Mo and Peter

Yesterday's book group discussion That was such and interesting book group discussion last night. Though we were sorry that Mary was missing (since she's in Spain, a good reason!). The group did not agree about the book. We hardly ever do. So the discussion is always a good one. Especially as we can't tell in advance who will agree with whom - though Lyn and I have a running joke that if one of likes a book, the other won't. We had read Elif Shafak's 'Forty Rules of Love'. I enjoyed it, partly as a story, partly because it was about Rumi and Shams. I liked the way she presented a way of understanding the world which we can recognize from our own British 13th century stories, but which I think is also a way of understanding which is buried in everyone's perceptions, however rational, secular and empirical we think we are. I was reminded of Lesley Saunders' lovely article - and poems - about the 13th century holy woman, Christina who was seen t...

Musing.   We are going to Africa in just over five weeks, and we are wondering how we'll react to how much they have changed since our childhoods in Zimbabwe (Peter) and in Tanzania (me). We are also wondering how much we'll remember from when we lived there so long ago - especially me because I was only 10 when I left. Today I had a similar experience of both looking forward to and also wondering about changes and memories. I walked through London to a reunion of some people from Lushoto school, my primary school in Tanzania. I have had no news of any of them since I left Tanzania. One of them, Angela, found me a few months ago and organized a get-together, of three of us who had been in the same class, and a couple of others who were also at the school at the same time. I wondered if I'd recognize any of them, if we would have anything to say to each other, if the meeting would be fun or awful. Meeting again after 59 years .  Both Angela and I have kept a class phot...

I've come to London to see old friends. Everything else is secondary, tagged onto this main purpose. Though I have to say, some of tagged-on bits have been pretty good, even wonderfully memorable. But still not the main pleasure. I'm fascinated by the importance of long standing friendships. It is interesting that it is so worthwhile spending a lot of time and money to continue them. At one level it's just a simple delight. Anne, Alison and I spent two hours sitting in a cafe in King's Cross station. OK, it was a pleasant enough place, but not somewhere you would particularly choose to spend time. But how lovely it was to sit there laughing, catching up, discussing, arguing, and telling anecdotes of our lives. The same is true of meeting up with Jan. Jan and I spent the first two hours in just the same way, sitting in a pleasant enough cafe, and then after seeing a play we spent another hour and a half sitting happily chatting some more, even though the second time ...

A jaunt to London. First, a walk to the station in a Scotch mist, literally. I noticed my cheerfulness (jauntiness, even) compared to setting off to walk to work all those pre-retirement years at much the same early hour - though come to think of it, it would have been much earlier. The castle in the mist. Blackbirds singing,. Mind you, I didn't much like carrying my pack on my back. I arrived much too early - good - and had time to enjoy the lovely architecture and carvings of the waiting room. I had never noticed them before. Cherubs on the ceiling holding skipping ropes of flowers. But how did that brown paper bag get caught in the wrought iron under the high glass roof? One of those laws of nature. Or maybe it's just Sod's Law? When on a train drinking coffee, be the ride never so smooth, just as you raise the cup to your mouth, the train will lurch and you will get coffee down your front. And so it was, today. A bit of London I was surprised to find. So many times ...

Today we enjoyed basking in the Spring sunshine as it streamed through the window. We drank some coffee, phoned a friend (PW), shared a joke or two, a headline or two, a plan or two. Delight.

There's a lovely line from a poem that sticks in my head. "Living a quiet life every day" and that is just what we are happily doing just now. Gym (such virtue); chatting to Heather; copying old photos; cooking; eating; a bit of telly, a bit of chitchat; a sudokarrow (failed); and there's Peter finishing a novel. 

What a lovely day yesterday. The day before had been like this: It had snowed and sleeted all day. Yesterday the sun shone, the snow and ice melted (finally) and our spirits rose. Trying new machines in the gym. Puffed and aching really quickly - and feeling the muscles all day. I got a bit resentful of all the stairs in this city. But happy to think that how puffed and achy I felt on the cycle and cross-trainer a year(ish) ago. Maybe I really can get fitter this year? Thinking of kit for our trip next month. Including a pillow - definitely a symptom of getting older! Years ago I used to sleep on the beach when I travelled. Now I worry whether there will be any thin pillows in the hotel... Swapping poems at the end of the Swahili class. I can't believe we (including me) wrote poems in Swahili after just 18 evening classes. They might not be great literature of course. It's so good being a student in this lovely, friendly class (happily including the mtoto) espec...

Learning to cook She is an excellent teacher.

OK so I've dipped a toe in the water and it seemed to work ok. So now I'm going a bit further with a second page, goodness me.

I'm trying this out to see how it works. If it does, then I'll use it to keep in touch with our family and friends.