East Head

looking towards Holkham

I guess we all walk the shoreline as best we can each day.

I loved listening to Michael Sandel's 'Global Philosopher' this morning, but then I always like to listen to MS and it is always thought provoking.

In the afternoon I took mum on a walk to the sea.  I had taken loads of pictures of my morning walk starting from the house to the sea and showed them to her so that we could 'walk' it together and I did a short video piece of the sounds of the sea and the wind and children kite flying. She was in bed today and not so good but came too a bit with the pictures. I asked her which one was her favourite and she said all of them so this is just a flavour.

I don't usually ask her if she remembers anything anymore because she doesn't really and I think the questioning is distressing. It's bad enough for those of us who are doing ok to struggle and search for things at times and this is clearly how it always is now and to always draw a blank is hard work, demoralising and distressing. So I don't ask if she remembers these places she knows well but just let her look and take them in as she can, and she says she likes to see them.

It reminded me a little of Dorothy Wordsworth who could have the gift of describing things as if seeing them for the first time. She writes of seeing stitchwort in flower and describes it as the 'rabbit tooth' flower, which it absolutely is. You couldn't see anything more bugs bunny if you tried.

We also watched Whiskey's link to Maya Angelou which mum also watched attentively. I asked her what she thought and although she can't really say she has clearly absorbed something of the feeling and resonance. Just because memory and capacity have long gone in the ways we would normally understand, it doesn't mean there isn't some sense of affect.

I also showed her the remarkable medieval wall paintings that have survived at St Faith's church at Little Witchingham (extra), which I discovered as I went off piste in Norfolk again on my way through to Norwich.