Debra, who's been listening to my podcast, wrote this:
"I laughed SO hard at Page One Girl, Benito the Giraffe and Leonard Cohen, and Charlie and the Sock!"
It's so good to know I'm entertaining people even if inadvertently. I think I mentioned that I had been considering a career move into stand-up comedian. It is a wonderful feeling when people laugh at you. With you I mean!
But most of my humour comes from me just living. It's not clever or witty or political satire. It's me burning bacon or jumping to conclusions, inevitably the wrong ones. You'd think I'd learn. 'Probably too late now.' David was reading this over my shoulder and he said that. If he hadn't been bringing me a cup of tea at the time I might have thumped him.
We had a lovely walk this morning with Lady by the river. Our favourite routes have been getting a bit popular of late, with people having to stay close to home, and I thought the river would be popular today but once we got away from the main starting point it was fine. Idyllic in fact. I might just have flung my arms out and started singing, 'Oh what a beautiful morning,' which has become my habit. To everyone's regret. Even Lady gives me a 'Must you?' look.
But really? How could I resist?
I don't have much more recording to do for my podcast. Another two or three will episodes will probably see me through to the end with a postscript.
I have had to build myself up to record the next chapter. It covers a difficult time in our lives and - SPOILER ALERT - though I know the ending it's still unpleasant remembering it. Still it must be done. And I will. As soon as I've put on an extra jumper: it seems to have turned very cold today. In fact it was warmer outside this morning for our daily walk with Lady than it is in the house. Would it be very bad to turn on the heating?
Done. On the grounds that I can't make a recording if my teeth are chattering.
I'm not ignoring you, honest! It's just that I've been very busy lately recording my podcast. Remember? The serialisation of what I like to call my memoir.
The bits I've been recording recently have been very funny. Well, I think so anyway. At one point in my diary I wonder if I missed my vocation in life; if I could have been a stand-up comic like Victoria Wood.
Of course since I wrote my diary Ms Wood has died. Much too young. So much more she could have brought us. As it is her legacy will live long. I have a CD of hers and I can't listen to it without almost wetting my pants, it's so funny.
Anyway, I hope you're listening to my podcast and I hope even more that you're enjoying it. (Although if you're not listening then that hope is irrelevant.)
I am coming quite close to the end of the book now. When it's finished I'll be able to get back to writing the sequel, which has taken second place to the recording and editing process.
In many ways this lockdown has been useful. In other ways not so: I have moments when I go crazy but as David says, 'I've been putting up with your craziness for years; it's about time you experienced it yourself.'
I'm still wondering how to take that.
Making the most of the unseasonably warm weather and sitting out in the garden. I'm reading while David treats the garden furniture ready for the summer - unless this is it.
I said I could do with a treat and he offered to rub me down with some sandpaper.
I'd been hoping for something a little more chocolatey.
We had a picnic! (In the garden in case you're worried about breaking the social distancing rules.)
Those of you who've read my memoir or who've listened to it on podcast will know that we went on a picnic for one of our first dates. Then we were in a wonderful little spot overlooking the sea, and David didn't know I didn't like mustard.
We used the picnic blanket and sat on the grass, and David served up delicious warm baguettes stuffed with cheese and bacon. Hm, I fear my bad eating habits may have rubbed off on him. But you really can't go wrong with cheese and bacon. Then we lay back in the sun until a cloud came over and David suggested we remove ourselves to the bedroom ...
Much later my wonderful man cooked dinner for me: smoked salmon with crab mousse (from M&S), shepherd's pie (his speciality - you've never tasted shepherd's pie until you've tasted David's), and sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream (from M&S).
It's a good job we, um, had our little rest in the afternoon as I certainly wouldn't have been up to any bedroom activity after dinner. In fact just getting upstairs was a challenge.
Incidentally he does now know why I cross my legs when sneezing ...
Yes, it's my birthday today. Not being able to go out is a bit of a downer but then again with my tendency to set restaurants on fire it could be considered a good thing.
I'll tell you more later about what delights David has in store for me (I hope) but for now I just want to tell you about the best birthday present a girl could have!
The wonderful Debra has done a review of my podcast over on her blog and it's glowing. Don't be misled by the fact that she refers to Liz in her review. Some people know me as that. Like my cousin June, who is now Olive.
Anyway here is the link to Debra's blog.
It has taken me some time but it's here now! I know you've all been on tenterhooks since, um, last May but I've finally done it!
I've started podcasting!
My plan is to embed a player on this website. Let's see how that works, shall we?
In case you're curious it was really easy to create a podcast. The difficult bit was getting it listed on the iTunes directory. To be honest, it's still not listed but it is being reviewed. they have to make sure it is up to standard and not breaking any of their rules.
I am going to try and embed the player without asking for help from David ...
Postscript
I did it!
