Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Up betimes for another blood test and the usual prodding about to find a suitable vein. I could never have had a career as a mainlining junkie, is what I keep telling myself. The health centre nurse is always slightly reproachful about what she calls my lady-like veins. I would like a good result. Wouldn't we all.

Nice one, though, in the form of a letter telling me that one of my poems is to be included in an anthology (of which more anon). Unexpected and welcome. I would like to feel that this is an auspicious sign but can barely muster the strength because truth is that I am feeling - what is the right euphemism? A little under the weather. I have decided to go with the spirit of it and leave the kitchen floor to carry on crunching underfoot, the small piles of clutter and newspaper all over the house carry on gathering the dust that blows in from the bumpy, unmade road that is good for nothing but forcing cars to crawl and making a safe place for children to play.

I haven't swum since Friday and am not sure where to go with this. Aerobicness is making my situation measurably worse - so obvious (M.E. - duh!) it is hardly worth noting. But I am not quite ready to give up on the experiment yet. Choosing exactly the right time seems to be crucial. I will wait for the next window of opportunity and have another stab. When in Brighton there is, of course, the sea. But realistically this will probably live as a delicious possibility rather than something I do very much of.

I have fallen into a new piece of writing that has nothing to do with last year's aborted NaNo novel attempt. It lends itself to being written in short bursts and when I am writing it I do not feel as if I am hauling sacks of coal up a hill (though I do of course have to go to the coal face). So I am going with it, plotless and clueless, seeing what it might become. I will be writing poems at the end of the week when Ms North comes to stay for a couple of nights because when we meet that's what we do.

But tomorrow I have to go and prepare Brighton flat for friends of friends who will be staying there for a week. And today I have to carry on reading Herta Mueller's Land of Green Plums, which I am loving, and make spinach dall with some of the spices that Son sent me from India.

10 comments:

Zhoen said...

Floating along.

Mim said...

Let the dust blow. Here the kitchen sink is full of dishes to be washed--someday.

All good luck with poems . . .

trousers said...

(o)

Cusp said...

Leave the dishes and follow the muse :O)

The word verification for this is 'peccur' so maybe I should say 'Keep your peccur up' :O)

Reading the Signs said...

Floating, letting dust blow and keeping peccur up.

Never actually knew what a pecker was.

Cusp said...

I think I know actually but I'd best not say: I'll just say that's it's probably more applicable to gentlemen than ladies.

Anyway.....

Fire Bird said...

but that surely is not what the rather everyday expression refers to?? no just looked it up - nose or mouth apparently, as in beak... think this is an american/english thing...

my WV is zoilie - a dirty doily comes to mind...

Reading the Signs said...

yes, because if Cuspie is right one would be talking about a condition known as Priapism. Which doesn't actually sound like a lot of fun.

Cusp said...

Well I always thought it referred to the American meaning (trust me !!) but I also thought that it meant 'keep it up if and when you want to' rather than your interpretation which would imply no free will(y) ;O)

Anyway enough about peckers.

How are you now ?

Reading the Signs said...

Well I would have to say, on balance, and taking all things into consideration (and thank you for asking, Cusp), that I am much the same. There is weather of the humid and muggy kind. I am under it.