Still convalescing

I've finally caught up, and this entry is current.

Another perfect day and I’m sitting in the garden. Indoor temperature 24°; outdoor temp: about 30° - warm enough for me to be in summer clothes indoors and out. True, I would like some night-time rain to fill our butts and water our New Guinea Busy Lizzies and newly planted shrubs. Other than that, it’s perfect. In my convalescent state, I can’t work. A good reason for me to sit out here, reading and writing.

I have just finished White Ghost Girls (Orange Prize Longlist). It is a slim, insubstantial book with minimal plot, heavy on atmosphere. Very readable, its short chapters offering the ability to put the book down at any time. However, I think I would have liked more of it. To be honest I’m surprised such a short book could get published, and from a size point of view only gets away with it with spaced out lines and new chapters that start one third of the way down the page. Pound for pound, my novel, Tainted Tree, is better value.

Yesterday, we were at my cousin’s Golden Wedding lunch party in London. This is the biggest trip out I’ve had since the op. Everything was fine. I only had one glass of wine, as this seems to affect the waterworks, and stuck to water and tea, apart from that. Later we went on to my cousin for tea in the garden, and sat till 9.00 o’clock. It was a lovely day.

I am gradually establishing an exercise routine, having found it all rather confusing to start with. Do this exercise three times a day, five times at first, building to ten, holding the position and counting to four or five. Too much maths. There are three exercise, apart from pelvic floor exercise. I do them all three times a day. To start with I did them five times each, holding the position for the count of five. Now I do them ten times, holding the position for a count of ten. That makes life simpler.