Zoe is on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, and it is monsoonishly RAINING. She slept in a tent while we used duvets and heat. I love camping too, (provided Roy and Zoe make camp) but not in the wet. We heard the amazing and energetic Heidi Baker yesterday at Aldates. Her faith and joy are contagious, and she is the best speaker, with the most electric, unself-conscious, self-confident delivery, that I have ever heard
17 May
We laughed so hard when a very wet, very bedraggled, rather lame Zoe, clothes inside-out and hair wild, came back from a 15 mile Duke of Edinburgh expedition (on which she carried 22 pounds, and camped out). It’s rainy, so our main adventures today are literary–I am enjoying reading Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome to Irene.
18 May
Anita Mathias has played a game of tennis with her family. And lifted weights with her personal trainer. Is sore. And sorry. For herself. Am looking forward to our holiday in Wales this weekend–a day in the Brecon Beacons, a day in the National Botanical Garden of Wales in Cardiff, and a day on beaches
Quel est le mot en Francais pour.? After 4 months of Alliance Francaise French conversation classes, I’m no longer saying that quite so much. The instructor solemnly begun by teaching us Merde and Putain on our first class, and, literally and figuratively, it was all uphill after that. I love French, but no longer acquire languages as quickly and easily as I did in my twenties. Those stubborn grey hairs I henna out!
20 May
Anita Mathias just spent 3 lovely days in fabulous Wales. Our family stayed in the Brecon Beacons National Park, instant relaxation–classic woodland views of boulder and pebble-choked steams; fat, long-tailed lambs. Liked the Vaughan steam and canal walk of the beloved metaphysical poet. ++ National Botanical Garden of Wales, which we explored until hobble-footed exhaustion. Zoe & Irene loved Wales and didn’t want to return home.
26 May
Anita Mathias is pleased with herself. I went to a street dance class at Esporta, in a mirror-walled room with a bunch of women mostly half as old, and twice as fit! I (mostly) enjoyed the leaping and sashaying! Mid-life crises are fun things. One tries new things. And stops caring what people think. I then had a facial. AND forced Roy to get his first haircut in 20 years! He usually cuts his hair himself. Or worse, gets me to!
27 May
Anita Mathias visited the sweet Lister family in Faringdon yesterday, had the best BBQ, and walked up to Faringdon Folly Tower–fab views of the White Horse in Uffington. Today I had my Somerville friend Ruth to lunch. Woke late, focused on returning wrongfully scattered kids’ art projects and books to their rightful owners, realizing 10 minutes AFTER Ruth came that I had forgotten to shop! Roy to the rescue!
Anita Mathias Zoe has just come back tired and happy from five days in Cornwall with her friends Laura and Eleanor. They were supposed to be revising for their end of year exams. In Cornwall? Well, Zoe says she feels well-prepared. As for me, I did a taster session of tai-chi with an instructor at Esporta. It seemed a lot of nonsense, until we came to the dancing part, when we moved from prose to poetry. I think I’ll try it again!
30 May at 22:18
