Nine Feet Underground

Tuesday means work and I am up early for the first carer, followed by a walk before rain sets in again for the day. Strange dreams last night: somehow, in a way I can't fully recall, I was trying to help prevent families being sent to concentration camps. Where that comes from, I have no idea. Darkness pervades everything, it seems. Providing a home for the dog again, dark skies outside and in. Work will keep my mind occupied for most of the day, though that is no solution to anything. Work...interspersed with knee exercises.   This week's poem is 'Remember' by Christina Rossetti, which seems to have some resonance. Remember me when I am gone away,    Gone far away into the silent land;    When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day    You tell me of our future that you planned:    Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you...

When I got up this morning I had the idea that today is the day to change my bed.  It looks like it's going to stay dry, so probably the best opportunity to get the heavier, non drier-friendly, items at least drip dry.  I think that's now officially the most boring opening to one of these posts to date.  Not being able to go out and do much other than exercise, combined with the fact that I still haven't recovered enough to exercise means that life just keeps getting smaller and smaller. I have spent a seriously large chunk of the day on washing, so there isn't really much to add, other than that the rest of yesterday's and all of today's papers were delivered, so I did read some of them.  Not enough time or will power to finish them though.  I should have plenty of time tomorrow, since it doesn't look like I'll be doing yoga in the morning. Damn. When the evening comes I am still in the grip of the butterfly state of mind that's been with me for wha...

Saturday means the weekly food shopping trip.  Each week something is different: this time only one person per trolley is allowed in the shop, so though one of my sons came with me, he couldn't come in.  Apart the tedium of food shopping being alleviated by having company, my sons also help remind me of things we are out of, or running low on, that I have omitted from my shopping list. I usually come back without things I should have had on my list, partly because I just hadn't thought of them, but also because I am trying to get the shopping done as quick as possible, so as to minimise the risk to my wife, who is at home and extremely vulnerable, and also the risk to others.  We do all have to think of one another now: if we didn't before, we certainly should from now on.  I'm going to have to up my game now.  A hastily scribbled list - always a danger with my 'handwriting' (the only part of GP training I completed), will no longer do.  I'm going to h...

This has been a long time in the making, but finally, almost a month into 2019, I've almost listened to all the albums I have from 2018.  If I don't complete this look back soon it'll be overtaken by the new albums from 2019 - and there already are some great albums from January and even more promised in February. (I should also add that albums I missed in 2018 are still being brought to my attention, this includes albums by Jonathan Wilson ('Rare Birds'), Steve Gunn ('The Unseen In Between') and Rezzett ('Rezzett LP')). Before I get into the top ten list I ought to say something about the albums that haven't made the list.  That's the subject of this post. Honourable mentions I guess you'd call these.  There were a lot of good albums in 2018, many of which contain 4 or 5 great songs or tunes, often including a smattering of other good tracks but, ultimately not enough to make the top 10. (Many of those songs do appear on my...

[Sunday 7th October 2018] I like the marriage of darkness in the lyrics with the contrasting upbeat nature of the tune.  It could be the song for any of my days currently, not just yesterday, but as the tarot card "Death" signifies change so, perhaps, does this hint at something positive coming from the darkness. It is absolutely wonderful to have Sarah Nixey back after a seven year break and to have a new solo album.  I’ve been a fan since I first heard her sing with the criminally underrated band, Black Box Recorder (BBR).  She has a glacially cool speaking and singing voice – I say ‘speaking’ because she intones and sings thee words on BBR songs like ‘Child Psychology’ and ‘The Facts of Life’. This song encapsulates all of that, and more. There's an interview with Sarah on The Electricity Club site, just click here . [Post title from verse III of 'Mutability' by Percy Bysshe Shelley]