Apple picking Day 2

Nicola and John from across the road came to pick apples today. Nicola climbed up the tree to capture the largest, ripest apples from the top branches and left two large bagfuls for me. Marvellous.

I had a walk towards Lincoln Hill and back before lunch. It's been such a glorious day.

I had to be in from 2pm for a Tesco delivery that might not come until 10pm, but arrived at 9pm.

The main news of the day started in a worrying way. Maureen phoned to say she was in hospital in Carlisle with a brain haemorrhage. No signs of a stroke, but very severe headache that led to collapse. She had a scan then was transferred to the RVI in Newcastle for brain surgery.

Tonight she phoned from the High Dependency Unit to say the surgery had gone well. She was hungry and a nurse was sourcing a sandwich for her! Phew! 

If I was her doctor I would confiscate her phone. I had to persuade her to let me do some phone calls for her tonight!


You never know what a day will bring. 

PS My current Literature Festival recommendation is Wigtown. It's brilliantly organised and you can listen to talks you missed on YouTube. Today I heard the poet Michael Longley being interviewed. I was transported by his poems and horrified that I had not heard of him. The interviewer was William D Hanna, who was a pupil in Longley's English class at Grammar School. I'm going to listen to him reading some of his poems again.

I also heard Tamsin Calidas being interviewed about her book I am an Island about her life on a tiny Scottish island (unnamed) and the traumas of her existence there. I was a bit irritated because she kept plugging the book and I don't think you need to do that at a Book Festival. I then read that the book has caused a lot of controversy where she lives. You might say she has been brave or foolhardy to write this while she is still living amongst people who she claims have treated her very badly. Anyone read it yet?