual Sunday lunch at Stewart’s. We watched Escape From New York while we ate. Pretty good entertainment, especially Donald Pleasance as the hard-used president of the USA.

To bed earlyish. I was tired and it’s work/school tomorrow…

June 1, 2024

Up early to close down the house and be on the road for 8am. Adam was worried about the drive because the Olympic flame is travelling through St Malo this morning, but it was fine.

Nabbed a good table on the ferry and based ourselves there all day – breakfast, packed lunch, studying. It was a pleasant enough day to break things up with spells outside as well.

There was a third passport check when we arrived in Portsmouth, but the drive after that was smooth. Dropped Ava home and made it back to ours before Evie was expecting us, though Loki arrived within three minutes of us.

Some observations after a week away: Elsie is looking noticeably bigger; the paving work on the forecourt is finished and our new neighbour at #8 has moved in. All in all, a good week to be away.