Sometimes the imagination doesn’t cooperate

I’ve got nothing really. I tried and tried but the brain offered nothing cohesive. Just mish-mash. Apologies.

Did you know that there’s a word for a bend in a river – and that sometimes that bend provides shelter in a storm? In any case it’s ‘a meander’ from the Turkish river of the same name. This popped up in a book I just finished and the idea took hold: a meander can provide shelter from a storm. I mean I meander all the time – my brain goes elsewhere while I’m trying to plan for the future, think about changes that need making, etc. Now I have a label for what’s happening.

I had an acupuncture appointment last week, the first time in 10 years – and with the same person as last time round. We discussed and I got needles inserted. My kidney energy is very weak – like verrry weak. I got sent home to do some reading and booked appointments through the end of the year in the hope that by holiday time we’ll have a better handle on what’s going on with me.

Anyway, I did some research. The list of issues resulting from low kidney energy is me in a nutshell. Here’s hopin’.

I received my 10ml Masque Milano Madeleine purchased off eBay. So pleased. All kinds of plans regarding wearing it solo and layered with Serge Lutens Arabie.

I received one sample with the order. Caprice de Marie from Chabaud, a French house based in Montpelier I’ve never heard of. Black current, pear, pineapple, peach, caramel, vanilla and patchouli. It’s nice – I’m never really overwhelmed by nice. Best part is the opening, which reminds me of summer fruit in a bowl in the sunshine (you know that smell).

I got a short email from my brother. My brother is difficult and always has been (I mean since childhood). I haven’t been in contact with him for several years. He wanted to know about a family medical issue. I replied. Sadly, I’m really hoping I don’t get a reply to my email. I’m generally not a jealous person, but I get very jealous of people who get along with their siblings.

I mostly put the garden to bed for the winter. The dog gorged himself on grass clippings (who knew that Labradors graze) and then slept for hours.

Finally, 7 October was UK National Poetry Day.  I find it interesting that we need a specific day to celebrate poetry. I expect most of us do it every day without thinking much about it.

In any case, my Facebook feed was full of people posting favourite poems, poems they loved, poems they thought the rest of us should know about. It was great. Someone posted Robert Frost’s Fire and Ice. I think this is quite apt for our times. You can read it here: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44263/fire-and-ice

One of my favourite poems is Michael Ondaatje’s The Cinnamon Peeler (no, that isn’t where I got my screen name – that’s from cinnamon toast, which my mother made for us as a treat). If you’re not familiar with it, well worth doing a search.

One of the others is WH Auden’s The Shield of Achilles. https://poets.org/poem/shield-achilles

Here’s hoping I find more targeted inspiration for next week.