A Personal Miscellany » Uncategorized

Cats

11V — Wed, 05 Jan 2005 00:25:10 +0000

Here I am sitting on the sofa, almost all the light drained from the day, just the Christmas lights illuminating the room. On my lap are two things: my laptop on which I’m typing this entry with some dificulty, and Davis who is the cause of that difficulty. He’s alternately purring and licking his privates. Oh the joy. Hooha (Hoo-Ha?, Hoohe too) is somewhere around, possibly nestled inside Gabes’ toy cupboard – she’s more nervous and skittish, though she will be stroked and will sit on our knees if picked up. It’s a real pleasure to have them around, a real addition to the family and the house. Thank you Davis and Hooha.

Day out to Burnham-On-Crouch

11V — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 05:06:24 +0000

Is’s birthday: teapot, packet of green tea and tea beakers, cds (Don Giovanni, Nocturnes, Tindersticks and 10,000 Maniacs) and assorted other things. I finished reading the 3rd Harry Potter so we were able to watch the dvd of the book receiving for Chrissie (different director – vastly improved upon its predecessors to the point where it was a real pleasure to watch). Picnic lunch scoffed in the car while on a last minute impulse dash to Burnham-On-Crouch, which we hadn’t visited before. Town lies past the awful hinterlands of Essex and sits on a fairly attractive estuary, close to the sea coast. Nice, but we won’t be moving there.

Day out

11V — Mon, 03 Jan 2005 03:45:38 +0000

While Is went to Oxford to look after Harry, Ames, Gabes and I went into London to a) buy Is’s birthday presents in Covent Garden and b) see The Incredibles. Excellent film. I really noticed also how much older Ames and Gabes are in terms of being able to walk around town with no fuss, was a real pleasure in fact.

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11V — Sat, 01 Jan 2005 15:35:41 +0000

“The next day, when the traveler is already on the road, he thinks of the days that are no more; he closes his eyes for a moment to feel the beat of his heart.”

Journey To The Alcarria, Camilo Jose Cela

Christmas card 2004

11V — Sat, 18 Dec 2004 23:14:13 +0000

Annoyingly Is decided that she didn’t like this Chrissie card because it wasn’t Christmas-ey enough. I can see her point, but I still like my design.

Halloween

11V — Sun, 31 Oct 2004 23:43:39 +0000

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11V — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 21:49:08 +0000

Peelie RIP

11V — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 21:42:41 +0000

I caught the last 20 minutes of Home Truths this morning while having a shower. Despite being only an occasional listener in recent times (though I used to regularly listen to and tape his nighttime shows in the late 70s to early 80s) I bawled and bawled.

Quick thought about Arve/folk music

11V — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 03:56:25 +0000

Why the fascination of folk music for successive generations of Norwegian musicians? Such interest is frequently acknowledged as an influence on the likes of Arve Henriksen, but the reason for this interest mostly goes unexplored. My idea is that it’s the implied connection to the land – literally the groundedness – of the traditional and therefore a sense of continuity that enables an apparently hard-won and shared emotional honesty. These elements were lost in most western, post-industrial societies once the Industrial Revolution necessitated economic migration. Such large-scale movement severed the ties of land, family and shared histories. Although never directly experienced, the loss of these connections is atavistically recognisable.

Tuesday, Cornwall

11V — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 04:16:44 +0000

Music that was right for Cornwall:

Out In A Beautiful Place In The Country by Boards of Canada
Chiaroscuro by Arve Henriksen
Stumble Into Grace by Emmylou Harris

Stopped off to see Harry in Oxford briefly. Came back to London reluctantly.