I hope everyone in the areas of extreme heat is safe and managing ok.
I don’t have anything really coherent. Last week was that sort of week.
Last Monday night I developed a fever. I’m double vaxed but felt like I had a cold – which pointed to the Delta variant possibly. Cancelled German session for Tuesday (by the end of that day I actually felt ok and I’ve been studying hard), got me some covid tests. Result was negative. Onward we go.
I’ve gone off most of the foods I’ve been tending to eat. The idea was making me slightly nauseous. So, had a think and got in some things I haven’t had in a while/loads of fruit and appetite seems to be settling. A lot of peaches/apricots/nectarines; farm shop sausages to be oven-baked and then thrown into other things (like eggs); ready made gluten free granola because I’m bored with the stuff I’ve been making myself; endless permutations of peppers (red, yellow, orange, stripy ones).
Dreams have been weird and unsettling. Woke in the middle of the night last Wednesday, went downstairs to check on the dog (for no good reason really – he was fine) and noticed that even at around 2 AM it wasn’t full dark out – rather, the sky was an almost neon deep grey. We’re the same latitude as Montreal so don’t get white nights. Nothing is regular. Nothing at all.
I think I’m actually just weary and irritable from the past year, need some time off (and someone else to do the cooking), and need the weather to turn here (ie, we finally have a bit of proper summer).
At least a load of books I’ve been looking forward to have started to appear on my doorstep. I finished the latest John Connolly in the Charlie Parker series (The Nameless Ones). Really well done. Managed to find a used version of a David Lindsey I’d read decades ago and am in the midst of that. A few other things should drop week after next.
What a friend calls house porn magazines are helping a bit. I can trawl back and forth through each month’s Elle Décor, Living Etc and World of Interiors and lose myself a bit/think about trying to do something outrageously expensive on the cheap. Each subscription was a gift so I don’t even feel guilty about receiving all three of them on a monthly basis.
The garden is a madness due to all the rain. The strawberry persists in sending out runners faster than I can find ways to peg them down.
One of the dahlias is in bloom. There’s a blue salvia doing things (the buds are black – at first I wondered if it had gone over due to too much rain). I have some quite unusual and fetching sweet peas (ie, not pink). See pics of all peppered around this post.
Another thing I’ve been doing to distract myself is driving through the tree tunnels to the common and back home. The tunnels look even more ancient than the oaks growing in the Devon banks and pull me out of myself (another pic – not here but gives an idea).
I’m hoping things smooth out this week.
How about you? Are you on even keel or feeling twitchy/wiggly/irritable?
So the Connolly books, Charlie Parker, do you have to start at the beginning to get them or can you jump in later and enjoy them as much? Glad you are feeling better. That dahlia! I have just one this year, but plan on more for next!
Actually, thinking on it you can start anywhere with those books. He reminds about things if something comes up that refers to something that happened in the past, if that makes sense. In some ways they are truly beautiful stories. It’s hard to explain. And the main characters are very well done. Only this dahlia is blooming so far (everyone else needs to get with the programme). Strangely, the peony had two blooms and then just stopped. Not sure what’s up with it.
THAT SWEET PEA. Holy cow, I’ve never seen one like that! It’s absolutely stunning! And I’m sorry you’re sick. I’ve read several articles about that recently — we’re emerging from COVID and unmasking, now we have to catch up on all our usual viruses.
The sweet pea is sort’a out there. Not sick now. Just last Monday night. Weird and irritating. In any case I won’t really be unmasking … won’t even contemplate it in shops etc — till next summer.
Hope you’re back to 100% very soon, sweetie! That salvia looks like ‘Black and Blue’ – I have it and the bees adore it!
xoxoxo
Am, thank you. It probably is Black and Blue. I really need to start keeping the label sticks that come with things. Plant it and they will come? Certainly the bees are mad now in my garden. Got dragonflies too. But no butterflies. What’s that about?
We’re in the midst of another heatwave here in Virginia. I went to the library and got a stack of lovely old Georgette Heyer books to reread. I recently read an anthology of British country house mystery short stories, too. Between reading and housekeeping chores, that pretty well fills my days. I completely agree on being sick of cooking the same old things. I got sushi last night just for a change of pace.
there’s very little you can get delivered to where I live — it’s an UberEats, Deliveroo, JustEat black spot quite literally. Have to do pickup to get takeaway food. Have never read Georgette Heyer. Not sure why.
Hey Cinnamon,
Sounds like you’ve got the irrits. I get them too. Restless aimlessness.
That dahlia is a beautiful colour, it looks like it has a bronze shimmer?
Portia xx
Tx, I do think it’s quite lovely — no bronze shimmer. I think that’s my crap photo. I can’t recall it’s name in any case. Yes, irritable. Was just really twitchy. It’s receding slightly. So far this has been the most crap summer in years. Fingers crossed for some sun now.
Agreed on the cooking. Tired of the planning and tired of doing the dishes! Hubby and I are vaccinated – and feel great relief – but it is still a challenge to decide what our new comfort levels are. One fun distraction is the Farrow and Ball paint Instagram site. Oh, and the fancy, expensive, hand painted wallpaper DeGourney instagram site! Time to win that lottery!
I’ve never gotten into Instagram — that might have to change. I find Farrow and Ball’s website fascinating, along with Little Green and that ilk. I love the idea that someone is sitting in a room playing around with paint colours to come up with things that are just that little bit different so that you can actually find very precise shades of white.
During the worst of the pandemic, it was very calming to listen to Patrick – the Farrow and Ball representative – chat about what colors go with specific blues and where to use them in your room 🙂
I know what you mean about being in a cooking rut – I’ve been really uninspired lately, which has led to a lot of takeout. However, my spouse was gone this weekend so I finally made that trendy roasted feta and tomato dish (spouse doesn’t like feta). It was quick, easy, made the house smell great, and tasted lovely on some olive bread from the local bakery. Hopefully it shook me out of the recipe rut.
Oh, my, please, someone to do the cooking. Maybe a different imagination. the roasted feta and tomato does sound nice. I’ve got feta in the house plus there are really good tomatoes now available at the farm shop. will have to keep that in mind.
Having just moved to Vancouver Island from Montreal, your comment about being at the same latitude as Montreal triggered a memory of getting up and looking out the lounge windows on sleepless nights. In major urban centers there are always people out and about at any time of night so always something to see. I remember watching the snow plows clearing the streets at 1am. I will miss all that.
Now I’m out in a rural area where I’m more likely to see deer than people. I’m feeling a bit unsettled due to the move and the uncertain state of the pandemic. It seems to be winding down in some areas and resurgent in others. So I am taking refuge in tea, chocolate and perfume while I wait for it all to be over.
I think currently deer are probably more cheerful than most people. We don’t get much light pollution which is why I was so flummoxed by the eery greyness. I think moving house is incredibly unsettling — I wonder if there is some major brain chemistry change that takes place when we leave some place we’re used to and go some place new.