carpe diem

Current work: (don’t ask)
Listening to: Neil Young, After the Goldrush
Reading: Jan Jones, Fair Deception (fab read, and I’m not just saying this because she’s one of my friends – great characterisation, fast pace, lots of wit, gorgeous hero, lovely heroine, and there’s a secondary who definitely needs her own story)

Cleaned my mum’s grave and put new flowers on this morning, so it looks much brighter. The florist next to the church just happened to have some fresh freesias, the same colour as some of the silk ones I’d used. Freesias were my mum’s favourite flowers, so I bought some for her. I know they won’t last overnight, but it makes me feel better to give her proper flowers for her birthday. Even though I would much rather have been able to give them to her in person.

Stopped off at Staples on the way home to sort out the last OHPs for my talk on Monday; then had to go lamp-shopping as my desk lamp collapsed yesterday. Was very pleased with the new lighting shop next to Staples as they actually had a choice of low-energy lamps.

Was still feeling a bit low when I came home - and then I had another unexpected phone call. (This week has really been good for them.) This time it was David Dane, a local artist whose work I really like (and he’s a lovely man, too). He had some great news for me; he doesn’t normally do prints, but Norfolk Wildlife Trust is running a campaign to buy an important piece of marshland, and David has painted a picture for them – meaning that he’s produced a limited edition of signed, numbered prints. All the money is going to the Trust’s campaign. He remembered how much I like his work, so he rang me in case I’d be interested.

Now, this is an opportunity that might not come my way again.

At the time, I wanted a picture with a sunrise and some dew and some birds flying and a windmill. So when I typed in the email he gave me... Hmm.

(You can see it here on the NWT website or here on David’s website, where you can enlarge it.)

It’s the perfect size for the space just above my desk; and, frankly, after the utter mess of this year, I could do with something calm and ethereal like this in my office.

As I said. Carpe diem. Because life is short.